Should the new KOTOR remake still be turn based.

Aspyr implied it’ll be action based, something more like Mass Effect or more real-time MMO ARPG mechanics. Even if they do stick to turn based, they won't use the D20 rules again. Even though I'm a fan of the old school D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) I want actions mechanics that's something similar to Jedi Fallen Order. There is no damn way they'll use the original style in this day and age. That doesn't appeal to the masses and I move on from the turn-based for KOTOR.

Hope not.

Don't get me wrong, I loved original KOTOR and KOTOR 2, but the the gameplay is a bit slow and very outdated.

This is good to hear.

I was thinking they'd do some hybrid thing like they did with Dragon Age: Inquisition and some other RPG's where it's sort-of-but-not-really action based with combos but also still able to be paused, and orders stacked up.

Original KOTOR wasn't really turn-based, though. It was a weird hybrid of turn-based and real-time, pretty much ripped straight from Neverwinter Nights. Combat happens in real-time, but each character has a hard delay between actions, which you queue up 3 at a time, creating an action-reaction kind of pace.

But yeah, it was a product of its time. Action-based gameplay would be more preferable today.

@mrbojangles25: I could sort of see a Dragon Age 2/Inquisition style working well since I was cool with that game when it came out.

Only thing I'm more concern is the voice actors from the original game, are they all coming back? I know Jennifer Hale is confirmed to be back as Bastila. Sbarge returning as Carth is a reasonable bet knowing Jennifer Hale is onboard. Fingers crossed for Tabori aka HK-47. Sadly for Canderous Ordo, his VA aka John Cygan passed away years ago, wonder who will take the mantle?

@davillain-: yeah the voice acting is an interesting thing.

On one hand, I'd rather they do all new voice actors than a mismatched ensemble of old and new voice actors. I've really been enjoying Marvel's "What If?" series, but it's a little disjointed hearing the actual actors with some of the characters, and then other characters without the film actors.

On the other hand, it would be nice to have as many OG voice actors as possible.

Question is, do they need to re-do the voiceovers? Can't they just use the files from the old game?

Your powers will be mapped to controller buttons probably then, only four buttons though. Hope a pause function still exists upon opening up a wheel or whatever when choosing what ability to perform.

strong dragon age inquisition energy lol, "only having 6 abilities forces players to make strategic decisions" and then expect people to buy that up

Cannot remember how many I used. Wasn't that many in the original. Force lighting, stun droid, valor and stasis were pretty much all you needed.

And speed.

I love kotor. It's my goat. Well, one of the goats, to me. I'd be fine if they simply perfected the turn-based style with all the powers and such...

However, if they were to change it they should adopt the mass effect style of real time combat that can be paused to apply skills/powers to incoming enemies. The hybrid approach would he great. It worked so well in mass effect.

I'm confused by some of the suggestions here - KOTOR isn't turn-based. It IS real-time-with-pause like some of you are asking for in the reboot

"Bold" This is the only correct answer. ;)

@xantufrog: @madrocketeer: Not sure where the confusion came from but back in the day, KOTOR was mainly called blend of turn-based with real time is what it was known for but gamers still just called it turn-based which wasn't a bad thing, it was just how it got label and back during the gaming magazines all just called it that way. It doesn't make sense by today's standard but this was called turn-based by many gamers.

I think the combat was a product of it's time. It made sense back then but definitely should be changed.

It was practically real time anyway. They should just implement a power bar (or power wheel for consoles).

Really looking forward to playing this, this game was a huge part of my early gaming and made RPGs my favorite genre

It wasn't a true turn based game though to begin with?

With that said I wouldn't mind the same combat as the original or a reworked newer combat system as long as it's actually good.

When combat engages, it sort of is turn-based. I mean, it's real-time turn-based....wait. What?

It's hard to explain, but to me I have always thought of it as a turn-based game that plays out in real time. Once combat engages, you proceed to take turns with the enemies. They go, then you go, then they do again, then you. There's a rhythm and cadence to the combat and nothing you can do really changes that. You can't shoot faster, I don't think you can upset the rythm or turn order, and you even que up orders like turn-based.

I think what people are asking for is something like Mass Effect or DA: Inquisition. Something where reflexes actually play a role.

Yea, was expecting this.

Ideally they would use something like Divinity: OS series as an example of updating mechanics. But they probably are just going to do some Mass Effect copy paste shit with a big pie chart for options and button mashing.

Kind of apathetic to this, like the series but was never that big on KOTOR to begin with, always preferred KOTOR II. Aside from Resident Evil II, when I hear "update for modern gamer", it's like a big red flag.

Well it's a simple qualification for me: does it have an "End Turn" button, action queue, or equivalents? If it does, then it's turn-based. If it doesn't, then it's a hybrid or variant. The whole point of pure turn-based games is to give the player all the time they need to make a decision, which means rigid adhesion to the turn-based structure.

KOTOR doesn't have an "End Turn" button or action queue. Therefore it's not true turn-based.

Been a while since I played KotOR, but I don't remember it being turn-based. Everything happens in real time and is based on cooldowns. It's more like Baulder's gate.

I really dislike Kotor's combat style.

I'd rather see something fully turn based or fully action (this much more so). The hybrid style is like the worst of both worlds for me.

Maybe use Jade Empire as inspiration and then they can remake Jade Empire.

It's no different from the likes of Icewind Dale or Pillars of Eternity. It doesn't alternate between you and the enemy - everyone has cooldowns on their actions. You can pause and queue up actions and tell individuals what their next move should be, and then you cut them loose again

It's called "real-time-with-pause" or RTWP and often juxtaposed with true turn-based RPGs

*edit* but I see what you are saying - people want a bit more legit real-time input to the character behavior like the combos

Wookipedia says it's turn based

KotORis the first computerRPGset in theStar Warsuniverse. It uses thed20 System, from theWizards of the CoastStar Wars Roleplaying Gamerules. The game also allows the player to either be a servant to thelight side of the Forceor thedark side, using an alignment system that tracks actions, from simple dialogue choices to major plot decisions. Combat is turn-based. Time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack/react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While the round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time (around six seconds), the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round.

@madrocketeer: you can queue actions - at least on the PC version

Not sure if it'll still be KOTOR without it's turn based system.

But I agree, I hated the style of its combat. It's why I couldn't get into the game.

Yeah, sorry for not being clear. There's a difference between "ability to queue actions" and an "action queue," the latter of which is where units and characters take turns to perform their actions in a line, the sequence often determined by some sort of Initiative stat.

Here's an example from Heroes of Might & Magic V, circled in red:

I've looked it up. Apparently HOMM V calls it the "Action Time Bar."

Why on earth would you take a classic game and give it the same crappy action-based system that most modern games already have? My desire to play the game is mostly nostalgia-driven in the first place, and I kind of doubt that younger gamers who are used to more modern systems really have that much desire to play a game from 2003, anyway.

Honestly, I might prefer if KotOR went to a fully turn-based, tactical system similar to Wasteland or XCOM.

I'm not a huge fan of the 'Real Time with Pause' system. Turn-based provides more strategy and is more rewarding IMO.

Of course, this would drastically change the pacing of encounters. If this is truly a remake from the ground up I would prefer turn-based.

Somebody should edit that page to provide a better representation of the combat system used in KotOR.

It's the same as all BioWare's older RPGs. It's called 'Real time with pause'.

In a way, Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition seemed to be the evolved version of the KOTOR combat system. You could pause the battle and select your commands for your party, and let the action play out cinematically or take a hands on approach and directly control your character choosing hot commands while the combat plays out. I think it will be a similar system to that. Giving the options to approach the battle system either way would keep from alienating old school fans who liked watching epic Jedi battles unfold while still keeping the newer audience who will expect a Force Unleashed style hack and slash with powers game.

@madrocketeer: gotcha. I follow

I hope not. I can play the original games whenever I want. I suppose the remake can improve on the turn-based gameplay if they keep it that way. I'm just not a fan of it for modern games.

@gym_lion: I have concerns over the remake. They are redoing the story. While this could be a good thing, it could also be a disaster.

Don't listen to twitter users.

Whatever they choose, I just hope it isn't typical, half-assed Bioware gameplay. Especially since according to rumor, they have the dude who wrote ME: Andromeda and DA: Inquisition, as well as this lady on the writing team. I don't think the story will be good, so they need to nail the game.

EDIT: Just looked at some gameplay footage from the original. No way they will try and recreate that. Far too archaic for 2021.

And take rumors with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, there is too much misinformation on the Internet already and an over-reliance on social media. Wait for official sources if there are any.

I don't think this game deserves a remake for its story or gameplay even though I liked it in its time. They should have just made a new KOTOR game did remastered ports as a jumping off point.

If they pull a Final Fantasy VII remake on this I won't even consider getting it. Keep it like the original which isn't completely turn based and it's not only a day one, but also whatever else they offer I'll be all in on.

I love both the original 2 games so I guess we will see... I also loved Battlefront 1 and 2 (the originals) and hated both of the new ones with the same names.

More often than not I do not like remakes. Not because of new things added or old things taken out, but because they gut the gameplay and dumb things down.

I still haven't bought ff7 remake and won't buy kotor if the gameplay is vastly diff

Making KoToR action-oriented would fundamentally change the game.

I wouldn’t even qualify it as real-time, or even a hybrid….it was fully turn-based and stat contingent. Simply because a generic combat animation loop played out to keep the player entertained and present the illusion of engagement doesn’t constitute real-time gameplay. Any player skill was found in their decision to use abilities/grenades, etc, and everything was decided on a roll.

My hope for any retention of this system is nil. This will go the way of FFVII remake, and I fully expect them to turn this into Fallen Order or some shit, twitch and reaction based, perhaps with very, VERY light action RPG elements included as an afterthought. As they say “modernize” it, so us dumb gamers won’t be bothered by stats and math. Can‘t have that in today’s day and age.

KotoR was a strategy RPG. If they pull that strategy out of my hands and instead make it Fallen Order/ME actiony crap with AI companions, well…..have fun guys!

I'm not a purist. If they can find a gameplay blend that works better then go for it. Matching a past mechanic for the sake of 'being true' is irrelevant to me, seeing as many gameplay quirks are outdated now. I'm expecting a better experience, not just a better looking one.

^Indeed.

I just really hope it's not some cinematic hack-n-slash remake.... I would like for it to be a refined version of the real-time pause system it used for Kotor1&2. But everyone has their opinions...

I totally see them making it the former, and I will be kind of disappointed. I'm one of the few people that didn't totally like DA:I's combat system either. If felt a bit more dumbed down than DA2 but more "flashy" in some ways.. 🤷‍♂️ . They could've did without the open-world aspect as well... but I digress. ( I need to go back and finish the game...maybe it'll get better)

Absolutely not.

I hope they manage to make the combat as engaging as FF7: Remake or the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order game. KOTOR's story with JFO gameplay mechanics??? yes please.

I wouldn't mind it being just like DA:O, but i am certain that it will be action oriented because its much easier to sell, and that's all EA is thinking about.

The people who enjoyed the game before would enjoy a similar combat system. The people who never played it before would be the ones wanting something modern and those people aren't any more likely to play a remake than the original. And I don't put it past EA to **** it up.

EA has nothing to do with it.

I think they should make it optional.

I say no. It was one of the few turn offs I had to the game. Turn based has gone the way of the dinosaur imo.

WHat do you mean?

The KOTOR remake isn't by EA.

WAIT A SECOND!!! Oh shit i didn't even think this was possible. Okay, even tho i know nothing of Aspyr, my hype for the game has increased knowing EA isn't breathing on their neck. Fk EA btw.