NWN1 vs NWN2

[CrumpetsForBreakfast]

It was marketed as a set of tools including the editor, it was developed as a set of tools including the editor, it was sold as a set of tools including the editor, and it was widely used as a set of tools including the editor. It wasn't a incidental addition that happened to get popular, it was the whole purpose of the product. Even wikipedia knows this, even the game box explains this to buyers, I don't know how you buy it and never know what the game is really about.

 

 

It is in the same class as Unlimited Adventures and Sword Coast Legends more recently, it is not in the same class as Planescape: Torment. You see, different types of products entirely.

 

If you don't believe that then I don't know what to tell you to be honest.

[algroth]

It was marketed as a set of tools including the editor, it was developed as a set of tools including the editor, it was sold as a set of tools including the editor, and it was widely used as a set of tools including the editor. It wasn't a incidental addition that happened to get popular, it was the whole purpose of the product. Even wikipedia knows this, even the game box explains this to buyers, I don't know how you buy it and never know what the game is really about.

 

 

It is in the same class as Unlimited Adventures and Sword Coast Legends more recently, it is not in the same class as Planescape: Torment. You see, different types of products entirely.

 

If you don't believe that then I don't know what to tell you to be honest.

I have the box before me right now, and it is not at all like the above. On the contrary, the editor is mentioned twice, firstly as an additional point to the opening pitch, and then as one of the many bullet points involving features. The summary centers on the *storyline* above all else, which occupies the larger bulk of the game's summary, and proceeds in its bullet points to mention, yet again, a 60-hour single-player campaign, 3rd Ed. D&D ruleset, 3D graphics, and so on. The editor is one of several features.

 

This is my case, it is also the original release opposed to any future release which could have made more focus on the editor tool since it's really the best and still most relevant aspect about it:

 

 

So yes, I do believe the case. The editor isn't the only thing, or even the main thing, it is selling to me. And for the record, I never compared it to Planescape: Torment or expected such a thing of it. I know *that* in particular is not what the game is aiming at, but what it is aiming for (the campaign side of it, at least), which is perhaps closer to Icewind Dale for example in terms of it being a fairly linear dungeon-crawling epic, it does fail at.

Edited April 14, 2017 by algroth

[CrumpetsForBreakfast]

Maybe it's not your fault then for the bad localization of the marketing and packaging but today you can look it up and find out the truth. They kind of spell out their mission statement and you're right it's not all there is to it, it's only 90% of what NWN was. Obviously they didn't spend over 4 years just developing the OC, that would have been weird. Even as an action RPG it would have not been nearly as popular as it was and they would not have called it a revolution.

[algroth]

Maybe it's not your fault then for the bad localization of the marketing and packaging but today you can look it up and find out the truth. They kind of spell out their mission statement and you're right it's not all there is to it, it's only 90% of what NWN was. Obviously they didn't spend over 4 years just developing the OC, that would have been weird. Even as an action RPG it would have not been nearly as popular as it was and they would not have called it a revolution.

I will agree that the innovative aspect of it was the editor (wouldn't call it revolutionary though), but Neverwinter Nights was still primarily sold as an RPG. An editor or software to create RPGs is a very different thing. You cite Wikipedia as a source, well... See the way Wikipedia labels Neverwinter Nights opposite to an actual "sole" editor like the RPG Maker series: the former is a "third-person role-playing videogame", the latter is "a program for the development of role-playing games". Chances are also that the great majority of Neverwinter Nights players never even opened the editor for reasons exceeding mild curiosity. To say the campaign is 10% of "what NWN is" is simply wrong, and it is entirely within anyone's right to evaluate the game as a role-playing game, since it is primarily that.

 

For the record, I'm not saying here that you are wrong in evaluating it as an editor either. That is up to you as to what you wish to focus on and address, but it doesn't mean that those of us who focus on the campaign for our criticisms and comparison are in the wrong to do so.

Edited April 17, 2017 by algroth

[darkling.lithely]

I played through all the NWN 1 & 2 releases several times. NWN2's stories were much better, but my favorite module was for NWN1.

 

I appreciate the improvements that were made to NWN2, but I was disappointed with the difficulty of the toolset. I would still love to tell stories via crpg but don't have the time or energy for learning a complicated toolset. I did much better with the NWN1 toolset but the angular graphics always bugged me.

[Erwin van der Poel]

NWN 2 was an amazing game.

Would buy a propper remake straight away and definitely backup a kickstarer project for NWN3

[Eydn]

NWN 1 was a game that I've finished once and never came bac kto it. I don't want to play it again to be honest. NWN 2 is way better and I had a lot of fun with it. Khelgar has to be my favourite companion in the game (I'm not taking into account MotB) and there are more interesting quests and story. I think I will play it one more time in near future.