New NeverWinter Nights 2 expansion Pack Announced!

Schadenfroh

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Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir hearkens back to the days of the Baldur?s Gate and Icewind Dale franchises by including full party customization, dungeon crawling, and free exploration of a non-linear game world via an Overland Map. The gripping storyline foreshadows the events that will take place in the Forgotten Realms with the coming of release this June of the Fourth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game.

In the aftermath of the defeat of the King of Shadows, the Sword Coast is in the midst of an uneasy economic recovery. Trade syndicates have sprung up to exploit the post-war confusion for their own ends. The players? party will wade into this uncertain environment; in order to increase their own fortunes, they can either ally with a syndicate to create a trade empire, or cut their own path through Faerûn by preying upon caravans and selling the goods on the black market. As they attempt to extend their influence, players will become aware of a new faction working behind the scenes: the evil, shapeshifting, serpentine Yuan-Ti.

In addition to trading and economic manipulation, the Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir Overland Map allows players to explore the Chultan Peninsula and Sword Coast in a non-linear manner never before seen in any of the Neverwinter Nights games. Exploration will take players from well-known locations, like Neverwinter and Crossroad Keep, to more exotic areas, such as the xenophobic jungle nation of Samarach. Groups of highwaymen and monsters populate the Overland Map and the farther from civilization the player roams, the more difficult the encounters become. The 15-hour campaign in Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir is also packed with new classes, spells, creatures, and playable races.

Fans of the compelling multiplayer features of Neverwinter Nights 2 will also be able to take advantage of new improvements to the multiplayer experience, while modders will be able to take advantage of the power and flexibility of the Overland Map and Trading System features along with other world-building enhancements.

Game Features:

· Travel the Sword Coast and Samarach using the open ended exploration of the new Overland Map. Use skills like Spot and Survival while on the Overland Map to avoid ambushes and even find hidden locales and lost artifacts.

· Create your own full party of adventurers. Devastate your foes with a squad of fireball-flinging Sorcerers, form a solid wall of steel with a party of Fighters, or strike the perfect balance in your party by spreading out the classes you choose for your characters.

· Improved party gameplay including streamlined party conversations, a new Teamwork Benefit System, and powerful party feats.

· The world's economy reacts to your adventures and choices. And, through trading and quests, you can expand your merchant company into a massive trading empire.

Questions and Answers
Just thought I'd post a few of the Q and As that are appearing in the forum. I've condensed some of the questions for the sake of brevity. I'll try to keep up with them and add to the thread as more Qs and As are posted. I'm only posting answers directly from the devs.

Link to the nwvault announcement.



Q: What kind of start of the campaign can we expect? Is it a highly personalised story, where our pc is the chosen one, some mercenary rising to the occasion, some classic prison break?, or maybe at some wizard school, a bad tavern, or what?

A: Adventurer(s).
A: As Jeff stated, straight up old school fortune and glory seekers.


Q: Is there any hope for such special and challenging 'jack in the box'?

I have high hopes for the following to happen:

My far too low-levelled party walks off in an entirely wrong direction and thus gets to bite the dust in a bloody awful way, much like how me first BG1 party far too soon entered into Ankheg fields and were crushed over and over.

A: Oh, yes. Very much yes.

Q: Proliferation of magic stuff or a more scarce approach?

A: More scarce.

Q: In light of the fact that Zehir is a new 4.0 edition god, what ruleset will SoZ be using?

A: It will be the same 3.5e that was in NWN2 and NX1.

Q: Is this a brand new story or does it continue with your character and storyline from NWN2 and MotB?

A: This is a new story with new characters, though some old faces might be seen, and some old story threads might be re-visited.

I am glad Atari is funding further development of NWN2.

15 hours seems a little short, hopefully the side quests will add more hours of gameplay and the 15 hours is just for the main quest line. If you guys have not played Mask of the Betrayer (the first expansion pack), you need to pick it up (assuming you are a fan of pcRPGs from Black Isle Studios / Obsidian / Bioware).
 

desolate

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Jun 27, 2007
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I for one can't wait! I just recently bought Neverwinter Nights 2 and MoTB expansion pack for $10 each off ebay, and so far it's a sweet game.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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It's too bad the Rogue Dao Planescape project seems to be in, uh, the purgatorio. They claim to still be working on it but the first part has been in beta for over a year now. It's reminding me of Team Gizka and the never-to-be-finished KOTOR II patch.
 

Dorkenstein

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2004
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Hmm, cool news but something about this sounds weird. I haven't even finished MOTB yet since I am never happy with a character.
 

mundane

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2002
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They forgot one question for the Q&A section: How many patches before they expect the expansion pack to be playable? :)
 

Bateluer

Lifer
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Interesting, but I will take this with a grain of salt. Mysteries of the Westgate was supposed to be released in November, but has been postponed repeatedly. It sounds like its going to be the guinea pig for Atari's new 'security' system before they release this expansion. Likely, I'll buy the NWN2 expansion and MoW both, though not at release.
 

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
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I greatly enjoyed NWN and its expansions. I really enjoyed NWN2.

Mask of the Betrayer expansion I loathed, for various reasons.

I will definitely pick this one up based on the description though, since it appears to avoid all the pitfalls MotB fell into.
 

Martimus

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2007
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Originally posted by: jonks
I greatly enjoyed NWN and its expansions. I really enjoyed NWN2.

Mask of the Betrayer expansion I loathed, for various reasons.

I will definitely pick this one up based on the description though, since it appears to avoid all the pitfalls MotB fell into.

I really don't like the way they changed how the camera works in MOTB. You can't look up hills anymore, and things just don't seem as smooth as they were in the original NWN2 game. The storyline was ok. This new game sounds interesting, but the control issues I had with MOTB make me wary of buying it.

I played NWN more than any other game this decade, but I have to say that the sequel had a much better storyline (although it fell short in other areas.) I'll take a look to see if there are any new player made campaigns that I want to try out. I played through probably 10 or so in the original game, but only 2-3 in NWN2. I can understand why though; the toolset is a pain to use. I made a bunch of little campaigns in the original game (NWN), but I had the hardest time making the simplest little battle in the new toolset (NWN2).
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: KevinC
This sounds sweet. hack and slash D&D style!!

I sure hope it isn't just hack & slash. A good story and gameplay elements that do not involve combat are what make a great RPG to me.
 

oddyager

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May 21, 2005
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Let's hope party AI improves some. We needed heavy modifications done to NWN2 just to get your companions to act competently.
 

Schadenfroh

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Originally posted by: waggy
15 hours? man therre are user made stuff thats longer
I recall the days of the Baldurs Gate series and the massive playtimes. These days, 15 hours is medium length, some games on my PS3 only have ~8 hours of playtime and cost $60. Thankfully, my local video store rents PS3 games.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
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Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Originally posted by: waggy
15 hours? man therre are user made stuff thats longer
I recall the days of the Baldurs Gate series and the massive playtimes. These days, 15 hours is medium length, some games on my PS3 only have ~8 hours of playtime and cost $60. Thankfully, my local video store rents PS3 games.

Ever since the move to 3D, RPGs, and games in general, have been getting shorter while the cost to create them has exploded.

Seriously though, the engine for NWN2 already exists. If Obsidian/Atari wanted to, they could create reasonably decent premium modules every 6 months with 24 to 36 hours of game play length. Charging a nominal fee for them would be easy enough, and keep sales of the base game/expansion continuing.

Incidentally, the 1.13 patch is still MIA with nobody seeming to know when its going to be released. The Beta patch notes were posted a month ago and nothing has come from the devs since. It doesn't seem like a large patch either, a smattering of scripting fixes.

I don't think Obsidian can multi-task very well, splitting their attention between the 1.13 patch, the 1.14 patch, and the SoZ expansion seems to cause problems. They should focus on 1.13, then 1.14, than SoZ.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
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Since this got bumped I guess I'll comment.


Until they go back to 2D, or find a 3D system that doesnt suck, I will not be impressed.
Am glad they are building onto NWN2 again, this stimulates the community, but I am still waiting for something that is actually easy to play.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
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1.13 is supposed to be released today.

So Sayeth Rob McGinnis

The 1.14 patch is what people really want though, as that is supposed to bring the release of MoW and Atari's new 'security system', for better or worse. It'll likely be cracked within hours of its release.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
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-BUMP!!!-

I got the patch. Cant even tell what it does, if anything.

Finally received my ATI 4870 from Newegg.
I must say, that with a capable system, this thing runs quite well. Now if the gameplay were a lot better, I would be very happy.

The 3rd Edition rules are actually pretty good once you get used to them. And I like that they inlcude an assload of classes & races in the core game. The Mask expansion adds even more.
I am grateful they changed the camera controls to be closer to Baldurs Gate but they still arent quite perfect. And team AI is still lacking. They always do stupid things or nothing at all. Pathfinding is still hideous.

However, since they made tons of improvements since NWN1 and continue to make small improvements in the patches and expansions, I will continue to support the game by purchasing new expansions.

With any luck, in 10 or 12 years they will finally recapture the fun they had created 8 years ago. Despite all the things I dislike about Neverwinter Nights 2 I still believe it has the most potential to make me happy. Shooters and sports games just arent cutting it anymore.

EDIT:
For those of you who didnt like the game balance in the core version, they SERIOUSLY changed things with the Mask expansion. Most of those things also take place in the core game.
Druids have a buttload more attack spells. Druids also have access to some cool spells one level earlier than Clerics. Divine magic (Paladin, Cleric, Druid) has more powerful spells in general. There are some new healing and protection spells that rock, including several varieties of Regeneration spells.

Arcane magic (Sorcerer, Wizard) has a few new attack and defense spells.

The added classes and races are cool. And they can be used in the core game as well as expansion.
You finally get access to all the Epic feats and stuff once you hit level 20.


- EDIT 2 -
I think the expansion may also have changed some of the content of the core game as well.
I was just in Por Llast and found some new merchandise. When talking to the two equipment dealers in the front part of town, one of them had a conversation option for special wares. I dont recall this being available the first two times I played through the game. She sells all kinds of powerful, high-priced items.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
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1.13's changes were mainly for scripters and DMs, people who will be providing the bulk of the content for NWN2.

Personally, I think the party AI has actually gotten worse than it was at release. When I played through the game the first time, I didn't have a problem with the AI on my party members. They did what I needed them to do. After hearing reports that the AI was terrible, I grabbed one of the more popular AI mods that was supposed to improve the AI. My experience was a disaster, party members became the most retarded people imaginable. My main pet peeve was them changing their equiped items at their discretion, usually to something weaker or something that did less damage. If I put a sword in your hand and a Ring of Protection on your figure, I expect them to stay there. I do not want you to sheath the sword, for which you have proficiency, and pick up a two handed axe, for which you have no training, all with a pissed off ogre in your face. Ugh, that mod still pisses me off.
 

IEC

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Jun 10, 2004
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Originally posted by: mundane
They forgot one question for the Q&A section: How many patches before they expect the expansion pack to be playable? :)

And did they fix the save game corruption issue?