Elwro
Arcane
Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
<a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch<a> has an <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=72&ref=0&id=9">interview</a> with Alan Miranda, Luke Scull and Mat Jobe of <a href="http://www.ossianstudios.com/">Ossian Studios</a>, the developers of Mysteries of Westgate, the first Adventure Pack for Neverwinter Nights 2.<blockquote>RPGWatch: Cities can sometimes feel drab with repetitive scenarios and limited scope for real exploration - how much freedom will players have in moving around and making discoveries outside of the critical path and how do you keep the setting fresh and engaging?
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Mat Jobe [<em>The project's writer</em>]: Players will have a lot of freedom to explore the city and pursue adventures unrelated to the critical path. Players who have played Baldur's Gate 2 may find the experience reminiscent of exploring Athkatla in that game - it's that wide open.
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We really wanted to create a "big city" feel, which meant including loads of sidequests and unusual characters that have nothing to do with the main story (or, in some cases, any story). In a bustling city - especially one as diverse as Westgate - you're not going to find everyone focused on one event or series of events, no matter how big they may be. If Lathander himself appeared in Westgate and did a tap dance atop Morningstar Haven, there would still be commoners in the Warrens worrying about the price of fish, and sailors in the docks doing their best to have a good time before shoving off again. In any large population, you'll find people focused on their own day-to-day interests.
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We also wanted to make the city seem dynamic. That's one thing that probably makes some cities seem drab - they're missing that sense of constant change that makes them seem alive. In Mysteries of Westgate, we have various triggered events that can happen after the player has already visited a particular district one or more times. In some cases, players may be caught off guard and find themselves scrambling to deal with an unexpected situation.</blockquote>Frankly, I've always thought cities naturally give more interesting roleplaying opportunities than rural areas. I keep my fingers crossed that Westgate will be a memorable city filled with vivid characters and tons of scripted goodness (which worked so well e.g. in Gothic 2 - think Khorinis).
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Be sure to read the <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=72&ref=0&id=9">whole thing</a>. And if you're interested, check out our <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=162">interview</a> with the developers from a few weeks ago.
<a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch<a> has an <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=72&ref=0&id=9">interview</a> with Alan Miranda, Luke Scull and Mat Jobe of <a href="http://www.ossianstudios.com/">Ossian Studios</a>, the developers of Mysteries of Westgate, the first Adventure Pack for Neverwinter Nights 2.<blockquote>RPGWatch: Cities can sometimes feel drab with repetitive scenarios and limited scope for real exploration - how much freedom will players have in moving around and making discoveries outside of the critical path and how do you keep the setting fresh and engaging?
<br>
<br>
Mat Jobe [<em>The project's writer</em>]: Players will have a lot of freedom to explore the city and pursue adventures unrelated to the critical path. Players who have played Baldur's Gate 2 may find the experience reminiscent of exploring Athkatla in that game - it's that wide open.
<br>
<br>
We really wanted to create a "big city" feel, which meant including loads of sidequests and unusual characters that have nothing to do with the main story (or, in some cases, any story). In a bustling city - especially one as diverse as Westgate - you're not going to find everyone focused on one event or series of events, no matter how big they may be. If Lathander himself appeared in Westgate and did a tap dance atop Morningstar Haven, there would still be commoners in the Warrens worrying about the price of fish, and sailors in the docks doing their best to have a good time before shoving off again. In any large population, you'll find people focused on their own day-to-day interests.
<br>
<br>
We also wanted to make the city seem dynamic. That's one thing that probably makes some cities seem drab - they're missing that sense of constant change that makes them seem alive. In Mysteries of Westgate, we have various triggered events that can happen after the player has already visited a particular district one or more times. In some cases, players may be caught off guard and find themselves scrambling to deal with an unexpected situation.</blockquote>Frankly, I've always thought cities naturally give more interesting roleplaying opportunities than rural areas. I keep my fingers crossed that Westgate will be a memorable city filled with vivid characters and tons of scripted goodness (which worked so well e.g. in Gothic 2 - think Khorinis).
<br>
<br>
Be sure to read the <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=72&ref=0&id=9">whole thing</a>. And if you're interested, check out our <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=162">interview</a> with the developers from a few weeks ago.
