I can't tell you how many awesome, purely awesome, mods of ALL types came from what was frankly a less than stellar single player game (when compared to its IE predecessors).

 

IMO it spawned a short golden age in the cRP community that allowed Joe (or Josephina) Average to tell some great stories and implement some truly fun gameplay mechanics.

 

I played long multi-module campaigns comparable to the IE greats in terms of storytelling and gameplay as well as smaller, more impact-full mods that i remember to this day.

 

if it's not possible with the current funding I'd really like to see that as a stretch goal. A healthy modding community, well equipped with the proper tools can make a game last far beyond it's years...truly a project "Eternity"...

I know for sure I spend more than on NWN than any other game and I have never finished the original campaign. I spend a lot of time on-line with NWN, group adventures or RPing on (semi-)persistent worlds. Would be great, but I can imagine this requires a lot of extra funding.

That does sound like something the RPG community really wants but publishers probably won't be interested in. Maybe as a separate toolset / DM client project for Kickstarter. Obsidian would surely be the right people to do that.

 

Will PE use pre-rendered 2d backgrounds though if the camera is fixed? Wouldn't that require a professional level artist to do the areas?

 

NWN really needs to be brought to present day though. It was the greatest thing ever to happen to online CRPGs.

That does sound like something the RPG community really wants but publishers probably won't be interested in. Maybe as a separate toolset / DM client project for Kickstarter. Obsidian would surely be the right people to do that.

 

Will PE use pre-rendered 2d backgrounds though if the camera is fixed? Wouldn't that require a professional level artist to do the areas?

 

NWN really needs to be brought to present day though. It was the greatest thing ever to happen to online CRPGs.

the only reason I even brought this topic up is because it will be using 3D/2D backgrounds...now i'm not exactly sure what that means yet but if there's even the slight possibility of a toolset then i'll be there on the front lines begging and groveling for it.

the only reason I even brought this topic up is because it will be using 3D/2D backgrounds...now i'm not exactly sure what that means yet but if there's even the slight possibility of a toolset then i'll be there on the front lines begging and groveling for it.

 

NWN was all prefab 3D models and tileable terrain, which made it easy to design an accessible toolset.

 

From what I understand (and I could be way off here, but whatever this is the place for speculation), PE backgrounds will be a mix of large pre-rendered scenes done in some combination of 3D and art softwares and "true" 3D models (with animations, lighting normals and whatever else the renderer will need to draw the scene). The pre-rendered backgrounds themselves probably will not be just straight images - likely they will need to contain proprietary data for lighting and pathfinding, among other stuff.

 

It doesn't sound like PE can support a similar type of toolset as NWN, and unless you are 3D artist with the right software it probably won't be easy to modify maps at all. That said, they could offer a measure of mod-ability by exposing their data, art assets and formats - I just wouldn't expect anything near to the NWN toolkit.

 

In fact, I'd be pretty suprised if there was an announcement of any sort of toolkit, even a rudimentary one (as much as I would like it).

the only reason I even brought this topic up is because it will be using 3D/2D backgrounds...now i'm not exactly sure what that means yet but if there's even the slight possibility of a toolset then i'll be there on the front lines begging and groveling for it.

 

NWN was all prefab 3D models and tileable terrain, which made it easy to design an accessible toolset.

 

From what I understand (and I could be way off here, but whatever this is the place for speculation), PE backgrounds will be a mix of large pre-rendered scenes done in some combination of 3D and art softwares and "true" 3D models (with animations, lighting normals and whatever else the renderer will need to draw the scene). The pre-rendered backgrounds themselves probably will not be just straight images - likely they will need to contain proprietary data for lighting and pathfinding, among other stuff.

 

It doesn't sound like PE can support a similar type of toolset as NWN, and unless you are 3D artist with the right software it probably won't be easy to modify maps at all. That said, they could offer a measure of mod-ability by exposing their data, art assets and formats - I just wouldn't expect anything near to the NWN toolkit.

 

In fact, I'd be pretty suprised if there was an announcement of any sort of toolkit, even a rudimentary one (as much as I would like it).

not even an Infinity Engine Editor Pro or a WeidU?

not even an Infinity Engine Editor Pro or a WeidU?

 

Not familiar with those at all - and I'm not meaning to crush your hopes here (like I said, I could be way off).

 

But if they DO add things like dynamic lighting that affects the background, or real 3D walkmeshes, then yeah the editor would likely have to be much more complex.

 

Also, considering Unity3D includes a full featured toolkit/scene editor itself (which is pretty shnazzy, actually), I'm not sure the developers would even bother rolling their own toolchain this time around that they could patch up and release as a toolkit.

 

I'd love to hear from the actual devs though!

Modules would be awesome.

I've probably spent as much time with NWN as with all other rpg's put together (and there's still a loads of great NWN stuff I haven't touched).

 

Even if the full toolkit is impossible, like it probably is, it would be neat if devs could pave the way as much as possible anyway.

If there's a slightest crack in the armor, some modders will do something, there's now content for even ToEE afterall.

But the easier it is, the more there will be.

Edited September 27, 201213 yr by Jarmo

Something along the lines of the Bards Tale construction set or Unlimited Adventures would be cool.

You mean there isn't going to to a mod kit? I was taking that for granted,

You mean there isn't going to to a mod kit? I was taking that for granted,

 

I haven't seen any devs mention a mod kit.