Interview Our local interview with Frank K on KotOR2

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

We have <A href="http://www.rpgcodex.com/content.php?id=103">an interview</a> with <A href="http://www.obsidianent.com">Obsidian</a>'s <b>Frank Kowalkowski</b> about his part of the programming on <A href="http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/">Knights of the Old Republic 2</a>. Here's a little bit about the mod tools:
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<blockquote><b>8) Many fans have been asking for mod tools for KOTOR 2. Several RPGs in the last few years have shipped with editors (Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind, Arcanum, etc.). I'm betting that the tools that you've worked with aren't as polished and friendly. Would a Neverwinter Nights module-maker be in for a shock if presented with the tools that you're using for The Sith Lords?</b>
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FK: The Sith Lords levels are all pre-lit and exported from MAX. This already adds a level of complexity not seen in Neverwinter Nights and would remove the ability to create levels for most people. There are dozens of similarities between the engines, but just as many differences. No, I don’t think it would be a ‘good thing’ to release the toolset as it currently exists.</blockquote>
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So yes, it does sound like there would be a little bit of a shock there.
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[Diogo Ribeiro]

It's a nice interview. Though i found a comment to be strange:

As far a weaknesses, I can’t really say as there’s anything too drastic with either engine. What weaknesses people may perceive from playing the game are actually a result of some of the engine’s greatest strengths.

Now, i have no programming knowledge or background. But i find it hard how a player, when being confronted with an engine's bad pathfinding or other technical problems, would be assumed to be actually confronted with its strengths.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Now, i have no programming knowledge or background. But i find it hard how a player, when being confronted with an engine's bad pathfinding or other technical problems, would be assumed to be actually confronted with its strengths.

Weaker pathfinding = more interactivity!

Because you have to keep clicking to steer your man around objects he gets hung on.

 

[Psilon]

No, it's something like "more CPU cycles to spend on particle effects."

 

[triCritical]

KotOR is probably the most un-interactive fully 3D games I have ever played. I am not kidding, its just down right amateur.

 

[Sol Invictus]

It's a two dimensional game rendered in three dimensions. There is no Y-Axis to speak of, and the game's physics are limited to wall boundaries.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Credit to where credit is due: Kumquatq3 for the interview.

 

[Elwro]

OMG ur a peot111 lol

 

[Jung]

It's a two dimensional game rendered in three dimensions. There is no Y-Axis to speak of, and the game's physics are limited to wall boundaries.

Yeah, kinda reminded me of Doom. No jumping, now! After playing Gothic 2, probably the most 3D game ever, KOTOR felt very restricting.

 

[space captain]

KOTOR was so fucking lame... I got the X-box version in my continual attempt to justify having an X-box... and at one point one of my games got totally bugged out and put me into some kind of "god mode" whereby I could fly to any planet I wanted to, even the jedi homeworld which had already been destroyed in my current game, and also the very end level... I have NO FUCKING CLUE how it happened, I was just walking around inside the space ship and I saw this thing called the "galaxy droid" in the cockpit, and when you talk to him he lets you go ANYWHERE you want... and this was in the freaking X-box version... man it was so goddamn lame, that was the point I said "i dont need to even play this anymore"

 

[Spazmo]

You must have entered some kind of developer debug mode. And that's a stupid reason to dislike a game. You hit a one-in-a-million bug, fucked with stuff you weren't supposed to fuck with and suddenly the game is crap? Just play it normally. There's a whole bushel of other reasons to dislike KOTOR.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I wouldnt like a game if it fucked up while I was playing it, its a totally valid reason to dislike a game. Kinda like "toee is a buggy piece of shit"?

 

[space captain]

thats not the only reason I dislike the game, moron...

I didnt feel like listing all the other bullshit thats been said a hundred times... as if I have to justify my likes and dislikes to you anyway..

 

[Sol Invictus]

Owned.

 

[Jung]

Made you his bitch.

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

Funniest bug I eer came across was when I was playing a virgin install of Max Payne a load of rats with guns started running up an shooting me. I was never able to recreate it and I never heard of anyone else encountering it.

 

[S4ur0n27]

I'm just waiting to see how Spaz will react to this totally imprevisible attack.

 

[Spazmo]

You're still an idiot for listing that complaint as a reason not to like KOTOR. It's fucking ridiculous. It's a developer debug mode: you weren't supposed to get in there. That's not how you're supposed to play the game. It's not representative of the game in general. The criticism is not valid.

Strait, that was an easter egg.