Star Wars: Knights of the New Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the New Republic, or KOTNR is an action RPG published by LucasArts and developed in part by Bioware and EB Industries. It is a spiritual successor to the hugely popular 2003 game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The game retains the RTS aspects of the first game, and also keeps much of the exploration element of the previous game. KOTNR takes place well after the first game and after the events of Star Wars: Episode VII, roughly around 9 ABY. It runs on roughly the same engine as the first game, but the graphics are obviously far superior due to next gen consoles.

Gameplay
KOTNR is a RTS combat focused RPG with heavy exploration elements. There are around 30 planets confirmed to be accessible at this point, as opposed to the 6 or 7 available in its predecessor.

Combat
Combat is relatively similar to KOTOR, with an option for an attack available on a bar under the character. Attack abilities can be upgraded through leveling up, as well as items that are picked up throughout the game. Some additions to the combat are the use of portable shields to use as cover, as well as the ability to take cover during a firefight. Grenades can be thrown while on the run, and the animations for running and combat after running have been totally upgraded to make them look more smooth. Combat rolls and the chance to throw back grenades has been added as well.

Levelling
KOTNR has a high priority on RPG elements, such as leveling up. KOTNR uses experience points acquired from quests or killing enemies to help level up your character. Upgrades such as more grenade space, a higher party size, or the ability to shoot force lightning are just the beginning of some of the many upgrades available.

Light Side/Dark Side
KOTNR reuses a key part of KOTOR: the light/dark side meter. This meter was altered based on choices the character made in the game. A light side choice would be something like letting a prisoner go after using them for information. A dark side choice would be killing that prisoner after you have gained the information needed. More neutral choices have been included, which help the player if they want to play as a mercenary or bounty hunter. All of these choices have an effect on the ending and on the kinds of upgrades your character can get. For example: force lightning is a dark side power, while battle meditation is used most effectively as a light side jedi. These upgrades are still usable to opposite side jedi, but will not be as useful.

Exploration
Exploration is a key element in the game, as exploring will open up new areas and reveal secrets and easter eggs. Exploring is a good way to earn xp, as charting an area will give a player extra xp, but the player will be subjected to the dangers of the wilderness. Exploring will also help you find new party members and quests.

Conquering
If you play as the dark side, conquering a planet is crucial in the war effort. To capture a planet, you must raise an army of either clones, soldiers, or mercenaries, acquire ships, and besiege the capital ship guarding the desired planet. After killing the commander on board, the player must capture a base on the planet's surface to claim victory. However, these bases can be attacked and taken back at any time by opposite side forces. If you play as a light side jedi, you can reclaim the planets by doing the same as conquering them. Once a dark side character has finished all the main storyline missions on the planet, they can choose to obliterate it, leaving it inaccessible for the rest of the game and upping your dark side points tremendously.

Transportation
Mounts, such as blurrgs, orrays, kybucks, and tauntauns are used to travel great distances in a short time. These mounts can either be tamed or bought at livestock stores. Different livestock stores will have different mounts depending on the planet.

Speeder bikes and pod racers are also viable forms of transportation. They go much faster and can be equipped with weapons, but cost much more. The player can also use tanks and other army vehicles in the game. The attacks in these vehicles is very similar to that of regular attacks.

The player's flagship, aptly named The Spirit of the Ebon Hawk, can be changed and upgraded from a small smuggler ship resembling that of Boba Fett's, or a large destroyer class cruiser used to carry whole armies.

Armies
Once a player rises to leader of their faction, they can assemble an army sufficient enough to defeat their opposition. The player can ask worlds they hold for soldiers, hold a draft (gains dark side points), hire mercenaries or make clones or droids. As a leader, you can even buy beasts, such as wampas and aacklays for your army. You should also invest in vehicles and ships for your army, as well as special units and upgrades. Jedi and Sith can also be recruited or turned to fight for your side in war. During battles, you can command your forces from the field or in a top down perspective, adding in some more RTS and some managing aspects in the game.

Character Customization
At the beginning of the game the player is prompted to create their own player who they control throughout the game. This creation has the basic facial customization aspects, and has a new feature from KOTOR: the ability to choose the race of your character. There are several races that are playable and each have their own advantages.

Once you've picked the race of your character, you have the ability to choose the class of the character. There are four classes:  Aggressor,  Diplomat ,  Protector ,   and  Scoundrel. The  Aggressor  class tends to be more combat oriented, and will often stray towards the dark side. Diplomat  will only fight when necessary or if provoked, but are masters at force maneuvers. Protectors  always do whats best for others and are agile and speedy. Scoundrels  tend to be dark side or bounty hunter classes who are naturally good at gambling, Pazaak, scavenging, persuasion, and swoop racing.

Once the player has picked their class, they are given stats that fit their class and then are given 10 skill points to allocate. The skills are as following:

Computer Use-How good a player is at hacking mainframes and gaining information.

Demolitions-How well a player can set and defuse mines and traps.

Stealth-How sneaky a player is.

Engineering-How good the player is with robots and droids.

Awareness-Increases the players chance of a dodge or saving roll as well as awareness about current events in the galaxy.

Persuasion-How persuasive a player is to others.

Repair-How well a player can repair objects, ships, vehicles, droids, and robots.

Security-How good at overriding security systems a player is.

Treat Injury-How well a player can treat his or her injuries or the injuries of their party members with medkits and force abilities.

Agility-How fast the player is and how well they can dodge.

These skills range from 1-20 and will affect what the player can do over the course of the game. After the player has spent their allocated skill points they can choose from many abilities they might want for their character. These abilities

Story
The game starts by giving the player ability to create a character in the vein of KOTOR. Several classes are available, which will affect your stats and personality in game. Your player wakes up in a high rise on Coruscant, surrounded by expensive furniture and an incredible view of the megalopolis you are living on. Suddenly, a hovercraft flies into the building opposite yours and turns the sky scraper to rubble. You jump out of bed and search a chest in the corner of the room, where you can pick your lightsaber color and style and your jedi robes. You rush to the ground floor of you building complex to find a crowd gathered around a now extinguished speeder. You push your way through the crowd, informing the guards that you are a jedi and need to get a look at the situation. The whole area has been quarantined and no one is allowed past a certain point near the wreckage. You search around the crashed and somewhat flaming ship, scavenging odds and ends from debris on the ground. You finally approach the capsule of the ship and pop it open, only to find a dead and decaying Rodian inside. You recoil as a wave of gas is released from the ship, causing the crowd to cough and some pedestrians to fall to the floor convulsing. You rush around trying to help people, but your eyes start to dim and you succumb to the unconsciousness.

You awaken in a sterile environment with medical droids standing over you. You look up, and see your Padawan J'tal and Jedi Grand Master Saba Sebatyne standing behind a plate glass window, looking forlorn. Again darkness washes over you, and you have a dream of a dark shrine on a sprawling metropolis covered city. You reawaken to find Saba standing over you in some sort of breathing mask, looking troubled. He tells you that when the pod had been opened, it had released a deadly and highly contagious neurotoxin that wiped out most of the crowd that had gathered around the ship. Despite their best efforts, the disease spread across the city and planet, killing millions in only a few short weeks. The Grand Master reveals that you are only alive because of the resiliency you have as a Jedi Master, and that you have estimated months to live. You tell the Grand Master to let you look for the shrine you saw in your force dream. Saba says yes, under the condition that you wear a force protected biosuit to keep from spreading the airborne toxin.

You and J'tai set off for the old Sith meditation grotto in the Manarai Mountains of Coruscant, an ancient place Darth Vader had used himself for meditation. They arrive to find the place burned to the ground, and are confronted by a group of lunatics who think the Jedi are responsible for the epidemic. They seem extremely aggressive and look like they want a fight. You can either choose to talk it out and avoid confrontation, run away or openly attack the group, giving you dark side points.

You return to Saba, who announces that the jedi have successfully contained the outbreak but haven't yet come up with a cure. You ask him about the shrine you saw in your vision and he reveals that it might be on the old Sith planet of Wayland. You and J'tai rush for your small ship, The Spirit of the Ebon Hawk, and set a course for Wayland.

When you arrive at Wayland, you are encouraged to talk to people and explore the planet's surface. You uncover from a farmer that there's an old monastery up in the foothills of Mount Tantis. You stumble across a Sith Enclave, keeping low and continuing on your path. You reach the monastery and find a male Twi'lek guarding the place. The Twi'lek introduces himself as Aman and reveals that he sensed your presence and thought he would be promoted if he killed you. After a brief battle, you defeat Aman, and have the ability to recruit him or kill him. Each decision will give you light or dark side points.

Party
Throughout the game you are able to collect and hire party members for your group.You can have 3 party members with you at a time. Each member will have different abilities, such as computer hacking or the ability to craft medkits. Some members can only be attained through certain progression on a side of the force, whether it be light or dark. If you return to a party members home planet you might receive a backstory or quest information from that character. You can talk to each party member on the Spirit of the Ebon Hawk or in the field to learn more about them. You can also upgrade party members' equipment by giving them weapons or armor you have picked up during your journey. Droids can be upgraded with parts to give them more abilities. Other party members level up individually and you can allocate their skill and ability points for them or let them handle it.

Factions
A large part of KOTNR is raising an army for the side you are on and taking over or liberating the galaxy. There are three main factions battling each other for control of the galaxy. These three factions are The New Republic, Imperial Resurgence, and The Zann Consortium. There are several minor factions the player can align themselves with as well: The Hutt Cartel, The Mandalorians, The Black Bha'lir, The Black Sun, The Yuuzhan Vong, The Smugglers' Alliance, and The Empire of the Hand. Each Planet has some units unique to their faction that they can produce to aid the player on their galactic conquest. Armies are raised either through buying units, employing scouts to look for force sensitive warriors, or raising troops from owned planets for a cost, of course. Each faction also has generals whom can be added to the players party at any time.

New Republic


Leader: Luke Skywalker

Generals: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Wedge Antilles, Admiral Ackbar, Kyle Katarn, Lando Calrissian, Lea Organa Solo

Imperial Resurgence


Leader: Palpatine

Generals: Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, Sate Pestage, Ysanne Isard, Maarek Stele, Lumiya, Jeng Droga, Roganda Ismaren

Zann Consortium
Leader: Tyber Zann

Generals: Urai Fen, Silri, Bossk, IG-88A

Hutt Cartel
Leader: Rotta the Hutt

Generals: Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Gorm

Mandalorians
Leader: Fenn Shysa

Generals: Spar, Bo-Katan Kryze, Helo Decc

Black Bha'lir
Leaders: Drake Paulsen

Generals: Altel Hust, Maati Akab, Shreet

Black Sun
Leaders: Xomit Grunseit

Yuuzhan Vong
Leader: Nom Anor

Generals: Tsavong Lah, Mezhan Kwaad, Shimrra Jamaane

Empire of the Hand
Leader: Grand Admiral Thrawn

Generals: Stent, Dagon Niriz, Voss Parck