Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir

[Llyranor]

From the RPGCodex thread, I'm intrigued by this party conversation system, of which the devs can say little about at this point.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.ph...sc&start=75

 

First of all, I am all for party interaction.

 

But I'm not sure how we can create the kind of party interaction you and I are looking for that can keep up with a human imagination.

 

What I mean is, in NX2 I can create a completely random party of adventurers that are completely different from any other party stereotype.

 

The sole feature that exists, outside of the character itself, that determines personality, is the assigned dialog file. How would it be humanely possible to create an unknown number of dialog files that can all interact with each other and still not seem shallow?

 

We have talked about many options, for example like maybe assigning a dialog file based on the characters background feat, but what if the player doesn't choose one?

 

At this point, what we have decided to go with is to allow the player determine the personality of the characters in the party (aside from the cohorts and companions) by allowing individual party members to choose individual conversation options via the new party conversation system.

 

So, multiple protagonists or something. Maybe at specific dialogue node points, allowing for different player-created party members to interject into the conversation. Could be interesting. Could also seem very random. We'll see.

 

In any case, as much as I liked the party members in MOTB, I'm fine with personality-less party members. Worked fine in IWD. My main concern would lie more with how NWN2's engine isn't that great, and having emphasis put on combat might potentially backfire, given how it's certainly not the engine's strength.

 

Implement turn-based, jerks.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Llyranor

[Humodour]

I ****ing love you Obsidian.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I guess this means that I will have to finish Mask of the Betrayer and free up some funds in my game budget - oh well...

[Lokey]

From the RPGCodex thread, I'm intrigued by this party conversation system, of which the devs can say little about at this point.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.ph...sc&start=75

 

First of all, I am all for party interaction.

 

But I'm not sure how we can create the kind of party interaction you and I are looking for that can keep up with a human imagination.

 

What I mean is, in NX2 I can create a completely random party of adventurers that are completely different from any other party stereotype.

 

The sole feature that exists, outside of the character itself, that determines personality, is the assigned dialog file. How would it be humanely possible to create an unknown number of dialog files that can all interact with each other and still not seem shallow?

 

We have talked about many options, for example like maybe assigning a dialog file based on the characters background feat, but what if the player doesn't choose one?

 

At this point, what we have decided to go with is to allow the player determine the personality of the characters in the party (aside from the cohorts and companions) by allowing individual party members to choose individual conversation options via the new party conversation system.

 

So, multiple protagonists or something. Maybe at specific dialogue node points, allowing for different player-created party members to interject into the conversation. Could be interesting. Could also seem very random. We'll see.

 

In any case, as much as I liked the party members in MOTB, I'm fine with personality-less party members. Worked fine in IWD. My main concern would lie more with how NWN2's engine isn't that great, and having emphasis put on combat might potentially backfire, given how it's certainly not the engine's strength.

 

Implement turn-based, jerks.

Maybe they can talk to any number of the people that did it in NWN1 or other games (UOAbigail's was released publicly iirc for one). The scripting is out there, isn't conceptually difficult and isn't even that tedious.

 

I like general turn of the game focus, have some reservations on how they can deliver it if major engine changes are off the table.

[Azure79]

This is pure awesome.

 

I can't wait to walk off in a completely strange direction and be killed by horrible creatures I have no chance of defeating.

 

The multiple protagonist dialogue system sounds interesting. I always wondered why we couldn't have two protagonists in the same game, both controlled by the player, working together or hindering each other. Of course, this might tricky if both protagonists are in the same party.

 

I love you Obsidian.

[MrBrown]

Hmm.

 

While I liked party management ala BG and IWD, NWN2's UI doesn't really seem suited for it. Hopefully it'll be modified for this.

[ramza]

Suggestion: Remember the theatre play that never got implemented into MotB? The one were you could direct a play that would show what really happened during the falling rocks? This is your chance Obsidian! Let the player direct a play in SoZ where he can easily tie-in all that happened in the original OC and MotB. Problem solved, no worries on about who the player will meet at Crossroad Keep in SoZ!

 

Hopefully it is pretty easily implemented and everyone is happy

 

Yes, please do that.

 

While I am happy that Obsidian is making a second expansion, I am still waiting for them to deliver what they had promised us when the OC was in production.

 

Where is my NW9 magus or my NW9 agent prestige classes?

Where is my ghostwise halfling race?

Where is the Master of Many forms or the Contemplative among the prestiges classes?

 

They should have integrated all these things in their patches but did nothing about it. The feats for these classes and races are in the game but are unusable as they are. Is it so hard to do some coding in order to "activate" them?

 

I refuse to praise Obsidian as long as they do not fix these issues. I still consider that Obsidian hasn't delivered a full product (just as it did with KOTOR II). This is becoming a habit and I don't want them to continue in that direction. The only thing to do is to put them some pressure instead of praising them or else they will keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.

 

PS: should we start a NW2 XP2 Wishlist thread btw?

[Zoma]

Moar details about the overland map.

 

Quote taken from RPGCodex which in turn took it from Something Awful:

 

The overland map rulez. It feels like Darklands/Fallout. Terrain modifies your movement speed, so you travel more slowly when you move through forests/swamps, etc. Dudes spawn in and wander around the map, and can spot you depending on what the party's hidey skills are. If you're super tough, baby monsters will run away. Tough monsters will pursue you if you are a baby. If you contact wandering dudes, you can parley with them, take off, or just fight them.

 

Of course you can also encounter friendly/neutral dudes for trading/hanging out/murder.

 

It's sweet.

 

EDIT: Also, nothing is scaled. If you are cruisin' around and your Spot skill detects a cave and your 3rd level characters roll up on the grills of a bunch of trolls, you're in trouble.

 

Overland maps are underappreciated. Eric "Hollywood" Fenstermaker started to prototype one with Jeff Husges near the end of NX1, and Nathaniel "djkillingspree" Chapman has developed it a lot during NX2's dev cycle.

 

I just go downstairs to check things out. It's looking pretty cool, and I really think the world map will give players a terrific feeling of exploration.

 

 

This pretty much changes the entire outlook of how Neverwinter Nights is played IMO. Hopefully it gets implemented well with its deserved tuning and polishing.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Zoma

[Zoma]

Oh. Apparently, Rib Smasher is confirmed to be making a return in NX2 :D

[Leferd]

And as a companion too!

 

'Scuse me...a cohort.

[Tigranes]

It's something that they should never ever have taken away with the NWN1 'era' of crpgs, and it's lovely to see it return. Replay value right there, surely.

[Xard]

Suggestion: Remember the theatre play that never got implemented into MotB? The one were you could direct a play that would show what really happened during the falling rocks? This is your chance Obsidian! Let the player direct a play in SoZ where he can easily tie-in all that happened in the original OC and MotB. Problem solved, no worries on about who the player will meet at Crossroad Keep in SoZ!

 

Hopefully it is pretty easily implemented and everyone is happy

 

Yes, please do that.

 

While I am happy that Obsidian is making a second expansion, I am still waiting for them to deliver what they had promised us when the OC was in production.

 

Where is my NW9 magus or my NW9 agent prestige classes?

Where is my ghostwise halfling race?

Where is the Master of Many forms or the Contemplative among the prestiges classes?

 

They should have integrated all these things in their patches but did nothing about it. The feats for these classes and races are in the game but are unusable as they are. Is it so hard to do some coding in order to "activate" them?

 

I refuse to praise Obsidian as long as they do not fix these issues. I still consider that Obsidian hasn't delivered a full product (just as it did with KOTOR II). This is becoming a habit and I don't want them to continue in that direction. The only thing to do is to put them some pressure instead of praising them or else they will keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.

 

PS: should we start a NW2 XP2 Wishlist thread btw?

 

I hope these won't be implemented just because it annoys ramza so much

 

Though I'd bet ghostwise halflings are in

 

ramza, every ****ing game has cut content. NWN2 already has more classes and races than any other roleplaying game ever. Those are by no means essential or important. If you demand these must be restored in order to game being complete (L-O-L) where to draw line? Must headtracking be implemented before game is "complete", must every single cut storythread and area be restored etc. ?

 

That is just stupid.

 

NWN2 was complete game - unlike Kotor 2 - with cut content like all games have. And none of the cut content were even remotely essential, unlike in Kotor 2's case.

[Humodour]

I seriously cannot contain how pumped I am for this game. It's got me more excited than Aliens and Alpha Protocol combined.

[ramza]

I hope these won't be implemented just because it annoys ramza so much

 

Rofl I will get you for this...

 

ramza, every ****ing game has cut content. NWN2 already has more classes and races than any other roleplaying game ever. Those are by no means essential or important. If you demand these must be restored in order to game being complete (L-O-L) where to draw line? Must headtracking be implemented before game is "complete", must every single cut storythread and area be restored etc. ?

 

That is just stupid.

 

NWN2 was complete game - unlike Kotor 2 - with cut content like all games have. And none of the cut content were even remotely essential, unlike in Kotor 2's case.

 

I agree with you that there is no way for a company to restore some or all of their games' cut content. It would be indeed ridiculous to ask them to do so...

 

On the other hand, I consider that my complain is accurate in the present case because all these races and prestige classes already exist in the codes and it would require minimal work to restore them. Obsidian could have done this either in the previous expansion or in one of their patches...

[Sand]

Only prestige classes I want are the Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Theurge, Eldritch Disciple, Master Specialist, and Ultimate Magi. Any one of them would make me happy.

[ramza]

Only prestige classes I want are the Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Theurge, Eldritch Disciple, Master Specialist, and Ultimate Magi. Any one of them would make me happy.

 

The first one you mentioned is already coded. I just hope they will bother activating it...

 

Unless they were planning from the beginning to activate some of those prestige classes and races with each XP.

 

I just checked on google once again and they have also coded other races like the lizardfolk, the githyaki and the githzerai...

 

There's also the cavalier prestige class but I don't know if they will integrate rideable horses. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one though...

 

I would like to see more FR-specific prestige classes like the shadow adept (quite interesting considering the 4E events concerning the shadow weave), the zentharim spy, the hanthran witch, the purple dragon knight, etc

[SteveThaiBinh]

There's also the cavalier prestige class but I don't know if they will integrate rideable horses. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one though...

These 'overland' maps (I'm assuming that means like Oblivion) would make rideable horses more meaningful, and they have been implemented for NWN1. It would be popular, certainly...

[H]

Make Swashbuckler one of the new base classes. kthxbye.

Edited June 10, 2008 by H

[Sand]

Swashbuckler would be a good new base class. Better than the Scout or Knight that is for sure. I just would love to have a Halfling Conjurer/Sorcerer/Ultimate Magi/Master Specialist in the game.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Sand

[ramza]

And raise the level cap to 40 for online gaming...

[Magister Lajciak]

This is great news! I am excited that there will be a new expansion pack to NWN 2 and that Obsidian is the company making it.

[Magister Lajciak]

Things I would like to see implemented in the new expansion pack:

 

1) An interesting and lengthy storyline spanning many levels and with interesting companions

2) The combinational prestige classes (meaning those, like the Mystic Theurge, which combine the progressions of other classes)

3) Party formations

 

Bonus: An opportunity to participate in the shaping of '4E FR' through the game

 

Other assorted stuff too, of course, but the above are the priorities from my point of view.

[ramza]

Things I would like to see implemented in the new expansion pack:

 

1) An interesting and lengthy storyline spanning many levels and with interesting companions

2) The combinational prestige classes (meaning those, like the Mystic Theurge, which combine the progressions of other classes)

3) Party formations

 

Bonus: An opportunity to participate in the shaping of '4E FR' through the game

 

Other assorted stuff too, of course, but the above are the priorities from my point of view.

 

How about a cookie instead?

[Humodour]

And raise the level cap to 40 for online gaming...

 

Ew?

[Xard]

Some of us like playing super sayan badgers on crack (read: lvl 40 druid)