I started playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II last night and stayed up way too late, as could be expected. Naturally this led me to purchase a bunch of Star Wars Lego Minis this afternoon, including the Mini Star Destroyer -- which can be converted into a spiffy Mini Super Star Destroyer! I also bought a Mini Imperial Shuttle, a Mini Sith Infiltrator, and a Mini Republic Gunship. The best part -- other than the Mini Super Star Destroyer -- is that all the models were on sale for 20% off, getting me four for around $20. Sweet. My cube-mate got a Mini Star Destroyer too, and we're planning to start our own fleet.
Oh right, KOTOR2... uh, it looks cool so far. More on this story as it develops.
Update:
Larger-scale custom Star Destroyer and Super Star Destroyer. Nice.
I loved KOTOR I, but heard unfavorable reviews of II. Let us know when you finish. Maybe I'll buy your used copy off you (or trade you for I if you don't have it).
I really wanted to like KOTOR II. I liked the first one, and a close friend of mine was one of the game designers. But in all honesty I think the development team bit off a bit more than they could chew. The ending in particular is a big letdown; they obviously had to cut it severely due to time constraints. There are a number of plot threads that are just left hanging. (We know they had to cut the ending because there are actually partially completed script and graphics files included in the game that reflect what they originally intended to do.) You can see a bunch of what's there at http://tubertarian.com/kotor2missingcontent.php if you're interested.
There are also a large number of bugs in the game, many inexplicable as they were reusing the core game technology from KOTOR I and yet somehow managed to release a product that was significantly less stable.
I consider KOTOR II to be about 90% of a great game. But that other 10% leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.
I just hope they do a better job with their next game, Neverwinter Nights II, because my friend is the lead designer on that one. If it has serious problems I'll have to lay them at his feet and I don't really want to do that.
I thought that KOTOR 2 was a very good game. It was the same basic idea as KOTOR 1, but with much more polish. Consider going to gamefaqs.com and printing out the influence guide, which will allow you to have the right people in your party at any given time for influence boosts.
Different people play computer games for different reasons:
If you like eye candy, the Telos section is pretty dull. Just push through it and you'll get better scenery. The panoramas are as nice as before, though I don't understand why they wouldn't free the camera to a full sphere. I lost some immersion at beind unable to look up at the sky or down at the ground.
If you play for the story, the individual plot threads are far better than KOTOR 1's. That was what made the game worth playing. The overall story arc isn't entirely coherent, though, which seems to be Kyle's complaint.
If you like tactical challenge, then crank the difficulty up and your expectations down. Even on hard the first time through, it wasn't very hard.
KOTOR 2 made some progress on the weakness that bugs me most: The AD&D system it uses is designed for a combined-arms combat system that favors balanced parties. But in the Star Wars universe, the light saber rules. Blasters and normal melee weapons aren't completely useless in KOTOR 2 like they were in its predecessor, but you'll probably still end up with three Jedi, unless you play as evil.
Also note: KOTOR 2 has some special stuff for the main character with tech skills. Ordinary boxes and doors you can have another character handle, but there are a few points where only the main character's skills count. So making your main guy your techie has some advantages.
I'm enjoying the game so far. Part of my problem is that I'm a total min/maxer and I can't let anything get by me without reloading and replaying it. For instance, I have to win all the swoop races the first time I encounter the track, or I'll sit and reload for hours working at it and getting bored and frustrated. Yes, I'm OCD.
The game itself is pretty fun, and I like all the components that can be made and added onto equipment. I haven't got past Telos yet, and that place is pretty boring, but blasters could end up being useful if the components for them are good enough.