Interview NWN2 fan interview on official forums

[Spazmo]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2; Obsidian Entertainment

This one is shorter than the <a href=http://rpgcodex.com/index.php#4083>Gothic III interview</a>, but apparently it's a weekly thing. Anyways, community manager dude Shane DeFreest (wasn't he the guy who handled community managing stuff on Bloodlines? Small world) posted <a href=http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=470443&forum=95>five answered questions</a> about Obsidian's upcoming NWN2 on the official forums thereof.<blockquote>2) Will there be a hardcoded penalty to being an evil subrace? I think it would make sense to give drow and duergar a penalty to appraise/diplomacy/bluff/intimidate when dealing with surface races, especially when dealing with drow vs. elves (even more animosity there). I know, it is better for modders to do this themselves, but we all know that they won't. Far better to make it opt out than opt in. I just think it's pretty farsical for the game mechanics to treat drow exactly the same as moon elves in this regard. I think it would make playing one of these subraces more interesting and immersive.
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Ferret: It’s been discussed before but we’re focusing our reactivity efforts on players’ choices they make during gameplay, not character creation. That being said something like this is doable – and we’ll look into it. No promises, but it’s now on the List™.</blockquote>NO! BAD FERRET! Player choices during character creation had better be important, otherwise what's the point of character creation?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</A>

 

[Dhruin]

Yeah, Shane from Activision and Brandon Smith (I think he was the Atari guy 'Grok' that "revealed" BG3, IIRC) have popped up together as Maverick PR and landed a gig doing Community Relations for NWN2.

 

[Killzig]

NO! BAD FERRET! Player choices during character creation had better be important, otherwise what's the point of character creation?

You can thank BioWare for that design philosophy.

 

[LlamaGod]

when will the next Kiddy Pool be available, Killzig?

 

[Astromarine]

The answer to your first question is shaddup.

 

[Thrawn05]

That opens the door to replayability, though. Our goal is to deliver on this front in spades.

Well, their hearts are in the right place. SP replayablity has always been my number 1 factor. But I'm not holding my breath on this game.

 

[obediah]

NO! BAD FERRET! Player choices during character creation had better be important, otherwise what's the point of character creation?

You can thank BioWare for that design philosophy.

Thank them indeed. There's nothing worse than a game that doesn't spend the first 5 of it's 15 hours holding your hand, destroying immersion, and making sure you don't accidently make some choice that affects the game before you've had time to figure it all out. In the barbarian times, you even had to open that little book thingie and *gasp read to figure out what to do.

Ugh, I just had this horrifying image of a web forum where every post is a little mp3 file. Because you know if reading in a game is taboo, reading about a game can't be long for this world.

 

[Whipporowill]

Yeah, Shane from Activision and Brandon Smith (I think he was the Atari guy 'Grok' that "revealed" BG3, IIRC) have popped up together as Maverick PR and landed a gig doing Community Relations for NWN2.

Shane was a standup guy I always liked, but from what I remember Brandon was pretty much full of hot air - even before the BG3 crap. Bah!

 

[Greatatlantic]

I must say I am somewhat impressed by the "interview". M. Shane hand picked the questions, and some of those he honestly said they didn't have what the fans were looking for. However, he was awfully short on the specifics.

As character creation vs. during gameplay, I'm going to say both are nice. I like character creation process a lot, but there is something to be said for your character changing depending on what they do in the game, makes for a more holistic experience. That being said, I don't like it when games start you off with one stock character a la Fable.

 

[Avé]

Grok works for obsidian? Awesome, he rocked.

 

[Spazmo]

Well, their hearts are in the right place. SP replayablity has always been my number 1 factor. But I'm not holding my breath on this game.

I agree on this, and I liked their comment on having the game react to your gameplay choices, but the game also has to react to your character choices, because otherwise, who cares if you're a duergar? All it gives you is some boring stat modifiers.

 

[kris]

Well, their hearts are in the right place. SP replayablity has always been my number 1 factor. But I'm not holding my breath on this game.

I agree on this, and I liked their comment on having the game react to your gameplay choices, but the game also has to react to your character choices, because otherwise, who cares if you're a duergar? All it gives you is some boring stat modifiers.

and graphics.

 

[Thrawn05]

Well, their hearts are in the right place. SP replayablity has always been my number 1 factor. But I'm not holding my breath on this game.

I agree on this, and I liked their comment on having the game react to your gameplay choices, but the game also has to react to your character choices, because otherwise, who cares if you're a duergar? All it gives you is some boring stat modifiers.

Right, like most developers these days, they get it ALMOST right. I agree though, that if you create a paladin, then expect problems if you start knocking guards in the head.

 

[Seven]

Right, like most developers these days, they get it ALMOST right. I agree though, that if you create a paladin, then expect problems if you start knocking guards in the head.

Actually in a setting where you have a dozen or so playable races it's pretty hard (from a design point of view) to make them all important; this is one of the things that I dislike about FR games you can't ever do it right--there are too many variables. I can't think of any game (where there's been many race choices) that's been able to make race make a difference in a meaningful way. You might suggest making less race choices but then people would complain about not being able to do such and such...

Plus at this point I'm willing to forgive a lot for a good story and some open ended gameplay.

 

[Spazmo]

Well, I certainly agree that you don't need to think too hard about having NPCs react to you being a gold elf instead of a sylvan elf or whatever, but for certain races like drow or duergar, well, it's a bit iffy if nobody cares.

 

[Ellester]

Yeah, Shane from Activision and Brandon Smith (I think he was the Atari guy 'Grok' that "revealed" BG3, IIRC) have popped up together as Maverick PR and landed a gig doing Community Relations for NWN2.

I actually asked if Brandon Smith was grok from Atari on the Obs forums and never got an answer. I guess he wanted to distance himself from the abuse he got on the toee forums. lol

Anyway, considering everyone was bitching and whining non-stop. Along with Visceris having a tantrum every day, I though he handled it pretty well. The only thing that made me sick was he was pushing Demonstone, like it was actually a good game.

 

[Volourn]

Well... That was his job. You expect him to say an Atari game sucks? Anyways, I liked him so if he's working for Obsidian now; good for him. Odd though that's he left Atari yet since he's with Obsidian (maybe) he still is beholden to Atari in some way. LOL