Fringe

[bountyhunter9]

Yeah, I was. Then I noticed that Kreia used Stasis Field, which forces a Fortitude save rather than a Will save. My Fortitude bonus is only like +21, so it's a lot more understandable.

On another note, have you ever played through KotOR II as a Jedi Master? I seem to recall you mentioning that you did.

[Jm419]

Well, that makes more sense.

I did, yes. Why? Do you want my impressions of it?

[bountyhunter9]

Yeah. I'm thinking of actually playing through KotOR II canonically, with a female light-sided character. I haven't played as a JM yet, so I wondered what it was like.

[Jm419]

Well, my character wasn't a pure Jedi Master - she was a Sentinel/Master instead of a Consular/Master. Being a Sentinel made the early parts of the game (before the FP's really started to kick in) much more interesting, and it was a nice change to have a Security Skill that could open doors - which actually plays a role in KotOR II, as bashing is kind of a problem - or a Demolitions skill that allowed me to steal every mine I found, or a Computer skill which made computer hacking essentially free.

However, later in the game, when I reached the Prestige classes, then the fact that she wasn't a Consular was kind of a problem, because she couldn't really sit back and use FPs to kill everything, nor could she duke it out with some of the heavy melee hitters. That was the game that Stasis Field became my favorite Light-Sided power, because I could actually survive the secret tomb on Korriban by stasis-ing everything, then going in with my lightsaber.

As a result, when I played through the game as a Dark-Sider, I chose to become a Consular/Sith Lord, which made for an impressively powerful character with FPs. Though the first part of the game is very difficult (there's a reason the Consular is for "Advanced Players Only"), being a Consular/Sith Lord was a great experience.

The nice thing about the Jedi Master class is that, with Light Side Mastery, all the Light-Sided Force Powers are essentially free, even more so than the Dark Side Force Powers with Dark Side Mastery. The Master Force Heal was an amazingly useful power - it can heal 75 HP points for your entire party, and it uses 3 FP per use. When you have 400 FP, that's nothing. The other thing about the Jedi Master Class is that there are no powerful lightsaber forms to use. You learn Makashi and Shien, but everything else is a Force Power style, as compared to a lightsaber style. Juyo and Ataru (Jedi Weapon Master constants) are out the window, and you can't really engage in lightsaber combat as efficiently as a JWM or a Sith Marauder can. You're essentially forced to sit back and use your Force Powers, while your companions go to town. That's not a real problem - again, Stasis Field is a Jedi Master's best friend - because you can heal so easily, but you should be aware that the Darth Traya fight at the end of the game is fiendishly difficult, whereas the Sion and Nihilus fights are much easier than they are for a JWM.

Overall, I'd say the Jedi Master is a fun class, but it doesn't suit my play style - I'm more of a Jedi Weapon Master. You, however, sound like a Force user, so the Jedi Master would be a good decision, and if you choose to play as a Consular/Master, the game goes way up in difficulty, and it's a completely different - and highly enjoyable - game experience.

[bountyhunter9]

Interesting. I haven't ever mixed classes like that - if I was a Guardian, I went with the Marauder or Weaponmaster, etc. That would make for a much more balanced character.

The beginning parts of the game can be tough with a Consular, yeah. It makes it really interesting, but I can't remember the last time I've actually died. There were some tough points, where I had to use some trickery (like mines, or running off to restore FP). I haven't run into any of those problems yet, but I've only just entered the mining tunnels, so there has been little fighting so far.

[Jm419]

It does and it doesn't. The thing is, your character is kinda good at everything, but not really good or really bad at at anything, like Niman style.

I die all the time, lol. I run away all the time, but it doesn't always work.

[bountyhunter9]

Lol. Interesting comparison. Good thing KotOR characters don't have to fight in any Battles of Geonosis.

Lol. I almost died today. It was against the Serroco thugs, and I lost both Kreia and Bao-Dur. I managed to kill off the thugs with some well-positioned Force Lightning blasts, but it was close.

[Jm419]

Lol. So no Niman Style users survived the battle? That doesn't bode well for the future of the form...

I read the first part of your post ("I almost died today,") and I was like, "WHAT?!?" and then I remembered what we were talking about. Lol. Do you have Bao Dur as a Force Sensitive yet?

[bountyhunter9]

I don't think any did. I guess it's not very good at deflecting blaster shots.

Lol. Yeah, I just converted Bao-Dur to a Jedi Guardian. I'm not sure it was worth it, considering he loses a lot of his skill points. But another Force user who can heal is always good. He wasn't Force sensitive, though, when I battled the Serroco.

[Jm419]

Yeah. It's not very good at anything, iirc.

Oh, true. Well, healing is always a benefit. Are you light-sided?

[bountyhunter9]

Lol. That's true too.

Yeah, I am. I've been busy lately; haven't had much time for KotOR . I don't think I've finished that game yet.

[Jm419]

Unfortunately.

Same here; I start school in a week.

[bountyhunter9]

Yeah. Me too. The summer was too fast. You do anything fun?

[Jm419]

We went to the north shore of Lake Superior for a few days, which was super relaxing. How about you?

[bountyhunter9]

We went west in Canada, to Alberta and BC. It was an okay trip, but the highways weren't marked very well.