Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Beginner’s Tips

When BioWare released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in 2003, the game set a  benchmark for LucasArts’ sci-fi franchise with complex characters, epic battles and hours of compelling play.  In fact, some fans still consider it the best Star Wars game of all time, despite the numerous titles that followed.

Now that the game is available on the iPad, an untold number of people will experience it for the first time on Apple’s tablet.  That said, we have valuable beginner’s tips that’ll help newcomers wrestle with creating the best squad and making key decisions to shape their destinies.  There are no wrong choices and you can always restart after beating the game to see how battles, alliances and decisions change.  

It’s Class Time

With Knights of the Old Republic, you’ll be able to choose between a male and female persona with three different classes available.  No matter what you’re in the mood for – playful and coy, or noble and dead-serious, there’s something for everyone.

First there’s the Scoundrel, ideal for hitting enemies from long-range. This class possesses the biggest skill point system, which is great if you prefer to tinker with your character more than usual.  

Next up, we have the Soldier.  This is probably the most balanced character in the game, as he or she can deal damage from a distance (not as efficient as the Scoundrel) and close-range.  

Finally, there’s the Scout, an acquired taste when it comes to characters.  While not as strong as the Soldier or Scoundrel at first, his or her skills have a much bigger range, and they eventually bring enough power to the table when it comes to striking close or hitting from afar.  

Skills

You’re free to upgrade characters with either one point for each level (class skills) or two points (cross-class).  Characters start out differently depending on the class you choose, with the Soldier having only four  to start, while the Scoundrel gets 16 and the Scout sits in the middle of the road with 12.  Eventually you can level up in different areas, though some are better than others depending on categories.  For instance, you’d want to improve the Scout’s Repair skill.

How you level up is certainly your choice, but don’t be afraid to try out unique areas and see how they fare in battle.

Feats

As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock Feats that modify your skill sets for superior battle tactics.  The Soldier starts out with the most when it comes to armor and weapon proficiency, but they can be earned by other classes as well.  Over time, you can unlock better capabilities over the course of the game for yourself and the party, including Power Blast, Sniper Shot (for the Scoundrel or Scout class) and Flurry.  When you earn new Feats, see what feels right for you and watch the effects unfold when you fight.  Don’t be afraid to try out new Feats if you think they are best suited for your class.

Choose Your Path

When it comes to guiding your character working in favor of the Republic or going to the Dark Side, the choice is yours – but there isn’t necessarily a wrong path.

For instance, if you choose to be Dark and cut people off, you’ll get into more fights and dismiss conversations that would otherwise take up a great deal of time.  This is recommended for those who want to jump into the action at the expense of some rewards. This comes in the form of side missions and additional experience points that allow you to level up faster with Skills and Feats.  However, this also means putting up with more conversations and having more favors asked of you.  

Either way, the experience can’t be beat.  In fact, it’s recommended you play through the game more than once to see how it fares each time.  

We hope you enjoy the game, and may the Force be with you.

Download Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for iPad