Neverwinter Nights questions.

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Ok I bought the Platinum package. It's got the base game, and the two expansion packs in it. Now my questions.

1. Do you play through the campaigns in order with the same PC? If I play the base game, then start a campaign in the Shadows of Undrentide expansion can I use the same PC or do I have to use a new 1st level guy? Same question for the Underdark expansion.

2. What are the premium modules? Are they just new missions created by the guys at Bioware?

3. I noticed a lot of fan conversion of classic AD&D modules, the Giants series, slavers, etc. Anyone run these?

4. How is the multplayer? Is it done through Gamespy? Or do I need to set up a server and have buddies log in to my system?

5. Can you change Alignment? I started a new Dwarf Fighter, thinking I'd make him a Dwarven Defender when he got to 8th level, but I noticed I made him Neutral instead of a Lawful alignment. Is there anyway to change this? A cheat, or doing things in game maybe? If not I'm going to have to start over.

Thanks.

 

[Ranes]

I'm just getting back into NWN and have bought the same package.

1. The second expansion (HotU) is a high level campaign you could play with a character that had completed the original campaign or SoU.

2. Premium modules came from the modding community but then underwent in-house QA at Bioware. I haven't yet bought any.

3. Yes. More to follow (next post).

4. You don't need Gamespy. Neverwinter Connections and other sites have other ways of reaching players. And yes, you can run a stand-alone server (see your NWN directory) and you and your mates can log directly into it.

5. Er, yeah. I know it can be done, just can't remember how. nwvault.ign.com is a good place to look for mods and cheats.

 

[Ranes]

The conversions of The Sunless Citadel and The Forge of Fury are better, imho and all that, than the standard campaign, inasfar as these two modules go. I just played them (not wanting to replay the OC, being bored with SoU already and not having a high enough character for HotU). I played a wizard (generalist, no familiar - the NWN one is too powerful for my liking) and Jozan, Tordek and Lidda as henchmen. Fantastic. Really. Well. Done.

I played U1, Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh and that, too, was polished. I intend to replay it and move on to the rest of the series.

Of the others, I've had a look at G1 in the toolset (because, I'd been thinking about doing one myself) but haven't played it because I don't yet have a character high level enough. For the same reason, I haven't yet tried a number of other modules.

I started playing a conversion of C1 yesterday and it started really well but the author warned that it would be tough to solo and I'm thinking I would like to play it multiplayer.

Edit: Or... Add Lidda, Tordek and Jozan code to it... After all, I'm going to play it with the character I took through SS and FoF. Mmm.

 

[KenM]

IMO the SoU and HotU modules are much better then the orginal NWN single player module.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

IMO the SoU and HotU modules are much better then the orginal NWN single player module.

So I don't have to play the first campaign to play those two?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

So I don't have to play the first campaign to play those two?

Nope. SoU starts you with a new 1st level character, and HotU assumes that you're playing that same character again.

 

[ohGr]

You can even start HotU with a new (1st-level) character and the game will instantly level you up to 15th.

 

[Ranes]

It took at least eight character deaths, including two pc deaths, to complete Jeff Weaver’s conversion of Richard Baker’s The Sunless Citadel. In the end, the four characters reached third level. My pc collected all the items he had loaned the henchmen and re-quipped them upon meeting up with them again in The Forge of Fury mod. (Neat mod transition enables the two modules to create one excellent adventure.) I didn’t abuse the option to sell the henchmen’s own equipment.

I replace my pc’s summon familiar hotkey with the talk to function, for party management purposes. Although the henchman inventory management mechanism is clumsy, taking the time to micromanage the party brings me an extra level of enjoyment. This is a party that walks everywhere. When it is exploring, it walks very slowly, quietly and quite often with the torch extinguished. Not only does the party walk everywhere; it does so repeatedly, as it begins trawling back-breaking sacks of mundane treasure to Blasingdell. This stretches out the module but makes it more satisfying; the slower pace lending play a feel more closely akin to real D&D. It takes several sessions over a couple of days, to complete the mod.

The wizard’s only forms of protection are usually a hotkey assigned to defensive casting mode and another bound to cast mage armour. With the camera in close-up, in-game music volume set to zero, the wizard dropping stealth mode to give a henchman an instruction creates an atmosphere somewhere between 1e and OD&D.

In spite of its quirks and limitations, the multiple henchmen system works well. My biggest frustration is that only the first real henchman can be given a potion to use. Even so, at one point the party includes five npcs at the same time with no problem.

I own and have refereed both pnp modules, so my knowledge did affect play but finding that everything worked as it should was a real pleasure. Warning: a spoiler follows.

Spoiler

I especially enjoyed the encounter with the succubus; whose knowledge and lies the wizard listened to, before telling her there was no way she was going anywhere with him. She got into a huff and summoned an extra helping of TPK, before letting off the wizard with a permanent constitution drain and teleporting out.

I can't see how these mods could disappoint.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Since I had screwed up my Dwarf I created for the original NWN campaign I just made a new one and started over in SoU with a new LN Dwarf Fighter. I had played about 7-8 levels of the first game way back when my brother had this on his PC when it first came out, so I'll wait to do that later. So far so good. I guess you can only have 1 henchmen in this scenario? I tried taking the dwarf rogue and the half-orc sorcerer but it would only let me take one. Will your henchmen equip items themselves? If I give one a better sword or armor for instance will they automatically use it or should I go in and manage that myself?

I can tell I"m going to have a lot of fun with this, I was looking at the vast number of modules converted to this and I can see playing a lot of the classics I missed at the table.

 

[andargor]

The conversions of The Sunless Citadel and The Forge of Fury are better, imho and all that, than the standard campaign, inasfar as these two modules go. I just played them (not wanting to replay the OC, being bored with SoU already and not having a high enough character for HotU). I played a wizard (generalist, no familiar - the NWN one is too powerful for my liking) and Jozan, Tordek and Lidda as henchmen. Fantastic. Really. Well. Done.

On a sort of tangent (sorry), I started playing BG2 again, with the loads of mods available (even being worked on as we speak! ). There's one called Classic Adventures which aims to do all of the "classic" modules. I think Sunless Citadel has been done, and some of the others you mentioned.

I loved NWN, but I did miss party micromanagement and full NPC control.

Andargor