NWN2 devchat in 2 hrs

[Kaftan Barlast]

I know what would be REALLY annoying to implement in NWN2... spell ingredients!! )

 

 

 

"Throw a lightning bolt? No, sorry guys, Im all out of glass tuning forks"

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Gold could be used instead of physical spell ingredients. You could justify it as an abstraction of the rules and that buying and using the ingredients is happening "behind the screen".

[Llyranor]

People shouldn't be afraid of H5N1; stupidity is proving to be much more contagious.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Stop using my lines, jerk!

[Llyranor]

Stop using my lines, jerk!

[Gromnir]

I said it once, I will say it again, down with third edition rules, stick to using AD&D rules. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Half of the 2nd Ed. FR specialty priests would wipe the floor with their 3E FR cleric counterparts, domains and all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mr. Sawyer knows his stuff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

he didn't mean it as a positive observation 'bout 2e.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[J.E. Sawyer]

he didn't mean it as a positive observation 'bout 2e.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Correct. For as much fun as I had playing my Holy Strategist, she was ridiculously overpowered.

[Cantousent]

Come on, Dark Raven, you had to know that!

[Dark_Raven]

No.

[Cantousent]

Oh,Sawyer and Gromnir's attitude shouldn't surprise you, Raven.

 

There's one school of thought says that characters shouldn't be overpowered and that they should be balanced. Give one class too much power, they think, and no one will want to play other classes or, conversely, folks who like to play other classes will be discouraged. I disagree. Unless your group devalues role-playing to such a degree that only powerful builds matter, different players will prefer and enjoy different classes. I almost always prefer a mage. In some games and rulesets, that makes for a tougher time. In others, it's easier.

 

I don't say, "my goodness, if I don't play a cleric, other players will be stronger than me." Unlike a lot of folks here, I don't build most characters to utterly destroy everything in their path. I create characters to fulfill my desire to have fun. Now, in a CRPG, since there's really a lot less potential for role-playing, I can see trying to keep the characters more or less balanced. I disagree that balance is the most important attribute in design, but what do I know about CRPG design? In a PnP game, you can take a variety of skills and have fun with the roleplaying aspect. Balance between classes is even less important in PnP gaming than it is in a CRPG.

 

All that said, however, I much prefer the 3.5 rules. Just remember the big selling point for 2nd edition was "for every exception, there're five exceptions."

[alanschu]

I think the point was made because many AD&D "purists" criticize 3rd edition for having overpowered clerics.

[J.E. Sawyer]

I think the point was made because many AD&D "purists" criticize 3rd edition for having overpowered clerics.

Yes.

[Cantousent]

To paraphrase Gromnir, we know why "purists" act the way they do. They is crazy.

 

No offense to Hades, but these are like the people who rant about "canon" in various DnD settings. Most of the people who hate 3.5 and prefer 2nd edition are just jonesin' for a fight because someone changed something. Frankly, I didn't care much about the way NWN handled domains. I never played a cleric in NWN. NWN2, with a party based system, calls for more experimentation. There might be more folks holding your feet to the fire.

 

Okay, so I have a serious question that gives you plenty of opportunity to get in hot water. ...But, if you had it your way to do domains in a CRPG, how would you do domains? Since you have to make concessions to the medium, what concessions would you make and what would be a deal breaker (in a self funded design with license to include or change what you want)? In other words, with only technology as a constraint, what would be your vision for implementing domains?

 

:Eldar's wolfish grin icon:

 

That's really meant as a question for everyone, of course.

Edited April 18, 2006 by Eldar

[J.E. Sawyer]

I would try to keep the base domains but modify many of them so they were actually worthwhile. "Good" and "Evil" effectively have worthless bonus powers. I'd replace any domain spells that weren't possible in in the game with spells that were possible in the game... and which fit the domain concept.

 

Obviously I'd ignore any domains that weren't required for the deities the game supported. If it were a game like NWN, I'd allow DMs to create server files that defined deities and the domains from which they could select.

[Jack_Wellington]

The problem with priests is not that they are powerful but that they can replace other classes...

 

Domains should make a bigger difference. There should be a list of gods with predefined major and minor domains (one list for oc and custom lists for modules). The god selection should make a priest be REALLY different.

 

If each priest would have a limited set of spells closer to his god domains they would stop being ultra-flexible-do-it-all and have more character (OMFG this is the fire priest who can put me on fire!). Also, most players cast only 5-6 different spells anyways... They would be more limited but still happier overall because they would be different!

Edited April 18, 2006 by Jack_Wellignton

[mkreku]

I like the FIRST edition of AD&D. Can I still play in this thread? Please?

[Dark_Raven]

AD&D shall forever rule.

[metadigital]

I think the point was made because many AD&D "purists" criticize 3rd edition for having overpowered clerics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the point is that no-one wanted to play a wuss character like a cleric, so the rules were changed to make them more in demand ... and then re-balanced back in 3e. (I still wouldn't play one, though ...)

[Dark_Raven]

I will stick with a mage or fighter any day.

[Ellester]

I think the point is that no-one wanted to play a wuss character like a cleric, so the rules were changed to make them more in demand ...  and then re-balanced back in 3e. (I still wouldn't play one, though ...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True, Clerics in 2nd ED were boring. 3+ ED made them more exciting to play.

[metadigital]

(They still are boring, just now they have more power ... )

[Moose]

Moderators?

 

Oh clerics, nm

Edited April 18, 2006 by Moose

[Ellester]

lol to both

[Dark_Raven]

(They still are boring, just now they have more power ... )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's all about power.

[Judge Hades]

Speaking of power the local newspaper had an electrical fire that blew out the transformer and caused a black out that lasted 6 hours across 4 city blocks.