|
|
|
addict
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Nonono, it's not a "modified NWN." The people at the official forum've very painstakingly been trying to dispell this misinformation. The engines of NWN and KotOR started off with the same skeleton. Odyssey engine didn't pick up Aurora engine in its finished form and modify it; Aurora's not Odyssey's older sibling. Say, rather, that they are... cousins of the same age.
Combat's like this: whenever an enemy is sighted, or a trap (mine) is detected, the game pauses. After that you can pause at will to give commands. Yes, like in NWN or the IE games. The fact, though, is that there's not much tactic to it. Most of my fights go basically: throw a grenade to start off if there are many enemies or the enemies are strong, then charge in and melee. Stealth's hardly used at all.
Starting classes (for those unfamiliar with Star Wars d20):
Soldier = fighter
Sroundel = rogue
Scout = ...I'm not sure what this is. There's an explorer NPC, but I've never really used him. I doubt it's the equivalent of a magic-user, though, since non-Jedi apparently have no access to the Force.
Jedi classes:
Jedi guardian = fighter-ish. Gains more HP, more melee abilities, fast feat progression, practically no skill points. I picked it because I'm learning that stealth and subtlety (my PC started off as a scroundel) are useless. Force jump (if wielding a lightsaber and selecting a non-special attack, you can jump and close distance from an enemy instantly) is fun.
Jedi sentinel = rogue-ish. One of the NPCs I put in my party is one. Bit weak in the melee, but has more oomph in Force powers/points.
Jedi consular = mage-ish.
Level limit: 20. For instance, if you are a level six scroundel when you become a Jedi, then your maximum level would be: 6 scroundel/14 Jedi. This annoys me greatly. Rawr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Jun 2003
|
maybe they'll make an expansion akin to NWN's hordes of the underdark where they introduce epic levels(characters get to level up to 40). this i hope will be a good thing? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
![[Linked Image from i3.photobucket.com]](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/tingtongtiaw/jang_sig.png) ......a gift from LaFille......
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
When you update the game the updater checks for "Additional content" so Id say addons are likely! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Well, for one thing, it's fairly certain that Obsidian will be working on KotoR2. Hmm. Mixed feelings about this. But hey, some of the folk in Obsidian are former BISers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jun 2003
|
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> i'm sure u've heard of the news/rumour about BIS being shut down & the head honcho quitting.
......a gift from LaFille......
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Yup. A shame, really. They've got so many projects canceled -- Torn, FO3, and something that's rumored to be BG3 (or at least another FR game). Well, life goes on. I bet the former BISers will be re-employed by other companies in a hot minute, anyway. Obsidian, maybe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Well, Warren Spector moved on after Origin and the guys from Looking Glass are still active on good projects so lets hope. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Not also RPGDot has written this, but also Gamespot and everywhere they say Black Isle has been shut down. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />
When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon
"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
@winterfox: Have your NPC's started bickering yet? Hehe. Some of them really get into it. Great stuff! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Yup; I only have two planets left to go, plus the Yavin base. The conversations -- whether NPC to NPC or NPC to PC -- are fun and some are rather cute. Though, I imagine, male players don't find Carth's "whining" so enjoyable.
I've observed a trend -- at the KotOR official board, it seems that the general female players' consensus agrees that Bastilla is b-tchy; the male players think Carth is whiny. Eheheh. (Come to think of it, Bastilla doesn't seem to like a female PC much. I genuinely wonder why, considering that my PC is polite to her, and hasn't exactly slapped her around or something.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Hey did you make the post on the forum "I notice a trend". I wondered what that was about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> Youve almost solved it? How many gameplay hours so far? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jun 2003
|
hello mandrake & winterfox & any other KOTOR, i just got the game & finally going to try it out. very scary considering the hard disk space requirement is pretty high for my wee 20GB. i'm sure my lousy geforce4 mx440se (no need to gloat about your FX, foxy lady <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ) can handle the low/med graphic setting. i found out that character movement needs keyboard & not the mouse as how it was in NWN. that's so console. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" /> however there are 3 'classes'; fighters, explorers(?), & scoundrels(rogue-ish). i know fighter & i can guess about scoundrels but explorers? what are they? merchants? winterfox, what's your winning combo & class & whatever? or are u still in the experimentation phase? what about u, mandrake?
Last edited by janggut; 11/12/03 06:28 AM.
......a gift from LaFille......
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Sorry; I made a mistake. It's not "explorer"; it's "scout." I still have no clue about it, though.
My character's buildup is rather awful, actually. I chose a great number of wrong feats, but in spite of that, the combat's not really that hard anyway. I am aware that soldier -> Jedi guardian would be most effective, but solder/Guardian both receive precious little skills. So I went with scroundel for more skill points (persuade is good), and then Jedi guardian for combat abilities. As a scroundel 8/Jedi guardian 9, I have something like (listing the more important ones only):
Weapon specialization: lightsaber
Master critical strike
Master toughness
Master Force jump
Improved Jedi defense
Dueling (improved? Can't remember; I know it's not master)
Force powers:
Master speed
Master valor
Force resistance
Cure
Stasis
Affect mind
Not too bad. The critical strike (plus the stun effect from a Bondar crystal on my lightsaber) downs most enemies really fast. Sneak Attack from scroundel class lets me do a lot more damage when my enemies are stunned/presenting their backs to me. (Stabbity stab stab!) The Force powers serve as good buffs; the Master Speed increases both your speed in combat and running speed. Stasis is there just in case the enemy survives both critical strike and stunning effect on lightsaber.
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
A scout is good with ranged weapons, detecting and disarming mines, detecting hidden people and hacking computers. He also gets the implant skill to start with for free. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Remains of the D&D class system ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Is KOTOR a Star Wars game or not ?
Last edited by AlrikFassbauer; 11/12/03 05:34 PM.
When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon
"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
What’s a real mystery to me, is, why they hadn’t used the Official Star Wars Roleplaying Game rules. They could have used those of West End Games or the new ones by Wizards of the Coast. But why D&D ?
Maybe the programmers were just used to implement D&D, they knew it from earlier products. It might have something to do with experience. It might have been some kind of re-use.
Uh, Alrik, you are aware of this very much official d20 Star Wars RPG, yes? The one from Wizards of the Coast? Even better, the events in KotOR are canon. LucasArts says so. So KotOR is a Star Wars game in just about every sense of the word. I see no reason not to enjoy the game in spite of, or because, the rules. ToEE is D&D, and it's crap. DD is not D&D, and I enjoyed it (as did many others, apparently). The D&D aspects are almost non-existent in this game, anyway, even less than in NWN. I have one planet left to go now. Got the first plot twist; it was jaw-dropping, I tell you. Now I understand why Bastilla doesn't seem to like my PC very much. The plot twist is a little unlikely, and there's an inherent plot hole in it, but hoo boy, it hurts and stings. Especially if you have immersed yourself in your character. Unfortunately, I think I can see the next plot twist miles and miles away. With luck, I'll be wrong. =/
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Well, I see that I've managed to get myself into the hot oven. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> I'll quote what I've written as a replay to an E-Mail : Of course this is clear to me, that something that has been put under a "open license" is quite widespread. That's the success of the d20 system !
I must admit that while writing the article in the first place I was not aware how closely connected all these "systems" were.
In the core the question I ask myself is : why did they used this particular system, and why didn't they use another one ?
Is it simply because the system is so much common and so widespread ?
I don't know *any* German RPG systems that have been used for other roleplaying games then the ones they were made for. It might be different in other countries, but I haven't seen this from originally German RPGs.
If the system wouldn't matter that much then the makers of KOTOR could've just used the DSA "engine". There would've been some interesting results because of the negative attributes" (which unfortunately have been almost totally erased from the 4th Edition). KOTOR could've used anything else, the Midgard system for example, but instead the makers used the (A)D&D system or a derivate from it.
Considering the fact that the d20 system is so widespread I must say that this is a huge success for the company itself. The system gets more known, and the (A)D&D system is the underlying base foundation.
The system is so successful that it can easily invade markets in other countries just because it's so much commonly known.
If I would build up an RPG system and I would place it under an "open license", would anyone care ? I don't think so. That's why this is a success for WOTC in my eyes. It's not so much a commercial success, but rather one in terms of marketing.
They might have had the opinion "only to use the best" and chosen the D&D system, because it's so old, widespread and known, but to me this is just a "marriage of two elephants".
The most widespread system known in the western world" plus one of the best known Science Fiction sagas - the result is awesome in terms of marketing.
When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon
"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
Well, I see that I've managed to get myself into the hot oven. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> No, actually, I made my post on the assumption that you weren't aware of the d20 Star Wars. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Not hot oven, just very lukewarm soup. Call me anal-retentive, but if I write an article about something, I usually do some research to jot down some facts first. You are right; using D&D in a SW game is a sound marketing plan. Nothing wrong with that, I think, especially since the quality of the game is top-notch. (As far as I'm concerned, anyway. I am sure there exist a bunch of KotOR-naysayers somewhere.) KotOR is one of the precious few games in the last few years that stands up to the hype it's generated -- most games are overhyped and, more often than not, fall flat. In this, KotOR doesn't suffer from hype; it benefits from it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
|
The worst thing about over hyped games is that because you are expecting so much the disappointment is even greater. Id enjoy an average game released without fanfare more thna an over hyped average game! @Winterfox: How many gameplay hours have you clocked so far? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />
I will call you "Squishy", and you will be my squishy! OW! BAD SQUISHY!
- Dory, Finding Nemo
|
|
|
|
|
|
addict
|
|
OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2003
|
According to my savegame, 26 hours something. But since there are reloads and reloads, I'd chalk it up to 35-40 hours.
|
|
|
|
|
