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About game mechanics...for a beginner


jom

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In another thread someone mentioned "d20 game mechanics" referring to how well someone was familiar with this type of game play. I'm not at ALL familiar with this type of game. I come from playing first person shooters (Dark Forces etc etc) and these RPG games are very unfamiliar to me. After finishing up Jedi Academy I went and bought these KOTOR games. I've started the first game and it's pretty good but I'm just LOST on many of the parameters of the game such as all the character values and such. I like the game but I feel as if I'm not getting the most out of it. Although, I'm still on that first planet (down in the sewers right now) so I haven't done much...but it seems I'm missing out. I mean, there are SO many different things to keep track of it's a bit overwhelming. Hell, I had a hard time with the few weapons in JK but this game...geez. I guess I'm just a dolt. lol

 

So...where can one go on the web to get a very simple starter guide for this type of game? Preferrable one that doesn't use a lot of acronyms when referencing different ideas or mechanics of game play.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

jom

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Knights of the Old Republic is based on Dungeons & Dragons gameplay mechanics. It uses a dice roll system to determine damage and such. Personally I don't think you really need to understand it at all to enjoy and be able to play the game. I'm quite familiar with it now, after playing both KotOR games and Neverwinter Nights many many times, but KotOR was the first of the group I had played and I had no concept of Dungeons and Dragons at the time.

 

Pretty much I find all you need to know is larger numbers = bigger effects. For instance a 1d8 weapons is not as powerful as a 1d10 weapon. Even after playing NWN and KotOR so long that's still about as much as I'm able to get out of it :p. In short my best recommendation is just go play the game and don't think so hard about it. You'll more than likely figure out the system as you go along without needing to grab a D&D guide or anything like that.

 

Just understand what skills do what and what you want to focus on. The nice thing is if you don't want to worry much about your stats the first time through you can let the computer auto-select what to put where based on your class. As you play it more you'll get a feel for which skills you prefer.

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Personally I don't think you really need to understand it at all to enjoy and be able to play the game.
Really? So DEX modifiers and THAC0 just came naturally to you? ;)

 

@Jom:

It took me more than a few playthoughs to catch all the nuances. It wasn't until that point that I began to build my characters intelligently. For instance if you don't understand the difference between flurry and power attack (and all the goodies that come with each) how can you really tell which one is better? When is it better to use one over the other, etc?

 

For starters, try this link. It should get you pointed in the right direction

 

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome

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Thanks for the replies.

 

Dungeons and Dragons? You've got to be kidding me? :D I guess they must have made that into a computer game. I remember it being a "board" game for post-hippie LOTR geek fans back..well...longer ago than I'd like to admit. lol Wow...talk about old memories...

 

jom

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You really don't need to worry that much about the nuts and bolts of the game mechanics to enjoy KotOR and TSL. If you did, someone as clueless about d&d as me would have quit and uninstalled long before logging into this forum. If you're JUST getting started in KotOR and need hints, check the character building guides, but really IMHO you should slog through a couple of times just to get used to it. Honestly, I've finished both games about 8-10 times, and I never spent more than five cumulative minutes sweating over the d20 system.

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Dungeons and Dragons? You've got to be kidding me? :D

Actually, it's based on the Star Wars tabletop role-playing game. While it is similar to D & D, there are quite a few differences.

I guess they must have made that into a computer game.

There are quite a few D & D computer games. Neverwinter Nights is one really good one.

I remember it being a "board" game for post-hippie LOTR geek fans back..well...longer ago than I'd like to admit. lol Wow...talk about old memories...

Oh, I get it. Let's play with the old man's mind. He's half senile. He'll probably forget anyway...wait, uhh, what were we talking about?

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There are quite a few D & D computer games. Neverwinter Nights is one really good one.

 

I prefer the Baldurs Gate I & II series over NWN. Temple of Elemental Evil is good once you patch it up the the number 2 patch from Atari & the patches from Circle of 8.

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