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{% set kotor2FullTitle %}{{ " II: The Sith Lords" if page.url.includes("kotor2") else ""}}{% endset %} {% set kotor2ShortTitle %}{{ " 2" if page.url.includes("kotor2") else ""}}{% endset %}
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Spoiler Warning
WARNING: The full list of my mod build contains spoilers for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic{{ kotor2FullTitle }}!
My mod build is not designed for new KotOR{{ kotor2ShortTitle }} players, so I will not censor any information that contains spoilers for the game. In general, I do not recommend using mods in your very first playthrough of any video game, so you can judge and choose which mods you want to use after finishing the game for the first time. The only exceptions are the KotOR 1 Community Patch for {% cite "KotOR 1" %} and The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod for KotOR{{ kotor2ShortTitle }}, which are absolutely essential mods that even if you want to use them in your first playthrough, you definitely have my support.
If you are going to play KotOR{{ kotor2ShortTitle }} for the first time, and you do not mind using mods, I would suggest checking out the Spoiler-Free version of KotOR Community Portal’s KotOR mod builds instead. {% /container %}
{% container "article", "content__section" %}
Mod Categories
The mods I included in my mod build are divided into the following categories, which clarifies the types of changes the mod makes:
- Added Content
- Added content is an entirely fan-made new content that is not intended in the vanilla game.
- Appearance Change
- Appearance change is not inherently graphics improvement, but rather a modification to the default appearance of a character, item, location, interface, etc.
- Bugfix
- As the name implies, this type of mod fixes bugs with the vanilla game.
- Graphics Improvement
- This type of mod improves the graphics in the vanilla game in some way, by retexturing and/or remodeling a character, item, location, etc. Usually these mods come with high-resolution textures.
- Immersion
- These mods are not inherently bugfixes, but changes done to improve the internal consistency of the game’s content.
- Mechanics Change
- This type of mod makes changes to the game’s system which directly impacts the way you play the game, varying from changing the camera angle of a location to altering the core stats of a class.
- Modified Content
- Modified content is not inherently new content, but rather alterations to the vanilla game’s content because the vanilla content has some shortcomings. The changes made by this kind of mod were never intended to be in the vanilla game.
- Patch
- A patch is a simple mod that changes the function of another mod, either by fixing bugs, resolving mod conflicts or altering content made by another mod.
- Restored Content
- This type of mod restores content that has been cut from the vanilla game.
- Sound Change
- As the name implies, these mods make changes to the sound in the vanilla game. The sound could be music or ambient audios. {% /container %}
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Mod Tiers
The tiers for each mod included in my mod build are not necessarily a judgement on the quality of the mods themselves. In my mod builds, mod tiers are ranked on a scale of 1-4, based on how important the individual mods are for my experience with the {% cite "KotOR" %} games.
- Tier 1 - Essential
- This tier indicates mods that I cannot play the {% cite "KotOR" %} games without. Usually this is because I find those mods make very crucial changes to the game, typically by fixing things that bother me the most in the vanilla game. Similarly, mods of the Patch category that belong to this tier make critical changes to other mods. I consider excluding Tier 1 mods will negatively affect my experience with the {% cite "KotOR" %} games.
- Tier 2 - Very Important
- This tier indicates mods that vastly improve my experience with the game. Mods belong to this tier are the bread and butter of my mod build. That said, unlike Tier 1 mods, excluding Tier 2 mods from my playthrough does not actively make my {% cite "KotOR" %} experience worse either.
- Tier 3 - Somewhat Important
- This tier indicates mods that make changes that are in smaller scope or more subjective compared to Tier 1 and Tier 2 mods. Usually this is because the changes made by Tier 3 mods are less noticeable or more of a matter of personal taste.
- Tier 4 - Optional
- This tier indicates mods that make even smaller or more subjective changes than Tier 3 mods, to the point that using these mods is optional. I include Tier 4 mods in my build for the purpose of maximizing my immersion, or because I use these mods for customization purposes for my characters. {.deflist-1col} {% /container %}