Second Expansion for NWN2 announced!

[mindx2]

Heres some info:

Neverwinter News, Trailers, Screenshots, Previews, Reviews, Guides -- Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault

Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir hearkens back to the days of the Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale franchises by including full party customization, dungeon crawling, and free exploration of a non-linear game world via an Overland Map. The gripping storyline foreshadows the events that will take place in the Forgotten Realms with the coming of release this June of the Fourth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game.

In the aftermath of the defeat of the King of Shadows, the Sword Coast is in the midst of an uneasy economic recovery. Trade syndicates have sprung up to exploit the post-war confusion for their own ends. The players’ party will wade into this uncertain environment; in order to increase their own fortunes, they can either ally with a syndicate to create a trade empire, or cut their own path through Faerûn by preying upon caravans and selling the goods on the black market. As they attempt to extend their influence, players will become aware of a new faction working behind the scenes: the evil, shapeshifting, serpentine Yuan-Ti.

In addition to trading and economic manipulation, the Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir Overland Map allows players to explore the Chultan Peninsula and Sword Coast in a non-linear manner never before seen in any of the Neverwinter Nights games. Exploration will take players from well-known locations, like Neverwinter and Crossroad Keep, to more exotic areas, such as the xenophobic jungle nation of Samarach. Groups of highwaymen and monsters populate the Overland Map and the farther from civilization the player roams, the more difficult the encounters become. The 15-hour campaign in Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir is also packed with new classes, spells, creatures, and playable races.

Fans of the compelling multiplayer features of Neverwinter Nights 2 will also be able to take advantage of new improvements to the multiplayer experience, while modders will be able to take advantage of the power and flexibility of the Overland Map and Trading System features along with other world-building enhancements.

Game Features:

· Travel the Sword Coast and Samarach using the open ended exploration of the new Overland Map. Use skills like Spot and Survival while on the Overland Map to avoid ambushes and even find hidden locales and lost artifacts.

· Create your own full party of adventurers. Devastate your foes with a squad of fireball-flinging Sorcerers, form a solid wall of steel with a party of Fighters, or strike the perfect balance in your party by spreading out the classes you choose for your characters.

· Improved party gameplay including streamlined party conversations, a new Teamwork Benefit System, and powerful party feats.

· The world's economy reacts to your adventures and choices. And, through trading and quests, you can expand your merchant company into a massive trading empire.

I'm psyched to hear references to BG2 and IWD!! Also think the overland map feature sounds great (free-roaming ala Fallout vibe on that one)!

Little update straight from J. E. Sawyer himself: "Also, nothing is scaled. If you are cruisin' around and your Spot skill detects a cave and your 3rd level characters roll up on the grills of a bunch of trolls, you're in trouble."

I LOVE the sound of that. In fact the more I'm learning about this one my excitement grows !!!

[ATINUT]

I read some place, not sure where that this wasn't going to be released until after patch 1.14 comes out.

[mindx2]

No, you're talking about The Mysteries of Westgate premium module that will be downloadable. It's been finished for over 6 months but ATARI is implementing some new DRM thing .

[ATINUT]

I doubt this is coming out this month, and the reason why, is that I've checked with Gamestop, and they don't even have a release date for this expansion.

[mindx2]

Originally Posted by ATINUT

I doubt this is coming out this month, and the reason why, is that I've checked with Gamestop, and they don't even have a release date for this expansion.

Oh, I agree. We'll be lucky to get it by the Christmas rush (or unlucky if it's rushed out the door).

[ATINUT]

I just hope this isn't rushed out the door, in a very buggy and unfinished state, and this is what a lot of people are posting about that Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask Of The Betrayer were in a state of when both those titles came out.

[mindx2]

Originally Posted by ATINUT

I just hope this isn't rushed out the door, in a very buggy and unfinished state, and this is what a lot of people are posting about that Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask Of The Betrayer were in a state of when both those titles came out.

I played NWN2 after it had been patched up pretty good and MotB was released. I didn't experience one bug with MotB and thoroughly enjoyed it's story, choices & consequences, and overall exotic feel taking place somewhere besides the Sword Coast again (it was Rashemen). Combat is still the weakest part of this series to me and I hope there are some improvements in that department. I also hope we get to start at lvl 1 again as playing those EPIC levels feels waaay to overpowered.

[ATINUT]

I too enjoyed Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask Of The Betrayer, but they got better after they were patched decent.

[WhiteEclipse]

Yeah, this sounds more old school in some really good ways. Q4 2008 according to the official press release.

[WhiteEclipse]

This is how Storm of Zehir deals with various skill level of players, rather than level scaling:

Storm of Zehir attacks the problem in a different way. The world is fairly open. So from early on, you can, if you really want to, wander into some places – and some fights – that you really have no right being. The braver players can try their hand at overcoming challenges that would be beyond most players’ abilities. Less experienced players will quickly learn their lesson and gain more power elsewhere before trying to tackle the tougher fights. We liked how this design makes the world feel more real (challenges in life don’t nicely scale to your ability to handle them). It also rewards the player with the satisfaction of returning later to crush the enemies who were once challenging. A very clever design, if Tony does say so himself. Wink (Just kidding – Tony is actually a pretty modest, if odd, fellow.)

Mask of the Betrayer design interview with Kevin Saunders

What a novel approach, lol. What is old is new again.

[Rick_EE]

Originally Posted by WhiteEclipse

What a novel approach, lol. What is old is new again.

Wasn't there a story before about how death is no longer a penalty in games anymore? And that players are getting spoon fed?

[polonyc2]

"challenges in life don’t nicely scale to your ability to handle them"

true but games are not meant to simulate real life so much as to make a game ridiculously difficult...games are meant to entertain not infuriate the player...enemy scaling is a way of making the game accessible to a wider audience

[mindx2]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

"challenges in life don’t nicely scale to your ability to handle them"

true but games are not meant to simulate real life so much as to make a game ridiculously difficult...games are meant to entertain not infuriate the player...enemy scaling is a way of making the game accessible to a wider audience

.........thus the dumbing down of games these days..........

Were Fallout 1 & 2, Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, IWD 1 & 2, Ultima 4-7, Might & Magic 5-8, Thief 1 & 2, Deus Ex, System Shock 1 & 2, etc. "ridiculously difficult"?! Yet we don't see these kinds of games anymore. I really liked Mask of the Betrayer yet HATED that no one died in battles and you could rest/ heal in 10 seconds anywhere you wanted! I don't want Wizardry 4-level hard but some challenge in my cRPG would be nice these days.

[WhiteEclipse]

Apparently, they are making death a little more painful again in this pack. If one of your characters die, you will have to go old school and get him/her/it resurrected.