Community NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer community update #1

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2; Obsidian Entertainment

The first <a href=http://www.atari.com/nwn2/>Neverwinter Nights 2</a>: Mask of the Betrayer <a href=http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=563543&forum=121>community update</a> has been launched at the game's official forums. Kevin Saunders answers a few questions about <a href=http://www.obsidianent.com>Obsidian Entertainment</a>'s expansion in the making:<blockquote><b>1) Will there be any benefits of picking one of Rashemens patron dieties "the three" (Chauntea, Mielikki or Mystra) as the player characters diety?</b>
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Obsidian: No, sorry. As we intend for you to continue your character from NWN2, we wanted to concentrate on content that wouldn't depend on what choices you may have made way back when.
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<b>2) For those of us that know nothing about D&D outside of NWN and the BG series, can someone (doesn't even have to be a dev I suppose) give some general information about who or what the Rashemen are, and how they differ from the people on the Sword Coast?</b>
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Obsidian: For people not familiar with Rashemen setting we recommend you pick up the Forgotten Realms game accessory The Unapproachable East. In liew of that, here is a link to a basic overview of the setting as provided in that book:<a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unapproachable_East>The Unapproachable East</a>
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<b>3) Where *in* Rashemen will the game take place?</b>
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Obsidian: You'll spend much of your time near the edges of Lake Mulsantir. The game's primary hub is the city of Mulsantir.
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<b>4) Will the game take place entirely in Rashemen, or will be just starting out there? Also,will we be seeing any neighboring countries or lands close to Rashemen?</b>
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Obsidian: The majority of the game takes place within the borders of Rashemen, but you will visit a couple other locales as well.
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<b>5) Are we going to be able to play our old characters (choose one if we have multiple that finished NWN2?</b>
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Obsidian: Yes. This is what we are hoping you'll do!</blockquote>Dear god, let there not be a Minsc cameo.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</A>

 

[doctor_kaz]

Meh. I would be really interested in the expansion pack if it was starting off at level 1 again with a new adventure, but D&D doesn't play very well when you get level 20+.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

There *will* be a Minsc cameo because all Obsidian is capable of is building off Bioware. For all their pedigree, ideals, and ideas they have yet to produce anything good.

 

[KingBimbo]

There *will* be a Minsc cameo because all Obsidian is capable of is building off Bioware. For all their pedigree, ideals, and ideas they have yet to produce anything good.

Lettuce look at their products:
KOTOR 2 - Bioware Sequal
NWN2 - Bioware Sequal

Yep, you are right, sir.

 

[Jim Kata]

liew?

Now we know who the writer who continually used 'insure' for NWN2 is.

Jesus Christ. I did not speak a word of English til my twenties! Is it so hard for native speakers to learn some basic spelling and grammar? It's one thing in a forum post, but in a professionally released product?

 

[OccupatedVoid]

Is it so hard for native speakers to learn some basic spelling and grammar?

Just go to any USA public school, and read a kid's paper. Count the spelling errors and be amazed.

It's sad.

 

[aboyd]

Is it so hard for native speakers to learn some basic spelling and grammar?

Just go to any USA public school, and read a kid's paper. Count the spelling errors and be amazed.

It's sad.

Yeah, this actually frustrates me, as a parent. My daughter is not being tasked with spelling tests even though she is the correct age for it (age 9). I've talked with the teachers, and the new philosophy is that so long as kids can sound out words and write homonyms, that's close enough for their age. A while ago, one teacher told me, "at age 6, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to spell a word."

So, ugh.

 

[Lumpy]

Yeah, this actually frustrates me, as a parent. My daughter is not being tasked with spelling tests even though she is the correct age for it (age 9). I've talked with the teachers, and the new philosophy is that so long as kids can sound out words and write homonyms, that's close enough for their age. A while ago, one teacher told me, "at age 6, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to spell a word."

So, ugh.

9 years old to learn how to fucking write? WTF?
Why don't you start spelling words phonetically like the actually civilized world?

 

[Pwn*Star]

Its funny how they base everything they make on what Bioware makes. Bioware recently released Jade Empire for the PC, so of course they're gonna take that direction with an expansion pack set in the "Unapproachable East". I bet their Alien rpg is gonna be a Mass Effect clone...

 

[Shoelip]

Its funny how they base everything they make on what Bioware makes. Bioware recently released Jade Empire for the PC, so of course they're gonna take that direction with an expansion pack set in the "Unapproachable East". I bet their Alien rpg is gonna be a Mass Effect clone...

Well Rahemen isn't really supposed to be anything like China, so I don't think we have to worry about a Jade Empire clone.

 

[aboyd]

9 years old to learn how to fucking write? WTF?

Uh, no. 9 years old to be tested in spelling bees. She learned her letters at 2 and how to write at 4. My complaint isn't that she cannot write, but that her teachers do not penalize for misspelling a word.

Why don't you start spelling words phonetically like the actually civilized world?

Ah. Well, that would put you on the side of the teachers, then. That is almost exactly their argument -- if they can sound out a word, then the student spelled it correctly.

 

[Jim Kata]

Yeah, this actually frustrates me, as a parent. My daughter is not being tasked with spelling tests even though she is the correct age for it (age 9). I've talked with the teachers, and the new philosophy is that so long as kids can sound out words and write homonyms, that's close enough for their age. A while ago, one teacher told me, "at age 6, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to spell a word."

So, ugh.

9 years old to learn how to fucking write? WTF?
Why don't you start spelling words phonetically like the actually civilized world?

Don't be surprised when you never go anywhere in life because you are unable to present yourself as a semiprofessional, literate person.

 

[Lurkar]

Its funny how they base everything they make on what Bioware makes. Bioware recently released Jade Empire for the PC, so of course they're gonna take that direction with an expansion pack set in the "Unapproachable East". I bet their Alien rpg is gonna be a Mass Effect clone...

Do you have the slightest clue what Rashemen is?

 

[OSK]

As we intend for you to continue your character from NWN2, we wanted to concentrate on content that wouldn't depend on what choices you may have made way back when.

…Then why bother using the same character?

 

[Pwn*Star]

No i haven't bothered to buy the Unapproachable East book, but it sounded like another eastern inspired setting like Jade Empire.

 

[The_Nameless_Prick]

NWN2: One of the worst games I have ever played in my life. Playing the game actually gave me a headache it was so bad. I don't care about it or its offspring.

 

[Shoelip]

No i haven't bothered to buy the Unapproachable East book, but it sounded like another eastern inspired setting like Jade Empire.

Well that is definitely not the case. Heck, you could have gotten that just from Baldur's Gate.

Heck, it's known as "The Land of Berserkers". Go figure.

 

[Texas Red]

In regards to education in USA...

From one point of view yes, it is sad when you visit Gamespot. On the other hand you probably wouldnt want to go through the ridiculous pressure in countries with real education(Eastern Europe). I wont lie when I say that you have to put in more hours in middleschool than on any work. After that the highschool, the university or a job will be a simple matter to you.

In the 9th grade you have to pass through the mandatory school. At least in my country it is hell because we have too many people with university degrees and not enough work force, and we also tend to follow all of the education as strickly as possibly.

You have to have a certain average to continue studying in your *normal* school. You also have to pass the pre-exams which are graded. Then you have to pass the exams which would allow you to enter schools(this means going to several schools unless youre very sure of yourself). And after that you have the official country exams. On top of that you have your normal school work, a minimum of one test and a bunch of homework a day, required books and projects. I actually checked the number of lessons a day and the 9th grade has MORE than highschool. I wont even mention universities.

Its all extremely stressful. I doubt it is very healthy for young people. I dont know about others, but that was one of the worst periods of my life.

 

[Jim Kata]

Well, I don't see how that's necessary. I know in many places (including here) they have really long school hours or they assign hours of homework every night.

I never had that as a kid. Neither did any of the people I went to school with. We had short assignments a couple times a week, and tests or quizzes on fridays. But guess what? People did their fucking homework, and the homework got graded. Most all of the people had excellent grammar, and I don't think they were all geniuses. It's not hard, it just takes a (very very) basic effort and teachers who have a (very very) basic competence level.

 

[Lumpy]

I don't have that right now. We have about 6 hours of school per day, and homework which is never graded, and rarely checked. If you're good at exact science, you'll likely get a big average, with almost no work required.
Not to mention that kids can write nearly perfectly at 7, speak fully correctly by 10, and multiply when they are 8 years old.
There's also no such thing as bullies. Or any other western kid stereotype, for that matter.

 

[Texas Red]

Tests only on fridays... homework doesnt get checked... :shock:

 

[Lumpy]

Tests only on fridays... homework doesnt get checked... :shock:

Actually, we only give like 2-4 tests per year at each subject.
Wow, I was always under the impression that our system is fucked up. Apparently, there's worse.

 

[Texas Red]

Tests only on fridays... homework doesnt get checked... :shock:

Actually, we only give like 2-4 tests per year at each subject.
Wow, I was always under the impression that our system is fucked up. Apparently, there's worse.

Maybe I should sometimes post a pick of my school notebook for the 9th grade where every single day was filled with homework and tests.

 

[Lurkar]

The problem isn't with teachers a lot of the time, it's with parents. As more and more of these morons with clown car vaginas try to get involved, the education system goes to shit, because everyone but the teacher is trying to decide how things are meant to be taught. Too much homework? Whine whine whine. Not enough homework? Whine whine whine. Billy fails his test because he sits in class all day with his fist up his ass? Whine whine whine. And the worse thing is, these walking talking piles of shit ONLY get involved at the actual school - never at home, where little Billy is too busy fondling himself to thoughts of his teacher (not that there's anything wrong with that) to do his damn work. If you teach anything below college level there's almost no purpose to your job.

And of course, then there's a shortage of teachers, which makes desperate schools hire anyone that can write down their name on a piece of paper. I'm surprised kids can leave school able to use a pencil these days.