Preview KotOR preview on GameSpot

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

<A href="http://gamespot.com/">GameSpot</a> has posted up a <A href="http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/previews/0,10869,2912305,00.html">preview</a> of <A href="http://www.swkotor.com">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</a> as well.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote>During our earlier experiences with the game, Knights of the Old Republic's combat system was still in a very embryonic form and a bit difficult to properly gauge. The build we saw at the GDC featured a fully realized combat system that should be accessible to a wide variety of players. The core of the combat system is rules-based and should be familiar to fans of the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars game. If you aren't familiar with these rules, don't fret--the game offers plenty of help in the form of in-game cues and instructional text in the menus. But you'll actually have several ways to experience combat. Your primary choice is in real time, which is fairly self-explanatory--you'll simply deal with your foes in a real-time battle by selecting your attack commands from a context-sensitive menu. The options available on the menu will vary according to your character's ability and your proximity to your foe. Your second option is tied to your ability to pause the game at any time during a battle, which gives you time to choose your method of attack more carefully. The final option is a variation on the aforementioned pause method but brings the game closer to the standard turn-based structure seen in traditional console RPGs. While you'll be able to customize the pause options in a number of ways, you'll basically be able to have the game pause between the actions of the combatants. This option actually changes the dynamics of a fight considerably, turning battles into more-strategic experiences. The option to think things through a bit more carefully affords you a better chance of making it through a fight without sustaining as much damage as you would by wading into one in real time. </blockquote>
<br>
<br>
So, uhhh.. Basically.. It's real time with pause. Neat that they took that one thought and made a paragraph out of it.
<br>
<br>
Spotted this at <A href="http://www.ve3d.com">VoodooExtreme</a>

 

[Rosh]

The core of the combat system is rules-based and should be familiar to fans of the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars game.

Suuure. Just like NWN and the rest of their shit:

IGNORE THE RULES OR SKULLFUCK THEM TO PUSH A CRAP ENGINE WITH A LICENSE LABEL.

 

[Sol Invictus]

That's the biggest lump of shit I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

Knights of the Old Republic's combat system was still in a very embryonic form and a bit difficult to properly gauge

Pause and play is embryonic? DIdn't they pull it off with Baldur's Gate some 5 years ago?

This option actually changes the dynamics of a fight considerably, turning battles into more-strategic experiences. The option to think things through a bit more carefully affords you a better chance of making it through a fight without sustaining as much damage as you would by wading into one in real time.

What's the purpose of having a pause function in real time other than to make the game the very definition of tedium and furthermore pointlessness? They could just as easily utilize the more refined PURE TURN BASED setting and there wouldn't be any need for pausing the game if it 'becomes too fast'. It'd be so much more tactical (the proper word is tactical, not strategic. I do wish that these imbeciles would learn to tell the difference.)

As a final note, I'd like to confess about a secret fantasy of mine: To defecate tremendously on the author of that preview.

 

[Spazmo]

I hate it when they call real-time with pausing every round turn-based. What a load of crap.

 

[Section8]

It sounds like you can either play it like Final Fantasy, or like NWN. Either way it's probably not likely to pose much of a challenge, because to do so would likely compromise the other combat mode.

As a final note, I'd like to confess about a secret fantasy of mine: To defecate tremendously on the author of that preview.

I wonder if the author is into the copraphilic equivalent of bukkake. We could get everyone here from the Codex and...

...no. that's just a little too fucked up.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

It sounds like you can either play it like Final Fantasy, or like NWN. Either way it's probably not likely to pose much of a challenge, because to do so would likely compromise the other combat mode.

That "Final Fantasy" bit sounds like the auto-pause feature BG had, actually. I'm betting that's what it is.

 

[ecliptic]

What's the functional difference between the descriptors tactical and strategic?

 

[Darkness40k]

well its better than nothing, I mean you act all suprised, like you have been lied to or something.

Its an X-box game for gods sake... got to have flashy graphics and lots and lots of action.

 

[Sol Invictus]

NWN isn't my definition of a 'happening' game. There's virtually no action in it. JA2 has more action in it, and it's a turn based game! Imagine that.

 

[Section8]

That "Final Fantasy" bit sounds like the auto-pause feature BG had, actually. I'm betting that's what it is.

Your primary choice is in real time, which is fairly self-explanatory--you'll simply deal with your foes in a real-time battle by selecting your attack commands from a context-sensitive menu. The options available on the menu will vary according to your character's ability and your proximity to your foe.

That to me sounds like a terse list of general commands, like "Attack" "Defend" "Move" etc. It doesn't sound like you get to do much more than that. It would be fine for shouting order to NPCs, but it doesn't sound like it's too interactive.

But then again, Bioware managed to really fuck up a concept as simple as a radial menu, so it wouldn't surprise me if "context-sensitive" was just another buzz word to make them sound more competent than they actually are. Maybe they're taking the broken radial menus from NWN and greying out options depending on the "context."

 

[Azael]

What's the functional difference between the descriptors tactical and strategic?

Mainly it's the scope of things, tactics deal with individual battles while strategies deal with the big picture, to simplify it.

 

[Spazmo]

To give an example, strategy is when Hitler decides to attack Russia in the north for Stalingrad, in the south for the oil fields, and in the middle for Moscow.

Tactics is when the sargeant sends two guys in the side door, three through the back door, and the rest to watch the front door.