Lit Apropos of Nothing - ACKBAR IN CAPITALS - The Lit Forum Social Thread, v2.0.15

Kreia's receptive to a gray/dark Exile who is manipulative, instead of being a raging psychopath who murders pedestrians for walking in on a burglary. Pretty much if you constantly tell her that everyone around you is just a tool, including her, but occasionally kiss up to her, she'll adore you. Whereas if you play like an HK-47 wannabe, she hates your guts and sees you as another Sion.

 

I talk a big game now, but honestly I do see myself wimping out like Jello a few hours into a dark side run. Considering it's been ages since I've played KOTOR II at all, I might try for a simultaneous light side/dark side run one of these days, just so I don't have to feel like an evil person all the time.

And interesting RC, I didn't know there was a way to get Kreia to agree with your decisions. I thought her whole purpose of being was to tell you that you're not good enough

On the RPG topic: anyone played Planescape Torment? I regret to say I haven't beaten the game- a computer error erased my file and I haven't had the energy to run through it again- but what I played was fantastic.

 

I might argue that Jacen (in the NJO) would choose Synthesis, but my familiarity with those endings isn't what it should be.

Anyway I appreciate the turn to KOTOR 2.

 

Asking KOTOR 2 characters what love is was always fun. Especially when the psychotic assassin droid arguably has the best answer.

Oh! I finally managed to get a dark side force-using Mira on my most recent playthrough! It's terrible, yet awesome.

 

I played KOTOR 2 before KOTOR 1, and I was nine years old at the time. It took time to get used to the MMO mechanics (and I named my first character OBI-WAN [all caps] because I didn't realize "Old Republic" literally meant Old Republic; I just thought it meant pre-Empire), but I never would've guessed it was rushed/missing content until I found out years and years later. I loved Peragus and Telos Citadel Station all by themselves, and played probably three or four characters through those worlds just because I loved them so much before I even continued on to Dantooine and the other worlds.

Little did I know I was just hitting the tip of the iceberg, though nine-year-old me would've likely been overwhelmed by what took place in the later game. After that I played the first game and was a little disappointed by the (IMO) slightly inferior graphics and game mechanics and more simplistic story (though I do love KOTOR's story). I didn't actually follow through to completion of KOTOR 2 until I was like twelve, and I'm glad because I had a much better grasp of the plotline. (I didn't even realize "Mandalore" was "Canderous" the first time I got to Dxun because I skipped through most of the dialogue.)

Agreed. Bao-Dur's dark-side portrait is positively chilling, as is the conversation he has with Kreia where he just quietly hisses "It's time for you to leave" and is literally going to force her out of the crew until she Force chokes him into unconsciousness. I have always loved Brianna's dark-side portrait simply because it turns her white-as-snow hooded outfit to black leather (and she gets Goth lipstick). The others basically just get wrinkly gray skin and Mical's hair whitens. I have always wondered if it is possible to go light/neutral until Nar Shaddaa to get Mira, and then go pure dark and Mira gets a dark-side portrait (usually DS characters get Hanharr).

Edit: RC-1991 just answered my last question while I was posting.

 

Oooh, Planescape:Torment! It's been years and years since I played it. Sadly, the only thing I really remember about it was that I liked it. A lot. Definitely worth playing, if you can get past it's age. It's positively ancient

 

Planescape Torment is ancient?

Ultima is ancient.

 

After reading NJO for the first time, Vergere reminded me a lot of early-game Kreia. You know, before she started to show signs of being an ex-Sith Lord. Maybe that's why Denning came up with the Vergere-is-Sith retcon; he played KOTOR 2 and got Vergere confused with Kreia!

 

Speaking of ancient RPG's, one I've never tried either is Baldur's Gate.

At the risk of turning this into an RPG name dropping free for all, two on my "list" (there's not actually a list) are The Banner Saga and Vampire: The Masquerade. Anyone played either? I've heard the latter in particularly is criminally underrated.

 

Which one?

 

Hey, Planescape came out fifteen years ago, I was still in high school! Two of my favorite games of all time, Fallout and Baldur's Gate, are even older. Wish I could bring myself to play them again. I can get over the 2D isometric gameplay, but the resolution would have been what? 640x480, maybe the next step up? Maybe I can look for mods. Although relatively recently, the two BG games did get remade/updated...

ETA: Never played Vampire: The Masquerade, but I did play V:TM:Bloodlines. Unless that's the one you meant. I thought it was great, if nothing else, vampire RPG

 

The biggest similarity between Kreia and Vergere- and I wouldn't say that there are that many, when you get down to the core of the characters- is that they're both looking at the Force through an East Asian religious perspective, i.e. what it was sorta meant to be, unlike a lot of the EU. Vergere's a straight-up Daoist, and Kreia seems to be blending elements of Hindu and Buddhist thought. Of course, Kreia's a bit of a nihilist and hates the Force, while Vergere preaches service to it.

Of course, Kreia got some kickass final boss music.

 

Vergere is Hindu too. The NJO's nondualism is very much about self and other, and that's the lesson Jacen learns in Traitor, and that's very prevalent in Advaita Vedanta.

Edit: Not to mention the whole interdependent origination which was prevalent with Nagarjuna which is Buddhist.

I mean they're pretty much the same thing.

 

I was in 1st grade

Also, check this out. Very helpful guide on getting Torment to run smoothly on a modern system.

http://thunderpeel2001.blogspot.com/2009/01/planescape-torment-fully-modded.html

And Bloodlines is what I meant. Maybe it's just watching Buffy/Angel that's made me want to give it a shot.

 

I always cringe when I watch the scene where Sion beats the kark out of her. Especially when he slams the back of her head into the stone column.

 

"Are you an angel? Ah I'm just kidding, that's the worst line I've ever used. Hope some poor kid doesn't start using it."

 

It worked.

 

I didn't even know that line existed, but I feel like my life has been exponentially improved by knowing.

 

I'm ashamed I forgot to name Atton as a favorite character in my interview.

 

I've never got that dialogue before; how do you do it? I also heard there was one where he says something to the effect of "I used to be slated for a Jedi Knight sequel but my agent didn't pull through."

 

Atton really is a brilliant character. Oh, just another Han Solo clone, nothing to see here- oh, he murdered Jedi for a living. Oh, the lovable rogue thing is just a facade to cover his rage. Well, crap.

Also, Atton's "lesson" is my favorite of any of the party members (I absolutely loved that all, or most at least, had something they could teach you).

 

Atton's "confession" conversations are right up there with Ganner's death for my favorite EU moments.