Things I don't like about KotoR

[fable]

First off: I enjoy KotoR. I'm in the middle of playing it through for the first time, and I don't see myself quitting anytime, soon. So I will not tolerate any cries of "ingrate!" or "fool!" or "heathen!" (Well, the last is true, but it doesn't matter.)

So with that understood...after having read some of the drooling professional reviews written about the game, in which absolutely nothing negative can be found in several thousand words to say about it, I thought I'd post my list of annoyances, here. They're just that: annoyances. If you find yourself recoiling in horror, reread my first paragraph, above. And remember the forum rules.

Also, this isn't just for me--it's for anybody who has any complaints. Feel free to post your collection, or comment reasonably upon those of others.

1) Cut scenes that switch around the position and location of your party members. I take a bit of time to get my troika in order. Since I usually play some combination of Mission, Bastila/Canderous and my scout, I'll have B/C on point to go ram a melee weapon into intimate locations where it really doesn't belong. This also places them several feet in front of the others, shielding my ranged attackers. -But then, along comes a cut scene in which somebody addresses my party, and when it finishes, my PC is often out in front, or even moved several dozen feet away into another area. I realize that is meant to reflect developments that have occurred, but since I'm (supposedly) in charge of at least my own character, they would never willingly make some of the ridiculous ground moves they do with an obvious battle coming up.

2) Party interaction. I'm traveling somewhere, when suddenly a get a picture of one of my team members looking rather constipated, with a caption underneath reading "X appears to have something to say to you," or words to that effect. Oh? Well, you're Bioware; you know something about sound. Ever hear about using a voiceover to interrupt our travels?

3) The effete upperclass. One of the things I disliked about the BG series (and I love that series) is the way people of wealth were stereotyped. I'm not channeling Milton Freedman or Ayn Rand, gods forbid, but do we really need NPCs who talk and act like Thurston Howell III? What would be wrong with having rich residents who acted as the rich usually do--which is to say, just like everybody else, except when they're vigorously defending their right to own huge amounts of money? And that would be a lot better for roleplaying purposes, IMO.

4) Non-quest quests. Normally, when you get a quest, it's obvious: you've been solicited to accomplish something, whether for the sake of good, of evil (well, often in Troika games, at any rate), or for some reward. I speak to an android shop owner, and suddenly I discover a quest to own one of her droids, which isn't for sale. Since I'm going to get the droid later, in any case, why list it as a quest in my journal?

5) Simple-minded puzzles. There were a couple of more interesting puzzles in BG2, though nothing very taxing on the brain cells. KotoR seems to be aimed at the puzzle-solving skills of pre-adolescents. Too few of 'em, IMO, and nothing worth really thinking over. A shame something more challenging, like the riddle chests of Betrayal at Krondor, wasn't introduced.

6) Too easy! Am I the only one who finds playing and winning a snap on the normal level of difficulty? That wasn't something I could say about either BG title when I tried it for the first time, and certainly not for BG2/ToB.

[Pebz]

I don't have Kotor yet, so I can't comment on the first 5... but as for #6; I think it is because you have experience with similar games, such as BG/BG2/ToB

[fable]

No, really, it isn't. I think anyone can get the hang of playing the Bioware games in fifteen minutes; what's more, I have never played or even looked at a console before, so that unfamiliarity far outweighs any ease with an RPG gaming system. That's my take on it, at least.

[Pebz]

Really? Well as long as the storyline is good, easy gameplay isn't that bad... less fighting (long fights can be tiresome, even as good as they look in Kotor I guess) and "more" (less gaps between) story/role-playing

This is all generaly speaking, as I don't have KotoR yet.

[Ned Flanders]

In response to fable (ingrate),

1. I'm playing with a soldier/jedi soldier so I haven't noticed since Clayton, who always travels with the droids, is the only melee character I've got. I can understand your gripe and when I play through as a scout or a scoundrel, I'll remember this.

2. Agreed, even if trivial. The advertising for the game boasted over 14,000 recorded voice overs. You would think each NPC voice could have recorded, "Hey, we need to talk." or something like that. What I find to be worse is if you tell the NPC no, five minutes later he/she/it is bugging you again.

3. Pshaw! Clean my boots now if you please. As soon as I highlight over someone and see the word 'noble', I don't even bother talking to them.

4. Ding Ding Ding! This is my own biggest gripe about the game. There have been multiple instances where the journal seems to add quest info a little prematurely.

5. The puzzles are easy. That's all I have to say about that.

6. I think I've only had the party killed once or twice on hard difficulty. Once you really get rolling and amass a bunch of NPCs, especially canderous and zaalbaar who can make stims and grenades, you're all set.

Gripes 2 and 4 are ones that really bug me along with.....

The lightsaber is completely overpowered. I can only imagine the devastation with a party of three jedi. That's a lot of force (no pun intended ). I suppose the answer is to not use a lightsaber but I'm addicted to the sound effects.

I'd rather have a targeting reticule I can move as opposed to using the left and right triggers to cycle from one target to the next. With two NPCs, a few enemies, and a couple of containers you wind up trigger happy just trying to get to the desired target.

Other than that I am more than happy with the game. Playing on a console doesn't bother me as I've been playing games on consoles and PC's for over 20 years, basically back to the days of TV pong.

[fable]

3. Pshaw! Clean my boots now if you please. As soon as I highlight over someone and see the word 'noble', I don't even bother talking to them.

Problem is, there are several people in KotoR that have names, yet fit this ridiculous Bioware stereotype. So you end up clicking on them, and getting the usual nonsense. Remember that girl in the bar, for instance?

[Ned Flanders]

You mean the one who I bought a drink for after beating that shlep in pazaak. Yeah, I suppose you're right about certain nobles in the game actually having a name. I suppose you just have to talk to those stiffs once and deal with their 'you smell like a dung heap' comments.

[fable]

Originally posted by Ned Flanders
You mean the one who I bought a drink for after beating that shlep in pazaak. Yeah, I suppose you're right about certain nobles in the game actually having a name. I suppose you just have to talk to those stiffs once and deal with their 'you smell like a dung heap' comments.

If it were PS:T, such a remark would merely be factual. But I rather wish Bioware had provided a Persuade option for her.

For that matter, I wish KotoR had opted to change Persuade into Threaten verbally (though not in the mechanics) if you want over very far to the dark side. Things like that really lend more atmosphere than just a little red smoke on your portrait, to show how "evil" you're getting.

[Ned Flanders]

Well, I have actually gotten to use a choke hold on certain citizens who get on my nerves. I have the needle buried to the dark side and now my nicest options in conversation are probably the most evil option available were I a follower of the light side.

The way my conversation options have changed the further down the dark path I've travelled is one of the things I really like about the game.

[Léah]

I must say, I hate that I can only deposit one item into a container at a time. I wanted to build up an arsenal of computer spikes but my droid would only let me have 10 or 11 at a time. So I decided I'd have him make me the 10 spikes, then I'd put them in a container in the cargo hold so he'd make more, then repeat this until I had enough spikes. Then I realized that I could only "give" one item at a time to a container. So every time I wanted to add an item, I had to open the damn container, switch to give items, then scroll through my entire inventory to find the item I wanted. Over and over and over... I guess the reasoning behind this might have been to keep people from doing just that, but still... It got pretty annoying.

[Necrotaur]

There's a weird bug I'm noticing (mostly on Tattooine) where if you run into a group of enemies and go to attack them, your party is teleported about 100 feet off leaving you alone next to the enemy.

Couple other things I don't like

- Pazaak. It's just... a waste of time. Is there actually anything useful about it?

- Carth's whining.

- "6) Too easy! Am I the only one who finds playing and winning a snap on the normal level of difficulty? That wasn't something I could say about either BG title when I tried it for the first time, and certainly not for BG2/ToB."

Yes, I've noticed this too. It really becomes apparent if you play a jedi class that has any sort of melee abilities whatsoever. The first time I met Malak I defeated him in two rounds.

- There's barely any party interaction! I've seen Bastila, Carth and Mission make a few comments to one another, but nobody else has ever chimed in no matter how long I walked around.

[Léah]

"- Carth's whining."

Yeah, you can add to that list Juhani's self-pity, Jolee's crotchity old man syndrome, and Mission's screechy pleas for attention. Hell, even the damn wookie gets in on the whining...
Of course, I say this now in hindsight. I really didn't mind that much when I was actually playing the game.

[Léah]

okay... this may sound stupid, but I wish there was a retreat option in the game. Sometimes, I'd like to draw away from a fight to regroup my attack, but if you run, your party members just sit there and gleefully hack away at the enemy, and possibly get themselves killed.

[Jotun]

my gripes one this game, some being the same as others here

forced to fight when you fight. its either kill or die, cause you cant run, they just chase you to keep forcing you to the fight.

its not the mmorpg game mechanics. this makes much better game mechanics than Galaxies does

not enough sexy shots of Ballista. Hey in Kessen2 they had breast shots, why not here?

not enough female chars, and the ones you do get, only one is attractive. (seriously who wants to mate with a squid head?) of course you could help suppliment with picking a female char yourself, but this avatar is supposed to represent YOU.

game isnt big enough, I want to see KOTOR be as big as Morrowind in landmass, instead of walking a few steps to zone, then walks few more steps, zone, etc.

I thought pazaak was kinda fun, a more strategic 21 style game, but the racing, I just couldnt get. I could only beat the required racing on the first planet, after that, severe failures. I just sucked at it, and didnt like the game mechanics of it

I liked the game being easy. But even though I went Soldier/Guardian, I still had trouble in some areas, especially the last boss, since I didnt figure some of the special things to do, and just kept fighting him while he kept healing himself. And I dont know why people keep praising the Force Heal, when level 2 or 3 (whatever was max, I forget, but I know I maxed it) couldnt hang with some of the tougher mobs, and I had to use Life Support things which worked so much better for me.

[Léah]

The medpacs and other life support devices work better for soldiers because they have a higher "treat injury" skill. By the same account, the force heal won't work as well for a soldier/guardian because his wisdom and intelligence won't be as strong as those of a sentinal or consular.