The Villains of Neverwinter
Making the world a gloomier place one murder at a time.
by Obsidian Entertainment
October 3, 2006 - What would an adventure be without someone to egg on the hero with insults and wanton destruction? There would be no reason for any young hero to decide to up and become one of the most powerful people on the planet and no reason for an awesome RPG experience that Obsidian is hoping to bring to players this fall in Neverwinter Nights 2.
Creating good villains is an art form. They have to be interesting enough that players care, powerful enough that the odds seem stacked against the plucky hero, and have a hook that just makes them that much easier to hate, fear, or both.
There are a lot of enemies in Neverwinter Nights 2 but in order to become a true villain, they have to be towards the top of the food chain of evil, have some kick ass powers, and more than just a passing interest in causing problems for the band of heroes trying to solve the world's problems. Today Obsidian is giving us a first look at three of these baddies. Expect to see some more in the final game, but this should give you a good idea of what to expect with the sequel releases later this month.
Lorne
Typically, if a person is going to go bald, it will be because of old age, or overwhelming amounts of stress. Neither of those accounts for Lorne Starling, an enormous and brutish assassin who hails from the same hometown as the PC. There are two likely possibilities for why Lorne is bald. I imagine he headbutts a lot of people. I could see that as probably, over time, causing a fair bit of rubbing and tugging on the scalp. Follicle erosion, we'll call it.
The other possibility is that he is such an angry and volatile person that one day his hair became so afraid of him that it packed up and left his head for good, probably under cover of night. Personally I like the second explanation better, because it also accounts for why his goatee is just a tattoo of a goatee.
Lorne is a Frenzied Berserker, which is the D&D equivalent of the Tasmanian Devil. If he gets set off (say, his dinner is cold), he unleashes a whirlwind of limbs, weapons, and completely unintelligible cuss words - a "frenzy" - until everyone around him (enemies, friends, people shouting, "Can't we talk about this?" etc.) is dead, or until he gets very, very tired. His powerful ability Deathless Frenzy ensures that he cannot be killed while in one of his tirades, not even with kindness. And that prospect is scary enough for anyone to lose hair over. Even Lorne himself.
TorioPic of Torio:
How do you like your femmes? I bet a lot of you out there are saying "fatale" right now. A few of you are saying "not fatale, because that's overdone," but I don't see you coming up with any better ideas. Torio Claven, a manipulative Luskan diplomat skilled at rhetorical swordplay who bears no relation to the lovable Cheers character of the same last name, puts the "femme" into "femme fatale." Or the "fatale." Maybe both. Whereas Lorne would antagonize the PC by tearing off his or her head and dribbling it like a basketball (angrily), Torio's style is more to rip off the PC's head and dribble it like a basketball, but with words, and only figuratively.
There are some villains you just hate, but some you love to hate. Torio is a villain that you initially hate to love, but later on find yourself hating but not quite loving, and then finally you cave in and love the hating but in a "just friends" sort of way, because you don't want it to get weird. Sure she just said something about your mother. But the way she said it was so clever. How can you not love hating a woman like that?
Zeeaire (zee - AIR - ee)Pic of Zeeaire:
Zeeaire is a highly ranked and fanatical follower of the Lich Queen, tasked with commanding the Githyanki forces sent to the Forgotten Realms to seek out something they call the "Kalach-cha." She is a powerful and ambitious mage, willing to order extreme actions to accomplish her mission.
Zeeaire is reluctant to enter the Forgotten Realms. Though she appears to be young and at the peak of her powers, she is quite ancient and would age rapidly were she to leave her own plane. Her powers, linked as they are to the Lich Queen, would also fade were she to enter the lands of Neverwinter. Thus, she has opened a portal linking her to the Realms, which allows her to communicate with her captains without risk to herself.
Zeeaire is remarkable in that her character has undergone remarkably little change from when she was initially conceived. Minor adjustments have been made to her appearances in the campaign, but as a whole she is nearly identical to her initial implementation.
Her portal proved to be a bigger challenge to create than we anticipated. Working very closely with the scripter tasked with implementing the final battle involving Zeeaire, the artists were able to find a solution to some of the technical challenges that the battle's design exposed.
Not bad! I'm getting pretty antsy :P
The story in Neverwinter Nights 2 begins with a series of brutal attacks in the Mere of Dead Men, including your home of West Harbor. These attacks begin to escalate up and down the Sword Coast, and you find yourself in the middle not just of a growing war in the Forgotten Realms, but a battle that has been raging across the dimensional planes for centuries. To make matters worse, you find yourself fighting wars not on just one but several fronts. There's the politics of Neverwinter and the challenges of fortifying your own stronghold, as well as enemies from Luskan in the North and the extraplanar githyanki that have declared a crusade on you. You find yourself locked in battle with all these factions, but you're in a position to play them off against each other to buy time and learn more of the events and history that led up to this conflict, and how to end it once and for all.Cool.
But fortunately, your character isn't alone in this fight. The companions in Neverwinter Nights 2 have undergone an overhaul from the first game. Not only do they play more of a crucial role in the storyline, but they also have a depth to them that you can choose to explore over the course of the game depending on your interest. They have been revised in terms of game mechanics, as well, and while you can allow them to act on their own (as a personal frustration of mine, ally spellcasters often act much smarter than my own character does in combat), you can command them and issue them direct orders, equipment transfers, and even guide their level-up decisions, as well. At times, you may even be able to convince them to change their class over the course of the game, although this may involve finishing a vision quest or two and gaining their trust through the influence system.
Our influence mechanics system is based on the one we set up for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. While Neverwinter Nights 2 does offer a range of alignment options for your good, evil, lawful, and chaotic actions, the influence system also allows for an additional level of repercussions for decisions you make that are not on the alignment axis. For example, contrasting opinions on magical theory, nature versus civilization, and even how much of a rein you put on creativity itself in light of threats you and your characters face. Each of these actions can cause your influence with certain companions to go up or down over the course of the game and govern how much they involve themselves (or leave) at certain points in the game.
Yeah, I'm glad they implemented the "Background" aspect to the character. It adds a bit of depth to your characters, and makes a bit of sense of how you interact with other characters and how they react to you.Agreed. It sounds cool -- just like how I always liked the whole "perks" stuff from Fallout's "SPECIAL" system.
This thread makes me happy.
Neverwinter Nights 2 Elite Races - Tieflings [ Comment ]
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Thanks to Obisidian Community Manager Brandon Smith for sending along part one of a feature on the "Elite Races" of Neverwinter Nights 2 where we take a look at the Tieflings. Here's a short summary on what makes them special along with some screenshots.
In Neverwinter Nights 2, not everyone is created equal. Each race has its own flavor as well as a unique set of abilities and penalties. The most powerful races actually advance in level more slowly to compensate for their incredible ability score bonuses and powers. Four of the most powerful races you can play in Neverwinter Nights 2 are the Drow, the Aasimar, the Tiefling, and the unassuming Svirfneblin.
Tiefling
What the aasimar is to celestials, the tiefling is to demons. Spawn from evil outsiders, tieflings are often persecuted by the ignorant. They are not necessarily evil, though many are, and their supernatural abilities and power cause the weak to fear them. Like the aasimar, they lack a cultural identity. Tieflings can be identified by demonic physical features, such as horns or a tail.
Stats: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Spells: Darkness
Special abilities: Darkvision, resistance to cold, fire, and electricity.
Level adjustment: +1
These elite races are just one of the many new character options available in Neverwinter Nights 2. Their unique abilities – and the corresponding handicap – make them ideal for the truly hardcore player looking for a new and exciting challenge.
10 Things to Do in Neverwinter 2Okay...
By Josh Sawyer
Lead Designer, Obsidian Entertainment
When developing a game, it's important for the developers to play the game. This might seem obvious, but it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we're making something that other people are going to use. We're making entertainment appliances, and a user's experience goes beyond what can be imagined, expressed in an area document, or visualized in an editor. It's a series of moments made up of their interactions and reactions to what the game gives them. It can't be expressed as some sort of abstracted arithmetic, despite the fact that it's composed of things that can be easily listed and understood: accessibility, curiosity, wonder, fear, anger, excitement, disappointment, satisfaction, pacing, frustration, amusement, and so on.
There will be lots to see and do in Neverwinter Nights 2, the follow-up to 2002's acclaimed RPG.
To understand why anyone would pick our game up or put it down, I set out on a three-week adventure through the highs and lows of the Neverwinter Nights 2 official campaign. There were, in fact, some lows. But, guess what, this article is meant to entice you to buy the game, so we'll skip the lows and go right to the highs. You should rest assured, though, as Obsidian's bug-fixing gnomes have constructed an antibug golem to automagically fix any and all problems I experienced during the course of my play-through. With that in mind, please join me as I recount my top 10 coolest things in the Neverwinter Nights 2 official campaign.
2. Role-Playing - When I made my character, Sass Afrass, I gave her the tale-teller background trait. I decided to role-play this by "bluffing" (lying) any time I had the [LIE] or [BLUFF] options in dialogue, regardless of how terrible the results of failure might be. I had a lot of opportunity to do this! Also, I had a lot of opportunity to fail my bluff checks because I didn't put many points into bluff. Often, people got mad at me and attacked me with magic missiles, and my character slowly started telling the truth. I think my character learned a little something about honesty and I learned a little something about life!
3. Guyven of the Road - Who is this dude? Why is he hiding in the grass all over the Sword Coast? What secrets does he know? These are mysteries you can solve if you find this discrete halfling during your travels. Then again, maybe you aren't a cool enough explorer to be Guyven's pal. Find him, before it's too late!Interesting...
5. Take Back the Streets! With Money! And Fire! - One of the routes through the game can be achieved by joining the city watch of Neverwinter. However, you can be a really corrupt watchman, which is pretty sweet. Bribery and graft are awesome! Alternately, you can side with the thugs and burn down the watch headquarters. Arson is awesome! If you're a pyromaniac with a heart of gold, you even have the option of burning down the watch headquarters and going inside to warn the residents so they don't get roasted alive. Merciful criminal torch-jobs are awesome!Sweet. :)
7. Crossroad Keep - In case you haven't been following NWN2's development, you can get a keep in the official campaign. Crossroad Keep starts out as a run-down rubble-littered dump where no one wants to live or work. By directing your staff of cool dudes, you can build it up and make it fancy again. You can recruit folks from all over the place to work at the keep, including a dimensional planes-hopping wizard and an aasimar fighter called Light of Heavens. The latter has a sister who will dance in your tavern if you can find her. What other games let you have aasimar dancers in your personal tavern, huh?! Huh?!Yay @ owning a keep! :)
The Neverwinter Nights 2 ToolsetOkay.
By Tony Evans
Senior Designer, Obsidian Entertainment
There are far too many great things about Obsidian's Neverwinter Nights 2 toolset to list in a mere developer diary, so I'll restrain myself and list only what I think are the toolset's most exciting features.
10. Waypoint Paths - The toolset has many options to allow you to create living, breathing environments with ambient life that goes about its business. Using waypoint sets is one of the simplest ways of adding ambient life to an area, and it requires no scripting. Using waypoint sets, you can diabolically make peasants walk continuous circles.I'd love to create a character named Que in my mod and just make it walk in circles forever, spitting dialogue about how his soul is being consumed in circles! :P
5. Static Cameras - Using static cameras in conjunction with Neverwinter Nights 2-style cutscenes creates impressive cinematics, such as the ones featured in the Neverwinter Nights 2 campaign. Adding a static camera is easy. Drop down the camera object and adjust its location and facing so that it points at what you want to show. You can use the preview window to see what your shot will look like in the game. Once your camera is placed, you can plug it into any dialogue node in a conversation.Sweet. :) That sounds a lot easier than NWN1's method, if you have Stageplay (which simplified cut-scene making quite a bit) mod installed.
2. Conversation Editor - There are enough cool things in the conversation editor that it could easily fill a developer diary of its own, so I will briefly describe a few or the more revolutionary things:Cool.
You can specify parameters on action and condition scripts. This means that many users can avoid having to write custom scripts of their own and can instead take advantage of the hundreds of multipurpose global scripts provided by Obsidian.
Instead of laboriously copying and pasting individual links in a conversation, you can use the "link to main question node" feature, which creates a set of several links that can be copied. The link will automatically update if you add or delete nodes in your conversation.
And if you need your NPCs to cycle through random lines of dialogue, you can use "make bark cycle" and it will automatically fill in the scripts for you.
1. Customizable Layout - If you don't like the way the toolset is laid out by default, you can change it however you like. Almost all of the windows in the toolset are mode-less, which means that you can, for example, have an area (or two or three), conversations, and scripts all open at the same time. Customizing your toolset is as simple as drag and drop. If you prefer a more streamlined appearance, you can easily hide window tabs and bring them back again with a single click.Nice..... :)
It's just a cap for the OC. There's no hard limit.
Of the millions of demons swarming the layers of the Abyss, none are more terrifying than the balor. Often in command of mighty demon armies, balors possess immense physical and magical power. With a flaming whip that can trip and disarm enemies and a massive longsword that can instantly decapitate a foe, the balor is very versatile in melee. At a distance, it can employ numerous powerful spells, from bathing opponents with a torrent of flames to dominating their minds and demanding their capitulation.Sounds cool.
The balor's two ton body looms 12 feet tall and emanates intense heat, scorching anyone unfortunate enough to touch it. They are more intelligent than the most powerful wizards and stronger than most giants. Among their wide array of powers, however, perhaps the most feared is their ability to summon forth other demons to serve them: dozens of foul dretches or even another of their kind!
In Neverwinter Nights 2, you will encounter at least one balor. Should you be fortunate enough to survive the encounter, you'll quickly find that even such a powerful being is not the worst foe you'll face...
My Balor - A Love Poem
In this empty Abyss of life
I searched for meaning,
trudging through chaos and despair
for what seemed eternity.
But then, I gazed upon your blazing
hot body.
I would never be the same.
You were alert
(+8 Spot and Listen)
and noticed me too.
You saw right through me (truly)
and quickly dispelled my fears
(quite the feat)
with a mere gesture.
I opened my mouth to speak,
but with
a single, powerful word
you stunned me
into silence.
You took the initiative (+11) and
entangled me with flames of desire.
I was disarmed
and could not escape your
hot embrace (6d6 fire damage).
You dominated me (at will),
driving me insane
with passion.
But such passion cannot last forever.
In an instant you were gone.
I thought perhaps you had
teleported away,
planning to return to me.
But then
a blinding flash of painful light
swept through my mind
severed from my body),
and I knew you were gone
forever.
I was alone again.
But I would never be the same.
for I had experienced you -
you the Balor in my Abyss.
It's definitely party-based - up to 3 companions, plus familiars/animal companions. It's more like the Knights of the Old Republic games than the original NWN in terms of party dynamics.Sweet.
Yes, you can pause and issue orders. The default companion AI is o.k., but you'll most likely want to turn it off and manually control all the party members except in easy battles. It's much more like the Knights of the Old Republic system than the original Neverwinter Nights (i.e., much improved).If it's more like the KOTOR system, than that's probably a damn good thing. :)
....
You can issue a broadcast command to tell your companions to stay in place, which is "prudent" when you're scouting for traps.
Yes, you can play the campaign in coop multiplayer.That's sweet. :)
I liked both Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind, and think Neverwinter Nights 2 and Oblivion are both improvements on their predecessors in a lot of ways.Yeah, Oblivion is definitely an improvement over Morrowind -- and I loved Morrowind. Oblivion was just amazing and fixed many of my gripes w/ Morrowind, basically.
The big change made to the engine for the original KOTOR was to move the camera perspective, to allow for horizon shots, etc. The NWN2 engine has a lot more in common with the KOTOR engine than the original NWN engine in terms of look/feel. I'm sure there's licensing reasons for the different names (which is not to diminish the considerable amount of customized work done for each game's specific engine). Anyway, trust me that when you play it, it feels a lot more like KOTOR 2 than any of those other games.I'm glad we still have that floating NWN-style camera in NWN2, an the ability to go "isometric" if we so choose.
....
You can definitely play NWN2 from a party-based, isometric perspective, if you want. It's just helpful to zoom in to give certain combat orders.
I will say that I encountered no major bugs - just a bunch of minor graphical glitches, or errors in text descriptions (and I doubt most players would have even noticed a lot of those - I just tend to do crazy things like have my weasel pull up descriptions of different enemies).Higher than Oblivion....oh, boy....
....
That said, its system requirements are even higher than Oblivion's, so it's pretty easy to get skipping around if you're playing it on settings your system can't handle. That actually seems worse walking around than in combat, however, which is good.
No, the requirements at the link you provided for NWN2 are wrong. It now requires at least a 128 MB pixel shader 2.0 video card (ATI 9700 Pro or nVidea 6600 or better), and recommends a 256 MB pixel shader model 3.0 (ATI x1600 or nVidea 6800 GT/GS).Damn.....Higher than Oblivion, eh?
That's from the box cover, which supersedes what's actually printed in the manual -- the requirements listed in the manual are even higher (1 GB system RAM/a 256 MB Video card required/2GB system RAM/512 MB video card recommended) but those were made based upon testing an unoptimized build, and so were replaced by the box cover's. In any event, the requirements are very high, and definitely higher than Oblivions.
The graphics are pretty good, but frankly I don't think those requirements are justified, and it's one of the things I dinged the game for in my review. Even worse, the first few areas are really not flattering for the graphics engine, because they're in dimly lit swamps (which are also very linear and restrictive) -- so I think some gamers will be turned off by the slow start.Sounds like it could really could use some patches, to help out w/ performance issues and all.
But this is a massive game that just gets better than better as you play it (and the graphics are definitely more impressive in later areas).
...
And to be clear, I did not "ding" the game because the system requirements were "high", but rather because the quality of the graphics don't seem to merit such requirements combined with other technical aspects of the game feeling unpolished.
That's said, and I don't really want to pre-empt my review, so I'll just say that I think it's the best game these guys have done since Planescape Torment - the story aspects, and use of the D&D system, are that good. Easily the best D&D game since BG2.
I love TOEE (even devoted another PC Gamer column to it last month), but it's obviously got its share of flaws, and has nowhere near the epic scope/grand scale of Baldur's Gate 2 - this is really the first D&D game to have a similarly huge scope.
....
NWN2 is also just a much bigger game - at least twice the size of KOTOR2.
The NPC/influence system is pulled right out of KOTOR2, but better handled this time (you're not stuck using characters you might not have developed, and there's reasons to take along all of the characters, while in KOTOR2 having an all-Jedi party was an obvious advantage). I think the more complex rules of D&D make the companion AI less self-sufficient, however - you really have to manually control these guys - so some of the technical issues drag it below KOTOR2 in some respects, but the story/dialogue stuff is very polished this time.
That's said, and I don't really want to pre-empt my review, so I'll just say that I think it's the best game these guys have done since Planescape Torment - the story aspects, and use of the D&D system, are that good. Easily the best D&D game since BG2.
I don't know what to say... those lines literally made the little hairs on neck stand up. I read the Desslock thing twice, D, thanks for this thread. :)
Atari's German reps have pointed out the German NWN2 manual is available for download. After experimenting, Avantenor let us know several others can also be accessed:
English (http://ftp://ftp.download-center.com/international/NWN2/NWN2-GB.pdf)
German (http://ftp://ftp.download-center.com/international/NWN2/NWN2-DE.pdf)
Spanish (http://ftp://ftp.download-center.com/international/NWN2/NWN2-ES.pdf)
French (http://ftp://ftp.download-center.com/international/NWN2/NWN2-FR.pdf)
Italian (http://ftp://ftp.download-center.com/international/NWN2/NWN2-IT.pdf)
Thanks, Avantenor!
My inner dork loves nothing better than building the most efficient and powerful character possible within any given ruleset, and then utilizing my hero’s power to beat up on some bad guys and probably save the world in the process. Neverwinter Nights 2, for all of its flaws, does an excellent job of providing a framework for me to indulge in that, and for that I’m grateful. I just wish that it wasn’t so freaking frustrating some of the time.Yeah, I do expect the NWN2: OC to be better than NWN1: OC -- should be, since more work went into the OC this time, since that was the focus for NWN2. NWN2 really don't need to focus much on the MP side, since it was already great from NWN1 right out the box.
With a few rare exceptions, NWN 2 is an even better translation of the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons ruleset into the virtual space than its predecessor. This title easily trumps the original NWN’s campaign with a vastly superior story and characters – not to mention the Knights of the Old Republic-like party system that takes the place of overpowered summons and hirelings.
Developer Obsidian has created one of the best single-player fantasy tales around, with numerous branching paths and side missions to explore.That sounds what I was expecting w/ NWN1.
NWN 2’s modular nature also means that you can play through the official campaign (or most any downloaded module) cooperatively with a friend or two.That's sweet. :)
The included campaign blows the first game’s story out of the water with a gripping tale of an evil cult that seeks Neverwinter’s destruction along the path to domination of all of Faerun. Players even have a decent amount of input, through the choices they make, over how the plot unfolds.I like the sound of this.
However, the gameplay has a tendency to feel disturbingly similar to the original’s clunky framework. The interface is noticeably improved, but the odd way the engine assigns attacks of opportunity, as well as the horrid pathfinding and AI for both allies and enemies, are entirely unchanged. Under the hood, NWN 2 is almost identical to the original. While that’s not the worst thing in the world, asking for a little evolution in gameplay for a five-years-in-the-making sequel isn’t exactly unreasonable.Makes sense.
The true test of this title’s worth, however, is whether or not the online mod community embraces it with the fervor that keeps its predecessor popular to this day. The tools certainly won’t hold amateur creators back; Obsidian is kind enough to ship the tools that were used internally to make the official campaign. Which, of course, makes NWN 2 one of the very best titles available for modders’ purposes.I'm betting NWN2 will be embraced by the mod community as amazingly as the original was.
All that being said, the score reflects what comes in the box: a very entertaining, classic D&D tale that will provide dozens of hours of entertainment to RPG fans, as well as some mod tools with great potential. If the online scene takes off, though, you can expect many years of outstanding gaming out of this little package.Sounds good to me.
-ADAM
As a still somewhat early impression based on around 12 hours of play, the story, characters and overall writing appear first-rate. The narrative seems suitably epic in scope; you rise from humble beginnings as an ordinary citizen of a remote village to become a mighty champion. An initial look at the editor suggests that we can probably expect to see lots of modules from the user community before very long.Sounds good to me.
ReservationsHmmmmmm....
Players who aren't familiar with the D&D 3.5 rules may find themselves facing a bit of a learning curve due to all the new races and classes. Those used to action RPGs will have to make many more decisions. The first several places you visit are all dark and gloomy, which can make them seem less different than they really are. If you use the free camera option, controlling it may not be completely intuitive.
The Bottom LineSounds good to me. I can't wait for a full NWN2 review from IGN.
Neverwinter Nights 2 will undoubtedly be compared to its distinguished predecessor. In that regard, it gives every indication of being a very worthy successor. It also deserves to be evaluated on its own merits, which appear to be more than enough to reinforce Obsidian's status as a leading CRPG developer.
[Minute Views are so named for their size and the approximate amount of time it takes to read them. They are intended to provide initial impressions only; they may be based on limited play, and do not require the use of different characters and strategies. - Ed.]Makes sense.
Neverwinter Nights 2 First ImpressionsThat's a good sign. I was not too thrilled w/ NWN1's Original Campaign (Single player).
Obsidian's monster RPG finally arrives. Our initial thoughts, direct-feed, and screens.
by Charles Onyett
October 31, 2006 - Playing Neverwinter Nights 2 is more akin to playing Baldur's Gate II or Planescape: Torment than the original Neverwinter Nights. Fully controllable and equippable party members make a return, which makes a big difference for the single player portion of the game. We'd been told a significant chunk of developmental focus was being given to making NWN2's solo campaign more involved and after playing it for around 20 hours, it's proven to be a more entertaining experience.
The game starts off in the town of West Harbor with a brief tutorial sequence centered around winning a town festival. Before long disaster strikes and the main questline is engaged. While the first Neverwinter Nights confined the player to the city of Neverwinter for a significant number of hours at its outset, the sequel gives players the freedom to hop between a number of towns before reaching the city.A little more open-ended of a world. Nice.
NWN 2 starts off after the events of the first game with the city rebuilt and refashioned since the plague. Even after reaching the city, you won't be confined within for very long. A few of the missions, depending on which questline you choose to follow, are set outside Neverwinter's walls in outlying areas. It helps keep things from getting stagnant by introducing new characters, questlines, and environments.Very nice.
You'll pick up new characters frequently as you journey across the world map. Each comes with their own history and motivations. Their stories are partially revealed when you first meet a character but are much more detailed when you take a break from adventuring to talk with them individually. Here you can ask a bunch of questions like where they came from, what they're looking for, and what they think about the game's events. So far they're all fully voiced and quite lengthy. A few conversations with our companions lasted upwards of ten minutes if we listened to all the voice acting. By talking to a certain character early on, we were even able to acquire a quest to unlock a Prestige Class.
Your own character won't pipe up with sound, you just input text responses, but his or her race will be properly identified by NPCs. Depending on who you've chosen, this can induce negative or positive reactions. As conversations with various NPCs are engaged, you'll have neutral, positive, and antagonistic response options. For instance, if someone's trying to give you a quest, you can tell them you'd be honored to accept, you expect a reward, or you think they're annoying and wish they'd shut up. Responses affect your alignment, which can sway toward good, evil, chaotic, and neutral. Depending on who you've brought along, your companions will chime in occasionally with their thoughts. If they disagree strongly with something you've said to another, they'll not only yell at you but you'll lose a point in your relationship status. Conversely, you can gain points with companions by making decisions they agree with.Sounds a lot like SW: KOTOR series and PS:T. Nice.
Though we haven't actually had anyone leave the party yet, this is apparently possible. We thought it might happen with a Druid we picked up since we kept telling NPCs to shut up or flat out killed them. She kept tagging along, though when we tried to ask her about her history she wasn't willing to divulge any personal information. Depending on how you've set up your skill point allotment, you can also try out lie/bluff, intimidation, and diplomacy conversation options to talk your way out of some battles or ingratiate yourself to certain NPCs who'd normally be more than happy to cleave your face off.That Druid character must be patient...or something, hehe.
Only four characters including yourself can be in the active party at any time. After playing for a little while, you'll have to start making decisions as to who to keep in and who to leave behind. Thankfully, NPCs not currently in the active party are stored at an inn in Neverwinter's Docks District. Should you return to the inn, the party configuration can be reorganized as you see fit. While this is convenient, we wish there was some kind of global inventory management system in the game. There are a lot of items to collect in NWN2. From magical weapons, armor pieces, and jewelry to the enormous amount of reagents required for crafting armor, potions, scrolls, and weapons, it won't take long for each character's inventory to get crowded. When switching out companions for your current party, a significant amount of time can be spent swapping them around to make sure the right items accompany the right characters.DS2 was another RPG like that -- where your inventory can get clogged up fast.
As you embroil yourself and companions in combat, they'll gain experience and level up. You're in charge of exactly how a character levels up, meaning you manually distribute and assign skill points, feats, and spells for everyone. Characters that weren't in your company while a level occurred will still level up while sitting at the inn. This means when you switch in a new character, they'll automatically be at the experience level of the other active characters. Once the previously inactive character joins, they can then be leveled up however many levels they are behind so everyone's always at the same stage of progression. This eliminates the worry of having to manage a team of characters at widely varying experience levels.Sweet!!!
How companions act on the battlefield is customizable through a behavior modification tab in the character pane. They can be set to cast spells, use items, and protect the party leader automatically, or be told to do nothing but obey your direct commands. Abilities can be executed via a quick cast popup on the left of the screen or on a skill bar at the screen's bottom. Like the previous game, the action can be paused at any time with the space bar. Spells and abilities can be queued up to make micromanagement more feasible. The game displays up to four queued actions, though more can be inputted.Okay.
So far the game seems fairly linear in its progression, though how you go about completing quests is more varied. Side quests can be picked up from a few NPCs in the early towns, though not quite on the scale of something like Baldur's Gate II (at least not yet).Okay.
What's more interesting are the multiple paths the main narrative can take. Without spoiling too much, we've come across two major instances where the plot can be affected dramatically. Some major characters can be killed, run off, or left in place, and this affects what kinds of quests are available afterwards. Once in Neverwinter, you'll be given a major choice between two paths. Choosing one precludes access to the other, meaning there's an incentive to go back through and discover what was missed. This was especially apparent when at the end of the chosen story path we unlocked a Prestige Class, which are more powerful types of character classes available only when certain conditions are met. We can't be sure what kind of Prestige Class we missed out on by passing on the other progression line, if there was one at all.Very interesting.
While there is a choice on the player's part regarding which path to follow, the path is linear once chosen. We have yet to encounter any kind of open-ended wandering to discover new quests, though this may in fact open up as we continue through the game. So far, each map area has been fairly small in terms of explorable area. It's generally just a path with a beginning and end. Even in Neverwinter, there aren't all that many side quests to pick up. We're not saying there aren't side quests, but there just don't seem to be that many. Also, the side quest goals so far are almost unavoidable as you follow the path prescribed by the main quest. The game seems more focused on the main narrative that opening up and letting the player roam the countryside in search of new adventures. We're still waiting to acquire our own stronghold, however, and like we said before, the game could open up at some point. Even if it doesn't, it's still been a lot of fun to play through so far.I hope it does open up at least somewhat, more so....
All this said, we're having a much better time with Neverwinter Nights 2's single player mode than its predecessor's. It's a lot more involved and more strategic due to the fully controllable and equippable party members, and overall more interesting in terms of what happens. It's also more dynamic, shifting the player between different settings regularly. If you're one of those gamers looking to delve into an enjoyable single player experience on your PC, this is a good choice so far. We'll have to check out more of the game to get a better idea of how things turn out.Sounds good.
Graphically the game looks pretty good, but it's not going to blow anyone away. If you're not tossing around flashy spell effects, some of the environments can look rather mundane. Though of the armor and weaponry have interesting designs, none of the character models are particularly interesting to look at. Some of the enemies, like a blade golem we fought, were much more visually engaging.Okay. NWN 1 wasn't the best looking game when it came out and it look like NWN 2 will follow in suit.
The voice acting is generally solid though some are significantly better than others. We've so far been treated to an excellent soundtrack and some especially good battle music.Sweet.
Some of the sound effects on the other hand, particularly the sound of crackling fire, come off as harsh and rudimentary.Okay.
Our experience with Neverwinter Nights 2 at this point has been hampered by a few odd bugs. There were a few instances of cutscenes not triggering, preventing our progress throughout the rest of the game and forcing a reload.Ick.
Sometimes when a cut scene triggers after a boss character has been reduced to a certain amount of health, our characters kept attacking while we were in mid conversation. As a result, it'd be a wise choice to take the game's advice it offers during loading screens: "Save early, save often."Attacking in mid-conversation....not good....
Neverwinter Nights 2 ships today. If you're an RPG fan you likely had this one on preorder, but if not, you should know that what we've played so far has been good. We'll have a full review once we've put enough hours into this monster. For now, enjoy the new screens and video viewable below.Yay!
Just picked it up at Futureshop! They had a special $15 off just for today, so it was $45 CDN (~$40 USD), so I was happy as can be ;D
I'll let you all know how it is once it's done installing :P
Well, so far so good!Sweet.
As soon as I finished installing the game, the updater detected a patch (v1.01), which was about 80mb. Obsidian has a done a good job of quickly resolving some of the bigger issues that were discussed. I haven't experienced any major issues yet.
I was expecting the camera and the game mechanics to be just like KotOR, but it's all just like NWN1! You get 4 camera modes: Top-down, Chase, Free, and Driving mode. I like having the different modes, but I really Driving mode was improved. Driving mode keeps the camera behind the selected character, close to KotOR's camera style except due to the keyboard controls it doesn't work the same way. The WASD controls are simple enough (forward, backward, rotate left and right), but I wish they had done it like KotOR where the left and right were camera relative directions rather than rotation. I think in general people would have complained less if the controls were as easy as KotOR.Can you change the controls WASD controls to where it can be strafe left and right, instead of rotate left and right???
The only issue I've experienced with the A.I. so far is that they can be a little slow. Sometimes it takes them a while to start following me, and other times it takes them a while to acknowledge that I'm in a fight and could really use their help! Other than that they're not too bad.Sounds a lot like NWN1.
I can see Gamespot's remarks on the graphics not being good enough to warrant the steep requirements. They're decent, but not ground-breaking by today's standards. Although the game is running well (probably due to the prompt patch).Glad to hear the patch improved some performance issues.
Overall I'd say the game really comes off as a super tuned-up classic NWN. It even has a lot of the same sound effects and music. Some might be pleased that it retains a lot of the classic qualities and feel of NWN, while others might be disappointed that the game didn't adopt the KotOR style. I can safely say I would have been happy either way! I'm really looking forward to adventuring in Neverwinter!I dunno', but I played the original KOTOR (I have KOTOR, just ain't began it) and NWN -- there are some things I prefer about NWN, yet other things I prefer in KOTOR.
Can you change the controls WASD controls to where it can be strafe left and right, instead of rotate left and right???There is an option for strafing, but the problem is that the camera does not affect your direction, it's just for the view. I've set it up so that A and D are strafe (the character doesn't run in that direction he simply side steps), but I still need two other keys to rotate (Q and E). I was hoping that in "Driving mode" I'd be able to point with the mouse and move with the keyboard, but the only difference between "driving mode" and any other camera mode is that the cam will always stick to the character's back. When I use the mouse to look around, as soon as I move the camera resets. So the only complaint I have is that the controls are either point & click or keyboard only. You can't have a mouse+keys combo like in KotOR. It's funny because it completely devalues the "driving" camera mode. It's kind of a disappointment, but I've been playing the game just like classic NWN anyway.
Have you played w/ the Toolset yet????Not yet, but I plan to take a look at it soon.
Wow...that doesn't make the character creation system sound as robust as like say an Oblivion. Even The Godfather has a better system w/ the looks department, it sounds like....Yeah, the visual side of character creation is no better than the original NWN. The only new addition is the 'hair highlights' and everything else is just like before, except no body types. I'm really, really unimpressed with it, and it's like a nagging itch at the back of my mind. I wasn't expecting anything as complex as Oblivion's character creation (that one competed with the Sims!), but at least something that could let me build MY character MY way would be nice. The Godfather's character creator was great too!
So, yeah -- how's the game itself going???
How is the story itself???? And the interaction w/ other NPC's -- namely, how's the dialogue, voice-acting, and writing itself???????
Yeah, the visual side of character creation is no better than the original NWN. The only new addition is the 'hair highlights' and everything else is just like before, except no body types. I'm really, really unimpressed with it, and it's like a nagging itch at the back of my mind. I wasn't expecting anything as complex as Oblivion's character creation (that one competed with the Sims!), but at least something that could let me build MY character MY way would be nice. The Godfather's character creator was great too!I was shocked at, of all games, The Godfather's character creator, for the character's look. You can really mold it to look like yourself or anyone you pretty much can dream up, if you try to.
Anyway, the game itself is fantastic. The voice acting is great, although you may come across a few annoying voices, they're still well-performed. The story seems to be quite compelling so far. Seems to have some pretty solid writing.Glad to hear that. :)
I guess I wouldn't say NWN2 is 'better' than the original. The only thing that is dramatically different are the graphics. The UI and inventory system have been redone as well, and while I like the inventory's almost unlimited space (now the limitation is based on weight), I don't like the new and apparently "cheap" item graphics. Every item only uses a single slot now, which is fine, but the icons just look like cheap (and often ambiguous) graphics. I find myself opening the inventory and feeling confused way too often. To top it off, when you highlight an item you only see its name and cost, to see its properties you have to right-click and Examine it.DS2 was better on that -- highlight an item, you see its properties, enchantments, and everything.
Thanks to that you can compare items side by side!That's cool.
Which is pretty retarded! Half the time I can't tell which item is "better" and I just go by price.That's not so good.
Besides that the UI doesn't scale; it looks like it was made for pretty high resolutions. I'm currently playing at 1024x768 and it feels like it's bulking up on the screen. I tried running at 1280x1024, it looks and fits a lot better, but the game performance cost is noticeable. The interface and inventory give the game a very cheap and underdeveloped feel, which is a shame especially when compared to the original NWN which practically oozed quality!When it comes to interface, more games need to take lessons from Dungeon Siege 2. I love the way the game sorts Journal Entries -- divides it up by Act number, whether it's a Primary Versus Secondary, etc etc. They even suggest what Level you should be to take a quest on.
Don't get me started on the texture quality.. Let's just say KotOR's (1 & 2) textures were of significantly higher quality.Wow....and I'm not super thrilled w/ KOTOR 1's graphical quality, technically.....Hmmm.....
I think Obsidian did a great job developing the story and system of the game, but a horrible job developing the visual side (on all the visual fronts). The more I play the more bugs I notice, but they're mostly visual issues (i.e. helmets/hats don't show on party members, and when I wear a hat my character's ponytail is now ridiculously long, etc.). They seem to be tiny bugs that can be resolved with patches. The game is great, but I feel like I always have to look past the visual flaws to enjoy it.That's a bummer.
EDIT:Actually, I'm glad BioWare didn't -- b/c they should be making their own IP's and not worrying about other poeple's licenses -- like Hasbro and LucasArts, who they got into some arguements w/; LucasArts b/c Bioware wanted to release a Toolkit for KOTOR (L.A. said "No") and Hasbro wanted them to tone down the Witch's Wake content so it wasn't so "evil and risque."
I really wish Bioware developed NWN2.
Sorry MyD, I had a typo in there.. I meant to say "Thanks to that [Examine item window] you cannot compare items side by side."Bummer.
I agree that DS2 did a great job with their interface all-round.Yeah, now they need to make a DS3 w/ lots of improvements to make it more of an RPG/action game rather than an action/RPG.
The journal in NWN2 is not bad, but the remainder of the UI is ~meh. I also realized that most of the windows will require a bit of scrolling.Is the journal a lot like NWN1's Journal???
The way Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age are turning out is exactly why I wish Bioware did NWN2! They would have done an exemplary job!Now I understand what you mean.
Like I mentioned in the review thread, it just feels like Obsidian were trying to imitate Bioware's effort in NWN1, rather than actually making NWN2 unique and innovative. I have to agree that it is nice to see Bioware coming up with their own amazing creations.I think Obsidian/ex-BIS's expertise has always relied on the storytelling and role-playing side of things. See Planescape: Torment and Fallout, as my example. Also, I think what helped w/ Planescape was that even though it was on Bioware's Infinity engine (which powered the BG games), the game was something different entirely from the rest of Bioware's stuff, graphically and roleplaying-wise.
Considering the only two games I've played for Obsidian are KotOR II and NWN2, I'm not impressed. KotOR II was basically KotOR (exactly the same graphics too) with a slightly different story, and a bit of an influence system. Granted it was a good game (though not GREAT like the original), it was not 'unique' and didn't step further away from the original KotOR. The least they could have done was give it a graphical facelift.About graphics, eh -- not the most important thing, to me.
Now that I see how NWN2 turned out, I don't really care to see any more titles from Obsidian. They're just going to plagiarize off Bioware again. I'd rather wait for Bioware titles.
ProsSounds good to me.
Exhaustive character options; well-written, engrossing story; sprawling original campaign.
ConsMeh...
Some significant technical issues; performance isn't quite up to par.
If you're the kind of person that pines for the sort of dialog-rich, statistically-sprawling computer RPGs that are all but extinct in the modern gaming landscape, then Neverwinter Nights 2 is exactly kind of game that will get your blood pumping. Don't mind its name -- apart from the DIY ethos encouraged by the packaged toolset, the game has much more in common with Baldur's Gate than it does with the original Neverwinter.Oooooh....I loved BG.
The options for character development are staggering, and the game's adherence to the D&D 3.5 Edition ruleset is impressive (as are the liberties that were taken to make certain rules and mechanics fit better in the context of a CRPG). Only a handful of technical issues ranging from serious (some yet-to-be fixed potentially show-stopping bugs) to chronically annoying (a clunky interface and an overall low level of performance) serve as blemishes marring the countenance of an otherwise stellar game.Bleh @ technical issues and some nasty bugs.
The one key way in which Neverwinter Nights 2 deviates from its predecessor is in the level of control you have over your NPC companions. Instead of giving you full control of your main character and relegating the rest to the AI, you now have complete say as to what they do in every round of combat. You can also guide their progression as you see fit, to a certain point -- unlike your main character, your companions' multi-classing options are limited by the nature of their backstories. On the plus side, most of the characters that join up with you have cool stories of their own, and if you work towards nurturing your relationships with them, you can open up a bunch of cool side-quests, which sometimes lead to greater options in regards to their development.Sweet @ the sound controlling some of the party members' direction and them having their own side quests.
If you prefer to not worry too much about what they're doing, you can set your companions' combat behaviors to very precise levels, dictating, for instance, how frugal they are with spells and consumable items. Conversely, if you want total control, you can set your party members to "puppet mode," which prevents them from doing anything unless you command them to. Either way you approach it, combat in Neverwinter Nights 2 is strategic, deep and satisfying, and acquiring new, powerful abilities with which to dispatch large numbers of enemies is always exciting."Puppet mode" sounds cool -- and probably like in BG when you can turn the "Party AI off."
As you'd expect, the more seasoned of an adventurer you become, the more treasure you'll amass. But Neverwinter Nights 2 takes this Monty Hall sensibility to a whole other level. Frequently, you'll come out of an adventure with your bags literally bursting at the seams with treasure that is actually good, but due to the game's lack of an effective item-management system, most of it goes unused. Invariably, you end up selling a majority of the stuff you acquire, and as a result, you usually have more gold than you know what to do with.Sounds like DS2 and its expansion -- I found lots & lots of loot, but sold most of it b/c it was useless to me.
Later in the game, your character acquires a keep, and though the process of refurbishing and fortifying it acts as an effective money sink, chances are you'll already be filthy rich at that point. You'll occasionally run across a vendor with some really cool stuff, but most often they'll serve simply as a means to clean out your inventory. Perversely enough, the nature of the game's crafting system actually scares you into keeping a lot of stuff that you never end up using. While the system is deep, it's incredibly unwieldy and requires you to cross-reference recipes and reagents to a degree that is ultimately discouraging. A system that sorts your party's inventory in a convenient way would go a long way towards remedying this. But as it stands, Neverwinter Nights 2 forces you to play quartermaster just a tad too much.I like how Oblivion sorted Inventory, myself.
Much of Neverwinter Nights 2's long-term appeal hinges on just how enthusiastically the community will ultimately embrace the toolset. As you might expect, the scene is a little barren at this point; a few groups are hard at work developing persistent-world servers for the game, but most are in their nascent forms. Given the nature of the work involved, it's probably safe to assume that it will be a couple of months before the community is truly thriving.Probably my guess, too.
Among the many concerns facing prospective world builders and Dungeon Masters is the lack of out-of-the-box functionality for downloading the files needed to run this aftermarket content. Right now, players wishing to jump into a custom module will have to download it directly from the web, which usually ends up preventing the less savvy from even experiencing this aspect of the game. In the end, for all intents and purposes, most of the multiplayer action going on now is comprised of groups of players playing the packaged campaign cooperatively.Okay.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to talk about Neverwinter Nights 2 without mentioning the performance issues that marred it at launch, and are as of yet unresolved. During our review, we encountered a fairly serious bug that we described at length last week in our updated Out of the Box piece. At press time, Obsidian is yet to release an update that addresses this issue, though they have offered a workaround that seems to remedy it in most cases.Ok.
A more pervasive issue, however, is the game's shaky performance. Currently, it's hard to make the game run at an acceptable clip unless you tone down some of the more flashy graphics options. Even with everything turned on, the game doesn't look particularly astounding; it's serviceable enough, though you're not likely to be very impressed, especially if you run it at a level that will grant decent performance.Meh.
Finally, the game's camera takes a good deal of getting used to, and even once you're fully acclimated, you'll find yourself wishing a simple mouselook feature had been implemented.Maybe it's something a patch can change....
It says something that, despite these technical issues, we found it very hard to tear ourselves away from Neverwinter Nights 2 long enough to actually write this review. Just like its acclaimed spiritual predecessors, the game is wholly engrossing and begs to be explored. Rare is a game with such meaningful and varied character development, and the plethora of options available will guarantee that many players will want to indulge in its experience from the point of view of several different types of characters. Neverwinter Nights 2 is one of the best RPGs we've played in a long time -- bugs and performance issues be damned.Sweet.
Oh yeah man. The game is great, and here's a weird little bug I discovered which actually enhanced my gameplay :P For some reason when I switched the graphic quality level to high (high res textures, normal map terrain, soft shadows, etc.) the game performance improved noticeably! I don't know what it is exactly, but after playing with the resolution and detail options I got it to run better. The high res textures are definitely nicer too (very crisp).Sweet.
I don't get all the complaints about the camera. It's fine. It's like the original NWN + the camera hack. The 3rd party camera hack that people loved so much, and ultimately revealed that there was no sky in NWN, which lead Bioware to add a sky for the expansions. I don't understand why they're complaining about it "no mouse look" there is one! Just hold the middle-mouse button just like most other games with similar perspective.Many isometric games use "middle mouse" for manipulating the camera, like Black & White 2, Dungeon Siege 2, and even The Movies....
The only complaint I'd make about the "mouse look" is in the Driving mode camera; even though you can use the mouse to look around your character you can't use it to set your direction, instead you have to use the keyboard keys to rotate you character's direction.Sweet. :)
Obsidian did a great job of bringing everything people loved from the original NWN + expansions. The capes and cloaks look great too, and they react to your movement.
There is one little weird thing: for some reason helmets/hats/masks don't appear on my party members, only my character. It is being argued in the Bioware NWN2 forum (the official forum, Bioware is very supportive of Obsidian:)); some people say it's a bug, and others say it was deliberate in order to always show the faces of your companions (which doesn't make sense to me). Personally, I think it's a bug that needs to be resolved.Maybe there should be an option in the game options -- a "Show Head" Armor" On and Off switch.
I'm really enjoying it either way. The only thing is that I hate the way my character looks.. Ok "hate" might be a little strong, but I'm not happy with the character design options. I checked the females as well, and man, they're most fairly ugly wenches.. I thought I was unimpressed with the character design until I saw how completely PISSED OFF other people were about it (especially with the female characters). I think that's the only thing Obsidian totally fudged up.. The visual side of the game ~meh, but the character design really got a lot of miffed. I expect the community will eventually pump in some great character mods. When that happens, I'll eventually create a new character (unless I can find a way to modify the appearance of my current one).Sweet.
Hehe, a lot of people have suggested the 'switch headgear on/off' as an option rather than forcing one way or the other. Although it looks like the majority agree that if they had to be forced they'd rather have the headgear visible.
Well, I paid $45 (Canadian) and it was well worth it! Especially considering the full price is $60 CDN :P So $25 USD is a pretty sweet deal.
I see they got patch 1.03 coming soon, too.Oh yeah, and it's a great thing indeed! Apparently patch 1.03 will also include some new features.
Obsidian seems to be banking patches out for it left and right....which is a good thing.
Oh yeah, and it's a great thing indeed! Apparently patch 1.03 will also include some new features.
There are definitely quite a few side quests. Not quite as varied or numerous as Oblivion's collection of side quests, but there's a fair amount.That's still good. A fair amount sounds good to me.
The main difference being that the side quests in NWN2 will often have some effect on your main quest.Ooooh...interesting....
If you come across a side quest and choose to aid someone, they may come to your aid later; adversely if you choose not to help (or to actively obstruct) it may come back to bite you. I'd give specific examples but they could be major spoilers :PThat sounds pretty damn sweet, to me.
Are there any just plain ole side quests that have just nothing to do w/ the main quest???
Neverwinter Nights 2Sounds good.
Your next quest: finish designing the game!
Platform: PC
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
ESRB Rating: N/A
Genre: RPG
by Jeff Green 11/13/2006
Neverwinter Nights 2 is about two patches away from being a good game. Obsidian Entertainment crafts a fine single-player campaign in this sequel to BioWare's groundbreaking 2002 Dungeons & Dragons RPG, but due to a host of annoying performance issues and bewildering design decisions, you're going to need a lot of patience and good hardware karma before you can fully appreciate it.
The first NWN was hailed mostly for its toolset that let gamers create their own D&D campaigns. BioWare's own campaign, on the other hand, kind of blew. This time around, BioWare enlisted the aid of Obsidian, longtime collaborators and D&D veterans (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Icewind Dale 2, and Planescape: Torment, among others), and the result -- in terms of story telling, characters, and quests -- is a much more engaging single-player experience.
Obsidian's campaign doesn't break new ground (Uh oh! Something evil is happening in the Forgotten Realms!), but it's done with much humor, intelligence, and love and respect for the wonky fantasy geekfest that is D&D.Sweet.
This is an old-fashioned RPG, where brains take precedence over twitch skills, and success is largely determined by the understanding of a rule set that only a genius or a 13-year-old could fully comprehend. Not that the game's inaccessible -- in fact, Obsidian did a nice job of demystifying D&D for newbies (a friendly 175-page manual helps), while the relatively linear plot and simple side quests keep you moving along and leveling up at a good, strong pace.Okay.
Obsidian wisely increased the first game's one-companion limit up to four, giving you a full, controllable party...as it always should be in D&D. The NPCs that join you are the usual assortment of fantasy clichés (the dwarf is grumpy!), but again, the strong writing makes it work -- even if none of the characters quite rise to Minsc-level greatness. Your actions and decision-making influence your party's loyalty to you and affect elements of the plot, and a healthy injection of moral ambiguity ensures that not all of those decisions are easy to make.Sounds pretty good to me.
Dummies and laggin'Uh oh....
All of this is great -- and if the review ended here, we could all sing "Kumbaya" together in happy harmony.
But the sad truth is that NWN2 shipped in a pretty messy state, and even after a couple patches (as of this writing), the biggest problems remain. In general, and depending on your system and your tolerance, you're going to spend a lot of time upfront basically doing the job the developers should have done before shipping the game: fixing the weak A.I., futzing around with the graphics options and camera controls, and resetting basic gameplay options until the thing is playable. And good luck with all of that, because not all of it is easily done (or even possible).He makes it sound like Beta-in-a-box.
Obsidian's touting an updated graphics engine, but what exactly is new about it is hard to discern...other than that it runs like crap, even on high-end systems. I played the game on two different gaming PCs, and in both cases had to suffer, at times, through slideshow speed and terrible stuttering even with almost all the graphics options turned off and running in a ludicrous 800x600 resolution -- simply unacceptable performance, especially for an RPG that still looks about two years old no matter what supposed "enhancements" were made. Comparing the uninspired and featureless character models and environments here to a game like Company of Heroes, it's impossible to see (literally!) what the heck's bogging this game down.Memory leak maybe?
Matters are made worse by the camera, which you can configure four ways...all of which suck, as no matter what you choose, you'll find your view obstructed by walls (which can't be made transparent) and other characters. Half of my combat experience in NWN2 was marred by fighting the camera when I should have been fighting the enemy.Ick.
And actually, when I wasn't fighting the camera, I often fought my own party members' A.I. If they weren't being thrown off by bad pathfinding, then they were blundering ahead and casting inappropriate spells, targeting the wrong enemies, or just generally getting in the way. The solution is there: Turn off the A.I. entirely and micromanage every character.Yay @ BG style micromanaging! I always liked controlling my entire party.
The solution is there: Turn off the A.I. entirely and micromanage every character. But why doesn't it default to that?Good question.
Other bizarre design choices abound. Where's the ability to pause combat automatically after every round?I dunno if that's a big deal, myself....
Why's it so hard to target yourself or friendly party members? Why are so many of the interface components -- for spellcasting, item crafting, merchant selling, among others -- so cumbersome and non-intuitive?I wonder if Obsidian is working on changing the Interfaces.
The net result of all of this -- performance, camera, A.I., interface -- severely sours the experience and tests the patience of those who simply want to boot the game and play. Who wants to work this hard to have fun?I guess Jeff Green doesn't, hehe.
Wait awhileWe've seen Gothic 3 and NWN 2 have issues upon rtheir elease; both are some of the biggest RPG's to hit this year on the PC. It really makes me kind of sad b/c from what reviewers have said on both, technical issues are what have hurt these games; nothing else. It sounds like that these games should've been given more time from the developer, instead of kicking them out the door too early....
The future success of Neverwinter Nights 2 will depend, in the short term, on Obsidian and Atari patching the game...and then, as with the first game, on the fan community to provide modules of their own. In the latter, at least, we have faith. But in its current state, and for those who just want a single-player RPG, this is recommended to D&D diehards only, who are probably the only ones with enough goodwill to slog through the problems. Everyone else -- wait awhile. A great RPG is in here somewhere; it's just not ready yet.
8. What are all the user interface changes have been made to the game? And can you talk more about the new control scheme that allows for a more RTS approach and how it is incorporated into the game and used?More games should make the GUI that modifiable and skinnable.
[Anthony Davis] First of all, the GUI is modifiable and skinnable. The community has already released several modified versions of the GUI, including bigger hotbars and vertical hotbars.
[Davis] The radial menu was replaced with a context sensitive menu. This is very similar to a regular Windows™ context sensitive menu. In other words, when I bring up the context menu on a game object, my only options that are allowed are the ones that are actually applicable for that object.Okay.
The Quickcast Screen is a new GUI screen we added that allows spellcasters to *VERY* quickly access all their prepared spells and cast them. This even works with the new prestige class, the Warlock, and allows for combining of essences and shapes very quickly.
The hotbar system was revamped to bring it in line with modern games. Every party member now has their own hotbar with up to 120 buttons. The buttons are accessible both with a mouse click and with a key press (1 through ‘=’). Players can rapidly change the hotbar they are on by pressing ‘shift’ plus the corresponding number.Well....that's pretty sweet!
We added a fourth camera to the game, the free camera, which allows the player to move their camera around freely without being attached to their controlled character. Most players will recognize this as the same type of camera from many RTS games and the Infinity engine games.Xessive, how is the free camera mode....? ??
5. Are there any new prestige classes and if so what are they and their traits/how they'll be used in the game? The Warlock seems particular interesting. What kind of spells and such will he wield?Very nice.
[Jeff Husges] The warlock is a new base class where the character is born of a supernatural bloodline. Unlike a wizard or cleric who can only cast a limited number of spells per day, the warlock can use his powers at will. His primary power is the eldritch blast, a ray of raw magical energy which increases in strength as the warlock gains levels. Warlocks also have access to a small number of other powers which he can use to shape his eldritch blast (turning it into a cone instead of a ray, for example) or surround himself with an energy shield which deflects ranged attacks. A warlock is only allowed to learn a few of these supernatural powers so he must choose them carefully.
Seven new prestige classes have been added to Neverwinter Nights 2 - Arcane Trickster, Duelist, Neverwinter Nine, Shadow Thief of Amn, Eldritch Knight, Frenzied Berserker, and Warpriest. The Arcane Trickster is a mix of wizard and rogue, using his magical powers for larceny or mischief.Ooooh...I like the sound of a magical thief....
I'm just waiting anxiously for patch v1.03.
GREAT NEWS, Xessive!!!Oooh You Sexy Muthafukka! That is great news! I'm glad Urquhart is taking on the task first-hand! It's always reassuring to the fans when the CEO gets down and dirty, and it looks like there may be some pleasant surprises in the near future as well!
Expect Patch 1.03 sometime BEFORE Thanksgiving weekend!!!
(Sometime next week!) (http://nwvault.ign.com/fullstory.php?id=23450)
I wonder what will be changed, fixed, and added w/ Patch 1.03.....Obsidian are being a little secretive about it. All they've said on the forums so far is that it "includes a lot of bug fixes, improvements and even some new features (particularly on the DM Client side... database support, anyone?"
New Features
General
• Weapon combos in hotbar: Added the ability to set up dual weapon, weapon & shield, or weapon & torch combos in the hotbar. Clicking the hotbar button for a weapon you already have equipped will unequip it.
• Camera Changes: We’ve made a series of camera changes to this version:
o New options for adjusting sensitivity for controlling the camera by keyboard, mouse, and edge of screen.
o Chase Cam adjusted to work more like NWN1.
o In free cam mode, the arrow keys now pan the camera, and holding down CTRL will zoom and yaw the camera.
o Added bindable keyboard key for mouse look / camera control. This mimics functionality of pressing down the middle mouse button for those without a middle mouse button.
• Graphics Optimizations: A number of new graphics optimizations have been added:
o Anti-Aliasing Support: Anti-aliasing is now supported and can be enabled in the Options Menu. Please note: This could significantly affect frame rate, depending on your hardware.
o Shadow Rendering: Shadow rendering speed has been improved.
o Tree Rendering: Speed improvements to the rendering of trees.
o Water Rendering: Speed improvements to how water is rendered by the engine.
• New Options:
o Buy/Sell Confirmation: You can now turn off the buy/sell confirmation dialog.
o Options menu has been reorganized to support many new camera control options.
o You can now change keybindings in game.
• Database Support:
o The database script functions from NWN1 have been re-enabled. They are now significantly faster in many cases.
Multiplayer
• Improved /t style chat.
DM Client
• Added initial support for hotbar buttons and context menus.
• Added in party bar. It will only list the connected players in the game and not who is in your faction.
• You can now hover over menu items in the Chooser instead of having to click on them first.
• “Very Easy” difficulty option has been restored.
• The DM chat channel is once again available via the /dm prefix.
Scripting
• EffectWildshape() – New function for Wildshape effect.
• GetEncumbranceState () - Added script function to get the encumbrance state of a given player
• GetPlayerCreatureExamineTarget() - Added script function to get the current creature examine target for a player
• PackCampaignDatabase() – A new database feature to NWN2, this will pack the campaign database and purge deleted records from a database.
• GetPlayerTargetObject() – New script function to get the current selected target object for a given player.
• UnlinkDoor() – New script command to turn an area transition door into a normal door.
• Database support has been added, including new PackCampaignDatabase() function.
Toolset
• Added a load screen image previewer.
• Added item icon previewer.
• Area names and tags now default to the area’s file name for new areas.
• The spell tab now shows multiple instances of spells, so creatures can have multiple instances of a spell with different metamagic types.
• Right-clicking while placing tiles now rotates the tile.
• The first column and row of the 2DA viewer are now pinned, making it easier to use.
• Changes on item blueprints will now be propagated to items in creature or placeable inventories, or that are equipped on creatures.
• Added new option to the File menu that allows the user to compile only currently open scripts.
• There is a new panel in the script editor that allows the user to insert scripts from the NWN2Toolset\Templates folder into the current script.
• Script search functionality changed to bring up all results in one result window and the user can double-click to open up that search result.
• Item cost calculations added to the item properties.
• New visual style.
• Doors now have a flag that allows them to render an invisible area transition (aka an invisible "black door.") This is adjustable in the toolset. This is to address concerns with the “black area” behind open doors and how silly it looked on open gates in the middle of Neverwinter, etc.
• When users enter a string ref, they can also check a box to say that the string ref is from the custom file and the string returned will be from that file instead of the main .tlk table.
• Feminine versions of strings are now editable.
• Hex values can now be used as string references within 2DAs. This makes it easier to use custom TLK files with 2DAs.
• The script editor runs faster and uses less memory.
General
• Animal Companions, Familiars, and Summoned Creatures are now unsummoned when a roster member is being despawned. This will address problems where companions can become familiars on transitions.
• Some minor adjustments to the pathing system to prevent characters from being put into illegal areas.
• Split out Armored Caster feat into class specific feats for Bards and Warlocks to properly apply spell failure percentages. This will allow users who add new classes to give them specific armored casting ability easily.
• Some minor fixes to drop shadow rendering.
• The debug DirectX check has been removed – some users had problems running the game, even without the DirectX SDK being installed.
• The game would crash when a module with more than 16,000 objects was loaded.
• Fixed a memory leak related to grass that would occur in certain areas.
Multiplayer
• Fixed issue when a player was resurrected by another player, the “respawn” button would stay up on their screen, and could be used to restore life and remove effects.
DM Client
• Added larger “+” buttons for the Chooser and Creator to make them easier to click on.
• Fixed some issues with keymapping.
• Player list is used instead of the party list when displaying party members on the minimap and areamap.
• DM’s can now area transition while possessing something and the entire faction doesn’t come with them.
• Fixed issue with trying to possess a creature in a different area than the one the DM is currently standing in.
• Fixed mouse action target for Dungeon Masters, so they don't start conversations with everyone. Also fixed highlight, so they can't always highlight themselves.
• DM can now move around while game is paused.
• Moved feats granted to a DM character from being hard-coded to a new flag in the feat.2da, "DMFeat". If it's marked as 0, the DM doesn't get it; as 1, he does.
• NWN database bug: Variables names are now properly truncated to 32 characters in all cases.
Effects/Spells
• If weapon trails are disabled in the options menu, hit and parry visuals are disabled as well.
• Character validation was not taking Spellcasting Prodigy into account for a number of spells wizards learn at first level.
• You no longer get max spells after unequipping an ability boost item, then an extra spell slot item. Also, changed extra spell slot items so that they only grant extra spell slots if you are capable of casting spells of that level.
• Neutralize Poison should not remove Disease and Ability Decrease effects.
• Lowered Frenzy damage to 6 per round.
• You can no longer recover traps with DC 20 or higher if you do not have the Trapfinding feat. If you try to disarm or recover a DC 20+ trap without Trapfinding, you will receive feedback that success is never possible; it is still possible to suffer a critical failure and have the trap go off on you. You can still flag, examine, and set a trap of any DC without Trapfinding; you can also always disarm or recover a trap you set yourself.
• EffectShareDamage() was not actually applying damage to the caster.
• Some fixes to global scripts on how spells affect NPCs, etc., in Hardcore mode.
• Finger of Death affects players in multiplayer mode now.
• Heal spells no longer call a touch attack when cast on undead.
• The Mass Inflict Line of spells now properly call a will save instead of a Fort save.
• The Mass Inflict Line of spells have now been updated to have the same behavior as Mass Inflict Light Wounds in regards to target discrimination and undead.
• Mass Inflict Light Wounds no longer harms hostile undead. Neither will it heal them. The healing effect is only applied to friendly undead.
• Casting Mage Armor on a character who already has Improved Mage Armor applied will no longer remove the stronger spell.
• Improved Mage Armor now correctly provides +6 AC rather than +8.
• The duration on Tymora’s Smile has been corrected.
• The spells Foundation of Stone, Body of Sun, Jagged Tooth, Tortoise Shell, Swamp Lung, Storm Avatar, and Nature's Avatar now properly apply their metamagic abilities.
• Tymora's Smile is now self-cast only.
• Crafting wands, potions, and scrolls was not working for many spells. All spells should now craft properly.
• Soothing Light will now auto-cast when selected.
• Guarding the Lord will now only target other creatures.
• Warlock Darkness now has the same targeting UI as arcane Darkness.
• Mass Heal now has a range of "close."
• The Mass Cure line of spells now uniformly have a range of "close."
• Old behavior for Bigby's 3 was causing some creatures to become paralyzed rather than immobilized in order to simulate grappling. This allowed them a chance to break out on a will save. The paralysis effect has been replaced with an immobilization effect.
• Prismatic Spray was always petrifying, rather than applying a random effect. This is fixed.
• Web and Greater Shadow Conjuration/Web now have the same targeting UI.
• Greater Fireburst will no longer damage the caster on hardcore difficulty.
• Fireburst will no longer harm the caster.
• Iron Horn now properly uses a cone shape instead of a sphere.
• Foundation of stone was calculating its duration in seconds rather than rounds. This has been fixed.
• Magic Fang and Greater Magic Fang now can be applied to any animal, beast, or vermin. This includes wildshaped druids.
• Missile Storm will no longer target friendlies on hardcore mode.
• Bombardment now knocks down targets on a failed save.
• Blade Barrier now plays a species specific blood spray when it damages a target.
• Destruction now checks the target for death immunity.
Items
• Changed Holy Avenger bonus damage from 1d6 to 2d6 vs. evil.
Scripting
• AttemptToDisarmTrap() - Returns FALSE if character cannot path to trap instead of assuming they don't have the skill points to do so.
• GetArmorRank - Returns whether an equipped item is ARMOR_RANK_NONE, _LIGHT, _MEDIUM, or _HEAVY
• GetSpellLevel() wasn’t taking cleric domains into account. This has been fixed.
• GetWeaponType() – Lets Keen Edge spell also affect piercing weapons.
• TalentSpellFilter() – This has been standardized in regards to Keen Edge and Weapon of Impact.
• Added script command gr_character_xml run from console that will export character data in XML format to the log.
• Fixed X2_inc_switches constant that was causing the override spellscript and the tagbased script prefix to overwrite each other.
• NPC casters can no longer affect themselves with AOE spells in Hardcore+ difficulty
• NPCs of non-opposed factions can no longer affect each other with AOE spells in Hardcore+ difficulty
• Added additional effects and fixed parameter listing for ga_effect.
Crafting
• 'Medalion of Thought' recipe now gives that item instead of the 'Talisman of Pure Evil'
• The 'Armor of Arrow Deflection' recipe now gives the correct effect and not 'Spell Specialization: Abjuration' on the Armor enchanted
• 'Invulnerable Armor' recipe now give Damage Reduction Effect
• 'Posion Weapon' recipe now give poison effect
• The 'Armor of Spell Resistance' recipes now gives spell resistance effect.
• Crafted wands, and scrolls now give the correct class restrictions based on class spell lists.
• Wands and potions now take into account the class and level of the caster for determining if the max spell level is surpasses instead of using the innate level of a spell.
• removed item cast at item restriction for spell storing devices (wands, potions, scrolls)
• Reduced cost of 0 level spells for wands, potions, and scrolls by half
• Added warlock darkness crafting recipes for Gold Filigree Charm and Infernal Focus
• Number of charges for newly crafted wand now defaults to 50.
Interface
• Fixed a bug where screen edge turning was frame rate dependent, making the camera behave differently based on graphics settings or area.
• Fixed a few minor bugs with mouse selection.
• Save game name will now show up properly when overwriting savegames.
• Fixed issue where gaining bonus feats from items were not causing a refresh of the character sheet.
• The character ‘ø’ has been added to our fonts.
• Context Menu Delay slider and Weapon trail Option are now properly saved and read in correctly.
• You can no longer resize on of the multiplayer chat windows offscreen.
• You can now click past feat selection if you have no feats to select. You lose that feat pick permanently. This was added so characters with low stats in core abilities could process through level up.
Toolset
• Turning off fog along with the “use area far plane” option now works correctly, and will render the area up to the far plane specified in the Graphics section of the Options screen.
• Oriented billboards in visual effects will now render correctly in the toolset.
• Weapon scaling now looks correct in the toolset.
• Fixed a bug with the script and conversation search windows stealing focus.
• Fixed a bug with changes to spells not getting saved if the active tab was changed before changes were applied.
• Level 9 spells are now saved correctly for creatures.
• Font preferences are now saved correctly.
• Fixed a bug where docking windows would snap closed if a drop-down box was used while they were shown.
• Reduction in memory pre-allocation by half. This should address some customer reported issues with the toolset crashing on load.
• Some improvements to script editor speed and reductions in memory usage.
• Fixed a bug where placed instances of stores weren't copying the "infinite" flag for items.
• Fixed memory leak when erasing grass.
• Fixed issue for non-English versions where some required toolset preferences were not being loaded.
• Module variables are now displayed under the “Scripts” category.
• Fixed bug where turning off light spheres would turn off sound spheres.
• Focus wouldn’t change properly when clicking on the propertygrid or the blueprint view. Fixed.
• Fixed crash when trying to modify prefabs in the universal blueprint changer.
• Fix for an exception that could be thrown if a journal was modified from code (like a plugin.)
• Fixed inability to modify camera orientation, Orientation has been re-enabled.
• Some fixes to toolset memory management to improve stability.
• Floating windows that are offscreen will be moved back onscreen on startup.
• Newly-created blueprints will have their template property set to the same name as the blueprint.
• Fixed a bug where creating new item blueprints, assigning them to a creature or placeable, and then immediately placing the creature or placeable would result in the item having incorrect properties.
• Fixed a bug in the script editor where certain NWN-specific data types would confuse the parameter info display.
• Using the “Find All” button in the script search window now displays all results in a popup window. Users can select the matching script/line they want to view.
• An estimated value for the cost of an item (before appraise rolls etc) has been added to the properties of items.
• Updated look and feel of the tab controls.
• Fixed a bug with the “Save” button in the world map editor. It will no longer corrupt map images
Any interface fixes?A few, the most notable being the double-wielding on the hotbar.
What about graphical changes? The fact that weapons and items aren't properly represented on party members?Oh, they haven't mentioned anything about that except the notorious "headgear issue." I've been on the forefront of that thread on the official forum, and here's a basic summary:
Oh, they haven't mentioned anything about that except the notorious "headgear issue." I've been on the forefront of that thread on the official forum, and here's a basic summary:
-Most fans not impressed with headgear not showing up on their companions.
-Devs admit it was the result of poor planning on their part. PC and NPC heads were build completely differently.
-Some fans now saying they prefer it like this and they want a way to switch off headgear from the PC! [WTF??!!]
The appearance of weapons and armour is fine, but I noticed the flaw there is in their inventory icons. A lot of them are recycled and often have nothing to do with the appearance of the actual item. Compared to other RPG's NWN2 has a very limited amount of items, so you'd expect them to be refined and have unique icons!That's odd.
The good news is the UI is customizable, so as soon as I figure out how to modify the icons I'm making my own set! The problem is that most items refer to the same icon, so changing the icon wouldn't affect the items individually. I'll figure it out.Okay -- why did they do this, in the first place....?
Obsidian readily admits that a lot of the visual flaws of the game are a result of bad decision-making and poor planning. It had something to do with switching a few of the devs half-way during development. The guys who walked away were the ones who anticipated the visual problems, and warned of them, but were ignored or something (at least that's what I could make out of the forum posts).Bleh!
In regards to the character creation, I can understand that adding a FaceGen like Oblivion or The Sims 2 would have been difficult or expensive, but considering that the least they could have done was give a lot more options and good looking ones too! The females are mostly butt-ugly too, and that was before I looked at the Half-orcs! Apparently in the world of Faerûn you'd have to really lower your standards if you wanna get laid.Oblivion had great character generation, for the looks department. For that matter, oddly enough, so does The Godfather -- funny how a game like The Godfather has great character generation for the looks department, yet an RPG which you'd figure would more likely have such a thing like NWN2 just doesn't.
So how far along are you in the SP campaign?Oh I've finished it :D I'm on my second run :P
Oh I've finished it :D I'm on my second run :PThat's some long-ass acts, if that's the case! :P
It's only 3 acts. I can't recall how much time I spent playing but I think it's close to ~60 hours. I did most of the side quests.
It was fun, but I didn't wanna ruin anything for anyone who hasn't played it ;D All I'll say is the influence you have on your companions can make a difference.We have "spoiler tags" nowadays, in case you like to spill the beans -- and the milk, too!! :P
We have "spoiler tags" nowadays, in case you like to spill the beans -- and the milk, too!! :P
I love the "spoiler tags"! :)
Yeah I know, but it would be a spoiler button that expands to a heck of a lotta scrolling to do :P Plus I'd rather wait to see you guys' reactions :)
No I am really anal about spoilers... really really.Eww! Having the word anal and spoil in the same sentence is just eww.
Xessive will be happy to know, MyD owns this game -- ya for $25 @ Best Buy on Black Friday. :)Felicitaciones! Congratulations! I hope you really enjoy it ;D
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
I installed it and patched it up to 1.02 last nite.
That was about all I did w/ it last nite.
Oh yeah the performance fixes are much needed. You can try out the 1.03 Beta if you like. The official 1.03 won't be out till Wednesday I think; it's been delayed as they initially announced that it was scheduled to be released before Thanksgiving weekend.I knew the Beta for 1.03 is out, but I'm gonna wait for the 1.03 Final, when it comes and all.
The Beta has been reported to have some good performance fixes already.
Yeah, the Arcane Trickster is turning out to be a popular prestige class! I never use magic, so I just resort to the classic and reliable Rogue class :PIt does seem cool to me, from when I read through the classes and all. :)
I think I'm gonna make current character lvl 10 Rogue and lvl 10 Shadow Dancer (the level cap is 20). So far my ideal class seems to be a Swashbuckler Rogue.Sounds sweet.
On my system the medium texture quality gave me some pretty bad framerates, and when I switched to high the performance jumped up
Yo MyD, what are your graphic settings at? On my system the medium texture quality gave me some pretty bad framerates, and when I switched to high the performance jumped up. Also setting the shadow mode to Low seems to help quite a bit.I was playing w/ many of those last nite.
Here are the options I found are performance hogs:
- Soft Shadows
- Normal Terrain Maps
- Point Lights
- Bloom
- Light Sources From Party Members
- Water Refraction
- Water Reflections
Switch those off, and you should gain a few more frames.
I spotted a few memory leaks too (primarily where there's lots of grass), and it looks like they'll be addressed in 1.03.Oh, good. :)
MyD is currently....(click to show/hide)
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How come when I go into Options mid-game and all, I am NOT allowed to change the Keymappings? Yet, I can change them BEFORE I load or start a game????All things that everyone is complaining about ;D
You know what I liked about Dungeon Siege 2? The "Loot All" KEYMAPPING, in which once clicked, your selected/highlighted character picks up ALL THE LOOT nearby him/her on the ground. NWN2 could use one of those keymappings, given how much loot the game has dropped.
EDIT:
Would've been nice if we could add our own custom map markers (and name them) right onto the map a la NWN1 and PS:T.
So when is patch 1.03 coming?
All things that everyone is complaining about ;DYay!
The keymapping one is a bug.. Patch 1.03 is supposed to address it.
Having a "Loot All" key would be handy, I'm not sure if they'll add it or not.It'd be nice.
The map markers (or lack there of) is one feature a lot of people have been complaining about, especially in multiplayer. I think Obsidian is considering adding the feature in a future update.I hope so.
As of yet, we have no idea when patch 1.03 will be released.. The only date that was specified last Wednesday was "early next week."Well, now it's "late this week." :P
I made it to Neverwinter.
Spoilers below about a special "Kobold"....(click to show/hide)
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Oh hell yessssssssssssssssss!!!!Haha thank God, I thought you were gonna hate me for telling you too soon ;D
Wo0t!!!
You know what's cool about the Tomb of Betrayers, Xessive???!?Oh yeah! If Que played this game he'd love hunting undead :P
ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT:
To add to the cool factor of the Tomb....(click to show/hide)
Oh yeah! If Que played this game he'd love hunting undead :PIf I do a NWN2 mod, maybe it should be a module w/ lots of ZOMBIES!!!! :)
Yep, I just ran the updater and Shazam! It was a pleasant surprise :P
There should be a special option for DRUIDS to toggle ON and OFF the AI's usage of Wild Shape. The AI uses it too much for Elanee.Exactly! It's retarded! The annoying thing is any items she has equipped that add spell slots, are removed every time she morphs, and when she returns to her original form I have to add the spells again in the book. Then she just shapeshifts again!
Exactly! It's retarded! The annoying thing is any items she has equipped that add spell slots, are removed every time she morphs, and when she returns to her original form I have to add the spells again in the book. Then she just shapeshifts again!
Rogue Dao Studios announces the Planescape Trilogy, a massive campaign set in the Infinite Planes for Obsidian Entertainment's Neverwinter Nights 2.
The Planescape Trilogy will deliver up to 45 hours of gameplay, 16 adventuring companions, an epic main plot and a slew of dynamic side quests.
"We expect the Planescape Trilogy to be one of the must-play adventures once everyone is finished with the NWN2 Original Campaign," - Montgomery Lee Markland, Executive Producer and Lead Designer.
Awesome! Finally a reason to maybe sort of care about NWN2.Haha I was hoping this would lure you in :D I know you loved Planescape: Torment, and this looks like a very interesting mod. According to the ticker they've got on the site, Purgatorio (the first of the trilogy) is set to be released in about 70 days.
Meeting "Bishop" SPOILERS(click to show/hide)
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There are a lot of fixes in 1.04, but to give you a little insight, I have smuggled this list out and am posting it for you.. shhhhh.. don't let the rest of Obsidian know:
Version 1.04
New Features
General
• Voice Menu
---Users can now press the Voice Menu key (‘V’ by default) to activate a menu from which they can quickly access frequently used voice commands and emotes. Users can drag these to the hotbar, as well.
• Added support for bindable keys to change the hotbar page.
• You can now drag and drop buttons from the Mode Bar and Quick Cast Menu onto the Hotbar. This will also work for Spontaneously Converted spells.
• Players now have the option to turn on a second horizontal hotbar and 2 vertical hotbars.
• Users can now select in the options menu whether or not they want left click and hold in Driving Camera to move the character or mouselook.
• All combat modes can now be triggered instantly, except for Parry, Rapid Shot, and Flurry of Blows, which are deferred until the beginning of the next round.
---Your pending combat modes are now displayed on the action queue UI, with a countdown ticker, tooltip, and mouse click support.
---You can now toggle of and off a pending combat mode.
---Combat modes are no longer turned off for party members at the end of their combat round.
• Trees throughout the game should look better as many of the tree textures and models have been revamped to be more visually appealing.
• Localized versions of the NWN1 sounds used in the game have been added to their respective languages.
• Several new loading screen tips have been added to v1.04.
DM Client
• DMs can now drag items from the creator menu to the hotbar.
• DMs can now jump directly to an area.
• DMs can now add and subtract experience points, gold and levels.
Scripting
• EffectDamage() – A flag has been added to the EffectDamage()function which allows you to skip Damage Immunity, Damage Reduction, and Damage Resistance. The default for this flag is FALSE, so existing scripts will continue to work the same.
Toolset
• A comment field has been added to the Journal Editor.
• More robust undo/redo support has been added to the Conversation and Journal editors.
Bug Fixes
General
• The Mode Bar and Mini-map will now properly retain their hidden or revealed state after area transitions.
• Improvements have been made which reduce load times in some situations.
• The game will no longer crash when attempting to buy when on a blank page.
• The game’s transition to Act 2 would very rarely fail to occur. This has been made more reliable.
DM Client
• DMs will no longer automatically run lore checks on acquired items.
• Feedback has been added for several DM abilities.
• DMs can now spawn items into containers.
• The DM Client should no longer crash on transition to large exterior areas.
Effects/Spells
• Wildshape and Elemental Shape are no longer dispellable.
• Balagar’s Iron Horn radius reduced from 30 feet to 20 feet.
• Greater Fireburst will now do the correct amount of damage.
• Monks will no longer get their class AC Bonus while wearing armor or using a shield.
• Improved Reaction will now properly calculate uses per day.
• Manyshot will now function as described.
• Characters with crossbows can now use Rapid Shot if they have Rapid Reload.
Items
• The game will no longer crash if you drag an item from a magic bag onto the magic bag which contains it.
Toolset
• TRX files are now renamed when renaming their associated area.
I also believe the Server.exe has been made much more reliable and the DM transitioning to some areas no longer crashes the server.
Now remember, let's just keep this information our little secret.
Sweet! There are some great fixes and improvements in there!
I just bought NWN2. Weeee... $40 + shipping.
I know I will. :)That would be a lot, then. :)
*does the happy dance*Weeeeeeeeeee! :)
There's a lot to look forward to. The fixes in 1.04 look appetizing, but I think a lot of people are still waiting for more.We always want more....hehe. :P
Personally I'm waiting on some premium-quality community content, like some new heads and hairstyles.I would so go for this! :)
Well the game finally came, though I am yet to install. God I hope I don't have to do the patch through the auto install.Yup. There is no "critical rebuild" as they like to call them (a.k.a. full patch) released to download on your own....yet.....
Also the game came in paper sleeves, and the manual doesn't have the cool binding of the original NWN. No map either.I got the DVD Edition --- I threw it in a slim CD case, basically.
WTF? Have everyone gone cheap?That's Atari for you..... :(
This is the DVD edition and there are two sleeves, one is a D&D online trial. Anyway last time it was published by Atari as well, so what gives?
Good news! Patch v1.04 is out!
"Trial" QuestYEah that was a good one ;D Made me feel good to be good :P(click to show/hide)
Yeah, I really wish there was an individual download like classic NWN.
Yeah, the "critical rebuilds." I wish they had those, too. They need to!I'm not sure when 1.05 is coming, but I read it's gonna be a quick fix and should come relatively soon. Basically something to hold us till the major fixes in 1.06.
I'm really hoping for an expansion for NWN2, myself.
NWN2 is excellent, now that the game has been patched a few times -- to add new camera tweak, toolbars and performance tweaks, just to name a few things.
When's patch 1.05 coming? :P
I'm not sure when 1.05 is coming, but I read it's gonna be a quick fix and should come relatively soon. Basically something to hold us till the major fixes in 1.06.
1.05 is pretty much already decided. Jump to 1.07 :)
1.05 will try to cover some of the small, annoying things we have heard you guys talk about. It will be a quick fix hopefully out soon to allow us to work on 1.06.
1.06 may take a little longer as it is meant to address some larger issues.
I don't have a list of fixes yet, but when I do, I'll get it posted.
Game Banshee: What are your plans for supporting NWN2 over the next month, year, and beyond?Very nice!
Ryan Rucinski (Senior Producer of Obsidian): Beyond. We don't have a set date but we are continuing to support the title and the fans that purchased this game. I know at the time of this writing we are putting up a patch right now, and working out the plans for the next two patches.
GB: Aside from bug fixes, do you plan on adding any new content (equipment, feats, spells, etc.) in future patches?Yay for the 3 new extra hotbars in 1.04!!! :)
RR: We have been doing a bit of that already. It is mainly features though. I don't want to get expectations too high, but we are still creating content, now it is a matter of how and when we want to get it out there.
GB: Are there any plans to pursue a premium module program similar to what we saw with BioWare's original Neverwinter Nights?Okay.
RR: The program itself continually crops up, it's a matter of making it work for all parties involved though. I am certain that once a decision is made either way, there will be an announcement.
GB: Neverwinter Nights 2 offers more races and classes than the original NWN and its expansion packs combined. Does this hinder the ability to add new content in an expansion pack or any other premium content releases?Hehe!
RR: Nope! There is a metric ton of things we could add for an expansion or a premium module. Thus far, people have been so creative and found ways to work in new content using existing rules that it boggles the mind.
GB: Should a Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion be given the green light (if it hasn't already), what content would you personally like to see added to the game?Oooooh....I knew it would only be a matter of time until we all heard if NWN2 would probably get an expansion.
RR: I personally would want epic levels, new races, new classes, more beasties, more crafting... I could continue to speculate, but hopefully soon, I won't have to. /wink
The last six hours I spent playing NWN2. Firstly it looks really sexy and the game is just so awesome. :)
From what I've played so far, I have to disagree almost entirely. This feels like its own game so far.In certain aspects, yes.
But I must agree with you on the music/sound effects. Sure it is good to pay homage, but you are right that it felt cheap.I don't mind the re-usage of old music, but there should be a lot more NEW music and NEW sounds than what there actually is in there.
Neverwinter Nights 2 Hotfix [February 08, 2007, 2:44 pm ET] - Viewing Comments
Neverwinter Nights 2 Forums now offer the release of a new hotfix to bring the D&D RPG sequel to version 1.04.870 (thanks NWN2 Vault). In the new version copying and pasting waypoints will no longer crash the toolset and helmets will no longer improperly show up as feathered hats in the toolset. Obsidian also offers assurance that additional issues mentioned by users will be addressed in future patches.
Yea there are a few problems. Like if you want to buy 10 potions you have to buy them one at a time and stuff. But so much of it is so very well polished.Thanks. I'll add that to my list of suggestions to throw for future patches on NWN2's official boards.
My only complaint is that it is too easy even at full difficulty.I ain't found it too hard, yet not too easy.
I am playing this exactly like BG2 and can't stress how much I am loving it. The combat is very strategic as long as you play it that way, and the A.I. is really good.Agreed.
I am so glad I waited for the 1.04 patch before starting on the game. It all feels really polished and the storyline and the quests are excellent so far. None of the 'fed ex' quests have been boring as of yet, and have been the perfect length.Agreed.
You need one magic user in your party to fully enjoy the tactical aspects. One of the reasons BG1 and BG2 rocked my underpants so hard was because of the fantastic strategic combat.Exactly.
As lovely as NWN1 was, the whole companion thing really short changed the experience.NWN didn't really kick-off the SP greatness until Hordes.
That wasn't something I realized at the time, having not played BG2 in so long, but with NWN2 there is a whole new dimension to everything. Actually it is a revival of an old dimension.Right.
My only worry is that everything is automated by default so beautifully, that a lot of beginners will miss out on the depth of a true D&D CRPG.I thing this is fine, myself.
I think a lot of people don't even know that you can hold right click over the portraits of your companions AND TALK TO THEM!I wish there was MORE to their conversations, though....
My advise is to keep the AI settings at a min., and do everything yourself. It adds so much to the tactical aspect.I wish that Elanee w/ her AI on didn't do the damn "Shape Change" so much.
I wish that Elanee w/ her AI on didn't do the damn "Shape Change" so much.
Drove me nuts....
Yeah, I have to manually use my magic-using companions because the AI is pretty retarded. Too often do they use area-effect spells that break containers, potentially damaging good equipment. They tend to be quite stupid when they use 'dispel' to attack enemies who have no boosts or anything. Then there are the two most annoying obsessions: my druid (Elanee) is obsessed with shape-shifting (usually into a useless badger); the annoying part about her morphing is that any items she's wearing (rings, amulet, armour) that adds a spell slot is disabled and when she transforms back into original form I have to manually refill her spell slots. The other annoying obsession is Qara (or Quara as they keep pronouncing her name), this chick is obsessed with fire-walls!! Every single fight, even if it's just one little goblin, FIRE!! I understand that kinda matches with her persona, but what the hell?! The magic is way too saturated for me.I have yet to put Qara even in my party, actually.
At least in NWN1 you only had to worry about one henchman, and you could do some pretty serious damage on your own. NWN2 is too party oriented for me. It almost seems like Dungeon Siege. And because of this my character (a rogue) sucks ass individually, but does great support and sneak attacks. Sometime sI just wanna run off by myself and do some ninja-style stealth walking! Damn them for limiting the game! This is discrimination against ninjas and people who play games like ninjas!I love my Warlock character.
Anyway, I generally hate having to use my mages manually because I only drag them along for support. I'm not a fan of magic, so having to use them is just a tedious task for me rather than a source of joy from the game. I can see Que jotting my name down on a losers-who-hate-magic list :P
Hey how do you get one of your party members to go solo? What's the key? Does anyone know?Yeah that's kinda annoying.. Before it used to be simply going into stealth mode takes you into solo mode too. Anyone else notice that the companions are really REALLY stupid around traps? Even when I've spotted them and they're highlighted!
edit:
Never mind. Just using broadcast command to get everyone to stay put.
Patch v1.04.870 released (approx. 18.8 MB).
Not sure what's fixed, I haven't read the forums yet.
Neverwinter Nights 2 Hotfix [February 08, 2007, 2:44 pm ET] - Viewing Comments
Neverwinter Nights 2 Forums now offer the release of a new hotfix to bring the D&D RPG sequel to version 1.04.870 (thanks NWN2 Vault). In the new version copying and pasting waypoints will no longer crash the toolset and helmets will no longer improperly show up as feathered hats in the toolset. Obsidian also offers assurance that additional issues mentioned by users will be addressed in future patches.
Haha thanks D, my clicking finger thanks you for relieving it :P
I just got to ACT II.
The awesomeness of this game is overwhelming...
I will agree with you that NWN1 had a more intense storyline. So far the storyline here is good, very good, but not nearly as intense as NWN1.Well, there you go another reason for you to come down to Abu Dhabi! :D
Secondly your comments about the parties being too big makes me want to come over and play it with you hehe. I have to show you the joy of the big party. :)
Ok.. I will try to clarify this because this is getting out of hand.Original thread: Losing Hope (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=548957&forum=109)
The discussion we were having was that many people don't like the way the AI works. My response was:
A. We are working on fixes for it and they will be released soon.
B. The upcoming fixes were announced in an open dev chat held by the Thieve's Guild.
C. I explained how the intended play style is different between NWN1 and NWN2
D. I explained how I had issues and fought the AI myself until I realized the game was meant to be played differently.
You say we tell you basically "Tough. Deal with it." Nowhere has that been said. In fact what you can read from my response is "We hear you and are making changes to address your concerns."
The game was released at the beginning of November. that's about three and a half months ago. Since then we have released four patches and a hotfix. All of these patches have been built around issues raised by you, the community. We have implemented things you all have asked for. Have we fixed everything? No. Even NWN1 is still fixing things brought up by the community, five years after release. We cannot have everything fixed or updated in such a short period of time.
Re-programming systems and building patches take time. Will they come out every three days? No way. Testing even the slightlest change takes longer than three days.
I am in Act 3.(click to show/hide)
Man.. That's $50 down the drain.. That's the only reason I'm still trying to enjoy the game, so I don't feel like I've completely wasted my money.. I wish Bioware developed NWN2.. As a fan of NWN1, Obsidian let me down.
Elanee is awesome except she keeps frickin' shapeshifting.
Thank God I discovered the 'return to original form' command
Her spells are ok, but rarely ever come in at a useful time
The bard usually casts more useful spells.
very other aspect of the game would have gotten the amount of time and attention it actually needed
NWN2 is supposed to be built like NWN1, so that fans of NWN1 will get NWN2.. If you didn't like NWN1 then you wouldn't buy NWN2.. Just like if you don't like Rainbow Six, you wouldn't buy Rainbow Six 2.. It's just common sense.. Why the hell would they change the gameplay man?!
I think you and I were one of the few people to like the OC from NWN1. Even D didn't like it.I liked parts of it, such as the stuff w/ Fenthick and Aribeth and the city of Neverwinter.
You had to be on the forums to see the bitching. People were really really ticked off at not having parties to control in the first NWN. Now I guess the fans are divided between the old and new ones.
Personally I am happy for the changes.
Then again why would a wookie live on Endor?
So right now I really hope that there will be a Baldur's Gate III and that it will have nothing to do with anything a traditional Baldur's Gate player would expect from a game with "Baldur's Gate" in the title.. just to even things out. Just to let them see how it feels to not get what you thought you paid for. Imagine the chaos on the official forums!
I think they just assumed that all those who were into NWN would enjoy it if it were expanded to play BG2 style, since that is what everyone was bitching about the first time. And everyone was happy with the four member party in the expansions.NWN: SOU allowed for a max of 2 party members -- just like the original NWN.
Actually I had a question. Did you play the expansions? I think the second expansion gave you a party of four as well.Party of 3, which does include yourself in HOTU.
I've played both SoU and HotU, and I enjoyed them. They were great complements to NWN, and they added some great features (cloaks, sky, some new prestige classes, etc). The expansions didn't deviate from the NWN style, they enhanced it.I loved Hordes. That was the best NWN1 SP campaign.
A party of 3 is the maximum I'm willing to tolerate, any more and it's too much. I'm supposed to be adventuring not running a mass migration. And even though I have my party members set to "near" they trail pretty damn far behind, and my party ends up looking like a convoy or a line of ants trailblazing through whatever terrain I'm running through.Personally, I miss the BG days w/ parties of SIX.
GoGamers madness sale has NWN2 (DVD) for $24.99.
NWN2 Patch 1.05 English Beta Available! [ Comment ]
Print News | Mail News
Obsidian has released the NWN2 1.05 Beta patch for the community to download and test prior to the final release. This helps them catch any problems they may have missed while giving the community a chance to check out all the good stuff. Also include is a revert patch to take you back to 1.04. Here's what's changed:
Neverwinter Nights 2 - Version 1.05 Beta Patch Notes
March 12th, 2007
*** PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-RELEASE BETA VERSION OF PATCH 1.05. THIS BUILD HAS NOT GONE THROUGH A FULL TESTING CYCLE, AND SUPPORT FOR THIS PATCH IS NOT AVAILABLE VIA ATARI CUSTOMER SUPPORT.
IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE RUNNING PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE, YOU CAN REVERT BACK TO 1.04. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AT http://nwn2.obsidianent.com/support.
If you would like to report any issues with this build, please visit the Official Neverwinter Nights 2 forums at http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/index.html. Please indicate in the subject of your posting that you are using the 1.05 BETA.
New Features
General
* Multi-Select is now available as an option in both the DM Client and main game client. By default, Mouse 4 will select the entire party, and Mouse 5 or holding CTRL+Left Click will enable lasso selection of party members.
* Many substantial improvements to the AI scripts provided by community member evenflw have been integrated into the game. Additionally, revisions were made to AI to make both friendly and enemy characters be much more intelligent with feat use in combat.
* There is now an
* Advanced Options
* button on the Server Options panel. Server Administrators can specify two URLs in this menu: One, intended to point to their server's homepage, if it has one, and one intended to directly point to the server's latest PWC file. Players will be able to see these links from the Server Details on the Internet Game browser and clicking them will launch the user's Browser and direct them to the URL specified.
* Many of the skyrings (the geometry that exists at the horizon of the game world) have been revised to make them more visually appealing.
* There is now a 4th parameter to the DisplayGuiScreen() script function that allows a user to define the name fo the *.xml file to load if the 'ScreenName' can't be found inside the INIs already. This will allow custom GUI creators to add GUIs (Using the ui\custom\ folder) and not need to edit the INIs stored in ui\default to make the game able to load them.
* Augment Summoning and Augment Healing are now selectable once their prerequisites have been met.
Scripting
* A bDisplayFeedback=TRUE parameter was added to both ActionGiveItem and ActionTakeItem. Changing it from the default of TRUE to FALSE will keep the feedback strings from appearing in the chat window when these script functions are used.
* 2DAs queried by script functions are now cached. This should increase performance of scripts that frequently reference 2Das.
* Within the Script Editor, hitting the Tab key now creates 5 spaces instead of inserting a tab character.
Toolset
* Within the appearance.2da, NWN2_Scale has now been split into three columns: NWN2_Scale_X, NWN2_Scale_Y and NWN2_Scale_Z. This will allow users to scale creature appearances non-uniformally through the appearance.2da.
* The Grass, Creature Appearance Type, and Creature Soundset lists are now sorted alphabetically.
* Walkmesh Helpers have been added to Placeables/Misc Props. These objects are invisible square objects that can be resized and placed on a map to bake a walkmesh. You can use them to make flat objects walkable that normally are not or would be difficult to bake. Some examples of situations where these would be useful are a long length of repeating bridge pieces or building roofs. To view the Walkmesh Helpers in the Toolset, turn on the display of C2 Collision volumes. There are two versions; each will play a different footstep sound. Special thanks to Zarathustra217 for the original concept and objects.
Bug Fixes
General
* The Quick Cast menu was blocking movement clicks for its entire area - even parts that were not visible. Players can now click through any non-visible part of the Quick Cast menu.
* Feats will now properly show their cool down timer countdown.
DM Client
* The DM Chat toggle could previously not be turned back on after it was turned off. This has been fixed.
Effects/Spells
* Certain multiclass characters could lose spells from their hotbar after making area transitions. This will no longer occur.
* The Reflex save for Defensive Roll can now happen multiple times per day.
* Manyshot was previously always applying the full attack bonus and penalty to hit, regardless of the character's BAB. This has been fixed.
* Female Drow Clerics would be previously be forced to pick a new deity at level up if they had selected Lolth during character creation. This has been fixed.
*
Toolset
* Several words that previously were incorrectly being highlighted by the syntax highlighter will no longer be highlighted.
* The GetIsPartyTransition() flag for triggers always returned true, regardless of what was set in the toolset. This has been fixed.
2DA Changes
The following 2DA files have been changed in v1.05:
* appearance.2da
* classes.2da
* cls_atk_1.2da
* cls_atk_2.2da
* cls_atk_3.2da
* cls_bsplvl_arctr.2da
* cls_bsplvl_eknight.2da
* cls_bsplvl_harper.2da
* cls_bsplvl_palema.2da
* cls_bsplvl_wprst.2da
* cls_savthr_barb.2da
* cls_savthr_bard.2da
* cls_savthr_cler.2da
* cls_savthr_cons.2da
* cls_savthr_dru.2da
* cls_savthr_fight.2da
* cls_savthr_monk.2da
* cls_savthr_pal.2da
* cls_savthr_rang.2da
* cls_savthr_rog.2da
* cls_savthr_sorc.2da
* cls_savthr_wild.2da
* cls_savthr_wiz.2da
* damagelevels.2da
* feat.2da
* hen_companion.2da
* hen_familiar.2da
* iprp_damagecost.2da
* iprp_srcost.2da
* keymap.2da
* placeables.2da
* racialtypes.2da
* spells.2da
In addition, the following 2DA files have been added in v1.05:
* cls_featmap_arctr.2da
* cls_featmap_eknight.2da
* cls_featmap_harper.2da
* cls_featmap_palema.2da
* cls_featmap_wprst.2da
Thanks Obsidian's NWN2 Assistant Producer, Nathaniel Chapman, for the heads up.
Thanks MyD ;D
Welcome.I don't know.. People have been requesting individual downloads, but so far everything is through the updater except the BETA patches (and their rollbacks).
I'll be waiting on the final version of the patch, whenever that comes.
Are they going to release for separate downloads the CRITICAL REBUILDS of these "Final Patches"?
Obsidian Entertainment is pleased to announce its first Community Mod-Making contest.
For each mod-making contest there will be a theme, such as “The April Fool.” Each mod entered into this contest will involve the theme in some way. For “The April Fool” you might make a module about a court jester or a comedy. Maybe you might just make a silly mod, or perhaps you will make a dark mod about someone being fooled into giving up their fortune, their love or their soul.
For this first contest, the theme will be “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” The final day to submit modules will be Monday, April 30th at noon Pacific Time.
You can remake one of Grimm’s Fairy Tales or do anything else as long as your mod has something to do with the theme.
Here are the rules for the contest:
1. All work submitted must be your own, with the following exceptions: You can use anything already submitted on Neverwinter Vault (http://nwvault.ign.com) as of the date of the contest announcement (you cannot use anything submitted to the vault after the contest is announced). You can ask for advice in the Toolset, Scripting or Custom Content forums, but no one can do any of the mod-making for you.
2. A document explaining your module must be included as a ReadMe. It should be no more than one page in length.
3. Each module must contain two to five areas. You must have at least one interior and one exterior. One of the exterior areas may be up to 24x24 in size, but the rest of the exterior areas may not exceed 16x16.
4. Modules should have at least 30 minutes, but no more than two hours of gameplay.
5. Entries should be uploaded to Neverwinter Vault on or before the declared end of the contest so that others may see your work. The module must be identified as a contest submission. Links to your module should also be placed in the thread (this thread) announcing the contest to make it easier for people to find them.
6. The winners will be announced about 30 days after the end of the contest. The contest will be judged by the community (voting on the vault) and by the Neverwinter Nights 2 Live team.
7. Have fun!
We have some great prizes lined up for the winners! I can’t wait to see what your imaginations cook up.
Rob
Oblivion has me and it won't let me go.NWN2 is doomed to be constantly compared to Oblivion, hehe It's almost an unfair comparison, but it's stuck with it :P
Hey I wonder how that patch is coming along.I haven't even bothered to check thoroughly.. But I suspect v1.05 isn't out yet.
I haven't even bothered to check thoroughly.. But I suspect v1.05 isn't out yet.Beta version of 1.05 is out.
I don't think I'm gonna bother man. My internet connection is too slow. Patch v1.04 is about 80 MB, which takes about 4 hours on my connection.
So I'm giving up hope on that until they start releasing individual patches that I can download and install at my leisure. I normally store all patches I download in a backup folder for future reference, and for just such an occasion that my internet connection is too slow for me to download on the fly, I have it ready on disc.
- By Rich Taylor
Just a note about a few more 1.06 things. But first, regarding 1.05 Final, it seriously, really, probably, maybe, should be coming out early next week (which means this week - Rob)... That's about all I know about it. =)
EnableAreaWater() - Turn water rendering on/off in an area.
SpeakOneLinerConversation() - Now takes a volume parameter (Only supports talk, whisper, and shout)
SetScale() - changed to accept x, y, z axis as parameters
Dedicated Server now correctly lists modules in directory format that are located in the MyDocs directories.
Dedicated Server now takes a -moduledir parameter to allow launching modules stored in directory format to be loaded via command line parameters.
Beta version of 1.05 is out.Thank God for the NWVault! It's kind of annoying to go through them to figure out what's what, but it's better than nothing. I wish Obsidian would just post them on the site like the original NWN, or like Blizzard (they're real organized)!
Given that, the Final version of 1.05 should be out soon, then...
You can stop giving up hope. They're online, on the IGN NWVault.
Obsidian has been posting ALL the individual patches so far on IGN's NWVault, if you want/need them!!! (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2Other.Detail&id=19)
Go sift through them all, if you wish. :)
I admire their dedication. I think they probably don't want to release an expansion till their fix this experience. Did you finish the game D?
Thank God for the NWVault! It's kind of annoying to go through them to figure out what's what, but it's better than nothing. I wish Obsidian would just post them on the site like the original NWN, or like Blizzard (they're real organized)!
I saw the 1.05 beta around, but I never install the betas (unless I'm actually testing).
NWN2 Final Version 1.05 was released....and then suddenly revoked, since it causes issues w/ the Toolset. (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=558940&post=4935864&forum=109&highlight=)Haha as much as I want them to release patches fast I don't want them to rush things :P
Obsidian says it'll be up again, soon.... (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=558940&forum=109&sp=15)
The new 1.05 patch has been made available (again). You can get it through the auto-updater and through the link in my signature.
Neverwinter Nights 2 – Version 1.05.912 Patch Notes
April 17th, 2007
NEW FEATURES
General
--A beta implementation of Multi-Select is now available as an option in both the DM Client and main game client. By default, Mouse 4 will select the entire party, and Mouse 5 or holding CTRL+Left Click will enable lasso selection of party members. We are planning to continue to revise and improve our Multi-Select functionality in future patches.
--There is now an “Advanced Options” button on the Server Options panel. Server Administrators can specify two URLs in this menu: One, intended to point to their server’s homepage, if it has one, and one intended to directly point to the server’s latest PWC file. Players will be able to see these links from the Server Details on the Internet Game browser and clicking them will launch the user’s Browser and direct them to the URL specified.
--There is now a 4th parameter to the DisplayGuiScreen() script function that allows a user to define the name fo the *.xml file to load if the 'ScreenName' can't be found inside the INIs already. This will allow custom GUI creators to add GUIs (Using the ui\custom\ folder) and not need to edit the INIs stored in ui\default to make the game able to load them.
--Augment Summoning and Augment Healing are now selectable once their prerequisites have been met.
--Players can now adjust the scale of their player models in the character creation process.
Scripting
--A bDisplayFeedback=TRUE parameter was added to both ActionGiveItem and ActionTakeItem. Changing it from the default of TRUE to FALSE will keep the feedback strings from appearing in the chat window when these script functions are used.
--2DAs queried by script functions are now cached. This should increase performance of scripts that frequently reference 2Das.
--Within the Script Editor, hitting the Tab key now creates 5 spaces instead of inserting a tab character.
Toolset
--Within the appearance.2da, NWN2_Scale has now been split into three columns: NWN2_Scale_X, NWN2_Scale_Y and NWN2_Scale_Z. This will allow users to scale creature appearances non-uniformally through the appearance.2da.
--The Grass, Creature Appearance Type, and Creature Soundset lists are now sorted alphabetically.
--There is now an option to have the TAB key insert 5 spaces instead of a TAB character in the Script Editor.
BUG FIXES
General
--The Quick Cast menu was blocking movement clicks for its entire area – even parts that were not visible. Players can now click through any non-visible part of the Quick Cast menu.
--Feats will now properly show their cool down timer countdown.
--The Chat Window is no longer cleared after an area transition.
DM Client
--The DM Chat toggle could previously not be turned back on after it was turned off. This has been fixed.
Effects/Spells
--Certain multiclass characters could lose spells from their hotbar after making area transitions. This will no longer occur.
--The Reflex save for Defensive Roll can now happen multiple times per day.
--Manyshot was previously always applying the full attack bonus and penalty to hit, regardless of the character’s BAB. This has been fixed.
--Female Drow Clerics would be previously be forced to pick a new deity at level up if they had selected Lolth during character creation. This has been fixed.
--Spears now give the proper 3x critical damage multiplier.
Toolset
--Several words that previously were incorrectly being highlighted by the syntax highlighter will no longer be highlighted.
--The GetIsPartyTransition() flag for triggers always returned true, regardless of what was set in the toolset. This has been fixed.
--The DescID column in NWN2_Dieties.2da can now accept a string enclosed in quotation marks in addition to a STRREF.
Bug Fixes from 1.05 Beta
--Augment Healing and Summoning were not selectable. This has been fixed.
--The functionality of the Height and Girth sliders has been improved and allows for more attractive results now.
--The TAB key inserting 5 spaces rather than a TAB character is now optional in the script editor.
--Barter and Trade will now work from the Radial menu in Multiplayer.
--Spears are now giving the proper 3x critical damage multiplier.
2DA Changes
The following 2DA files have been changed in v1.05:
appearance.2da
baseitems.2da
classes.2da
cls_atk_1.2da
cls_atk_2.2da
cls_atk_3.2da
cls_bsplvl_arctr.2da
cls_bsplvl_eknight.2da
cls_bsplvl_harper.2da
cls_bsplvl_palema.2da
cls_bsplvl_wprst.2da
cls_savthr_barb.2da
cls_savthr_bard.2da
cls_savthr_cler.2da
cls_savthr_cons.2da
cls_savthr_dru.2da
cls_savthr_fight.2da
cls_savthr_monk.2da
cls_savthr_pal.2da
cls_savthr_rang.2da
cls_savthr_rog.2da
cls_savthr_sorc.2da
cls_savthr_wild.2da
cls_savthr_wiz.2da
damagelevels.2da
feat.2da
hen_companion.2da
hen_familiar.2da
iprp_damagecost.2da
iprp_srcost.2da
keymap.2da
placeables.2da
racialtypes.2da
spells.2da
In addition, the following 2DA files have been added in v1.05:
cls_featmap_arctr.2da
cls_featmap_eknight.2da
cls_featmap_harper.2da
cls_featmap_palema.2da
cls_featmap_wprst.2da
Nice, good thinking (and doing) :DSweet.
There are quite a few interesting mods out there I really wanna try, but not just yet.
I'll probably get back into NWN2 after I'm done with Shivering Isles! Just started it, and so far so good!Same here, though I'll probably test NWN2 for a bit, to see if it runs any better and if the new features are worth while....whenever I get around to that...
Can't we just hold CTRL and use the left mouse button for at least one those commands? (I thought I read that in the fix list).I think so; I'd have to check....
Some of those interface fixes are the way the game should have been on release.. I mean considering that's the way they were in NWN1.Agreed.
I'm looking forward to the fixes.. Now I hope I can download the patch!hehe!
Neverwinter Nights 2 interviewWow.....a designer that actually admits problems w/ their own game.
Interview by Vault Dweller, posted on Fri 27 April 2007, 15:04:25
More info on Neverwinter Nights 2 - More info on Obsidian Entertainment - More info on J.E. Sawyer
1. You took over Neverwinter Nights 2 development in March 2006, when the game was in an "almost done" state. What was your first impression of the game (design, features, etc)?
Despite having a large amount of design documentation, I didn't feel I had a clear picture of how we were going to get to a finished game. Arguably of more importance, the game didn't feel fun. There's a lot of abstraction in D&D RPGs, so it's never really going to feel "viscerally" fun, but the controls and interface were frustrating. Of course, the framerate was also very low and that was a barrier to understanding other underlying problems (e.g. companion behavior).
2. If you had a chance to lead the development from the beginning, what would you have done differently? An inquiring mind wants to know.More open-ended, yes. That would've been nice!
Beware those who come bearing high-minded ideals of what they would do in retrospect. But, since you asked...
In terms of designing the OC, I would have gone for something a lot more open-ended, more about exploration and optional content/companions than critical path game length.I also think I would have asked for engineering to focus on revising game logic roadblocks that prevent modders from extending the ruleset. For example, revising the custom spell list data. Revisions to the resource system and the addition of a manager also would have helped a lot.
And though I know it would have resulted in a lot of resistance and probably less attention from the media, I would have pushed back as much as possible against replacing the renderer. I just don't think we had the time to do it completely and well. It also really screwed up all of our GUI code and changed all of the art asset pipelines throughout production.Okay.
But again, this is all in retrospect.
3. What did you change when you took over and why? What did you want to change, but couldn't for whatever reasons?He doesn't sound super thrilled w/ the end-battle....
I usually focus on technical aspects, so I leaned heavily toward examing the technical implications of the features design was requesting. The programming team was incredibly burdened, so I had to "finish the map" and determine what we were going to keep/cut. Class features, feats, spells, and scripting requests took the largest amount of time.
I also re-designed the end battle of the game with the various forms of the King of Shadows. There were a number of conditions in place that made the battle very hard to design and tune: all companions (sans traitors) were supposed to be present in the fight, the ritual abilities were supposed to be important in the battle, and the Silver Sword of Gith was supposed to be important in the battle. I think the final result was "okay" at balancing those elements.
I honestly wish I could have cut the warlock class. I know people were really excited about it, but it took up a lot of my time, programmer time, and artist time. There are a lot of specific detail things I would have liked to address, but in a game with a million details, it wasn't feasible.Wow....I'm a Warlock in the game....
4. How would you evaluate the finished product? Any lessons learned there? What worked well, what worked ... uh, not so well? What was the game's biggest strength/weakness?Damn, that's VERY blunt.
I think the game as released is a high 7, low 8 title. To be honest, the major issues are due to a lack of polish. There's certainly a lot of stuff in the game, but none of it really looks or feels great. At best, the controls and features feel good, at worst they feel terrible.
For example, the camera. Programming got the camera in and fixed a number of its glaring problems, but for all the various camera modes you could run in, it was hard to find one that felt good. The toolset is also an appropriate example: highly functional, very powerful, not enjoyable or fast to use for many tasks.I think after 1.03, I was happy w/ the camera. It moved and felt more like the original NWN, once that patch fixed some issues.
The biggest problems during development were an unrealistic scope and a lack of focus on quality/fun from the beginning. It's arguable that the former resulted in the latter. With D&D games, it's easy to become consumed by the idea of adding every feat, class, and race you can find in various books.That's blunt, heh.
5. What was the overall feedback? What features were loved and approved? What features, if any, were disliked and criticized?Yeah, I like being able to control my companions.
People loved the ability to control their companions. Unfortunately, the necessity of that was sort of driven by the default behavior companions exhibited. Players also enjoyed the various sub-races and classes added to the game. And while some builders liked the power of the new toolset, many were also turned off by its interface, slow speed, and clumsiness.
Of course, the camera and "watch a slideshow" features were not enjoyed by a significant volume of people. Forced companions annoyed some players, as did our companion death system. People did like the stronghold for the most part, though its larger effect on the siege was pretty negligible.I so far like the stronghold; it's been cool. :)
6. What do you think of the Highlander-inspired "I'm not really dead" feature in NWN2? Did it add anything (i.e. no need to reload, uninterrupted gameplay experience) or removed challenge from combat?Okay.
It made the game easier. Some people view that as a good thing, others don't. Because companions were often required in certain sections, it would have been a tremendous amount of work to allow companions to die "for realz".
My personal preference is for optional companions, "Death's Door" buffers, and full death being a possibility.
7. I would be interested in a fresh take on the Obsidian influence system (TM). I think it's more of a reaction system where NPCs merely react to what you do and the "welcome to the Dark Side, Luke" influence options are never given. What's your opinion?Interesting.
I don't think there are any mechanical limitations that prevent us from giving influence systems more depth. I believe it always comes back to scope. Each NWN2 companion's dialogue is already huge, and there still many cases where they don't respond to something that seems glaringly appropriate for their input.
I would like to see a reaction system that is more generalized to types of behavior, less dependent on the companion having specific reactions to specific events. For example, a character does not like racism and he or she has a pool of generic reactions to comments marked as racist. It could potentially open up more opportunities for the companion to express himself or herself and adjust opinions accordingly.
And I do think it would be nice to really corrupt/adjust characters' attitudes, but that is a scope issue as well.
8. The crafting system vs the generously supplied loot. What are your thoughts on that? Also, the upcoming expansion will feature a less complicated crafting system. Was this decision based on some feedback you've received?Awesome.
The crafting system makes better equipment than available drops if you bother to focus on it. On my playthrough, I had customized multi-effect greatswords for every occasion. It took a huge amount of time to process all of the materials required, but once I had the finished product, it was worth it.
You might have to ask Kevin for specific changes and reasons for changing crafting in Mask of the Betrayer. I gave a lot of feedback on the crafting system, mostly that it was tedious. There's not really any "difficulty" in crafting, but the entire process is this weird sort of inductive system that runs contrary to what is found in some other games.Okay.
The one advantage to the inductive system is that you can have hidden formulas that the player finds through experimentation, but I'm not sure it's really worth it when the basic system is so convoluted that 90% of players won't use it.
9. Looks like everyone liked the castle thingy. What's your opinion on strategy games' (or any other genres) elements in RPGs?Okay.
I think strategy elements are great. They add another layer on top of all the "in the field" party management and tactical combat. But strategy elements have to make changes that are a) visible and b) meaningful. If there are too many variables involved in any given system, it becomes hard to guarantee that what the player is going to do will mean anything.
There were a lot of great visual changes in Crossroad Keep, but in the siege, your party members are incredibly powerful compared to your soldiers. The soldiers helped out somewhat, but they weren't that important.
10. There was some criticism of the party system that forced party members on you. What are you thoughts on this feature and party systems in general?That's interesting -- yuh, it would've been damn cool if you could go solo, if you so choose.
I generally think that forced companions are irritating, especially when they are a lot of them. Forcing companions ensures that the player will get some aspect of that companion's role in the story, but it does not ensure that the player is going to enjoy that aspect at all. It also leads to "immortal companion syndrome".
I like party systems, but I prefer to keep the maximum number of party members low enough that a player can choose to "go solo" if he or she is skilled in the nerdly arts.
Thank you for the interview, Josh
I read through most of it, and all the highlighted (bold) parts. I pretty much agree with him on every point. Those were exactly the issues that bothered me the most. I really would not have minded if the game used the older renderer (which probably would not have compromised the game's performance). And his last comment on party systems generally expresses my view on it. I like teamwork, and if I'm gonna have a team I'd rather have a small, accessible, easily controlled team (max 3 members).I like what Josh Sawyer had to say -- namely b/c it sounds like, "Okay, I know what we need to fix, next time around."
I'm glad someone in Obsidian speaks for me.
Yeah, I'm curious as to what they will actually fix/add in the expansion. I'm pretty glad that they are making an expansion, and I really hope it addresses a lot of the issues and adds some great features.
I made my way to the Mountain, which has a dragon and Giants there.(click to show/hide)
That was an amazing quest. I really loved it. Especially that dragon battle.
Hey how is that 1.05 patch treating you?
(click to show/hide)
Why is there another huge thread? Should I just combine the two? Would make sense.
At The Mountain -- The Giants Vs. The Dragon QuestYeah, that wasn't much of an option for me.. I had to to duke it out with both of them since neither would side with me! Damn bug! Either way I wallopped the dragon and ravaged the giants.. Ok I came out of each fight barely alive, but I did it damn it!(click to show/hide)
Yeah, that wasn't much of an option for me.. I had to to duke it out with both of them since neither would side with me! Damn bug! Either way I wallopped the dragon and ravaged the giants.. Ok I came out of each fight barely alive, but I did it damn it!
Hopefully the engine fixes in the expansion will really boost performance.Agreed.
Although I'd hope the patches help as they roll in.Even more so, I agree.
I hope they're granted the resources to support the game as much as they'd like to.I do agree, even if it means "forever" (hopefully not taking "Forever" like "Duke Nukem") until their next game comes out! :P
Now that I've read more of Obsidian's feedback I get the impression that there's so much they want to do, but little time and resources to accomplish it all.That's what it seems like, yeah.
I respect them for standing by their product and acknowledging the flaws.Agreed 100%.