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

[Sand]

Depends on the base class. Favored Soul is a pretty good base class. Artificer is a bit over powered and would probably be a nightmare to put in the game. Battle Mage and Knight would probably be decent choices as would Swashbuckler. Ninjas should NOT be in the game. NO NINJAS!

[J.E. Sawyer]

The new races are awsm. Hopefully Kevin will reveal the mysteries of the expansion soon.

[Sand]

Question, are they really new races or new subraces? I for one would love to see the planetouched subrace Genasi in the game. An Earth Genasi fighter/barbarian for the win!

[kirottu]

Hmm, this expansion needs more ninjas. There

Edited April 12, 2007 by kirottu

[Volourn]

"The new races are awsm. Hopefully Kevin will reveal the mysteries of the expansion soon. "

 

I'd like some subraces like Sand - espicially for dwarves, and elves. Heh.

[Sand]

Subraces I like to see are the Genasi and the Ghostwise Halflings. Additional races I would like to see playable are Kobolds and Spellscales, as they are described in Races of the Dragon, and Warforged and Changlings from Eberron.

 

Some classes and races from the Magic of Incarnum and Tome of Magic might be interesting to play but do to their wildly different magic system I think they would be out of the scope of an expansion.

[Volourn]

Jungle Dwarves, Winter Dwarves (I can never remember their longer name astherey're the only know main (sub)race that don't worship gods anymore as a whole), Indurrin, and Desert Dwarves would all be awesome additions.

[Sand]

Oh hell, they just need to put inthe whole Races of Faerun in the game.

[Aegeri]

Epic levels Sigh.

 

What I would like to see:

 

1) No forced NPCs in the story unless they aren't going to contribute to the max party limit.

 

2) Please, please God, no orc caves or warehouse slaughterthons. PLEASE. Copy the style, pace and dungeon design of act II and act III and pretent act I never existed. PLEASE. I couldn't take another mindlessly repetitive non-sensical hackathon.

 

Edit:

 

3) I would also appreciate the dialogue not forcing my main character to the front of the party into range of being slaughtered by the nearest enemy. It would make playing a non-direct combat class that much more fun.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Aegeri

[SteveThaiBinh]

I'd like for Obsidian to cut out anything that you have to collect three or four or five of - activate the five ritual statues, collect the three ward stones, you know the kind of thing. While it's fine the first time I play through, these parts really drag when I replay a game, especially when combined with the aforemention warehouses or orc caves. Collecting allies for the defence of Crossroads Keep was fine, because each quest was so different. Other times you feel it's just done to slow you down so that less story is required. But I like story. Give me story!

[Kelverin]

This is good news. It's is always good to get another DnD game, even if it is an expansion. I am glad to see the story will be continued from the first game. "near the powerful nation of Thay" oh the possibilities.....

 

Not a big fan of adventures with level 20+ characters, so I hope they focus on making it a well rounded story. Enhance the atmosphere with new music, improved audio effects, No forced NPC's, for any reason, lets keep the cut scene's to a minimum. Thanks.

 

 

I'd like for Obsidian to cut out anything that you have to collect three or four or five of - activate the five ritual statues, collect the three ward stones, you know the kind of thing.

Amen Edited April 12, 2007 by Kelverin

[Dragon Lord Jones]

so do we get to keep our keep - put a lot of time and money into it, be nice to have my home there.

 

 

races what races do we have to choose from? Also think of the region.

 

 

a - aquatic elves - artic dwarves

 

w - wild dwarves - wemics

 

s - shades - shapeshifter

 

m - minataur

[Deraldin]

so do we get to keep our keep - put a lot of time and money into it, be nice to have my home there.

 

I'm thinking not. If we are running around Rashemen and Thay, then your keep is kinda on the other side of the continent.

 

Of course at level 20+ that really should make much of a difference though.

[Sand]

Will there be permadeath so that Raise Dead and Ressurection spells have an actual purpose in the game?

[Azarkon]

How long was this expansion in development, and who headed it all this time?

[Volourn]

I wouldn't be surprised if the early work was done even before the game was released. IIRC, Mr. U even said as much before that they had 'ideas' alreayd in place for an expansion. The ahrd work likely began quickly after they all came back from NWN2 is released celebration break' develoeprs usually get.

[Schazzwozzer]

I'd like for Obsidian to cut out anything that you have to collect three or four or five of - activate the five ritual statues, collect the three ward stones, you know the kind of thing.

QFT. Actually, and this may cause harsh glares to fall upon me, I haven't finished the NWN2 OC yet for exactly this reason. I got to the five ritual statues point and that, combined with the fact that Guyven wasn't showing up at my stronghold even though I had done everything right (I'm a completionist, so missing out on this kind of stuff bums me out), just seemed to bring the game's momentum to a halt. Up until then it was all very character-driven, and then all of a sudden you're seeking out stupid magical doohickeys and listening to people ramble about ancient Illefarn. Oy!

 

But I look forward to the Unapproachable East. I hope Obsidian can make it feel really, truly foreign.

[Volourn]

"Up until then it was all very character-driven,"

 

O RLY? You musta played a different game. The NWN2 OC I played had the quest 'go seek out the sword shard, mah boy, go seek out the sword shard!"

 

Sword shards are characetrs now? WOWSERS!

[kirottu]

How long was this expansion in development, and who headed it all this time?

 

Kevin Osbourn probably. Or that I read from Sawyer

[Azure79]

Sounds good to me. I don't think I've ever played a game placed in Thay and Rasheman.

 

There better be a stop at the Ice Dragon Berserker Lodge.

[Kelverin]

Some screen shots

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/static/EEZ...lApZmAdtuUl.php

[Schazzwozzer]

"Up until then it was all very character-driven,"

 

O RLY? You musta played a different game. The NWN2 OC I played had the quest 'go seek out the sword shard, mah boy, go seek out the sword shard!"

 

Sword shards are characetrs now? WOWSERS!

You had the trial, and the whole struggle between the thieves and the guards of Neverwinter, and the scenario wherein you were protecting the old guy, and managing the stronghold, and you had to hunt down the Gith lady. Perhaps "character-driven" isn't exactly the right way to phrase it, but these things felt personally compelling to me. At least, much moreso than enchanted statues sword shards and shadow kings or whutevah.

[Pop]

Some screen shots

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/static/EEZ...lApZmAdtuUl.php

Huh, never seen a red wyvern before.

 

Hmmm, if that last shot is any indication, some part of the campaign will take place in the Umber Marshes, which lies between Thay and Aglarond :push up glasses: As there's a very heavy shambling mound presence there.

 

"This spans of bogs, swampland, and mudflats is Aglaron's first line of defense against Thay. Inhabited by dangerous creatures such as stirges, poisonous snakes, hydras, shambling mounds, trolls and disease-carrying insects, the swamp has foiled attacks by Thayan armies more than once."

 

Could be wrong and it could be somewhere else, but IIRC the Red Wizards magically terraform Thay, such that the middle of the country is prosperous and gets all the rain, while the outskirts are wasteland and desert.

 

And let me be the first to say YAY EPIC LVLZ. I wonder if this means that the PC will start off at a higher level, or start off at first ala SoU.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Pop

[Tasaio]

Ahhh, so the EBgames preorder *was* a sign of a coming expansion! Hooray!

 

I like "Mask of the Betrayer" much better than "Legacy of Gith".

 

A thought on the titile (NWN2 spoiler):

 

 

Kalach-cha apparently means "Betrayer", so perhaps your PC is the "Betrayer" in question.

 

 

It was heavily implied by Zeeaire that the NWN2 silver sword is more important than other silver swords...I wonder why?

 

Also, the NWN2 manual story reveals that the KOS wanted something in West Harbour. And the wizard (warlock?) "was damned if he was going to let him have it".

 

It's implied that the baby (your PC) is what the KOS wants...

 

This implies that your PC is somehow...special (lol, big surprise ).

 

I suspect we haven't seen the last of the Githyanki. I'm guessing that, despite the new setting, we still end up on a planar romp to face the Lich Queen.

[Oerwinde]

Ahhh, so the EBgames preorder *was* a sign of a coming expansion! Hooray!

 

I like "Mask of the Betrayer" much better than "Legacy of Gith".

 

A thought on the titile (NWN2 spoiler):

 

 

Kalach-cha apparently means "Betrayer", so perhaps your PC is the "Betrayer" in question.

 

 

It was heavily implied by Zeeaire that the NWN2 silver sword is more important than other silver swords...I wonder why?

 

Also, the NWN2 manual story reveals that the KOS wanted something in West Harbour. And the wizard (warlock?) "was damned if he was going to let him have it".

 

It's implied that the baby (your PC) is what the KOS wants...

 

This implies that your PC is somehow...special (lol, big surprise ).

 

I suspect we haven't seen the last of the Githyanki. I'm guessing that, despite the new setting, we still end up on a planar romp to face the Lich Queen.

 

Have you played through NWN2 yet? Because all those questions you asked are answered.

Kalach-cha means Shard Bearer. You have a shard of the Sword of Gith inside you. The sword is more important than others because its Gith's personal sword. Its possible that what the KOS wanted in West Harbour was the last piece of the Ritual of Purification.

 

 

 

“Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer’s engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling,” said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian Entertainment.

 

Boo. Since its epic levels I was hoping it would be more realistic and focus on character, scheming, story, etc. since combat at epic levels is boring and lame.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Oerwinde