NWN 2: mask of the betrayer is out now.

[thesheeep]

There seems to be a workaround for the problems.

1st: Install NWN2
2nd: Patch to 1.06972 and then abort the upgrading
3rd: Install MotB

I hope, this works :/

 

[Trash]

Aha, so this is what's up with the game. I get speech and all in-game, but skill descriptions are gone. So are the intro movies. Bummer really. The cd also has a wierd name....nwn2 nx1 mcd efigs. The autorun also doesn't work. Hope a patch will be here soon

The game was for sale since wednesday around here. Saw it at the mediamarkt in Utrecht and bought it at a small gamestore. Untill now I'm enjoying it. It's very much like nwn 2, only a bit more polished in some areas (and a bugfest in others) But that's what you can usualy expect from a expansion. The story is fun, the combat is a bit more interesting so far (and a bit less frequent) The whole spirit eating so far only has a real impact on the resting and some choices can affect your allignment. It's nothing spectacular, but is a nice addition nonetheless.

 

[Starwars]

There seems to be a workaround for the problems.

1st: Install NWN2
2nd: Patch to 1.06972 and then abort the upgrading
3rd: Install MotB

I hope, this works :/

I can't remember how the updater works, but alternatively you could go to the NWVault and download the patches manually. That way you wouldn't have to sit and try to abort the updater.

 

[thesheeep]

Yeah, in whatever way you do it, it seems to work. I got all intros working and all descriptions and sounds are there. Still, one of the most weird bugs I ever encountered with one of the most weird solutions o.O

 

[Futile Rhetoric]

Who the fuck thought that being able to move your camera only half a screen away from your character in "strategic mode" was a good idea?

 

[Anthony Davis]

Who the fuck thought that being able to move your camera only half a screen away from your character in "strategic mode" was a good idea?

In the options screen, change the 'Camera Focus' option from 'Close to Controlled Character' to 'Can be Moved Freely (Free Camera)'.

Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment

 

[inwoker]

If I have for example US version of OC will I be able to install MotB UK or EU.
And if I have UK or EU --- US?

 

[Trash]

In the options screen, change the 'Camera Focus' option from 'Close to Controlled Character' to 'Can be Moved Freely (Free Camera)'.

What happened to the days that people actually read manuals eh? Still, the controll scheme takes some getting used to.

If I have for example US version of OC will I be able to install MotB UK or EU.
And if I have UK or EU --- US?

Dunno, but there seems to be no difference in the versions.

 

[MountainWest]

What happened to the days that people actually read manuals eh? Still, the controll scheme takes some getting used to.

Ree..Reeea....d?

To quote a fellow Codexian: "Books are old. Get over it!". Momma says games ain't no god damn books!

 

[Futile Rhetoric]

Who the fuck thought that being able to move your camera only half a screen away from your character in "strategic mode" was a good idea?

In the options screen, change the 'Camera Focus' option from 'Close to Controlled Character' to 'Can be Moved Freely (Free Camera)'.

Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment

Aye aye, figured that out by myself eventually. Even went back to delete the post, but for some reason it didn't work. My apologies. It's still a horrible choice for a default control scheme

Anyway, I'm loving it so far. Combat isn't without its faults (especially since you don't get a decent fighter until Okku, unless you're a fighter yourself), but overall I'm getting a strong "Torment vibe", if you will. Love the NPCs and dialogue. I also love the huge number of skill checks in dialogue for things like Lore and Spellcraft. The birds-eye view is a lot better than the over-the-shoulder view, too -- although I really wish you could zoom out further than the game allows you to.

I think it's fair to say I haven't had this much fun with an RPG in years. I know it's not saying much, but hey.

 

[Starwars]

I agree. It's not perfect, but it's definetely the most fun I've had with a RPG released in the last few years. Story is quite intriguing, and the NPCs are good. Area design is leagues above NWN2. Music is great.
Though if you hated NWN2, and how it played (as in interface, camera etc), then I don't think you'll like this game either.

The biggest beef I have is how Obsidian decided to implement the epic levels. One can't say that it's very accurate, but that's definetely not something that kills the game for me.

I really like the narrator voice, and it's to bad that the use of him is kinda "uneven". I would've *loved* to hear more of him scattered throughout the entire campaign. I just finished one area where he featured quite heavily, and I must say that I think he really adds a nice touch. Kinda like the narrator in BG, except that in MotB he is in the actual game/cutscenes. A very nice touch I think.

I'm not sure what the rest of the Codex will think of the game, but I'm having a great time.

 

[thesheeep]

although I really wish you could zoom out further than the game allows you to.

Even further?
Go play Supreme Commander

 

[Anthony Davis]

I agree. It's not perfect, but it's definetely the most fun I've had with a RPG released in the last few years. Story is quite intriguing, and the NPCs are good. Area design is leagues above NWN2. Music is great.
Though if you hated NWN2, and how it played (as in interface, camera etc), then I don't think you'll like this game either.

The biggest beef I have is how Obsidian decided to implement the epic levels. One can't say that it's very accurate, but that's definetely not something that kills the game for me.

I really like the narrator voice, and it's to bad that the use of him is kinda "uneven". I would've *loved* to hear more of him scattered throughout the entire campaign. I just finished one area where he featured quite heavily, and I must say that I think he really adds a nice touch. Kinda like the narrator in BG, except that in MotB he is in the actual game/cutscenes. A very nice touch I think.

I'm not sure what the rest of the Codex will think of the game, but I'm having a great time.

We have two new positions at the company that I think really helped MOTB seem more 'even' of a project. Audio Director and a Art Director.

Alexander Brandon is our Audio Director at the company. He is very talented (worked on Deus Ex and many other games) and he is responsible for all the VO, music, and the new chant system.

Justin Cherry is our Art Director and he is responsible for setting the tone and direction for all the artists to follow on a project. Justin Cherry is also very talented and he is one of the reasons I think that MOTB looks so much better and consistent compared to NWN2.

We would also have loved to have done more VO work, but the truth is that [good] VO is VERY expensive and the budget for an expansion product is usually limited. Still, what we got is top notch work I think.

Our implementation of Epic Levels was approved by WoTC. We wanted EVERY class to feel like they were still getting something as they progressed, and with the BAB gains, fighter types would be rapidly out classed by caster types. Still, I cannot speak for this with complete confidence, as I am a programmer, not a designer.

Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I agree. It's not perfect, but it's definetely the most fun I've had with a RPG released in the last few years. Story is quite intriguing, and the NPCs are good. Area design is leagues above NWN2. Music is great.
Though if you hated NWN2, and how it played (as in interface, camera etc), then I don't think you'll like this game either.

The biggest beef I have is how Obsidian decided to implement the epic levels. One can't say that it's very accurate, but that's definetely not something that kills the game for me.

I really like the narrator voice, and it's to bad that the use of him is kinda "uneven". I would've *loved* to hear more of him scattered throughout the entire campaign. I just finished one area where he featured quite heavily, and I must say that I think he really adds a nice touch. Kinda like the narrator in BG, except that in MotB he is in the actual game/cutscenes. A very nice touch I think.

I'm not sure what the rest of the Codex will think of the game, but I'm having a great time.

We have two new positions at the company that I think really helped MOTB seem more 'even' of a project. Audio Director and a Art Director.

Alexander Brandon is our Audio Director at the company. He is very talented (worked on Deus Ex and many other games) and he is responsible for all the VO, music, and the new chant system.

Justin Cherry is our Art Director and he is responsible for setting the tone and direction for all the artists to follow on a project. Justin Cherry is also very talented and he is one of the reasons I think that MOTB looks so much better and consistent compared to NWN2.

We would also have loved to have done more VO work, but the truth is that [good] VO is VERY expensive and the budget for an expansion product is usually limited. Still, what we got is top notch work I think.

Our implementation of Epic Levels was approved by WoTC. We wanted EVERY class to feel like they were still getting something as they progressed, and with the BAB gains, fighter types would be rapidly out classed by caster types. Still, I cannot speak for this with complete confidence, as I am a programmer, not a designer.

Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment

Hey Anthony, welcome to the Codex.

Thanks for your responses here, it's always nice to see a developer talk to us. I'm out of money at the moment but I plan to buy MotB as soon as I have the cash (£14.99 here in the UK) and I'll type up a short summary here of what I think. But since I liked KOTOR2 and NWN2 I'm sure it'll be positive.

 

[Elhoim]

There seems to be a workaround for the problems.

1st: Install NWN2
2nd: Patch to 1.06972 and then abort the upgrading
3rd: Install MotB

I hope, this works :/

Here is the official instalation order:

http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/vi ... &forum=121

When installing MoTB, please use the following instructions:

1. Install NWN2
2. Patch NWN2 to the latest version (1.10 as of Sept. 29, 2007)
3. Install Mask of The Betrayer
4. Download and apply the hot fix for your language, listed below.

Italian: Click Here
French: Click Here
German: Click Here
English: Click Here
Spanish: Click Here

If you do not apply the hot fixes, when you attempt to play the game you will see sections of missing text and the Campaign name will say it is undefined.

 

[Starwars]

We have two new positions at the company that I think really helped MOTB seem more 'even' of a project. Audio Director and a Art Director.

Alexander Brandon is our Audio Director at the company. He is very talented (worked on Deus Ex and many other games) and he is responsible for all the VO, music, and the new chant system.

Justin Cherry is our Art Director and he is responsible for setting the tone and direction for all the artists to follow on a project. Justin Cherry is also very talented and he is one of the reasons I think that MOTB looks so much better and consistent compared to NWN2.

We would also have loved to have done more VO work, but the truth is that [good] VO is VERY expensive and the budget for an expansion product is usually limited. Still, what we got is top notch work I think.

Our implementation of Epic Levels was approved by WoTC. We wanted EVERY class to feel like they were still getting something as they progressed, and with the BAB gains, fighter types would be rapidly out classed by caster types. Still, I cannot speak for this with complete confidence, as I am a programmer, not a designer.

Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment

Nice to see you posting here Anthony. From what I've seen so far, Obsidians "investments" have most definetely paid off. All the areas you mention there have been really improved from NWN2. I haven't encountered any bad voiceacting as of yet, areas look great and unique from one another etc. I'd much rather have consistantly good voiceacting for a few characters, then to have voiceacting for lots of characters that goes up and down in quality a lot.

Also, I think people playing through the campaign multiplayer will dig that there are far less cutscenes this time around as well.

The rulesystem will always be a sore point I think. It doesn't bother me all that much to be honest, and I'm generally not a fan of epic levels (though it can be quite fun to unleash everything you have upon opponents and watch chaos ensue).
It also feels a bit silly finding thousands of gold lying around in dirt mounds in the middle of the city, but it's more funny than gamebreaking I think.

I'm definetely happy with the expansion overall.

 

[burrie]

Well, just finished the game. Bought the game last Thursday(the store *might* have broken the streetdate, I dunno), and frankly... for now, I can say, it's excellent. I heartily enjoyed it. Good storyline, I liked the companions I had with me. There were a few areas that felt a bit off, and I mostly had to blunder through them to solve them, which was somewhat of a shame. But once I got at the end of the second act was finished, it was one big enjoyable romp straight to the finish.

Best of all: A proper ending! :D

 

[aweigh]

how many hours or so? please, no spoilers. nwn2 OC took me about 40 hours

 

[burrie]

I wager... around 20-25 or so. Unfortunately, quite a large chunk of that would've been waiting for the game/module/areas to load or save. It felt somewhat short, but on the other hand, I did almost play it non-stop for the past three days. That has to count for something as well.

And I think I missed out on quite a bit as well.

 

[Starwars]

How long are expansions for RPGs usually? I haven't really completed many, and what I have completed I don't really remember.

I think Obsidian devs said somewhere that they originally aimed for a 15-hour storyline or so, in order to put out a game that feels completed (both KOTOR2 and NWN2 felt pretty uncompleted/unpolished), but in the end they ended up with around 25 hours.

EDIT: And indeed, I think the NWN2 OC would've gained points for me if it had been shorter and more focused. There's a lot of fat to trim there.

 

[made]

I think I might give it a week or two before playing it. Nothing more annyoing than getting a new game and having to search forums for fixes and patches until it runs properly.

No spoilers in the meantime plx kthx.

 

[burrie]

There's less filler than with NWN2. Granted, there's one long bit at the end of Act 2 that felt somewhat filler-ish and off, but after that, it's one big roller coaster ride to the end.

The game was also surprisingly bug-free for me. Only crashed on me once, and that was in a particular fight where it seemed that everyone was casting some sort of Epic spell of the other... when I finally had a wizard try to turn everyone into chickens(Epic Spell: Mass Fowl), the game simply crashed. In-game, I didn't come across anything problematic.

I also have to give Obsidian credit for properly ending off a few things that were left over from NWN2. They don't spend *too* much time on it, but enough to know how some stuff ended. Better late than never.

 

[Zomg]

Bowbow, fucking October 9th. I guess I could replay NWN2 if that balance mod is for real.

 

[obediah]

I gave up on NWN2 about halfway through. But some of the patch logs have sounded good, so maybe I'll pick this up and start over after getting my new machine.

 

[Anthony Davis]

There's less filler than with NWN2. Granted, there's one long bit at the end of Act 2 that felt somewhat filler-ish and off, but after that, it's one big roller coaster ride to the end.

The game was also surprisingly bug-free for me. Only crashed on me once, and that was in a particular fight where it seemed that everyone was casting some sort of Epic spell of the other... when I finally had a wizard try to turn everyone into chickens(Epic Spell: Mass Fowl), the game simply crashed. In-game, I didn't come across anything problematic.

I also have to give Obsidian credit for properly ending off a few things that were left over from NWN2. They don't spend *too* much time on it, but enough to know how some stuff ended. Better late than never.

There are 3 different endings in MotB.

Only one of them is really considered...'perfect', for lack of a better word.

MotB for at Obsidian was a pure joy to work on. We learned from the mistakes made in NWN2 and kept everything very focused. While you can't satisfy everyone, else you end upsatisfying no one, I think we definitely did better than we did in NWN2:OC on all levels.

I'll be honest, the OC in NWN2 doesn't really get going for me till the 2nd act, and from then on I enjoy it immensely. I don't think the 1rst Act is bad, far from it, it's just not my cup of tea.

I think Tony Evan's did a bang-up job on all the stronghold stuff and the seige.

I know there are some people who feel the ending wasn't complete, but that wasn't the case, take that for what you will. I do think probably could have used more polish.

Thanks for the welcome. You guys hopefully *DO* know that you are actually read by a lot of RPG/RPG-ish developers. Even if they don't comment, they do read.

Despite the rampant insanity ( :wink: ) on these boards, there are real gems of insight to be found.


Anthony Davis
Obsidian Entertainment