[quote="Jubilee":35boo10i]First thing I did was run system mechanic, on full defrag, hardrive and ram. *sigh* Anyone else with an ATI card havin any problems?[/quote:35boo10i]
Only problem I've been having with my ATI is that the camera sticks sometime, outside of that it runs great.
I'm still at the begining of chapter 2, I started a new job about an hour from my home and have been staying at a friend's house for the last week.
NWN2 Discussion
Moderators: Shir'le E. Illios, Bhaern Quel
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Alak Xiltyn
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I'm running an ATI RADEON X800 PRO (256 Video RAM) and so far the game has run smooth. The common issue I've seen on one of my machines and one of buddy's machines, was System Board and CPU Heat (All four machines running AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processors).. We added an addition case fan to both system and changed/ upgraded the CPU Fans, and both run fine now. Brought the System Board heat down from about 140 F, to just under 100 F. Cleaning the built up dust out my systems probablly didn't hurt either. 
I finished the game with a Human Monk. I have to say it has really gotten me hooked. Now I've created a Drow Fighter start again.. I just want to see how hard it is going to be maintain my alignment, and much different the character interactions are. So far there have only been a couple of references, that I've been able to catch, to my race. Other than that the only thing that stands out is how slow Drow level compared to my first run.
I finished the game with a Human Monk. I have to say it has really gotten me hooked. Now I've created a Drow Fighter start again.. I just want to see how hard it is going to be maintain my alignment, and much different the character interactions are. So far there have only been a couple of references, that I've been able to catch, to my race. Other than that the only thing that stands out is how slow Drow level compared to my first run.
This Site is so much more beautiful than any other I went in, I'm shy about writing here 
I'm making a big Module for a Dragonlance Saga in NWN2. It wil be called Lemish, south of Solamnia. It is an under developped place where Blue Dragons, Goblins, Draconians and Nobles Aristocrat lives. What is really interresting is that the country is a big forest, and it is the largest faery community in Ansalon. I will be big in Roleplaying so best suited for many of you on this site I think. If you have some feedback, I would love to know.
"I'm an Evil DM
but my wife say I'm a Devilish Angel 
"
I'm making a big Module for a Dragonlance Saga in NWN2. It wil be called Lemish, south of Solamnia. It is an under developped place where Blue Dragons, Goblins, Draconians and Nobles Aristocrat lives. What is really interresting is that the country is a big forest, and it is the largest faery community in Ansalon. I will be big in Roleplaying so best suited for many of you on this site I think. If you have some feedback, I would love to know.
"I'm an Evil DM
but my wife say I'm a Devilish Angel "-
Alak Xiltyn
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- Location: Nebraska
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Okay, I've desided that we need a stop gap until our PW is up, as such when I'm home I'll have a game going as often as possible, if you're interested PM me and let me know so that I can get you all the info.
"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire
GAME STOPPING BUG?
Okay..I may have hit a game stopping bug..spoiler ahead..
After rescuing whats her nuts from the githyanki base I head back to the tavern waiting for the cut scene before it cuts to the second chapter..cut scene starts then ends rather more quickly than I had remembered it doing the last time I played through this part ( when another bug made me start playing all over again) Go to talk to whats her nuts and bishop talks like we are back at the githyanki base and asks when we are going back to the tavern. SO...I save the game reload , and whats her nuts , Shandra, yeah thats her name..is gone..doesnt cut to second chapter and there aint a darn thing I can do about it..this happened to anybody else?I do not want to have to play through all over again.This sucks...
After rescuing whats her nuts from the githyanki base I head back to the tavern waiting for the cut scene before it cuts to the second chapter..cut scene starts then ends rather more quickly than I had remembered it doing the last time I played through this part ( when another bug made me start playing all over again) Go to talk to whats her nuts and bishop talks like we are back at the githyanki base and asks when we are going back to the tavern. SO...I save the game reload , and whats her nuts , Shandra, yeah thats her name..is gone..doesnt cut to second chapter and there aint a darn thing I can do about it..this happened to anybody else?I do not want to have to play through all over again.This sucks...
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CrankyOzzie
- Regular
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I'm sort of glad I haven't been able to afford a PC that will the run game yet. Maybe by the time I do in, say, 6 months from now, they'll have got the worst of the bugs sorted out.
I quit smoking with Eilistraee! - Courtesy of http://www.sloganizer.net/en/
[quote="Shir'le E. Illios":k9q9inno][quote="Vendrin":k9q9inno]I really dislike the adopted parent cop out[/quote:k9q9inno]
True, but how else were they going to explain all those races (needed some ‘parents’). Another option would’ve been not referring to the parents at all, but that rather drastically changes the story since you can’t start in West Harbor anymore and the events of the past can’t have had such an effect on you ([i:k9q9inno]someone[/i:k9q9inno] needs to have raised you).
Overall it works fairly well I think.[/quote:k9q9inno]
Don't all yell at me, but I think a fairly effective solution would not be to allow all those races. Create ones for the base rases and that's that. I realize I am asking for to much, and I can accept the adopted parent cop out if they actually make the parent a real parent. Gorion was around for a whole 15 minutes, and Daeghun has as much personality as a rock. Give more than an adopted parent, give an adopted family. Maybe a brother or sister who journey with you and argue and maybe turn against you.
[quote:k9q9inno][quote="Vendrin":k9q9inno]Also, game is buggy and rushed, though the community should iron out the problems.. But unfortunately it's what I've come to expect from Obsidian when Atari act like greedy bastards and force the game out early.[/quote:k9q9inno]
I can’t comment on forcing the game out or not, except to say that it’s a very rare game developer who can push their deadlines back indefinitely; I don’t think Atari’s ‘greed’ has much to do with it.[/quote:k9q9inno]
It's a major factor. Atari was majorly in the red so they pushed out NWN2 early to get some profit. Same thing they did with Kotor2.
Bioware as a major studio can tell a publisher the game isn't ready, so hold on until we make it ready. Obisidian can't.
[quote:k9q9inno] Maybe I’m just lucky.[/quote:k9q9inno]
Yep.
[quote:k9q9inno]Then there’s a number of things where I feel they’ve taken a shortcut to a solution and I feel that there’s quite a bit of polish missing here and there. Had that polish been there then there’d be, I think, no doubt in anyone’s mind about this being a classic. People are already comparing it to Baldur’s Gate and Planescape Torment (not always something I’d find a favorable comparison), and some better polish would’ve help convince people to put it ahead of those.[/quote:k9q9inno]
No game since BG series and PS:T has surpassed that mark. And forgive me for wanting designers to make a better story then what has come before instead of just better graphics, though the Hot:U is a decent third in terms of enjoyability and replay value.
[quote:k9q9inno]Obsidian is already showing their dedication to continually support the game; having already released a first patch and working on a second one. Whether they’ll continue to patch and fix issues as much as NWN1 had (which is [i:k9q9inno]still[/i:k9q9inno] getting patches) remains to be seen, but I think that the outlook is good that they’ll fix a great number of problems people are having (like not being able to quickslot a dual-wield combination).[/quote:k9q9inno]
Nope, Obsidian is not getting paid anymore by Atari since NWN2 was released so they will only fix gamebreaking bugs(and not all of them) and leave it. Just like they did with Kotor2. They may suprise me, but I bet we will have to wait for an expansion to get many of these "fixes".
[quote:k9q9inno]
Tastes differ of course and I know that there’s a number of issues for NWN2 to resolve, but I can also say without a doubt that I haven’t enjoyed a game this much since KotOR (the first one) at least. In many ways I enjoy it even more than that game.[/quote:k9q9inno]
I'm not saying NWN2 is without it's plusses, because overall I enjoyed it. Especially the stronghold building, the trial was interesting, but KOTOR was a far superior game, in that you weren't quite so relegated to being a stupid bully if you wished to do the evil path, and the fact that Bioware made it.
I have no doubt that NWN2 would have been a much more polished game, with a far better ending, and a lot more of the original funcitonality promised if bioware had made it.
My now major complaint is the complete and utter lack of buildup for the romances(and that there is only 1 for male and female characters) and npc interaction. Where the only talk options available are the same ones you have when you first meet the character.
Oh and the ending was a complete and utter travesty.
True, but how else were they going to explain all those races (needed some ‘parents’). Another option would’ve been not referring to the parents at all, but that rather drastically changes the story since you can’t start in West Harbor anymore and the events of the past can’t have had such an effect on you ([i:k9q9inno]someone[/i:k9q9inno] needs to have raised you).
Overall it works fairly well I think.[/quote:k9q9inno]
Don't all yell at me, but I think a fairly effective solution would not be to allow all those races. Create ones for the base rases and that's that. I realize I am asking for to much, and I can accept the adopted parent cop out if they actually make the parent a real parent. Gorion was around for a whole 15 minutes, and Daeghun has as much personality as a rock. Give more than an adopted parent, give an adopted family. Maybe a brother or sister who journey with you and argue and maybe turn against you.
[quote:k9q9inno][quote="Vendrin":k9q9inno]Also, game is buggy and rushed, though the community should iron out the problems.. But unfortunately it's what I've come to expect from Obsidian when Atari act like greedy bastards and force the game out early.[/quote:k9q9inno]
I can’t comment on forcing the game out or not, except to say that it’s a very rare game developer who can push their deadlines back indefinitely; I don’t think Atari’s ‘greed’ has much to do with it.[/quote:k9q9inno]
It's a major factor. Atari was majorly in the red so they pushed out NWN2 early to get some profit. Same thing they did with Kotor2.
Bioware as a major studio can tell a publisher the game isn't ready, so hold on until we make it ready. Obisidian can't.
[quote:k9q9inno] Maybe I’m just lucky.[/quote:k9q9inno]
Yep.
[quote:k9q9inno]Then there’s a number of things where I feel they’ve taken a shortcut to a solution and I feel that there’s quite a bit of polish missing here and there. Had that polish been there then there’d be, I think, no doubt in anyone’s mind about this being a classic. People are already comparing it to Baldur’s Gate and Planescape Torment (not always something I’d find a favorable comparison), and some better polish would’ve help convince people to put it ahead of those.[/quote:k9q9inno]
No game since BG series and PS:T has surpassed that mark. And forgive me for wanting designers to make a better story then what has come before instead of just better graphics, though the Hot:U is a decent third in terms of enjoyability and replay value.
[quote:k9q9inno]Obsidian is already showing their dedication to continually support the game; having already released a first patch and working on a second one. Whether they’ll continue to patch and fix issues as much as NWN1 had (which is [i:k9q9inno]still[/i:k9q9inno] getting patches) remains to be seen, but I think that the outlook is good that they’ll fix a great number of problems people are having (like not being able to quickslot a dual-wield combination).[/quote:k9q9inno]
Nope, Obsidian is not getting paid anymore by Atari since NWN2 was released so they will only fix gamebreaking bugs(and not all of them) and leave it. Just like they did with Kotor2. They may suprise me, but I bet we will have to wait for an expansion to get many of these "fixes".
[quote:k9q9inno]
Tastes differ of course and I know that there’s a number of issues for NWN2 to resolve, but I can also say without a doubt that I haven’t enjoyed a game this much since KotOR (the first one) at least. In many ways I enjoy it even more than that game.[/quote:k9q9inno]
I'm not saying NWN2 is without it's plusses, because overall I enjoyed it. Especially the stronghold building, the trial was interesting, but KOTOR was a far superior game, in that you weren't quite so relegated to being a stupid bully if you wished to do the evil path, and the fact that Bioware made it.
I have no doubt that NWN2 would have been a much more polished game, with a far better ending, and a lot more of the original funcitonality promised if bioware had made it.
My now major complaint is the complete and utter lack of buildup for the romances(and that there is only 1 for male and female characters) and npc interaction. Where the only talk options available are the same ones you have when you first meet the character.
Oh and the ending was a complete and utter travesty.
"What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses evil perhaps in some way better than a man who has good imposed upon him?"
[quote:144q3ns7][quote="Vendrin":144q3ns7] Also, game is buggy and rushed, though the community should iron out the problems.. But unfortunately it's what I've come to expect from Obsidian when Atari act like greedy bastards and force the game out early. [/quote:144q3ns7]
You have to bare in mind that the developers are trying to get YOU what YOU want as quickly and as high quality as possible, if that means rushing things a bit, so be it, if that means cutting a few corners, it happens. Also bare in mind that sometimes they mess up on their estimates as to how long it will take them to finish something... okay so they ALWAYS mess up, the point is that if there wasn't someone rushing things the game would never be realased. Working at a Video game specialty store can be eye opening, especially the first time you see a grown man throw a temper tantrum because Street Fighter ultra hyper mega edition XXXXVI or this year's Madden NFL has been delayed a week.
oh and about bugs, as a general rule of thumb for every 1 you solve you create 5.[/quote:144q3ns7]
All I have to say is I'd prefer the game to be delayed until it is ready. Is it really so much to ask for a complete game where you can tell the game is rushed? KoToR2 could have easily surpassed BG2 as the end all of rpgs if it hadn't been rushed, and NWN2 would have been far better if it had been fleshed out more.
I will not be satisfied with the state of games as they are now being released. It should not be ok to release games which content are not complete.
[quote="Shir'le E. Illios":144q3ns7] <kisses back> You’re welcome. [/quote:144q3ns7]
[/quote]
You have to bare in mind that the developers are trying to get YOU what YOU want as quickly and as high quality as possible, if that means rushing things a bit, so be it, if that means cutting a few corners, it happens. Also bare in mind that sometimes they mess up on their estimates as to how long it will take them to finish something... okay so they ALWAYS mess up, the point is that if there wasn't someone rushing things the game would never be realased. Working at a Video game specialty store can be eye opening, especially the first time you see a grown man throw a temper tantrum because Street Fighter ultra hyper mega edition XXXXVI or this year's Madden NFL has been delayed a week.
oh and about bugs, as a general rule of thumb for every 1 you solve you create 5.[/quote:144q3ns7]
All I have to say is I'd prefer the game to be delayed until it is ready. Is it really so much to ask for a complete game where you can tell the game is rushed? KoToR2 could have easily surpassed BG2 as the end all of rpgs if it hadn't been rushed, and NWN2 would have been far better if it had been fleshed out more.
I will not be satisfied with the state of games as they are now being released. It should not be ok to release games which content are not complete.
[quote="Shir'le E. Illios":144q3ns7] <kisses back> You’re welcome. [/quote:144q3ns7]
[/quote]"What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses evil perhaps in some way better than a man who has good imposed upon him?"
Re: GAME STOPPING BUG?
[quote="Nedylene":1nqp2ybu]Okay..I may have hit a game stopping bug..spoiler ahead..
After rescuing whats her nuts from the githyanki base I head back to the tavern waiting for the cut scene before it cuts to the second chapter..cut scene starts then ends rather more quickly than I had remembered it doing the last time I played through this part ( when another bug made me start playing all over again) Go to talk to whats her nuts and bishop talks like we are back at the githyanki base and asks when we are going back to the tavern. SO...I save the game reload , and whats her nuts , Shandra, yeah thats her name..is gone..doesnt cut to second chapter and there aint a darn thing I can do about it..this happened to anybody else?I do not want to have to play through all over again.This sucks...[/quote:1nqp2ybu]
I'd suggest posting on the bioware boards asking for help/console command to get you out of the fix.
After rescuing whats her nuts from the githyanki base I head back to the tavern waiting for the cut scene before it cuts to the second chapter..cut scene starts then ends rather more quickly than I had remembered it doing the last time I played through this part ( when another bug made me start playing all over again) Go to talk to whats her nuts and bishop talks like we are back at the githyanki base and asks when we are going back to the tavern. SO...I save the game reload , and whats her nuts , Shandra, yeah thats her name..is gone..doesnt cut to second chapter and there aint a darn thing I can do about it..this happened to anybody else?I do not want to have to play through all over again.This sucks...[/quote:1nqp2ybu]
I'd suggest posting on the bioware boards asking for help/console command to get you out of the fix.
"What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses evil perhaps in some way better than a man who has good imposed upon him?"
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Alak Xiltyn
- Regular
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- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:32 am
- Location: Nebraska
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[quote="Vendrin":2h0e8lty]
All I have to say is I'd prefer the game to be delayed until it is ready. Is it really so much to ask for a complete game where you can tell the game is rushed? KoToR2 could have easily surpassed BG2 as the end all of rpgs if it hadn't been rushed, and NWN2 would have been far better if it had been fleshed out more. [/quote:2h0e8lty]
It's not too much to ask of the developers to put out a fully completed game, it IS too much to ask of your colleagues in the gaming world to wait. I for one would be willing to wait, Joe Schmoe the casual gamer doesn't want to wait and could care less about the story.
[quote="Vendrin":2h0e8lty]
I will not be satisfied with the state of games as they are now being released. It should not be ok to release games which content are not complete.[/quote:2h0e8lty]
Nor I, but the industry isn't what it used to be, when people like you and I first got into video games it was a niche, now it's one of the largest industries in the world and if you look closely bares a very close resemblance to the movie industry of the 1940s and 50s, stroll through a Gamestop and take a REALLY close look at the titles and ask yourself how many of those, where they movies, would be "B" movies shoved out in under 6 months just to make some quick cash.
All I have to say is I'd prefer the game to be delayed until it is ready. Is it really so much to ask for a complete game where you can tell the game is rushed? KoToR2 could have easily surpassed BG2 as the end all of rpgs if it hadn't been rushed, and NWN2 would have been far better if it had been fleshed out more. [/quote:2h0e8lty]
It's not too much to ask of the developers to put out a fully completed game, it IS too much to ask of your colleagues in the gaming world to wait. I for one would be willing to wait, Joe Schmoe the casual gamer doesn't want to wait and could care less about the story.
[quote="Vendrin":2h0e8lty]
I will not be satisfied with the state of games as they are now being released. It should not be ok to release games which content are not complete.[/quote:2h0e8lty]
Nor I, but the industry isn't what it used to be, when people like you and I first got into video games it was a niche, now it's one of the largest industries in the world and if you look closely bares a very close resemblance to the movie industry of the 1940s and 50s, stroll through a Gamestop and take a REALLY close look at the titles and ask yourself how many of those, where they movies, would be "B" movies shoved out in under 6 months just to make some quick cash.
"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire
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Shir'le E. Illios
- High Priestess
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[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]Don't all yell at me, but I think a fairly effective solution would not be to allow all those races. Create ones for the base rases and that's that.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Oh, I agree. I’ve said from the start that if they couldn’t offer full, accurate and enjoyable support for drow (and the other more involved subraces) that they should’ve just disabled them. Include the races, but disable them for the OC. Because the way it is not it gives those unfamiliar with drow the impression that this is how they’re [i:30ka1lbv]supposed[/i:30ka1lbv] to be treated and we’ll see no end of drow players walking around openly in human cities in human cities as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.
But for us, here, who hopefully know better and can keep that in mind the experience of playing a drow character is enjoyable enough for those scant moment that it [i:30ka1lbv]is[/i:30ka1lbv] recognized and just for the idea of playing a drow (not to mention that for my [i:30ka1lbv]character[/i:30ka1lbv] it all felt perfectly normal since she didn’t know better).
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]Give more than an adopted parent, give an adopted family. Maybe a brother or sister who journey with you and argue and maybe turn against you.[/quote:30ka1lbv][quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]My now major complaint is the complete and utter lack of buildup for the romances(and that there is only 1 for male and female characters) and npc interaction. Where the only talk options available are the same ones you have when you first meet the character.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Oh I can agree there; that would have been nice. In fact I wouldn’t have minded if they developed your two friends more and have them travel with you, becoming major companions. I’d rather would that they dropped the romances altogether (I seem to miss out on them in just about every game anyway) and spend the time to more develop other relations; family, friends, squire. That way more people are likely to enjoy it since alignment and personality clashes are less likely (why-oh-why was the only romance for female characters once again a [i:30ka1lbv]lawful[/i:30ka1lbv] character… bah).
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]It's a major factor. Atari was majorly in the red so they pushed out NWN2 early to get some profit. Same thing they did with Kotor2.[/quote:30ka1lbv][quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]Nope, Obsidian is not getting paid anymore by Atari since NWN2 was released so they will only fix gamebreaking bugs(and not all of them) and leave it. Just like they did with Kotor2. They may suprise me, but I bet we will have to wait for an expansion to get many of these "fixes".[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Atari didn’t publish KotOR2; LucasArt did (as far as I’m aware). And I think you’re overestimating the importance of NWN2 for Atari’s survival. I also think that Atari is well aware that pushing out a rushed game gains them nothing and loses customers.
You might also be surprised to learn that Obisian has already set up a live team for NWN2, meaning that they’re continuing to patch it and develop more content for it. They’ve already hinted that the ‘shoddy ending’ was for a purpose (and most believe that it is for an expansion) and that more things are coming through the pipeline for NWN2. I’m fairly certain that both Obsidian and Atari are keenly aware that NWN’s success was largely due to BioWare’s continued support of the title and are aiming to give NWN2 the same chance.
Could NWN2 have benefited from staying in development a few months longer? I am quite certain that it could and I know it’s hard to justify its ‘buggy’ release to those who have run (and keep running) into problems. And the game [i:30ka1lbv]has[/i:30ka1lbv] been delayed several times already. But at some point contracts have to be fulfilled and deadlines have to be met (and I don’t think Atari’s financial situation had all that much to do with it). It is a rare developer who can delay the release of a game near indefinitely (BioWare might be one such; I’m not certain). Just note the rarity of PC games that release near bug-free (particularly of the complexity of NWN2); from what I understand Oblivion was just as, if not more so, buggy for many as NWN2.
At least it seems that with Neverwinter Nights 2 there is the promise of continued support and updates and fixes.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]No game since BG series and PS:T has surpassed that mark. And forgive me for wanting designers to make a better story then what has come before instead of just better graphics, though the Hot:U is a decent third in terms of enjoyability and replay value.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Tastes differ and people have a tendency to look at past games they enjoyed more favorably that they perhaps deserve.
I’ve said numerous times before (in various places) that I simply did not enjoy PS:T that much; I could never really get into the main character, there was far too much to read (I really love reading, just not in a computer game where I expect more interactivity and visualization) and the game simply didn’t grip me enough to continue playing it to its conclusion.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2 too had their issues; BG had a fairly straight-forward story, BG2 was a bit better but a large part of the time you didn’t actually do anything involved with the story, they were both more squad-based RTS games at times with far too much combat (all of which tended to have the same ‘solution’), etc.
That’s not to say that they weren’t greatly enjoyable games, quite the contrary I immensely enjoyed my time in all of them (particularly the BG games). But that they’re older, came during a time when there was a veritable drought of good cRPGs and people tend to remember them fondly doesn’t make them better than current games.
For me at least NWN2 was definitely one of the most enjoyable (single player) gaming experiences I’ve had, definitely ranking high up there with the BGs, Fallouts, KotORs, etc.
Again, perhaps it’s just that tastes differ.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]I'm not saying NWN2 is without it's plusses, because overall I enjoyed it. Especially the stronghold building, the trial was interesting, but KOTOR was a far superior game, in that you weren't quite so relegated to being a stupid bully if you wished to do the evil path, and the fact that Bioware made it.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Personally, I don’t quite see how not being able to play evil quite the way one might want would make it a bad game. Of course I never understood the desire of people to play evil to begin with and feel games would, in general, be much better if they didn’t allow for the option (since it would decrease their complexity and reserve development time for other things).
Also, while I greatly admire BioWare and they still rank as my favorite games developer I also don’t see how the fact that they made a game or not has any bearing on the quality of the product. I mean, does the name of the painter change anything of the quality of the painting? (What, for instance, if it turns out that BioWare has just been pretending[p/i] to have made KotOR and it was really EA who made it, would that suddenly make it a bad game?) Sorry, that just confused me.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]I have no doubt that NWN2 would have been a much more polished game, with a far better ending, and a lot more of the original funcitonality promised if bioware had made it.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Well, then you might enjoy Dragon Age (which seems to promise a few things that, for me, make it less interesting a game).
Love -x-x-x-
Shir'le
Oh, I agree. I’ve said from the start that if they couldn’t offer full, accurate and enjoyable support for drow (and the other more involved subraces) that they should’ve just disabled them. Include the races, but disable them for the OC. Because the way it is not it gives those unfamiliar with drow the impression that this is how they’re [i:30ka1lbv]supposed[/i:30ka1lbv] to be treated and we’ll see no end of drow players walking around openly in human cities in human cities as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.
But for us, here, who hopefully know better and can keep that in mind the experience of playing a drow character is enjoyable enough for those scant moment that it [i:30ka1lbv]is[/i:30ka1lbv] recognized and just for the idea of playing a drow (not to mention that for my [i:30ka1lbv]character[/i:30ka1lbv] it all felt perfectly normal since she didn’t know better).
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]Give more than an adopted parent, give an adopted family. Maybe a brother or sister who journey with you and argue and maybe turn against you.[/quote:30ka1lbv][quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]My now major complaint is the complete and utter lack of buildup for the romances(and that there is only 1 for male and female characters) and npc interaction. Where the only talk options available are the same ones you have when you first meet the character.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Oh I can agree there; that would have been nice. In fact I wouldn’t have minded if they developed your two friends more and have them travel with you, becoming major companions. I’d rather would that they dropped the romances altogether (I seem to miss out on them in just about every game anyway) and spend the time to more develop other relations; family, friends, squire. That way more people are likely to enjoy it since alignment and personality clashes are less likely (why-oh-why was the only romance for female characters once again a [i:30ka1lbv]lawful[/i:30ka1lbv] character… bah).
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]It's a major factor. Atari was majorly in the red so they pushed out NWN2 early to get some profit. Same thing they did with Kotor2.[/quote:30ka1lbv][quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]Nope, Obsidian is not getting paid anymore by Atari since NWN2 was released so they will only fix gamebreaking bugs(and not all of them) and leave it. Just like they did with Kotor2. They may suprise me, but I bet we will have to wait for an expansion to get many of these "fixes".[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Atari didn’t publish KotOR2; LucasArt did (as far as I’m aware). And I think you’re overestimating the importance of NWN2 for Atari’s survival. I also think that Atari is well aware that pushing out a rushed game gains them nothing and loses customers.
You might also be surprised to learn that Obisian has already set up a live team for NWN2, meaning that they’re continuing to patch it and develop more content for it. They’ve already hinted that the ‘shoddy ending’ was for a purpose (and most believe that it is for an expansion) and that more things are coming through the pipeline for NWN2. I’m fairly certain that both Obsidian and Atari are keenly aware that NWN’s success was largely due to BioWare’s continued support of the title and are aiming to give NWN2 the same chance.
Could NWN2 have benefited from staying in development a few months longer? I am quite certain that it could and I know it’s hard to justify its ‘buggy’ release to those who have run (and keep running) into problems. And the game [i:30ka1lbv]has[/i:30ka1lbv] been delayed several times already. But at some point contracts have to be fulfilled and deadlines have to be met (and I don’t think Atari’s financial situation had all that much to do with it). It is a rare developer who can delay the release of a game near indefinitely (BioWare might be one such; I’m not certain). Just note the rarity of PC games that release near bug-free (particularly of the complexity of NWN2); from what I understand Oblivion was just as, if not more so, buggy for many as NWN2.
At least it seems that with Neverwinter Nights 2 there is the promise of continued support and updates and fixes.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]No game since BG series and PS:T has surpassed that mark. And forgive me for wanting designers to make a better story then what has come before instead of just better graphics, though the Hot:U is a decent third in terms of enjoyability and replay value.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Tastes differ and people have a tendency to look at past games they enjoyed more favorably that they perhaps deserve.
I’ve said numerous times before (in various places) that I simply did not enjoy PS:T that much; I could never really get into the main character, there was far too much to read (I really love reading, just not in a computer game where I expect more interactivity and visualization) and the game simply didn’t grip me enough to continue playing it to its conclusion.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2 too had their issues; BG had a fairly straight-forward story, BG2 was a bit better but a large part of the time you didn’t actually do anything involved with the story, they were both more squad-based RTS games at times with far too much combat (all of which tended to have the same ‘solution’), etc.
That’s not to say that they weren’t greatly enjoyable games, quite the contrary I immensely enjoyed my time in all of them (particularly the BG games). But that they’re older, came during a time when there was a veritable drought of good cRPGs and people tend to remember them fondly doesn’t make them better than current games.
For me at least NWN2 was definitely one of the most enjoyable (single player) gaming experiences I’ve had, definitely ranking high up there with the BGs, Fallouts, KotORs, etc.
Again, perhaps it’s just that tastes differ.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]I'm not saying NWN2 is without it's plusses, because overall I enjoyed it. Especially the stronghold building, the trial was interesting, but KOTOR was a far superior game, in that you weren't quite so relegated to being a stupid bully if you wished to do the evil path, and the fact that Bioware made it.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Personally, I don’t quite see how not being able to play evil quite the way one might want would make it a bad game. Of course I never understood the desire of people to play evil to begin with and feel games would, in general, be much better if they didn’t allow for the option (since it would decrease their complexity and reserve development time for other things).
Also, while I greatly admire BioWare and they still rank as my favorite games developer I also don’t see how the fact that they made a game or not has any bearing on the quality of the product. I mean, does the name of the painter change anything of the quality of the painting? (What, for instance, if it turns out that BioWare has just been pretending[p/i] to have made KotOR and it was really EA who made it, would that suddenly make it a bad game?) Sorry, that just confused me.
[quote="Vendrin":30ka1lbv]I have no doubt that NWN2 would have been a much more polished game, with a far better ending, and a lot more of the original funcitonality promised if bioware had made it.[/quote:30ka1lbv]
Well, then you might enjoy Dragon Age (which seems to promise a few things that, for me, make it less interesting a game).
Love -x-x-x-
Shir'le
-= Shir'le E. Illios =-
Chosen of Eilistraee
