Neverwinter Nights 2 first timer, anything I should know?

[WDeranged]

I dug out a scratched up copy of Neverwinter Nights 2 that came bundled with some long forgotten graphics card, I've got it installed and fully updated (phew) and I can tell I'm going to get into it but I'm wondering if there are any essential mods or fixes that even a first timer should use.

 

The character creation process is a bit overwhelming but I just about understand what I'm choosing, I've had very little experience with PnP gaming so advice for a first time character would be great, I tend to prefer fighters with minor magic skills, just enough to throw some worthwhile spells in a sticky situation.

 

Cheers

[Tale]

If you're playing with friendly fire on, don't even bother with Qara. And be prepared to deal with bad pathfinding. Party members getting hung up on doors, taking the long way around to the backdoor instead of the door right in front, or getting stuck randomly on little items. And just occasionally getting distracted.

 

I think that's all the big stuff to watch out for. Can't help you with build advice, I've only ever played a Warlock and Warlock/Rogue in the game. And the Warlock was an immensely useful class. Especially with Doom shape against the nightwalkers later on.

[sorophx]

I played as Sorcerer, kicked the crap out of everything. just keep in mind that during some portions of the game you'll be forced to use certain party members so pick a class for yourself that is powerful enough to hold its own in almost any party setup.

 

oh, and during the last battle with the Big Boss your party will turn on you if you fail the Loyalty/Influence check or somesuch thing (they either leave the battle or become aggressive, like, almost every one of them, so it can turn pretty ugly). so might want to try to be on good terms with everybody as much as you can. I understand it's a spoiler somewhat, but that battle can be incredibly hard and frustrating, so better save you some

[pmp10]

Powergame.

Otherwise you may find final battles impossible.

[HoonDing]

Bard 1/Red Dragon Disciple 10/Fighter 12/Weapon Master 7

Enough to roflstomp everything, which is especially important against the endless hordes of epic gnolls in Mask of the Betrayer.

[Orchomene]

You should check a wiki with some builds to have a good idea on what classes progression you will have.

The build of Virumor is pretty efficient (only issues against critical hit immune monsters like undeads).

Check the numerous prestige classes and check what are the requisite.

For a melee character, frenzied berserker is very impressive.

Also, some classes are best without multiclassing (like monk), so you should perhaps propose here what you plan to do and get some feedback from us.

[Gorth]

Slight spoilers...

 

The first three party members you pick up is a fighter, thief and sorcerer, covering the "basics" of a party. Which means, you can play just about anything you like and the only of the traditional base classes in short supply is clerics. You can pick up a druid and a paladin later for all your spiritual needs though.

 

Generally just pick some class you would like to play, odds are there will be npcs covering other skill areas.

 

Whatever else you do, make sure you are least play the game up untill the point of "the trial". Worth it just for the laugh.

 

The forced companions and bad grind (piss poor design decisions like enemies spawning out of thin air) can be a bit of a joy killer.

[Tigranes]

Combat: Play with AI off, at least Core difficulty, pausing like it's an IE game. Then it's pretty fun. Play with AI on on lower difficulty without pausing, and it plays like you're in the middle of Woodstock and you're so drugged up you think it's a medieval fantasy world. (However, don't take this advice if you found IE combat at Core difficulty hard, frustrating or uninteresting.)

 

Campaign: If you get bored with chapter 1, rush to chapter 2, which is a lot better. I think it's worth playing through at least once though, as a whole.

[greylord]

Combat: Play with AI off, at least Core difficulty, pausing like it's an IE game. Then it's pretty fun. Play with AI on on lower difficulty without pausing, and it plays like you're in the middle of Woodstock and you're so drugged up you think it's a medieval fantasy world. (However, don't take this advice if you found IE combat at Core difficulty hard, frustrating or uninteresting.)

 

Campaign: If you get bored with chapter 1, rush to chapter 2, which is a lot better. I think it's worth playing through at least once though, as a whole.

 

Okay, now I have to play NWN2 again. I actually don't think I've messed with the difficulty, I'll have to figure out how to do that. Playing a game like your in the middle of Woodstock completely drugged up actually sounds pretty dang fun...messed up but fun. Maybe that's wrong of me to think that seems intriguing?

 

[Oner]

Accept the bard's challenge. Do it.

 

 

Also, yes, Act II is awesome.

[Majek]

Don't get attached to any party member.

[sorophx]

Accept the bard's challenge. Do it.

haha, that was one of my favorite parts of the game!

[WDeranged]

Thanks for all the advice, I spent six hours playing the game on Normal with a Fighter build and so far it's been pretty good fun but I'm quite restricted by my bare minimum grasp of DnD rules, I'll bump the difficulty up tonight, I'm not keen on having to micromanage everything so disabling the AI is a worry, on the other hand the AI is barely competent.

 

I found an AI Mod that people seem to like but I'm wary of installing it, has anyone tried it?

[Starwars]

Obsidian actually patched in part of that AI in one of the patches, so you're basically playing with an earlier version of it if you have patched your game up if I remember correctly. Should do no harm to install the mod though it might make things a bit more difficult as well. If I play NWN2 I almost always use it, don't really remember how it's like without it.

[Raithe]

I had fun playing with a Ranger/Spirit Shaman build.. and that was damn useful for the amount of incorporeal undead you can end up facing in both NWN2 and the expansion..

 

You really s hould take advantage of the multi-classing aspects in the rules to really develop a fun character. Going totally with a single class always seem to lack something.

 

First time I played it through I'll admit getting into the restoring the Fortress and managing those assets took a bit, but it was actually kind of fun.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Finish the game quickly so you can start playing Mask of the Betrayer.

[Gorth]

Finish the game quickly so you can start playing Mask of the Betrayer.

I tried to start a game of MotB around Christmas last year, but I just couldn't get into it. I would love to play through with One-of-Many, but I just can't stomach the "highlevel" play

[sorophx]

what I couldn't stomach in MotB was the Hunger meter. god I wish there had been a way to disable it

[Tigranes]

I liked it, but from memory there was either a mod to kill it, or console codes to keep replenishing your hunger easily.

[WDeranged]

I spent another five hours playing the game tonight, I turned the difficulty up to DnD and made it to Neverwinter, I assume things get much trickier from here, next time I get a chance I'll start dual classing.

 

I'm enjoying the game though, the story so far is pretty standard fare but it's delivered well and the characters are fun, I do intend to play MotB afterwards but I'm not sure how the character export thing works, is it just for stats or are there story elements that carry over too?

[Zoraptor]

I liked it, but from memory there was either a mod to kill it, or console codes to keep replenishing your hunger easily.

There definitely was a mod to disable it.

 

Never understood the complaints about it myself. Worked well to stop rest spamming and introduced some interesting mechanics.

 

Probably best not to discuss it further though I guess, as there would be inevitable spoilers.

[sorophx]

Never understood the complaints about it myself.

it's too much work for some of us. I like to be in control of everything in my games. and when a game tries to control me... well, I guess that's why I didn't like Persona 3

 

although, I do agree that's an interesting mechanic. I just wished there had been a checkbox in the options somewhere, to enable "whimp mode"

[Orchomene]

Never understood the complaints about it myself.

it's too much work for some of us. I like to be in control of everything in my games. and when a game tries to control me... well, I guess that's why I didn't like Persona 3

 

although, I do agree that's an interesting mechanic. I just wished there had been a checkbox in the options somewhere, to enable "whimp mode"

 

I would have accepted it better if the meter decreased only during travel and sleep and not real time each second.

It was too painful to have to pause and rush every time.

 

About the difficulty of the game, as far as I remember, it's not that hard up to chapter three or four.

[Starwars]

But you don't have to "pause and rush" every time. That's all in your head. Even if you go all-out on devouring it's perfectably manageable without pausing or otherwise trying to prevent the meter from moving. Of course, you may not want to stand and admire a beautiful sunset. But you don't have to rush at all.

 

I'm enjoying the game though, the story so far is pretty standard fare but it's delivered well and the characters are fun, I do intend to play MotB afterwards but I'm not sure how the character export thing works, is it just for stats or are there story elements that carry over too?

It's for stats, equipment that you have equipped (minus weapons) and the story in MotB assumes that it's the same character that made it through the NWN2 campaign, but there are no story choices you make in NWN2 that carries over to MotB.

[Walsingham]

I loved the game. Boost your charisma a bit and reap the rewards. Also, roleplay.

 

The hunger meter is crazy. BUt it is also one of the best bits of the game for me. Actually installs a sense of urgency and crisis unlike any other mechanism I've come across in a CRPG.