Development Info NWN2 on Halloweenie

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2

<A href="http://nwvault.ign.com">Neverwinter Vault</a> is <a href="http://nwvault.ign.com/#21253">reporting</a> that <A href="http://www.atari.com/nwn2">Neverwinter Nights 2</a> is being pushed back to <b>October 31st</b>. This move was apparently done not because the game needed more work. Instead, both <a href="http://www.atari.com">Atari</a> and <A href="http://www.obsidianent.com">Obsidian</a> wanted to keep those hardcore D&D players(like the people that frequent <A href="http://www.sorcerers.net/">our host's site</a>) from getting together dressed up like their favorite characters <i>inside</i> rather than out on the street where they can scar impressionable children.
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Hey, here's hoping for a decent game ending.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.ve3d.com">Voodoo Extreme</A>

 

[Baphomet]

A few people are really bitching about this. It's nice to live in a time and place where a two week game delay is seen as a huge freaking deal. Much better than the alternative "the food and medicine shipment was stolen and now we're all going to die!"

 

[Castanova]

I suppose you were never 14 before...

 

[Baphomet]

How many emo kids does it take to screw in a light bulb? Who the fuck cares! Let them cry in the dark.

 

[Thrawn05]

How many emo kids does it take to screw in a light bulb? Who the fuck cares! Let them cry in the dark.

And write poems about dead birds.

 

[[Jez]]

hahahahaha

 

[Jim Kata]

Wow, that's THIS halloween? I had not expected this game so soon. I guess my apathy towards it has kept me from even paying attention. Still, time flies, though. Lets see if obsidian is worth a shit. Not that there is much chance of that but hey.

 

[Balthamael]

I have never understood the people who start screaming at these delays. The game was announced how many months ago? What do couple of weeks more matter?

 

[tuss]

Mixed feelings... it great that they are taking their time (being allowed to take their time) completing the game, but then, if it turns out to be NWN 2; like a "new and improved NWN" and not a completly new and innovationg game accidentalt named NWN 2 for marketing reasons, it'll be shit. Only more shiny and sparkling shit. At least the singleplayer.

But one can always hope.

 

[kris]

I suppose you were never 14 before...

Apparently I wasn't either.

 

[Castanova]

How many emo kids does it take to screw in a light bulb? Who the fuck cares! Let them cry in the dark.

Obviously you care considering you took the time to "cry" about them. And whipping out the old gramps argument about "These stinkin kids these days don't know how good they have it!" is both inane and a snore. How could you possibly complain about emo kids when there are starving kids in Somalia who will never even see a computer! For shame, your lack of perspective.

 

[Slith]

Obviously you care considering you took the time to "cry" about them. And whipping out the old gramps argument about "These stinkin kids these days don't know how good they have it!" is both inane and a snore. How could you possibly complain about emo kids when there are starving kids in Somalia who will never even see a computer! For shame, your lack of perspective.

Yeah, because as we all know, anyone not in a first world country is a poor starving child.

Quit being such a fucking moron.

 

[Volourn]

"The game was announced how many months ago? What do couple of weeks more matter?"

24+ months ago. And, delays are just as often as sign of badness as it is of goodness. It all depends on the reason for the delay.

Dumbass.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

I just hope these delays aren't going to be used to mainstream the game. *coughOblivioncough*

 

[Castanova]

Quit being such a fucking moron.

L.O.L.

Look up satire in the dictionary and then feel yourself turn red in the face.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

How many emo kids does it take to screw in a light bulb? Who the fuck cares! Let them cry in the dark.

That's the funniest damned joke I've heard in a long time. :D

 

[Twinfalls]

L.O.L.

Look up satire in the dictionary and then feel yourself turn red in the face.

# A manner of writing that mixes a critical attitude with wit and humor in an effort to improve mankind and human institutions. Ridicule, irony, exaggeration, and several other techniques are almost always present.

# A work that blends a critical attitude with humor and wit as well as with the intention of improving human institutions or humanity.

# Blending criticism and humor to expose a fault or problem; often used ironically.

Couple of key features you need to incorporate there. Coherence is also highly desirable.

 

[EvoG]

How many emo kids does it take to screw in a light bulb? Who the fuck cares! Let them cry in the dark.

That's the funniest damned joke I've heard in a long time. :D

Yea it is...hey fuck face, why aren't you on ICQ anymore?

 

[Balthamael]

24+ months ago. And, delays are just as often as sign of badness as it is of goodness. It all depends on the reason for the delay.

Dumbass.

I would call you a retard, except that I am a nice guy and just can't bring myself to so gravely insult all retards everywhere. I didn't suggest delay necessarily meant anything at all to the quality of the game, only that next to the two years those people have already been waiting for the game and following its development, and given that they probably are going to get the game regardless, couple of weeks more means nothing and shouldn't bother them so much.

As to the reason for delay, JE Sawyer said that they needed more time to fix bugs. Make of that what you will.

 

[Surlent]

For European market, it gives few weeks for Gothic3 to sell beforehand without competition. I know I at least won't hesitate to buy G3 as soon as it hits the stores.
This isn't exactly the first time NWN2 gets delayed either. Few weeks isn't bad, but if they delay it more say month or two for late year NWN2 has to pit itself with the upcoming WoW expansion which is scheluded at the end year also. Nothing is saying it couldn't be delayed as well, but when it get's out it is going to sell a lot anyway. Atari just isn't in the financial position to risk poor sales for its blockbuster title.

Sawyer's reply on bioforums

Fixing bugs. I will leave you to decide if the following things are worth waiting on:

* Shapeshifting causing characters to displace to different map locations and/or under the walkmesh.
* Attack sequence becoming jacked, resulting in a character executing six attacks with one swing.
* Auto-saves causing de-synchs in release .exes.

Stuff like that.

 

[Jim Kata]

a completly new and innovationg game accidentalt named NWN 2 for marketing reasons, it'll be shit.

Well, actually it seems like it will be less modder friendly, so therefore even shittier.

 

[Spazmo]

Lets see if obsidian is worth a shit. Not that there is much chance of that but hey.

Feel free. For my part, I've had enough of MCA breaking my heart, and every game J.E. Sawyer releases just kind of adds to the sad, sad story that is poor Josh's career. The guy gets into game design to make something on the level of Fallout, and then he peaks with Icewind Dale II. Heart wrenching.

 

[Ladonna]

Two weeks....who gives a shit.

I am not going to leap onto the bandwagon of Defence of Obsidian, but I also won't go in attacking them. There is a reason for this.

Obsidian has not released anything yet that has really floated my boat. They seem to be largely continuing on in the Bioware way of RPG lite. Obviously they are doing this for money.

However, I remember Tim Caine stating how hard it was to put decent ideas through a publisher. Marketing always shoots things like TBC or choice and consequence. Fallout itself almost died when Black Isle got the DnD license, Caine managed to convince Marketing that Fallout was sufficiently different as to not affect the sales of a DnD game while A post Apoc RPG could make sufficent sales. He won. The rest is history.

Imagine if he had not have won? See what happened to Troika when they couldn't find anyone willing to back their Post Apoc game design including TBC. Kaput.

Obsidian is just doing what any dev has to do in the current bigwig climate: Follow orders or don't get bank rolled.

I daresay Sawyer and co could make a decent game if they had no restraints. They do. They are playing on the chocolate milk field where TBC is EVIL and choices suck. Where they got this from I have no idea, but certain powerful flunkies in marketing have ordained this so don't expect the next deep RPG from the big timers. It ain't gonna happen.

As for two weeks, again, who gives a shit? If it helps the game and does something good, sweet. If its for the sake of Atari suddenly declaring they need a 5 years and up game, and have ordered Obsidian to rip out content, then don't claim that this has not happened before.

Every game has to be everything to everyone. Thats the way it is now with the market fellators in charge. Look for the indies if you want decent RPGing.

Edit: I believe the only way we will see Decent RPG's again from the mainstream is after one of the following (maybe both).

1) Mainstream gaming starts to die off. Sales stagnate and publishers panic, allowing any 'new' ideas in that might turn the tables.

2) An Indy RPG sells a mass of copies and is raved about constantly. Big timers take a look and try to emulate this themselves.

 

[Castanova]

A step by step analysis. For those of us who need a helping hand. Feel free to ignore.

Baphomet: "It's nice to live in a time and place where a two week game delay is seen as a huge freaking deal. Much better than the alternative 'the food and medicine shipment was stolen and now we're all going to die!'"

Translated: Kids these days have their heads up their ass! How dare they whine about a two-week game delay when people are dying?

Castanova: "How could you possibly complain about emo kids when there are starving kids in Somalia who will never even see a computer! For shame, your lack of perspective."

Translated: <sarcasm>Baphomet has his head up his ass! How dare he whine about emo kids when people are dying?</sarcasm>

Slith: "Yeah, because as we all know, anyone not in a first world country is a poor starving child."

Translated: I post knee-jerk, insult-laden responses to posts I don't understand.

Twinfalls: "Couple of key features you need to incorporate there."

Translated: Semantics mean that Castanova is the one who's dumb... even though everyone he's arguing with is hypocritical and/or dense.


Personally, I've found a significant amount of humor in this thread.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Fallout itself almost died when Black Isle got the DnD license

Almost? Actually, Interplay had the D&D license before Fallout. That's why they made Descent to Undermountain. If Baldur's Gate had sold as well as Descent to Undermountain, instead of a million copies, we'd probably have seen a few more Fallout games.

I'd say that while D&D kept Interplay afloat for a while, their reliance on the D&D license is ultimately what did them in. They put all their eggs in one basket, a basket while Atari owned and Interplay rented. Interplay stopped paying the rent and ended up losing all their eggs.