Discussion of Force Unleashed storyline (Spoilers Duh...)

[Darth Hoth]

The cutscene in the game shows what looks like Starkiller redirecting a crashing ship, not pulling one out of orbit or any such thing.

[Vympel]

It'd help if you played the game before telling me what happens in it, since I have:- you blow up the shipyard above Raxus Prime, a Star Destroyer flies down to attack you, you grab it and pull it down in an extremely annoying minigame/ boss fight. The cutscene in the game is Starkiller dealing with the aftermath.

[CDiehl]

Actually, it's just a cutscene in the PS2 version of the game. Yes, they took one of the neatest things in the game, and let you watch it happen.

[VT-16]

It's basically the Apprentice hitting the shipyards with a shot from a redirected ore cannon. One of the Star Destroyers come down from the sky rather than blow up, and you have to make it crash before it hits you.

The cutscene is actually interesting, in that Marek doesn't fully make the Star Destroyer come down, he seems to find something internally to destroy, since there's some kind of explosion sound, and then the ship falls and slides towards you.

[Lord Revan]

from the way people are talking you'd think he bitch slapped the ISD out of orbit because he was a bit bored.

to me (based on the cut scenes mind you) he seemed powerfull Force user with alot of talent in telekenesis, not some god in human form.

[VT-16]

Vader trained him to be a more blunt telekinetic, but anything else seems off the table. I don't think he learned jack shit about being a Sith.

[Stark]

Pfft. Fuck QTEs. TFUs got the best QTEs ever, because I don't fucking DIE when I get their simon says button mashing shit wrong. It's just a cool reward, not lame ass fake difficulty like God of War (which don't get me wrong is a better game than TFU, obviously).

That's a fair point, but I don't consider zero-option button pressing 'interactive' at all, and the zero consequence for failing just means if they weren't pathetically easy it'd be really frustrating. Games like Jericho do it wrong (hard, essential, large penalties) but I've seen games where QTEs are integrated into regular play without being jarring and with regular combat damages (not that I can remember the names of the bloody games, lol). The cutscenes in Fahrenhiet were as non-interactive as the TFU ones with the QTEs, but didn't have the 'just keep doing it until you make it' stuff that results in silliness.

I don't mind the scale of damage in the cutscenes (since everyone is a superhero in the game, unlike the 'one shot you're dead' movies) at all, just the both inflexible and repetitive way they're presented.

[Lord Revan]

Vader trained him to be a more blunt telekinetic, but anything else seems off the table. I don't think he learned jack shit about being a Sith.

probably just enough to make Starkiller think he was being trained propperly (and lets honest he isn't exactly the brightest person in the galaxy). telekinesis, force lightning and lightsaber combat seem to be the limits of his abilities.

[Dooey Jo]

Pfft. Fuck QTEs. TFUs got the best QTEs ever, because I don't fucking DIE when I get their simon says button mashing shit wrong. It's just a cool reward, not lame ass fake difficulty like God of War (which don't get me wrong is a better game than TFU, obviously).

That's a fair point, but I don't consider zero-option button pressing 'interactive' at all, and the zero consequence for failing just means if they weren't pathetically easy it'd be really frustrating. Games like Jericho do it wrong (hard, essential, large penalties) but I've seen games where QTEs are integrated into regular play without being jarring and with regular combat damages (not that I can remember the names of the bloody games, lol).

I think Zelda: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess has something to that effect, during some boss battles, especially the Ganondorf battles. You press the attack button at the right time and something special happens. From what I saw in those Youtube videos, TFU seems to have regular, play-stopping cutscenes, plus some "press this button to do something, larl" added on top. Seems like a cheap way to make players not want to just skip the cutscenes (or maybe they can't be skipped, if they pretend the cutscenes are actually a part of the gameplay at large).

[Vympel]

probably just enough to make Starkiller think he was being trained propperly (and lets honest he isn't exactly the brightest person in the galaxy). telekinesis, force lightning and lightsaber combat seem to be the limits of his abilities.

He can also deflect bolts with his hand. I'm sure I've seen it in the game.

[Solauren]

Having watched my wife play TFU (I'm waiting for her to finish before I play, she has to defeat Palpatine yet)

I have seen nothing, when you ignore the pretty graphics, that we haven't seen similiar occur in the novels or movies.

Does Starkiller come off as powerful? Yes. He does. That's game mechanics.
Let's also remember it's taking 3 hits in some cases to kill Stormtroopers.

Here is how I look at this game;
You're seeing it from the 'first person' view, and it's colored. After all, your a Sith Apprentice, and were raised by Darth Vader to boot, that's going to have an effect on your personal perceptions.

As for the ending fights...

That was ALL for the benefit of the senators.
Think; they've been considering a rebellion, but by that point, the leadership is aware of Vader's power in the Force. It wouldn't surprise me if Bail Organa had to caution Mon Mothma and co to the fact Palpatine is also a Sith Lord. (If they didn't before the fight, they sure as hell would by the end of it)

Now, look who shows up; a Jedi! One that apparently stood up to Darth Vader and Palpatine! If he can do it, we can do it! We've got a chance.

So, Vader and Palpatine throw their fights to Starkiller in such a way that he's convinced, and everyone else is convinced, but they dust themselves off afterwards, and Vader goes and deals with Starkiller at a later date, creating a nice martyr to motivate the rebellion, and disposing of a tool that has outlived it's usefulness.

The Dark Side ending is darker because, well, Starkiller completely went against Palpatine's plans, and royally pissed him off. Palpatine is not a forgiving, um, Sith Lord, and put Starkiller clearly in his place. Like anyone does with an animal that gets out of line.

In all; I view the story as just another bit that stiches down into Star Wars canon between ROTS and ANH. The rebellion knowing about the Death Star doesn't change anything. Hell, having been on the battle station would give them reason to find it's plans, and doesn't affect the established timeline at all. (Vader just has to off Starkiller during the hunt for the plants, not a problem for him).

[SilverWingedSeraph]

Um, Solauron, some spoilers here, but Starkiller dies pretty much immediately after the fight with Palpatine, in the Lightside ending, and Bail, Mon Mothma and Iblis are all witnesses to this.

[Solauren]

So, Vader doesn't have to hunt him down, no problem on the spoilers. My wife will beat it this afternoon, and I'm already aware of the basic story. I'm just going to play this one for the Force powered action

[Illuminatus Primus]

I still don't see how it makes sense for Leia Organa to be serving officially as the Senator for Alderaan, with her father in service on the same planet. I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

[TK-984]

Just a shot in the dark: but could Leia have been senator of the planet proper and Bail the senator of the sector that Alderaan resided?

[Imperial Overlord]

I still don't see how it makes sense for Leia Organa to be serving officially as the Senator for Alderaan, with her father in service on the same planet. I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

Weren't Jar Jar and Padme both Senators from Naboo? Alderaan was a major core world with colonies, it might have rated more than Senator.

[Ford Prefect]

I still don't see how it makes sense for Leia Organa to be serving officially as the Senator for Alderaan, with her father in service on the same planet. I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

Weren't Jar Jar and Padme both Senators from Naboo? Alderaan was a major core world with colonies, it might have rated more than Senator.

Jar Jar is an associate planetary representative. While Padme has Naboo's vote, Jar Jar is her consultant on the views of the Gungans, who share the planet. Leia could be Alderaan's representative, I suppose; it's a junior position in a delegation, but it's important enough that you can run for the chancellorship, and if the senator is indisposed somehow, a representative can take their place (which happened in AotC).

[Illuminatus Primus]

I still don't see how it makes sense for Leia Organa to be serving officially as the Senator for Alderaan, with her father in service on the same planet. I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

Weren't Jar Jar and Padme both Senators from Naboo? Alderaan was a major core world with colonies, it might have rated more than Senator.

I wasn't saying they were both Senators, I meant that I believe the implication at least was that while he retired in favor of his daughter, Bail Organa was still a public figure.

[Darth Ruinus]

This isn't really related to the story or canon or whatever, but I heard of the Shadow Guard. Supposedly, these are elite Royal Guards who are trained in the Force and answer directly to the Emperor. Sounds alot like Sovereign Protectors if you ask me, which leads me to wonder why they just didn't use these guys, who are already established in canon, instead of making up a whole new already done "ZOMG Royal Guards with Force training!". Can't research their own damn universe.

[TC Pilot]

Cameoing Bel Iblis and having the meeting on Corellia just screams that they tried to do some research. Odds are they made a half-assed attempt, but got incredibly sloppty, considering how many continuity errors there were.

[Ford Prefect]

Though the Sovereign Protectors had some measure of Force sensitivity, they're not Dark Jedi. It is noted that the most exceptional of the Protectors werel iable to be trained as actual Dark Jedi; the Shadow Guard could be considered the end result of that, given they actually have extensive Force powers, such as telekinesis and Force lightning and use lightsaber spear things. This fits together pretty well; even if a Sovereign Protector were to become a fully-fledged Dark Jedi I couldn't expect many (ie. any apart from Carnor Jax) to stop being Royal Guardsmen.

[Solauren]

I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

It wasn't Vader or the Emperor that was concerned about the senate in A New Hope, but some military officer.

Vader having the senate informed everyone was dead was to cover up the recovery operation of the plans, nothing more.

By this point, the Emperor and Vader, and more senior officials, probably didn't care 1 iouta about the senate, beyond the fact the Emperor hadn't gotten around to dissolving it yet.

[Lord Revan]

I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

It wasn't Vader or the Emperor that was concerned about the senate in A New Hope, but some military officer.

Vader having the senate informed everyone was dead was to cover up the recovery operation of the plans, nothing more.

By this point, the Emperor and Vader, and more senior officials, probably didn't care 1 iouta about the senate, beyond the fact the Emperor hadn't gotten around to dissolving it yet.

we should also remember that during the game there's no rebel alliance and while there might disidence they seem to be keeping a low prophile or dying, Rebel Alliance during ANH on other hand was a strong disident group that empire couldn't (or wouldn't) put down.

and then there's the fact that in the game the senators are captured with a known Jedi Master (aka known traitor to the empire), but this isn't as far as we public knowlage, so it might alot harder to capture said senators later when you don't have a traitor to show them

[Illuminatus Primus]

I don't see how they would be so effortlessly publicly executed when they had to conceal the capture of Tantive IV so as not to generate sympathy in the Senate.

It wasn't Vader or the Emperor that was concerned about the senate in A New Hope, but some military officer.

Vader having the senate informed everyone was dead was to cover up the recovery operation of the plans, nothing more.

By this point, the Emperor and Vader, and more senior officials, probably didn't care 1 iouta about the senate, beyond the fact the Emperor hadn't gotten around to dissolving it yet.

Bullshit. They had to hide their actions against a member of the Senate suspected of treason. They had to hide their actions to build the Death Star. They had to disband the Senate in order to declare martial law. This is not a completely helpless, toothless body. Hitler didn't need to dissolve the post-Enabling Act Reichstag in order to do what he wanted. The fact is the ROTS-ANH Empire was not a completely autocratic state.

[Cal Wright]

Just a run down, I'm almost finished with the DS version of TFU. The story pretty much follows the 360 version. I finally ran into a few differences.

*Spoiler*

On Imperial Raxus Prime the core computer is 'sliced' by the Empire to move scrap metal into the canon. The computer essential takes control of Proxy who had accessed it to get technical data from the surface. Sooooo, instead of just leaving to fullfil is primary programming like in the 360 version, he is actually corrupted, attacks Juno and heads for the surface. You still square off against him, however it's the computer of Raxus Prime that his controlling his actions.

The whole ISD coming down is in flames and you bring it into the canon without all that TIE crap.

On a side note, someone claimed it was a fully functioning ISD you force grip. In all versions it's a damaged ISD careening for the canon. If it was a normal clip and not an actual level the ship would have arrived rather fast. Instead it's slowly moving in while you maneuver it to keep from dying.