Mask of the Betrayer

[Simplicity]

I just got Mask of the Betrayer installed on my computer. First impressions are pretty
positive with it. At the very least, the engine no longer feels like a dog on my computer.
FPS went from 15 fps to about 45 fps. So, of course I had to go turn all the graphics up again.

Enchanting is way easier. I never did enchanting in NWN2, but I'll definately do it in MotB. You can enchant on the road, and the essenses SAY on them how to turn them into good
equipment. I've already enchanted myself a very basic weapon (since, no you don't get to keep the Gith Sword or Holy Avenger). DAMN! Well, at least I still look good in my Red Dragon Armor.

Just finished NWN2 with a paladin 8/fighter 8/neverwinter nine 4, and the Epic Level options look pretty neat (though there aren't that many Epic Spells available, and the new low-level spells look pretty darn lame... Ooooh it's just like that other spell, but Mass? Whatever.)

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Ok, so this game has been out for the whole weekend now. Anybody spend some late nights to let us now about it?

 

[Blastin]

Guess everyone is too busy playing to tell us about it

 

[LightPhoenix]

Or too busy with grad school to play it.

I've found the game significantly harder than the first one. Part of that is the character I'm playing - a Favored Soul/Paladin. Fun concept, but a little weak. The other part is a minor spoiler (on NPCs):

Spoiler

There just isn't a good tank (or rogue) in the NPCs until you reach Act II. They're all casters. So if you're not playing a tank, it makes the first act quite a bit harder.

It doesn't help that the AI hasn't really improved much.

Also, color me surprised, but I don't like the portraits for the NPCs. They should have stuck to the 3D head models.

Other Act I spoilery bits:

Spoiler

I was surprised at how short the act was. Hopefully the second act, which I just started, will be a bit longer. The battle with Okku I would have won the first time, if not for shoddy AI.

 

[Simplicity]

Actually, Kaji, the Red Wizard's homonculus familiar works as a rogue. He can open locks and disable traps just fine... Of course I broke my way through a lot of them before I figured that out... I like the little guy.

My wife has now stolen the CD from me to play a Favored Soul (I have to admit, the concept for the class intrigues me. A divine magic user who casts like a sorcerer. That could be darn useful...).

I'm liking the NPCs so far, each seems very colorful. I guess you need to be colorful to explain why some epic-level person is just hanging out on the street waiting for you to come along. Although sometimes the game just seems to assume that you let certain issues lie for a while.

At the very least, you can finally tell your NPCs to bug off completely if you don't like them. Not that I've done it.

If people have questions, I can try to answer them, but I haven't gotten that far in yet.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Actually, Kaji, the Red Wizard's homonculus familiar works as a rogue. He can open locks and disable traps just fine... Of course I broke my way through a lot of them before I figured that out... I like the little guy.

Yeah, but that's not a real, controllable Rogue. He doesn't serve any purpose but to highlight the fact that there aren't any Rogue NPCs. (Spoiler:

Spoiler

Though I've heard One of Many can become one... but I didn't choose him.

)

I'm liking the NPCs so far, each seems very colorful. I guess you need to be colorful to explain why some epic-level person is just hanging out on the street waiting for you to come along. Although sometimes the game just seems to assume that you let certain issues lie for a while.

Yeah, I love the characters a lot. Just not the classes as much.

 

[JediSoth]

I never finished NWN2; the load times were just too long on my computer. If Mask of the Betrayer speeds things up a bit, it might be worth purchasing...though you'd think they could at least release a patch that speeds things up without having to buy the expansion.

JediSoth

 

[mmu1]

It's a pretty good game, and I'm having fun playing it, but the way they decided to implement Epic level play is just silly.

Instead of putting some work into creating a setting in which extremely powerful creatures would make sense, they simply cranked everything up to 11 - so you end up with epic Gnolls with hundreds of HP, some pirates in a tavern that pick a fight with you and are a decent challenge (despite the fact you're 18th level, at least), hordes of Red Wizards capable of casting 9th level spells (despite the fact many of them are clearly supposed to be flunkies of more powerful NPCs), tests of toughness in a berserker lodge which involve standing in cold water that does 25 (yes, twenty five - really cold water is apparently as damaging as lava) points of damage per round for about 10 rounds, and goofy random loot scripts that let you find 750gold and +4 armor in a barrel in a sleepy little town.

It's downright silly if you know anything about PnP D&D and the Forgotten Realms, but more importantly, with everything so insanely high-powered, you just don't feel like that much of an Epic hero.

Still, it's entertaining enough, and the story and the NPCs are better than in the original NWN2 campaign, so on the whole, it's not a bad game by any stretch.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

(yes, twenty five - really cold water is apparently as damaging as lava) points of damage per round for about 10 rounds

Apparently they aren't using the awesome, comprehensive lava rules developed at GenCon this year.

It's ok, overall -- I rather dislike Epic d20 anyway, so I don't really care that so far I'm just getting more of the same only with more HPs, etc. What annoys the crap out of me is how buggy NWN2 is. I stopped 80% of the way through the original when I discovered a corrupted save game that would have required days of replaying. I fired it up again after getting MotB, played, and have hit several game-stopping bugs that required restarting or reload from really old saves.

1. Crash to desktop loading save game at Fort Locke. Restarted.
2. Non-triggered cutscene leaving Highcliff leaves party in Illfarn ruins with no way out (it should have just played the cutscene with Zaieere that takes place there).
3. Neeshka disappears from Inn and can't be added to party.
4. Sand not appearing upon return to Inn after rescuing Shandra.
5. Empty worldmap after 'Murderer' subplot triggered, making it impossible to leave docks zone.

Plus, there's a bug where thieves no longer auto-pick locks for you, and the AI seems to go to sleep periodically for several heartbeats, leaving the morons standing around looking stupid while stuff beats on you.

I should have known better, I guess. This isn't the first time Obisdian has put out a half-assed sequel to a good game.

 

[WhatGravitas]

It's downright silly if you know anything about PnP D&D and the Forgotten Realms, but more importantly, with everything so insanely high-powered, you just don't feel like that much of an Epic hero.

Ugh. And I hoped for something more... HotU-like, which was a good example of good epic play! I mean, tearing through Undermountain, combating the Valsharess with your armies, ending up in hell and clawing your way back through the planes... *that* was epic-level-like.

FR to 11? Not so much. Well, I'm still getting it, though I wish we'd get more good fan-modules.

Cheers, LT.