Gratitude and Nostalgic Review of my first TSLRCM Experience

[Icewolfer93 10]

Gratitude and a Nostalgic Review of my first experience with TSLRCM:
Last night I completed my second play through of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. However, this was my first time playing with the restored content mod (including the addition of M4-78 EP, my thoughts on the addition of this droid planet are pretty much summed up by the creator’s own reflective review of his work: http://deadlystream.com/forum/topic/2312-m4-78-retrospective-review-by-zbyl-the-lead-himself/ ). Words cannot express my gratitude to the modders, creators, and community members who have spent many years crafting the evocative masterpiece that I just completed. The beauty, emotion, pain and philosophy that radiate within this game are riveting and surreal that it is impossible to encapsulate the game’s experience in words. Every decision in this game creates subtle echoes throughout your story. Every companion has a significant purpose and backstory if you take the time to engage with them. It takes the player on a spiritual journey unlike any other game I have ever played. This game has great action with strategic character builds or powers and party interaction. The story is rich with humorous lines such as:
“And do not mate with her. Whatever you may feel, whatever urges consume you, do not let them control you, such union would breed... difficulties.”

“Just because I saved her doesn't mean I was going to charge up her loading ramp.”

 

 But what is most notable is the enveloping dark undertone. This game is mature, melancholic, and almost somber in the profound moments that it creates:
“Perhaps you were expecting some surprise, for me to reveal a secret that had eluded you, something that would change your perspective of events, shatter you to your core.
There is no great revelation, no great secret. There is only you.”

 

It basks in morally grey areas and is unafraid in leaving unanswered questions in the player’s mind. Ultimately you are left with the decision to alter the course of wounded worlds. Will you heal the rifts of war-torn worlds?

“Your command echoes still, General. And I obey, as I did at Malachor V. Now, Malachor V comes to us. And I wish to face it, this last time. I have destroyed planets for you, General. But now, this once, if we could save something in this galaxy... I need to do this, or I will die inside. Like I died at Malachor V. I know you can hear me. I have always known. It is why I followed you. You know where you must go. It calls to you still. And she must be stopped, there, now, or she will bring the screams of Malachor V to the galaxy - just as we carried the echo all this way.”

 

Will you merely be an instrument of vengeance against those who have exiled you and left you wounded? Or, shut yourself out from life completely?

“It is such a quiet thing to fall... but far more terrible as to admit it.”

 

This is without a question the best experience I have had as a gamer. The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod (TSLRCM) has restored a game that was broken upon release (see http://deadlystream.com/  for details) and transformed it into the archetypical masterpiece it was always meant to be. Other RPGs should be envious of what this game has been able to achieve. Having bought this game three times (Xbox, PC CD-ROM, and Steam versions) I am unabashedly a staunch advocate that everyone should try this game (with the Restored Content Mod) at some point in their life. Even though it was released in 2004, its powerful story, philosophical craftsmanship, and poignant moral dilemmas make the game no less engaging ten years later.

Thank you to all of those who made this possible. I only hope others might be able to engage with this dynamic workmanship and come away with similar memorable experiences as I did.

Now that you have waded through my sentimental words and nostalgic recollection, I was hoping some might be able to answer some questions I had about the story that still remain: (for clarification I played a Dark-Side Male) [For those who have not played through the game, please be aware that there may be major spoilers after this point]
 

1) What happened to the wookie Hanharr? I know as a light-sider that Mira and Hanharr duel on the surface of Malachor V. However, as a dark-sider Hanharr never appeared in any of the events on Malachor’s surface. Upon first gaining Hanharr from the depths of the tunnels in Nar Shadaa there was a lot of dramatic build-up with Kreia establishing a life debt with the wookie and somehow he owed her to fulfill some action towards the exile. But nothing ever came of that. Did I just miss something?

 

2) What happened to Bao-Dur? Upon entering the Trayus Academy you free the Handmaiden, Mandalore, and Visas. However, Bao-Dur is nowhere to be seen except in hologram instructions provided to his remote. If anything those holograms seemed as if a last will. The restored content mod at least cleared up a lot of my confusion regarding the interaction between GO-TO and the remote, but why did Bao-Dur think that destroying Malachor V was a necessity?

 

3) HK droids suddenly appeared to accompany GOTO on Malachor V’s surface and there was some ambiguous dialogue regarding how they couldn’t fire on HK-47. From the sound of it, it appears that I somehow missed an HK Factory questline (even though I had all possible influence with all of my companions). Throughout the game HK unit encounters were much more frequent than I remember and I always thought it would climax at some moment during the M4-78 planet. However, nothing ever came of that and no mission ever appeared in my quest log to indicate otherwise. What did I miss?

 

4) Kreia wanted to kill the force. As a dark side user I was confused as to why then should would be content that the exile defeated her. I understand she appreciated the exile because they themselves initially silenced the force instead of embracing it. However, in the end they used it generously in order to defeat Kreia and I wasn’t entirely sure why Kreia would think that the exile had embraced her teachings. Any clarification on this confusion?

[Jango32 23]

1) I think Obsidian just forgot about Hanharr and there was nothing to restore.

2) Same problem with Bao-Dur, I believe that at one point Chris forgot about Bao-Dur and just stopped his arc there.

3) The way to unlock the HK-50 factory is to ask HK-47 if he knows anything about the Sith hunting you and then he brings up the Sonic Emitter from Peragus. Once he figures it out he can use it to track the HK-50s, you have to bring HK-47 with you wherever there are HK-50 ambush squads. You need to bring him to at least three encounters until the criteria is met for unlocking the HK-50 factory. (Don't worry - you can't do it as soon as you find out where it is. Just keep playing the game and the HK-47 solo mission will naturally occur. Be sure to craft/buy the best equipment for him, as the Factory is no pushover). Trust the alternate HK line, once you will reach that part. 

4) I... don't have a lot about that in mind, generally speaking the Light Side story line makes more sense.  

[Hassat Hunter 571]

1) He was supposed to throw the Exile on the Hawk as the planet exploded (no idea if it remained intact), but there's no vid or animation for this.

2) Some people believe he was killed going with HK-47 to the factory. Personally however I think they wanted to keep it mysterious, to allow him to appear in KOTOR3.

3) You probably missed the biggest part of TSLRCM, yes :/

4) Not entirely sure on the question, but as Dark Sider you obviously wouldn't want the Force to die either, if only because it's not really much of a World Domination if everything besides you is dead.