Dark Forces 3, what do you want it to be?

[Guest ReverendToast]

Okay, now that Obi-Wan, the game that was supposedly a semi sequel(or would it be a prequel?) to the series is now going to the console, and turned out to be very different than the series in general. We are all hopeing that there is a Dark Forces 3 in the works. What do you want it to be? I personally would want it to be a mix between the first one, and the second. I prefered the story of the first one, because it made you feel like you were part of the movies, while the second seemed more of a back story that really had no relevance to the movies at all. I also liked the menu system more in the first game, allowing you to pick a level to play at, instead of being forced to start a game and either play through, or type a code, to get to that special level. The second game did have better graphics(duh), multiplayer(yippie), and it did have the lightsaber. Now, I really don't care how they progress the series(if they do), but some concepts that I think would be cool.

 

1. A prequel to Dark Forces. You play Kyle Katarn, a young member of the imperial army, and for some reason you defect. This would be a cool game, the first part would be some mission for the imperials, you start seeing corrupt things going on, or maybe you start getting messages from some rebels (like Jan Ors?) So you defect, and the rest of the game would be trying to escape from the imperials.

 

2. A sequel to Jedi Knight. Not sure how they could do this since Jedi Knight had multiple endings, plus the mysteries of the Sith add-on. Maybe tie in more of the books, like the Dark Force Trillogy, Black Fleet Rising, or something like that.

 

3. A middle game. The story of Dark Forces took place right before episode 4, and right before Empire. The second took place right after Jedi(as in, soon after the second death star was destroyed). This game would include more espionage stuff, with Kyle working for the bothan spys, maybe include some side story to Shadows of the Empire. Maybe Kyle and Dash are old buddies? This game would take place on coruscant, some other planets like Endor(that would be cool), and on some space ships as well.

 

Now with these concepts, they should include some new gameplay elements, like drivable vehicles(speeder Bikes on endor? Tatooine?) but no very big epic battles. Keep the gameplay to be a first person shooter, but include drivable vehicles as a way to make things run smooter, or just as a cool thing to do.(wouldn't it make sense that if you come across an AT-ST, you kill the drivers,shouldn't you be able to drive it? Chewbacca did it with some primative fuz balls. The same holds true for speederbikes, and land speeders) Multiplayer should be very similar to Mysteries of the Sith, where there are multiple player templates, and if the game isn't a sequel, but a prequel or a middle story, they should still include force powers, and lightsabers for multiplayer.

[Guest 13977]

That would be cool, I'm sure the game could be tie in to the Dark Forces books and Lucasarts do owe us a big one.

[Guest Boba Rhett]

If they came out with a Dark Forces 3 that could possibly totally redeem them.

[Guest Jedimaster Tanskanen]

Dark Forces 3! Maybe Kyle´s new story?

Kyle Katarn return´s and save the galaxy!!!

And don´t for get new Dark jedi

[Pedro The Hutt]

I would want it to be a sequel to JK&MOTS, maybe with a system that you play Kyle in one level, and then Mara in the other(& another character for another level, maybe someone from the movies), or that you could choose a character for each level, or that each character follows a different story, that is ties in with the main story. I would also like to be very interactive, like OB1 was going to be, but then a bit less difficult, since LEC can't handle that kind of stuff .that's a big to LEC then.Like that you would be able to chop down a tree so that it would fall on a tank or something like that.

 

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No!

I am your father.

[Guest mathomas]

If they are making a game based on the original trilogy, I wonder if they will be tied to the Kyle and Mara storyline now.

 

If George Lucas is no longer planning on making the 7th to 9th episodes, does it free up the Lucas franchise from developing the "original" characters?

 

Forget Mara and Kyle -- imagine Luke as a full Jedi Knight, Chewbacca tearing people's heads off in multiplayer, Boba Fett (if he really did kill the Sarlacc?)...

 

Stop following the Episode 1 storyline -- we know how it will end. Take the game in a new (and yet old) direction!!!

 

Mike.

 

[Guest Infini1y]

I prefered the story of the first one, because it made you feel like you were part of the movies, while the second seemed more of a back story that really had no relevance to the movies at all.

 

That was the beauty of Dark Forces2: Jedi Knight. NO RELATION TO THE MOVIE! NO LUKE SKYWALKER! NO TRYING TO DESTROY THE DEATH STAR! NO EWOKS! NO C-3P0! NOT SOMETHING WHERE YOU ALREADY KNOW BASICALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN SINCE ITS NOT BASED ON A MOVIE! Just a brand new character with his own brand new story, that was my favorite part about it.

 

I would want it to be a sequel to JK&MOTS, maybe with a system that you play Kyle in one level, and then Mara in the other(& another character for another level, maybe someone from the movies), or that you could choose a character for each level, or that each character follows a different story, that is ties in with the main story.

 

Why Mara? Jan Ors (why was she not in MOTS?) is so much cooler.

 

Forget Mara and Kyle -- imagine Luke as a full Jedi Knight, Chewbacca tearing people's heads off in multiplayer, Boba Fett (if he really did kill the Sarlacc?)...

 

I like Kyle and Mara, they are orrigional characters. Luke is in almost every single other starwars game there is.

 

[JediMasterHorn]

Which game is that? I dont recall a Star Wars game that has Luke as a playable character. i think it would be cool to do a DF3 based on the EU. They havent realy dne anything with the EU. Doing a game set during the Thrawn trilogy or during the NJO would be sweet.

[Jedi SuperBuen]

Luke Skywalker was playable on Super SW, TESB, and ROTJ (including Leia in slave outfit), but I hardly consider those games worthy enough to be included.

 

Actually a game they should release for the PC is the Star Wars Trilogy I keep seeing in the arcades. You duel Vader (like JK type) and fly a speeder, snowspeeder, etc. Seems pretty kewl. I think it's from Sega, but only released as an arcade game.

 

I think they should continue with the Kyle Katarn story line. Things in multiplayer though should be more interactive, like falling trees and stuff like Pedro the Hutt said. Maybe even a RPG roleplaying, but that would probably be too complicated for LEC.

 

Wouldn't it be kewl if there waz levels you could complete with other players? Like example they could do a level where the players are the Rebels trying to take over an imperial station (like on Endor) or maybe even being Stormtroopers trying to get someone from the Rebels.

 

The timeframe should not be too far from the movies.

 

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Everyone has got to have the sickness

'Cause everyone seems to need the cure...

[Guest Darth_Simpson]

I would love it if Sega released Star Wars Triology Arcade for Dreamcast. That game is sooooo awesome!

[Jedi SuperBuen]

Actually I don't own a Dreamcast, so I would prefer it for the PC

 

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Everyone has got to have the sickness

'Cause everyone seems to need the cure...

[Guest Dave Maul]

You play as Luke in Masters Of Teras Kasi, and you play as him (sort of) in Rogue Squadron.

 

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[JediMasterHorn]

I don't think they really count too much. Masters was a fighting gae. i meant that we haven't really played as any of the main characters in a serious PC game, like Jedi Knight.

[Guest Infini1y]

The Dark Forces series, is and has always been about Kyle Katarn. I hope the never make a Dark Forces game with Luke as the main character. If they want to make a First Person Shooter with Luke as the main character, fine by me just so long as it does not have the title: "Dark Forces" in it.

[Guest Kurgan]

And what exactly is considered a "serious PC game," anyway? Is Jedi Knight the only "serious PC game"? Lots of SW games feature the main characters as playable.

 

Jedi Power Battles, lets you play as many characters from the movie, including many main characters.

 

Bombad Racing lets you play as even more of the movie characters, including many of the main ones. Maybe this game isn't "serious." ; )

 

TPM Racer lets you play as main characters from the movie.

 

For example TPM let you play as most of the main characters from the movie!

 

Maybe you mean to say only the main classic trilogy characters (Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, C3po, R2D2, elder Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader)?

 

I dont recall a Star Wars game that has Luke as a playable character.

 

Star Wars games that have Luke Skywalker in them as a playable character:

 

Rogue Squadron (I don't know, but somebody mentioned it above) and the Super Star Wars games were mentioned, also the "Star Wars" (8-bit precursers to the SSW series on the NES/Gameboy/Gamegear) games featured Luke Skywalker as playable.

 

Games like Star Wars Arcade, Star Wars (vector arcade game) and Star Wars Trilogy Arcade don't specifically call you Luke, but they usually have you in Luke's ship doing what he did in the movies, so it's close enough. Although in SW Trilogy Arcade, you are definately Luke in a few spots, who else would be swinging a Lightsaber against Darth Vader in the Death Star II, or fighting Boba Fett with a lightsaber over the sarlacc pit?

 

Masters of Teras Kesai let you play as Luke with his saber and Jedi abilities.

 

Rebel Assault had you as "Rookie One" who was basically Luke Skywalker in all but name.

 

In MotS the Bespin Secret Level (made by LEC, included unsupported on the CD) let you play as Luke as he appeared in ESB. Plus you could play as Luke in MotS multiplayer.

 

What about the X-Wing games? Don't you sort of play as Luke there too, or was he a secret character?

 

How about Yoda Stories? That looks like Luke to me!

 

Anyhow, Luke has been in tons of SW games. Maybe not in the way you wanted to see him, but he's been there.

 

Apparently there has never been any hard and fast rule about using main characters in SW games, as many have used them in the past (and many upcoming games do as well).

 

Kurgan

 

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited December 02, 2000).]

[Guest Kurgan]

Lol, I have to address this one as well:

 

i think it would be cool to do a DF3 based on the EU. They havent realy dne anything with the EU.

 

A Dark Forces game based on the EU?

That would be Mysteries of the Sith! ; )

 

It is set after the time of Return of the Jedi (a bit after Thrawn's death as well), Mara Jade is a playable character for most of the game, plus she is in Multiplayer, alongside Luke, Vader, and many others. Many EU characters and places also appear, including some of the locales, Ysalamari, Noghri, Vornskrs, etc.

 

Heck, even the Jedi Holocron you go after is directly from the EU. MotS is steeped in EU lore. It is one of the only SW game to date that does as much with the EU stuff as this game does. SOTE is the other one.

 

As far as making "DF3" based on the EU, that would be very likely, as all of the Dark Forces games are primarily EU based games more or less. Dark Forces 1 set itself within the first trilogy, but itself introduced brand new characters, so technically it made itself EU material.

 

Jedi Knight is also set after the trilogy, and includes a few elements (like Nar Shaddaa) that were outside the original trilogy (making them EU material).

 

So it follows that DF3 would be EU by extension.

 

Kurgan

 

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited December 02, 2000).]

[Guest Dave Maul]

Jeez, I go from Jedi Knight to "someone" in just a few posts

 

In Rogue Squadron, you play as Luke Skywalker, even though it is not him in human form, he is the pilot. This is set after Jedi, so it is also EU.

 

Oh, and I'd completely forgotten about Yoda Stories, but that is a valid answer.

 

In terms of PC games, there has not been a game based around Luke where you play in a sort of FPS way. Maybe this will be the subject of this 'new' game...

 

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[Guest Darth_Simpson]

It could just as well be Darth Vader, Wedge Antilles, Han Solo, Chewie or any of the other main characters.

 

All I want is an original storyline set in the SW universe, like Jedi Knight or X-Wing Alliance.

[Guest 13977]

Yes, it would be cool to see what Kyle is doing during the New Jedi Order time.

[Guest Darth_Simpson]

I would love to see a game based on New Jedi Order. Those books are the best SW books ever.

 

But developing a game based on NJO would be hard. It would have to include both huge space battles and a FPS mode. That's basically two games in one, which should take twice the time to make. Somehow I doubt it will happen...

[Guest ReverendToast]

What I was saying was that I think Dark Forces was great because it did have an original storyline, but they included the big picture in it. Kyle was the one that rescued Crix Madine, Kyle was the mercenary that obtained the original death star plans. Jedi was also cool, but It really didn't fit in the entire star wars universe. I am pretty sure that the Emperor would have known about all those other Dark Jedi's galavanting around the galaxy. I really did like mysteries of the Sith, but the one thing I didn't like was how Kyle was Mara's teacher. I mean, if they made it more of an acquantance thing, it would have been better.

 

On other notes, I think the game that best tied in the movies was Shadows of the Empire. And the story of that is equally cool. Lucasarts has an idea about a game set inbetween Empire and Jedi. They team up with Steve Perry and together they create a story, The novel is about the big picture and includes a minor character named Dash Rendar, this is where Lucasarts takes over, they create the game showing what he did, and what the book left out on. This is the sort of game that Obi-Wan was going to be, taking a minor character(okay, obi was major, but Qui Gon, and that stupid little boy got more screen time) and telling his back story.

 

The Good Reverend Toast

 

Oh, check out the new RPG by wizards of the coast, it is far greater then the original Star Wars RPG by West end games.

[JediMasterHorn]

I didn't mean a game centered around Luke, I was just responding to the guy before me's post about every game you are Luke. "Luke is in almost every single other starwars game there is." Not really. That was my point. He did make a guest appearnce in X-Wing. But

there haven't been many PC games that are really based around the original trilogys characters. You always play a different original character. The X-Wing series and Tie Fighter you were you. Alliance you were Ace. Dark Forces you were either Kyle or Mara (with the exception of multi player) I have never played Yoda Stories or Rogue Squadren. I was only referring to recent PC games, such as the x-wing/ Dark Forces games, not console (like Masters of Teras Kasi.) Not that playing as original characters are bad. In fact I think it is better that way, but I was just making a point.

Kurgon, i did mean to say original trilogy characters. I was half asleep when I typed the post, so I wasn't very coherent.

Most of the games you mentioned were console/arcade games. i meant PC games, but I wasn't very clear with my post. And what I mean by "serious" games are games like Dark Forces, X-Wing/Tie, Force Commander, etc. Super Bombad racing and Masters of Teras Kasi I would not consider "serious". Of course, that is my opinion.

 

I realize MOTS was set in EU, but that was the only game (pretty much)and it was an expansion. i meant it would be cool to play as other EU characters in a setting such as Thrawns rise or the NJO (which would rock as a DF type game) I think it would be cool to be able to play as Corran, or Kyp, or Jacen Solo, etc. in a FPS, with their strengths and abilities. it was fun to play as Mara. i want ot play as others as well.

 

Personally, i'm just sick of the prequal games. I think they have pretty much killed that, and from the sounds of it, they realize they have.

[Guest Darth_Simpson]

They have pretty much exhausted Episode 1, that's true, but they're potentially best games based on that movie still has yet to be released. Battle For Naboo, Starfigher and Obi-Wan could change the general opinion people have of Star Wars Episode 1 games, even though most of the others were pretty crap.

 

But you are right, we need some real Star Wars again!

[JediMasterHorn]

I still say NJO. using the Vong in a FPS setting would add originality, plus add more for Jedi Characters. The fact that the Vong can duel with their staffs and blaster fire doesn't affect them very well, would make it a bit more interesting. If it were up to me, such a game would have a selection of characters to choose to play the game with, each with specific force powers that go along with their characters. For example, Corran wouldnt have TK but would have absorb. Mara would have a better "Danger Sense" than the other characters. Things like that. That would add replayability to the game (as if it would need the help )but it would definatly make it more fun to go through the game again.

[Guest Kurgan]

I think if they made a true Dark Forces 3 it should either be:

 

1) A prequel to Dark Forces, that is about Kyle's father for example, or Kyle when he was with the Empire and Jan was trying to get him out.

 

Or

 

2) Kyle Katarn during and just after the final events in Jedi Knight if he had taken the dark path.

 

Personally I think the second one presents a far more interesting game, as you play a Dark Jedi securing his new Empire across the Galaxy. It would certainly be a darker sort of FPS, but it would be very cool.

 

Either way, an honest effort to continue the tradition of Dark Forces, JK, and MotS (for the PC and while they're at it for the Mac and maybe a few consoles, but PC first and foremost), with both a compelling Single Player compaign that lets you build your character in the ways of the Force (and maybe take control or train his Dark Apprentice(s) ) and explore new worlds.

 

For missions you could suppress rebellions, conquer new territory, and search for lost Sith artifacts and temples. You could also seek out and battle rival Dark Jedi factions and Jedi who come to try to stop you. You might even go hunting in the wilds of some planet fighting huge beasts to bring home trophies or to test your skills (like fighting Rancors or Wampas or some other powerful creatures using only the Force and/or your saber).

 

The Multiplayer aspect would build on the tradition of the past games, and introduce many of the things that we were going to see in Obi-Wan, like dedicated server support, an Arena type combat mode, and cooperative gameplay (I know this wasn't planned for Obi-Wan, but it is a cool feature). In MP mode you could control various Dark siders, but also non-Jedi and Light Siders, much as Obi-Wan almost could have been (or might still be for all we know). It would definately have class-based multiplayer like MotS, including CTF and other team-based mods to choose from in addition to the regular deathmath. Perhaps some more innovative ones like Infiltrate.

 

Another way they could build on the whole force system, is to preserve the Dark/Light sides but have an alignment system wherein as you go more towards the Dark Side, certain "Dark" powers get stronger, while "Light" powers get weaker, and vice versa, so a Light Jedi could have say, strong healing, but weak grip, but a Dark Jedi would have powerful grip and weak healing (just an example).

 

Weapons could include even more types of blasters and explosives, stuff from the trilogy and new stuff as well, as long as it is balanced and fairly cool looking. Other types of saber weapons and styles could be nice (balanced of course) like dual sabers, double-bladed sabers, triple-bladed sabers, extra long/short sabers, etc.

 

The saber combat system, be it an evolution of the glyph system (if they can ever get it to work) or else just a simpler system (maybe with more attack buttons than just two) could be utilized. Whatever worked best. The system from "Bushido Blade 2" worked pretty well, with some modification it might work well in a DF game. Who knows...

 

Some neat little extras like Drivable vehicles (used properly they could be fun in both SP and MP) like speeders and small planetary craft, as well as demo recording, and a built-in server browser, would be neat as well.

 

If the same kind of care, innovation and quality control went into it that went into the past DF games, it could really be a great game, for now it's just a dream, but maybe someday...

 

Kurgan