Development Info Question on KOTOR II answered on RPG Vault

[Whipporowill]

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

<a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/news.html" target=_blank>RPG Vault</a>'s Jonric got the opportunity to <a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/556/556465p1.html" target=_blank>discuss</a> certain aspects of Obsidian's upcoming (for Xbox and PC) KOTOR II: the Sith Lords, with representatives from both the dev studio itself and series producer Lucas Arts. Here's MCA's take on how the basics of KOTOR II's story came about:<blockquote>All story material came from LucasArts and Obsidian kicking around ideas like a soccer ball. LucasArts had a number of conditions for the story that we did our best to adhere to - no flashbacks or future visions, no messing around with the player's head, the player had to start as a Jedi, and lots of Sith vs. Jedi action. Beyond that, we were pretty free to do whatever we wanted. Before The Sith Lords began, we'd seen no plans for a sequel from LucasArts or BioWare, so Obsidian and LucasArts just started from scratch - we took KOTOR I and tried to build on the universe it had set up.
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</blockquote>No flashbacks? No future visions? Not messing around with the player's head? Gee, seems like even Lucas Arts got their shit together and realized it would be pushing things to carbon copy the first installment of the series (Not that I'm complaining, actually). I also found Atton Rand "commenting on when to be a good time to save" that was mentioned in the interview, actuallt felt pretty... <i>intriguing</I>, and something that'd pretty make sense in view of the movies.

 

[Seven]

Chris Avellone: Hope everyone enjoys the game. We're trying something new with our influence and companion mechanics, and we hope you like it. Thanks for giving us an opportunity to talk about it.

Oh no, they're trying something new. My god, it'll be the end of us all.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Oh shit! They're adding new dialogue mechanics. This game is going to totally suck. WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL LETS MAKE EVERYTHING THE SAME.

/end sarcasm

 

[Seven]

You do realize that my sarcasm was directed at fnordcircle since he's of the opinion that Codexers fear change?

 

[Sol Invictus]

So was mine.

 

[Eclecticist]

This is the first good news I've heard about KotOR2 for ages.

 

[Kamaz]

I realize its sensless to ask for "I DONT WANNA BE JEDI" option in game since this is a feature all the SW casual fans dream of. But I, at least, hope that game will let you skip goddamned movies or cut-scenes. Its just ridiculous not being able to skip movie/cutscene right before space-fight. I am average loser at space-fights, ya know, Bio,and I really hated that part. Really, really. And I hated inablity to save during that combat and having to replay movie and fckn space-fight made me so sick I throw the KOTOR disk into bin.

If it is too hardcore...I dunno

 

[Petey_the_Skid]

Hmm...it sounds pretty good to me, ythough I hope if i have to start as a jedi there's a class that has enough skillpoints to actually get you're skills up fairly decent. I found it very annoying in kotor to not be able to advance my skills that I'd picked up as a a scoundrel after I became a jedi and had less than half the skill points per level than I used to have.

I agree with kamaz on the whole "why do i have to be a jedi" thing as well. The Star Wars universe is big enough that you could have a great RPG game where you don't worry too much about the Force, but instead about you're own goals and survival. The short story collections were pretty cool about portraying that, though most of the novels were about Jedi. Still, I guess I'd have to purchase the pnp version if I want any of that, I'm sure too many fans would be dissapointed if they couldn't force choke somebody.

 

[Whipporowill]

Well, the goths have nothing on the Jedi wannabes when it comes to angst - so let's hope no non-jedi Crpg is ever released, for our sanity's sake.

Kamaz, the turret fights are supposedly fully optional for survival now - there has been mention of a failed turret fight leading to you being boarded instead, and have to fight some troopers, which you otherwise would't have had to.

 

[Azael]

Sounds pretty interesting. I hope the "I have a bad feeling about this" won't be over-used though, it could easily get irritating to hear that every damn time you enter a guarded compound/dark cave/Michael Jackson's bedroom

 

[PraetorJudis]

Michael Jackson's bedroom

*trons*

Coffee out the nose before 5:30 AM? Priceless.

Thanks for the wake up call, Azael!

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

*mumble* i bet SOMEBODY will have amnesia *mumble*

Great news though, looks like they will have to create a plot this time.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Chris Avellone: Hope everyone enjoys the game. We're trying something new with our influence and companion mechanics, and we hope you like it. Thanks for giving us an opportunity to talk about it.

Oh no, they're trying something new. My god, it'll be the end of us all.

How different it will be from Torment remains to be seen.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I agree with kamaz on the whole "why do i have to be a jedi" thing as well. (...)

Still, I guess I'd have to purchase the pnp version if I want any of that, I'm sure too many fans would be dissapointed if they couldn't force choke somebody.

I was going to answer, but...

 

[Andyman Messiah]

*mumble* i bet SOMEBODY will have amnesia *mumble*

Great news though, looks like they will have to create a plot this time.

Revan will probably have amnesia.