BioWare Reminisces on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for its 10th Anniversary
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I was scattershot across KoTOR. I wrote bits of Taris, Manaan, Korriban, countless little scenes here and there, and about a jabillion lore bits and item descriptions. I actually really enjoy those because each one is a micro story, although I had to edit each and every one of them by hand every time the inventory system changed. I still twitch thinking about that.
But the main tasks I owned were writing all of Tatooine and Kashyyk. Blew. My. Mind. There I was, writing the early history of a setting I had grown up with. I went deep on all the lore I could find, seeding everything with as many hints forward as I could. That was the challenge, trying to create a history that could lead to the setting I had come to love.
Memories that stick out from Tatooine? HK-47's audio-department-angering Sand People translations, characterizing Jawas, force-commanding a guy to never speak to the player ever again. I also remember one late night blearily writing (Nobody expects the bantha's in position,) for which I am equal parts proud and sorry.
On Kashyyk, I remember writing Jolee Bindo's grumpy intro, Zaalbar's Shakespearean family issues, and trying to rationalize flora and fauna super-growth. I still have my cheat sheet with the R-laden names of many, many chatty wookies. Again, proud and sorry.
But I remember one moment very clearly. It was the day we secured the license, for certain, 100% the papers are signed and it's a go. We gathered in a local theater for a company meeting, and up on the screen came the BioWare logo and the Star Wars logo. Pause. And then, it started. Of course it started, you couldn't stop it. A room full of suddenly-children all humming the Imperial March.
One day my son will be old enough to understand that daddy got to make Star Wars, and it was good.
- Lukas Kristjanson, Senior Writer Dragon Age: Inquisition
