Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of The Betrayer

http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=42118

<font color=skyblue>Wow...that was fast! </font>

I'll have my new gaming rig in a few weeks, and I'll be able to finally play NWN 2. I'll see about the expansion after that.

Too fast. NWN2 isn't even "fixed" yet. This pretty much assures me that it never will be.

I guess then the NWN2 toolset and MPer are officially "working as expected" since they're already undoubtebly focusing on this expansion. Ah well. As always, boo Atari.

Perhaps they intend to complete some of the repairs needed in the expansion. As I recall, it took a while to get all the bugs out of NWN's, and from what I've been reading, there are still some. I can't make any snap judgements about NWN's 2 just yet, but, I will be able to come to some conclusions soon. From what I've been discussing with my building partner from 1, however, it's not that bad. He didn't go into any details, but some of the scripting work he's turning out is amazing.

Well, even if they did complete the repairs in the expansion it would still be the usual Atari number of paying for bugfixes that come months later and aren't free like they should be. Whatever happend to Atari vowing to be nicer to it's customers after admitting it basically treated them like crap all these years? Someone posted an article there a few months back.

My 2 copper:

I think personally the game is terrible from a building point of view. Sure, there are the new capabilites one would expect with any game-design tool of this day and age, but the program itself feels so non-intuitive and proprietry that I end up missing the old Aurora so badly. When you do manage to accomplish something neat, it seems to take a lot longer than it should to design it. And believe me, I was so looking forward to an "upgraded" toolset as much as the next guy. After a week or so of messing around, I finally realized that if I ever did want to go back to making mods and hosting servers, there's no way NWN2 would make it practical.

MP is butchered with the whole walkmesh crapola. You can't glide or surf through servers anymore, the way you did in NWN1. MP is no longer an "online adventure" where you'd meet all kinds of different people in all kinds of different worlds at the click of a mouse. Compared to it's predecessor the online world is empty, dead. There are nothing even close to the number of people online that there was with part 1, just a few people that I could see scattered around. Tons of empty servers and a lot less servers in total. So with the walkmesh issue and the fact that at release, most people couldn't play the game properly offline anyways so didn't even dare to try it in multiplayer, they have dealt the game a serious (and fatal) blow from day one.

Despite some patches, it is still indeed a system hog, so do make sure your new rig has a nice card to play it smoothly, especially if you're thinking of going online.

I wonder if they intend to solely (or almost) include the 'cut content' as 'new classes' and whatnot. If anyone opens up the toolset and checks the 2da files... you'll find several cut classes, such as shifter, mystic theurge, sacred fist and others.

More than likely they ran out of time, and had to shelf them. There is no doubt that 2 was rushed to the shelves, no doubt at all. This is expansion is rather quick, but I am going to give them a chance with the whole game until I can actually play it. As I've said from the beginning, MP'er is what I prefer with NWN's. If they made it more hassle than it's worth, I won't stick with it, and I surely won't be buying expansions.

As to the rig, I'm starting with the 7600GT, and will soon add a second. My partner is running a single card, and he seems to be doing ok with it. At least he's not complaining to me, overmuch. The last thing I want to come off as is a fanboy, but I'll trust his opinions of it. He has mentioned the walkmesh thing, and I believe that SpiritWarrior posted something similar to what I've said in the past. My buddy list used to be quite full of players that I met wandering the realms, and that is firmly impossible with the sequel. I sincerely hope the pretties are worth it.

I remember putting a post out a while back in regards to this. Rogue Dao studios is making a Planescape expansion for NWN2. ( I have yet to finish it)

Here is a link to the Rogue Dao site. The first mod (single player) looks pretty interesting.
http://www.roguedao.com/

Wow, that looks absolutely incredible. Especially with the custom music and such. Can't wait for it be be released. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Edit: And it looks like someone's making a BG1 remake in NWN2. :D
http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums...forum=111&sp=0

[ 04-14-2007, 05:01 AM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Yes, the one thing it does have going for it is the offline modules still. And yes, the Planescape one looks great, cannot wait to try it. I only wish someone would actually do the same with Dragonlance and not cancel halfway through. The BG module looks interesting but I have my doubts about completion and plus, it's technically illegal to distribute it.

I don't think it's illegal to reproduce areas that are actually part of the FR universe, in an FR game. If you use the chars from the game, it could get into some copyright infringement though.

Right. With NWN's we have access to the FR and D&D rights but the chars, places, names, etc. are all copywritten. I know this because a BG project was tried with NWN 1 and when asked, the devs said that it'd be violating CW laws.

Now with that said, there are many mods out there that are basically NWN conversions of other games, such as BG1, Icewind Dale and Final Fantasy. I think the case is that unless they are actually approached and asked, a blind eye is turned to such things. I myself would play a BG conversion in a second, just for the nostalgia aspect. But, the more hype there is over this mod the more likely the chances it will get pulled.

Yeah, I'd play a BG mod, in fact, I started out to work on one, but it was a daunting solo project. That's a lot of stuff to do by yourself, just building the areas.

Yeah I've seen many BG mods come and go. People start out and then realsie the scope of the game, dialog etc and give up.

Yeah same with IWD conversions even. Just the dialogue alone is a huge part. This is why I am somewhat skeptical but at the same time optimistic about this one.

I recall something similiar for NWN1. When the Dragonlance project that the DLA were working on finally caved I was like wtf?! I had waited 2 years and listened to all their talk of release dates etc. And it looked so promising too! I know it was free and all but that doesn't mean I didn't believe them when they said they would release the thing. So now I approach giant projects like that with an air of caution.

The thing with DLA is that they were hired by Bioware to develop other content (Wyvern Crown of Cormyr). Thus the free DLA mod got pushed to the side and most likly won't ever be picked up due to them not working in the NWN1 engine anymore.

Lets hope that the add on adds more faces that is not ugly beaten by the stick made :S

Oh, and that a big -lets-fix-it comes along as well.

Well, I will probably buy it in sheer and utter hopefulness that it fixes some of the things I really bug me on.

Dragon age never looked more promising then finiding out all the number two's, three's and four's being graphicly overhauled utter misery compaired to what it used to be.

Ok, I am a bit grudgy today cause yesterday I finished this article:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20...arton_01.shtml

I can strongly suggest that you read all three of them. Plenty of good games to try out if you can manage outdated graphics ;) Mostly nostalgia though. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Must have more coffee before trying to read 12 page articles...Pretty good read, though, what I did finish.