[NWN2] Expansion Pack and Model Exporter announced!

[Pavlos]

Huzzah, more articles from NWN Vault! I must say those buildings Rogue Dao is working on look lovely.

 

Damn you, Devon, only I may post NWN2 news . It is an unquestioned tradition of over eight months or so. Rogue Dao's stuff does look rather impressive, though, and I do look forward to playing through what looks to be a terrific module.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I must circle the release date of MotB on every calendar I can see.

 

Edit: Speaking of which,

's a nice YouTube interview which shows off some of the head changes - the half elves actually look half decent now so maybe I'll finally be able to play as one. Smashing stuff.

[Balderdash]

The expansion is indeed out in Europe! I'm in the UK, but I haven't had mine yet. I guess I can expect it tomorrow, when I will be at work.

 

I think people in mainland Europe got it early, judging from the the NWN2 forums...

[stoffe]

The expansion is indeed out in Europe! I'm in the UK, but I haven't had mine yet. I guess I can expect it tomorrow, when I will be at work.

 

I think people in mainland Europe got it early, judging from the the NWN2 forums...

 

I got my copy today, one day early. Haven't finished the main NWN2 campaign yet though, so it'll probably have to wait a few more days before I can play it.

[Pavlos]

I got my copy today, one day early. Haven't finished the main NWN2 campaign yet though, so it'll probably have to wait a few more days before I can play it.

 

I haven't received mine yet... but awesomenessity. How can you stand to wait... install the damnable thing and upload some thoughts .

[tk102]

Haven't finished the main NWN2 campaign yet though, so it'll probably have to wait a few more days before I can play it.

I bet you'll be playing it within 24 hours. Since you give such great synopses of games/expansions, I'm glad you got it early.

[stoffe]

I bet you'll be playing it within 24 hours. Since you give such great synopses of games/expansions, I'm glad you got it early.

 

Maybe, though first I have to go through the rather draconian task of making the Expansion compatible with all the mods I have installed. I can imagine that pretty much all the 2DA files and a fair number of the scripts have changed, so there will be plenty of work to merge everything. Hopefully it's worth the effort.

 

 

Seems like the Epic spells are implemented the same way as in NWN:HotU, as feats and not "real" spells, which most of the magic-using classes seem to share (i.e. Warlocks can use the same Epic Spells as Wizards, with just one or two exceptions).

 

After reading the manual I'm still rather skeptic about the whole Soul Eater thing, with the steadily draining spirit bar that weakens you as you go along and kills you if it's empty. Seems to be a whole bunch of abilities connected to this though that you can use to refill your spirit bar by doing unspeakable acts to enemies. Hopefully it turns out better than it sounds when playing.

[Lantzen]

Me want. Will probaly go to the store tomorow and buy it, but wont be able to play it because i have birthday tomorow. Stupid birthday:)

[Pavlos]

Yaharr! It arrived... I'm performing a fresh install.

 

Edit: In other news, that is possibly the largest manual I've seen since the release of KotOR.

[stoffe]

Yaharr! It arrived... I'm performing a fresh install.

 

Edit: In other news, that is possibly the largest manual I've seen since the release of KotOR.

 

It's a definite plus that they didn't just include a pamphlet in the box and the full manual as a PDF. A PDF isn't terribly useful as a reference to look things up in as you play, after all.

 

I finally managed to update/recreate all my modded files to the expansion and played a bit with it (still in Act 2 of the NWN2 scenario, haven't begun the Expansion scenario). The new camera modes will take a while to get used to, right now I'm fumbling around like a drunk toddler and have to pause all the time to regain my bearings and get the camera to show what I want to view. Just too bad there seems to be some bug with the camera settings making the game forget some of my settings on occasion, making me have to set them again every now and then.

 

Haven't noticed any of the performance boost they claim the expansion/patch should bring. My framerates still drop below 15 FPS if I have pointlight/smooth shadows on, or if I have the Shadow setting at anything other than the lowest option. Quite disappointing since pretty much all games I've bought the last two years have better performance with all settings at max. :/

 

Noticed they've added a bunch of new non-epic wizard/cleric/druid spells as well, so I'm going to try them out with Elanee/Sand/Zhjaeve. New toys are always fun. Just too bad the Warlock is cheerfully ignored as usual, so I'll have to make my own toys for that.

 

Seems like they've replaced all the casting chant sounds as well. Don't know why they did that, the current ones seem kind of tame. The older ones sounded more "magical" and powerful. But I suppose it's something you get used to as well.

[tk102]

The new camera modes will take a while to get used to, right now I'm fumbling around like a drunk toddler and have to pause all the time to regain my bearings and get the camera to show what I want to view.

I still don't understand the difference between Character Mode and Strategy Mode or how to switch between the two. Hmm, come to think I never knew how to switch camera modes before either. I just always rotated and zoomed in and out as necessary.

 

All I know is that I am suddenly very dependent on the X button to rotate my camera. I also had to really slow down zooms and rotates or I'd get virtual whiplash. That's fine but I'm not sure if it's an improvement or if it's just lost on me.

[stoffe]

Looks like Obsidian managed to put a broken game on the MotB expansion discs with some missing text, that they've already issued a hotfix for. So much for the supposed polish I suppose, but at least they're pretty quick to fix it.

 

Thread about it

 

(The hotfix will replace your dialog.tlk file, so if you have modded that file you need to add back your changes to it afterwards again.)

[tk102]

(The hotfix will replace your dialog.tlk file, so if you have modded that file you need to add back your changes to it afterwards again.)

You really spoiled us with TSLPatcher.

 

I still don't understand the difference between Character Mode and Strategy Mode or how to switch between the two.

Ah, I just saw the in-game Tip: Use the Numpad * key to toggle between views. Evidently I was in Strategy Mode before and Character Mode seems much more familiar.

 

Edit: The reason I missed that particular keymapping is because it's under "Game" keymappings and (at my resolution) I had to scroll down to see it. Call me crazy, but I think could've been listed comfortably under the "Camera" keymappings.

[stoffe]

Ah, I just saw the in-game Tip: Use the Numpad * key to toggle between views. Evidently I was in Strategy Mode before and Character Mode seems much more familiar.

 

There are a bunch of settings in the options where you can tweak how Strategy and Character mode works independently. You can also set separate key bindings for controls depending on what mode you are in.

 

Still, I haven't managed to get it to behave quite like I'm used to, but it's close enough to have reasonable control of the camera at least.

[Pavlos]

Thread about it

 

(The hotfix will replace your dialog.tlk file, so if you have modded that file you need to add back your changes to it afterwards again.)

 

This is odd: I'm not suffering this bug at all. Everything is working perfectly - too well, don't believe I've come across a single bug yet.

 

How's everyone finding the campaign, by the way? It's certainly less rail-roaded than NWN2... and far more difficult. Definitely seems to be a better game thus far but I've not played that much (only up to Act II). So far, the story seems far more sinister, which is always a good thing .

[stoffe]

How's everyone finding the campaign, by the way? It's certainly less rail-roaded than NWN2... and far more difficult. Definitely seems to be a better game thus far but I've not played that much (only up to Act II). So far, the story seems far more sinister, which is always a good thing .

 

I haven't gotten to it yet, I'm still in Act 3 of the NWN2 campaign, on my way to the Fire Giant mountains. So be sure to add spoiler tags to any Expansion campaign spoilers. The only thing I've heard about it so far is that the endings seem to be typical Obsidian Meh endings. Someone should run a course for game developers how to do proper endings in games.

 

In preparation I've created a couple of feats to illicitly refill the Spirit Energy bar and reduce craving, so I can enjoy the scenario properly without having to Play By Timer when I get there. Glad there is a toolset for this game. Really, the decision to not pause the countdown during dialog is incredibly stupid. Why bother with memorable dialog at all if the player has to quickly rush-click through it all to avoid dying in the middle of it?

[Pavlos]

The spirit bar does pause in dialogue. And it isn't anywhere near as bothersome as I thought it would be . It drains slowly and it's rather easy to top it up without being evil.

 

Shame about the endings... but the actual game (again, thus far) seems terrific - refreshingly personal and, unless it's just an illusion, I seem to have a surprising amount of freedom to do things in whatever order I like. Can't actually think of anything bad to say but I'm sure there'll be something (like the ending) somewhere down the line.

 

As I said combat seems much tougher but it's not impossible - you actually need to think about your use of spells and what to do next rather than spamming things... takes me back to the Baldur's Gate days.

 

 

I'm a fan of the Veil Theatre, the players have some wonderful dialogue

 

[stoffe]

The spirit bar does pause in dialogue. And it isn't anywhere near as bothersome as I thought it would be . It drains slowly and it's rather easy to top it up without being evil.

 

Hmm, I read somewhere that it didn't pause... or that there was some bug that made it seemingly pause but didn't. But you probably know that better, so that's good news at least.

 

The biggest problem I see with it is that Suppress gives you Lawful points every time you use it, and since I play as a Warlock that makes the ability pretty much useless since I need to stay Chaotic. That leaves only Eternal Rest to refill the Spirit Energy for a Good character, so unless the game is crawling with Undead that might be problematic.

 

Shame about the endings... but the actual game (again, thus far) seems terrific - refreshingly personal and, unless it's just an illusion, I seem to have a surprising amount of freedom to do things in whatever order I like.

 

Almost sounds like there is too much choice, to the point where significant chunks of the game can be missed out entirely if you don't happen to stumble across them. But I guess that's what replays are for.

 

As I said combat seems much tougher but it's not impossible - you actually need to think about your use of spells and what to do next rather than spamming things... takes me back to the Baldur's Gate days.

 

Why? Because enemies are tougher, or because the Timer-of-Death thing discourages frivolous resting?

[Pavlos]

Why? Because enemies are tougher, or because the Timer-of-Death thing discourages frivolous resting?

 

In summary (to save you reading all of my - mostly aimless - ramblings) they're tough because they're tough not because of the timer-of-death-doom-and-destruction

 

Timer-of-Death will knock about 20/100 points off the spirit meter with an 8 hour rest but if there are bodiless undead around (like wraiths), you can use the "Eternal Rest" power (which is not automatically given to you, you have to discover it) which will not increase your craving for spirits but will top up the bar and shift your alignment toward Good without doing anything on the Chaos-Law scale. But the only place you find undead are in crypts and so forth so I'm mostly having to manage by using the consume power once in a while on some poor, unsuspecting spirit wandering the countryside.

 

Anyway, that was quite a tangent. If you rest in dangerous areas, there's a chance you'll be ambushed by hordes of enemies (generally tough ones) but the fights themselves generally last longer because they are genuinely more difficult than the OC ones and they'd still be tough even if you could rest all over the place. I fear for my companions and my PC whenever I run into a Dead Lord or a Lich King. So, yeah... make sure you carry a fair few healing potions around with you.

 

Edit:

 

On the freedom thing: though it certainly helps to investigate things - what with quite a few Torment-esque memory recovery scenes - I don't think you'd be at a loss as to what's going on if you didn't. It's certainly not like Torment in that respect; you could actually play through to the end of that game and not know what the hell was happening because you didn't talk to anyone (I'm still rather fond of the ability to select "Who are you?" when facing the Transcendent One).

[stoffe]

you can use the "Eternal Rest" power (which is not automatically given to you, you have to discover it) which will not increase your craving for spirits but will top up the bar and shift your alignment toward Good without doing anything on the Chaos-Law scale. But the only place you find undead are in crypts and so forth so I'm mostly having to manage by using the consume power once in a while on some poor, unsuspecting spirit wandering the countryside.

 

Isn't consuming a spirit one of the most evil acts you can perform in D&D, essentially dooming it to non-existence and denying it any chance of an afterlife? Doesn't sound like something a Good character would do no matter what. I hope the Eternal Rest ability isn't too far into the game and is too easy to miss.

 

And, putting aside the morality of it all, doesn't the consume/devour abilities increase your craving and force you to consume even more, like some drug addict?

 

Anyway, that was quite a tangent. If you rest in dangerous areas, there's a chance you'll be ambushed by hordes of enemies (generally tough ones) but the fights themselves generally last longer because they are genuinely more difficult than the OC ones and they'd still be tough even if you could rest all over the place. I fear for my companions and my PC whenever I run into a Dead Lord or a Lich King. So, yeah... make sure you carry a fair few healing potions around with you.

 

Does the ToD drain even if your sleep is interrupted, or only after you've successfully rested? Could make it all the more dangerous to rest in dangerous areas even if you can handle the monsters themselves.

 

About healing potions, which of your carried items do you lose at the start of the game? Only weapons, or everything you carry? Is it worthwhile to grab some of your companions' better gear at the end of the NWN2 campaign, or will you lose it all at the start of the Expansion campaign anyway?

[Pavlos]

Isn't consuming a spirit one of the most evil acts you can perform in D&D, essentially dooming it to non-existence and denying it any chance of an afterlife? Doesn't sound like something a Good character would do no matter what. I hope the Eternal Rest ability isn't too far into the game and is too easy to miss.

 

Well, you could always just allow it to feed off of your memories and personality . But that ability only becomes available in extreme situations.

 

And, putting aside the morality of it all, doesn't the consume/devour abilities increase your craving and force you to consume even more, like some drug addict?

 

Yeah, there's a second little bar which shows your craving. The greater your craving, the faster the spirit bar drain. Using the Devour Spirit power more than once in a day increases your craving. Suppressing the craving only gives you a few more points on the spirit bar but reduces your craving for souls, while putting undead to rest doesn't do anything to your craving and increases your spirit bar. I haven't read the section in the manual yet beacuse it's supposed to be slightly 'spoilerous', so no doubt there are a few other special abilities to be gained.

 

You do have to keep an eye on the meter but it doesn't really bother me that much. It may have something to do with my low craving levels but my spirit bar doesn't drop that quickly.

 

Does the ToD drain even if your sleep is interrupted, or only after you've successfully rested? Could make it all the more dangerous to rest in dangerous areas even if you can handle the monsters themselves.

 

I think it does, yeah.

 

About healing potions, which of your carried items do you lose at the start of the game? Only weapons, or everything you carry? Is it worthwhile to grab some of your companions' better gear at the end of the NWN2 campaign, or will you lose it all at the start of the Expansion campaign anyway?

 

I decided to start a new game but I think I read that you'll keep all of your equipped items aside from your weapon - so no Sword of Gith. The starting areas are not really that difficult - probably similar to an average fight in the OC.

 

Oh and make sure you chat to your companions regularly, their dialogues seem to update fairly often (mostly after or before critical moments in the plot) and they generally have quite a bit to say. Safiya, the Red Wizard, seems to be the most well developed thus far but it's early days yet. Hopefully the dialogue updating will continue to happen throughout the game and won't just stop half-way through.

[stoffe]

Well, you could always just allow it to feed off of your memories and personality . But that ability only becomes available in extreme situations.

 

Self-cannibalism doesn't sound particularly appealing either, unless you play as some self-sacrificing paladin.

 

 

I haven't read the section in the manual yet beacuse it's supposed to be slightly 'spoilerous', so no doubt there are a few other special abilities to be gained.

 

I think you can read that section without problems, it doesn't mention anything about the plot of the game other than that you can become a spirit eater, which they've been saying for months in their marketing hype drive already. It just outlines how the Spirit Energy, craving and various abilities linked to that works.

 

You do have to keep an eye on the meter but it doesn't really bother me that much. It may have something to do with my low craving levels but my spirit bar doesn't drop that quickly.

 

From what I've read the ToD can drain very fast if your craving gets high, so it's probably a good idea to keep the craving low if you are a Good-aligned character.

 

I decided to start a new game but I think I read that you'll keep all of your equipped items aside from your weapon - so no Sword of Gith. The starting areas are not really that difficult - probably similar to an average fight in the OC.

 

But everything else in your backpack inventory is taken as well? Someone steals your weapon and backpack, but doesn't pry any clothing off your body? If so it might be worthwhile to burn all the precious gems and essences collected on crafting some nice things to wear before ending the NWN2 campaign.

 

Oh and make sure you chat to your companions regularly, their dialogues seem to update fairly often (mostly after or before critical moments in the plot) and they generally have quite a bit to say. Safiya, the Red Wizard, seems to be the most well developed thus far but it's early days yet.

 

Are there any romances or "romances" in the game, causing some character to chat your ears off if you play as one gender while barely opening their mouth if you play the other?

[Arátoeldar]

Does the expansion pack take away all of your weapons or just the weapon in your hand/silver sword?

[Balderdash]

The biggest problem I see with it is that Suppress gives you Lawful points every time you use it, and since I play as a Warlock that makes the ability pretty much useless since I need to stay Chaotic. That leaves only Eternal Rest to refill the Spirit Energy for a Good character, so unless the game is crawling with Undead that might be problematic.

Indeed. My wizard was actually LG before MotB (even though he started off as, and was always intended to be, NG) so this hasn't bothered me too much thus far. I've been using suppress daily. But you're right, this is a bit of a design fault, I would have to say. I'd be interested to know what they thought was lawful about using the ability.

 

Minor spoiler about enemies:

 

There are a fair amount of incorporeal undead in the shadow plane, but I haven't encountered them yet anywhere else.

 

 

Other than this, I'm fairly happy with the spirit bar implementation thus far. Seems to do the job it is meant to do, and it fits into the story nicely. The bar changes colour during conversations so I think this signifies it pausing, and I haven't noticed any bugs with that, myself.

 

I installed directly over 1.06 and haven't experienced any problems with the expansion, but I haven't played the OC since, so I had best check this. Thanks, Stoffe, for that bit of news, otherwise I would not have seen the thread...

 

Anyway, I'm certainly enjoying the story. I won't post any spoilers since I'm not sure where people are up too. I'm on Act 2, though. My only complaint is that there seem to be an awful lot of conversations, even with major NPCs, that were all in the text boxes, and personally I like hearing the cinematic conversations better. But it's not a big issue really.

[Lantzen]

Think il have to gratuade them to worse expansion ever, vanlila NWN2 quit to works for me. Thought i would do a rerun from the beginning, but the first silver shard is bugged, i can't give it to Daeghun. And first time i tryed to install the expansion no text for the new classes and races was showed.

 

Edit: And the graphic performance is still terrible, it lags when il have 4gb RAM and a 8800GTX grapphic card :/

 

Edit2: It's not only i that have this problem, have been browsing the NWN2 Forums now. It's funny how they just forgot to check if vanila NWN2 still works after the have done a expansion

[Arátoeldar]

Think il have to gratuade them to worse expansion ever, vanlila NWN2 quit to works for me. Thought i would do a rerun from the beginning, but the first silver shard is bugged, i can't give it to Daeghun. And first time i tryed to install the expansion no text for the new classes and races was showed.

 

Edit: And the graphic performance is still terrible, it lags when il have 4gb RAM and a 8800GTX grapphic card :/

 

Edit2: It's not only i that have this problem, have been browsing the NWN2 Forums now. It's funny how they just forgot to check if vanila NWN2 still works after the have done a expansion

 

 

Did you install the expansion pack correctly?

 

Problems with int eh OC after installing MotB are for people who installed MotB over a fresh install *without* patching!

 

Here is the issue at hand.. Installing MotB will update your game engine to 1.10 equivalent, but it does *not* patch the campaign files (and there have been many fixes/updates to those). So you have to patch NWN2 to 1.10 first to get all the campaign files updated, then you install the expansion.

 

If you install the expansion over top of 1.06, everything supposedly works fine. This was the status of things when the expansion went gold and was released. If, however, you are updated up to 1.10 before you install the expansion (as many people would be, that's where the auto-patcher puts you now) there is a small dialogue.txt glitch that needs fixing with the hotfix.

 

MoTB Install Instructions/Missing Text Fix