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I started at LucasArts in 1992. Before Mysteries of the Sith, I worked on The Dig, Full Throttle, and was Lead Programmer on Outlaws. We began development on Mysteries of the Sith in August, 1997. Soon after Outlaws: Handfull of Missions was completed
Mysteries of the Sith uses an enhanced version of the Jedi Knight engine. New features include better saber control, advanced networking, colored lighting support, improved AI, and better Internet cheating protection.
My primary goal to was to expand upon the foundation that Jedi Knight established. I wanted to introduce new characters and create a strong story line from which to further explore the Star Wars universe.
Mysteries of the Sith takes place five years after Jedi Knight, in the period of the New Republic.
The primary difference between Mysteries of the Sith and Jedi Knight is that the Force powers take on a Neutral persona, meaning they are not inherently good or bad, but allow your actions with these powers to determine your alignment. We felt there were numerous examples of this in the Star Wars universe (Luke using Choke on the Gamorrean guard in Return of the Jedi). There is no Light or Dark choice, because we are dealing with a character that is being used elsewhere in the universe (Mara Jade), we couldn't have her turning to the Dark Side and still fit into the storyline. Additionally, it didn't work in the context of the story we were trying to tell. There is no FMV (Full Motion Video), due to budget and time constraints, we couldn't produce FMV for the game. We felt that it provided a smoother, more immersive game environment, when we produced the cut-scenes with the characters that people saw throughout the game play. It removed some of the akwardness of switching from FMV to 3D and back.
Mara Jade was originally introduced in the Timothy Zahn Novel Trilogy. She is a rogue Jedi, and one-time servant to the Emperor, who has recently transitioned to the side of the New Republic. Being a 'wild card' sort of character made her interesting for our needs. It allowed us to take a known character in the universe and jump directly into the game without having to develop a lot of back story. Mara appears at the Altyr base as someone who has sought Kyle out to assist her in her Jedi training, after playing Kyle in the first four levels, a cut-scene transition places you in the shoes of Mara while Kyle goes off to investigate a Sith temple… The game continues from there.
Many of the characters and creatures from the game already existed in the Star Wars universe. We did create some new ones specifically for the game though. This includes Kaerobani and the Pirates, Ka' Pa the Hutt, the Sith Undead, the Swamp Wampas, the Dart Flowers, and some additional new surprises.
Yes, but they are produced using the 3D engine and not full motion video.
Probably the Carbonite gun and the Seeker Rail Detonators. Watching the Seekers chase someone down is pretty cool. |
When did you come to LucasArts and what other
projects have you worked on?
Does it use the same engine as Jedi
Knight?
What were the primary goals of the
project?
In what period does the story of Mysteries of the
Sith take place? 
How does Mysteries of
the Sith differ from Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II?
Mysteries of the Sith
introduces a new character, Mara Jade. Who is she and how does she fit
into the game?
Did you develop anything else specifically for the
game?
Are there new cutscenes?
What are the new weapons and features that were
added? Of these, which are your favorites?
