NWN2 OC was not bad as people make it out

[Quillon]

Is there a way/mod that makes companions minimum level when you get them?

ed: I should just de-level them through character editor I guess

 

[aweigh]

Would this work for janky graphics as well? My NWN2 jerks along, particularly when you are moving the camera around or the party is running around long distances.

100% guarantee you it's a frame-pacing issue. Download RTSS and use its frame-limiter and voila, watch camera jerkiness disappear.

 

[Cael]

Would this work for janky graphics as well? My NWN2 jerks along, particularly when you are moving the camera around or the party is running around long distances.

100% guarantee you it's a frame-pacing issue. Download RTSS and use its frame-limiter and voila, watch camera jerkiness disappear.

RTSS?

 

[aweigh]

rivatuner statistics server. It's an add-on to msi afterburner. anyway all you need is this:
http://download.msi.com/uti_exe/vga/MSIAfterburnerSetup.zip

download that, unzip it, and double-click the exe. during that thing's install it will then ask if you also want to install RTSS (it will already be checkmarked in the list of components), so make sure that you do.

You don't ever need to use MSI AB yourself, but it does need to be running for RTSS to work, since RTSS is an add-on. Anyway, you launch RTSS and in the frame limit field enter the number you wish to cap your FPS at; for a game like NWN2 I imagine capping it 60, or at your max refresh rate, is the way to go.

Magically watch all camera jerkiness disappear when moving it around. It really is the best frame limiter out there, it has the most complex mathematics under the hood, has zero lag, it's fucking fantastic. I use it 24/7.

BTW in case you were wondering what the point of MSI Afterburner is if the frame-limiter is in RTSS, the answer is that MSI AB is for monitoring, showing your fps, renderer info, gpu info, cpu info, etc. Oh! You can also use MSI AB for OVERclocking and undervolting.

Here's an image of what RTSS looks like...

You want the field that says Frame Rate Limit over there on the right side. You can ignore everything else. Just enter a number (like 60 or your monitor Hz limit) and hit Enter and that's it. You can make a profile for the game's executable if you want over on the left side. Personally I just use a global limit.

 

[Cael]

rivatuner statistics server. It's an add-on to msi afterburner. anyway all you need is this:
http://download.msi.com/uti_exe/vga/MSIAfterburnerSetup.zip

download that, unzip it, and double-click the exe. during that thing's install it will then ask if you also want to install RTSS (it will already be checkmarked in the list of components), so make sure that you do.

You don't ever need to use MSI AB yourself, but it does need to be running for RTSS to work, since RTSS is an add-on. Anyway, you launch RTSS and in the frame limit field enter the number you wish to cap your FPS at; for a game like NWN2 I imagine capping it 60, or at your max refresh rate, is the way to go.

Magically watch all camera jerkiness disappear when moving it around. It really is the best frame limiter out there, it has the most complex mathematics under the hood, has zero lag, it's fucking fantastic. I use it 24/7.

BTW in case you were wondering what the point of MSI Afterburner is if the frame-limiter is in RTSS, the answer is that MSI AB is for monitoring, showing your fps, renderer info, gpu info, cpu info, etc. Oh! You can also use MSI AB for OVERclocking and undervolting.

Here's an image of what RTSS looks like...

You want the field that says Frame Rate Limit over there on the right side. You can ignore everything else. Just enter a number (like 60 or your monitor Hz limit) and hit Enter and that's it. You can make a profile for the game's executable if you want over on the left side. Personally I just use a global limit.

Thanks. That was what I thought it might be when I did a search, but thought I'd check first. I'd look into it if I still get the problem after my computer upgrade. This thing I am on is a 2012 model, and it is really time for an upgrade.

 

[Bad Sector]

I finally decided to play NWN2... i've played the original plus the expansions a few times some time ago and liked them but even though i bought NWN2 on GOG years ago i didn't play it until now.

I've only played up to the point where you reach Highcliff and then go to a farmer's place. TBH so far i'm not very impressed - sure the graphics look better, but the game is very clunky and it isn't just the camera. The controls are weird with my character teleporting backwards if i use WASD or keep the left mouse down to move and then get blocked by some furniture or other scenery piece or sometimes get blocked but then quickly turn around to unblock myself and move towards someone, the collision might get disabled and then teleport back to the place where i got blocked. I tried to use the NWN1 "exploration" camera style since i got used to it and overall i prefer similar cameras in 3D aerial view games, but rotating the camera by moving the mouse to the edge is broken with the speed being too low or too fast depending on the current world (but *not* what you are looking at and the speed is consistent so it isn't a matter of it being framerate depend). Also sometimes the character just rotates in place after reaching wherever i clicked - i tried to use the 'lock the camera behind the character' option in one of my attempts to figure out a comfortable setup, but it was constantly causing the camera to spin around. Finally while the heightmap and more detailed places look nice, in practice i often get "stuff" between my character and the camera (especially since i prefer to play zoomed out) with the camera constantly moving close and far because it hits buildings or having a bunch of half-faded out trees laves that overlay each other, which ends up looking as if there is oil smeared on the monitor.

And of course the choppy animations, but i fixed that. Kinda.

There are also some (apparent) deliberate choices i'm not a fan of: highlighting all interactive items in view doesn't show their captions anymore and you have to hover with the mouse over them (and for some reason the caption is delayed but thankfully this is configurable). This is annoying because i have to hover over every single NPC in every city to see if there is anyone worth interacting with - i really prefer NWN1 showing all captions instantly. Another issue is that for some reason combat feels much slower... my character is pretty much the same as the one i made in NWN1, yet it feels like it takes ages between attacks with both PCs and NPCs spending more time sitting there staring at each other than fighting. Also i find dialogs with voice acting use their own camera and interface that take over the entire game while voiceless dialogs use a NWN1-like dialog box kinda jarring. I'd prefer if they all used the dialog box like in NWN1.

At the end i think i'll just have to get used to the clunkyness since beneath the jank there seems to be a game i might find enjoyable (i liked NWN1 after all), but outside the improved graphics (which i do not care much about anyway) i find myself finding most elements inferior to NWN1.

There are some positives though, like so far the OC looks more interesting than the NWN1 OC. And i *really* like that i can move the UI elements around - this should be standard in all RPGs on PC. Though the UI theme kinda reminds me of the theme my previous motherboard's BIOS GUI had :-P.

FWIW RTSS doesn't seem to be compatible with the game (but there has been a new version and i haven't updated yet so it might be a driver incompatibility and not a game one) so i can't force a framerate limit. Dxtory also doesn't seem to work with it either (at the past i had a couple of games that didn't work with RTSS but worked with Dxtory). The game's issues do not seem to be related to high framerate though - if anything i had to lower the shadow detail to medium because in some scenes i had some choppy framerate (my PC is weak).

About the janky animations:

Would this work for janky graphics as well? My NWN2 jerks along, particularly when you are moving the camera around or the party is running around long distances.

If you can rotate the camera around yourself with the keyboard and it is a smooth rotation but the character movement is choppy, the issue is with the animation system using the time in milliseconds since the last time you booted for animation timing. This value is most likely mixed with 32bit floating point which quickly loses precision at high numbers, hence the impression of low framerate (especially if you have the camera to always center at the active character). The fix is easy: reboot your computer.

That is, assuming you are using Windows 7. In Windows 8 and later, the computer doesn't do a full shutdown and this timer doesn't seem to reliably reset. To force a real shutdown and restart, open the command prompt or the Run dialog (Win+R) and enter shutdown /r /f /t 0 (/r will do the full restart, /f will force applications to close and /t 0 will cause the shutdown+reboot happen immediately).

You *may* have to do this twice and you *may* have to set the compatibility mode (via the exe properties) to Windows 7. I do not remember which i did first as i was playing around with options to get rid of the choppyiness and weird rotation (i fixed the former but couldn't fix the latter).

 

[ProphetSword]

The NWN2 Client Extension fixes the issue of the choppy framerate by resetting the timer. It has some other fixes as well. You can download it here:
https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/other/nwn2-client-extension

 

[Cael]

About the janky animations:

Would this work for janky graphics as well? My NWN2 jerks along, particularly when you are moving the camera around or the party is running around long distances.

If you can rotate the camera around yourself with the keyboard and it is a smooth rotation but the character movement is choppy, the issue is with the animation system using the time in milliseconds since the last time you booted for animation timing. This value is most likely mixed with 32bit floating point which quickly loses precision at high numbers, hence the impression of low framerate (especially if you have the camera to always center at the active character). The fix is easy: reboot your computer.

That is, assuming you are using Windows 7. In Windows 8 and later, the computer doesn't do a full shutdown and this timer doesn't seem to reliably reset. To force a real shutdown and restart, open the command prompt or the Run dialog (Win+R) and enter shutdown /r /f /t 0 (/r will do the full restart, /f will force applications to close and /t 0 will cause the shutdown+reboot happen immediately).

You *may* have to do this twice and you *may* have to set the compatibility mode (via the exe properties) to Windows 7. I do not remember which i did first as i was playing around with options to get rid of the choppyiness and weird rotation (i fixed the former but couldn't fix the latter).

I have shut down a few times and tried to play the game in the past. That doesn't seem to affect the jankiness.

 

[Bad Sector]

I have shut down a few times and tried to play the game in the past. That doesn't seem to affect the jankiness.

Did you restart with the command i gave? Simply restarting (or using the non-full shutdown parameter) will not work as the timer is not reset.

 

[Cael]

I have shut down a few times and tried to play the game in the past. That doesn't seem to affect the jankiness.

Did you restart with the command i gave? Simply restarting (or using the non-full shutdown parameter) will not work as the timer is not reset.

I am using Windows 7, so no need.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I have shut down a few times and tried to play the game in the past. That doesn't seem to affect the jankiness.

Did you restart with the command i gave? Simply restarting (or using the non-full shutdown parameter) will not work as the timer is not reset.

I am using Windows 7, so no need.

Have you tried prayer?

 

[Cael]

I have shut down a few times and tried to play the game in the past. That doesn't seem to affect the jankiness.

Did you restart with the command i gave? Simply restarting (or using the non-full shutdown parameter) will not work as the timer is not reset.

I am using Windows 7, so no need.

Have you tried prayer?

Not yet, but once I get my new desktop, there will be a prayer for this one and a blessing using one of these:

 

[Quillon]

maaan fuck this game, the more I try to fix it the more it crashes(on area transitions only), lilura your mod guide sucks :D Last I finished the game like 7 years ago or something without any crashes and without any mods...ffs, now I like some mods but don't know which ones are the culprits...

 

[Bad Sector]

Hm, i am playing the game since last week and so far i never had a single crash or any other issue outside the camera rotation speed when the mouse hits the edges. After some tweaks i basically have it working like NWN1's camera with an aerial/pseudoisometric view locked on the selected character except instead of rotating using the edges, rotate using the Q/E keys or middle click+drag (i mostly use the mouse to move around though). It took a day or so to get used to the camera controls, but now it is second nature and i do not even think about it. I still prefer NWN1's controls though (but i like how i can customize the UI layout in NWN2).

Here is my configuration in case it gives some hint as to what might be wrong:

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (i use the intergrated GPU), 8MB of RAM (2GB dedicated to VRAM, 6GB to system RAM), Windows 10 1809 (apparently there is a newer version which for some reason i do not have...), SSD (yet the loading screens are *slow*). GPU driver version is 19.5.2 (though this shouldn't matter much).

The game is set in Windows 7 compatibility mode for all users (not sure if it makes much difference). Fullscreen optimizations (from the compatibility tab) are disabled. I also have the "Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by:" set to "Application" but that was just a blind attempt to get rid of the edge rotation (which didn't work) even though i have a low DPI monitor. Still, it is there, i didn't touch it. The game is the GOG version 2.2.0.10 (which i think is the latest).

I restart Windows with "shutdown /r /t 0" before playing the game to avoid the timing bug. I run it at 1366x768 (my monitor's native resolution) with all settings maxed except shadows which i have at medium.

I haven't installed any unofficial patch or mod (though i don't know if GOG did). I have it installed on C:\GOG Games (which is the default but i mention it in case you have it somewhere UAC kicks in).

 

[laclongquan]

the trial questline was pretty good

It was interesting, until you realized the outcome cared very little about your choices. Trial by combat in any case, IIRC. I remember being disappointed that the whole thing fell flat on its face. Expecting real choices with consequences beyond the immediate and the cosmetic... What was I thinking?

Just an expanded copy of KotOR's trial. The inspiration is clear. Bioware "choices" all over again.

The trial by combat part was stupid because that's not how trial by combat works at all. The prosecution can't trigger trial by combat or else the state would just go around accusing anyone they dislike of crimes to try to kill them. Clearly much thought wasn't put into it.
It should have been an option for people who fail the trial.

Well dawgs, that's exactly how trial by combat works. At its basest essence, it's might make right. Everything else is just window dressing. Diplomacy and Legal Battle as the cover for Emperor's New Clothes, so to speak.
I dont get why so so so many gamers get surprised by this stage of the game.
Historical issue aside, internal story logic demand that.
You have a conspiracy where Luskan faction massacre a whole fucking town of Neverwinter, for fuck's sake.
The Luskan MUST win the court by all means possible and the combat is their last chance to do it. Because otherwise it would means their conspiracy was exposed and NW has the legal and moral high ground in the coming war. The which they cant allow.
Why are they surprised that the Luskans would rely on trial by combat to turn the table?
(The other side is that NW must win the trial because it's held in their home grounds. Losing is never an option to begin with.)

 

[Cael]

maaan fuck this game, the more I try to fix it the more it crashes(on area transitions only), lilura your mod guide sucks :D Last I finished the game like 7 years ago or something without any crashes and without any mods...ffs, now I like some mods but don't know which ones are the culprits...

What kind of mods are you using. If you know how the 2da thing works, it is easier to just mod the game yourself to add in abilities to classes or change class/race parameters.

 

[Darth Canoli]

maaan fuck this game

I knew you'd get it sooner or later, congratulations!

 

[DalekFlay]

Like Pillars it was more boring than anything else, but boring is a pretty bad thing to be when you're supposed to be a fun life distraction.

 

[glass blackbird]

the real question: is nwn1 oc or nwn2 oc worse

 

[Shadenuat]

NWN1 is worse but one should also keep in mind that it wasn't even designed as a standalone game but more like example/marketing for what you can do with the toolset.

 

[Quillon]

maaan fuck this game, the more I try to fix it the more it crashes(on area transitions only), lilura your mod guide sucks :D Last I finished the game like 7 years ago or something without any crashes and without any mods...ffs, now I like some mods but don't know which ones are the culprits...

What kind of mods are you using. If you know how the 2da thing works, it is easier to just mod the game yourself to add in abilities to classes or change class/race parameters.

Only fixes and gfx mods and ai & ui. all from lilura's guide. I didn't install any PRC(?) stuff.

ed: prolly nothing to do with mods, since I removed override folder and game still crashed. either the game's faulty(platinum version from steam, verified files) or save-game's faulty(could be from mods).

I wanna play motb but my ocd dictates that I finish OC first, and there is no telling same problem won't occur in motb... fuuuuuu

currently stuck in west harbor, on a delivery mission to bro merring, he won't let me go again

 

[Mikeal]

Of course first one.

 

[Average Manatee]

NWN1 is worse but one should also keep in mind that it wasn't even designed as a standalone game but more like example/marketing for what you can do with the toolset in about 3 weeks with a few interns.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[Roguey]

NWN1 is worse but one should also keep in mind that it wasn't even designed as a standalone game but more like example/marketing for what you can do with the toolset in about 3 weeks with a few interns.

Fixed for accuracy.

Not actually the case https://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.p...cut-possibly-due-to-publisher-meddling.74097/

"3 weeks with a few interns" would be those short mini-modules that it also shipped with.

 

[System]

Currently replaying NWN OC, it is making me rethink my life choices, it is even more boring than I remember, but autism wont let me drop it. I kept saying to myself it will get better later, but now I'm more than halfway in, so i need to finish it. At least I i can buff myself and watch youtube videos while the combat plays itself.