Index

Battle Tips

Combat in Knights of the Old Republic can get a little hectic, even when just a few characters are involved. Repetition helps you learn how to manage the fast-paced flow of a battle--hopefully these tips will do the same.

• The single most important thing to remember is that your characters will always have a better chance of surviving a battle if you focus on one target until it's dead, then repeat the cycle with every other target. This isn't crucial with multiple, low-level enemies, but against Dark Jedi and boss monsters, you'll need to coordinate your characters' attacks so that they're all firing at the same target at the same time. After a target is dead, the game picks a new target for each character based on how far away each enemy is, so you'll probably have to re-sync their attacks after every enemy falls.
• Pause early; pause often. The pause button is a critical tool in managing the information that's going to be rushing past you during a battle, so use it! You can re-target characters or queue up actions while a battle is paused.
• The best combination of Force powers in most run-of-the-mill battles is almost always going to be master speed and Force wave. Master speed will make your Jedi harder to hit and double or triple the number of attacks per round, while a successful wave will break up your enemies into smaller groups, and stun at least a few of them. Stunned opponents get no defense bonus from dexterity, and will also automatically be hit with a sneak attack if you have any scoundrels in your party.
• If your character is using a ranged weapon, any enemy that attacks you with a melee weapon will get an automatic +10 bonus to their attack roll, meaning that they'll almost always hit you. Unfortunately, the game doesn't have a weapon switch button, so you have to go into the menu screen and replace your weapons manually, if you decide to do so. A less annoying solution is to simply run away, while retargeting your melee warriors on the enemy that's harrassing your ranged character.
• In case we haven't beaten this into your skull yet, any equipment that gives your character immunity to mind-affecting attacks is invaluably when you come across Dark Jedi opponents, which happens with increasing frequency later in the game. A single insanity attack from a high-level Dark Jedi Master can knock out your entire party, leaving them defenseless; it's often worth putting a Nerve Amplifier Belt in your belt slot, even if other belt items can increase your saving throws.
• Grenades are undoubtedly useful items, but they are best used against ranged opponents, since they move and are thus less likely to run away before a grenade goes off. Note that most grenades have saving throws based on a character's reflex; if you have a character with an unusually high reflex throw, you can use them to tangle up opponents in melee combat, then throw grenades with the assurance that you'll damage the enemies more than your teammate.
• Although you can change targets at will, the game doesn't necessarily shift over immediately, especially if you have actions in your queue. If you want to be sure to shift to your new target at the end of the round, empty your queue with the Y button, then select your new target and queue actions with the X button.
• After you obtain Jolee and (hopefully) Juhani, the non-Jedi members of your party can take a backseat. The availability of Force powers, and especially master speed, unfortunately lend your Jedi characters a huge advantage in battle over your mundane teammates.