Holonet News (SWI 71) and Jedi Academy Revelations

[Robert Treder]

Just combining the two things because I don't want to make two threads.

Summary of Holonet News, SWI #71:

Article 1: Republic Senate passes "Reflex Amendment", (Emergency Amendment 121b), "...giving Supreme Chancellor Palpatine unprecedented control in maneuvering military assets across areas of overlapping jurisdiction."
Mon Mothma disapproves.
"The Chandrila Defense Fleet has moved from the stewardship of Admiral Hiram Drayson [name should be familiar to youse guys] to Kohl Seerdon, an official appointed by Palpatine's military council. Drayson will continue to serve in advisory capacity, and Mothma's role has been reduced considerably for the duration of the emergency. This pattern is expected to continue in loyalist sectors throughout the Republic."
Senator Ask Aak of Malastare is in favor of the amendment, saying that the Seperatists have been taking advantage of the Republic's slow response time, which is a product of the different sectorial and even planetary bureaucracies.
In the "Seswenna sector campaigns," planetary fronts were unified into "priority theaters," commanded from Eriadu. This is considered an example of the new system working properly.
"This is the fifth wartime constitution amendment enacted by Palpatine, the last one being Statute 312b, which gave Core and Inner Rim worlds votes greater weight than outlier worlds."
--would these five amendments be after the "emergency powers" amendment, or including that one?

Article 2: Kashyyyk refused the Confederacy's offer to join them, but is remaining relatively neutral, despite being in the Republic. The Wookiees are mad that the Republic almost gave the Trandoshans senatorial representation, and that the Republic wants to station military assets in Wookiee space. Additionally, the Republic considers a conflict on the moon of Alaris Prime to be Seperatist activity, whereas the Wookiees consider it a colonial affair.
The Jedi are working hard at culling the favor of the Wookiees. The Jedi Knight Kai Justiss, a young-looking asian human male with long hair, has been assigned permanently to Kashyyyk.

CIS Shadowfeed Article 1: Neimoidians are conscripting Neimoidians to defend the Neimoidian home systems. As we know it, Neimoidians are culturally loathe to excessively risk their lives, but Viceroy Nute Gunray dismisses this as Republic slander.
"The Neimoidian Home Defense Legions have doubled conscription service, and called up all reservists for active protection of Neimoidia and the colonial purse-worlds of Deko Neimoidia, Koru Neimoidia and Cato Neimoidia.

Article 2: The People's Inquest, a "grassroots Jedi watchgroup," is broadcasting on the HoloNet again, despite cease and desist orders from the Republic HoloCommunications Commission.
Their previous broadcast was terminated by the HCC due to "inadequate licenses" and "signal purity violations."
The People's Inquest feels that the Jedi are manipulating the Republic, and that the Republic instigated the Clone Wars, and that the fact that the Seperatists are led by a Jedi shows that the Republic is "just a meaningless backdrop in their internal war for power."
The People's Inquest has the testimonies of many who have been witness to or victim of Jedi oppression and interference, even outside of the borders of the Republic.


Jedi Academy (or, what I can remember from it, seeing as how I bought it the day it came out and beat it before the next day was up) revelations:

-Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

-It is possible to remove the Force aura or whatever from a location, such that when you go there, even if you used to feel a disturbance in the Force, you don't any more. Force powers still work in these drained areas, it's just that the location doesn't have any special significance any more.
This is achieved through the use of an artifact which belonged to Marka Ragnos. This artifact, or, specifically, this staff, is destroyed at the end of the game by Jedi Knight Jaden Korr (if you take the light path, that is, which I believe is the "official" path for story purposes)

-There are big air trooper guys with repeater rifles that fly around. I reckon they'd be pretty deadly if they were going up against non-Jedi.

-There are also troopers in big "power armor"-ish stuff that carry conc rifles.

-The two trooper types I've just described wear Darktrooper-esque armor, which makes them about 8 feet tall. They look pretty snazzy, but I don't know how practical they are, and I don't know if we want to start another power armor debate...

-Inviso-suits (for lack of a better term) which make the wearer practically invisible (you can still see some distortion where their bodies are, but you do see right through them) are pretty well disseminated among the Remnant troops faced by Jaden Korr.

I'm sure there are more; I'll have to play through the game again to catch 'em all (darn).


Anything else youse guys've noticed?

[Vympel]

Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

Natrually Though the game does a piss poor job of noticing the way you use your force powers. I repeatedly used Rank 3 Force Lightning on rooms fall of stormtroopers (killing them all in seconds), with no real effect on the game. The decision to go to the dark side is still entirely your own.

-It is possible to remove the Force aura or whatever from a location, such that when you go there, even if you used to feel a disturbance in the Force, you don't any more. Force powers still work in these drained areas, it's just that the location doesn't have any special significance any more.
This is achieved through the use of an artifact which belonged to Marka Ragnos. This artifact, or, specifically, this staff, is destroyed at the end of the game by Jedi Knight Jaden Korr (if you take the light path, that is, which I believe is the "official" path for story purposes)

Easily the worst part of the game- a pathetic contrivance to once again create armies of Sith for you to defeat. Never mind that they could just make a decent game in the Knights of the Old Republic time period without having to engage in such nonsense.

I also find it disgusting that they drained the cave at Dagobah. A crime against Star Wars. Though, if the staff was destroyed, perhaps all the 'aura' (groannnnnnn) went back to their original places? Anyways.

-There are big air trooper guys with repeater rifles that fly around. I reckon they'd be pretty deadly if they were going up against non-Jedi.

They were incredibly annoying, even for a Jedi ...

-There are also troopers in big "power armor"-ish stuff that carry conc rifles.

Easily the most dangerous non-Jedi enemy in the game. Use force speed to get close and sabre them repeatedly, or just use force push to send the concussion bolts back at them.

-The two trooper types I've just described wear Darktrooper-esque armor, which makes them about 8 feet tall. They look pretty snazzy, but I don't know how practical they are, and I don't know if we want to start another power armor debate...

Actually, the Airtroopers (don't know if that's their actual name) are only slightly taller than Stormtroopers- and not as well protected as the bigger, don't know what they are kind. To me, it seemed that the airtroopers were simply equipped with an armored flight suit that's a bit bigger than standard stormtrooper armored- it wasn't powered in that sense (but was in the sense of the jetpack- which was noticeably more 'efficient' and 'clean' looking than Boba Fetts)

Regarding the larger kind, we do know, however, that they walked through lava and acid rain with impunity, so perhaps they're some sort of powered hazard suit. They were also present on an Imperial Dreadnought, so maybe it's actually space armor? (Of a different kind than that described in the Timothy Zahn books, which we saw in X-Wing Alliance- what were they called again).

-Inviso-suits (for lack of a better term) which make the wearer practically invisible (you can still see some distortion where their bodies are, but you do see right through them) are pretty well disseminated among the Remnant troops faced by Jaden Korr.

I got the impression they were special forces- the same inviso-suits were used by the Cortosis-armored Sith (Dark Jedi is a stupid word) in Jedi Knight II.

I'm sure there are more; I'll have to play through the game again to catch 'em all (darn).

- In the 'good' ending, three Calamari Cruisers (Liberty-type) attack a Star Destroyer- they fire green, the Star Destroyer fires red. WTF?

- Jaden Korr flies a Z-95 Headhunter? Where's our XJ-Wing, dammit?

- The Noghri look noticeably different from previous representations in the game Rebellion. They aren't furry, and have blue skin.

- The PLX-2M rocket launcher is awesome. It's lock-on ability is especially useful, and it's maneuverability in that mode obviously means thrust-vectoring of some kind. It must have ridiculously efficient propellant. However, the explosions are small, so it must be a shaped charge. However- this is game mechanics IMO.

[Super-Gagme]

I'm sure there are more; I'll have to play through the game again to catch 'em all (darn).

Anything else youse guys've noticed?

Tauntauns can take down an AT-ST through repeated headbutt attacks. Absolutely amazing, this opens up a whole new line of thinking in the godlike beings that are tauntauns...

[Spanky The Dolphin]

That's actually not very remarkable.

EDIT: Oh, TAKE down... I thought you said KNOCK down...

Then it's just silly...

[Vympel]

Tauntauns can take down an AT-ST through repeated headbutt attacks. Absolutely amazing, this opens up a whole new line of thinking in the godlike beings that are tauntauns...

Thankfully, this piece of idiocy can be chalked up to game mechanics. Though why anyone would try this, I don't know. There's an E-Web right there for you to use.

[Robert Treder]

Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

Natrually Though the game does a piss poor job of noticing the way you use your force powers. I repeatedly used Rank 3 Force Lightning on rooms fall of stormtroopers (killing them all in seconds), with no real effect on the game. The decision to go to the dark side is still entirely your own.

Agreed. I loved the way they did it in DFII, where your actual choices throughout your journey mattered. The only thing that changed here depending on what powers you chose was how Kyle or Luke admonished you in between stages.
I'd also like to see a game where you increase in a certain power based on how often you use it in-mission. Like, if you use grip a lot, you'll have an accelerated progression with grip. I don't know how well that would work, though.

I also find it disgusting that they drained the cave at Dagobah. A crime against Star Wars. Though, if the staff was destroyed, perhaps all the 'aura' (groannnnnnn) went back to their original places? Anyways.

Yeah. Well, at least they haven't destroyed Coruscant yet...oh wait. Nihilo Sanctum Estne?

-There are big air trooper guys with repeater rifles that fly around. I reckon they'd be pretty deadly if they were going up against non-Jedi.

They were incredibly annoying, even for a Jedi ...

Yeah. They didn't do much damage, due to my blaster-blockin' skillz, but it was tricky to kill 'em, without switching to a gun, at which point their bullets start hurting you. You can't Force-push 'em off a ledge, and Force grip doesn't do too much. I usually Force gripped 'em to stop them from firing and to try to hold them still, then I saber throwed them a few times. Oh yeah, and was Saber-throwing nerfed as compared to level three saber-throw in JKO? I thought it used to home in better.

-There are also troopers in big "power armor"-ish stuff that carry conc rifles.

Easily the most dangerous non-Jedi enemy in the game. Use force speed to get close and sabre them repeatedly, or just use force push to send the concussion bolts back at them.

Hell yeah, these guys kept on pwning me. They're pretty resilient to saber attacks, too. On the Vjun levels, I usually let Kyle handle them, since he's pretty uber, but generally I would try attacking them with my own conc rifle if I was at significant range. The Demp gun also works wonders if you carry one.
Damn, those conc blasts will knock you to shit even with full health/shields, plus level three Protection.

Actually, the Airtroopers (don't know if that's their actual name) are only slightly taller than Stormtroopers- and not as well protected as the bigger, don't know what they are kind. To me, it seemed that the airtroopers were simply equipped with an armored flight suit that's a bit bigger than standard stormtrooper armored- it wasn't powered in that sense (but was in the sense of the jetpack- which was noticeably more 'efficient' and 'clean' looking than Boba Fetts)

Yeah, the Airtroopers were quite a bit softer than the heavy troopers. And speaking of Boba, I was quite pleased with him in this game. He was pretty hardcore, and surprisingly enough, they effectively conveyed the idea that he was able to hold off a Jedi, attacking with rockets and hails of blaster fire from afar, and using his flame thrower to push you back if you get too close.

I got the impression they were special forces- the same inviso-suits were used by the Cortosis-armored Sith (Dark Jedi is a stupid word) in Jedi Knight II.

Yeah, but they were fucking pansies. They'd usually just sit there, and you could just walk past them. They'd sometimes fire at you, but I usually just disregarded them entirely.

- The Noghri look noticeably different from previous representations in the game Rebellion. They aren't furry, and have blue skin.

The Noghri look different in this game, in MotS, in Rebellion, in the EGTC...there's either a bunch of different races of them, or the good people working for Lucas are smoking the crack rocks.

- The PLX-2M rocket launcher is awesome. It's lock-on ability is especially useful, and it's maneuverability in that mode obviously means thrust-vectoring of some kind. It must have ridiculously efficient propellant. However, the explosions are small, so it must be a shaped charge. However- this is game mechanics IMO.

Yeah, it seemed even better than in JKO, where it was better than in MotS, where it was better than in DFII:JK. Though the JK and MotS versions seem to be from a different company.
Too bad the rockets are useless against a Force-user.

[Robert Treder]

Tauntauns can take down an AT-ST through repeated headbutt attacks. Absolutely amazing, this opens up a whole new line of thinking in the godlike beings that are tauntauns...

Thankfully, this piece of idiocy can be chalked up to game mechanics. Though why anyone would try this, I don't know. There's an E-Web right there for you to use.

I just ran past it. No point in destroying it if I don't need to.

[neoolong]

Oddly enough, Skywalker thinks that a balanced Jedi has only Light Side force powers. He was concerned about Jaden when I choose half light side force powers and half dark side force powers, which I figured would have been truly balanced.

[Vympel]

Oddly enough, Skywalker thinks that a balanced Jedi has only Light Side force powers. He was concerned about Jaden when I choose half light side force powers and half dark side force powers, which I figured would have been truly balanced.

Kyle complemented me on my balance. I had slightly more light side than dark side though (6 Dark, 9 Light).

[Smiling Bandit]

-Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

That Kyle says this does not neccessarily mean its the truth. I mean, in the game, you can brutally slaughter people and kick their heads around, but you won't neccessarily go to the Dark Side.

Its all in which sources you want to believe. So far, most of them keep GL's ideas.

[neoolong]

Oddly enough, Skywalker thinks that a balanced Jedi has only Light Side force powers. He was concerned about Jaden when I choose half light side force powers and half dark side force powers, which I figured would have been truly balanced.

Kyle complemented me on my balance. I had slightly more light side than dark side though (6 Dark, 9 Light).

Looks like as long as you have more light, you're more "balanced."

[Publius]

The interesting thing here is that the Supreme Chancellor appears to be working through the Senate in passing these wartime amendments (amendments to what, exactly?), whereas the emergency powers resolution moved by Representative Binks really should have superseded the Senate's authority for the duration of the crisis (the entire point of a dictatorship is to dispense with an unwieldy power structure). Instead of simply invoking emergency powers and centralising command and control, he had the Senate enact legislation accomplishing the same thing.

This lends further support to the notion that the rise of the Empire is not at all based on the crude demagoguery of Adolf Hitler and the National-Socialists of the Third Reich, but rather on the elegant stage management of Iulius Cæsar's posthumously adopted son, Cæsar Augustus. Why accomplish something through naked force when a senatus consultum will suffice just as well, and look rather better?

PUBLIUS

[Illuminatus Primus]

Admiral Kohl Seerdon of the Chandrillan Sectorial Navy will later become Moff Seerdon of the Galactic Empire.

He will be responsible for the bombing and blockade of Chandrilla's capital city, running a gas operation on Taleron, running a research facility on Fest, a base on Sullust, and launching an attack on the Rebels' secret Bacta stores on Thyferra, where his Imperial Landing Craft will be shot down by Luke Skywalker and Rogue Squadron.

[YT300000]

Sparked by original post: Seerdon- You see him in Rogue Squadron, Publius just posted about him
Alaris Prime- Wookie missions in Galactic Battlegrounds

And about people calling the turret chair an E-Web: ARGH!!

THIS IS AN E-WEB:

[El Moose Monstero]

And your point is? As I recall, there are no more turreted chairs in Academy, only the E-web that you pointed out.

[YT300000]

And your point is? As I recall, there are no more turreted chairs in Academy, only the E-web that you pointed out.

Oh.

Having not played JA, I thought it was the same as in Outcast. I hate it when people call that an E-Web.

[The Dark]

-Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

That Kyle says this does not neccessarily mean its the truth. I mean, in the game, you can brutally slaughter people and kick their heads around, but you won't neccessarily go to the Dark Side.

Its all in which sources you want to believe. So far, most of them keep GL's ideas.

Vergere said a similar thing, though. According to her, it all depends on your perspective. Very similar to portions of Obi-Wan's philosophy, though leading to a different point.

[SirNitram]

-Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

That Kyle says this does not neccessarily mean its the truth. I mean, in the game, you can brutally slaughter people and kick their heads around, but you won't neccessarily go to the Dark Side.

Its all in which sources you want to believe. So far, most of them keep GL's ideas.

Vergere said a similar thing, though. According to her, it all depends on your perspective. Very similar to portions of Obi-Wan's philosophy, though leading to a different point.

To play devil's advocate, wouldn't this be exactly the sort of thing a Darkside-engulfed person would say to ensnare someone into the path into Darkness? It doesn't matter.. It's okay.. Just try it once..

[The Dark]

That Kyle says this does not neccessarily mean its the truth. I mean, in the game, you can brutally slaughter people and kick their heads around, but you won't neccessarily go to the Dark Side.

Its all in which sources you want to believe. So far, most of them keep GL's ideas.

Vergere said a similar thing, though. According to her, it all depends on your perspective. Very similar to portions of Obi-Wan's philosophy, though leading to a different point.

To play devil's advocate, wouldn't this be exactly the sort of thing a Darkside-engulfed person would say to ensnare someone into the path into Darkness? It doesn't matter.. It's okay.. Just try it once..

Yes, it does, which is why I'm waiting to see how the Jacen/Vergere storyline plays out. It's possible she's telling the truth; it's equally possible she's lying. Only time will tell.

[Robert Treder]

Thinking of the Force as a physical mechanism, I don't really see any way for there to actually be two different "sides" of the Force, with each application of the Force belonging to one or the other. It's far more likely that the Force is the Force is the Force, but depending on how you use it, you may please or offend the Jedi and Sith sensibilities of "light" and "dark".

[Super-Gagme]

There are the turreted chairs in Jedi Academy. Its on the planet with the acid rain, Kyle instructs you to get on the "Turbolaser" and shoot down the Tie fighters. Yep, Turbolaser....

[His Divine Shadow]

-Kyle confirms that no Force power is inherently light or dark; it's all in how you use it.

Yeehaw bitches! I was right!

[His Divine Shadow]

Thinking of the Force as a physical mechanism, I don't really see any way for there to actually be two different "sides" of the Force, with each application of the Force belonging to one or the other. It's far more likely that the Force is the Force is the Force, but depending on how you use it, you may please or offend the Jedi and Sith sensibilities of "light" and "dark".

Thats how I see it too, I don't like the idea of labeling things with subjective notions like that, it was one of the things I hated about that shity show "Charmed", good and evil where so clearly defined and evil was just so stupid, being evil for evil sakes and whatnot.
And they also subscribed to powers being light or dark, another thing I didn't like, it ruined the character Cole, which was my favorite character in that godforsaken show.

Oops, offtopic rant, sorry.

[Vympel]

THIS IS AN E-WEB:

And that's what I used to kill the AT-ST. An E-Web.

[Crown]

Can you start off with a light sabre staff straight away or do you need a 'cheat' for that? ... So I wanna 'be like Maul', you got a problem with that?