Kotor 1 destroys my brain cells. The pain... Aaaargh!!!

[TheHeroOfTime]

Never played this game, neither the sequel. Are they worth playing?

 

[oldmanpaco]

6 hours into Kotor1 I gotta say this game is kinda getting on my nerves. I've done most things and Canderous Ordo is about to take me intot he gangster's hideout to steal the ship. The quests are alright, you have options and everything, but it really fells more like a proto mass effect where nothing matters instead of something else. You know, typical Bioware. My problem is the combat. I just don't understand it. Out of all the versions of RTWP Bioware did, this must be the worst, because you don't get told anything. The lack of a combat log or something more significant is making me feel that combat is often resolved out of pure luck. At least in ME you had some clue about things. But I'm trying to guess how to kill major enemies (like the Sith governor or Bendak) and I'm slowly realizing that as I said the combat is pure luck, because there's no strategy, no tactics, no anything. Just hit hard and hit first.

I wonder why didn't they just made you a jedi from the start too. It's def. hilarious to see Bastila mowing down enemies effortlessly while you're stuck with shitty swords or pistols.

The card game is p chill tho.

If you don't level up until you get to Dantoonie (and play on hard) the combat can be a bit tedious. Spam items (healing, shields, grenades) because god knows you are not going to need them once you become a Jedi.

And yes the card game is fun.

Never played this game, neither the sequel. Are they worth playing?

Yep. Just remember KoToR is a 16 year old Bioware console game. Don't expect greatness. Still HK and Jolee are entertaining the first time you play. KoToR2 still stands up but use the restoration mod.

The biggest problem with both games is that combat is ridiculously easy even on the hardest settings.

 

[boot]

Never played this game, neither the sequel. Are they worth playing?

Not really, uh, they're very simple games. You probably can't play them for the combat/character building. Bioware writing can get difficult to tolerate, but the story is a good Star Wars story and a lot of characters come off well. It all fits together nicely. Don't expect much, you might enjoy something of it.

Kotor 2 has the same gameplay, but manages to make it worse somehow. There's a lot more trash fights, a lot. It's like the end of kotor 1 where you run down a long corridor busting robots, only that happens about a dozen more times in kotor 2. If you want to see Obsidian subvert Star Wars first hand there is a lot of drudgery to put up with. And it's pretty much just PS:T in the Star Wars universe. Not a big fan of it, Kotor 1 was just a light adventure, they go for something much heavier here and the popamole gameplay undermined the tone for me. The ending sucks unless you get the restored content mod (then it only half sucks).

Basically: 1 is a good Star Wars game bad RPG, 2 is a bad Star Wars game with Obsidian writing. If you are crazy about Obsidian you should play 2, definitely, don't let me put you off. If not, just read scorchies LP. Play 1 if you have a high tolerance for popamole and want a Star Wars RPG.

If you don't level up until you get to Dantoonie (and play on hard) the combat can be a bit tedious. Spam items (healing, shields, grenades) because god knows you are not going to need them once you become a Jedi.

And yes the card game is fun.



Yep. Just remember KoToR is a 16 year old Bioware console game. Don't expect greatness. Still HK and Jolee are entertaining the first time you play. KoToR2 still stands up but use the restoration mod.

The biggest problem with both games is that combat is ridiculously easy even on the hardest settings.

Yes, these games play themselves. Really have to play them for setting or writing.

Also, scoundrel gets defense bonus and sneak attacks (which works with Guardian's jump and disabled enemies), good class to pick if you don't want to hold levels.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Peragus is so bad when the original Skip Peragus Mod disappeared from the internet when Filefront shut down someone instantly made a new Skip Peragus Mod from scratch.

I've found it helps to listen to a podcast or audio novel while doing it, or at least it get's me through that part when I want to play it again.

I tried playing through Peragus while having my dick sucked. Still didn't help.

I'd imagine that'd be difficult, and might cause terrible associations in your head. Imagine thinking of kreia whenever getting your dick sucked afterward, or becoming aroused by Kreias voice because of how much she talks during the prologue in your head.

 

[Jools]

Peragus is so bad when the original Skip Peragus Mod disappeared from the internet when Filefront shut down someone instantly made a new Skip Peragus Mod from scratch.

I've found it helps to listen to a podcast or audio novel while doing it, or at least it get's me through that part when I want to play it again.

I tried playing through Peragus while having my dick sucked. Still didn't help.

I'd imagine that'd be difficult, and might cause terrible associations in your head. Imagine thinking of kreia whenever getting your dick sucked afterward, or becoming aroused by Kreias voice because of how much she talks during the prologue in your head.

Actually that might have been my whole point...

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Peragus is so bad when the original Skip Peragus Mod disappeared from the internet when Filefront shut down someone instantly made a new Skip Peragus Mod from scratch.

I've found it helps to listen to a podcast or audio novel while doing it, or at least it get's me through that part when I want to play it again.

I tried playing through Peragus while having my dick sucked. Still didn't help.

I'd imagine that'd be difficult, and might cause terrible associations in your head. Imagine thinking of kreia whenever getting your dick sucked afterward, or becoming aroused by Kreias voice because of how much she talks during the prologue in your head.

Actually that might have been my whole point...

You poor bastard. I could never live with Kreias voice bouncing in my head with someone bouncing their head on my mast.

 

[Freddie]

6 hours into Kotor1 I gotta say this game is kinda getting on my nerves. I've done most things and Canderous Ordo is about to take me intot he gangster's hideout to steal the ship. The quests are alright, you have options and everything, but it really fells more like a proto mass effect where nothing matters instead of something else. You know, typical Bioware. My problem is the combat. I just don't understand it. Out of all the versions of RTWP Bioware did, this must be the worst, because you don't get told anything. The lack of a combat log or something more significant is making me feel that combat is often resolved out of pure luck. At least in ME you had some clue about things. But I'm trying to guess how to kill major enemies (like the Sith governor or Bendak) and I'm slowly realizing that as I said the combat is pure luck, because there's no strategy, no tactics, no anything. Just hit hard and hit first.

I wonder why didn't they just made you a jedi from the start too. It's def. hilarious to see Bastila mowing down enemies effortlessly while you're stuck with shitty swords or pistols.

The card game is p chill tho.

KotOR was okay, even good back in the day but for my experience it hasn't aged that well. I tried replaying it (because in my book it's really odd couple in gaming history with KotOR 2) I think three years ago, got in Kashyyk, whatever, Wookie planet, completed it and asked myself, when I expect this to get good again and just couldn't go on.

Back in the day KotOR did many things right but there's also a factor that Star Wars was still on Lucas SW prequel era, films were terrible but SW brand was hot. People were looking for something at least decent and bang! KotOR didn't had any burdens of prequels because of it's setting in time line.

Then KotOR 2... They are two different games made even different studios, but I think playing KotOR 1 first can be good to fully appreciate writing in KotOR 2.

 

[Doktor Best]

KOTOR was born in a time when rpg-players still had the hope that big money from AAA-publishers would insificantly increase the quality of rpgs. It was a beacon of hope for more incline, but in the end it turned out to be a rotten fruit and all we got out of it was diarrhea.

 

[pippin]

I finally resorted to spam shit. I'm a jedi now and it's hilarious how OP the abilities are. Like Force Push for instance. Why didn't they just make you a jedi from the start? At least you could have a stronger reason to obey Bastila. Sometimes this makes me wish I was playing Jedi Academy instead.

 

[Jools]

Peragus is so bad when the original Skip Peragus Mod disappeared from the internet when Filefront shut down someone instantly made a new Skip Peragus Mod from scratch.

I've found it helps to listen to a podcast or audio novel while doing it, or at least it get's me through that part when I want to play it again.

I tried playing through Peragus while having my dick sucked. Still didn't help.

I'd imagine that'd be difficult, and might cause terrible associations in your head. Imagine thinking of kreia whenever getting your dick sucked afterward, or becoming aroused by Kreias voice because of how much she talks during the prologue in your head.

Actually that might have been my whole point...

You poor bastard. I could never live with Kreias voice bouncing in my head with someone bouncing their head on my mast.

It's only weird if the girl blowing you is under 65yo.

 

[One-and-a-half-Ivan]

When I started KOTOR for the first time, I couldn't bare with it. It was very boring, so I decided to replay Jedi Knight instead.
When the second came out, I tried and liked it a lot. After that I really got into RPGs (before KOTOR2 the only real RPG I played was Fallout 2, and I cheesed my way through it). I still have fond memories of the second game, and replay it (at least start to replay it) pretty often.

 

[anvi]

Never played this game, neither the sequel. Are they worth playing?

It was kinda worth a play through, 20 years ago.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I remember when I thought Kotor was a good cRPG.

Those were dark days.

STILL better than ME:A though.

 

[donkeymong]

I finally resorted to spam shit. I'm a jedi now and it's hilarious how OP the abilities are. Like Force Push for instance. Why didn't they just make you a jedi from the start? At least you could have a stronger reason to obey Bastila. Sometimes this makes me wish I was playing Jedi Academy instead.

Force powers work fine on mooks, but enemies like Malak spam force immunity (and has high saving throws), so force breach is needed.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Thought I would give this a go again and boy its rough. I held off on leveling until becoming a Jedi (6 levels!). Playing as Sith and with Force Lightning + Healing you just mow everything down. Anyway I'm not even taking the other Jedi along because it makes it even easier. I know I shouldn't use lightning since it trivializes the game but I'm never good at enforcing personal challenges.

Anyway I feel like I'm done with this unless they release a remastered version ala KotoR 2.

Still 16 years ago (even 10 years ago) this game was awright.

 

[Jools]

I remember how game-breaking force-wave and stasis are...

 

[oldmanpaco]

I remember how game-breaking force-wave and stasis are...

Pretty much all the offensive force powers wipe the floor with anyone.

 

[Skittles]

But not being a super saiyan jedi would break my immershun.

Play Dark Forces --> Jedi Academy if you want SWs, brethren.

 

[pippin]

I actually reinstalled Academy to get muh Jedi Simulator thing going on. It really is the perfect Jedi game, and it still looks great.

 

[Achilles]

Enjoyed KOTOR 1, but agree that it's constructed in such away that playing it through to the end makes it a repetitive slog.
Never finished it myself, think it's definitely worthy of praise, but can also see why it's not up to today's standard of gaming.

What standard?

 

[ChasinTheTrane]

KOTOR is just suffering from being an old game and it's hard to see how influential and important it was since many of the mechanics are in new games. Put your games in context people!

 

[Des]

I actually reinstalled Academy to get muh Jedi Simulator thing going on. It really is the perfect Jedi game, and it still looks great.

Shame about the plot, Kyle Katarn is such a fool in Jedi Academy. If only Jedi Outcast had the same gameplay that Jedi academy has it would be one the greatest games ever, both in single player and multiplayer. I still hate Rosh Penin to this day though, so i guess the writers did get something right.

KOTOR hasn't aged very well, but i still find it very enjoyable. Some of the side missions are entertaining, I love HK-47 and some of the dark side choices make me chuckle. Most importantly KOTOR doesnt insult my intelligence (at least not too much), unlike recent titles by the "same" developer.
The Taris section is mostly bad though, in my last playthrough i used a mod to skip it.

 

[Beastro]

Only fun in KOTOR was zipping around being an asshole on different worlds.

Makes me think someone should make a Space Opera game like that, a crew of characters going from planet to planet getting into shit with no overarching plot.

 

[wwsd]

I was thinking of posting a reply to this, only to realise that the reply forming in my mind was the exact same one I made on 1 January 2016 to a similar thread:

It does get better, but only after about 7 playthroughs or so.

In all seriousness though, I don't think many Codexers like KOTOR except with massive qualifications of the "good for what it is" kind: it's good for a casual RPG, it's good for a Star Wars game, etc. In the Top 70, it's #45, and people who like it (presumably) explain why.

The whole Taris part is pretty boring and clichéd, what with the sewer level and all that. After that, it becomes more Star Wars-like, with familiar planets and plot elements, so if you like that, you'll have some fun with it. Of course, outside of the Codex, it's considered a classic for all the wrong reasons, and I would take those with a grain of salt.

I'm actually surprised nobody here mentioned the 7 playthroughs yet, that used to be a thing. It does remind me of how much time I've put into KOTOR, even though I haven't played it in years and right now I feel absolutely no need to ever play it again. Since the game keeps you going for some 40 hours, and most people replay it at least once to try both alignments, it must be better than it's cracked up to be. Although I'm a bit more storyfag-inclined and other people may not find it so easy to look past the combat, lack of challenge, design, etc. The "meh" response that it gets nowadays is also partly with the benefit of 13 years' hindsight I think, along with the comparison to the sequel.

Come to think of it, I don't even think all of Taris is that bad, I just don't get why they had to make it a city with three levels, two of which have absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars, along with a slog through the sewers (gotta have a sewers level, people love those), stupid bike gangs, stupid quest design (kill all the evil bikers, and only then get an offer to side with them so you can massacre the good bikers as well), and whiny Carth. But when the actual story of the game gets underway, it gets better. I like Korriban, even if it's a bit clichéd. At times I imagine the Sith just set up the academy there as a cruel joke: as if a Sith Lord would go to school to learn how to be a Sith Lord.

I am a bit of a slow learner myself apparently, since I'm replaying KOTOR2 at the moment, but I've never played it with the restoration mod and as a dark-side character. I was surprised to learn that KOTOR1 has a restored content mod too, but I'm not going to let it tempt me for now. In my book, the best KOTOR1 mod is still the one that cuts out that goddamn turret minigame.

 

[Lyric Suite]

The one girl that actually looks like Leia and she decides to cosplay something else.