TSLRCM 1.8.2 Impressions/Review by Deathtoheaven (formerly Lord of Hunger)

[Deathtoheaven 7]

So if you haven't seen my introduction page, this is the brand new account/semi-new personality of Lord of Hunger. I was a beta tester for TSLRCM back in the era of the 1.3 release, before Stoney ever made this mod available and relieved our community of the stress of waiting around for TSLRP. To this day, I am still grateful to Stoney and Zbyl2 for letting me into their inner circle of people working on this project (EDIT: including Hassat Hunter and VarsityPuppet in particular), and Sith Holocron for getting me in touch with those two in the first place.

 

I have not played a complete playthrough of TSL since finishing TSLRCM 1.6. I have never finished 1.7. However, when I saw that M4-78 EP 1.0 had been released, along with TSLRCM 1.8.2, I felt obligated to reinstall TSL and do a playthrough. Having got over the depression that took me away from the community, I also rejoined DeadlyStream and am writing this review of my experience.

Later on, I intend to do a philosophical review of TSL (given the much more complete experience we have available to us), which include a comparison with Knights of the Old Republic I and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Specs

 

The following is my gaming rig/work computer/web browser/second brain.

Gigabyte Motherboard

4.2 GHz Quad Core AM3+ Socket AMD FX CPU

Nvidia EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 2 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card

16 GB DDR3 (4x4) Kingston RAM

700 Watt PSU

128 GB Kingston Solid State Drive

64 GB Samsung Solid State Drive

1 TB Hitachi Hard Disk Drive

NZXT Case

 

These specs meant that I almost never had to worry about crashes.

 

Mods

 

TSLRCM 1.8.2

M4-78 EP 1.0

Widescreen Hack 1920x1080

Windows Vista/7 fix

Sound and Music Improvement Mods

 

I could have installed additional mods, but I actually wanted a purist experience. I admit, I was very tempted to replace the lightsaber hilts, but for some reason I never went through with it.

Now, let's get down to my actual playthrough experience. I went with LS Female Exile Consular/Master (99.9999999% of my playthroughs, but why not this time around?). Most of the time I was on normal difficulty (I went down to easy on a few difficult sequences).

Peragus

 

To Stoney and Zbyl2's credit, Peragus is very polished. However, I'm afraid no amount of improvement will make Peragus interesting. As I will elaborate later on, Malachor is now more captivating than Peragus, and the whole section up until Telos is a complete chore. If I ever do another playthrough, I intend to investigate any Skip Peragus mods that might exist.

 

Nothing more need be said here.

 

Telos

 

On Citadel, nothing has really changed since my previous playthroughs. I was glad to see the Duros assassin work this time around, though.

 

The cutscenes inside the shuttles on the planet surface were a nice touch, though they need a little more polish. For example, in the second cutscene inside the shuttle on route to the Polar Region, the shuttle is internally damaged before even being hit by a missile. Also, if the shuttle is damaged in those cutscenes, the party members should be physically reacting to it.

Aside from those nitpicks, Telos is a complete experience at this point (minus potential GenoHaradan related material, which I PERSONALLY consider optional to a complete TSL experience).

Dantooine

Again, not much has changed since TSLRCM 1.6. The Battle of Khoonda is a little more polished. Yet another complete experience thanks to TSLRCM.

 

Nar Shaddaa

 

The Party rescue sequence was much better this time around. This time the mod doesn't use a new module, but rather just closes the existing module doors. Enemy waves are better placed.

Goto's Yacht worked well, save for the caveat that the dialogue triggers were immensely bugged after the Exile was rescued.

Dxun/Onderon

 

There's nothing to restore on these worlds, so nothing need be said.

 

Korriban/M4-78

 

I have already written my impressions of M4-78 EP elsewhere, so I'll just reiterate the most crucial points (WARNING: SPOILERS). The beginning and middle of M4-78 ranges from satisfactory to great in quality. In general, the mod doesn't feel like a mod, but rather part of TSL proper. The ending, however, is poor. Vash and Kaah just...die. Without any good reason for two trained Jedi. Kaah's death is especially bad (assuming you spare his life), he just takes an single, well-anticipated blaster bolt from a lone battle droid to the chest. As I stated in my impressions, this ending could use the Nihilus vs. Sion cut content sequence.

 

Onderon Civil War

 

Again, nothing restored. I should note that by this time, all the spare levels from M4-78 had made my Exile and companions ridiculously powerful...and I don't consider that a bad thing.

 

Dantooine Academy

 

This sequence is usually the highlight of TSLRCM's work. It is pitifully short in vanilla TSL, but gets slightly better with each iteration of TSLRCM (some extra lines of dialogue keep getting added). All that needs to be said is "Well done!"

 

Atris

 

This scene had quite a bit of new dialogue that clarifies major TSL plot points that barely get mentioned otherwise. Another "well done!" here.

 

HK Factory

 

This is where TSLRCM 1.8.2 (this version specifically) shines. The end cutscenes were much better this time around, particularly the HK-51 speech given by HK-47. The difficult posed by the HK-50s is a bit overwhelming on normal, I had to turn it down to easy. I could have gone on normal if I had bothered to purchase every repair kit in the game, but perhaps that is a modder choice.

 

Ravager

 

Only one flaw: I have said repeatedly that the "Injured Mandalore" scene needs to be improved, but it hasn't. The scene remains glaringly nonsensical, as Mandalore is spontaneously attacked by an explosion. This needs to be fixed.

 

Malachor V

 

I really wasn't expecting Malachor to be as good as it was in this version. With VarsityPuppet's hiatus, I believed any attempt to make Malachor a halfway decent segment of the game was more or less over. However, it looks like quite a bit of content got restored here. There is some dialogue from the party members' minds before touching down on Malachor that is a nice touch. The Goto vs. HKs scene hasn't changed since the last time I played it, nor does it need to. The party rescue sequence is a good touch as well. The best part, however, is that the "Taris civilian" models remain gone. Seeing that makes my day.

 

Some additional content would help Malachor, but at this point it has acceptable length.

 

Post Game Thoughts

 

This playthrough of TSLRCM was very complete. I find only one overall fault remains: The Bao-Dur story thread. He suddenly disappears off screen during the Battle of Citadel Station, with a mere mention by Atton and Grenn. In the party mind dialogue on route to Malachor, there is a repeat of Bao-Dur's thoughts during the Dantooine Academy sequence, but the camera just sits on the Hawk's engines. I don't get what this is supposed to imply. This is a glaring peace of cut content that needs to be addressed somehow.

 

Verdict

 

Despite the Bao-Dur issue and M4-78's ending, this was the best playthrough of TSL I have ever had. Maybe after all this time it was a little fresh, but I think there is more to it than that. TSLRCM 1.8.2 and M4-78 EP have granted me a very complete experience of TSL, and I can only expect future versions will yield more completion.

 

9.8/10

[Hassat Hunter 571]

For example, in the second cutscene inside the shuttle on route to the Polar Region, the shuttle is internally damaged before even being hit by a missile.

That's... odd.

The effects get removed during the fade-out back to the game. I've tested it many times when making it for 1.8, and in the final version never did this happen at all...

 

Also, did you find the Corrun Falt quest on Telos?

The Party rescue sequence was much better this time around. This time the mod doesn't use a new module, but rather just closes the existing module doors. Enemy waves are better placed.

It is not changed AT ALL. And yes, that's a different module.

 

As for Bao-Dur, we just don't know. The dialogue on the Hawk isn't the same as Dantooine. And it's pointed at the engine for ambiguity. Is he on the ship or not? I don't know, and I don't want to make it something by showing/unshowing Bao on the Hawk. Thus the camera is pointed elsewhere, leaving both options a possibility.

 

Also, no credits at all for me? *sad puppy*

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

This may be coincidence, but HK Factory was my main contribution. Are you sure you're not biased in saying it's the best part of TSLRCM?

 

I also contributed to Peragus as well.

[Hassat Hunter 571]

You've done the best and the worst

 

Also, hi VP, long time no see. Stick around?

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

You've done the best and the worst

Worst? You talking about Peragus or the polarizing nature of my HK Factory?

 

 

 

Also, hi VP, long time no see. Stick around?

Had I ever left? I only ever stopped modding, not coming around here.

[Senka 3]

That's... odd.

The effects get removed during the fade-out back to the game. I've tested it many times when making it for 1.8, and in the final version never did this happen at all...

The same

Also, did you find the Corrun Falt quest on Telos?

Mmm.. Who is this?

[Deathtoheaven 7]

That's... odd.

The effects get removed during the fade-out back to the game. I've tested it many times when making it for 1.8, and in the final version never did this happen at all...

 

Also, did you find the Corrun Falt quest on Telos?It is not changed AT ALL. And yes, that's a different module.

 

As for Bao-Dur, we just don't know. The dialogue on the Hawk isn't the same as Dantooine. And it's pointed at the engine for ambiguity. Is he on the ship or not? I don't know, and I don't want to make it something by showing/unshowing Bao on the Hawk. Thus the camera is pointed elsewhere, leaving both options a possibility.

 

Also, no credits at all for me? *sad puppy*

Aw, I'm sorry! Yes, I should have recognized you for the huge amount of work you've put into the mod. *fixes original post*

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the Corrun Falt quest. Isn't he already part of the main Citadel Station quest?

 

Bao-Dur's story needs some closure. After M4-78 gets polished, this should be the primary item of the restoration, even if it ends up being a separate "Enhancement Project." We can live without the GenoHaradan, but this is an obvious gap in the story.

 

This may be coincidence, but HK Factory was my main contribution. Are you sure you're not biased in saying it's the best part of TSLRCM?

 

I also contributed to Peragus as well.

 

Oh yeah, you did work on the Factory!

 

And of course I am biased. Everyone is inherently biased. But I still say it is the best part of TSLRCM.

 

And yeah, I stick by what I said about Peragus. It's not your fault or anything, Obsidian somehow just made the most boring starting level possible.

[Hassat Hunter 571]

Worst? You talking about Peragus or the polarizing nature of my HK Factory?

LoH said HK-Factory was the best, and Peragus the worst... not my worst, just made the observation

Had I ever left? I only ever stopped modding, not coming around here.

Haven't seen you here in a while...

Hmm.. Who is this?

I'm not sure what you mean by the Corrun Falt quest. Isn't he already part of the main Citadel Station quest?

It's a special side-quest (Czerka only) that was fully implented in vanilla TSL, besides a minor glitch. Oh... and that it's requirement was typo'd making it impossible to appear ingame at all. I'm ashamed it took all the way to 1.7 I believe to find that...

I think the "restored content list" is partly to blame, since it mentions it being completely different from what it actually is, not the only time mind you.

[Deathtoheaven 7]

Yeah, I played LS Female Exile, so I never helped Czerka. Even in the rare instance of playing DS Exile, I loath working with Czerka and I'm a capitalist.

[Senka 3]

It's a special side-quest (Czerka only)

I plan to play DS Male Exile and I can check this

[Deathtoheaven 7]

Uh, who moved this to the M4-78 EP section? And why? o.O

[Sith Holocron 2,452]

You cover M4-78 in it which requires TSLRCM. The TSLRCM section shouldn't have M4-78 topics in it because TSLRCM doesn't include it. I don't want new folks getting confused.

[Hassat Hunter 571]

Ehm, I've moved it back... after reading that post, before SH's.

I don't quite agree, it's pretty much all the way about TSLRCM, so I wont be moving it back...

[Senka 3]

Also, did you find the Corrun Falt quest on Telos?

Found quest and done.