New Neverwinter Nights Game Probably On Its Way

[Steel_Wind]

I'd just love them to work on the engine a bit more so that you are actually playing in a proper 3D environment. Imagine having characters that can run, jump or fly. I'd love to have a rogue who can scale walls or run along the rooftops. Yes, it makes it harder to railroad the players, but it would be so much more fun. I'd like the skill checks to be used for much more than just dialogue options.

It's not only about controlling gateways and entrances and "breaking" an advenutre module by flying over obstacles. The AI pathfinding for 3d space around obstacles is prohibitively difficult to code for in a real-time game. There is a reason you have never seen that sort of code in a computer game to date: it requires far too much computing horsepower, too much debugging+playtesting even if you could write it -- and all for the privilege of having a "feature" break your adventure design, too.

From the developer's perspective, "features" like that are an ill-considered waste of development resources.

 

[ferratus]

If we are talking about what we want out of a D&D game, I want the point and click game play interface destroyed. It is the main reason I don't play MMO's.

Pointing and clicking on targets and letting a dice roller determine whether I hit or not is not fun videogame play. There is absolutely no skill mastery involved, just grinding and resource management. It sucks.

Why can't we have action/adventure games with D&D intellectual property? The only one I've ever played was Demon Stone, and while the gameplay wasn't anything to write home about, it was at least fun to play once.

 

[Jhaelen]

Pointing and clicking on targets and letting a dice roller determine whether I hit or not is not fun videogame play. There is absolutely no skill mastery involved, just grinding and resource management. It sucks.

Umm, skill mastery? What skills are you talking about? Ego-shooter skills? No, thanks.

I'm playing pen & paper rpgs. I want a video game to model that experience. I wouldn't want it to model live action roleplaying!

Compare it to football video games:
There's the football manager games where you see a short overview of the game or just the results. This tests you skill at developing strategies and tactics. That's the kind of thing I am interested in.

Then there's the football action games where you twiddle two joysticks and manically press ten buttons to pass the ball to another player. This tests you skill at joystick-fiddling and button-pushing. That's the kind of thing I am not interested in at all.

 

[Dausuul]

It's not only about controlling gateways and entrances and "breaking" an advenutre module by flying over obstacles. The AI pathfinding for 3d space around obstacles is prohibitively difficult to code for in a real-time game. There is a reason you have never seen that sort of code in a computer game to date:

City of Heroes. Full three-dimensional flight, in an MMO no less, released six freakin' years ago.

Not that I would necessarily expect flight capability. It was more the climb/swim/jump options that appealed to me. (Although flying enemies would be awesome.)

If we are talking about what we want out of a D&D game, I want the point and click game play interface destroyed. It is the main reason I don't play MMO's.

Pointing and clicking on targets and letting a dice roller determine whether I hit or not is not fun videogame play. There is absolutely no skill mastery involved, just grinding and resource management. It sucks.

Why can't we have action/adventure games with D&D intellectual property? The only one I've ever played was Demon Stone, and while the gameplay wasn't anything to write home about, it was at least fun to play once.

Well, feel free to agitate for a new franchise along those lines, but Neverwinter Nights is meant to model the D&D game with at least a passable degree of accuracy, and D&D is point-and-click.

 

[Nymrohd]

Thousands of people can fly around in WoW at the same time. And flying combat would be ludicrously easy for Blizzard to implement in WoW; already you can cast instants while falling and now in the new expansion under certain conditions you're able to cast spells as well. If the 7 year old WoW engine can do it on a massive world, why not a CRPG? Aion is entirely built around flying combat.

Also additional movement options would not really change much in CRPG. The obstacles in moving forwards are usually built in the plot or require solving puzzles/obtaining keys. Even in a game that offers a sandbox (like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion) there will always be a sequence of events required to complete questlines.

 

[WhatGravitas]

In other news: it's confirmed and going to be developed by... Cryptic Studios.

And it's going to be what Cryptic calls an OMG (Online Multiplayer Game) - allegedly playable as single-player as well, but it's supposed to be easier/more fun as multiplayer. Sounds a bit like Guild Wars.

User-created content is planned as well. The interview doesn't read too bad... but I'm not exactly overly enthused with Cryptic's games so far (especially STO). So, let's see - I hope it's going to be good.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Dausuul]

In other news: it's confirmed and going to be developed by... Cryptic Studios.

And it's going to be what Cryptic calls an OMG (Online Multiplayer Game) - allegedly playable as single-player as well, but it's supposed to be easier/more fun as multiplayer. Sounds a bit like Guild Wars.

User-created content is planned as well. The interview doesn't read too bad... but I'm not exactly overly enthused with Cryptic's games so far (especially STO). So, let's see - I hope it's going to be good.

Cheers, LT.

Hmm. Interesting.

I reflexively wince at the "multiplayer first" approach, which seems to be what they're pushing here. Pushing me to play multiplayer is part of what turns me off MMORPGs--I want story and immersion, and nothing kills that faster for me than some guy chattering away in MMO slang. I likes my solo play.

On the other hand, it occurs to me that I could probably find a much more congenial and RP-oriented group here on ENWorld, in which case it might turn out to be a lot of fun.

And the plans to continue supporting user-generated content are definitely a good thing.

 

[Derren]

In other news: it's confirmed and going to be developed by... Cryptic Studios.

And it's going to be what Cryptic calls an OMG (Online Multiplayer Game) - allegedly playable as single-player as well, but it's supposed to be easier/more fun as multiplayer. Sounds a bit like Guild Wars.

User-created content is planned as well. The interview doesn't read too bad... but I'm not exactly overly enthused with Cryptic's games so far (especially STO). So, let's see - I hope it's going to be good.

Cheers, LT.

Well, R.I.P Neverwinter Nights.
That sounds exaclty as Champions Online from Cryptic which is pretty bad. Don't expect any kind of deep gameplay etc. You can try out CO and also Star Trek Online for free if you want to see for yourself what kind of MMOs Cryptic makes. Keep in mind that Champions Online is also based on a PnP.

That not even all classes will be supported (only five, my guess is fighter, wizard, rogue, ranger, cleric) already shows how "true" Cryptic wil stay to D&D lore.

The release date is also rather soon for an MMO. Which likely means Cryptic does what id always does. Make a half finished MMO with a license to sell enough lifetime memberships beforehand to make it profitable and then drop the game after a few months of support for the next one (Did it with their previous games).

 

[Zaister]

That not even all classes will be supported (only five, my guess is fighter, wizard, rogue, ranger, cleric) already shows how "true" Cryptic wil stay to D&D lore.

The press release reads:

Neverwinter features co-operative multiplayer in an ever-evolving, persistent world where Dungeons & Dragons adventurers quest alongside thousands of other warriors, rogues, wizards and faithful avengers.

So probably not even clerics.

 

[CAFRedblade]

Kotaku.com also has an article up here:
Return To Neverwinter In 2011

and the link to the site, although just a splash page is here:
Neverwinter

It's set in FR after the spellplague, with choice of five classes. Seems a little low to me in this regard, but gives them expansion options. Play with friends or computer controlled members. (multiplayer seems similar to the originals in this respect)

Based on the upcoming FR novel trilogy written by R.A. Salvatore ... intriguing.
Ah well, only time will tell if they can pull it off. Kinda hope they do...