CrisG Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 I love him too, I often pick him as one of my companions for just these reasons, he is so much fun to have along. I will be sure to ask David more about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Does that mean you haven't sent it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 I did send two notes already, one with the story and plot and area questions and one with the technical ones, it was a tight squeeze with the character limits. But please keep posting questions as they occur to you, and I am hopeful as David repliles we can continue our conversation as it is comfortable with him. UPDATE: i have inserted the info we have already recieved in the appropriate category under your questions and made new categories for new subjects that David shared on his own.....and will keep doing that as David replies. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnusll Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Are there any news on the technical questions? I could certainly use some help on those fields... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 magnus, sorry no word at all from David G yet. I keep checking PMs and keep seeing nothing new, sorry, I will post as soon as we hear anything, you could try contacting any of the technical staff from the credits for the game that you find still at Biowar, but I suspect that the technical side may be an area that is still fairly confidential in terms of what they may release or share with us, but that is just a guess and others will know far far more than I about that area. The engines used by Biowar continually evolve, indeed there was a major change in format half way through the KotOR I development David shared with us, so their game engine technology has certainly evolved a lot since this game...however they may still keep such details fairly close ....we just dont know yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithspecter Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Hey, ChrisG. If you ever hear from David G again, I would appreciate all the info and insight he can give us to Sleheyron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Reply from DAvid Gaider February 13, 2008 Hi Everyone, here is the latest scoop from David, it is so very nice of him to help us like this, i will send an immediate PM thanking him very very very much. I wanted to post this the latest and hottest info here and will integrate it into the Q and A at the begnning of this thread later today when I have time. No reply on the second Technical questions list yet, will keep an eye out. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shadowland Unused Area Kashyyyk There is an unused Shadowland Level from Kashyyyk in the file sets, but it is empty, can you tell us anything intended for that area, access point, from in the existing levels, plot, characters? Any threats, dangers, etc? There is a Wookie Crystal found in the game files that is not used in the game, was it intended to be found in this area? [seamhainn, Dan Lotto] I'm not sure about this one. I know that there was a point when the Shadowland areas in Kashyyyk were felt to be too big -- wandering around them for too long felt more like D&D adventuring and less like Star Wars adventuring. So at least one area was cut. Anything useful in that area (which is to say not simply monster encounters) was likely folded back into the areas that already existed, so I doubt there's anything extra. I vaguely remember the crystal being used for something else, but I can't say what it was. This is info you likely would need to get from Luke Karpyshyn, if anywhere. Sleheyron Can you help us with the Sleheyron star map information (where it's located on the Galaxy navigation map, ect., if you recall details on that? Nope. Sleheyron was cut before the star map was actually created by art -- so it was never placed on it, period. Also, who the Hutts on Sleheyron were siding with (the Sith or the Republic.) Any information on Sleheyron will be helpful. (We have some of your posts from the past, on this and your recent comments...so whaterver you want on this) [Dan Loto] The Hutts were neutral, much like Manaan, but they didn't have elements from both sides like Manaan did. Sleheyron was mainly a place for the criminal underworld, and a place to go for entertainment and so forth. The Sith/Republic struggle was very much in the background there -- another reason for it being a good candidate to cut, perhaps. Bribery was the best way to get anything done (you have to deal with a port official -- ie. bribe him or find some other way to bypass him -- just to get out of the port) and everyone was for sale. Other than the things I've already mentioned, a few details I can recall: * There was a bazaar-like area with merchants where you could find the major domos of four seperate Hutts. These were the fellows that you could do quests for, though most of the quests came down to two of the Hutts -- specifically Moosh and Suuda. One of the Hutts was primarily there as the one who had the Star Map in his personal artifacts collection. You had to find a way into his estate to get it (there were several ways in, including seducing one of his servants in the canteena), and there was a big fight there and what-not. So that part was critical path. The other two Hutts were in competition with each other, basically, though you could do quests for both up to a certain point. At that time one of them would want you to work as a gladiator in the pits, which was about half of all the Sleheyron content -- there was a whole level devoted to the area where the gladiator teams could be found and interacted with, and the various fighting pits themselves (each of which had its own special rules, like it was a seperate game on its own -- very complex, in fact, which was another reason this was slated to be cut). * I believe it was for Suuda that you could start the cross-world smuggling plots. There were four or so of these, which eventually led to Suuda asking to meet with you personally -- which is when you would be asked by his Major Domo to assassinate him. You could go through with the assassination plot and have a big fight, or you could reveal the Major Domo when meeting Suuda and have a fight with him and his conspirators. Suuda was funny -- that's the primary thing I remember. He was a hoot. It was tough to cut him. Czerka-style Offices in the unused files If I could pose a question, I'd like to know what the left-over Czerka-style sequence of rooms [module found in the files but not in the game], which I named a missing area of Korriban, were originally for...? They appear in the earliest of the trailers on youtube, IIRC...it's been removed, but it looked like a very early, pre-release trailer. [We have not known specifically if this area was for a specific planet or was used for trailers Darth InSidious Meh. As I've said elsewhere, there wasn't really a lot going on in the Czerka headquarters on Korriban. You met the president there, and I believe there was a quest involving smuggling Sith artifacts from the dig site to Czerka (or revealing Czerka's plan to the Sith)... but otherwise there wasn't much going on, period. There was far more going on with Czerka on Tatooine. Tatoooine Tatooine Temple Can you help us with any information of what was going on in the Tatooine temple, it purpose and intent including the Sarlacc/Starmap/Creatures in the cave Darth InSidious No idea. I don't remember a "temple" in Tatooine at all... unless this was the dungeon? There was a ruined rakata installation underground that you could go to -- was that in the final game or not? I forget, now. It was something like a dungeon that you explored. It was part of a krayt dragon graveyard, with bones everywhere and some krayt dragons you fought... and this led into the installation part itself. You found a sarlacc in there, and it was revealed (though I forget how) that the rakata engineered the sarlacc as a prison. But maybe I'm talking about stuff that was indeed in the final game, now. Tatooine Swoop track in unused files Can you tell us why there's a second Tatooine swoop track, that would all be pretty interesting to know. Darth InSidious There was a point where every planet had its own swoop track, and you could "race the circuit" and become a Swoop Champion after winning the track on every planet. Perhaps that was what the second track had to do with, I'm not sure. 21. Do you recall details about a quest that would have allowed the player to become a sort of Messiah of the Sandpeople and lead them against their Czerka corporation oppressors? Dan Loto About the Sand People Rebellion: If you side with the Sand People would you launch an attack on Anchorhead or just some mining camp/sand crawler? Dan Loto The above two questions are related. There was a point at which you could talk to the Sandpeople through HK-47 and they treated you like some prophecized savior. If you decided to help them, there were two quests you could do -- one was attacking a Czerka sandcrawler, the other (and final) was attacking the Czerka outpost. Do that and the sandpeople were victorious. The other side was helping Czerka wipe out the sandpeople, which I recall being a bit more involved as well. There was a third angle which involved the Jawa being enslaved by the Sandpeople-- if you saved the sandpeople you could get them to free the Jawa for good, or you could just kill the Sandpeople and free the Jawa that way. Either way the Jawa rewarded you. Taris Do you recall anything about the deleted Black Vulkar base level, the level remained in the files but was unused but we do not know what the plot was for that area? Seamhainn 20. A trash compactor puzzle in the Taris Sewers? Can you tell us about this? Dan Loto 22. A Gammorean stronghold in the Undercity of Taris, what was it's purpose in the storyline and do you recall any details? Seamhainn, Dan Loto I've no idea about any of the Taris stuff. You'd need to ask Drew Karpyshyn for that, if anyone. Dantooine 53. The player could go back to Dantooine after escaping the Leviathan. Do you recall any details about this? Dan Loto Was that not in the final game? I remember it being possible at one point to return to Dantooine after the Leviathan if it had not yet been attacked. You met Yuthura Ban there if you turned her to the Light Side on Korriban, and you could run into Juhani's former lover as well (and she would attack you if you killed Juhani). I was not aware this was cut, unless I'm thinking of something else. Do you recall details about the original Dantooine landing pad? Dan Loto Nope. Was Belaya intended to take the place of Juhani if you killed her in the grove. Darth Balor Do you mean in the party? No. There were no other intended party members anywhere. 47. A sound file exists that involves a droid that was supposed to allow you transit between the Taris City levels. It appears actually there was a droid for every planet. It was able to warp you to the areas you have visited on each planet. Was this intended for use in the final game and do you recall why it was removed? Loony636 and Darth Balor It was a convenience thing that we decided was just too convenient. I believe the function to just jump back to the Ebon Hawk by pressing a button replaced it. And good thing. Items A) Why/how were the Jedi Robes set up with their own unique pattern? B) How did the medal appear on the PC's Jedi robes in the LS Ending; And, it is possible to attach the medal to the Jedi robes for normal gameplay? [Ferc Cast] No idea. Sounds like art issues. Can you tell us anything about the design of the saber hilts used in the game? Were there crystals that were not used in the game? [Danyael27] I think there was a whole system where you could find crystals of different types/colors and these could be put into the light saber hilts to modify the light sabers -- increase their power, change their color, etc. I think this was cut. Was there ever thought of making alien selectable PCs? Like Twi'leks and the like? [Danyael27] As player races, you mean? No, that was a very early decision to only have human PC's. General Do you know about KotorFiles? http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/ [Danyael27] Not until now. Looks neat. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 This is great information! I need time to take this all in. It's strange that he didn't know a lot of it was cut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferc Kast Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Well...Despite him not knowing about the Jedi Robes, I have good news on my question. I found a texture labeled "Stunt_Medal.tpc" when going through the TexturePacks folder yesterday. (I can only imagine that it's the medal that we saw in the lightside ending; I'll extract and take a look just to be sure.) Now, all I need is to figure out how to attach it to the robes. I'll have the medal on the Jedi Robes soon enough, or so it seems. EDIT: I have confirmed that it is the medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Dan yes it is great, i am guessing with the work load they have there at Biowar and the intensity of their work and focus, the years have sped by and the details of what was left in and cut out have faded. We are so fortunate he is willing to talk to us, I have tried to contact some others of the staff but so far David is the first to dialogue with us and it is such a nice thing. As a thank you I offered to treat him and Mrs David to lunch or dinner at a place of their choice up there, hope he takes up the offer as he is giving us quite a gift with all of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Fett Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Have you considering maybe asking if David would be interested in becoming a member here? I'm sure it would make it easier to get questions answered and would cut your workload considerably Cris. Oh and i'm sure everyone will agree when I say we really appreciate all the work you are doing and all the trouble you're going to in order to improve our knowledge of the game... Thanks Cris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Thanks Darth. It is a pleasure to be of service. Re David, gauging by the time it takes him to get back to us, I am guessing he is pretty busy, and my original idea of being the "mailman" was to help ease the process for him as much as possible so as to help us get the best info we can without burning him out. I am happy to step aside anytime but at least initially I am also happy to help smooth the way. I will wait for you all to absorb what he has sent and begin a second list of Questions for next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Did we forget to ask if there were any Czerka operations on Sleheyron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 That was not on the list but it would make sense that there were, unless the Hutt Lords kept them off. I can certainly ask David on the list next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Perhaps the exchange had a hand in there too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Now THAT is an excellent idea, as the criminal Hutt element is strong in the backstory, excellent idea indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordjedi Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Hey Cris do you know if there has a Czerka Office on Sleyheron?I really need to get intouch with David. So that is my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltiades Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Thanks Darth. It is a pleasure to be of service. Re David, gauging by the time it takes him to get back to us, I am guessing he is pretty busy, and my original idea of being the "mailman" was to help ease the process for him as much as possible so as to help us get the best info we can without burning him out. I am happy to step aside anytime but at least initially I am also happy to help smooth the way. I will wait for you all to absorb what he has sent and begin a second list of Questions for next week. What about the technical questions? Have you sent those or did he just not answer them? Anyway, it's very nice of him to answer us, but it has been a long time since KotOR's release and it shows. I think that on some matters, we know more about than David (which would be perfectly normal, as this community's is delving in KotOR files every week while David hasn't seen the files since the release, I guess). But his answers have been helpful, to say the least. I hope we can continue this very cool Q & A. He also told us to ask other developers about certain questions, which could mean that others may be willing to answer some questions too. You never know! I think it'd be very interesting to read everything Drew Karpyshyn has to say. He must be the one who knows (knew?) the story best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 I sent the technical questions in a seperate note, and he did not reply to them yet, i dont know if he wil later or what. will pass on anything asap. I tried asking Drew and will try once again so we dont spam him. Re the offices on S for Czerka, no David has not said anything about that yet. If you guys are definitley working on a restoration of Sleyhron and it looks from Sith's thread that it will finally happen, it might be a good idea to see what urgent questions you all might have to ask David in next weeks list, he has already shared a lot about that planet project and he may not have too much more to say, as in the last reply he seemed to finish up but so far, no he has not said if Czerka were there or not. I think you could reasonably do it either way, considering they were on some other worlds but not all of them, only where there was a good market for their company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisG Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 UPDATE from DAVID GAIDER RE Technical Questions for KotOR I Feb 14, 2008 This was David's repy to a long list of technical questions sent two weeks ago: Quote: Sent 02/01/08 18:49 (GMT) by CrisG99 Last minute content question Maanan Was there at some point in the game's design underwater settlements, where Selkath lived? a place called "Umber Pod". I saw a very old article http://xbox.ign.com/articles/383/383654p1.html It references a location on Manaan called Umber Pod a sort of native environment outside Ahto, for foreigners. Quote: No idea, personally. You'd need to talk to Peter Thomas for info about that, if anyone. (quote)Technical Is it at all possible to pass these on to some of the technical team who worked on KoTOR, or suggest who we should contact. I am of no use to you on such technical questions. I know of some of the technical designers who are still around -- but I doubt they would be the ones you would need to speak to on these particular sorts of questions. Sounds like you need a programmer. But I've no suggestions as to who to speak to on that count, sorry. (quote)Do you think there is any possiblity Biowar might release the tools used to design the modules? At this point? No, none. I doubt we even possess those tools anymore, ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 That's unfortunate, but I think we all expected it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltiades Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 That's unfortunate, but I think we all expected it. Hm, yes, I guess it was to be expected. Too bad. A pity he doesn't know who we need to ask about technical questions. Still, respect, Gaider, respect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V. Melkalis Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 The position of David Gaider ilustrates a lot the spirit of most nowadays professional game developers in my opinion. The way he speaks about kotor sounds like he really never cared much about it. Almost sounds like these guys dont grow any passion for the games they develop, they simply reproduce what was originally ordered. It really astounds me how could they make such a good game with that kind of atitude, especially from the lead writer! Then again, perhaps that kind of MO is what makes bioware produce such great games, but personally, now i think this game could have gone a lot better if it was developed by a group of passionate nerds, like most users on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Loto Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I think that if he didn't care about it he wouldn't have remember all of this from so long ago let alone still answer our questions in 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V. Melkalis Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 In fact, reality seems only to confirm my theory, since Gaider doesnt seem to recall or simply know about a lot of game details. True, he a was writer who might have not controlled a lot of the technical & creative process, but some of his answers are extremely vague and incomplete, even some regarding aspects he controlled. Plus let us also not forget about this latest answer confirming that the official developer tools were most likely scrapped, which proves how much the developers really care about their game nowadays. I think this QA really thought me that the developers and the games they produce are two completely opposed realities. I've used to think the developers put a lot of their personalities in the games they developed, like older 90's small companies used to do, but nowadays its more about the business than love for the gaming experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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