Optional Bosses

Ctrl Alt Del · 07-21-2007, 04:25 PM

Anyone who has played Final Fantasy at least once know them. They're real difficult bosses, that, normally, only the most cunning players (or at least, players that can figure out a good strategy and how the game system works) are able to defeat. Now, it would be like suicide if a developer put that as a must to beat the game, that's why they're optional: the casual player will occasionally look for them, be beat a lot times and, if he persevere, beat the sucker. The hardcore will always find them, be beat some times while looking for their (few) weaknesses and weak spots and them beat the bastard.

That's my proposal, optional bosses for those that wants more than the game has to offer in battle. Perhaps they could be merged with some sidequests so there wouldn't look like a distortion from the rest of the game (what sense would have if a random dude would be more powerful than the Sith you're going to beat at the end?). So, actually fighting a Krayt Dragon, perhaps and other massive and deadly creatures would look better.

Weave · 07-21-2007, 04:57 PM

That's a great mod idea. Like... put some dialogue choices in so that when you talk to Komad... you can choose not to kill the Krayt dragon with mines and decide to fight it instead. Then it comes out of the cave because of the Banthas... and then you cake it's butt... or... at least try to... it'd be hard... probably immune to everything except poison, lightsaber, and some lightning... but still... that would be pretty awesome. And it would probably kill you in one or two swipes... either way... it's worth trying to figure out.

Trex · 07-21-2007, 06:37 PM

I've been trying to play Ninja Gaiden for a few months now. It's cool until you have to fight a boss, then, I have to be honest, it just gets annoying. Every so often I dig it out, over strategise (sp?), then eventually end up killing them after around three hours of effort. Not nearly as much fun as killing the minions. Never really understood the appeal of compulsory bosses. May never.

The original Deus Ex had a good part for this. You have to face one Walton Simmons at one point as a 'boss'. If you don't fancy the dual, it's moderately easy to sneak past and simply carry on with the level. Since he isn't dead, he even turns up towards the end to re-challenge you. If you feel so inclined, you may avoid him again and carry on with the story. It's all about the options. Maybe that's what makes the game cool 5+ years on.

Imagine being able to avoid Darth Bandon/Calo Nord and have them turn up later as part of the storyline. That would be cool.

Ctrl Alt Del · 07-21-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weave

That's a great mod idea. Like... put some dialogue choices in so that when you talk to Komad... you can choose not to kill the Krayt dragon with mines and decide to fight it instead. Then it comes out of the cave because of the Banthas... and then you cake it's butt... or... at least try to... it'd be hard... probably immune to everything except poison, lightsaber, and some lightning... but still... that would be pretty awesome. And it would probably kill you in one or two swipes... either way... it's worth trying to figure out.

Not what I'm talking about but, did you know that Bioware originally intended that there should have been a fight of the player against the Krayt on Tatooine? They gave up and put a cutscene instead because the Dragon was just too powerful (never got that, they could have lowered its stats...).

Weave · 07-21-2007, 07:06 PM

Really?... they just gave up? oh well...

What about a kinrath in the dantooine crystal cave? Like, if the player returns to Dantooine after a recieving a star map on another planet and decides to go into the crystal caves? There it is... an extreamly powerful kinrath.
Just a thought.

Ctrl Alt Del · 07-21-2007, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weave

What about a kinrath in the dantooine crystal cave? Like, if the player returns to Dantooine after a recieving a star map on another planet and decides to go into the crystal caves? There it is... an extreamly powerful kinrath.

That's very FFish, typical splendid bosses showing up later on a early visited place, but still, Im not talking about a mod, Im proposing something to the next game. ^^

Weave · 07-21-2007, 07:31 PM

Like some Sithspawn that you can decide to kill in the next game? On Ziost or something (if the planet is introduced to KOTOR III...), there could be a Battle Hydra.
That is... IF KotOR III is even announced in the next decade... my hopes aren't too high...
Still... optional bosses would bring a little more fun to the KotOR series...

SilentScope001 · 07-21-2007, 07:44 PM

Argument against Optional Bosses:

The KOTOR series is primraly story-driven. There is a reason you must fight this one boss.

The FF games are not story-driven, they are combat-driven. So, you can place an overpowered boss somewhere and just have players play it for fun.

Optional bosses would, well, add nothing to the story. And KOTOR's combat system isn't really that good. You max out at Malak's ship in K1, and in K2, well, the bosses get easily smashed at Level 25. If K3 goes down the same path, you'll become overpowered by the end, so the optional bosses might as well be mandatory.

I would rather like it if you have different bosses based on if you are LS or DS. If you are DS, fight the Republic Jedi! If you are LS, fight the True Sith Lords.

EDIT: And aren't there some optional bosses as well? You could optionally choose NOT to fight the Exchange Boss on Telos, and instead cause negoiations to save the skin of the Ithorians. You could choose NOT to fight the other Exchange Boss on Nar Shadda, instead convincing him not to pressure the Refugees. You could choose NOT to fight the Secrro Boss, and instead stay as far away from those freaks as possible. You can choose NOT to fight the Kirthan Mother. I can list several more "optional bosses".

Ctrl Alt Del · 07-21-2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentScope001

The KOTOR series is primraly story-driven. There is a reason you must fight this one boss.

The FF games are not story-driven, they are combat-driven. So, you can place an overpowered boss somewhere and just have players play it for fun.

Optional bosses would, well, add nothing to the story. And KOTOR's combat system isn't really that good. You max out at Malak's ship in K1, and in K2, well, the bosses get easily smashed at Level 25. If K3 goes down the same path, you'll become overpowered by the end, so the optional bosses might as well be mandatory.

That's why maybe it would be better to have creatures as those bosses. Even then, there are many sentients that work or themselves only. Bounty Hunters, Gray Jedi, Genoharadan, third parties that work for themselves, Star Wars universe is pretty open to that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentScope001

EDIT: And aren't there some optional bosses as well? You could optionally choose NOT to fight the Exchange Boss on Telos, and instead cause negoiations to save the skin of the Ithorians. You could choose NOT to fight the other Exchange Boss on Nar Shadda, instead convincing him not to pressure the Refugees. You could choose NOT to fight the Secrro Boss, and instead stay as far away from those freaks as possible. You can choose NOT to fight the Kirthan Mother. I can list several more "optional bosses".

They're not the same. If you've ever played a FF, you know that those bosses are well hidden sometimes, and they have their own "presentation" like a normal boss. Also, they're meant to be hard to beat. Those are the kind of guys I'm talking about.

PoiuyWired · 07-22-2007, 08:17 AM

Well, technically the kotor1 Genoharadan bosses are optional

But please, please, please, don't turn optional quests into something uber hard like Emerald Weapon, Latex Weapon and the like... it only promopt grinding more than anything else. Plus, racing chocobo(or in our case, racing gungans) would be a dumb game after the first few runs.

Reclaimer · 07-22-2007, 08:29 AM

Maybe if it was Lightside or Darkside oriented.

Ctrl Alt Del · 07-22-2007, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoiuyWired

But please, please, please, don't turn optional quests into something uber hard like Emerald Weapon, Latex Weapon and the like... it only promopt grinding more than anything else. Plus, racing chocobo(or in our case, racing gungans) would be a dumb game after the first few runs.

No, no. The sidequests are one of Kotor best points, turning it on very difficult suicide missions would surely kill the game. Perhaps some quests could be that difficulty (maybe a warning mark on them, like red letters).