I’ve been playing Knights of the Old Republic making all the most evil choices possible. Like you do. Written up in three parts, the final chapter of Simon Evil’s wrongdoings has now appeared on Eurogamer. You can read parts one and two by clicking on these cleverly placed links. Here’s an excerpt:
“It’s interesting how picking the evil choice that destroys a woman’s life, or kills an innocent, or sees families slaughter each other, has a very different emotional effect than aiding the enslavement of an innocent tribal race. All are obviously deeply evil, but I think I’m able to compartmentalise the more individual actions more easily, mentally filing them under “terrible thing I did in a game”. Even though polluting the Kolto would have devastating effects across the entire galaxy, I think it’s still pretend enough to laugh off. Oppression struck deeper. I was still delighting in making the evil choices, but here on Kashyyyk I was feeling those familiar pangs from the first third of the game again.”
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How do people get upset when in game non main strangers ask ridiculous and impossible tasks/quests of them? These npcs are jerks! They expect you to risk the only life you have to save the galaxy or to help them profit because they can not establish a normal life so you are designated their workhorse…No I do not think so and for their bothering I have a double bladed light saber as a reward. Many times the evil choices in kotor would serve the player with unrealistic consequences.
Wow. I never thought I’d feel sorry for an internet person.
-comment scrapped, this whole thing is getting excessively acrimonious and it was never intended to do that
I like open ended RPG’s that allow what I consider real choices, you guys like scripted mostly linear RPG’s that involve choices principally affecting the story and dialogue (rather than the main plot/gameplay). That’s fine, to each their own, enough said.
Summaries of gameplay from “your” type of RPG’s are an entertaining read in my opinion, which is all I came in here to say in the first place. Thanks for the write up John, we’re going to have to agree to disagree on the dynamics of a good RPG.
Out of interest: do you only read books once too? Because, let’s face it, it’s not as if the story will change on a second or third reading.
Scrap that too, this entire thread has somehow become about me when it should be about John’s excellent write up. I’m out, and my apologies for the inadvertent threadjack.
@Thirith: The average person actually reads a book more than once? I’ve never understood that and thought only my one complete book nerd friend read through books multiple times. Although I do always play through multiple choice RPGs more than once.
I’ll read books multiple times, but only a few, and only once every ten or fifteen years or so. If a book is particularly awesome, it does help to remind yourself of its specific awesomenesses.
@Baris: I’m the same. I usually don’t even watch movies more than once unless it’s been so long that I’ve forgotten the plot. Games with choices, on the other hand, I’ve been known to play through upwards of four times.
See, that’s exactly why I chose Walker to win the Zeno Clash fistfight. You don’t mess with a bloke like him.
Another fantastic read, Mr Walker. I played through KOTOR twice, the first time as my normal caring, helpful self, and the second time as a complete arsehole, in much the same way as you have. I don’t remember if I forced the wookie to kill Mission or not, but there’s a good chance that I did and then erased it from my memory for the sake of my sanity.
I really enjoyed the concept behind this article actually. But what next for Simon Evil? Mass Effect? KOTOR 2? Or will he retire, knowing that nothing can compare to the complexity of KOTOR?
I hope you continue with KotOR II and do a comparison because I think that game is much better. It actually has believeable characters, unlike KotOR I where the characters are extremely flat and only serve the purpose of having a certain moral alignment. That’s what their entire character is based around, being really good or really evil. It’s kid’s stuff. BioWare only do black and white
“and after having hermit Jedi Jolee Bindo join my group and tell me his story, replied, “I hate you, old man.”"
Best part of the three articles. :D
Perhaps not, but I did like it. Another thoroughly enjoyable read, Mr Walker.
teo: “It actually has believeable characters, unlike KotOR I where the characters are extremely flat and only serve the purpose of having a certain moral alignment.”
I take it you never spoke to Jolee Bindo or Canderous much then? ;)
Don’t get me wrong, I somewhat agree with you. KotOR 2 had characters that delved much deeper and expanded the concepts of the first game in more interesting philosophical detail. The characters in both games are pretty much there to tell you their own little stories and give you their own personal view of things and in the end I think the first game pulled it off better as a full experience.
I also realize that whichever you liked most is largely a matter of taste though, just as the discussion above of a linear story RPG versus an entirely open RPG where you can go off and do whatever you want is also largely a matter of taste :)
You didn’t get the two saber crystals from the space station before kicking arse in the star forge?
Nice articles. Especially love the moments such as ‘Sadly it’s so shadowy and secret, I’d never know who to boss around’ and ‘after having hermit Jedi Jolee Bindo join my group and tell me his story, replied, “I hate you, old man.”‘