Neverwinter Nights is 15 years old!

[Lilura]

The game deserves an in-depth write-up, but Lilura is already on top of that and I really can't add anything else that hasn't been said a million times.

Far from being on top of it, I'm actually buried beneath it and burdened by being the only half-srs Aurora, Electron and Infinity Engine commentator. I've actually floated the idea of inviting co-authors, but I doubt anyone else possesses my lvl of expertise and encyclopedic knowledge.

Spoiler

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Making an overpowered Arcane Archer character for HotU was p awesome.

Hell yes. My Hordes write-up as AA.

一直都好奇，忍不住问一下，你是中国人么？为啥你博客上面有一句中文？

 

[felipepepe]

Still sounds cool as fuck.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

I remember when I launched NWN for the first time. I just sat back and listened to the awesome main menu track. And then I went to the character creation menu and looked thru all the portraits. Such high quality stuff.

IIRC they replaced the menu track with another one in one of the later patches. Come to think of it, the game received a shit ton of updates, e.g. they added proper sky boxes for the people who play the game zoomed in, and there were also official creature packs included in the updates, like they would add a bunch of high quality models for the creatures that don't even appear anywhere in the game, just for use in the user made modules.

It's a funny thing about both NWN games that installing the expansions (only the second one in the case of NWN1) changes the main menu theme FOREVER. People who buy the complete editions today might never hear them.



BG2 got this right by giving Throne of Bhaal a separate main menu.

What people also forget is the quick start-up screen music, a short and brief sound that, once heard, immediately puts you in the zone (00:00 - 00:23):



Also, on this vid, click the description, here's the link to goto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lc99TJS0qA and all the tracks are listed and quickly linked within. I recommend clicking 36:17 & 37:24 for instant recognition and 38:33 for instant heaven. 1:50:24 is for instantly wanting to re-install.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

The whole soundtrack is available on GOG, just FYI. MP3's for NWN 1, FLAC's for NWN 2.

Please PM me a link with FLAC's for NWN 1.

 

[Codexlurker]

I remember when I launched NWN for the first time. I just sat back and listened to the awesome main menu track. And then I went to the character creation menu and looked thru all the portraits. Such high quality stuff.

IIRC they replaced the menu track with another one in one of the later patches. Come to think of it, the game received a shit ton of updates, e.g. they added proper sky boxes for the people who play the game zoomed in, and there were also official creature packs included in the updates, like they would add a bunch of high quality models for the creatures that don't even appear anywhere in the game, just for use in the user made modules.

It's a funny thing about both NWN games that installing the expansions (only the second one in the case of NWN1) changes the main menu theme FOREVER. People who buy the complete editions today might never hear them.



BG2 got this right by giving Throne of Bhaal a separate main menu.

What people also forget is the quick start-up screen music, a short and brief sound that, once heard, immediately puts you in the zone (00:00 - 00:23):



Also, on this vid, click the description, here's the link to goto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lc99TJS0qA and all the tracks are listed and quickly linked within. I recommend clicking 36:17 & 37:24 for instant recognition and 38:33 for instant heaven. 1:50:24 is for instantly wanting to re-install.

Valley of Hope in Anphillia - 2:03:33.
Tasteful Music - 0:39:38
Favorite boss theme.
https://youtu.be/JcBrqqrCJTY

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Neverwinter Nights is 26 years old.

 

[Vorark]

Remember: A Dance with Rogues, the best mod ever.

"Acquired 30GP". A typical case of

 

[Deleted member 7219]

The second RPG I ever played, and while not the best it probably had some of the best systems and allowed for a lot of great content.

 

[JarlFrank]

A Dance With Rogues is indeed the best module for NWN, because it focuses on non-combat gameplay like dialogue, investigation, and stealth. It's a very adventure-focused module with little forced combat in it.

The combat in NWN is terrible. It's single character slow RtwP D&D - yeah, no thanks. Not fun. Would be fun if you controlled a party, but you don't so it's not.

The greatest enjoyment I get out of NWN is with modules that have little combat.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Anybody here ever played really huge enormous modules like Tortured Hearts? I mean, the description sounds amazing:

Hail, hardcore Neverwinter fans! This is the 1st installment of my saga, Tortured Hearts, which I first posted in 2004. There are about 240 areas, 170000+ words in conversations, 17 companions to choose from, and finishing will take about 60-100+ hours of playing time. This game is meant for players who are persevering, patient, curious, and willing to untangle the thread of a long story. There are two endings (epilogues) for those who appreciate a difficult game.

But then again, this could also be incredibly autistic and just poorly done. Always wanted to give it a go back in the day, but never really got around to it.

 

[Lacrymas]

I don't think the combat is terrible, unless you play only fighters I guess. Just play Swordflight, you'll learn to appreciate the single character combat very fast. Besides, half the fun of combat is trying out new character builds and how they work. You need to be in a methodical frame of mind to like the combat, because it's slow and ponderous. Preparation for combat is also a huge part of some builds, mainly melee ones. If the combat is extra-difficult, then you need every potion and healing kit you can get, even if playing a powerhouse like the cleric.

Anybody here ever played really huge enormous modules like Tortured Hearts? I mean, the description sounds amazing:
But then again, this could also be incredibly autistic and just poorly done. Always wanted to give it a go back in the day, but never really got around to it.

I tried TH1, never got far into it, not because I thought it was terrible, but because you are plonked into the middle of a big city and told "go!". It's never clear where to "go" though and I just stumble onto quests, that's not necessarily a bad thing, you just need patience and time. I can't comment on the quality of the whole thing, but I suspect that it's a quality vs quantity issue where quantity has won this round. It's easy to write lots of words (just ask Obsidian and InXile) and create lots of areas, what those amount to, however, is another issue.

 

[Roguey]

I don't think the combat is terrible, unless you play only fighters I guess.

Spam spells, rest, spam spells, rest ad infinitum isn't my idea of a good time.

 

[Karwelas]

A Dance With Rogues is indeed the best module for NWN, because it focuses on non-combat gameplay like dialogue, investigation, and stealth. It's a very adventure-focused module with little forced combat in it.

The combat in NWN is terrible. It's single character slow RtwP D&D - yeah, no thanks. Not fun. Would be fun if you controlled a party, but you don't so it's not.

The greatest enjoyment I get out of NWN is with modules that have little combat.

Exactly that. Also, you can actually be badass.

Who didn't wanted to stab that Vico dick right when he doesn't expect this.

 

[Lacrymas]

Spam spells, rest, spam spells, rest ad infinitum isn't my idea of a good time.

That's what you do in the BGs (and many other RPGs where resource management is nonexistent). You obviously haven't played Swordflight. Seriously people, go play that module then come back and comment on the combat. You'll be save scumming before reaching the ultimate dungeon in the first part. Maybe even before getting out of the tavern.

 

[hell bovine]

Anybody here ever played really huge enormous modules like Tortured Hearts?

It's very easy to break quests in this one, from what I recall, e.g. by talking to NPCs in the wrong order. And because the author decided not to provide a walkthrough, you won't know if you are stuck, because the quest bugged out, or because you haven't explored enough. Never finished it.

Try Swordflight instead. The first part is a solid dungeon crawler, the second one is multilinear city adventure and reminds me a bit of Baldur's Gate 2. My biggest criticism is that the henchwoman is terrible (but fortunately she stays at home in part 2). I also liked Lankhmar Nights (a bit buggy, but the author responds quickly on the nwn vault, and there is a walkthrough for the main quest, so at least you know if you are stuck), though at low level combat was much tougher than anything in Swordflight. And of course my favourite city: Almraiven.

 

[Roguey]

That's what you do in the BGs (and many other RPGs where resource management is nonexistent).

That's what bad players do. The combat is tuned with the intention that you stagger out your resources.

 

[Delterius]

That's what you do in the BGs

BG is perfectly balanced for a no rest scum campaign. The developers just didn't have the balls to kick the newbs in the balls, whereas in NwN they chose to embrace them.

 

[Lacrymas]

That's what bad players do. The combat is tuned with the intention that you stagger out your resources.

Two responses to that nonsense -

1. Then don't do that in NWN as well. Also remember that the OC =/= NWN. You can't do that in Swordflight anyway unless you save scum like crazy.

2. It doesn't matter what the campaign was balanced for ("Oh, woe, the game is balanced only with fighters in mind, even though I put 11 other classes in there!"), the tools are there and are used, no matter what catechism you wish to place upon them.

Not to mention that this doesn't have anything to do with NWN's actual combat, it's about resource management outside of combat and many, many RPGs and developers struggle with this. Including your beloved. Coincidentally, Swordflight doesn't, because it has actual thought put into it.

 

[Roguey]

1. Then don't do that in NWN as well. Also remember that the OC =/= NWN. You can't do that in Swordflight anyway unless you save scum like crazy.

If you can't use your spells in every fight, and you're only playing with a wizard, we go right back to snoozefest. A frustrating snoozefest when it comes to some mods apparently.

 

[Lacrymas]

If you can't use your spells in every fight, and you're only playing with a wizard, we go right back to snoozefest. A frustrating snoozefest when it comes to some mods apparently.

Whether it's boring or not depends on each person, but we aren't talking about how boring or fun it is, we are talking about the mechanics. You have to competently build your wizard and choose your spells for Swordflight, you can't go in with 4-5 magic missiles and nothing else. I won't say how exactly to do it because it ruins the gripping dungeon delving. It also isn't frustrating at all, you are given all the tools you need to finish it with every class under the sun (shapeshifting druids being the hardest because they suck in general). Just go play it, part 1 is reasonably short, like 4-5 hours, depending on how well you do on the actual combat. If after that you find NWN to not be engaging then so be it, but that would be your problem, not the game's.

 

[JarlFrank]

I don't find dungeon delving to be gripping if the actual gameplay ends up being boring.

NWN combat is essentially a slow RtwP Diablo, and that's not fun at all.

The best mods are those with little combat in them because the combat is the weakest part of NWN. It's boring no matter how you approach it as tactical play is almost impossible.

 

[Immortal]

I don't find dungeon delving to be gripping if the actual gameplay ends up being boring.

NWN combat is essentially a slow RtwP Diablo, and that's not fun at all.

The best mods are those with little combat in them because the combat is the weakest part of NWN. It's boring no matter how you approach it as tactical play is almost impossible.

NWN2 has better combat IMO. Especially with a lot of the custom class overhauls.. The fact you can control your entire party really makes for a more enjoyable experience - as long as the campaign you are playing throws sufficient challenge.

Otherwise - I agree with you 100%. The best modules are the ones that focus on story over hack and slash.

 

[GloomFrost]

I don't find dungeon delving to be gripping if the actual gameplay ends up being boring.

NWN combat is essentially a slow RtwP Diablo, and that's not fun at all.

The best mods are those with little combat in them because the combat is the weakest part of NWN. It's boring no matter how you approach it as tactical play is almost impossible.

So basically 90% of OC consists of pure combat which sucks. All the best staff about NWN was done by random people not bioware. The question is why do people still think that NWN is a good game??

 

[Taluntain]

The sad thing about NWN is that it didn't get good until Hordes of the Underdark, by which time it was all over for the original game. The OC was crappy and SoU was only somewhat better. Seeing all the glowing OC reviews at the time seriously made me think that all the reviewers either never played a half-decent RPG in their lives or were just so desperate to get on BioWare's good side that they would polish a turd until it glowed like a diamond.