Slashdot Mirror
Neverwinter Nights 2 Officially Announced
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like Atari has just announced Neverwinter Nights 2, to be developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the same ex-Black Isle folks who are making Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2 in conjunction with BioWare. However, it's 'scheduled for release in 2006', so we've got a while to wait." A post on the Obsidian forums has a single piece of concept art, and it's confirmed that "[Original developers] BioWare will provide tools, technology, and game assets from the original Neverwinter Nights as well as lend creative input and oversight to the development process."
How ironic that the 'Nothing for you to see here. Please move along.' message showed up for me when I first tried to view this article.
;-)
To be released in 2006 + 4.
I have mixed feelings about this. I loved the concept of NWN but it never seemed to work out quite right. And it seemed to me that the community took FOREVER to get any good standalone mods out. I hope NWN2 has better support and modeling for persistent worlds, because thats what most people wanted and NWN really didn't work out well for it.
I have high hopes though.
Moo.
This makes me wonder if by 2006, Linux versions of games will be commonly released along with or even before windows versions.
Queue the "Duke Nuke'm Forever will ship simultaneously" jokes.
-Hmm...I got a G+ invite, better remember to remove the request from my sig...-
I guarantee in 2008 it will be on the Top Ten List of "Most Waited For Vaporware".
Looking for a job?
Want your resume written professionally?
DON'T USE TUNAREZ!!!
If this is even half as good as Neverwinter Nights, then 2006 is the new date to watch for.
I suppose the big question is, will Obsidian actually continue the sterling work that Bioware have already done for Linux, by releasing a Linux port of NWN2 at the same time as the Windows/Mac versions? Worst that could happen is that they abandon the Linux side completely.. which would be tragic, as Bioware have done a lot for the image of linux gaming.
"How fine you look when dressed in rage."
I'm a fan of NWN and all, but is a sequel really needed? I was under the assumption that Bioware's Dragon Age was going to be the spiritual successor to NWN.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2004--Atari Interactive, Inc., Obsidian Entertainment and BioWare Corp.(TM), under license from Hasbro, Inc., have announced plans for Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2, the sequel to BioWare Corp.'s best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons® Forgotten Realms(TM) universe created by Wizards of the Coast. Atari, Inc. will publish the title. Originally developed by BioWare, Neverwinter Nights has set a new standard in the role-playing genre with a deep and engrossing storyline; immersive character development; stunning graphics; and, an expansive multiplayer experience like none other.
"Neverwinter Nights is one of the most beloved RPG's of all time and we're pleased that Obsidian has taken on the challenge," said John Hight, executive producer, Atari. "Feargus and his team at Obsidian Entertainment are the best people on the planet to take up where BioWare left off and bring this great game to new levels. They are intimately familiar with what makes Neverwinter Nights special, they know what it takes to make a great game and they have the respect of the RPG community."
The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than two million copies worldwide, is translated into ten languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming at www.bioware.com. To date, fans of the franchise, which includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide(TM) and Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark(TM), have created nearly 4,000 modifications to the original game using the award-winning BioWare Aurora Toolset, the groundbreaking software included with the full game that allows players to create their own universes, quests and storylines.
"BioWare and Atari created an immense community of players attracted by both the immersion of an interactive gaming experience and the ability to create their own pen-and-paper styled modules. Neverwinter Nights changed the very nature of roleplaying games," said Feargus Urquhart, Obsidian Entertainment's CEO. "With Neverwinter Nights 2, we're going to take that incredible experience to the next level by combining a huge new single-player game with deep character development and many new upgrades and enhancements to the already powerful BioWare Aurora Toolset for the modding community."
Neverwinter Nights 2 will be developed by Obsidian Entertainment, founded by Feargus Urquhart who, as the President of Black Isle Studios, was responsible for the publishing of the Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series and the development of the Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment franchises, both powered by BioWare Engine Technology, as well as overseeing the creation and development of the Fallout series. BioWare will provide tools, technology, and game assets from the original Neverwinter Nights as well as lend creative input and oversight to the development process.
"From our development of Baldur's Gate(TM) and Neverwinter Nights to our engine licensure on Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic® 2, we've been working collaboratively with Feargus and other members of the Obsidian Entertainment team for years," said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, BioWare Corp.'s Joint CEO. "Neverwinter Nights remains one of the most important titles BioWare has ever created. We certainly plan to remain involved in the production and development of Neverwinter Nights 2 and we're delighted to initiate another partnership with Obsidian Entertainment and Atari," added Dr. Ray Muzyka, BioWare Corp.'s Joint CEO.
Neverwinter Nights 2 is scheduled for release in 2006. More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found on the Atari website at www.atari.com/nwn2, which includes user forums, project news, development updates and more.
About Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is a premier software development company passionately dedicated to creating high quality, ne
The software industry is becoming more and more like the hardware industry nowadays with the paper launches extremely premature. 2006 - That is a heck of a way off... Think that ATARI is lookign to stimulate its trailing stock price? http://www.stockhouse.ca/comp_info.asp?symbol=ATAR &table=LIST.... It wouldn't surprise me...
I didn't enjoy the single player original NWN, I did like the expansion packs though.
The concept was great, the tools worked pretty well, and the community is awesome (so many great hacks)
The biggest thing lacking about NWN has been the engine is old, it already looked a bit dated at launch. Hopefully the designers put more focus on an engine that can expand into the future, since it is one of those games that can reside on your computer for years. Also persistant world support would be awesome. For everybody who hates paying MMO subscriptions, NWN2 could be the answer (I hope)
D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
With the lengthy delivery date, NWN2 seems to be allowing for design into one or more of the future game consoles.
Or they just got the storyline done now.
If it is the former then there is a huge risk in console delivery delays. If it is the latter: 'Get Crackin, dammit!!!'
They should be using XNA - they'd be done by now!!!
That Bioware will take this opportunity to design the script engine better.
I mean, I do think that Bioware made a *wonderful* job with this game. However, the scripting engine is far from perfect. As a developer, coding NWNscripts makes you feel you'd finish your game faster and easier if you'd just screw NWN and make it from the ground up in Delphi. Well, this is true if your ambition is big enough. Of course it is quick to make a hacknslash campaign, but when you try to go deeper, that's another thing.
Anyway, I didn't play nor script NWN for ages now...
Use python or something like that for NWN2. I saw that RPGMaker XP uses Ruby for it's scripting language. I didn't remotely try it or read further about it, but if RPG Maker made this, it must be possible for Bioware to make the same. Just create, huh... I don't know, a NWN API for python. Screw the idea of having your own scripting language...
perception is reality
All of the files are cross-platform. If you have the mac version of NWN, you could have installed the PC expansions and had it work flawlessly months ago. More information can be found here.
~Tirinal
I can't help but wonder if Atari will continue and possibly expand upon Bioware's 'vision' of the intended purpose of the game engine itself.
Think about it.
Basically all BW did with NWN was release a set of tools for people/groups to create their OWN worlds/adventures/environments. From the looks of things, Dragon Age is going to be similarly engineered and even enhanced for the same use.
Granted, the single player campaigns sucked, (although HotU wasn't too bad comparitively speaking) but look at it from an Id standpoint. Come out with a great set of tools/engine and let the mod community do what they WANT to do with the game, rather than forcing them to adhere to the developers vision.
I personally think we're going to soon see a company release a set of tools only. Tileset editors, weapon/clothing/misc editors, environment. This wouldn't be a GAME release, but something for the mod community to use as they see fit to create from scratch rather than modifying an existing game. Think d20 in general without the limitations of being set firmly in a fantasy realm. Hell, there's even a mod underway to create a contemporary NWN mod!
I think things like this have the potential to change things in the gaming world far more than the advent of new rendering techniques. Changing the game experience for the end user is one thing, allowing US to change the way we play those games is another entirely.
Don't park drunk, accidents cause people.
I'm more than a little leery of this announcement. Obsidian Entertainment has been in existence for less than a year, yet they are already trying to develop sequels to two of the best games to come out in the last three years. This seems to me at least as another instance of publishers demanding sequels to known brands and outsourcing the work when the original developer is occupied with other titles.
Moreover, NWN2 is scheduled to be released in late 2006. That's less than half of the time Bioware had to develop the original title, and Bioware had both more expertise and more manpower.
~Tirinal
Okay, I find there are Four distinct elements to NWN:
1) The game play rules. These are primarily set by Wizards of the coast. D&D has specific character building rules that NWN follows. NWN2 can't call itself "based on D&D" without following most of those rules. There are some rules, about 1%, which don't translate well to an online vs paper game, so there is play allowed, but not much.
2) The editor. This is already pretty sophisticated. New features added should be added as an update to an already feature rich application, since you can't add much more to it already.
3) The graphics. These could be updated, but that's little more than "prettying up" the game.
4) The scenarios. Okay, you worked hard on it, so make us spend money to reward your efforts, but why not release it as an expansion of the original NWN? It will be cheaper for us, and even if you don't release the damn thing for Mac on time (grumble) at least the mac community knows how to make the PC expansions work without needing a fully native installer.
Basically I see no reason for a brand new engine other than to force people to pay more money than they have to. The other thing is that I see a lot more people's names on this NWN2 than NWN1 so it might be a licensing thing, but frankly that's hurtful to the NWN1 community. You sold the app, but you haven't really let the community milk it as much as it could be.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
...will NWN2 support the pen and paper D&D 3.5 edition changes? (Of course, by then pen and paper will be up to 4.0, so NWN2 will still be behind!) :)
Dragon Age and "New Project - Console" (the latter a quote from their BioWare Games mouseover menu). Considering the Dragon Age FAQ linked to above says that it is a new RPG from the ground up including original ruleset, brand-new engine, etc., I expect that it's quite a bit of work.
2 days ago or so -- I've been on slow saga recently to go revisit RPG's I'd missed (or quit)... First Baldur's Gate II and Throne of Bhaal, then Star Wars KOTOR, and now to NWN...
:) ) the similarities are amazing. The way henchman/party members have stories which expand (and are only accessible as you gain levels), the way dialog is handled, to the engine itself - though KOTOR is certainly prettier and in a few ways cleaner, its obvious its the same thing. While KOTOR has better graphics, and far more voice acting (I am somewhat thankful NWN switches to just reading more often - the sheer amount in KOTOR had me reading and skipping the voice acting shortly into the game anyway - it just took waaay too long to actually listen), both are 3rd edition D&D (KOTOR stripped down to appeal to console gamers), feats and skills to match (although in KOTOR, skills are laughably useless). NWN is certainly a lot more in depth... but really the two games are remarkably similar.
:).
First let me just say those who disparge NWN and praise Star Wars KOTOR just have their Star Wars fanboy blinders on. Having started NWN just a day or two after finishing KOTOR (yes I know, backward Chronologically, but I wanted a switch from fantasy after plowing through BGII+Throne of Bhaal for Weeks
I am only partway into Chapter 2 in NWN and so far have found it to be really good. I don't quite get where people who enjoyed BG I and II are coming from when they say they don't like the game -- you start of rather slow (just as your first level character in BG I was very weak), but things pick up quickly and the loads of quests, dialog is everywhere, and ala KOTOR, your alignment can shift during the game (though to more useful/desirable effect in KOTOR it seems). Anyway just the first of four chapters in NWN took me forever, and I have so far throught it was great. It seems to have at least as much story and oomph as BG II, and I haven't yet dabbled playing online. I imagine that might be a disappointment given I have played pen and paper RPGs forever (though not many recently), but who knows with as much time as people have had to develop modules and develop communities by this point.
Anyway the single player campaign in NWN to me is so far, so good, and I look forward to seeing some "amateur" work once I complete it, as well as begin dabbling in multiplayer. In comparing BGII+Throne of Bhaal, KOTOR, and NWN, so far I'd say NWN is my favorite, though I enjoyed them all... those that find large differences aren't really looking too deeply at the games, though - NWN is far more expandible and multiplayer friendly of the three
Bioware's next big PC game is going to be Dragon Age. What exactly is going to be so great about this game? It will have all of the toolset goodness of NWN and the story telling of a Bioware game, without the clunkiness of attempting to implement D&D on a PC. It also allows Bioware to do what they want without having every piece of content triple-approvded by Hasbro/WOTC.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
Personally, the only things I really miss when I'm using NWScript are arrays and function pointers. Aside from that, it's an extremely capable language that's dumbed down just enough that non-programmers can still make some impressive things with a little work.
So.. yeah. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'd have liked a few more things added into it, but I'm really glad it didn't end up as some gimped thing targetted at the lowest common denominator.
I've written a number of mods for NWN, including Penultima, Penultima ReRolled, Elegia Eternum, and Excrucio Eternum. And... I'm very leery of NWN2's prospects.
Are they seriously going to support the modding community to the extent NWN1 did? NWN1 was basically a pile of resources for you to build your own adventure; the game that came with it was so-so. Is NWN2 going to do skimp on the resources in favor of the more profitable single player adventure, or will it focus on toolsetting?
Also, regardless of how in-depth the toolset is... you're still saddled with D&D and all the baggage that comes with it. NWN had too many corporate overlords dictating how the game rules must work in order to make them accurate to the pen and paper game -- even when it made no sense on a computer! (Paladins are weak because the game couldn't replace P&P systems with more computer-saavy ones, for instance.) Many of the flaws in NWN arise from all the multi-step lawyer based approval processes to allow for any deviation from the D&D standards. I don't want that mess following me into my next platform.
Frankly, NWN2 does nothing that Dragon Age isn't already doing. DA is going to have massive toolset support, a design philosophy that's learned from NWN1, and Bioware's name behind it -- and it's independent of all the corps watching over the D&D franchise. When it comes to picking a platform to move my game authoring work to, I'd rather go with what feels right.
NWN2 feels like Atari and Hasbro wanting to cash in on the property. Unless new info arises to show why NWN2 is superior for me to develop my own original game worlds within, I'll stick with Dragon Age.
Simultaneous Mac playability to come out in 2015.
That's why I never bought and played NWN. It had been out for over a year and already disposed of by my friends before it was even out for OSX.
Blessed be he who reads this post, Cursed be he who tells my boss.
I don't like the way the term "original" NWN is being used for BioWare's NWN 1. The true original NWN was created by StormFront Studios, for SSI. And it was released on the AOL network from 1991 to 1997. It was shut down shortly after AOL went flatrate.
Lots of info on the original NWN can be found at the bladekeep site
IMO, the original NWN was one of the best games I've ever played. Perhaps the best. This was a great game that will never be forgotten by the people lucky enough to have played it during its time.
Many of the players of the original have gone about creating a clone of the original called Forgotten World. I just recently found out about Forgotten World and have been browsing the forums there. Its got alot of the old guilds and names I recognise. ITB, MECH, KEF, GOC.. Man the original nwn was great. PvP in the sewers and lost hills. Feebing kwusses. Ahh, sweet memories.
Anyway, if anyone played the original NWN you should check out Forgotten World. It'll bring back memories.
I welcome our new 99% overlords.
I hadn't played NWN in a while (my copy is out on loan for months now) so I hadn't been visiting the great Bioware forums,and hadn't heard of DA. I had heard they were going to do there own thing. Good for them. Never liked them having to clear everything through the Wotc and having Atari as a distrubuter. Atari really didn't seem to care about customers at all.
As big a DnD fan as I am, I am a bigger fan of Bioware. These guys rock IMO. Go DA go!
And that's one of the big reasons why I'm instantly a bit hostile towards NWN2 -- no Bioware, plenty of Hasbro. I'm very liable to be declared a Bioware fanboy (they DID give me the computer I'm typing on) but their support of the community in general is nothing short of phenominal. They're making their next game with community in mind, and they're doing it free of the shackles that were binding them before. At WORST it'll be on par with NWN1's support, including some of its faults; at best it'll get even better.
On the other hand, what do we have? Hasbro and Atari and WotC lording over the IP as usual. Obsidian, who I have no doubt will make an excellent single player adventure, just like they're going to do with KOTOR2. But they're the contractor here, taking not only IP from someone else, but IP based on other's IP. I have a doubt that they'd be that committed to modding. It won't be a simple transition of the community from NWN1 to NWN2, who is in charge is what matters more for community support -- if Half-Life 2 was being done by a small hungarian developer contracted by Sierra, I doubt its modding community would thrive either.
Now, I'm making a LOT of conjecture here. A lot of assumptions. I'll admit that up front. But way I see it, they're ones with some basis in reality, and until they're disproven I'm going to remain a skeptic. I'd love to see them disproven, frankly... see NWN2 be a great platform.
But for the time being I'm sticking by the devil I know rather than the devil I don't.
Some comments about things you hated, maybe interesting for others.
1) Camera angle:
If you have an updated version, you can type "unlock camera" (IIRC) in the debug/command/whatisitcalled line to change the camera angels with Page Up/Down
3) Henchman AI/equipment:
* Is better in the expansion packs (at least in HoU, don't know about SoU)
* There are some modules that had their own henchman-equipment-mechanism ("A Call For Heroes"-series comes to mind, at least in the third I noticed it..)
8) Equipment level restrictions can be unlocked by setting "Single Player ItemLevelRestrictions=0" to "1" in nwnplayer.ini (I didn't mind them)