It's always on. You can see what techniqes you have by hitting "X" in the character stats screen.

I just finished this game last night, took approximately 32 hours all together. Best game of the year so far (for me) and I can't wait to play it again using closed fist.

Same thing happened to me. My 1st gen XBOX seemed OK until KOTOR. The crashing became more frequent the longer I played. After 30-40 KOTOR hours other games started having issues as well. Luckily I had purchased the extended warranty.

The combination of KOTOR and the 1st gen controller also destroyed my thumb. Those d*** costume bead shaped buttons became painfull to press after a while. I eventually had to pick up the smaller controller just to finish the game. (Stopping wasn't an option.) The buttons on the smaller controllers still cause some discomfort even today.

Fun game though.

I am going to go ahead and pick this game up tomorrow.It will probably be forever until i actually have the time to play it,but everyone speaks so highly about it i figure i might as well pick it up now (while the LE is still available).

Finished the game tonight--final game time was around 11 1/2 to 12 hours. I didn't really do many of the side missions though, because without the incentive of better equipment and finding better party members, there wasn't really any reason to do them besides experiece (which you don't really need all that much either, once you get the slash slash slash, jump over them, slash slash slash, etc. figured out). The story was very good, probably the best I'd seen in an action game. Much better than the other similar action game that came out this year, Fable--although it had a lot more rpg stuff with it though that this game didn't have. I'd give the game an 8, but overall I'm dissappointed. The real time fighting was ok, but the taking away of core stuff like equipment, parties, etc. really knocked this game down a notch. Hopefully Bioware goes back to doing rpg's instead of action games, since this definitely isn't their best effort.

Taylor34

Man, you didn't even experience the game in all its glory. The side quests get you additional fighting styles, experience, silver, sometimes an extra companion (a certain quest), and more. I am 30 hours into the game, and in chapter 5. I am loving it. Heck, my wife is playing it as much as I am

Here's the point though--most games punish you if you rush through it, because if you do you'll just get pounded at the end of the game (aka like baldur's gate, Final fantasy 10, etc). That's not true in jade empire. I could have beaten the last guy as a level 10 just as easy as a level 20 (he never even touched me). There needs to be an actual 'need' to go do the sidequests. Silver is basically worthless in the game, you can beat the entire game with just the basic fighting styles, experience does very little, and your companions are very weak too. In past bioware games like baldur's gate and knights of the old republic, none of that was true. So basically, in my opinion, the side quests are fine, but there's not really a driving force to accomplish them. I did a ton of them the first 3 chapters seeing what I could get like in past bioware games, but after I figured out that I was accomplishing nothing by doing them, I stopped.

Taylor34

Ok, try and do a speed run through the game without doing any side quests, and the setting on either master or grandmaster. Do not buy any new styles, or weapons. Or any techniques.

Isn't the middle setting master? That's what I played on. And I didn't buy any new styles or weapons (since you can't buy weapons anyways). So I've already accomplished that, other than the side quests I did in the first 3 chapters (which didn't give you squat).

Taylor34

You can buy weapons. You probably didn't look. I bought a new sword in the imperial city, and there was a new staff for sale there, too.

Yes, master is the default setting. The side quests in the first 3 chapters gave you plenty. I know of at least 5-6 in chapter 2 alone that have new style as rewards. Chapter 3 there are twice that many.

Sounds like it just comes down to how you like to play games.

If you like to immerse yourself in the world, talk to everyone, do every side quest etc. you're going to get a ton of gameplay for your buck.

If you're the type that likes to just blaze through games and beat them as fast as you can it's going to be over in 12 hours or so.

In all honesty, people that like to just blaze through games should probably just rent rather than buying anyway for 99% of games.

I saw some sword 'upgrades', but not actual swords. Because if I actually was buying a sword, shouldn't I be able to sell the other one? That's why I consider it an 'upgrade' rather than a new sword.

I don't normally blaze through games. Only when there's little reward for doing extra stuff (Fable is a prime example).

Oh well, not a big deal. I just wanted to express my point of view on the game, despite the fact that I know I'm in the minority on this one.

Taylor34

I can see why people complain about the shortness of the game: listening to all (or even most of) the voice acting instead of speed reading through it takes quite a bit longer, as well as bothering to read the scrolls and items and whatnot. Still, even 12-20 hours is decent for me, especially if I want to replay it with another character. It does start to feel like Fable after a while, though...

My major complaints about the game so far (only up to Chapter 5, I think):
1. Support characters: you have no control over them, besides putting them in attack or support mode, and they can't level or anything. There's also very little variety between them... I think all of them are melee characters, so it's not like you can have someone back you up with spells or something.

2. Styles: Quite simply, while they are pretty neat to get, it makes little discernible difference which one of a particular style you use (well, maybe for support). Plus, by the time you get another one, you've probably already powered up your initial one anyway, and it doesn't make much sense to, say, invest more points in another martial style. If the game didn't force me to use martial styles to fight spirits (or when focus is low), I'd use the weapons all day, since they seem way overpowered. Someone can feel free to correct me, though. I also didn't know until way later how to do the harmonic combos...

3. Health/Chi/Focus. While it's neat that you can customize it through level ups and techniques, they're all pretty equally important. Even if you never cast spells (like me), you need some chi to heal. Even if you never go into focus mode, you need focus for weapons. There would seem to be no advantage to making yourself lopsided in any area...

Besides this, it is a very fun game, and I look forward to finishing it soon. Anyone know how much harder the top difficulty level is? Can you still slash/slash/slash/jump/repeat? Doing that, the only difficulty I have is with those spirits shooting the green heat-seeking magic...

I can understand your complaint with not being able to control party members but the game is in real time so being able to switch characters on the fly would seem difficult. What I liked about KOTOR is that it was somewhat turn based so you could switch between characters during combat plus the fact you could also equip them. I miss that in JE but I still enjoy the combat system.

That's true. If you could truly switch characters, they'd have to beef up the support characters almost to the level of the main character, I guess (although they do let you fight with someone other than your main character at one point at least). Though I would like it if you could control them more than just saying "attack" or "support", maybe if they were able to learn a couple of different styles or something. Otherwise, what's the difference between them in "attack" mode? What's the point of changing parties at all, unless you want to regain some focus or health or something with them in support mode?

The drunken fist was a little disappointing too, since it really didn't seem worth using... though it is cool that they included it.

i just beat Jade Empire.... all i can say is Holy friggin crap! this game is incredible... the story is amazing... I hope they make Jade Empire 2

That was my one disappointment with the game. I was so set to make my character a Drunken Fist master... i was saving technique points to boost all its stats immediately. Then i get it and it works unlike any other technique in that you don't boost it etc. I also didn't think it was that much more powerful to use it in place of my boosted Thousand Cuts. I use that in addition to Storm Dragon and that Open Hand stone style.

I did almost the same thing. I tried Drunken Fist, but it didn't seem that much more powerful than my halfway boosted Thousand Cuts,and it seemed a lot harder to use to boot!

I later replaced Thousand Cuts with a kicking style, just because the character looks more like a kicker than a puncher. I used Storm Dragon for the stun and the focus harmonics, the sword technique because it was the first weapon I got (I tried the monk spade, didn't like it), and the Spirit Thief, because I thought if I boosted it enough, it'd be useful (it rarely was for my character, at least). Later on, I thought about changing weapons, especially when you can have two swords later, but I had already invested so much into my sword technique that I just stuck with it. I kept on saving most of my tech. points in case some incredible new technique came up, but as of yet I haven't found any. Never used "chi strike" or any kind of magic, and used my "chi" mainly as a second life bar. Never used transformation either, because the enemies that use it might as well be standing still (well, technically they are) once you dodge it.

I am pretty sure they are making it right as we speak for the Xbox 2.

I wouldn't be so sure that they are quite yet into the development. They have farmed out their last two franchises for sequels and are currently working on two new games, one being another new original property (Dragon Age) and the other unannounced. Typically, Bioware has not kept their sequels, etc. under wraps for so long, and this unannounced project has been known since around the time Jade Empire was first announced (in fact, not sure if I remember correctly, but before the title of JE was known, I believe Dragon Age, JE and the third game were announced all at once).

That doesn't mean Bioware won't do it, but I am betting we'll see a bit of a gap between now and the sequel if Bioware does it themselves (which I assume they will since it is their unqiue property). The company has grown, so it will be shorter than we saw with games like the Baldur's Gate series, but it will still be some time.

Honestly, it does depend on how you fight. I don't use weapons or focus mode much, so that is my lowest. But even my health is lower than my chi, as I use my magic styles quite a bit more than anything. I drain chi very fast because of this and in addition to using it to heal, need it considerably higher.

However, as much as I have enjoyed the combat, etc., I think Bioware needed to be slightly more in-depth with stats. This is an action-RPG, so I can see the move towards fewer stats, but I think ideally a system similar to, and I hate to make the comparison, Fable would have been ideal.

For example, under body, I think two stats, one for power and one for health, would have been the way to go. Power affects martial attacks and health your hit points and damage resistance. Chi could have been divided into magic use and health recharge, and so forth. These are not necessarily exact examples of what I think needed to be done, but I think at least two sub-categories in each of the three main would have made he characters immensely more customizable and really spread out how combat and characters flow.

I think this should have also applied to styles. I like the way styles are leveled up, but I think there should be a base category for them as well. Such as needing overall points in Transformations to not only use those styles, but use them more effectively. Also, some styles could require you to upgrade the base skill before being able to use the specific style. This type, or similar, of system would have balanced some of the styles out and again made things more customizable. I just feels to me that I shouldn't be able to transform into a horse demon and use that effectively just because I beat one in combat. Or, why should I be able to pick up a new weapon and swing it around? If my character were weapon oriented, that'd make sense, but not if all my training is in magic.

I was reading old previews of this game and am disappointed with some of the features left on the cutting room floor, and hope we see more of them in a sequel. For example, initially it seemed defeated enemies could join you as followers and be sent on missions for you. Different followers would have different successes on the missions. Something like this sounds very interesting, although it doesn't fit the current story flow, it would have been interesting to see the game that was meant to use it. Another was the ability to collect enemy spirits after defeating them, and turn into them. It sounds similar to transformation, but on a wider scale, such as having anything from a toad demon to a common swallow. I am guessing this was originally going to be a means to accomplish the quests and move about in some areas. Again, it would have been interesting to see how the game differed with a feature like that.

But, I am still loving the game, and despite being more RPG-lite than I expected, it is an enjoyable game.

I actually use the transformation style some. In particular the Toad Demon form... the Horse Demon form hasn't impressed me yet. Spirit Thief i will ocassionally load mid-battle if i'm desperate for chi but i normally turn on chi strike and wade in with Thousand Cuts. Unfortunately the harmonic combo that Storm Dragon sets up nets you a focus recharge which i very rarely use. I probably need to find a harmonic startup that gives me chi.

I have tossed around the idea of focusing on Legendary Strike, but it seems so slow now. The next time through the game though i will play a character who starts out with White Demon and go through it closed fist so i can pick up Tempest.... that style sounds rad. I also love all the techniques you get from reading all the scrolls, i think i have picked up two hidden ones that way.

I'm not sure if this is true for the other styles (I used Legendary Strike), but if you just tap or double tap the regular attack button constantly you can stunlock a lot of your opponents. I had to use this technique against the last few Arena challenges on Grandmaster mode. Cheap yes, but the boss had killed me 8 times at that point and I feel that Storm Dragon cheapens the game way too much to be used.

I finished it over the weekend. I did about 80% of the quests. I would have liked to do all of them, but I accidentially would get to a point where I couldn't go back and do certain side quests. I am going to replay it now as "closed fist." I am wondering though, since I've never played one of these as the bad guy, if I need to be evil at every opportunity or if it's a bit more sophisticated and I can lie to people so they think I'm good and then backstab them or whatever.

Lie to people, demand money for their life, and after they pay you, kill them anyway. Demand money for an item of theirs you found, and after they pay you, kill them anyway. Be mean to people, etc. Kill people whenever you have the chance.

It's gonna cost you, how much do I get for this, what's in it for me, usually lead to evilness

I dunno... closed fist mode seems like it would be a much shorter game. In open fist mode, you have all these roundabout ways to do things... closed fist you just kill people directly. At least, that's my first impression from seeing the choices available.