I’ve never played either KotOR darkside, and I’m thinking replaying one. Is KotOR2 the better experience if you want to maximize the facilitation of communications and termination of hostilities?
I found both KOTOR experiences significantly less satisfying on the dark side path, if only because (as has been said a million times) being evil usually constitutes being a reckless jerk versus any kind of subtlety. They don’t call them Sith Schmucks for a reason, so I’ll never understand that part of Bioware’s approach.
That said, I would say KOTOR1 remains a better dark side experience (for me). IIRC, HK47 was a much better relationship in that one, bugs and all, and overall the plot seemed to take less of a silly turn when you started being evil. Then again, I liked that game better overall, so if you liked KOTOR 2 light side better, that’s probably going to work fine for you. I enjoyed warping the minds of the potentially good NPCs, and that can be pretty rewarding.
I know for a fact there are some profoundly cool bastardly things you can do within the party in the first game. Also, you get to hang with Canderous and H-to-the-K, the two best NPCs. 1 is going to provide the most coherent experience whatever you do, simply because it is actually a complete game. The only thing 2 does better in my opinion is the system. It kind of hurts to go back to 1 and not have access to certain feats, not to mention spending 6 levels or so with your thumb up your ass Force-wise.
I know it’s cool to hate on the non-force levels in KOTOR, but some of those Scoundrel abilities kicked ass later on. Critical Strike (melee), was especially awesome.
Wise words.
2 could’ve been much better, experience wise (simply, there’s more to do and things make more sense), if it was complete.
On that notion, there’s a user project to attempt and face lift the game over its many gaps. I’m uncertain if it’s still on the move, though. Here’s a very short and not very informing trailer.
Personally, I believe HK47 to had been more cynical and sarcastic (thus, much enjoyable) playing the light side.
The dark side is mainly the brainless “run around like a wannabe bad-ass and slaughter mindlessly” (although, not as mindlessly as you would like at least not everywhere, unless you’re truely that powerful).
There is no epic manipulation of events to render yourself as the big emperor.
Of course, playing dark side and dispatching of every foe in the game while amassing supreme force mastery naturally places you in the galactic dominator seat.
Last I checked, TSLRP was still being worked on, but very slowly. Overall I’m partial to KotOR1, but KotOR2 offers more variability for Dark Side characters (e.g. selecting which NPCs join you).
- Alan
Let’s explore that a little, can we. I’d assumed that to get the most and best dialogue options with HK, I’d need to go darkside. I’d also assumed I needed to be darkside to unlock his full assassin droid capabilities.
I think that’s only dependent on your personal Repair skill, but it’s been awhile.
Yeah, I remember that being the main factor as well, and the main reason it took me so long to get anywhere with him.
So never having played KOTOR2, should I play on PC or 360 back-compat?
I’m partial to the PC version because you can patch it. And yes, as mentioned, TSLRP will hopefully get released eventually.
- Alan
I concur with Alan and unbongwah. Assuming it runs fine on 360 BC you may want to go for that as it could well be cheaper, but the PC version will be the definitive, “complete” version once the Restoration project is complete. And, y’know, patches.
I think this schedule shows what’s up (they released that 0.9b1 on the 22nd of October.) I haven’t played Kotor2, and have been saving it up for when this mod makes life beautiful.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: 
0.9b1 will be the only build in the 0.9 family.
1.0b1 may take a few weeks but it will be the next build.
The invite-only beta will begin upon its release.
Yeah, if these guys are finally close to finishing, I’ll have to play KotOR 1. I do not want to diminish the magic of an actual ending.
If you have an HDTV, stay away from Bioware games and backward-compatibility. You won’t get widescreen unless you change the 360’s resolution to 480p and when you do that, the game will look like crap. Plus, the interface is much better with a mouse.
I think KOTOR2 is the better game until it just ends abruptly two-thirds of the way through. The remaining third is so obviously cobbled together in a desperate attempt to relase on time that it practically ruins the part that isn’t.
I’ve only played them dark side, so I can’t be entirely sure what the light side experience offers. I’d say KOTOR1 is a bit more satisfying in that you feel more dark side in what you’re doing (you can even force choke a guy at one point). But KOTOR2’s a better game (for most of the way). Just don’t listen to them when they tell you that you can influence good guys into turning dark side for you - influencing the good guys means doing light side things. Doesn’t work out very well.
Also, I strongly recommend going with the force power specialist class when going dark side, since you get cheap, extremely effective offensive force powers. Force Kill is amazing in KOTOR1, Force Storm is spammable area death in the second.
I’m still disappointed that the only two characters you can’t alter their alignments (besides Kreia) are Mandalore and HK-47. It just seems rather arbitrary-- I mean are there light-side characters that you can’t turn to the darkside? I was doubly disappointed when I installed the pacifism unit into HK-47 and then I couldn’t leave it in. You’d think with a computer and repair skill of 28 you could figure out that you may not want an assassin droid who loathes everything to be hanging around unmonitored in your spaceship.
HK was cool in his sarcastic way, but I always found that weird too. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’d want around while I sleep…
Shit, even if you’re light side, Force Storm is truly FTW.