A survey for new JK game

[lestat chalmers]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm sure many people are anxious about the remote possibility of a brand new JK game - therefore I thought it would be irresponsible to title the thread "New JK Game" since that is really what its all about. I'm a high fan of JK, however after Academy (which promised much but delivered little more than Outcast) I wanted more.

 

Since the release of Episode III has also sparked further interest in JK - I thought the topic of a new game would be up. I'm unsure if it was as the search feature was disabled by admin/mods when I went to post.

 

I have actually decided to write a sort of Proposal/petition for another game - it won't be complaining to LucasArts to "make another JK game but better one" - thats where the project proposal comes in. Where everyone else comes in is actually helping me determine what (you) the community want to see by answering these questions. Please be kind and answer the questions rather than writing me an essay response of what you want as its hard to document that sort of thing...

 

After completing the project proposal (which I have found difficult to write admittedly) I will circulate a pdf version of it and a petition. Its pointless to actually send the project proposal into LucasArts since they simply refuse to read them - possibly due to the high volume of low quality ones they get.

 

 

Here are the questions for now - I may need to delve further with more in the near future. Please consider your answer very carefully. If you believe there is another question/or element considered in the project proposal please feel free to email me (lestatc@hotmail.com) with the title Jedi Knight Proposal as the title.

 

Questions:

1) Which element of a game do you believe is the most important (graphics, story, gameplay etc)?

 

2) What do you believe should be added to JK combat (more stances/styles, blocking button, realistic movement restrictions etc)?

 

3) What other element (minus graphic and physics upgrades) would you like to see added to the new game in both SP and MP (interactive/destroyable maps, co-op, more personalised character)?

 

4) Which character(s) from the entire series would you most like to see/play as?

 

5) What element from the game should be removed or revised?

 

6) Which of the JK games do you believe had the best storyline (JK: DF2, JK:JO, JK:JA) abd why was it better/more involving?

 

Thanks for your time, the more responses I get will make writing the proposal much faster and posting it. It would also mean it can be revised faster...

 

- Lestat

[Nerd_Annhilator]

Posting this 3 times was completely useless.

[KBell]

Third times the charm? <_<

[Crow_Nest]

He double posted two threads, then posted another one but with a different thread title.

 

Anyway, it should have everything a good game should have.

[toms]

which one do i answer on?

[StormHammer]

Originally posted by lestatc

After completing the project proposal (which I have found difficult to write admittedly) I will circulate a pdf version of it and a petition. Its pointless to actually send the project proposal into LucasArts since they simply refuse to read them - possibly due to the high volume of low quality ones they get.

 

Hence...what is the point? You know that Lucasarts will never read the document...so why produce it in the first place?

 

Unless you intend to try and make a mod for Jedi Academy with a new story and new characters yourself?

 

I highly doubt that any form of even a simple petition (sans project proposal) to Lucasarts would have any impact. They would go by past sales to determine whether another game in the series is viable.

 

That's not to say you shouldn't speculate on what a new game should contain...only that it's highly unlikely to sway Lucasarts one way or the other.

[jon_hill987]

1) Graphics is important, but not at the expence of fuididty. Gameplay should be the top priority, and a good story would help the gameplay.

 

2) realistic movement, and a physics engine for force pull etc

 

3)Drop the MP part and focus on SP

 

4)Kyle Katarn, hunting down Jaden after he/she turned to the dark side at the end of the last game.

 

5)I think the chosing which force powers to train in has got old. you should start with them all but with just your lightsaber. no more giving you a force power just before you need to use it. using dark force powers a lot should effect other NPC's atitude towards you.

 

6)JO

[Astrotoy7]

It will definitely have to be something new and special Maybe something on a next gen console ??

 

mtfbwya

[Nalukai]

Well the game itself should definitely have one of the new FPS engines available

 

as far as the saber mechanics are concerned i believe that movie battles hit it on the nose with the block button. of coarse you could take that and string off your parries into more blocks and then add the saber locks if both ppl parry and then block simultaneuosly.

 

the fluency between swings should be like that of the ep3 game... which is the ONLY thing they need to do from that. throw some twirls of the saber and hands themselves rather than just do slow spins with the combos.

 

yaw mechanics should be fixed and yawspeed should not be a variable... if you cant control it with the defaults you have no business playing it. and teeter the hitbox to strike only ONCE per swing instead of multiple times. that takes care of the 80 percent spin and wiggle noobs in the dueling community now.

 

you should also be able to throw force sensitives and breakables with grip, and nerf it to where that is the only move you can do while it is activated... no grip flip nubs or saber throwing while you are using it. as far as the damage is concerned in MP with this im thinking about the range of a staff kick with the knockdown effect... if it breaks then add a few more points of damage in there.

 

special moves should be double the mana of what they are now to prevent spamming... that is the key to making a good game that ppl will play for a long time... prevent the spam and increase the originality factor... bring back style instead of staleness. possibly add an on-board world editor like warcraft 3 did so everyone can learn how to do their own maps instead of DL 100 different programs for it.

 

thats about all i can think of now since i am mostly a dueler i play all the game modes however not enough to classify myself as a pro at them.

 

oh yeah and make some in game maps like destroyer and asteroids default instead of mods..

[toms]

Ah... this one then...

 

Note: No game company will accept unsolicited game suggestions, it just becomes a legal nightmare for them. THey won't even open or read them, incase they later do something that someone had emailed to them and that person tried to claim the idea.

 

That said, i always like suggesting game ideas, so i'm happy to throw out a few random suggestions anyway.

 

-------------

 

This is mostly from the SP point of view, as i don't play much MP

 

Overall Game:

I think the FPS genre, and the JK series have both got into a bit of a rut recently. Simple run, find key, shoot linear games (no matter what the bells-and-whistles) just aren't satisfying anymore.

Similarly, much as i appreciate full on combo action (ep3 game) or battlefield style mutiplayer (battlefront but good) i think that they should keep those as seperate games.

 

I think the JK series needs to partly return to its roots by making ranged weapons and other alternatives more fun and effective and by increasing the choices and RPG elements. And simultaneously re-invent itself by ditching the now-very-tired timeline.

 

Something with more of a JK1, Deus Ex, KOTOR feel to it.

 

Character and Plot

Sorry, but Kyle has finally worn out his welcome with me. There are only so many times he can relearn his powers, and good-kyle (and his stupid marriage to jan) is fairly dull.

Also, the timeline has got so far from the movies that the remnant has become a bit pathetic. Something new is needed. Eg:

 

- Follow the dark side ending of JK and have you play kyle attempting to take over the universe with the help of Saris. Or saris attempting to take power from evil kyle herself.

- JK prequel involving playing as one of the baddies from JK (Jerek, Saris, Maw etc..)

- Another game with Mara Jade cos i liked her and MotS kicked ass. (loosely based on Zahn trilogy with Thrawn, Luke, noghri and karde)

 

Gameplay:

Definately needs more freedom than JO and JA. Lightside/Darkside choice and endings. though hopefully with more freedom throughout a bit like KOTOR or Deus Ex. (see 1 below)

 

Physics Based force powers... rather than having to invent new superpowers, make the basic ones more cool and useful with decent physics and destructible environments. (see 2 below)

 

Non-linear levels with environmental puzzles... back to JK level design, not linear doom 2 design of JO. (see 3 below)

 

Make ranged weapons a valid and fun alternative to saber/force... (or if you can't just take them out entirely). (see 4 below)

 

More consistent and less random saber combat. Slower paced. (see 5 below)

 

Details:

1 - Freedom of choice.

I want more of the RPG feel that JK1 had, except even more so. You should get upgrade points that you can chose to put into:

Saber Offensive

Saber Defensive

Pistol Weapons

Blaster Weapons

Heavy Weapons

Armour Skill

Force Level

Specific Force powers.

So you can make an saber-god who cant shoot worth a damn or use many force powers, or a balanced saber/force jedi, or a force/weapons jedi, or an all round weapons guy, or any combination of the above.

The plot should at least give the idea that your actions are affecting it all the way through, not just at the end. Even if it is mostly cosmetic in terms of dialogue, npc reactions & comments etc.. You should be able to FAIL some objectives and still continue, but with different effects.

When you finally go all lightside or all darkside you should get to re-assign the unused points like in JK1, so you get to try out a few new powers 2/3rds of the way through.

 

2 - Powers

You should get dark side and light side points for various actions (killing civilians=darkside, knocking out=lightside, drain=darkside, etc..) and you can then spend these points on various powers.

 

Civilians that like you might occasionally give you tips, tell you of secrets, warn you, heal you, give you items etc.., but killing them might provide the guarantee of a basic item pickup. There should be several chances to actively save them, donate items, or help/harm them with side quests for lightside points.

 

Some powers would require dark or light points, others could use either.

You could even have the powers alter slightly depending on which points you use. Eg: Buy force push with darkside points and it causes more damage when they hit walls, with lightside and they are knocked down for longer.

 

The force meter should reduce slowly once you use a power, and you shouldn't be able to use another one untilit stops reducing and starts recharging. Kneeling without moving should make you recharge faster after a second, but leave you vunnerable to taking more damage.

 

3 - Levels, Puzzles and interaction.

Levels should have several ways through them depending on your approach, a little like deus ex. YOu might be able to fight your way through, or jump to overhead walkways, or get through laser tripmines, or find a gas mask and go through toxic areas, or solve puzzles to hack turrets/droids to your side or open easier routes.

 

FOrce powers and destructible areas should also have a big effect. You should be able to throw lots of things at enemies, move stuff to reach inaccessible areas, cut through wires to drop walkways on people, or drop them into the abyss. There should also be lots of "bond moment" set peices, where you can flip a switch with the force to activate an xwing's motors and burn a group of enemies, or activate a force field to slice them in two.

 

Personally i'd like a return to the cool environmental puzzles of JK1 (manipulating containers, shields, whole levels to clear a path). COmbine this with physics based force powers and it would rock. Also maybe add in Zelda style touches where areas that were previously innaccessible become reachable once you obtain a new power, item, skill or acheive an objective to change the level.

 

4 - Ranged weapons

I used them a lot in JK1 when they balanced the powers, saber. In JO/JA they were dull and never used.

Make it so you can only carry a few weapons. (2 hands plus across back).

So you could have a saber, a pistol and a rifle; or two pistols and a rifle, or a lightstaff and a rifle, or a rifle and a heavy weapon...etc.

Make weapons upgradable (increased damage, speed, clip size - choose two of four options, can be changed later). Make appropriate weapon skills improve speed, reduce spread, reduce reloading time, etc...)

So you could actually make a Bryar pistol that WAS deadly, if fully upgraded and in the hands of a skilled pistol user.

 

5 - Saber.

Probably my lack of skill, but i found the context sensitive moves in JO too random and hard to predict. Often pulled off moves i didn't intend, and winning or losing boss battles seemed a lot more random than skill based.

Learn a bit from ep3, oni and ninja gaiden (but still keeping the traditional view and without becoming combo city.)

Have specific moves that beat other specific moves. Have successive hits wear down the defence to make openings.

Make winning saber locks or escaping force powers timing/rythmn based, not mouse busting-click as fast as you can.

Make moves timing based, so combos involve getting the rythmn right, not clicking as fast as possible.

Allow parries of slow/power moves (with a short pullback animation) if you get the timing right, which then leaves them open to a quick hit. Fast attacks wouldn't be open to this, but would be beaten down by power attacks. (very simplified paper-scissors version of soul calibur)

Make environment attacks do more damage (attacks off walls or wall runs)

Make saber moves use small amounts of force power... same with saber blocking blaster shots. Speed of blocking blaster shots should depend on their closeness to croshairs.

 

phew...