People News Leonard Boyarsky has joined Obsidian Entertainment

[Infinitron]

KOTOR1 had lots of very repetitive tunnel-based maps, mixed in with some better ones. It felt like Bioware were still getting the hang of how to make appealing locations in a console-style third person perspective, and that they were actually improving as the game's development progressed.

I remember KOTOR2 having less of the tunnels, but you might be able to argue that it also had fewer locations that reached the standard of KOTOR1's most impressive ones.

 

[Prime Junta]

KOTOR 1 (...) interesting locations

yourself.

Which KOTOR2 area did you think was more interesting than a corresponding KOTOR1 area? We're talking physical world design, atmosphere, and visuals here obviously, not writing (which is obviously waaaaaaaaaay better in KOTOR2).

 

[ArchAngel]

The phenomenon of people who think that "KOTOR2 was Obsidian's only good game" is an interesting one. This isn't the first time I've seen it.

I think I can understand why they think that, but it's a sort of backwards logic. It's the opinion of people who are very very allergic to (what they consider) bad gameplay. They like KOTOR2 because it's the Obsidian game where the actual gameplay, while horrible, goes by the quickest. It's the game that most embodies the unfulfilled dream of Obsidian as an Avellone-dominated CYOA cinematic storyfag company that gives up on combat entirely.

kotor 2 was really good. Nwn2 was decent, MotB was decent, SoZ was decent, PoE was decent. The rest of Obsidian games is shit.

KOTOR 2 had really good characters and writing and it put some awesome twists on Star Wars dark-side/light-side bullshit.

It has shit gameplay, ugly and boring environments, bad pacing, and really fucking dumb mechanics.

I can't in all honesty call it "really good" because of that. Even with the RP -- which addresses a good many of these problems -- it's still remarkable more for what it could've been than what it actually is. I would like to like KOTOR 2 more than KOTOR, but ultimately I can't because while KOTOR 1's fanfic-level writing doesn't compare and the gameplay is only marginally less bad, it has more interesting locations and better pacing.

At the time environments were good and while I agree with the rest, I ignored most of that because I really like Star wars universe. Without that I would consider it decent like the rest of Obsidian games I listed.

 

[FeelTheRads]

I'm just saying that he didn't do any major work in the last years, and if that was just Obsidian's fault maybe he would be doing something more just one or two characters and quests on TToN, D:OS II, etc., wouldn't he?

And how did you came to this conclusion? He was still working for Obsidian while doing all that other stuff as side projects. And that's what I'm saying.. maybe we don't see the work he did there because it didn't make it in the final products.

just hated him and wanted to ruin his content

You sure like your hurr durring through strawmen. If his work was cut because it didn't fit with Obsidian's vision it doesn't mean they "hated him". It's a business not a kindergarten.
You know, maybe there's a reason he now says he enjoys the creative freedom after leaving Obsidian.

 

[Prime Junta]

KOTOR1 had lots of very repetitive tunnel-based maps, mixed in with some better ones. It felt like Bioware were still getting the hang of how to make appealing locations in a console-style third person perspective, and that they were actually improving as the game's development progressed.

I remember KOTOR2 having less of the tunnels, but you might be able to argue that it also had fewer locations that reached the standard of KOTOR1's most impressive ones.

KOTOR2 had plenty of tunnels too. Some of them were disguised somewhat though. Telos f.ex. is a "wide open tunnel" -- yeah, there's a lot of space, but you only go through it one way. Korriban has the same physical layout in both, except KOTOR2's is smaller and has an extra (tunnel) area; same for Dantooine. Onderon culminates in one massive tunnel. Nar Shaddaa is a hub with connected tunnels. I honestly don't see much progress there; only diff is that KOTOR2's tunnels are uglier and emptier.

 

[Infinitron]

No, KOTOR1's tunnels are worse. Think of Lower Taris or the sewers. They're so long and bland that they actually look procedurally generated. I'm willing to bet they were made early in the game's development.

 

[commie]

The phenomenon of people who think that "KOTOR2 was Obsidian's only good game" is an interesting one. This isn't the first time I've seen it.

I think I can understand why they think that, but it's a sort of backwards logic. It's the opinion of people who are very very allergic to (what they consider) bad gameplay. They like KOTOR2 because it's the Obsidian game where the actual gameplay, while horrible, goes by the quickest. It's the game that most embodies the unfulfilled dream of Obsidian as an Avellone-dominated CYOA cinematic storyfag company that gives up on combat entirely.

kotor 2 was really good. Nwn2 was decent, MotB was decent, SoZ was decent, PoE was decent. The rest of Obsidian games is shit.

Mostly agree with you except for one thing:

I like Alpha Protocol THIS MUCH!

 

[Prime Junta]

No, KOTOR1's tunnels are worse. Think of Lower Taris or the sewers. They're so long and bland that they actually look procedurally generated. I'm willing to bet they were made early in the game's development.

I'll see your Lower Taris and raise you a Malachor V.

 

[Athelas]

Which KOTOR2 area did you think was more interesting than a corresponding KOTOR1 area? We're talking physical world design, atmosphere, and visuals here obviously, not writing (which is obviously waaaaaaaaaay better in KOTOR2).

Well yes, that was my argument. Both games have terrible visual design. Since Kotor 2 has far superior world building and writing, it has the more interesting locations.

 

[Fargus]

Can't believe it...

 

[One-and-a-half-Ivan]

I honestly don't see much progress there; only diff is that KOTOR2's tunnels are uglier and emptier.

The difference is that KOTOR2's tunnels were created by our lord and savior
Truth be told, the writing was a big huge plus for me; it really made that game something outstanding. KOTOR1, on the other hand, not so much.

 

[Prime Junta]

Which KOTOR2 area did you think was more interesting than a corresponding KOTOR1 area? We're talking physical world design, atmosphere, and visuals here obviously, not writing (which is obviously waaaaaaaaaay better in KOTOR2).

Well yes, that was my argument. Both games have terrible visual design. Since Kotor 2 has far superior world building and writing, it has the more interesting locations.

I guess I should've made it even clearer that I was talking about physical design, atmosphere, and visuals, then. I thought it was implicit because I explicitly mentioned the writing separately.

 

[Roguey]

They like KOTOR2 because it's the Obsidian game where the actual gameplay, while horrible, goes by the quickest.

Mask of the Betrayer had better ratio of combat:dialogue:exploration, (rant about Nar Shaddaa here).

Both games have terrible visual design.

Er what. Both nail the Star Wars aesthetic. I'd say kotor 2 looks worse only because Obsidian didn't have enough time to work on lighting.

 

[laclongquan]

KOTOR1's lower forest is oppressive. Nice atmosphere, that~
My general problem with KOTOR1 is its gameplay is shit easy. You can run your character nekkid from start to finish with MAYBE some instance require your armor-up.

 

[imweasel]

New Vegas was a masterpiece, their absolute magnum opus. Fuck anyone who doesn't agree with me.

Games set in an amusement park called "super compressed southern Nevada" that have Bethesda popamole RPG mechanics will never be a masterpiece. Maybe a very good game, but never a masterpiece.

 

[vortex]

He was "lead world designer" on D3 and that game's world was super lame. Unless he publicly comes out and says that every single one of his decisions was overturned by the derps at Blizzard I'm gonna put it all on him.

D3 world design for me was great. Story and narration was kinda a lame.

 

[Jedi Exile]

Leon will probably work on Tyranny together with Tim, so I am not super excited. It's good that Boyarsky left Blizzard though.

 

[Lhynn]

This is good. Now Sawyer needs to be fired.

Dont fire him, make him the cofee bitch.

 

[Athelas]

Leon will probably work on Tyranny together with Tim, so I am not super excited. It's good that Boyarsky left Blizzard though.

It's supposed to be released later this year, there can't be that much time left to contribute much. After Tyranny is done, those people will have to be put to work on something though, pre-production for which could already be underway now.

 

[Infinitron]

Tyranny is coming out this year. I don't know what somebody with a background in art direction and world design would do with it at this stage.

If anything, he's more likely to join PoE2.

 

[Roguey]

You can run your character nekkid from start to finish with MAYBE some instance require your armor-up.

Well yeah, jedi powers don't work with armor. Putting it on the main character would be a mistake.

 

[Prime Junta]

You can run your character nekkid from start to finish with MAYBE some instance require your armor-up.

Well yeah, jedi powers don't work with armor. Putting it on the main character would be a mistake.

Some do. The couple of times I played through it, I found a minmaxed, heavy-armour-wearing Guardian to be the easiest to play (as if the game wasn't easy enough to begin with). Just pick powers that work in armour.

(I hear a blaster jedi is stupid powerful too, but haven't tried it.)

 

[Athelas]

The most powerful build is a force lightning-spamming male consular (male because of the Handmaiden feat). Requires the least effort too, just click the same icon, you don't even have to move.

That reminds me, the most hilarious thing about Kotor 2 is that MCA once again made wisdom just as overpowered a stat as it was in Torment (albeit for somewhat different reasons).

 

[Prime Junta]

The most powerful build is a force lightning-spamming male consular (male because of the Handmaiden feat). Requires the least effort too, just click the same icon, you don't even have to move.

That reminds me, the most hilarious thing about Kotor 2 is that MCA once again made wisdom just as overpowered a stat as it was in Torment (albeit for somewhat different reasons).

Until you have to deal with Darth Malak, who's as good as immune to force powers. Fuck that fight is tedious with a consular.

Edit: oh, Handmaiden. You were talking about KOTOR2, we were talking about KOTOR1. Yea in KOTOR2 consulars are OP as fuck.

 

[Jasede]

Leonard Bloodlines 2 has joined Obloodlines 2 Entertainment

:mrpresident: