Real Breaking News: Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer

[Pop]

Also keep in mind that Cant is a member of the gaming community.

Edited August 11, 2007 by Pop

[Cantousent]

Oh, I didn't take offense. I'm just saying that the NWN franchise hasn't set records in the story department. However, I will say that I'm confident that Sand will enjoy the story for MotB quite a bit. I'm going to do a write up of my impressions some time next week. I'm only going to use information already available in printed/online interviews. Unless I get something from my elusive fifth person, I'm going to post my chat with George Ziets first.

[Pop]

What about ze villain? Is he a superconstruct?

[Musopticon?]

*puff* *puff*

 

Yes, zat is a tidbit I'd like to share in as well.

 

*poofff*

[Pop]

Not all at once, you'll burn yourself. You've got to regulate your intake, cool it down a bit before you inhale, lest you end up with a scar on your uvula and an inability to eat solid food for a week. True pain.

 

I dunno if anybody else dropped by the NWN2 blog yesterday, but they released the theme song to MotB (wooooo mp3) and it's ****tacular. Alex Brandon's tenure at our little dev house is off to a good start.

Edited August 11, 2007 by Pop

[kirottu]

I dunno if anybody else dropped by the NWN2 blog yesterday, but they released the theme song to MotB (wooooo mp3) and it's ****tacular. Alex Brandon's tenure at our little dev house is off to a good start.

 

Nice!

[Llyranor]

Nice indeed.

 

Anyway, I trust Eldar. I'll pick up MOTB. I will hunt him down and set him on fire if it sucks, though.

[Sand]

The idea is, Cant has actually played the through the story, if you are not up to date with forum happenings, he was in QA for MotB. So give him some slack.

 

 

Say what?!?!?!

 

 

*jealousy rages*

Edited August 11, 2007 by Sand

[Musopticon?]

Yeah, I get that a lot.

 

*ahem*

 

The music is great. It feels like IWD-era Soule and yet has that Brandonian tinge. Nice, very nice.

[Llyranor]

I'm liking what I'm reading about MOTB so far. Story-focused, more content than NWN2 re: character development. I also see it as a good thing that despite that, it's shorter than NWN2. NWN2 was too long - not because I have a short attention, but that NWN2 didn't have enough content to sustain that length without suffering from areas of tediousness. In a way, an Xpac is a good way to focus on tightening the story and focusing on the game content without feeling pressure to make the game long for its own sake, and without having to build the engine/toolset up to speed since it's already done.

[Morgoth]

I dunno if anybody else dropped by the NWN2 blog yesterday, but they released the theme song to MotB (wooooo mp3) and it's ****tacular. Alex Brandon's tenure at our little dev house is off to a good start.

 

Nice!

I thought that piece was lame. Hopefully it isn't final.

[mkreku]

I dunno if anybody else dropped by the NWN2 blog yesterday, but they released the theme song to MotB (wooooo mp3) and it's ****tacular. Alex Brandon's tenure at our little dev house is off to a good start.

 

Nice!

I thought that piece was lame. Hopefully it isn't final.

Morgoth in "being dramatically negative" shocker.

[Morgoth]

Mkreku in "being dramatically illogical" shocker.

[thepixiesrock]

That doesn't even make sense in the context.

[Hurlshort]

Morgoth doesn't need sense, fool!

[Llyranor]

http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/812/812667p1.html

New interview.

 

Mask of the Betrayer has five companions. Two are mutually exclusive, and all are optional.

 

(three examples)

 

The global dialogues for all three of them are richer and longer than even the most developed NWN2 companions - our writers really outdid themselves. In Mask, the companions also have more to say throughout the general course of the game; for example, they'll comment on specific events or places you come across - without breaking the flow of action.

Fewer but deeper/optional characters sounds good to me. Is the game still max 4 party members including the PC?

 

As you might guess, one thing we added was a few masks that characters can wear. The hathran (Rashemi witches) are renowned for their use of masks, and the concept of things not being quite as they appear is a theme woven throughout the entire game.

Hopefully this will be more interesting than just additional equipment.

 

The new spirit energy system I mentioned previously is a bit like its own magic system, but it in no way takes away from the core D&D magic system. It does make your use of spells in combat more strategic, however. Resting isn't "free" in Mask, so you'll want to more carefully manage what spells you cast, and when.

I haven't heard about this before? What the crap is this?

 

We've set up a NWN2 developer wiki that we're filling with information on creating NWN2 modules and content - we'll be talking more about this and opening it up to the entire community in the fairly near future.

One pretty subtle feature that I think has some neat uses is a more powerful load screen message system that governs the tips and lore you see while transitioning between areas. Those tips can now be based upon which area you're entering or where you are in the progression of the game's story. We used this feature in Mask for a couple things. First, we tried to sort of mimic the concept of the "boxed text" from classic D&D modules. You know, when you first enter an area and the DM reads you a description of what you see.

 

Second, we used the messages to support the story and to give the player information that's relevant to what's going on - instead of just completely random information. It's a small thing, but little touches like this make the game feel more polished. And it's completely usable by the community for their own modules and campaigns.

Yay for modders.

 

I have to say I'm more interested in the xpac now than I was after finishing NWN2. I'll pick this up once it's available through D2D (which is my NWN2 version).

[Tigranes]

The new spirit energy system I mentioned previously is a bit like its own magic system, but it in no way takes away from the core D&D magic system. It does make your use of spells in combat more strategic, however. Resting isn't "free" in Mask, so you'll want to more carefully manage what spells you cast, and when.

 

....>What?

[kirottu]

I think it

[Llyranor]

It doesn't sound like a class-specific feature, though. Paraphrasing from other stuff I read since, but it has its own interface, and supposedly involves story, dialogue and combat. Heh.

 

Spirit Shaman is really just a sorcerer with druid spells, no?

[Starwars]

This expansion is one of few games that I'm actually looking forward to at the moment. The main gripe I have with it is that we're moving into Epic levels, which is not something I particularly fancy. But the setting is interesting (finally away from the Sword Coast), the companions seem intriguing and supposedly have a lot of dialogue and the story is said to be more personal and dark.

Rob McGinnis latest blog update has an interesting little bit where a community member got to try out the beginning of the expansion for a bit, he seemed impressed which is always nice.

While I have no idea about this new "spirit system", it's nice that there will be some form of resting restrictions this time around.

[Cantousent]

The spirit energy system is integral to the story. I was not impressed when I first heard about it, but it added a lot of enjoyment for me. There is a lot you can do with it, if you're just willing to explore both the system and the story.

 

Speaking of the story, it is much darker and more personal, as our Starwars friend says. I think I'll actually make myself sit down and write that review today. Once again, I can only cite things for which I've secured advanced permission or seen in interviews already available.

 

This is a small community. I think it's good that one of our number got a chance to play the game, even if I don't begrudge the community on the Bioware boards.

[Starwars]

I would certainly love to see your review. And that interview with George Ziets as well.

 

Btw, what has George Ziets done prior to MotB? Anything major, or is this his "first chance" at something big?

[thepixiesrock]

I don't want to hear a reveiw.

 

 

Boycott

[Cantousent]

George was involved in LotR online, DnD Online, and Earth and Beyond. That's just off the top of my head. I'll have to go through my notes to see if there's anything else. He did say that MotB is his most significant and challenging project to date. I believe him. :Cant's friendly grin icon:

 

...And hush, Pixies.

Edited August 19, 2007 by Cantousent