1. NWN2 preview at Gamespot

 

In the single-player campaign, you may have to pull as many strings as you can get your hands on, since, according to the game's story, there's a serious power struggle that threatens to tear the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms apart. Three mysterious and exceptionally powerful beings are at war with each other over control of the area, and although you may begin your career working for one or more of them, you'll eventually find yourself on the other side of their swords (or magic wands, or whatever).

 

In the meantime, should you arouse their ire, they'll not only send their henchmen to destroy you in battle; they'll also spread rumors and accusations to destroy your reputation. So, during the game, you'll not only be fighting for your life; you'll be fighting to acquire evidence and to rescue witnesses who can clear your name of the charges brought against you, and in some cases, you may have to make some hard decisions about making truces with former enemies or bending the rules a bit to get your way. Perhaps this isn't surprising coming from the same development team that created Fallout and Planescape: Torment, but Avellone assures us that Neverwinter Nights 2 will offer just as compelling and rewarding a gameplay experience for an evil character as it offers for a good character.

 

2. Andrew Park's blog

 

Humbling

 

There are a lot of myths and a lot of misconceptions about what it's like to work this kind of job, and to be honest, listening to some of the "theories" people have about what guys like me do each day, and how guys like me operate, can get pretty old sometimes.

 

But every so often, something happens that reminds me of how fortunate I am to be where I am. The other day I attended a press event and saw Neverwinter Nights 2 for an exclusive preview I wrote for GameSpot, and got a one-on-one demonstration from Obsidian Entertainment's Chris Avellone, a game designer and writer for whom I have tremendous respect, and whom I was convinced I was doomed to never meet in person. Earlier this year, I arranged a studio visit to Obsidian from which I had to excuse myself at the last minute; later I booked Avellone and studio president Feargus Urquhart to appear on GameSpot's live E3 stage show, although during the broadcast, I was on the other side of the convention center on the way to various appointments to cover different games, pushing past crowds of people who had absolutely no business being there, rather than hanging out at our stage.

 

For those who don't know, Avellone was lead designer on Fallout 2 and Knights of the Old Republic 2. He also did most of the writing for one of my all-time favorite games, (and one of GameSpot's Greatest Games of All Time), the text-heavy Planescape: Torment. In my book, he's one of the best writers in the game business--I feel he's especially adept at creating believable, memorable characters that are endearing by not being cliche sympathetic characters (victimized damsels in distress or soft-hearted, spineless do-gooders who bend over backwards for everyone they meet), but rather by being complex, yet having relatable issues that don't seem petty or self-indulgent.

 

The Nameless One, the protagonist from Planescape: Torment, is probably my favorite character in any game I've ever played. Yet there I was, finally meeting Avellone, and finding that he was nothing like I expected him to be (soft-spoken, talkative, and not quite as tall as I thought he would be), and exactly as I expected him to be (bright, insightful, and passionate about good stories and game development). The guy who created my favorite character in one of my all-time favorite games looked me right in the eye, shook my hand, and actually remembered me from all the emails we'd swapped in the past--a game developer ready and eager to show me the new project that he and his colleagues have been working so hard to create.

I checked out the NWN2 preview and they had lots of nice things to say. The girl in armour looked great.

I think the hype is finally getting to me for NWN2. I'm starting to feel like I can't wait.

 

 

Edit: Well, lookie here, I've reached level 4. I wonder how I'll spend the skill points.

Edited August 13, 200619 yr by Pidesco

I want to research Atreides' Probing Tentacles spell in my arcane tower stronghold.

While Neverwinter Nights 2 has some interesting tidbits to it, it still doesn't have the "must buy" feel to it. As a modern CRPG and still doesn't have z axis movement like other modern CRPGs like Oblivion is a definite limitation.

Yet, you'll be first in line to buy it when it's released... Hmm... :ph34r:

 

 

P.S. Very few people even care about a (non) existence of z-axis in any game CRPG or not. Modenr games don't need it. At all. Period.

 

P.S.S. NWN2 will not be perfect; but it will be the best game released in 2006.

Edited August 13, 200619 yr by Volourn

P.S.S. NWN2 will not be perfect; but it will be the best game released in 2006.

 

Yet more evidence that Volo is psychic!

Obs is just about the only company left making storydriven games that actually have devs I still give two hoots about. I can't say much else about the writing talent of other companies presently. Bioware might be heading in the right direction in hiring new writers for Dragon Age, but I'm not so much a fan of their old ones.

 

Modern CRPGs with no actual storytelling/writing talent amongst the devs = definite limitation.

Obs is just about the only company left making storydriven games that actually have devs I still give two hoots about. I can't say much else about the writing talent of other companies presently.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Gamespot is my most trusted site for gaming news. If the review on NWN2 turns out any good I'll be getting the game. Hopefully the game will receive an editor's choice award (9.0 or higher by GS). But I'll still go for a game that scores around 8.0 or higher. :cool:

Also of note from the preview (since it's been discussed in the past):

 

Apparently the Obs testers that know the game at the back of their hand complete it in 25 hours. At least that's what MCA said. The previewer from that assumed it'd take the average gamer 30-40 hours.

 

Take from that what you will.

I am now officially hook, lined, and sinkered.

Sounds good.

Does it matter, Volourn? The point I am making is that NWN 2, while it may be good, its nothing to get overly excited about it.

In contrast, Oblivion provided us with a brand new experience worth getting excited over by being a step down from its predecessor in all things Z-axis related.

Does it matter, Volourn?  The point I am making is that NWN 2, while it may be good, its nothing to get overly excited about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Because you can't jump in it?

 

 

Besides, that coming from our resident DnD freak is pretty amusing.

Not just beacuse you can't jump, but the fact you can't swim and climb, or make use of combat tactics that would require full three dimensions.

And that's more detrimental to roleplaying than outright refusing to do any remote attempt to even pretend to branch out the main storyline in any way.

It's not roleplaying if I can't jump! Story and writing be damned!

Sounds like NWN2 will be the best thing since JE. That's pretty exciting for me.

Edited August 14, 200619 yr by jaguars4ever

Man, I'm going to love FO3 if the devs realize the importance of jumping AND swimming. Maybe they'll even include awesome ninja robot suits that allow you to fly into space! Being the RPG gods that they are, though, the Bethesda dawgs already know that ^_________^ It'd really be the next-gen of RPG!

More liek ZRPG, LOL

Jumping is awsome AND innovative!

 

I cant wait to jump while duel weilding robots who duel weild rocket launchers and also jump.

You ppl are underestimating the power to sit, I mean sit in any chair you want!

Man, I'm going to love FO3 if the devs realize the importance of jumping AND swimming. Maybe they'll even include awesome ninja robot suits that allow you to fly into space! Being the RPG gods that they are, though, the Bethesda dawgs already know that ^_________^ It'd really be the next-gen of RPG!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now I'm all for teh ninja robot suits! Clearly the ZRPG wins teh internets!1