KOTOR2 is finally finished

[Galvatron]

Link

Those that made their way through to the "end" of Knights of the Old Republic 2 will be aware that the game they just "finished" wasn't anything of the sort.

Tight timeframes ended up in a rushed development cycle, in turn resulting in a game that had huge chunks missing from the final, playable product. Chunks that coders later found out were included on the disc, albeit in a rough, unfinished form.

So some modders took it upon themselves to yank out that code, polish it up, drop it into the final game and give us all the version of KOTOR 2 that developers Obsidian originally intended.

Last week, the team at Deadly Stream announced that their work was done, and that if you own a copy of KOTOR 2, you can download a playable version of the restored content.

I haven't done so myself because, well, I banished all memory of KOTOR 2 some time ago. Anyone that does have a copy lying around, grab a copy from the link below, let us know how it all goes.

Great news, but a little late. Still, if anyone's interested or hasn't played the game yet, now's the time. I wish this mod was available on Xbox Live...

[AMT]

of course, its finished after i get my new comp with vista installed, that makes kotor turn into polygonal acid trips when i try and play.

*sigh*

well, i got windows 7 preordered, maybe it will work better.

[Narkis]

I've been visitingthe other restoration mod's site every few months for the past couple years, checking to see if they had managed to finally produce something playable. And now another team came out from nowhere and finished it in just a few months. I kinda feel sorry for the first guys. That's gotta hurt.

[Netko]

of course, its finished after i get my new comp with vista installed, that makes kotor turn into polygonal acid trips when i try and play.

*sigh*

well, i got windows 7 preordered, maybe it will work better.

In preparation for this, I've replayed KOTOR during the last month and am now playing TSL on my Windows 7 machine. Both games work great after applying the no-cd crack (the archaic copy protections works less well). The same should apply to Vista as well, theoretically.

As far as the restored content goes, its woven into the existing game really well - I've so far played Dantooine and Nar Shadaa and for both I couldn't tell the restored parts from the original, even the new voiceover for a character on Dantooine - they carry the same level of polish and integrate really well - for a lot of the additions I only realized they were restored after looking up a detailed list, and there are some true surprises there (the final defense battle at Dantooine, gauntlet fights from EH to docks and back on NS, lightsaber training with Keira and Visas are great setpieces that I couldn't believe weren't included originally).

Anyhow, if you are a fan of the series and haven't replayed TSL recently (the changes are subtle enough that its not worth a replay if the game is still fresh in your mind), its worth it to play the game with this restoration.

[Thanas]

Did they rework the ending?
Also, is there a changelog?

[Netko]

I've been visitingthe other restoration mod's site every few months for the past couple years, checking to see if they had managed to finally produce something playable. And now another team came out from nowhere and finished it in just a few months. I kinda feel sorry for the first guys. That's gotta hurt.

Eh... the first guy (the team leader - everyone else gave up) was an idiot, frankly. Apparently, he had a version at least as polished as the Deadlystream version ready to go for a year or so during which he barely touched the code a couple of hours, but he didn't want to release it because it wasn't "perfect". Instead, all the work he and the other members of the team did back when they were serious about the development of the content patch will now be wasted, because anyone who is interested in the game will go to the team that proved that they can deliver - already announced are two, three mods that restore huge amounts of marginal content (droid planet, assassin quest chain) that will be compatible with the DS restoration, and those are either being done by or supported by the team that managed to make the released mod/patch.

Did they rework the ending?
Also, is there a changelog?

http://www.deadlystream.com/showthread.php?t=228

I'm not sure about the ending, I've actually never completed TSL back when it was released so I simply don't know how significant the changes relating to the ending are, but you should be able to glean info about it from the above information about specific changes.

[Stark]

Ironically, I -seriously- thought this thread would be about ME2.

It's very interesting what Netko says about the depth of integration. How widespread is this? Is it just content that links directly to the restored stuff, or is it mroe widespread?

[Netko]

Basically, there's a lot of little stuff restored here and there. A conversation option, a small cutscene, party member banter, slightly longer or more polished quest, some added NPCs and encounters etc. which integrates directly and seamlessly into the experience, along with some setpieces, the largest of which (that I've seen so far) are the already mentioned final defense on Dantooine and the gauntlet fights on Nar Shadaa. The HK factory that comes later on is the largest restored distinct module.

One thing that especially surprised me was the fan-made voiceover - it really was indistinguishable from the actual in game voiceovers (other then that the restored encounter isn't really all that important). If they can maintain that level of quality with there more speculative restorations (where they will need new VOs), the additions will be truly great.

What they haven't restored in this mod/patch are things that have been left on the cutting room floor relatively early on and which are therefore missing a huge amount of content (and especially voiceovers and animations) so that the restorer has to, basically, rewrite huge parts. They are planning on releasing those parts as separate compatible patches/mods. So far announced are the droid planet, the assassin guild questline and the Lt. whats-her-name on Telos questline.

Basically, what was released is what the game should have had in it at release, while the things they plan to patch or restore (rebuild?) from now on are things that should have been in the game if we were living in a magical fairytale land where developers have unlimited time and resources to complete a project.

[TC Pilot]

I've finished Nar Shaddaa, Dantooine, Korriban, and the first half of Onderon and so far there have been a lot of changes. It's still just an open beta, so there's a few bugs lurking around (no game-stopping ones, just "reload and try again" ones that may just be because of Vista), and some parts are sloppy. That said, the only complaints I have are minor ones: they switch the music in some places that I don't think fit

What surprised me was that they included the fan-made dialouge "Team Gizka" made, which leads me to believe this new team either had the implicit approval or worked with some of the people that bailed on TG (and I think pretty much everyone did bail). Rumor has it the TG lead modder was a control freak and basically stopped working on the mod (his latest post on the forum being "I haven't touched the mod for four months, stop whining and go play the leaked beta if you want this so badly." Regardless, it shouldn't have taken four years to make, least of all since they've been in "beta testing" for the last two, so they got what was coming to them.

As for the ending, though I haven't played it yet, supposedly there's actual closure with all the characters, especially G0-T0 vs. Remote, beyond just "Oh hey, this happens to him, this happens to her. Bye now!" and Kreia's whole plan is fleshed out to make some sense.

[Stofsk]

I've got this and I've recently downloaded the M4-78 add-on (the droid planet which was supposed to be in the game and included Jedi Master Vash - who if you'll remember from the game, all you see of her was her corpse in the Sith Academy on Korriban) because they've done a patch that makes it compatible with the RCM.

Man I love TSL - much better than the first KotOR, better atmosphere and a more intriguing story. My only complaint is that it takes too damn long to get a lightsaber.

[Narkis]

Eh... the first guy (the team leader - everyone else gave up) was an idiot, frankly. Apparently, he had a version at least as polished as the Deadlystream version ready to go for a year or so during which he barely touched the code a couple of hours, but he didn't want to release it because it wasn't "perfect". Instead, all the work he and the other members of the team did back when they were serious about the development of the content patch will now be wasted, because anyone who is interested in the game will go to the team that proved that they can deliver - already announced are two, three mods that restore huge amounts of marginal content (droid planet, assassin quest chain) that will be compatible with the DS restoration, and those are either being done by or supported by the team that managed to make the released mod/patch.

Oh, wow. He does sound like an idiot. Still a shame for the rest of the team though. All their effort wasted, due to just one idiot.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

My only complaint is that it takes too damn long to get a lightsaber.

Kotor save editor to the rescue!

I always start a new game now with a basic lightsaber and basic Jedi robe. Can't fuckin' stand dicking around for half the game with weird armor/clothes and a vibroblade while I try to scrounge up some semblance of Jedi-ness.

[Stofsk]

Well I wouldn't say you're without one for half the game, it's only Peragus and Telos that you don't have a lightsaber. Once you hit your first planet after leaving Atris' secret academy you can get a lightsabre pretty quickly. Nar Shadaa is possibly the quickest, because all you need to do is get the Dance for Vogga the Hutt quest along with the info about putting juma juice in the Kath Hounds water bowl and you can raid Vogga's cupboard. You'll need to fight and beat Visas anyway. It's funny how Vogga doesn't get angry at you for stealing from him if you talk to him again later.

[TC Pilot]

Nar Shaddaa is the way to go if you play as a male, Dantooine if you're a female (unless you hate Disciple, in which case just go to Nar Shaddaa).

[Civil War Man]

My only complaint is that it takes too damn long to get a lightsaber.

Kotor save editor to the rescue!

I always start a new game now with a basic lightsaber and basic Jedi robe. Can't fuckin' stand dicking around for half the game with weird armor/clothes and a vibroblade while I try to scrounge up some semblance of Jedi-ness.

For the robes, there's a very small mod (the first one on this page) I found that allows you to craft Jedi robes with the workbench. As the maker said, it makes no sense to be able to craft advanced armor components but be completely incapable of sewing.

I also like that mod because it got better with character advancement. As skill increases, so does the quality of robes.

[Havok]

So, any way to play this on my 360?

[Trogdor]

I'm playing this mod, and I can't finish the first sparring match with the Handmaiden. Both characters can get the other's HP down to almost nothing, but neither can deliver the knockout blow. The only way to end the fight if I get myself DQ'ed by using Force powers or something. Anybody else have this problem?

[TC Pilot]

It's a known bug. Are you by any chance doing the first duel immediately after you recruit her?

[Trogdor]

Yup. How long do I have to wait before it works the way it's supposed to? Until I get to the next planet?

[TC Pilot]

Yup. How long do I have to wait before it works the way it's supposed to? Until I get to the next planet?

Yeah. I went to Nar Shaddaa and it worked fine from then on.

Anyway, I just finished the game. I was a bit perplexed that it seems very little was actually added to the ending, though they do fix the G0-T0 vs Remote plot line. Most of the players' fates get fleshed out, but both Bao-Dur and T3 are still MIA. It could also just be that I skipped something over. On the other hand, I was surprised by the additions they made to the Ravager and the fight with Nihilus; maybe I just suck but he wasn't the walkover that he was in the unmodded game. The HK factory was nice, if a bit tedious and non-sensical at times, and I don't particularly like the consequences of the choice paths, least of all when you're given no hint as to which one does which. But I didn't run into any bugs or and nothing screamed "We modded this in."

[Trogdor]

Yup. How long do I have to wait before it works the way it's supposed to? Until I get to the next planet?

Yeah. I went to Nar Shaddaa and it worked fine from then on.

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

[Grif]

Oh goodie. Just when I finally got around to buying KOTOR I and II.

And I just finished the first one!

[Stofsk]

Yup. How long do I have to wait before it works the way it's supposed to? Until I get to the next planet?

Yeah. I went to Nar Shaddaa and it worked fine from then on.

Anyway, I just finished the game. I was a bit perplexed that it seems very little was actually added to the ending, though they do fix the G0-T0 vs Remote plot line. Most of the players' fates get fleshed out, but both Bao-Dur and T3 are still MIA.

Unfortunately, there appears to be nothing to restore regarding Bao Dur. There was one line that vaguely hints at him dying ("Make my sacrifice mean something.") but that was all the mod team had to work on; absence any cut dialogue or modules there didn't seem to be anything to restore. So, Bao Dur's fate ultimately remains unknown.

[TC Pilot]

Unfortunately, there appears to be nothing to restore regarding Bao Dur. There was one line that vaguely hints at him dying ("Make my sacrifice mean something.") but that was all the mod team had to work on; absence any cut dialogue or modules there didn't seem to be anything to restore. So, Bao Dur's fate ultimately remains unknown.

It's just as well, I suppose. He's not what I'd call a prominent character. He's also useless until you Jedify him, which is all but impossible unless you perfectly balance out the influence hits.

[Crazedwraith]

Really? I must have been pretty lucky then. On my play through of KoTORII he just turned to me halfway through the first world I went to (Onderon) and said something of the lines of 'hey, I'm going to a jedi now, kthanx!"