I am just throwing this out there out of curiosity. When you have a full choice of two NPCs (i.e. the game does not dictate that you take a specific one along), who are your favorite two for a Guardian/Sentinel/Consular NPC? Dark Side/Light Side? Which do you prefer for conversation, and which do you find to be the best combat duo? Here are some of mine:

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• DS Consular: I love the HK47 and Canderous combo with this guy. Good roleplaying, and with making Canderous a melee specialist it is a powerful combo.</font>
• LS Guardian: I like Jolee and Carth with this team. Jolee has good roleplay value + strong force usage, and Carth adds more roleplay to this combo.</font>

Also, does anyone use Zaalbar or T3M4 after the earlier parts of the game? How do they hold up in the later parts of the game, especially going against Dark Jedi? I obviously have never used them later in the game.

Zaalbar ends up sucking, same with HK IMO, TM isn't all that hot, I usually stack up on Jedi, with mission dualing between dual weilding pisols and unlocking like crazy. Either mission or Carth depending on situation (Carth for clearing out a sand person village for example, something were he would get hit), and mission for a place with lots of unlocking. That, or all jedi :D

Zaalbar is actutually quite good if you get some of the better vibroblades and have him as a front line fighter. His high strength works really well in this situation as well.

I suppose there are two scenarios for me - roleplaying and non-roleplaying. In the roleplaying scenario Bastila is always with me if I'm playing as a guy, except for Korriban and a short time on Tatooine. I tend to partner her with HK-47, he's a classic. :D

I have gone all Jedi, with Juhani if I'm a Consular, Jolee if I'm a Guardian.

As a Darkside Consular loner took both droids when he could and always took HK47. T3M4 performed as a ranged utility character. As I recall I was fond of the stunning attack.

As a Lightside Gaurdian took the Woookie and Mission through the game. Sometimes it would be all-Jedi-time with usually Jolee and Bastilla.

Zaalbar's main weakness is his low defense. Have him use a single one-handed sword (with the appropriate dueling-feats of course), put two (or four) ability points into Dex and give him some Dex-upping implants and gloves and he'll be a plain good melee warrior. Still a lower AC than the characters who can wear armor, but his high amount of VP will keep him alive even with his half-decent defense.

HK-47 is arguably a better ranged warrior than even Carth, provided you repair him fully. With good Dex, high VP and superior defense (good droid plating offers very high AC without limiting Dex bonus), and a good heavy blaster he can hold his own through the entire game. Although I never quite understood why a droid specifically designed for combat can't get weapon specialization.

[ 12-21-2004, 04:19 AM: Message edited by: J'aran ]

I mostly roleplay, so Bastila (or when I try to play a girl :D Carth) are a must. Later on I mostly use Jedis (mainly Juhani, Jolee only when Bastila's not available) but also Mission and Zaalbar (he rocks with Bacca's Blade dual wielding with another powerful Vibrosword).
The only real no-no is T3 as other characters (most often my own) can do his chores and he's an extremely poo fighter.

While I agree with T-D-C, Zaalbar can be dmg machine with melee, why not just use Canderous? REALLY late in the game having a decent defense is crucial, as the hordes just keep coming, and deal plently of damage. canderous can use armor, as well as be amazing with swords.

Agreed, but (apart from the light-saber wielding jedis) I just can't picture any of the other character's using a blade. Bacca's blade belongs to Zaalbar and Zaalbar alone and thus he's the only non-jedi I use for melee also excessive strenght upgrades IMHO are more believable for a Wookie.
So he packs quite a punch and especially later in the game enemies who prove quite resistant to blasters and lightsabers last only seconds against mighty Zaalbar.

Went through the game probably 6 or 7 times now (it's time for KotOR 2, isn't it ? :D ) and never went down the path of the dark side. Like in all other RPG's i've ever played i'm always a goody two shoes. From the moment she comes available, Bastila is always with me. The second one is either Jolee or Juhanni, unless the situation asks for someone specific.