So...is it out yet? I'm asking cause I've been seeing some mods with the title SOU on them and wondered.

I planned on a half-price game from an independant retailer so will have to wait a few more days before delivery, it's fine with me as I'm so caught up with other stuff this week that I know I wouldn't have the time to properly sit down and explore/appreciate the whole thing.

Anyways, if it is out already please tell me off your first impressions!

Well, let me tell you first that I didn't buy it for it's Story Mod. I never even played past Chapter 2 of the original NWN Game.

I bought it STRICTLY for building and running the server. Here are some of my favorites:

TONS of New placables (New Beds, Rocks, Ivy, Chairs, Ladders, and tons of other stuff)

NO new area effects :(

You can edit your henchmans inventory in a limited way.
The new Monsters are cool, and there is a new Lich as well.

I'll edit this post later, I'm messing with the new tilesets.. NICE Ones! Desert, Rural Snowy and Ruins!

The first hour or so of the campaign has real tight gameplay. Action, roleplay, riddles, humor, and lots of details. Very good. Very, very good IMO. I'm playing a rogue who aspires to be a shadowdancer.

My first impression on the builder side of thing is not yeah, but hell the bleepin-bleep yeah!!!!

Worth more than $30 bucks, but I am practically a NWN fanboy I love the game so much, so I might be a little biased. ;) :D

I would tell more, but I want to get back to the toolset!

I will add-this.. It looks like treasure is actually placed logically. Food in the kitchen instead of a sword, ect.

Sounds good then. I might even play the OC all the way through at this rate. My local Sam Goody storte actually is getting it tomorrow so I may just go and pick it up there since I have some unexpected free time to fill...I'd get it cheaper on ebay but 30 bux really is nothing...

The first NWN game was not as good as I expected even from the very start it didn't really grab me. SoU "ROCKS" this is more like it. They seem to have made the right fixes and improved on every thing I ever complained about. You're going to love it.

I heard they hired a few of the builders who created 'exceptional' mods in their opinion so this probably has alot to do with it. I have downloaded mods that were 10 times better than the original OC. Good thing about Bioware is they *DO* listen to feedback, I have to give them that.

Yes, it's out, and it is way cool, playing through as a ranger, going for arcane archer!! Should be great. I hope. Well worth the 30.00, IMHO.

Be sure to add one level of a class that has Arcane spellcasting then [img]smile.gif[/img] One of the requirements of an Arcane Archer is the ability to cast level 1 spells...

Yep, got that covered. Or will have. Thanks though.

First Impression , Chapter 1 (yeah, I finished it)

took an illusionist.

Yah start at level 1.
There's no quick jump up to level 3 like in the OC (or should I say "The Other OC ?") you work for every experiance point.

There's no wand of frost to give you unlimited d4+1 attacks that never miss. You actually get some use out of your zero level spells this time around. In fact, you get a lot of use out of them. 1d4+1 damage is a significant amount of damage all the way out to level 3 and 4 so that 0th level ray of frost sees a lot of use.

No high powered cheat items. What can I say. No wand of frost, no greater belts of archery/brawling/swordsman ship.

The area's do not sprawl the way they do in the OC, but they are carefully designed with many sub quests. And each subquest as multple endings. You can go the goodie two shoes route, or be desgustingly evil. Your choice.

ARRRG ! there's no place to buy spells !

Well...actually there is. But the area is not one you normally come across until near the end of act 1. Well, you still get 2 spells everytime you level up, and find a couple here and there, so you're doing ok. The wizard winds up making sure you're not missing anything obvious before you proceed on to act 2 so in the end that still works out.

All in all, I would rate the game as tougher to play than the OC due to the lack of a 3 level bump at the beginning and the complete absence of high powered cheat items that litter up the OC. But it was a lot of fun anyways.