Neverwinter Nights

[Asher]

I'm going to be getting this game before the end of the week, and it looks pretty awesome.

Anyone here got it yet? Supposedly came out yesterday (Tuesday).

[FrustratedPoet]

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=53401

[Dis]

with any luck I will have it today. It is a birthday present so I can't really go out and buy it. I hope to play a little today. Although I want to complete the original campaign multiplayer with my brother.

But I still need to learn the ins and outs of character creation.

I'm thinking of a human cleric/fighter. If he's human he can have more than 2 levels in between correct? Since I only have 2 classes. I'm still not sure about how the weapons work. I know they have simple, martial, and exotic. I need to work out those kinks before I decide exactly what I want to play.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Dissident
I'm thinking of a human cleric/fighter. If he's human he can have more than 2 levels in between correct? Since I only have 2 classes. I'm still not sure about how the weapons work. I know they have simple, martial, and exotic. I need to work out those kinks before I decide exactly what I want to play.

In 3rd edition, you can only start with a single class, but when you gain a level you can choose which class to put it into. There are no limits to race or class combinations (except for some classes which have alignment requirements), and NWN also limits you to a maximum of 3 different classes.

So, you can start off a fighter, and then when you reach second level, you could put a level into cleric, then at third level you could put another into fighter.



Simple weapons includes things like staves, daggers, slings, ect...

Martial weapons includes things like Halberds, swords, bows, ect...

Exotic weapons includes things like two-bladed swords, katanas, scythes, shurikens, ect...

[Dis]

well that sucks.

I won't be playing this game any time soon.

I have a Voodoo 3 card which does not work.

I do not recommend buying this game if you have any 3dfx card. It most likely won't work.

I'll wait and see if anyone can come up with a fix, but I may have to buy another video card

[Zealot]

I heard the ATI Radeon 8500LE is really worth the buck Dissident, especially after the release of the new drivers for it! It's performance is now competing with nVidia's GeForce 4 4200, falling really short behind! And the price of course, is smaller than the GF4 4200.
Remember, when the R8500 showed up, it was competing with the GF3 Ti 500, not a GF4!
Check this test:

http://www.tech-report.com/reviews/2002q2/ati-catalyst/index.x?pg=1

[Dis]

interesting.

I was hoping to get more use out of my current video card. Although I'll still keep it. Eventually I'll get around to getting a new case and building a new computer. I just don't want to blow all the money at once.

[Grumbold]

Get a GF4400 and make the most of Morrowind and NWN if you can afford it

[Fitz]

Good game so far. Make sure you hunt down the patch that has already been released though.

I made a Human druid as a test. The animal companion ability is really cool.

For those familiar with 3e, there are only a few differences:

Ability Scores: Point buy, 30 points, base 8 in all scores, to add up to 14 is one point each, 15 & 16 cost 2 each, 17 & 18 cost 3 each. Apply racial mods after.

Races: Basic 3e. One minor difference in the Dwarf (they get +2 to identifying magic items instead of appraise). Gnomes favored class is all wizards, not illusionists.

Classes: Barbarians get uncanny dodge from the get go. Bard music is tweaked slightly. Cleric domains have less spells in them, but you can take any cleric list spell or domain spells for the bonus spell. Druid Animal companion summon one 1/day until killed, other abilities tweaked a little. Monk some abilities dropped, others tweaked. Ranger's power is enhanced. Sorcerer and Wizard familiars summon one 1/day until killled (you take 6 damage) or unsummoned. No specialist wizards (I think).

Skills: Reduced list, some new ones. PARRY!?! Because of the interface & combat (below) I guess they thought they needed to add an equivelent of total defense, and decided to make it a skill that gets better if you put points in. Knowledge (called Lore) is used to identify magic items, and Bards get a massive bonus to that. Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot & Search are all automatic (see below for more). Diplomacy gets divided in two (Taunt & Persuade).

Feats: Some removed, Skill Focus better (+3 instead of +2), Some combat manuevers now feat only (Disarm), Power Attack fixed value of -5/+5, some new fighter only feats (Knockback, Improved Knockback, Improved Power Attack (-10/+10)).

Interface & Combat: Not bad, basically Diablo2/Baldur's Gate like. You get 3 rows of f1 to f12 hot keys that you can map as you like, using Alt and Ctrl to access two of them. I put spells on one, animal abilities/commands and skills on another, and combat on the third. You can assign weapons/shields to the hot keys for easy switching, and if you hit the same key for a weapon already out, you put it away (cool visual effect). Hot keys to access character sheet and inventory too.

Combat was simple for weapons. Take the weapon you have, move it over the enemy, left-click to attack. However, when you have time, there is a pretty cool right-click menu (they call radial) that allows you to access basically ALL your abilities. Since it is multi-level, not good for doing things fast though.

Speed of movement and fighting isn't too bad. However, this is NOT true when you can't run. Also, turning on Stealth (auto Move Silently & Hide) or Detection (auto Search, Spot, Listen) means you can't run. Turn on BOTH and you can't run and walk at 50%. It doesn't sound to bad until you try it. Not running is bad enough, but walking at 50% is terrible. Can't remember is combat snaps you out of the modes though, but regardless the modes are on the quickkey bar by default (f1 and f2 I think).

All this on my friends system too. I'll probably buy the game tomorrow, as I'm playing a game of D&D 3e with some friends tonight.

I'm thinking Halfling Cleric/Figher (1:1 ratio, cleric first), Str 14, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12. Skills: Concentrate (cleric levels) & Parry (fighter levels). Use the lt mace & lt crossbow at level 1, the switch to Shortsword and shortbow at level 2 or 3 (when I add level 1 fighter).

[Grumbold]

Thanks Fitz. Keep these details coming!

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by Dissident
I do not recommend buying this game if you have any 3dfx card. It most likely won't work.

confirmation from the NWN Official Site 'Known Issues' FAQ:

Problems running the game with 3DFX cards

3DFX is no longer in business; although some Voodoo 5 cards may work occasionally they are no longer supported by 3DFX and available drivers do not generally include complete OpenGL support required for Neverwinter Nights. Hence, 3DFX graphics cards are not supported by NWN.

Link:
http://nwn.bioware.com/support/known.html#1.07

[Triped]

This game rules, there's my update.

[Unknown soldier]

To all 3dfx card owner, you might want to take a look on this site. It contains some third party drivers for voodoo card, and some of them have support for opengl. This could save you some money on a new card or some swearing at your comp or at the company... I haven't tried it yet since I still haven't bought the game, but I guess that it could give a second life to your video card

[Dis]

I have tried many third party drivers. None work

I had a Voodoo3 3000 btw. Some people have got voodoo4's to work, and most Voodoo 5's work

but former 3dfx are still writing drivers. They may update those third party drivers to somehow support Neverwinter nights.

But I have no patience!

I bought a geoforce 2 MX400

I just had to play

[Grumbold]

Got the game through the post tuesday morning. Got the day off. Played till my eyes hurt. Rested. Played more )

The rules aren't pure 3rd Ed and there are some minor irritations, mostly revolving around the stupid things your henchmen do/wont do but otherwise its great.

I was surprised to see the game is a little slanted toward casters. Because you need a tank to take hits for you even clerics get a chain of summoning spells, yet a barbarian or rogue won't be allowed to summon or hire a second henchman.