Development Info Sith Lords designer diary at GameSpot

[Vault Dweller]

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

<a href=http://www.gamespot.com>GameSpot</a> has posted the first <a href=http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords>Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords</a>' <a href=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/kotor2/preview_6102189.html>designer diary</a> about making the demo for E3, written by <b>Mike Gallo</b> and <b>Chris Parker</b>
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<blockquote><b>Force Powers</b>
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We picked Force Sight, a power that required a significant amount of graphical programming to make it look cool; it lets you see through doors and read the force aura of characters in the world. We picked Force Crush, a power that required we add animation for every character in the game, new and old, allowing them to be lifted in the air and crumbled like a pathetic paper hat. And we decided to make sure a number of other force powers like Force Rage worked, even though we knew we wouldn't be able to cover them in the demo.
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<b>Feats and Skills</b>
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In the end, we glossed over these in the five-minute demo even though many were working in the game at the time. And it's a shame for the RPG gamer. Demolitions modify the amount of damage that grenades and placed mines do. A character's Treat Injury skill modifies how effective healing items are. The entire system of item creation and upgrading was almost completely glossed over. We didn't even hit on the new combat feats like Unarmed Fighting feats or the feats for using the new weapons.
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<b>Characters</b>
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We've added a bunch of new characters--with their own skills, abilities, and personas--that can join your party. We were hardly able to touch on what those characters are all about. And what about the returning characters? In the five-minute demo we said "some characters from KOTOR will be returning in various roles, from characters that can join your party again to those that just make cameo appearances." But to be honest, this was actually kind of nice because not talking about them means we don't need to talk about the roles they play in the story. </blockquote>
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Who cares about characters and skills, when you can show people cool powahz and special effects?

 

[EEVIAC]

Unarmed fighting skills in a game with lightsabres? This just gets better and better. I want Lightscythes, dammit!

 

[Whipporowill]

Oh yeah. Parrying lightsabers with fists... now that'd be really realistic.

 

[Psilon]

Well, you know, everyone--even non-sentient animals--wears gloves machined from a really weird metal...

 

[Sol Invictus]

I want my lightwhips, like Johnny Mnemonic!

 

[Nightjed]

heh, it will probaly end like the first game, 3 useful skills, 3 useful feats, 2 slightly useful ones and the rest totally worthless

 

[Jiles]

I want my lightwhips, like Johnny Mnemonic!

Saberwhips are much better than lightwhips, that's for sure

 

[Jed]

Saberwhips are much better than lightwhips, that's for sure

Oh god, it burns! The stupidity of that thread! Abandon all intelligence ye who read here.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Too. Many. Dorks. Especially that Weiser Cain person.

 

[suibhne]

Oh yeah. Parrying lightsabers with fists... now that'd be really realistic.

I hear that, at one time, all gloves in the galaxy were made from a cortosis weave.

 

[Ultron]

Too. Many. Dorks. Especially that Weiser Cain person.

You certainly showed him up with your Johnny Mnemonic whip explanation....*cough* dork *cough*



Johnny Mnemonic?!!?!??!?!?! :shock:

 

[ichpokhudezh]

Who cares about characters and skills, when you can show people cool powahz and special effects?

It's a 5 minute E3 DEMO, what did you expect? 3 minutes of tinkering with the character creation screen and the remaining time spent showing off 18 versions of a dialog changes based on PC's attributes, alignment, etc? If you think that would have sufficed for a snazzy show, consider yourself a part of the insightful elite.

Unarmed fighting skills in a game with lightsabres? This just gets better and better. I want Lightscythes, dammit!

Let's try this one for size:
'Unarmed fighting skills in a world with nuclear ballistic rockets? ... I want a nuclear-powered keyboard, dammit!'

Oh yeah. Parrying lightsabers with fists... now that'd be really realistic.

I would qualify 'parrying a lightsaber with a fist/fist(s)/sword/head/etc' as a very stupid idea.
Please, take notice that neither of M.Gallo nor C.Parker mentioned it. This supposition came from Whipporowill.
Besides, pairing up 'realistic' and 'lightsaber' in a single sentence is a bit too much by itself, don't you think?

 

[Whipporowill]

Realistic in the Star Wars continuity. Luke lost a frigging hand to a light saber, Obi-Wan went up in smoke from a hit. Yeah, makes me really interested in fighting something that cuts through metal as butter with my bare hands? And all that glove crap - c'mon. I support they put it in, but it doesn't sound as it SHOULD be useful.

And your analogy concerning nuclear missiles and HtH combat is pretty goofy. Have you ever seen (in real life or simulation there of) anyone walking around with a missille clobbering someone over the head? Take about a lowbrow solution...

 

[Vault Dweller]

Who cares about characters and skills, when you can show people cool powahz and special effects?

It's a 5 minute E3 DEMO, what did you expect? 3 minutes of tinkering with the character creation screen and the remaining time spent showing off 18 versions of a dialog changes based on PC's attributes, alignment, etc? If you think that would have sufficed for a snazzy show, consider yourself a part of the insightful elite.

No, obviously showing some cool force powers in action is a better idea. If I want to see that, I'd play Jedi Academy. Demonstrating improved skills and feats, imo, would have been much better. However, we all know that morons with ADD like to look at something flashy and colorful so I guess Gallo & Co made the right choice.

Unarmed fighting skills in a game with lightsabres? This just gets better and better. I want Lightscythes, dammit!

Let's try this one for size:
Unarmed fighting skills in a world with nuclear ballistic rockets?

Your analogy sucks. Unlike lightsabers, nuclear weapons aren't being used in close combat. Yet.

Oh yeah. Parrying lightsabers with fists... now that'd be really realistic.

I would qualify 'parrying a lightsaber with a fist/fist(s)/sword/head/etc' as a very stupid idea.
Please, take notice that neither of M.Gallo nor C.Parker mentioned it. This supposition came from Whipporowill.
Besides, pairing up 'realistic' and 'lightsaber' in a single sentence is a bit too much by itself, don't you think?

Well, there is pseudo realism of a setting, i.e. if we assume that lightsabers exist, parrying them with sticks or hands wouldn't make a lot of sense and look kinda stupid, wouldn't you agree? As for the fact that neither Gallo nor Parker mentioned that you would be parrying lightsabers with your bare hands, that's the only logical conclusion. How else would that work?

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Unlike lightsabers, nuclear weapons aren't being used in close combat. Yet.

You can always tie a nuclear warhead to your forehead and headbutt people.

Yes, i watched too much Red Dwarf.

 

[Sol Invictus]

William Gibson breeds more intelligent dorks that George Lucas ever did with Star Wars.

 

[ichpokhudezh]

However, we all know that morons with ADD like to look at something flashy and colorful so I guess Gallo & Co made the right choice.

Thank you for understanding. If (or, most probably, when) they will not deliver on their promises (that is, make skills useable, NPCs changing their alignment and attitude and so forth) I'll join your grief and hatred.

Unarmed fighting skills in a world with nuclear ballistic rockets?

Your analogy sucks. Unlike lightsabers, nuclear weapons aren't being used in close combat. Yet.

No, your reading comprehension sucks. It was grotesque, not a direct analogy. See, how you (and Whipporowill) both got that something wasn't right with it?

Realistic in the Star Wars continuity. Luke lost a frigging hand to a light saber, Obi-Wan went up in smoke from a hit. Yeah, makes me really interested in fighting something that cuts through metal as butter with my bare hands? And all that glove crap - c'mon. I support they put it in, but it doesn't sound as it SHOULD be useful.

And your analogy concerning nuclear missiles and HtH combat is pretty goofy. Have you ever seen (in real life or simulation there of) anyone walking around with a missille clobbering someone over the head?

Right. So to whoever who is not able to filter out exaggeration and get the message, let me spell it out:
Whatever general fighting equipment advancement is, unarmed combat had, has and will have its uses.

Take about a lowbrow solution...

Whoa, this comes from a person who tried to mock other people by insinuating their relation to something completely dumb?
Let's talk about your canned responses and inability to relate your statements to a context....

Well, there is pseudo realism of a setting, i.e. if we assume that lightsabers exist, parrying them with sticks or hands wouldn't make a lot of sense and look kinda stupid, wouldn't you agree?

I said that, and you ask me if I agree?.... Yes, I wasn't joking.

As for the fact that neither Gallo nor Parker mentioned that you would be parrying lightsabers with your bare hands, that's the only logical conclusion. How else would that work?

First, to the point of why unarmed combat makes sense at all.

If KotORII will make stealthy style viable, then I (i.e. my PC) shall prefer unarmed fight to lightsabers while sneaking around.
From another point, the Jedi code from KotOR should be somewhat more related to the Tales of Jedi, so Jedi should have a 'reasonable violence' approach. I'm not a EU pro, but something along the lines of 'one should not kill if maiming is enough, one should not maim if injuring is enough, etc'. So. IF KotORII will allow some RP, unarmed combat makes so much more sense than just hacking everything with your lightsaber, IMO.

Second, how HtH with unarmed works against lightsabers.
Please note, that Jedi command The Force, so it is very possible to disarm your opponent, for example. So unarmed vs lightsaber is not necessarily [a] lost battle.
On the other hand the unarmed combat [feat] could be vital to a Jedi who lost his/her weapon.

PS. I, actually, don't think Sith Lords will be so much different from KotOR, though. Obsidian, most probably, will introduce some kind of 'powered cortosis gloves of ultimate crushing' to make 'unarmed' a viable combat feat.

 

[mr. lamat]

i worked in a coffee shop on west 4th during high school and william gibson would walk in most days for a medium cup of joe. nothing fancy. no one else ever knew who he was. it made me happy and really sad at the same time.

in a game context, having a lightsabre would be akin to that +205 staff of striking. sounds like mca is being dogfarted at both ends by the d20 ruleset and lucasarts. i do not envy his job but do hope for a good game still.