Welcome to Leilukin's {% cite "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" %} Shrine!
{% cite "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" %} ({% cite "KotOR" %}) is a space opera role-playing video game series. The series takes place in the fictional universe of {% cite "Star Wars" %}, with the story taking place approximately 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire.
The first title was developed by BioWare while the second ({% cite "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords" %}) was done by Obsidian Entertainmenr. Both games were published by LucasArts. The {% cite "KotOR" %} series also includes a subsequent new comic book series. Both comic series were published by Dark Horse Comics and act as prequels to the video games.
To learn more about the {% cite "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" %} series, you can check out the KotOR Community Portal.
My History with the {% cite "KotOR" %} Series
I had been a {% cite "Star Wars" %} fan since I was 13 in 2005 after watching {% cite "Revenge of the Sith" %} in cinema. However, I was not aware of the existence of the {% cite "Knights of the Old Republic" %} video game series until around 2010, after seeing other {% cite "Star Wars" %} fans on Baidu Tieba talked about those games. I started playing the first {% cite "KotOR" %} game in early 2011, immediately followed by {% cite "KotOR 2" %}, and the series has been one of my special interests ever since.
I was hooked immediately to the {% cite "KotOR" %} series when I played them. The first {% cite "KotOR" %} game was the first Western RPG I had played. I was drawn to the games' story and characters and the games' focus on them, since the {% cite "KotOR" %} series was also the most story-heavy games I played at the time. KotOR was also the first video game I played where you can pursue a romance with a character, which was a concept that blew my young mind at the time, because before {% cite "KotOR" %}, I thought a romance between your player character and an NPC you like could only exist in imagination via shipping or fanfiction.
My investment in the {% cite "KotOR" %} series has evolved over time, leading to me learning to mod the games and become a modder.
My History with {% cite "KotOR" %} Modding
I began to use and get interested in {% cite "KotOR" %} mods since the mid-2010s, in no small part thanks to The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod (TSLRCM), which is widely regarded as an essential mod for the best experience with {% cite "KotOR 2" %}, as the game's rushed development led to many contents being cut from the game. This led me to discover more {% cite "KotOR" %} mods hosted on Deadly Stream, which include the developers of TSLRCM, and GameFront.
In the mid-2010s, the {% cite "KotOR" %} fan circle I was involved in on Tumblr also included modders, who inspired me to learn to create mods myself. I did not have any programming exprience when I started learning modding {% cite "KotOR" %}, so it took practice to learn and understand the modding tutorials on Deadly Stream and the now-defunct LucasForums (R.I.P.).
The very first {% cite "KotOR" %} mod I created was TSL Improved Party Outfits in 2015, though initially I only meant it for personal use, until I released it to the public on 4 February 2017. The first {% cite "KotOR" %} mod I released to the public was Visas Marr and Female Exile Romance on 15 December 2016.
Making same-gender romance mods for {% cite "KotOR 2" %} was the primary motivation for me to make and release {% cite "KotOR" %} mods myself. I was immensely frustrated by the total lack of same-gender romance mods for any of the {% cite "KotOR 2" %} characters, and every other LGBTQ+ {% cite "KotOR" %} fans I have interacted with on Tumblr share the same sentiment. Therefore, I decided to stop waiting for {% cite "KotOR 2" %} same-gender romance mods to happen, and be the change myself. To my great satisfication, my same-gender romance mods have been well-received, with fellow LGBTQ+ players expressing gratitude for their existence. My Handmaiden and Female Exile - Disciple and Male Exile Romance mod would go on to win the Mod of the Year 2017 award on Deadly Stream.
I love modding the {% cite "KotOR" %} games, not only because the games are a special interest of mine, but also I love creating things for my interests. Modifying the games made me feel like I have the power to change the game to make them better and more enjoyable, and thus improve my experience with playing the games.