Interview KotOR Q&A at RPGamer

Saint_Proverbius · Jan 19, 2003

Tags: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

<A href="http://www.rpgamer.com/">RPGamer</a> has posted an <a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2003/011703c.html">interview</a> with <a href="http://www.bioware.com">BioWare</a>'s Casey Hudson about <A href="http://www.swkotor.com">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</a>. Here's a sample:
 
 
<blockquote>RPGamer: What kinds of mini-games will there be in KOTOR?
 
 
Casey Hudson: We have added several mini-games, to give players the fast-paced and visceral part of the Star Wars experience that you normally wouldn?t be able to do within the context of an RPG engine. So, when your ship is attacked by Sith fighters, you?ll be able to hop in the gun turret and blast them yourself. Also, you?ll be able to engage in illegal races with modified swoop racers on a number of worlds.
 
 
We?ve also added a card game called Pazzak, so that you can gamble with characters throughout the game. It?s somewhat of a collectible card game, so you?ll be able to find new cards throughout the game that will help you play better against your next opponent. This minigame alone has proven to be lots of fun, so we think that it will be a nice diversion for people to be able to try some different types of gameplay within the overall experience.</blockquote>
 
 
Arcady goodness!
 
 
Spotted this at <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</a>.

Araanor · Jan 19, 2003

Ah, mini-games, learned to dislike them through console RPGs.

We?ve also added a card game called Pazzak, so that you can gamble with characters throughout the game. It?s somewhat of a collectible card game, so you?ll be able to find new cards throughout the game that will help you play better against your next opponent.

Sounds like it's lifted directly out of FFVIII. Bioware gameplay coupled with console goodness, could we ask for more?!

Saint_Proverbius · Jan 19, 2003

I was thinking that as well. I couldn't remember which Final Fantasy game incorporated the card trading game in it though.

What gets me is why they even bothered to include the arcade game crap in this game, which is basically the player direct controlling everything rather than the character actually controlling it. That definitely not a good thing in an RPG.

Section8 · Jan 19, 2003

I bet Bioware are like a dream for Lucas.

"A collectible card game? Now why didn't I think of that? I think in Episode 3 I'll change that midichlorians bullshit to 'Jedi powers come from CATCHING THEM ALL!!!!' Buy your Jedi powers today kiddies, and you can be just like that mincing fake Ryan Phillipe homme that was in my last Star Wars movie, whatever it was called."

Saint_Proverbius · Jan 20, 2003

BioWare and Lucas are a perfect match for one another. Look at how utterly stupid Episode 1 and Episode 2 were, but they earned massive cash. Basically, they both seem to fall in to the "makers of crap that sells" category, as well as "Fans who don't know it's crap or even that it's not good at what it's supposed to be" thingy.

Rayt · Jan 20, 2003

Saint_Proverbius said:
BioWare and Lucas are a perfect match for one another. Look at how utterly stupid Episode 1 and Episode 2 were, but they earned massive cash. Basically, they both seem to fall in to the "makers of crap that sells" category, as well as "Fans who don't know it's crap or even that it's not good at what it's supposed to be" thingy.

The Star Wars movies are children's movies. Lucas himself said it was aimed towards children, not towards 30 year old geeks who expect the same experience like they had when they saw the first Star Wars movies when they were a kid. Children loved Jar Jar Brinks, in fact it was their favorite character in the first movie. Children don't give a crap about solid story lines or teeth grinding love scenes, they want cheesecake jokes and pretty things to look at.

Complaining about Star Wars' stupidity is like complaining how dumb Pokemon is. Goddamn, if you want to watch a good SF movie go see Gattaca. Not Star Wars, not any of them.

Constipated Craprunner · Jan 20, 2003

That does not excuse his poor actoral directing.
Babe: Pig in the City is a children's movie, yet it is fantastic.
The same with Time Bandits.
I personally enjoyed EP2 because it was fairly impressive in terms of sheer visiual wonder. I can think of few directors with that kind of imagination, though he should get his dirty paws of the screenplay, and let someone else direct the actors.

Section8 · Jan 21, 2003

Rule #1 when making children's movies: Children go to movies with their parents.

If you don't throw something into a movie for the "older kids" to enjoy, then you're not reaching half of your audience. For example, I am 22, and most of my friends hav e been to see both Harry Potter films, and enjoyed them immensely. I'm a huge fan of movies like The Lion King, Aladdin, Muppet movies, in fact, now that I think about it, half of my DVD collection could be deemed childrens' movies. The point is, I enjoy them like any other movie.

However, that's beside the point, because your argument seems to be "Lucas is aiming this film at people with no ability or desire to discern quality." Trying to justify a movie as being crap because it's a childrens' movie is a piss-poor excuse. Sure it irritates me that he's shitting on Star Wars canon, but it irritates me more that he feels the need to cast terrible actors that make Mark Hamill look like a prodigy, write ridiculous scripts with pick up lines that would have been laughed at back in the 50s.

Rayt · Jan 21, 2003

Constipated Craprunner said:
That does not excuse his poor actoral directing.
Babe: Pig in the City is a children's movie, yet it is fantastic.
The same with Time Bandits.
I personally enjoyed EP2 because it was fairly impressive in terms of sheer visiual wonder. I can think of few directors with that kind of imagination, though he should get his dirty paws of the screenplay, and let someone else direct the actors.

I agree that Lucas is a crappy director and script writer. Producing is where his talents are. But children loved Episode 1 and 2, just as they loved Pokemon, which is sheer terror for adults.

I agree about Babe: pig in the city. It, and his predecessor, are one of the most enjoyable movies of the 90's. But those were great movies, not just movies great for children.

Constipated Craprunner · Jan 21, 2003

Actually, every actor involved in the new Star Wars movies is fantastic, and anyone who says to the contrary has not seen Trainspotting, the Shipping News (which sucked, thou the actor was good) and several others.
His problem is the diolouge, which seems to be limited to two syables per line. However, both children and ample critics should be able to appriciate the visuals- http://alliance.zap2it.com/custom/metro ... n_template - Willmington gave it a proper review.

Rayt · Jan 21, 2003

Section8 said:
Rule #1 when making children's movies: Children go to movies with their parents.

If you don't throw something into a movie for the "older kids" to enjoy, then you're not reaching half of your audience. For example, I am 22, and most of my friends hav e been to see both Harry Potter films, and enjoyed them immensely. I'm a huge fan of movies like The Lion King, Aladdin, Muppet movies, in fact, now that I think about it, half of my DVD collection could be deemed childrens' movies. The point is, I enjoy them like any other movie.

However, that's beside the point, because your argument seems to be "Lucas is aiming this film at people with no ability or desire to discern quality." Trying to justify a movie as being crap because it's a childrens' movie is a piss-poor excuse. Sure it irritates me that he's shitting on Star Wars canon, but it irritates me more that he feels the need to cast terrible actors that make Mark Hamill look like a prodigy, write ridiculous scripts with pick up lines that would have been laughed at back in the 50s.

There's a difference between family movies and children's movies. Pokemon and Star Wars are aimed at children and entertain them. The movies you enjoyed (and I have to say, I enjoyed them as well) are aimed at entertaining the children and their parents.

That's not to say that the actors in Episode 1 and 2 were piss poor, not to mention the script. So I agree with your second paragraph.

Rayt · Jan 21, 2003

Constipated Craprunner said:
Actually, every actor involved in the new Star Wars movies is fantastic, and anyone who says to the contrary has not seen Trainspotting, the Shipping News (which sucked, thou the actor was good) and several others.
His problem is the diolouge, which seems to be limited to two syables per line. However, both children and ample critics should be able to appriciate the visuals- http://alliance.zap2it.com/custom/metro ... n_template - Willmington gave it a proper review.

I'm not sure about the qualities of that guy who played Anakin in Episode 2...was he in the Shipping News?

Off topic, I haven't seen the movie, but I've read The Shipping News. Is the movie really that bad?

Spazmo · Jan 21, 2003

Well, regardless of what else he was in, Christien Heydenfuckwit is total and utter shit in Episode II. And he somehow manages to increase his awfulness in the love scenes.

Oh, and CCR--certainly don't bother giving us a direct link to that review.

Constipated Craprunner · Jan 21, 2003

I could not find it, just wanted an excuse to link to something Chicago oriented.
Whoever claims that Lucas is a halfway decent director of actors is an idiot who likes Soderbergh's Solaris more than Tarkovsky's Solyaris. Just pointing out that Christien is not a terrible actor, and could be better in the Third.

Saint_Proverbius · Jan 21, 2003

Rayt said:
I agree that Lucas is a crappy director and script writer.

Episode 1 and Episode 2 have to be two of the best examples of poor scripts ever made. That scene in Episode 2 where Christopher Lee was trying to get Obi Wan to join him by telling Obi Wan the master plan was absolutely fucking ludicrious. Here's our evil plan! Join us! That's about as retarded as it gets.

Then again, the whole movie was like that. Using a huge, clone army to fight the trade federation when you have no idea where it came from is just moronic. Hey guys, someone made us up an army of clones! Let's use it for our main army! No one is that stupid, unless they're being written my George Lucas.

I have to agree with Section 8. Just because you're making a movie for kids doesn't mean it can be idiotic just because kids won't know the difference.

Spazmo said:
Well, regardless of what else he was in, Christien Heydenfuckwit is total and utter shit in Episode II. And he somehow manages to increase his awfulness in the love scenes.

Oh, and CCR--certainly don't bother giving us a direct link to that review.

Christopher Lee sucked ass in Episode 2 as well. It came off like he was in a movie he really had no desire to be in, because he's a good actor.

Interview KotOR Q&A at RPGamer

Saint_Proverbius

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Araanor

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Saint_Proverbius

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Section8

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Rayt

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Constipated Craprunner

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Section8

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Rayt

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Constipated Craprunner

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Rayt

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Spazmo

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Constipated Craprunner

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