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Are we FORCED to use the saber staff?

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 Prime
05-16-2003, 1:32 AM
#101
Originally posted by Kurgan
Looks like they will have the dual lightsabers and doublesaber combined.... but that still doesn't answer how it will be balanced in MP. I'll look forward to hearing about that... I suspect the only real difference will be in the animations and special moves. Other than that, attack will be attack, and so on. Perhaps the differences will just be for show.
 BrodieCadden
05-16-2003, 4:36 AM
#102
"While using the more eclectic lightsabers sounds cool, there are some drawbacks. While you gain a slight advantage with the staff lightsaber since you can attack enemies behind you, you won't be able to use force powers that require your hands at all. You're also limited a bit if you dual-wield lightsabers. Again, you won't be able to use force powers that require free hands. What you will be able to do though is force throw one of your lightsabers at some poor fool while still swinging away with the other. When asked whether you could sheath one of your sabers to use your force powers in the game, producer Brett Tosti said it wasn't in the game, but did say it's something they might consider"

--IGN Hands On.

Hope that helps. :)
 Prime
05-16-2003, 1:11 PM
#103
Originally posted by BrodieCadden
"While using the more eclectic lightsabers sounds cool, there are some drawbacks. While you gain a slight advantage with the staff lightsaber since you can attack enemies behind you, you won't be able to use force powers that require your hands at all. You're also limited a bit if you dual-wield lightsabers. Again, you won't be able to use force powers that require free hands. What you will be able to do though is force throw one of your lightsabers at some poor fool while still swinging away with the other. When asked whether you could sheath one of your sabers to use your force powers in the game, producer Brett Tosti said it wasn't in the game, but did say it's something they might consider"

--IGN Hands On.

Hope that helps. :) Wow. That's interesting. All the more reaosn for me to stick with my single lightsaber.

But should Force powers really require the use of hands (like force push, mind trick, and so on)? I always thought they were just a visual clue for audiences to know that the Force was being used, as opposed to it being an actual requirement for the Force power to work.
 HertogJan
05-16-2003, 2:35 PM
#104
They don't say WHICH forcepowers you can't use... I think it'll be push, pull, grip, lightning, drain, mindtrick and that's it... Meaning you can't use any offensive powers... Wel that's weird. A Saberstaff is a real sith weapon, for as far as I know, and you can't use any darkside powers with it...

I'm really curious about how they are going to do it :)
 StormHammer
05-16-2003, 2:58 PM
#105
Originally posted by BrodieCadden
"While using the more eclectic lightsabers sounds cool, there are some drawbacks. While you gain a slight advantage with the staff lightsaber since you can attack enemies behind you, you won't be able to use force powers that require your hands at all. You're also limited a bit if you dual-wield lightsabers. Again, you won't be able to use force powers that require free hands. What you will be able to do though is force throw one of your lightsabers at some poor fool while still swinging away with the other. When asked whether you could sheath one of your sabers to use your force powers in the game, producer Brett Tosti said it wasn't in the game, but did say it's something they might consider"

--IGN Hands On.

Hope that helps. :)

Well, I have to say I have serious reservations about this. If you can hold the dual-staff in one hand, why can't you cast Force powers that need hands with the other? With dual blades, why can't you extinguish one, and cast Force powers? The whole thing that made JO fun was being able to use Force powers and the lightsaber in tandem. So now if I pick up a dual-staff...I can't use some of my Force powers? That's silly. What am I supposed to do...switch to a hand blaster so I can use certain Force powers? I hope they're wrong about this. If it's meant to balance having all the different blades and styles available in MP...why nobble the Force in SP? Even Maul used a hand to throw an object at a door control in TPM, while holding onto his dual-staff with the other hand.

I just don't see that it makes any sense. In MP it might help to balance some of the gameplay (although I would imagine making certain attacks weaker but faster for the dualstaff and dual blades would do that for battles against someone armed with only one saber), but not in SP. :(
 ZeroXcape
05-16-2003, 7:22 PM
#106
You will definitely not have to use the staff. It's completely up to you.
 Kurgan
05-17-2003, 1:07 AM
#107
There you have it!

Frankly, if what the IGN person said is accurate, I think that's really really silly.

Use of the force doesn't require the hand gestures... it didn't in JK2 (correct me if I'm wrong, but several powers were usable without any sort of hand movements). In fact, the only real use for a hand movement is to indicate a power is being used ON something, right?

Does this also mean that other two handed weapons (I'm thinking most guns here) will limit Force power use (after all, they'd limit the hand waving)?

Even in the movies, characters could use the force even with their hands full (witness Vader tossing objects at Luke in ESB with both hands on his saber, or Luke in ANH at the controls of his X-Wing).

It sounds more like it isn't logical, they're just forcing it for balance issues... I liked my proposed solutions better... but oh well, they're making the game, not me! ; p
 Andy867
05-17-2003, 3:01 AM
#108
And look at Anakin during the failed rescue attempt on Genosis. He was holding his saber but still used the Force to throw the inactive droids at the Geonosian inhabitants. But I also think that since the game is still in production many of these possible oversights could be corrected. Cuz I mean something simple as that should be vital in the game.
 Solbe M'ko
05-17-2003, 5:02 AM
#109
they're making the game, not me! ; p

That's the worst drawback of all. The players don't make the games.
 Andy867
05-17-2003, 6:30 AM
#110
Youd be surprised on how much influence people have on the game. Kenn Hoesktra and the lead programmer pointed out in interviews that the overall postive feedback of the saber combat system is what led to the idea of Jedi Academy. So my guess is that if the saber system failed, they wouldn't have made it as large in JA as its going to be. Plus the idea of an improved Ghoul system, plus better mod support, the ragdoll skeletal system, which was recommended one time or another back last year byt a LF.com member. also with the dual sabers, thanks to Dest and the other modders for that Mod and future mods of its kind. And Tchoucky for the RGB saber system. So, as you can see, gamers do make the game, we just don't really look at it in that perspective.
 Solbe M'ko
05-17-2003, 3:20 PM
#111
OKay, yeah.

Anywho... I don't like the idea that the characters will be using staves/dual sabers. Not very many characters in SW have them. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (I think) says that Maul wanted a unique saber, so he made one with 2 blades. I guess for gameplay, it adds something, but I'm most concerned about npcs in the game. Since the developers included animations for dual/staffs the bad guys will likely make use of them. I think if all 3 saber styles were balanced, it would be good for the game. I wouldn't mind holding off two jedi with a staff, but I just think it doesn't fit well.
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