Your favorite planet from the KOTOR games?

[Mellowtron11 180]

We all probably had a favorite planet in these 2 games. Which planet was your favorite and why?

 

Personally, I always liked Dantooine in both games. Admittedly I am a bit biased as I grew up in the countryside for over a decade. The environment for that planet in both games reminded me of my old home. But aside from the surroundings of Dantooine, I loved the quests. KOTOR 1 had some great quests, like Juhani's redemption, the Mandalorian raiders and the Sandral Matale feud. KOTOR 2 had you poke around in the ruins of the Enclave and literally opened a never before seen level of that planet's Jedi Enclave. There was the siege of Khoonda, and both games let you ransack, err, visit the crystal cave. 

I also discovered this game by first watching video clips of Dantooine from both KOTOR 1 and 2. So perhaps my fondness for this fictitious planet is due to first seeing it for both of these 2 games.

[N-DReW25 1,341]

For Kotor One, I guess it would have to be Taris. The planet, in terms of modules, is so large and full of a vast array of NPCs to make it feel alive. All the characters on Taris were unique (even if you literally saw clones of them all over the place) due to their beautifully written story and VO acting. Every level you progress to is different just like how every character describes it as, from the rich Upper City, to the Poor and Crime Ridden Lower City and the frightening Under city. During my first play through, I felt almost exactly like the NPCs in the game feel in their levels: Upper City is a safe area to hang out in the shops and Duel Ring, the Lower City made you fear for your life as seemingly every corner had thugs ready to murder you and the Under city made me literally not want to leave the Village because I thought the Rakghouls were A: OP asf and B: I believed would get the Rakghoul disease. 

 

For Kotor Two: I'd have to put my money on Dantooine, whilst I wasn't as Naive back when I first played Kotor 1, I really felt the same atmosphere I felt with Taris but with Dantooine. The VO and writing cements the concept that this is a run-down, seen better days, poor, weak planet which has little to no law keeping the innocent Settlers and farmers safe from greedy Scavengers and blood thirsty Mercenaries, the plot of the planet is short yet still fun and interesting.

 

Other planets like Onderon literally forces you to play both Dxun AND Onderon without any option of leaving before you finish your main quest WITHOUT Atton and once you do finish the quest you need to go back AGAIN to fight in the Battle of Onderon. Nar Shaddaa is slightly better but makes up for it with other minor flaws to ruin it, compared to other renditions of Nar Shaddaa in SW games this Nar Shaddaa is boring asf. When I do try to finish all of the bonus quest of Nar Shaddaa I ALWAYS get Attons bloody "We got this message on the Comlink. Looks like trouble" notification which blocks me from finishing any quests until you finish the planets main plot, here I usually just use the "warp" command to get to wherever I need to go just before I get that notification.

 

Then you have Korriban, which is short and somewhat bland if you don't have M4-78 (Which just makes Korriban a necessary inconvenience just to get to M4-78). Fighting those Hississ' with that bland fighting music and those horrible sound sets, that noise will haunt my dreams.

[Mellowtron11 180]

I think the problem with Nar Shaddaa in KOTOR 2 is that you don't get a sense of tallness and height like you in other Star Wars games like Jedi Outcast. In KOTOR 2 Nar Shaddaa is all level and flat. Whereas in Jedi Knight and Jedi Outcast, you're running up and down buildings and platforms, and you definitely feel that this world is huge. I always felt that was a missed opportunity in KOTOR 2, but that's probably due to the limitations of the Aurora game engine. 

2 hours ago, N-DReW25 said:

For Kotor Two: I'd have to put my money on Dantooine, whilst I wasn't as Naive back when I first played Kotor 1, I really felt the same atmosphere I felt with Taris but with Dantooine. The VO and writing cements the concept that this is a run-down, seen better days, poor, weak planet which has little to no law keeping the innocent Settlers and farmers safe from greedy Scavengers and blood thirsty Mercenaries, the plot of the planet is short yet still fun and interesting.

For K2 Dantooine, the Khoonda siege kind of reminded me of the Ghost Town Gunfight quest from Fallout New Vegas. Help out a small town in the middle of nowhere in a mostly lawless desert. But I got that same feeling from Dantooine that I got from New Vegas-you're on your own, the entire area is heavily downtrodden and there's little rule of law around.

https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Ghost_Town_Gunfight

As another side note, I really liked the green color of Dantooine that we got in KOTOR 2 as opposed to the Autumn colored environment Dantooine got in KOTOR 1.

[Ebony Moon 187]

Taris- love the sky and skyline. Interesting stuff. Takes me a good evening to do all the quests there.

Dantooine- in K1  It's beautiful and serene. Lothal in Rebels remind me of Dantooine.

Tatooine. Because Star Wars- it is deep in lore and history as well as different and interesting people. And it's desert.

Manaan- because of the interesting story line and how beautiful it is.

For K2  Onderon because of the feel of the old Tales of the Jedi comics. Telos because it is fun.

Above all, Korriban in K1. What a feel that place has. Exploring the tombs. The bleak majesty of the planet. I hate it in K2. The only interesting point is Kreia's lessons about the great Sith Lords of the Golden Age. Otherwise, it's depressing, abandoned.

And there is the Unknown World. The ancient mystery of it.

[Mellowtron11 180]

I like the comparison between Lothal and Dantooine. For the most part, they're  both rolling grassland planets.

[Ebony Moon 187]

Both planets are so serene. I could go out an meditate for days on either one. Well, when the Sith/Empire isn't tearing them up.

[Mellowtron11 180]

5 hours ago, Ebony Moon said:

Both planets are so serene. I could go out an meditate for days on either one. Well, when the Sith/Empire isn't tearing them up.

Agreed. Dantooine wouldn't be a bad place in Star Wars to live, farm and camp. Minus the Sith bombardments, Exchange mercenary camps, and looters on that planet.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Woah lots of Nar Shaddaa bashing is making me sad....JK, JK.

K1:

Tatooine-for the fun quests, nostalgia, the loads of interactions, and that battle with Calo Nord at the end (I always go to this planet first).

K2:

Nar Shaddaa (given my name sake :P)-for the mystery, the music,  the Exchange battles, the exploration, getting the majority of your remaining party members , and the Genoharadan fight at the end  (thanks to my good friend @N-DReW25 ).  

[Talyn82 84]

I pretty much like every planet in KOTOR.  They all are unique.  My really favorite one is Korriban.  KOTOR 2 is my favorite game of the two but the planets are not great.  The only planet I liked in that game is Nar Shaddaa.  Korriban my favorite from the original is so depressing in K2.  In K1 it's full of life in K2 it's desolate and depressing.  The only thing I like about Korriban in K2 is when we first meet Darth Sion one of my favorite characters.

[Mellowtron11 180]

Most of the planets in KOTOR2 have a drab color palette, which kind of fits the game's atmosphere. 

Keep in mind that in KOTOR2, the galaxy is still reeling from the Jedi Civil War. Both Dantooine and Korriban used to be full of Jedi and Sith. And now both factions have been whittled down to almost nothing. So it makes sense that both of those planets are nearly abandoned. 

 

(I also feel that Korriban was crammed into K2 at the last second to replace the droid planet.)

[narshaddaarocks 67]

I agree with you Korriban feels crammed in. It would have been cool to revisit Dreshdae and explore it. Also, I find it very sad the only decent Jedi master (Vash) that wasn't a sheep like Zez and Kavar is just killed off without getting a conversation on it. I'd rather she had lived (as in not going to Dantooine) and be the first of the old Jedi to realize how flawed and screwed up they were, but alas.

I also wish you could back and explore Onderon again after the civil war to see it back to normal. Speaking of that, I feel like Canderous was affected by the rush released date. It would have been nice to see him talk about Revan more and explain why he's apparently not on speaking terms with Carth. Like maybe have them all meet up again during or after the Battle of Telos would have been cool imo.

 

[Mellowtron11 180]

18 hours ago, narshaddaarocks said:

I agree with you Korriban feels crammed in. It would have been cool to revisit Dreshdae and explore it. Also, I find it very sad the only decent Jedi master (Vash) that wasn't a sheep like Zez and Kavar is just killed off without getting a conversation on it. I'd rather she had lived (as in not going to Dantooine) and be the first of the old Jedi to realize how flawed and screwed up they were, but alas.

I also wish you could back and explore Onderon again after the civil war to see it back to normal. Speaking of that, I feel like Canderous was affected by the rush released date. It would have been nice to see him talk about Revan more and explain why he's apparently not on speaking terms with Carth. Like maybe have them all meet up again during or after the Battle of Telos would have been cool imo.

 

Vash and Zez seemed to be the most underwritten masters of the entire game. Vrook had been in K1 and the KOTOR comics, and Kavar had some exposition given to him by characters like Canderous, so at least they had some background info to go off of. And both Kavar and Vrook actually assist the player on Onderon and Dantooine if they take the light side path.

[Ebony Moon 187]

I like Zez because he seems to be the only one who is sincerely questioning Jedi teachings and willing to take part of the blame for the fallen Jedi. He seems genuinely humble like a Jedi should be.

Vash also says something about not casting blame in the High Council cutscene, but there isn't much about her in the game. However her datapad found on Korriban doesn't make her seem very wise, especially as she severely underestimated Sion. 

[narshaddaarocks 67]

I agree with you the Jedi like Zez are fine during the game expect for the end game and I'll quote Scorchy on that (with necessary censors, of course 😜) 

https://lparchive.org/Knights-of-the-Old-Republic-II/Update 47/

"Once again, the Jedi Council proves they can’t learn from their past mistakes and start blaming the Exile for everything. What happened to the Master Zez we talked to on Nar Shaddaa, who regretted sending the Exile away? And the amiable Kavar on Onderon, who was starting to admit they f***ed up? They did a complete 180 here." 

In the droid planet mod at least, Vash gets her cut dialogue which I think implies she was was wiser than what she ended up being in vanilla.   

[Mellowtron11 180]

I was just about to post the Zez/Exile conversation from the end of the Nar Shadda questline from LP archive too. Like you said, Zez did admit the Council screwed up by not looking inward.

"Nor were we. The day we cast you out, that is the moment I decided to leave the Order. Because I do not believe we truly faced the reasons you were exiled, and if we do not examine such truths, then we are already lost."

https://lparchive.org/Knights-of-the-Old-Republic-II/Update 17/

[Ebony Moon 187]

My  Sith Marauder doesn't kill Zez on Nar Shaddaa because Zez is the only one who doesn't come off as arrogant and he's wants to confront what went wrong with the Jedi Order.

[Mellowtron11 180]

Unfortunately  he will still attack you in Dantooine if you kill the other masters.

[Ebony Moon 187]

2 hours ago, Mellowtron11 said:

Unfortunately  he will still attack you in Dantooine if you kill the other masters.

True, but that was my honest reaction the first time I played the game.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

@Mellowtron11

And it's a shame Zez changed his mind at the end with the other masters. Not sure why, but my guess is Vrook pressured him and Kavar to turn against The Exile. 

[Ebony Moon 187]

25 minutes ago, narshaddaarocks said:

@Mellowtron11

And it's a shame Zez changed his mind at the end with the other masters. Not sure why, but my guess is Vrook pressured him and Kavar to turn against The Exile. 

Zez Kai-Ell had the same weakness as the other Jedi- losing the Force, upon which their power was centered. All of rhem saw the Exile's growing power as a threat because they thought it would lead to the destruction of the Force .

[Talyn82 84]

In KOTOR 1 my favorite planet is all of them.  Even Maanan. But if I could only pick one it would be Korriban.  In K2 my favorites are Dantooine and Nar Shaddaa.

[Ebony Moon 187]

At first I was like, this elevator music on Manaan! Nooo!

But now I wouldn't change it for the world. Too many good memories associated with that music. Plus the Sith base is awesome.

[Talyn82 84]

10 hours ago, Mellowtron11 said:

I was just about to post the Zez/Exile conversation from the end of the Nar Shadda questline from LP archive too. Like you said, Zez did admit the Council screwed up by not looking inward.

"Nor were we. The day we cast you out, that is the moment I decided to leave the Order. Because I do not believe we truly faced the reasons you were exiled, and if we do not examine such truths, then we are already lost."

https://lparchive.org/Knights-of-the-Old-Republic-II/Update 17/

Yeah Zez,  Kavar and Atris are the only Masters I like.  Vrook?  Vrook is a dick.  First he says the Exile was mediocre then he is ungrateful when he gets rescued.  My first characters for both K1 and K2 fell to the darkside after first meeting him.  At least the Exile got to kill him.

1 minute ago, Ebony Moon said:

At first I was like, this elevator music on Manaan! Nooo!

But now I wouldn't change it for the world. Too many good memories associated with that music. Plus the Sith base is awesome.

Yep, I really enjoy the planet. All the planets were well done in KOTOR 1.  K2's planets were pretty depressing in comparison.  

[Ebony Moon 187]

7 minutes ago, Talyn82 said:

My first characters for both K1 and K2 fell to the darkside after first meeting him

LOL!

But seriously, I think Vrook is a big part of what is wrong with the Jedi Council. Imagine some young impressionable Jedi children hearing his rants and being told constantly they are on the path to the Dark Side for not being perfect. That is a recipe for trouble.

[Talyn82 84]

1 minute ago, Ebony Moon said:

LOL!

But seriously, I think Vrook is a big part of what is wrong with the Jedi Council. Imagine some young impressionable Jedi children hearing his rants and being told constantly they are on the path to the Dark Side for not being perfect. That is a recipe for trouble.

Yeah he is definitely a big part.  Atris is hateful but that's because she feels personally betrayed by the Exile, and since Jedi are taught not to feel, like Anakin in the movies they don't know how to deal with their emotions so they brood.  Vrook is hateful and condescending from the start.  No one wonder so many Jedi willingly followed Revan to war.