Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir

[RangerSG]

Well, Swashbuckler is a fine choice. I was hoping for that. Doomguide...*sighs* That officially gets a meh from me. Mystic Theurge would've been nice. barring that, I don't think we needed MORE paladin/cleric love in a game that's already tilted to clerics balance-wise.

[Volourn]

My only hope is the Wild Dwarf is in. It be an outrage if they aren't. OUTRAGE!!!

[andir]

Yes, give us Wild Dwarf. Then I can create an all dwarven party, consisting of a shield dwarf, gold dwarf, gray dwarf and wild dwarf. Heavan.

[Magister Lajciak]

Good stuff - thanks for the preview links!

[Kelverin]

Then I can create an all dwarven party..... Heavan.

I like how you think.

[Azure79]

Then I can create an all dwarven party..... Heavan.

I like how you think.

 

I did that once on a playthrough of IWD2. It was great fun!

[Dragon Lord Jones]

Yes, give us Wild Dwarf. Then I can create an all dwarven party, consisting of a shield dwarf, gold dwarf, gray dwarf and wild dwarf. Heavan.

 

 

makes good sense ... especially since dwarves have a high poison resistence and it sounds like there will be a lot of poison issues to deal with.

 

besides dwarves are awesome let's see shield dwarf - fighter, gold dwarf - cleric, gray dwarf - mage/rogue, wild dwarf - barbarian .... or something like that.

[Musopticon?]

I'll make sure there's no stinking midgets in my party.

 

But damn, Swashbuckler is a great choice. Fits the ruthless trading and jungle piracy quite nicely.

 

 

But nevermind the new classes and races, that idea of using crafting to mold ship parts into weapons, skills reflecting on the environment and choices, is one of the hallmarks of Obsidz and it's great to see they remain committed to that synergy.

[funcroc]

Gamezone E3 preview

 

In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players could jump between locations from a menu screen. But in Storm of Zehir, you'll have to physically move between locations via a new world map. This map is very similar to the world map in the 3D Final Fantasy games -- it feels big in scope, has a high-up (but not quite top-down) view, and is loaded with monsters that could make your day miserable. The monsters aren't random though. You can see them on the map as they ponder, "Are you my dinner tonight?" If you choose to engage the monster, or if they strike first, the game transports you to a separate battle screen. Sound familiar? This is a little unexpected given the gameplay of the Neverwinter Nights series, which isn't exactly a traditional, Final Fantasy-style RPG.

[Zoma]

Would be nice if the player's party could attempt to sneak on the monsters or vice versa on the map as an ambush attempt. Succeeding in(Either side failing in spot or survival check) ambushing would grant the party along the lines of temporary attack bonus or conceal bonus for the first few rounds of combat.

[Jaesun]

Gamezone E3 preview

 

In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players could jump between locations from a menu screen. But in Storm of Zehir, you'll have to physically move between locations via a new world map. This map is very similar to the world map in the 3D Final Fantasy games -- it feels big in scope, has a high-up (but not quite top-down) view, and is loaded with monsters that could make your day miserable. The monsters aren't random though. You can see them on the map as they ponder, "Are you my dinner tonight?" If you choose to engage the monster, or if they strike first, the game transports you to a separate battle screen. Sound familiar? This is a little unexpected given the gameplay of the Neverwinter Nights series, which isn't exactly a traditional, Final Fantasy-style RPG.

 

Ugh I read this article earlier.... Final Fantasy????

[Zoma]

I don't see anything wrong with the comparison though. Even some Obsidian designers (MCA for instance is a fan of a Final Fantasy VI) I believe take inspirations of their design from Japanese RPG.

 

- First, the NPC romantic interest must be good in combat or contributes effectively to a mission. It is much easier to like/love someone who fulfills an effective combat role in the party (Final Fantasy VI/Final Fantasy III was always my model for this). Kate from Lost, for example, pulls this off - she's a good tracker, good with a gun, and can handle herself in a fight for the most part.

 

Basing on the description itself, I can see that it would be the easiest way to express the overworld map design rather than basing older games like Wasteland which many had never played before.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Zoma

[Pidesco]

Gamezone E3 preview

 

In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players could jump between locations from a menu screen. But in Storm of Zehir, you'll have to physically move between locations via a new world map. This map is very similar to the world map in the 3D Final Fantasy games -- it feels big in scope, has a high-up (but not quite top-down) view, and is loaded with monsters that could make your day miserable. The monsters aren't random though. You can see them on the map as they ponder, "Are you my dinner tonight?" If you choose to engage the monster, or if they strike first, the game transports you to a separate battle screen. Sound familiar? This is a little unexpected given the gameplay of the Neverwinter Nights series, which isn't exactly a traditional, Final Fantasy-style RPG.

 

Ugh I read this article earlier.... Final Fantasy????

 

Final Fantasy got its world map thing from western RPGs so what's the big deal? You could say that Storm of Zehir has an Ultima style world map and it would be the same thing.

[funcroc]

Gamespy E3 preview

 

The first new addition to the game is obvious as soon as the player fires up the game. Responding to criticisms that the player's forced interactions with pre-set characters felt too confining and linear, Storm of Zehir will now allow players to create parties of up to four unique adventurers. Players will be able to create these new companions from scratch using all the options available to create their main character. They'll even be able to include some interesting histories and personality quirks based on their statistics. These statistics will then be used to affect the new "group dialogue" options in the game. This will be a separate conversational track available for all of your characters that the player can choose from at any time. Thus if the player's main character doesn't have the proper "intimidate" skill during a conversation with an obstreperous barber, the player might be able to find the dialogue choice he or she needs with the party's surly barbarian.

 

The titular "storm of Zehir" refers to the game's storyline which concerns a party of adventurers on board a ship bound for Samarach. When an unnatural storm and an act of sabotage strands the characters on a tropical island, it plunges them into an adventure that brings them face-to-face with jungle goblins call Bahiri, a brand new addition to the game's bestiary, the sinister snake-people called Yuan-ti and a conspiracy involving a new god of serpents, poison and darkness named Zehir that has some pretty deadly designs on many of Faerun's divine powers.

 

The party's struggle for survival in the jungle gave the Atari demonstrator the opportunity to show off the game's new overland map. This new "living map" stands in stark contrast to the standard static map that merely offered a representation of the land available to explore and static "teleport" buttons that would jump a character between set pieces. Now the map show off tiny moving representations of the party as well as any friendly or enemy NPC in sensory range of the party moving about in real-time. By steering the party around the map, the adventurers can hit or avoid a number of randomly generated monster encounters. Depending on which character is in the lead, the map can also use seldom-utilized skills like survival to reveal treasure caches, hidden ruins or even little side-quests that the party can explore. While these won't be terribly extensive in the official campaign that accompanies Storm of Zehir, the developers expect this to be one of the big new features for adventure creators and modders in the Neverwinter Nights 2 community.

 

Thunderbolt E3 preview

 

The story revolves around Volothamp Geddarm, a character that D&D fans will be very familiar with. Volo attempts to publish a book in his homeland, but the book is banned and he is forced to leave by ship. Due to the nature of ship travel and the dangers of being a banned author, his ship crash lands on a strange island full of Yuam-ti who worship Zehir, the god of poison, darkness and snakes.

 

Immediately after crashing to the island, your party is attacked by dozens of Batiri goblins, who were described to be as

Edited July 18, 2008 by funcroc

[Xard]

Players will be able to create these new companions from scratch using all the options available to create their main character. They'll even be able to include some interesting histories and personality quirks based on their statistics. These statistics will then be used to affect the new "group dialogue" options in the game.

 

Hmm...

[andir]

E3 video interview.

[funcroc]

oh, crap.

Edited July 18, 2008 by funcroc

[Xard]

who would've believed even funcroc can be beaten to it!

[Pidesco]

funcroc was beaten!

[Xard]

Anyway, good stuff

 

I still wonder about death system...

[Pidesco]

The world map seems really cool.

[Jaesun]

More awesome screenshots:

 

http://www.bbnwn.eu//phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=12191

[Kelverin]

I like the box art.

[Gfted1]

And it puts to bed the question of do you need MotB. Knowing I dont need to drop money on that raises my interest immensely.

[Jaesun]

And it puts to bed the question of do you need MotB. Knowing I dont need to drop money on that raises my interest immensely.

 

You haven't played Mask of the Betrayer?