Interview Undrentide Q&A up over at PC.IGN

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide

<a href="http://pc.ign.com/">PC.IGN</a> has popped up an <A href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/389/389556p1.html">interview</a> with anonymous <b>Undrentide Development Team</b> covering, oddly enough, the development of <a href="http://nwn.bioware.com/shadows">Shadows of Undrentide</a> for <A href="http://nwn.bioware.com">Neverwinter Nights</a>.
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<blockquote><b>IGNPC: You've added lots of new abilities. What sort of new feats or spells can we expect? Was it difficult designing them so that they could be used in the original game?
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Undrentide Development Team:</b> We were sure to add something for each class. For example, the Druid now can now enhance their animal companion with the "magic fang" spell, Clerics can now choose the powerful "Sunburst," and Rangers gain "One with the land." Fighters can choose the feat "Dirty Fighting" that allows the player to deal extra damage in combat. Roguish types can take the feat "Sneaky" that makes them harder for enemies to find.
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The biggest difficulty when adding these was to make sure they worked in the original game, and all the modules designed by the community. We asked the test team to pound on those areas again and again through the original game to make sure nothing went wrong.</blockquote>
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That poor, poor, poor test team.
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Spotted this at <A href="http://www.homelanfed.com">HomeLAN Fed</a>

 

[Spazmo]

So... they're tearing more stuff out of the 3rd Ed. Player's Handbook, skullfucking it into their godawful engine and calling it an expansion.

What else is new?

 

[Psilon]

I haven't read the Player's Handbook, but the description Bio gives for Dirty Fighting is something to the effect of "bashing faces with sword hilts."

Don't they do this already? Half the damage I do with my Sonic Longsword +3 seems to be with the hilt and guard. Which leads me into another question: why are those successful hits still counted as 'slashing' damage? Judging from the animation, there's no actual cut involved.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I'd hardly consider smacking someone with a hilt as "dirty" in a sword fight. I'd rather be hit with the hilt than the business end of the sword. This isn't fencing, after all. It's sword fighting to the death.

 

[Spazmo]

I would see dirty fighting as kicking dirt in the other guy's eyes or a knee in the crotch.

 

[Psilon]

Precisely my point. Personally, I don't see what's so special about using every means available to survive. Why does it rate a whole feat, especially for the physically wimpy classes? Maybe a Lawful Good cleric or paladin shouldn't kick his opponent in the crotch, but I'd think a Chaotic Neutral rogue or sorcerer would do it in a heartbeat.

Not that any of this matters; there's no way they'll add extra animations for just one feat.