NWN Neverwinter Nights (NWN & NWN2) Modules Thread

[Lacrymas]

I was hoping that D:OS would fill the gap of good user modules but that never materialized.

That's because the D:OS Editor was shit and hard to use. They recently added it to the EE release, but I haven't heard/read anyone talking about it. I suppose hats off to Bioware for making the Aurora toolset incredibly friendly and usable. I don't know about graphics mods because I usually don't care about that :p

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Do any decent HD packs work properly with Swordflight? I kind of want to play these modules but I realize now after repressing it for so many years that I have graphics whore fag tendencies. I'm able to look myself in the mirror now about it. Some of my all-time best cRPG memories were with NWN1 modules. So, any recommendations for making Swordflight look pretty and keeping the gameplay bug-free? I was hoping that D:OS would fill the gap of good user modules but that never materialized.

I mostly make do with Gunner's body replacer. Takes care of the only problem I have with Nwn graphics.

 

[Zeriel]

Might as well ask

Lilura

Since you're the resident NWN 1 fanatic, how do you deal with playing NWN 1 on modern widescreen resolutions? The resolution itself works just fine, of course, but the UI doesn't scale at all and is intended for 4:3. And unlike in NWN2, you can't properly mod the UI, only change graphical elements, so at 1600x900 (my default resolution) the dialogue box is horrifically tiny, not to mention NPC portraits in dialogue being basically postage stamps. Is this just something you overlook and got used to, or what?

I remember really enjoying modules back in the days when I still had a 4:3 CRT, but trying to play it now I can't stand it.

(Yes, I already know the text size option. That's not what I'm talking about. Just pre-empting that answer.)

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I was hoping that D:OS would fill the gap of good user modules but that never materialized.

That's because the D:OS Editor was shit and hard to use. They recently added it to the EE release, but I haven't heard/read anyone talking about it. I suppose hats off to Bioware for making the Aurora toolset incredibly friendly and usable. I don't know about graphics mods because I usually don't care about that :p

I heard the toolset for NWN2 was a piece of turd though. I remember reading one poor bastard's account of how he was working hard creating a module for NWN2 for 6 straight hours or so, and things were flying, and he was happy. Then the whole roof came a'tumbling down, his toolset program crashed, and he lost all progress. I think he's now spending his 13th year in an institution for the terminally unlucky.

 

[Ninjerk]

He didn't save?

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I mostly make do with Gunner's body replacer. Takes care of the only problem I have with Nwn graphics.

You're right. It's a beautiful looking engine. More beautiful than its even younger sister - NWN2. Those green, bubbling acid pools, fog effects and animations of horrid wilting or screaming banshees were just...mesmerizing on my old Mitsubishi 20" CRT back in the day. I could probably play Swordflight with no enhancements, assuming it uses some new or at least less overused tilesets from the earlier days of NWN1.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

He didn't save?

Nope. He didn't save, ergo no one could save him. SMH.

 

[Zeriel]

He didn't save?

Modules can become corrupted. It's the only thing I'd consider bad about the toolset. It is a very rare occurrence and only happens with really big areas that I've seen, but if it happens that won't comfort you much.

I mostly make do with Gunner's body replacer. Takes care of the only problem I have with Nwn graphics.

You're right. It's a beautiful looking engine. More beautiful than its even younger sister - NWN2. Those green, bubbling acid pools, fog effects and animations of horrid wilting or screaming banshees were just...mesmerizing on my old Mitsubishi 20" CRT back in the day. I could probably play Swordflight with no enhancements, assuming it uses some new or at least less overused tilesets from the earlier days of NWN1.

I dunno, man. That sounds like some weird subjectivity to me. I played both when they came out, and NWN2 is the much, much prettier game. You can create environments in NWN2 with a lot of time and effort that aren't far off from modern 3D games. NWN1... yeah, not even close.

NWN1 was always an ugly game, and really suffers from still being in the early era of 3D adoption. I remember when it came out a lot of people couldn't get over how much worse than Baldur's Gate it looked, despite being a nominal "improvement".

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I'm playing through the Swordflight series now - I'm very pleased with the first one and just started the second one, though I'm thinking of replaying the first with a different char, I kinda messed this one up. It was a druid.

So playing Swordflight with a druid is not particularly viable? Damn. That was my favorite class in NWN. I remember the forum for the Saleron's Gambit module (I think) and how much trouble people where having defeating the end game boss with normal magic or melee characters. But when I played it with a high level druid, I just morphed myself into an acid-spewing drake and acid-jizzed him 3- maybe 4 times, and he collapsed like a nervous bride about to get deflowered by mandingo. Most fun I ever had in a cRPG. What's the most fun character build for Swordflight?.

 

[Lacrymas]

So playing Swordflight with a druid is not particularly viable? Damn. That was my favorite class in NWN. I remember the forum for the Saleron's Gambit module (I think) and how much trouble people where having defeating the end game boss with normal magic or melee characters. But when I played it with a high level druid, I just morphed myself into an acid-spewing drake and acid-jizzed him 3- maybe 4 times, and he collapsed like a nervous bride about to get deflowered by mandingo. Most fun I ever had in a cRPG. What's the most fun character build for Swordflight?.

It is viable. I messed it up because I made him true neutral instead of lawful, so I couldn't become a monk. I finished it with a pure druid.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

It is viable. I messed it up because I made him true neutral instead of lawful, so I couldn't become a monk. I finished it with a pure druid.

Always wanted to play a monk in an NWN module, but I could never abide the slow start. Just didn't have the patience. High level monks do seem to rock though. In Dark Souls II, my high level, heavily armored, expert swordsman character got beaten to death in 5 seconds by a naked online player using just his fists. If this was NWN he woulda been a monk, I bet.

 

[Lacrymas]

Always wanted to play a monk in an NWN module, but I could never abide the slow start. Just didn't have the patience. High level monks do seem to rock though. In Dark Souls II, my high level, heavily armored, expert swordsman character got beaten to death in 5 seconds by a naked online player using just his fists. If this was NWN he woulda been a monk, I bet.

Pure monk is good, but it's kinda boring. I wanted to go druid/monk/shifter because the wildshapes are all counted as unarmed so Flurry of Blows and monk attack progression works with them and you become a meleeing beast.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Always wanted to play a monk in an NWN module, but I could never abide the slow start. Just didn't have the patience. High level monks do seem to rock though. In Dark Souls II, my high level, heavily armored, expert swordsman character got beaten to death in 5 seconds by a naked online player using just his fists. If this was NWN he woulda been a monk, I bet.

Pure monk is good, but it's kinda boring. I wanted to go druid/monk/shifter because the wildshapes are all counted as unarmed so Flurry of Blows and monk attack progression works with them and you become a meleeing beast.

Was always astounded by how much depth NWN & the AD&D ruleset had. You could play this game for years and still not know everything about it, I suspect. I hardly ever multi-classed but I should have explored that avenue more. I used to make remarkably dumb, cul-de-sac-ed character builds and play them online, ie a pure sorcerer. The only advantage was that I could defeat all-powerful dragons with magic attacks & regeneration quite easily with a small co-op party that was considerably beyond our level. I remember some asshole dungeon master controlling an alpha dragon on one server, and getting steamed because I knew how to counter any magic she used (including regeneration) with my sorcerer as my party hacked and slashed away. That dungeon master had no idea that sorcerers could counter magic. Did I mention that NWN had a lot of depth? So she sent some buddies in pursuit of us after I stepped over her corpse and looted and gloated. That's when I stopped playing NWN online and moved on.

 

[Lacrymas]

Was always astounded by how much depth NWN & the AD&D ruleset had. You could play this game for years and still not know everything about it, I suspect. I hardly ever multi-classed but I should have explored that avenue more. I used to make remarkably dumb, cul-de-sac-ed character builds and play them online, ie a pure sorcerer. The only advantage was that I could defeat all-powerful dragons with magic attacks & regeneration quite easily with a small co-op party that was considerably beyond our level. I remember some asshole dungeon master controlling an alpha dragon on one server, and getting steamed because I knew how to counter any magic she used (including regeneration) with my sorcerer as my party hacked and slashed away. That dungeon master had no idea that sorcerers could counter magic. Did I mention that NWN had a lot of depth? So she sent some buddies in pursuit of us after I stepped over her corpse and looted and gloated. That's when I stopped playing NWN online and moved on.

Ironically, 39 sorc/1 pal is arguably the best caster in the game.

 

[Zeriel]

Was always astounded by how much depth NWN & the AD&D ruleset had. You could play this game for years and still not know everything about it, I suspect. I hardly ever multi-classed but I should have explored that avenue more. I used to make remarkably dumb, cul-de-sac-ed character builds and play them online, ie a pure sorcerer. The only advantage was that I could defeat all-powerful dragons with magic attacks & regeneration quite easily with a small co-op party that was considerably beyond our level. I remember some asshole dungeon master controlling an alpha dragon on one server, and getting steamed because I knew how to counter any magic she used (including regeneration) with my sorcerer as my party hacked and slashed away. That dungeon master had no idea that sorcerers could counter magic. Did I mention that NWN had a lot of depth? So she sent some buddies in pursuit of us after I stepped over her corpse and looted and gloated. That's when I stopped playing NWN online and moved on.

Ironically, 39 sorc/1 pal is arguably the best caster in the game.

What's the paladin for?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

What's the paladin for?

Smiting the fuck out of evil and adding manliness to that magic-bugger in robes.

 

[Lacrymas]

And if you pick up the Automatic Still Spell feats you can wear heavy armor and shields no prob, though whether that is worth it instead of Great Charisma is debatable.

 

[Aeschylus]

It is viable. I messed it up because I made him true neutral instead of lawful, so I couldn't become a monk. I finished it with a pure druid.

Always wanted to play a monk in an NWN module, but I could never abide the slow start. Just didn't have the patience. High level monks do seem to rock though. In Dark Souls II, my high level, heavily armored, expert swordsman character got beaten to death in 5 seconds by a naked online player using just his fists. If this was NWN he woulda been a monk, I bet.

The Ailund Saga modules are good ones to try a monk in. Lots of monk-specific gear, and a couple quests if I recall correctly.

 

[Lilura]

Yeah, Monks are not left out in Aielund Saga (or Swordflight). Quick search of my walkthrough for the former brought these up:

Adamantium Gauntlets of Destruction +10 (+2d12 magic, Lawful Monk only).
Adamantium Robes of Harmony +7 (DR 20/+7, WIS +4, Freedom, Haste, Epic Warding 1/day, Monk only).
Terinus might also be able to craft superior stuff, not sure for Monks.

Aielund Saga is one of the rare modules that somehow remains fun into epic levels. It's also got fairly interesting itemization throughout (on-hit effects [both weapon and armor], items have pros AND cons). I also like the names of the katanas: Four Stars, Circling Heaven and The Wind, & the Rain that Falls (I'm currently playing Siege of Dragonspear, and the item names are pathetic).

Speaking of sieges, lead-up to and siege of Bridgefort (Beamdog's SoD) versus lead-up to and siege of Fort Highmarch (Savant's Aielund Saga).

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I wish I had known to mix paladin in the epic levels of sorcerer because I always felt incredibly under-powered playing online as a pure sorcerer. For once, it woulda been nice to be OVERPOWERED, even if my middle name was "Cheese."

I think I'll wait for the 3rd part of Swordflight due out in a couple of months before I start the campaign. That way I should have nearly 100 hours of pure fun where I can take a lvl 1 character to epic in my all-time favorite RPG interface.

Regarding whether NWN1 was less pretty than NWN2, I'll tell ya right now that I could not even begin to tell you how poor the animations for some of the spells in NWN2 were in comparison to NWN1. When I played NWN2, I wanted my Horrid Wilting back from NWN1 that looked like real puffballs the size of King Kong's pods exploding with sickness & deadly spores as your lungs turned into morbid wet fungi.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Regarding whether NWN1 was less pretty than NWN2, I'll tell ya right now that I could not even begin to tell you how poor the animations for some of the spells in NWN2 were in comparison to NWN1.

Man even melee looks better in nwn 1. In nwn 2: Entities merely hit and dodge and have shitty fancy jumpmoves and what not. In nwn 1, they'll sidestep, move back and forth, block, dodge, parry, and even clash weapons together. Looks so much better and is more interesting to watch, especially if watching is all you get to do with a melee bloke.

 

[Lilura]

I've seen posters on the Codex call NWN1 ugly, I've seen a few others say NWN2 looks better than NWN1. These ppl have the aesthetic taste of an ape.

I think I'll wait for the 3rd part of Swordflight due out in a couple of months before I start the campaign. That way I should have nearly 100 hours of pure fun where I can take a lvl 1 character to epic in my all-time favorite RPG interface.

Just so you know, you sort of need to replay both Chapters of Swordflight to more fully appreciate the reactivity. But yeah, you're in for a treat. This is gonna go SIX chapters, too!

 

[Lilura]

You can create environments in NWN2 with a lot of time and effort that aren't far off from modern 3D games. NWN1... yeah, not even close.

NWN1 was always an ugly game

This guy is truly clueless. Welcome to my ignore list, you ape.

 

[Zeriel]

Someone's touchy.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

So besides Swordflight any newish module for NWN1 that is worth playing? I've also played and quite enjoyed the top 100 mods from the old nwn vault. Is there any old mods not there that are also worth playing?