Topic: NWN 2: Mask - Update: Patch 1.13 released (thanks Xessive!)

[MysterD]

Looks like from this here, there will be, as expected, a NWN 2 Expansion.

And it might be announced soon, too....

An Italian site called NWN Chronicles (which appears to be hosted at Mulitplayer.it) has an interview with Obsidian's Chris Avellone, covering a little background and history before moving on to NWN2.  Much of the territory has been covered before but here's a nice teaser:

    3)You'll be asked this much times before but will the next expansion be set in the Neverwinter lands and the North? Or maybe we'll travel again through the planes? You'll be in charge for the future expansions, isn't it? (I hope it so and I'd truly love a gothic story as Planescape)

   C.Avellone
    Can't comment on this at this time, unfortunately, but you should be hearing an announcement soon. []

[Jedi]

Slow news day D? You've taken to reporting on stuff that might happen at some stage later.... 

[Pugnate]

haha awesome!

I read they will tune it so you can play solo like before or go full party style.

[Xessive]

haha awesome!

I read they will tune it so you can play solo like before or go full party style.

It's about damn time! That shoulda been a patch fix for the regular game!

[Quemaqua]

And then when it comes out, you, Pug, and X can be the only three people to play it.  And somehow there will still be 6 pages in the associated thread.

[Pugnate]

Keen observation!

[Quemaqua]

And meant only as observation, not insult, in case my tone was off.   

[Xessive]

Hehehe It is weird that just the three of us actually played NWN2

[MysterD]

Hehehe It is weird that just the three of us actually played NWN2

Yeah, I guess we're some of the few that actually gave the original NWN: Hordes expansion and NWN2 a chance around here. NWN: Hordes and NWN2 sure was 20 times better than that actual crap NWN: Original Campaign. Personally and unfortunately, I think a lot of people around here got quite jaded w/ the NWN: Original Campaign and never really gave NWN: Hordes or NWN2 a chance.

Great game that NWN2 is; too bad the performance in the game can be all over the place, at times. The AI issues are minor.

[Xessive]

I don't know, I loved the original NWN campaign (although, as Pug will confirm, I hated the beginning!). I enjoyed the original NWN and both its expansions as well as a couple of the free modules. The game was fantastic on so many levels. NWN2 I started out liking mainly because I had no idea where it was heading.. Kinda like a Limo ride to your untimely demise.. You'd probably enjoy the Limo ride if you had no idea where it was taking you. The more I played the less I liked it, and the more obvious the flaws became. So I now officially dislike NWN2. I won't play it until I see some dramatic changes in the patches.

So far my opinion of Obsidian is the same.. I'm sure they're a good lot, but I'm not impressed with what I've seen from them. The NWN series should have remained in BioWare's able hands.

[Quemaqua]

I played NWN for a little bit and just couldn't get into it.  It was like everything in there was trying to get me to not enjoy the game... and eventually it won.  I really just hated it.  Give me Baldur's Gate any day of the week.

[MysterD]

I don't know, I loved the original NWN campaign (although, as Pug will confirm, I hated the beginning!). I enjoyed the original NWN and both its expansions as well as a couple of the free modules. The game was fantastic on so many levels. NWN2 I started out liking mainly because I had no idea where it was heading.. Kinda like a Limo ride to your untimely demise.. You'd probably enjoy the Limo ride if you had no idea where it was taking you. The more I played the less I liked it, and the more obvious the flaws became. So I now officially dislike NWN2. I won't play it until I see some dramatic changes in the patches.

So far my opinion of Obsidian is the same.. I'm sure they're a good lot, but I'm not impressed with what I've seen from them. The NWN series should have remained in BioWare's able hands.

Many of Obsidian's people were Ex-Black Isle guys -- and made the fantastic Planescape: Torment.
I'm curious, did you like PS:T?

EDIT:
I should add, a few of them Obsidian guys were ex-Troika guys, who made Arcanum and Vampire: Bloodlines, as well. Did you like Arcanum? What about Bloodlines??

All of these games I mentioned here above have had some technical issues, but most were eventually fixed at a later date. PS:T was probably the least buggy of the sort, by definitely far.

[Xessive]

Many of Obsidian's people were Ex-Black Isle guys -- and made the fantastic Planescape: Torment.
I'm curious, did you like PS:T?

EDIT:
I should add, a few of them Obsidian guys were ex-Troika guys, who made Arcanum and Vampire: Bloodlines, as well. Did you like Arcanum? What about Bloodlines??

All of these games I mentioned here above have had some technical issues, but most were eventually fixed at a later date. PS:T was probably the least buggy of the sort, by definitely far.

Of the 3 games you mentioned I've only played Vampire: Bloodlines.. Honestly I wasn't impressed.. It had some good ideas, but considering it uses the Source engine it looked pretty crappy. It had a very cheap look and feel. Maybe they were rushing things, coz the Source engine they used was relatively old compared to the Source engine which came in Half-Life 2 considering they were released exactly the same time (Nov 16, 2004).. I know because I was planning my next birthday gift to myself!

Bloodlines was full of bugs, and just looked tacky. It actually looked like they were using the version of the Source engine which was leaked about a year before Valve released the refined HL2. I don't get it, if they chose the Source engine, you'd think they would have kept in sync with Valve (who developed it) in order to ensure the best and most stable product.

I haven't played Arcanum, but Pug used to tell me about it.. Based on his opinion and what I've been reading, it was pretty buggy and didn't look quite appealing either.

As for PS:T, I've only ever seen screenshots.. I've never had any real exposure to the game.

Well, the pattern I've got going so far is the folks who got together to form Obsidian have all been involved in games that looked craptastic and were quite buggy.. Which would explain a lot. Had I been fully aware of the origins of Obsidian I probably would have come to that conclusion and been way more cautious about NWN2 and any Obsidian product.

Looks aren't everything, but they do matter. Call me superficial, but graphics count for quite a bit to me. Stability is of course important, just like performance.. It's all about balance.

[Pugnate]

I have to agree with you on the buggy thing, but NWN2 looks really pretty at a decent resolution. Sure it doesn't look as good as the resources it hogs, but it does look very good.

[MysterD]

I have to agree with you on the buggy thing, but NWN2 looks really pretty at a decent resolution.

And if you can get a lot of the details turned on, w/out sacrificing and in-game performance.

Sure it doesn't look as good as the resources it hogs, but it does look very good.

Agreed.

I think NWN 2 is pretty, if you can get a majority of the detailed turned on.
But it doesn't look *that* good for it to run like it does on my system -- it's just all over the place.

I figured before both NWN 2 and Oblivion came out, I'd be complaining about the performance of Oblivion, not NWN 2. Yeah, guess again....

Looks aren't everything, but they do matter. Call me superficial, but graphics count for quite a bit to me. Stability is of course important, just like performance.. It's all about balance.

Graphics are important to me, as well. As long as the game looks "just okay", I'd be happy -- as long as the game performance is very stable. It doesn't have to be the best looking thing, technically, for me, if you decide to give me a very stable running game. See Deus Ex, as my example -- the game looked good, not great; but it ran very stable, so the framerate was never dropping. Too bad they didn't do that w/ DX: IW.

I think the game performance is more important than the graphics. If you're going to trump the graphics out, but the game runs like a slide-show quite often, what good is that??? Blah. At least if you can turn the graphics quality down a bit and it runs better, you're all set -- that's fine. Though, you're really screwed if you turn it down and it runs as good as it did all trumped out on "high."

Though, if a dev can make the game look outstanding and the game performance is outstanding, that's of course, great!!!! Can't get much better than that.

[MysterD]

Looks like this might just be the title of the NWN 2 Expansion, planned for a possible November '07 release....

NWN 2: Legacy Of The Gith

EBGames has it listed on their site.

[Pugnate]

That's so far off. Enough time for them to patch the game further though.

[Xessive]

Sounds pretty interesting. I always wanted to know more about "Gith" and how the Githyanki and the Githzerai came about.

[Pugnate]

Honestly, I hated the stupid Githyanki bitch. Stop Githyanking my chain! ... ok that was bad.

[Xessive]

Honestly, I hated the stupid Githyanki bitch. Stop Githyanking my chain! ... ok that was bad.

Haha somebody ad to say it

I was really only interested in the legend of Gith and how she saved her people.

Oddly enough the villain in Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 was called Gith

[MysterD]

Sounds pretty interesting. I always wanted to know more about "Gith" and how the Githyanki and the Githzerai came about.

Yeah, I do what to *know* more about the Gith, too.

I liked Dakkon and the way he spoke in PS:T, using *know* all the time and all.

And I felt like the chapter w the Gith lady was bringing that back. I need to play NWN2 more....

[MysterD]

NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer is the name of the expansion, which is due this Fall.

[SIDE NOTE: For those wondering what NWN2: Legacy of the Gith is, since G-Stop listed that as the name for the NWN2 expansion wrongly, that it was revealed recently by Obsidian on their NWN 2 Boards, that that title was the original full working title for NWN2, before it was shortened to NWN2.]

Press Release   Source: Atari, Inc.

Atari Announces Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2: Mask of the Betrayer
Thursday April 12, 9:00 am ET
Expansion to Neverwinter Nights 2 Features Engrossing New Campaign; Epic Levels; New Companions and Much More

NEW YORK, April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News), one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today announced the development of the next chapter in the Neverwinter Nights saga -- Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the expansion to the award-winning Neverwinter Nights 2 is set in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Forgotten Realms® universe created by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News). DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license from HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro. Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2: Mask of the Betrayer will be available in North America in Fall 2007.

In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players are transported back to the Forgotten Realms shortly after the events detailed in the original Neverwinter Nights 2. Following the climactic battle against the King of Shadows, the player awakens alone and stranded deep beneath the earth. Surrounded by a horde of evil spirits, the player embarks on an epic adventure that reveals his true destiny.

"Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and the enormous community is strong," said Nique Fajors, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Atari, Inc. "We are on track to release the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack this Fall, less than one year since the launch of Obsidian's outstanding sequel, and are confident the new features will deliver a role-playing experience that further engages and satisfies fans."

Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer will present players with an exciting new campaign; epic levels; dozens of new feats and spells; new races, base classes and prestige classes; new companions; new weapons, armor and crafting options; hordes of new monsters; and enhanced modding tools.

"Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer's engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling," said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian Entertainment. "We're also making new advances in story and character development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion Influence System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2."

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than three million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming. To date, fans of the franchise, which includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide(TM) Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark(TM) and Neverwinter Nights 2 have created more than 5,000 modifications to the original game using the award-winning toolset included with the full game that allows players to create their own universes, quests and storylines.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer is scheduled for release in Fall 2007. More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found at [url=http://www.nwn2.com]www.nwn2.com[/url], which includes user forums, project news, development updates and more.

About Obsidian Entertainment

[Xessive]

That sound just as interesting hehe "Mask of the Betrayer!" It has a very Tolkien ring to it

[Pugnate]

I'll get it at launch, but that was pretty obvious heh.

[MysterD]

That sound just as interesting hehe "Mask of the Betrayer!" It has a very Tolkien ring to it

The title just sounds awesome alone.

I hope the NWN2: MOB expansion is as awesome as NWN2: Original Campaign was. I'm sure it'll probably be good, at least.

MOST importantly, let's hope the game TECHNICALLY PERFORMS better than NWN2: OC did.

[Pugnate]

Let's hope they don't end it like they ended the original heh.

[Xessive]

At least I hope it plays a lot more like classic NWN.. Y'know without the modsquad following me around.

[MysterD]

At least I hope it plays a lot more like classic NWN..

You want smaller parties??!!?
Like say YOURSELF and one hencemen???

Or do you want the 5-6 in a party, but less CONTROL over them and better AI?
If so, I'm sure you probably DO want better AI; most do, even if they do have the option to CONTROL them to the high heavens...

I could use more AI Behavior options, myself -- namely, a SPECIFIC ONE for just CONTROLLING Elanee and her over-used "shape change." She uses it WAY too much, to suit me.

Y'know without the modsquad following me around.

I like having control of the party, dammit!!! I want more RPG's where I can control the whole party of say 5 or 6 a la Baldur's Gate every bit of the way, if I so desire!!!

I do control my party often in NWN2, but not like I did ALL THE TIME in say BG -- and I control the NWN2 party more than I did in any of the past NWN's. I usually keep most of my focus on the main man in the party -- me! Often, though, I will step in and control another character in my party and bark some orders, but not to the extent I did w/ say BG.

I do like having the "one-man" show RPG's, too -- but it been a while since a damn good party-based one has came along where I can, if I want, control the entire party and do lots and lots of command barking and strategy. NWN2 fits that mold.
 

[Quemaqua]

I loathe party-based RPing.  It's just too complicated and gets in the way of making me want to play.  That's why I still haven't gone back to finish FFXII.  I mean, I love that game and it's completely awesome, but right now I just don't feel like I can keep track of all those characters without going insane.  I'm just too tired for that much stat checking and stuff all the time.

So yeah, I should say that I play tons of party-based RPGs anyway, but I just really tend to feel like playing ones where I've got a single character to obsessively upgrade.  Some of my favorites are party-based, it's just hard to want to think that much after a long day at work.

[Xessive]

You want smaller parties??!!?
Like say YOURSELF and one hencemen???

Or do you want the 5-6 in a party, but less CONTROL over them and better AI?
If so, I'm sure you probably DO want better AI; most do, even if they do have the option to CONTROL them to the high heavens...

I could use more AI Behavior options, myself -- namely, a SPECIFIC ONE for just CONTROLLING Elanee and her over-used "shape change." She uses it WAY too much, to suit me.
I like having control of the party, dammit!!! I want more RPG's where I can control the whole party of say 5 or 6 a la Baldur's Gate every bit of the way, if I so desire!!!

I do control my party often in NWN2, but not like I did ALL THE TIME in say BG -- and I control the NWN2 party more than I did in any of the past NWN's. I usually keep most of my focus on the main man in the party -- me! Often, though, I will step in and control another character in my party and bark some orders, but not to the extent I did w/ say BG.

I do like having the "one-man" show RPG's, too -- but it been a while since a damn good party-based one has came along where I can, if I want, control the entire party and do lots and lots of command barking and strategy. NWN2 fits that mold.
 

Better AI would be nice, but if it's just me and one henchman (MAYBE) then I don't have to worry about party AI, just the one dude(tte) (if at all). Having the occasional team-up with some NPC's is alright, but I don't wanna have to deal with them for too long.

In the end I wanna play a RPG not a RTS when I'm playing NWN.

[MysterD]

Better AI would be nice, but if it's just me and one henchman (MAYBE) then I don't have to worry about party AI, just the one dude(tte) (if at all). Having the occasional team-up with some NPC's is alright, but I don't wanna have to deal with them for too long.

I bet this is what you love about Jade Empire -- most of the time, you may have only one person w/ you. There are a few instances, though, when you will have 2 more people w/ you, possibly -- namely, later on in the game, near the end.

And, you can control them, if you like -- like the way you can in KOTOR. But, you usually won't need to.

In the end I wanna play a RPG not a RTS when I'm playing NWN.

See, this is what I like about party-based RPG's -- using strategy and controlling every detail, if you so see it fit.

I think b/c I play so many RPG's focused on just one character these days, I want games w/ bigger parties. I'd love to see a game like BG2, where there's a total of six (maximum) in my party at once.

For NWN2, the only person in LEVELING UP I usually deal in detail w/ is my main character. I usually do the reccommended, for all other party members. Same was true for me w/ KOTOR.

[Pugnate]

I loathe party-based RPing.  It's just too complicated and gets in the way of making me want to play.  That's why I still haven't gone back to finish FFXII.  I mean, I love that game and it's completely awesome, but right now I just don't feel like I can keep track of all those characters without going insane.  I'm just too tired for that much stat checking and stuff all the time.

So yeah, I should say that I play tons of party-based RPGs anyway, but I just really tend to feel like playing ones where I've got a single character to obsessively upgrade.  Some of my favorites are party-based, it's just hard to want to think that much after a long day at work.

But Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II and PS:T are all party based.

[Quemaqua]

Yes, I know.  It isn't as bad with them because there isn't a whole ton of management to do, but I think I'd still prefer smaller parties.  I just don't understand the need for 6 characters at once.  That seems totally unreasonable to me from a design standpoint.  Sure it works, but I'd be much happier with less.

[MysterD]

Interview w/ Obsidian from GameBanshee on the NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer (Expansion Pack)

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer Interview - Page One    
After hinting at a possible add-on for quite some time, Atari and Obsidian Entertainment finally announced development of Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer yesterday. According to the press release, this first official expansion pack for the RPG sequel will contain everything one would expect - epic levels, new races, new classes, new monsters, new equipment, and a whole lot more. To get a better idea of what the team has in store for us, we fired over a set of questions to lead designer Kevin Saunders:

GB: When did development of Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer actually begin and what are you shooting for as a release date?

Kevin: We first started on Mask of the Betrayer with Atari, Wizards of the Coast, and Hasbro back in July – this is when we began to outline the new story. In fact, the astute will notice tie-ins to Mask of the Betrayer in the original campaign. We didn’t fully begin development on NX1 (our “designation” for the expansion) until we finished NWN2. We can’t really talk about the release date, but I will say that we’ve already got some of the areas completed and they are looking GREAT. We’ve been applying everything we learned on NWN2 to get the best results possible.

Okay.

GB: Aside from the usual gameplay additions, do you plan on making any expansion-specific tweaks to the engine, interface, or multiplayer component?

Kevin: Many of these types of improvements have been made through patches to NWN2 – we don’t want to make players wait for Mask of the Betrayer to be released to enjoy an optimized engine and other features that benefit the community. But, yes, we are continuing these types of improvements throughout the development of NX1. =)

Cool.

Kevin: We’re implementing some expansion-specific gameplay elements that will make Mask of the Betrayer stand out from Obsidian’s previous titles and other D&D computer role-playing games. As one example, the passage of time will have important impacts on gameplay. Mask of the Betrayer will also feature major enhancements to the companion Influence System that Obsidian has pioneered through Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2. Of course, these new elements will be things that the community can modify to their own modules and campaigns if they wish.

Cool.

GB: How does the expansion tie in with the original game's campaign? What events have transpired that will set us forth in search of adventure again?

Kevin: Mask of the Betrayer begins almost immediately after the ending of NWN2. You will play your same character (if you wish), continuing his or her story. (Your weapons and gold are gone, but you’ll have many of your other equipped items still.)

Weapons and gold are gone.....ummm...okay.....

Kevin: While the story in Mask of the Betrayer is connected to Neverwinter Nights 2, you don’t have to have played the expansion – the story stands alone, but players who have gone through the NWN2 campaign will recognize some references that occur in NX1.

Okay.

GB: How many more hours of gameplay are you shooting for with Mask of the Betrayer? Will new players have the option to start a character and play through the standard game and the expansion as one long campaign?

Kevin: We’re aiming for a more focused campaign and a tighter storyline. We expect Mask of the Betrayer to weigh in at over 15 hours of gameplay.

Sounds decent for a RPG expansion, in length.

Kevin: NX1 has optional gameplay content, so the exact gameplay time will vary depending upon your choices throughout the game. As for playing through both titles, Mask of the Betrayer is a continuation of the same character’s story, so you can play through the core game and the expansion as one long campaign.

Yay for optional content!

GB: Are there any plans to introduce any new prestige classes or sub-races? How about epic levels?

Kevin: Absolutely! We are adding new prestige classes (and a base class) and new sub-races. We’ll be sharing more information on those soon, but we think you’ll be excited about our choices. One of the prestige classes is completely new and was designed through consultation with our colleagues at Wizards of the Coast. As far as the leveling goes, NX1 will feature epic levels through level 30.

Completely new prestige class??? Oh, sweet!!!
About epic leveling -- 30 sounds reasonable.

GB: How many new spells, skills, and/or feats will you be implementing in Mask of the Betrayer? Any examples you can share with us?

Kevin: We are adding dozens of new spells and feats. The spells range from some heavy hitters like burst of glacial wrath to great utility spells like the vigor healing spells from Spell Compendium. For feats, we are strongly emphasizing the ones tailored to epic level gameplay. These will include almost all of the epic feats from Hordes of the Underdark plus many new ones we’ve designed with guidance from Wizards of the Coast.

I like the way this all sounds.

GB: How many new items do you plan on adding in the expansion? Will there be any totally new weapon/armor categories or notable changes/additions to the game's crafting system?

Kevin: We’re making crafting easier for the player by simplifying the new recipes and having the component items themselves better explain their purposes. Also as an added convenience, you’ll also be able to enchant items without needing a workbench handy, which should make things easier for players who enjoy crafting. Overall, we've worked hard on making the process of enchanting items more intuitive.

Cool.

Kevin: NX1 will be more about customizing your equipment through enchanting – you’ll be finding many more essences and their role is expanded. You’ll also find new items, but they will be less common and more powerful than those in NWN2. We are adding new armor and weapon appearances, but not really new categories.

Okay.

GB: What new environments will we be traveling through in Mask of the Betrayer? Are there any specific areas you can describe for us?

Kevin: The story primarily takes place in distant Rashemen, near the infamous kingdom of Thay. We have carefully chosen specific locations, such as the snow-covered Ashenwood, to be tailored to this region while also allowing us to create new tilesets and terrains that will be broadly useful to the modders.

Sounds cool to me.
I hope it just don't murder the framerate more than the game already does, w/ its snow effects and all.

GB: What new monsters can we expect to see in the expansion? Will you be introducing any new D&D favorites?

Kevin: We’ll be adding many classic D&D creatures, such as the treant and the night hag. We’re treating the game’s setting very seriously – you’ll find a number of the new creatures described in the pages of Unapproachable East. We’ll share more in upcoming weeks. =)

GB: Once Mask of the Betrayer is released, what is next for Neverwinter Nights 2? Are there any plans to release more retail expansion packs or even introduce a premium module program?

Kevin: Well, as you might guess, we can't really say much yet. =P But keep your eyes and ears open! We (Atari, Hasbro, Obsidian, and Wizards of the Coast) plan to continue supporting the Neverwinter Nights 2 community in every way possible.

Thanks for answering our questions, Kevin!

They plan to support the NWN2 community more....hmmm....do you think there might be a second NWN2 expansion pack planned already?

[Pugnate]

Look the OC of NWN2 ended really poorly, and took a lot of wind out of the game. I am hoping this ties things up nicely, but it doesn't look like it. This seems like it will be a totally different entity.

It looks awesome and all, but I am still pissed off at the ending of NWN2.

[Xessive]

I suspect they're prospectively planning a second expansion as well The main clue being "NX1," will there be "NX2" hmm? And lvl 30 cap makes me think that a second expansion would cap at lvl 40 (the lvl cap in both NWN1 expansions).

GB: Aside from the usual gameplay additions, do you plan on making any expansion-specific tweaks to the engine, interface, or multiplayer component?

Kevin: Many of these types of improvements have been made through patches to NWN2 – we don’t want to make players wait for Mask of the Betrayer to be released to enjoy an optimized engine and other features that benefit the community. But, yes, we are continuing these types of improvements throughout the development of NX1. =)

I really appreciate that. I hope they will always be able to support the game as well as they have so far.

EDIT:

Kevin: Mask of the Betrayer begins almost immediately after the ending of NWN2. You will play your same character (if you wish), continuing his or her story. (Your weapons and gold are gone, but you’ll have many of your other equipped items still.)

Kevin: While the story in Mask of the Betrayer is connected to Neverwinter Nights 2, you don’t have to have played the expansion – the story stands alone, but players who have gone through the NWN2 campaign will recognize some references that occur in NX1.

I don't get that.. It takes place right after the end of NWN2, same character, but it's independent of the NWN2 story? Is it gonna be like the Hero mysteriously disappeared into the midst of a new conflict and gets too busy to relate to the turmoil that preceded the expansion?

I really hope it directly linked to the King of Shadows, and that killing him is what started the mysterious events of the expansion.. I hope the "Mask of the Betrayer" has something to do with what happened to hero who became the King of Shadows.

[Pugnate]

I don't get that.. It takes place right after the end of NWN2, same character, but it's independent of the NWN2 story? Is it gonna be like the Hero mysteriously disappeared into the midst of a new conflict and gets too busy to relate to the turmoil that preceded the expansion?

That's what ticks me off. Unfortunately I can't even get this thought across the official forums without getting flamed by a dozen fanboys. God I hate fanboys.

[MysterD]

I suspect they're prospectively planning a second expansion as well The main clue being "NX1," will there be "NX2" hmm? And lvl 30 cap makes me think that a second expansion would cap at lvl 40 (the lvl cap in both NWN1 expansions).

Yeah, NX1 gave it away to me, too. It sounds like they might be doing a NX2, just by the sound of that "NX1"; heh.

Yeah, I do bet if there's a "NX2", yuh -- level 40 will probably cap it off.

I really appreciate that. I hope they will always be able to support the game as well as they have so far.

They have done a good job of supporting it for the community -- especially w/ adding things the community wants.

They wanted more camera features and stuff -- 1.03 added it.
They wanted mroe on-screen toolbars -- 1.04 gave it to them.
They want more AI enchancements, well 1.05 will give it to them -- when they re-release it!

I don't get that.. It takes place right after the end of NWN2, same character, but it's independent of the NWN2 story? Is it gonna be like the Hero mysteriously disappeared into the midst of a new conflict and gets too busy to relate to the turmoil that preceded the expansion?

I dunno, but they did say this.....

Kevin: While the story in Mask of the Betrayer is connected to Neverwinter Nights 2, you don’t have to have played the expansion – the story stands alone, but players who have gone through the NWN2 campaign will recognize some references that occur in NX1.

So, to me, this sounds A LOT like what was said about NWN: Hordes by Bioware in their previews, actually. Though, Hordes had a good deal of references to the original campaign and SOU campaign. You didn't really NEED to play those games to follow the Hordes story itself, but the past NWN references were there, especially w/ the returning NPC's and stuff. And if you don't often get the references, they will be explained -- usually in brief -- by some object, whether it's a NPC telling you the story (like Aribeth does in Hordes, telling you of what happened to her in NWN: OC and afterwards to how she got sent to the Cold part of the 9 Hells)


NWN2 Ending linked w/ NWN2: Mask, possibly???
[spoiler]

I really hope it directly linked to the King of Shadows, and that killing him is what started the mysterious events of the expansion.. I hope the "Mask of the Betrayer" has something to do with what happened to hero who became the King of Shadows.

I bet regardless if you start as a new hero for NWN2: Mask OR continue as a character from NWN2: Original, that character is the King of Shadows.

Hell, you become the King Of Shadows at the end of NWN2?!?!?! Oh shit...I didn't know that!

That sounds almost as dark as the DS2 ending...[/spoiler]

[MysterD]

THREE Screenies let loose from NWN 2: Mask of The Betrayer

[MysterD]

GameSpot's preview on NWN: Mask of the Betrayer expansion (also known as NX1)

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer Q&A - Story, Classes, and Enhancements
Lead designer Kevin Saunders gives us early details on the upcoming expansion pack to last year's hit fantasy role-playing game.
By Staff, GameSpot
Posted Apr 30, 2007 4:00 pm PT

Earlier this month, Atari and Obsidian Entertainment announced Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, the first expansion pack to last year's acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Neverwinter Nights 2 was the follow-up to 2002's popular RPG, and it reintroduced you to the fabled Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. It also delivered an excellent story (which won GameSpot's award for the best story of 2006), as you adventured around the Sword Coast to save the city of Neverwinter from evil. With the expansion, developer Obsidian hopes to top itself. To get some of the early details on Mask of the Betrayer, which will ship later this year, we turned to lead designer and producer Kevin Saunders.

GameSpot: The story in NWN2 is generally regarded as being both excellent and lengthy, providing plenty of great gameplay. How does the expansion's story compare? Who wrote it and who served as lead designer?

Kevin Saunders: George Ziets is Mask of the Betrayer's creative lead and the architect of our story and characters. The story is brilliant--I think it will be Obsidian's best yet. Mask of the Betrayer (NX1) is shorter than the NWN2 campaign (we're targeting 15 to 20 hours of gameplay), but it will definitely be an epic and memorable experience. I occupy the role of lead designer but fortunately didn't get in George's way too much.

Okay.

GS: Neverwinter Nights 2 came out in late October, roughly six months ago. Did you start work on the expansion immediately after NWN2 shipped, or was it in the planning stages beforehand? What's the history on this expansion?

KS: We began planning for Mask of the Betrayer last summer. For the first several months, it was mostly George, CEO Feargus Urquhart, and I determining the feature set, storyline, and direction for the game. Toward the end of NWN2, we dropped working on NX1 entirely to bolster the forces dedicated to completing NWN2.

Okay.

After Neverwinter Nights 2 shipped, many of the experienced artists, designers, and programmers rolled right onto NX1--after a well-deserved break, of course. One of our expert modelers, Glenn Price, began working on NX1 creatures even before NWN2 was done, so we had some new toys to work with right away.

Cool.

GS: This sounds like it's a high-level expansion for existing players, rather than something that newcomers can jump into and play. Can you transfer your existing NWN2 character into the expansion? Can you create a new character and start from level one in the new campaign, or is that a recipe for disaster?

KS: It is a high-level campaign, and you will be able to transfer your existing NWN2 character. You can also create a new character if you want, especially if you're interested in trying out some of the new race and class options. In both cases, if your character is lower than a certain level, we'll give you enough experience points to level up to where the Mask of the Betrayer expects you to be.

Sounds a lot like Hordes....
If you start new, they give you the experience to put you right up to the start of the expansion.
And if you want, you can import your existing character (from NWN2). N

GS: What details can you share regarding the story beyond the basics that we know? The game starts immediately after the events of the first game, and it starts with the character deep underground. What's going on?

KS: The story in Mask of the Betrayer isn't about saving the world. It's an epic story, but it's a very personal one. You awaken in a pool of your own blood. Your immediate goal is survival. The shard of the Sword of Gith has been ripped from your chest and in its place is a dark hunger, a craving that threatens to consume you. The early part of the game involves determining the source and implications of this craving.

Ooooooooooooooh....sounds very dark. I likes already!

GS: How far has the level cap, which was previously set at 20, been raised? What are some of the new high-level skills and abilities in the expansion?

KS: Mask of the Betrayer takes you into the D&D epic levels, up to level 30. All of the base classes are being expanded up to level 30, and you can multiclass and take prestige classes to reach the higher levels. You'll have over 50 epic feats to choose from, some of which provide new abilities that we've designed with guidance from Wizards of the Coast. For example, monks might acquire the blazing aura feat, which engulfs their body in flames, injuring enemies who attack them, and adding to their unarmed strike damage.

Sounds good to me.

GS: What are the new races and prestige classes? What about new items and weapons?

KS: We're not ready to talk about the new races yet, though I'll say that some of the speculation I've seen is accurate. We've paid great attention to what the community's requests have been for new race and class content and have implemented some of the most popular options. As some have surmised given our setting, the Red Wizard of Thay is one of the new prestige classes. We're also implementing two new base classes.

Cool.

Brand New Friends and Enemies
GS: How is the companion system being improved? Are any familiar characters returning for the expansion? How many new characters are there?

KS: Companions have been a core component of Obsidian's games, and we're continuing to evolve our implementation of them. We want to reach a higher degree of companion reactivity in Mask of the Betrayer. We've revamped the influence system to now provide gameplay benefits to your companions (and yourself in some cases) when they gain sufficient loyalty to you.

Cool.

KS: We've also increased the depth of the companions by having them also react more believably to poor treatment. If you upset them too much, they will also act appropriately. At first, you'll lose direct control of them (we've improved upon the companion artificial intelligence). Eventually, they'll stop sharing items or carrying around your loot for you. And if you oppose them enough, they'll abandon you. Don't worry, if they annoy you too much, you can kill them, which might bring some benefits....

Ooooooh....that sounds pretty interesting.

I bet Xessive wll try and PISS OFF every member just so he can try and go at Mask ALONE.

KS: The cast of companions in Mask of the Betrayer is fairly small, allowing us to better develop their personalities and increase their reactivity to game events. With very few exceptions, you'll never be forced to have a certain (or any) companion with you.

And Xessive is probably rejoicing that you won't be forced to go along w/ companions.....

KS: None of the companions in NX1 are from the NWN2 campaign, though you may come across the opportunity to learn a bit about the fate of some of your old friends.

Ooooh, cool -- some NWN2: OC references will be there....nice!!

GS: What's the setting of the expansion? For instance, are there any similarities to the Shadows of Undrentide expansion for the first Neverwinter Nights because it starts underground?

KS: It's true that you'll begin underground, but you're not in the Underdark, and most of the game takes place on the surface. Oh, except for that part where you're exploring a sunken Imaskari city ruled by an Oracle of Delphi-like coven of paragon hags. (Designed by Tony Evans, who designed several of the planets in Knights of the Old Republic 2 and led the design of Act 3 in NWN2, the area feels like a classic D&D dungeon adventure.)

Okay.

KS: We've had two main goals in our setting choices. First, we wanted to create new tilesets and terrains that will benefit the mod and persistent world communities. Second, we wanted to accurately depict Rashemen with some stunning visuals, such as the Immil Vale that artist Ed Lacabanne created.

Okay.

GS: Judging from the first screens, it looks like the graphics may have been enhanced? What sort of technical improvements are there? Has the engine been improved?

KS: NX1 is looking better than NWN2 for a few reasons. First, with support from several of the NWN2 programmers, including Jason Keeney, Adam Brennecke, and Frank Kowalkowski, we've made significant improvements to aspects of the graphics engine, such as the sky box, specularity, and lighting.

Second, our artists spent some time at the beginning of the project experimenting with what the NWN2 graphics engine can do and learning how to get even better results from it. Also, Obsidian's new art director, Justin Cherry (who, among many other things, created the amazing spell effects NWN2 has been praised for), has been adding effects and ambience to the environments to make them feel more alive.

Also, though the screenshots wouldn't reflect this, we made many optimizations to the engine since NWN2 first shipped, and we've improved frame rates and performance across the board. (These improvements were made in the first couple of updates to NWN2 last year.)

Yeah, let's keep improving them framerates and performance, please...

KS: All of these improvements will benefit the community's content creators as well. As for the NX1 campaign, our design team has paid specific attention to ensuring that each area has impressive vistas that are both eye candy and important to the gameplay.

GS: Finally, what enhancements to the mod-making tools are being made in the expansion? How about changes or enhancements to multiplayer?

KS: Obsidian, Atari, Wizards of the Coast, and Hasbro all fully recognize the importance of the mod community and are continuously working to improve NWN2 in this regard. Mask of the Betrayer's lead programmer, Rich Taylor, is especially dedicated to improving NWN2 for modders, persistent world creators, and multiplayer gamers. Improvements to the toolset are continuously underway and are available through patches to NWN2. You'll need NX1 to get the new creatures, tilesets, and other content, but we didn't want the community to have to wait for toolset enhancements.

We've been adding many usability features, such as undo for terrain sculpting (courtesy of the aforementioned Adam Brennecke) and a creature appearance wizard (implemented by NX1 programmer Josh Verall) that make it much easier to try out different armor appearances, among other things. Our lead scripter, Charles Mead, who hails from the NWN1 mod community, is constantly adding to NWN2's impressive library of global scripts. We'll continue improving upon the toolset, with most of the enhancements coming directly from the feedback we receive from the various NWN2 communities.

We're designing the campaign in NX1 to be more multiplayer-friendly through various design decisions (fewer cutscenes, for example, which can be disruptive in cooperative multiplayer). And, like with the toolset improvements, we're enhancing various aspects of the multiplayer experience through the ongoing NWN2 updates.

GS: Thank you, Kevin.

Sweet.