Neverwinter Nights is 15 years old!

[bataille]

I've tried playing swordflight but the game kept crashing when I looked at the contents of certain containers (a dead slave in the stables, piles of rubble in the sewers). It got me so scared I never opened it (the game) again.

 

[Severian Silk]

I tried playing MotB but the camera gave me motion sickness. Also, I'm not interested in high level D&D rules. Too much shit to lern. Derp.

 

[Haplo]

The Epic Level DnD rules are pretty cool. Trouble is Obsidian arbitrarily chose to implement only some of them (which is different from NWN1).

 

[Luckmann]

Making an overpowered Arcane Archer character for HotU was p awesome. And you can also romance Aribeth or that homo tiefling dude. And you get to collect "true names" of a shit ton of characters and make them do w/e sick shit you can think of.

Best NWN campaign, would install again.

Honestly, NWN was probably the source of my love for Arcane Archers of all makes and models, and one of my favourite concepts is definitely Arcane Archer/Arcane Trickster-type characters. Arcane Archer in NWN1 was sick as shit, and I love it. The game may have aged extremely poorly (practically all 3D games age horribly) but it was pretty fun when it was around, despite the flaws of the main campaign. HotU was was really great for what it was, though; a near-pure dungeon crawler.

I really wish more games allowed me to be that type of character.

 

[Lacrymas]

The game may have aged extremely poorly.

Not really, it's stylized in a very unique way and it's endlessly charming. It hints at aesthetic choice, rather than limitation of hardware. Maybe it's just an illusion, but it's still there.

 

[Roguey]

"stylized"

 

[Lacrymas]

It doesn't look bad to me at all, no idea what you people are banging on about. The textures aren't muddy or anything and the square-ish design of the buildings looks like an architectural choice, rather than a limitation. The somewhat limited field of view reminds me of Silent Hill, i.e. adding to the "atmosphere".

 

[ERYFKRAD]

It doesn't look bad to me at all, no idea what you people are banging on about. The textures aren't muddy or anything and the square-ish design of the buildings looks like an architectural choice, rather than a limitation. The somewhat limited field of view reminds me of Silent Hill, i.e. adding to the "atmosphere".

It's the blocky and segmented player models that annoy me.

 

[Lacrymas]

The segmented parts were done on purpose to provide modders with easy customization of NPCs, since each segment is an independent entity. That's why you don't get clone armies of identical NPCs everywhere (although it does happen from time to time, but mostly with guards who are wearing the same gear). When wearing robes or full armors it isn't very noticeable, but it never personally bothered me.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

One of the greatest RPG makers of all time. Not debatable. If you argue with me, I shall plague you with a special custom dark magic spell of my own design entitled The Curse of the Microid Member or The Plight of the Perpetual Prismatic Spray, depending on your gender, sexual orientation, age and bladder control. So many many wonderful mods and modules over the years. The OC? Just a tech demo. It has its moments but should be avoided. I don't think I died once in the OC first time I played it. Bad sign. I remember when it first came out in the early 2000's it ran like ass on my old ATI card, but once I got a decent card, oh, bliss.

 

[A horse of course]

The segmented parts were done on purpose to provide modders with easy customization of NPCs, since each segment is an independent entity. That's why you don't get clone armies of identical NPCs everywhere (although it does happen from time to time, but mostly with guards who are wearing the same gear). When wearing robes or full armors it isn't very noticeable, but it never personally bothered me.

Nah it's just plain ugly compared to the IE games. You're reading too much into it. They're 3d assets from circa 2002 (at latest) and look exactly as you'd expect. Most other games released around that time that were switching from (semi) 2d to 3d assets faced the same problem (e.g. Myth 3: The Wolf Age, first person shooters, console platformers). On the flip side, shadows, particle effects and general lighting were extremely impressive (if you could get them to run), as was the synced combat animation system. Compare that to NWN2, which was downright hideous in virtually all areas for its time (though I suppose character models were the result of bad art direction than technical quality).

 

[Lacrymas]

I'm 99% sure the segments were done for modding purposes, since I've played around with the tools and it's very easy and fast to replace parts and make whatever you want. Even if, somehow, they weren't done on purpose the end result is still easy customization. Although I don't think NWN is ugly, it's still a valid aesthetic, purposeful choice to BE ugly, so that's not really a criticism even if true. There's a difference between incompetent and muddy graphics and ugly ones. Maybe that's why I appreciate them so much, who knows. I love the graphics of old games (yes, even early 3D), they are very appealing to me, so there's that.

 

[Lilura]

NWN looks good enough.

its animations are even better.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

I had so many hopes for this game. Graphics were amazing, loved shadows and animations. Persistent Words were like Ultima Online but better because DM was your friend and would change the world to suit you & spawn magic weapons for you to slay monsters.
I remember turning camera around while my char was standing next to a bonfire in underdark. So immersive!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

The segmented parts were done on purpose to provide modders with easy customization of NPCs, since each segment is an independent entity.

Yeah, I don't dispute that. Just a bit of care making the seams less obvious would be nice is all, as a matter of personal taste.
The weapons are damn cool though, no question.

 

[Lilura]

I've tried playing swordflight but the game kept crashing when I looked at the contents of certain containers (a dead slave in the stables, piles of rubble in the sewers). It got me so scared I never opened it (the game) again.

User error.

Yeah, I don't dispute that. Just a bit of care making the seams less obvious would be nice is all, as a matter of personal taste.

It's not personal taste; seemless is always better. But the simplicity aided in modding. Just like the simple tilesets did. NWN2 sculpted terrains look better, but it takes a modder much longer to churn them out.

They spend so much time sculpting stuff like this...

.. And that's one reason NWN2 has no Swordflight equivalent.

 

[Haplo]

NWN looks good enough.

its animations are even better.

Yes and with some modern resolution/AA the graphics actually look much sharper then on those photos - and much better. And no, I don't mean 4K.

 

[Lilura]

Who cares about rez? The images posted showcase the style alluded to by Lacrymas. One that NWN2 and lots of 3d RPGs that came after lack. No point having high rez textures and high poly models when your artwork lacks flair.

 

[Roguey]

All of that is fugly.

Now Morrowind, there's stylized done right.

 

[Tom Selleck]

Beamdog's NWN:EE when

 

[ore clover]

All of that is fugly.

Now Morrowind, there's stylized done right.

Mhm hmm.

 

[Nekot-The-Brave]

 

[Lilura]

Lacrymas - query and response about AI is posted here (search string: Q&A).

 

[Roguey]

Mhm hmm.

Morrowind's character models are ugly, but in a uniquely weird (thus distinctive) way so that the better bodies/faces mods just look too out of place for me. The environment art is the real star.

 

[Lilura]

Beamdog's NWN:EE when

There is no one more qualified than Beamdog to make it happen; they have Oster AND Gaider.

Dream duo, right thar.