Editorial Two page KOTOR2 interview at IGN... about lightsabers

[Spazmo]

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

Everyone's favourite site ever, <a href=http://pc.ign.com>IGN</a>, have topped themselves once again by posting an entire <a href=http://pc.ign.com/articles/563/563614p1.html>interview</a> with LucasArts' Mike Gallo and Obsidian's Kevin Saunders entirely about lightsabers.<blockquote>IGN: It took a while to get your first lightsaber in KOTOR. When can gamers expect to wield the ol' laser blade in KOTOR II?
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Mike Gallo: Well, since it's an RPG, and the lightsaber is one of the most powerful weapons in the game (and Galaxy), we have to treat it as a very special item. Getting your lightsaber is not a small task, and we don't want to reveal too much about how you get it. To answer the question of "when," the answer is late enough to not break the balance of the game and early enough so that people can have a good time running around as a Jedi Knight for a large portion of the game. That is intentionally vague, because not everyone will acquire their lightsaber at the same time.</blockquote>There's stuff in there about what new saber colours the game will have. Just what I've been begging to ask these guys.

 

[Mendoza]

Well, in fairness, it wasn't all about how pretty your lightsaber was. They talked about different fighting styles, which sound interesting and have the potential to add more tactics and involvement to the combat. And they also mentioned the different types of specialisation consulars have, which doesn't even involve lightsabers!

 

[Volourn]

Aye, while lightsabres aren't my number one concern; it seems that there's a lot more oompth with them this time out. Not that lightsabres were bad in KOTOR1; but there's even more depth there now. Always a good thing.

 

[Reklar]

More depth to lightsabres? Pray tell, what does that mean Volourn? It's not about custom hilts or color variety is it? :D

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Volourn]

"More depth to lightsabres? Pray tell, what does that mean Volourn? It's not about custom hilts or color variety is it?"

LOL More choices are always good! Besides, I can now have a light green sabre now! WOO HOO! Best game EVAR! :D

 

[Reklar]

Heh, unless those choices are ultimately meaningless and revolve around what Hollywood hairstyle your character can have. I wonder when they'll introduce plastic surgeons and lipsuction to the Star Wars Universe? I can see it now: "Star Wars 3D Make-Over! Build your own homely, overweight Star Wars house-spouse and turn them into a Jedi beauty queen!" :D

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Andyman Messiah]

...not everyone will acquire their lightsaber at the same time.

That one piqued my interest a little. A little, that is. I hope it's about making interesting choices other than just picking the time to make the goddamned "holy quest for the lightsaber".

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Forget lightsabers, I want b00bie sliders. That's depth.

 

[The Exar]

This interview is of great importance to the Star Wars Fans. Many of them(including me) are interested in the game and information about lightsabers is realy worth something. I'm not going to analize the interview. It seems that Obsidian are listening to the fans and we can only hope that this is for good. (because there were some disastreous ideas posted in their forum...)

 

[Mendoza]

Forget lightsabers, I want b00bie sliders. That's depth.

Veiny, pale darkside b00bies?

 

[Briosafreak]

Forget lightsabers, I want b00bie sliders. That's depth.

Here here!

 

[Ortchel]

McGriddles

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Forget lightsabers, I want b00bie sliders. That's depth.

Veiny, pale darkside b00bies?

That glow red in the dark!

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Forget lightsabers, I want b00bie sliders. That's depth.

Not depth. Revolution!

As for me, I'd settle for a gigantic, purpleglowing fork with a pink hilt. Now that's scary. Imagine how the shadows would look.

It seems to me that most of what Star Wars-games is about is starting to get downgraded into cosmetic details. From quality to roleplaying goodies like customized hilts.

 

[fnordcircle]

Lightsabers, schmightschabers.

Invisible walls and tiny levels ho!

 

[DamnElfGirl]

Bah, boobie-slider technology still needs a lot of work. Every time I've been through character creation in a game that had boobie-sliders, I've spent way too long trying to endow my poor ladies in a way that didn't look uncomfortable or unnatureal. Ususally, on the small end, they end up with strangely angular little titties, and the big-busted ladies look like they're growing torpedoes out of their necks.

If you really want quality boobie-slider technology, you'll probably be tacking a good deal of time onto the development process. Particularly during the research portion, as the artists and modelers pore through the reference pics in order to more faithfully represent actual female anatomy (and fail because they've probably just cheated and gone to porn sites full of silicon-stocked starlets).

In conclusion, I recommend that KOTOR 2 stick with the phallic imagery, er, lightsabres instead.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

If the lightsabers can't slice through metal things like a hot knife through butter, then they still need work.

 

[dunduks]

If the lightsabers can't slice through metal things like a hot knife through butter, then they still need work.

I can bet that in KOTOR2 99% of the population will have magical wooden sticks and daggers that can repel lightsabers like there's no tomorrow. But the b00bie slider thing would be t3h r0xx0rz!!!

 

[fnordcircle]

I can bet that in KOTOR2 99% of the population will have magical wooden sticks and daggers that can repel lightsabers like there's no tomorrow.

I'm no fan of Kotor, and I see your point, but how else can they handle it without the game getting boring?

Being realistic to the terms of the SWU, having a lightsaber means it's game over for like, about 99% of the dudes you will meet up with in just one swing. Maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound like much fun.

 

[dunduks]

I'm no fan of Kotor, and I see your point, but how else can they handle it without the game getting boring?
Being realistic to the terms of the SWU, having a lightsaber means it's game over for like, about 99% of the dudes you will meet up with in just one swing. Maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound like much fun.

I can understand that, but still it seams kinda awkward. That's the problem with all the settings, if you have some uber weapon or class that can obliterate any enemy on sight, then the only choice would be to not include it in the game, if you don't want to break balance, but then again it takes away from fun. It's like in D&D and mages or dragons that in the books can stop armies but in the game are tuned down so that some whimpy bard or warrior could also play and survive against them.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'm no fan of Kotor, and I see your point, but how else can they handle it without the game getting boring?

Being realistic to the terms of the SWU, having a lightsaber means it's game over for like, about 99% of the dudes you will meet up with in just one swing. Maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound like much fun.

The problem seems to be with Star Was games in general relying too much on one trick ponies, namely Jedis and lightsabers. It's not very fun using the lightsaber in a SW game under the same context and way it can be used in, say, one of the movies or novels because as you point out, it wouldn't be fun to resolve combat in seconds. Another problem would be that certain skills could be rendered useless if one could just open way through a wall with a lightsaber (which also kind of considerably shortens the lenght of the game).

I think the problem could be somewhat lessened if the lightsaber was something which was harder to obtain. The fact that SW games generally have the player play as a Jedi means that more sooner than later, you'll be flinging an intergalactic vorpal item which can destroy everything and everyone with a single swipe, except walls. Maybe if the game presented the player with a lightsaber as late as possible in the game this wouldn't be as less immersion-breaking, but this seems like delaying the problem instead of fixing it.

 

[Spazmo]

It's not very fun using the lightsaber in a SW game under the same context and way it can be used in, say, one of the movies or novels because as you point out, it wouldn't be fun to resolve combat in seconds.

Certainly a generally valid point, but the combat in KOTOR is so bad that I'd prefer for it to be over in seconds.

 

[Ortchel]

That would solve the problem, but then no one would buy the game.

I played Star Wars Galaxies for awhile and 90% of the people I spoke to said they played only to eventually become a jedi and 'get a lightsaber staff'.

 

[Azael]

I'm no fan of Kotor, and I see your point, but how else can they handle it without the game getting boring?

Being realistic to the terms of the SWU, having a lightsaber means it's game over for like, about 99% of the dudes you will meet up with in just one swing. Maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound like much fun.

It doesn't have to be that way though, you could for example replace the blocking animation with dodging ones, which wouldn't be as hurtful to Star Wars lore. Jedi aren't infallible after all, but the lightsabers pretty much are. Another thing they should do is pump up ranged weapons a bit, they were way too weak in the original game and since opponents couldn't move and shoot (IIRC), they were pretty much toast once the Jedi closed the distance (which is what forced the cheesy cortosis overdose).

As for the article, more options for the lightsaber seems like a good thing to me, I especially like that they've added additional options for customizing it beyond crystals and the different fighting styles sound interesting.

 

[kumquatq3]

Another thing they should do is pump up ranged weapons a bit, they were way too weak in the original game

They said they did. They actually said they made unarmed a viable option too.