Neverwinter Nights
FAQ v4.0 - Gameplay
The mechanics of actually playing the game such as the interface,
rules system, plot, setting and what to expect within the game.
2.01 How do I play Neverwinter Nights? Is it single-player
or multiplayer? (Back
to Top)
There are many different ways to enjoy Neverwinter Nights
and we encourage you to try them all. In its simplest form, you
can play Neverwinter Nights right out of the box as a Single-Player
Game in the Official Campaign. In true BioWare tradition,
the Official Campaign, which represents more than 60 hours of
game play, is rich and epic, full of complex characters and surprise
plot twists that will keep you glued to your screen until the
wee morning hours. The Official Campaign is not limited to a single
player. You can have your friends join your adventure at any time
and the game will adjust for the larger number.
For all the strength of our single-player game, the world of
Neverwinter Nights shines as a deeply engaging Multiplayer
Game. We are developing competitive modules, from simple arena
matches to treasure races to team-based castle stormings. BioWare
will be developing additional modules and material for the Neverwinter
Nights Community Site for release after the game ships. More importantly,
each and every module in the Neverwinter Nights Official
Campaign is written and structured to encourage the cooperative,
party-based game play that makes pen-and-paper D&D so rewarding.
But remember: just because you've finished our story doesn't mean
the game is over.
You can always continue your adventures by downloading exciting
new Player-Designed Modules from fan and guild sites and
our very own Neverwinter Nights Community Site. Whether you prefer
single- or multiplayer games, Neverwinter Nights represents
a near-infinite amount of solid, D&D gaming.
Should you ever tire of these more traditional playing styles,
there are still many fascinating new ways to enjoy our game: take
on the role and responsibility of Dungeon Master and shape
the gaming experience of your players on a fundamental level.
Bring forth words of wisdom from a dragon's mouth, create entire
new quests on the fly, or simply throw an orc tribe in the party's
way to buy yourself some time.
Best of all, create your own worlds, tales, and adventures with
our user-friendly Aurora Neverwinter Toolset and either
host them yourself, make them available for download over the
Internet, or establish them as part of a larger, persistent world
where people can experience your handiwork around the clock.
2.02 How will playing Neverwinter Nights in single-player
mode differ from playing in multiplayer mode? (Back
to Top)
The single-player mode of the Neverwinter Nights Official
Campaign consists of the same game as the multiplayer version.
There are a number of automated features to help balance the game,
including the dynamic scaling of combat encounters according the
size and relative strength of your party. Solo players will also
find it easy to acquire companions whether a henchman, familiar
or animal companion. While computer-controlled, these henchmen
will still be responsive to a variety of commands issued by the
player.
2.03 Role-playing games are very rules-based. What rules
will you be using for Neverwinter Nights? (Back
to Top)
Neverwinter Nights will be using the new 3rd Edition Dungeons
& Dragons ruleset developed by Wizards of the Coast. The initial
release of Neverwinter Nights will be based on the rules
from the core rule books (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's
Guide, and the Monster Manual) and will not include prestige classes,
feats or additional material in supplemental source books (i.e.
Song and Silence). A popular and long-standing pen-and-paper role-playing
game in its own right, Dungeons & Dragons also has an extensive
pedigree on the computer. It made its first appearance in the
'gold box' titles of the 1980s and now lies at the heart of some
of the most popular and critically acclaimed computer role-playing
games of the past few years: Baldur's Gate, Baldur's
Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Planescape: Torment, and Icewind
Dale. Building on that success, the new 3rd Edition rules
provide a much greater degree of flexibility in creating and developing
your character, increase the level of player interaction with
the gameworld, and enhance the overall playability and enjoyment
of the game. The changes to the pen-and-paper game have been very
well received and we're very excited to be bringing the 3rd Edition
to a hard drive near you.
2.04 What kind of setting will you be using in the game?
(Back
to Top)
The Official Campaign for Neverwinter Nights takes place
in the Forgotten Realms, Dungeons & Dragons' most popular
campaign setting. It is the same setting used for both Icewind
Dale and the Baldur's Gate series. It is based very
loosely on Europe in the Middle Ages, with a fair number of large
and cosmopolitan cities scattered throughout the Realms, some
as capitols of larger kingdoms but many as independent city-states
forging their own destiny. It is still early in 'The Year of Wild
Magic,' 1372 by Dalereckoning, and signs of great portent are
already being seen throughout the Realms.
2.05 In what area of the Forgotten Realms will Neverwinter
Nights take place? (Back
to Top)
The official Neverwinter Nights campaign takes place in
the north regions of the Forgotten Realms, along the windswept
and rocky coastline of the Sea of Swords. The territory covered
by the campaign ranges from the fair city of Neverwinter along
the southern edge to historic Luskan along the north. The cities
of Baldur's Gate and Athkatla lie far to the south and, in order
to reach the fabled towns of Icewind Dale, one must still pass
through a treacherous mountain range known as The Spine of the
World. But that's just our campaign - the areas you can create
using our tilesets have no real bounds. They will include everything
necessary to create the area surrounding Neverwinter, including
urban centers, forest and grassland terrain, numerous types of
dungeons, good and evil castles, rural hamlets, and vast subterranean
caverns. We hope to make further tilesets available following
our initial release.
2.06 Will there be magic? (Back
to Top)
Absolutely. No fantasy roleplaying game would be complete without
powerful magic. Our current plans are to implement approximately
200 spells, taken straight from the pages of the new 3rd Edition
Player's Handbook. Also, many of the items you find over the course
of your adventures or create within the toolset will have magical
effects and abilities.
2.07 Will there be monsters in Neverwinter Nights?
(Back
to Top)
Of course and they're a fearsome lot if ever there was one. We
are expecting to include roughly 200 monsters in Neverwinter
Nights. A wide variety of changes to the statistics, abilities,
textures, sounds, and AI of the creatures will make up the difference
and players will be able to construct even more such variants
within the Aurora Neverwinter Toolset. Our bestiary ranges from
the lowly orc to the mighty lich and, following our initial release,
we hope to add further base models and variations by way of expansions.
2.08 What about dragons? (Back
to Top)
We are using the new 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule
set. As such, there will be dungeons and there will certainly
be dragons. We intend to make them among the most impressive creatures
to ever grace your monitor.
2.09 Do I need a Dungeon Master in order to play Neverwinter
Nights? (Back
to Top)
Not at all. The Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign will
be fully functional with or without a Dungeon Master. We cannot
promise anything with regards to player-created modules but we
intend to build the Aurora Neverwinter Toolset in such a way that
encourages modules suitable for both forms of play.
2.10 Is the game in 2D or 3D? What is the game's viewing
perspective? (Back
to Top)
Neverwinter Nights is a 3D game that takes advantage of
the latest in graphics and rendering technology. The game is presented
to the player from a 3rd person, 3/4-down, isometric view, similar
to that used in the Baldur's Gate series. Now, however, you have
the added ability to rotate the camera around your character and
zoom in and out. Current testing suggests that you will be able
to zoom out until your character is 1/15th as tall as the screen,
and zoom in until your character is 1/3rd as tall as the screen.
2.11 How tactical of a game is Neverwinter Nights
going to be? (Back
to Top)
That really depends on the modules you choose to play. Some people
may use the toolset to create modules where the game play is based
around intrigue and manipulation, and combat is the exception
rather than the norm. Others might create modules with more of
a real-time strategy flair to them while still others will design
dungeon crawls and gladiatorial arenas where brute force is all
that's required. As for the Neverwinter Nights Official
Campaign, you'll be faced with a lot of the same tactical choices
you would be faced with in a typical pen-and-paper session and
these become increasingly apparent as you and your fellow players
learn to work together as a party. Bards will need to inspire
their companions in battle and fighters will need to place themselves
in the way of harm to protect the vulnerable wizard. Clerics must
show wisdom in who they heal and when and rogues must be willing
to act as scouts, assessing the foe and recommending a means of
approach. The Neverwinter Nights combat system is structured
to bring the cooperation and camaraderie of the pen-and-paper
Dungeons & Dragons experience to your computer. A solid, tactical
approach won't be necessary to win every battle but it will always
come in handy.
2.12 Will Neverwinter Nights use a real-time or
a turn-based system? (Back
to Top)
Neverwinter Nights is a real-time game with a strong tactical
focus. The Dungeon Master will have the power to pause the game
at any time. When paused in the game as a player you will not
have the ability to assign actions to your character. Overall,
the game is being designed and balanced with non-pausing, real-time
game play in mind.
2.13 How will Neverwinter Nights' real-time combat
system work? (Back
to Top)
While Neverwinter Nights takes place in a real-time environment,
we have been very careful to keep our combat system from becoming
a 'click-fest' where the player with the highest ping and fastest
reflexes wins. Instead, we are opting for a multi-layered approach
to combat. The base layer consists of a 'single-click' combat
system: Your character will repeat basic attack actions until
either your target is slain or you have assigned other actions
to your character. The second layer consists of a 'queued' combat
system: You can select special combat actions for your character,
such as disarming your opponent or using your monk's 'flurry of
blows' ability, and these are entered into your combat queue to
be performed in the coming round. These actions do not repeat
and, once you have finished performing them, you will revert back
to your base layer action. The result is a very lag-tolerant system
that keeps the player actively engaged in what's going on while
not penalizing those with high-latency Internet connections.
2.14 What will the combat animation in Neverwinter Nights
look like? (Back
to Top)
We are currently working on a very detailed and realistic combat
animation system for Neverwinter Nights. Reflexive combat
actions, such as dodges, thrusts, and parries, will be visually
represented in the game, with combatants interacting in a dynamic
and believable fashion that remains true to the 3rd Edition D&D
combat rules. Don't expect to just sit back and watch it play
out, though. Dungeons & Dragons is a game of both action and
tactics - even the greatest fighter must decide when it is best
to disarm his opponent, knock them down, or make a tactical retreat.
2.15 How will I communicate with non-player characters
in Neverwinter Nights? (Back
to Top)
In the official campaign, you will be communicating with non-player
characters (NPCs) through a system of pre-defined responses (similar
to the system used in the Baldur's Gate series). This allows us
to weave a tighter, more gripping story for your enjoyment. We
acknowledge, however, the power and flexibility of a keyword-based
text parsing system, especially in a multiplayer environment.
While we have opted for the former system in the official campaign,
both are supported in the engine and toolset, so you can customize
the way players interact with your world to suit your needs.
2.16 What is the quickbar? (Back
to Top)
The quickbar is a series of twelve slots that we have placed
along the bottom of the screen. A rogue might fill them with a
series of trap kits and magic arrows for his bow, while a wizard
might fill them with favorite spells and a fighter might fill
them with potions and the new Disarm ability she just acquired
through a heroic feat. In basic terms, these twelve quickslots
are an easy way to keep your favorite abilities, actions, and
items close at hand and ready for use at a moment's notice.
2.17 Can I customize the hotkeys and controls?
(Back
to Top)
Yes. Beyond the customisability made available through the quickbar,
we will be providing our players with a wide range of configurable
options. We are designing our control system to be as customisable
and as streamlined as possible.
2.18 When you cast a spell such as magic missile or melf's
acid arrow, do you have to aim it? (Back
to Top)
In Dungeons & Dragons, some spells such as melf's acid arrow
require you to make a successful attack roll in order for them
to take effect. Others, such as magic missile, will never miss
their target (though your opponent may still shrug off or negate
the spell's magical effects). Both of these official rulings are
supported in Neverwinter Nights but are hidden behind the
scenes. In each case, you simply select the spell and click on
the creature - the computer handles any remaining calculations.
2.19 Will Neverwinter Nights have support for the
hearing impaired? (Back
to Top)
In Neverwinter Nights, text will always be associated
with any instance of pre-recorded voice (NPC dialog, the hotkey
voice system, etc).
2.20 What is the official word on climbing, swimming, and
horse riding? Will these be added into Neverwinter Nights?
(Back
to Top)
Unfortunately, there are some elements of the Dungeons &
Dragons rules that we do not have the necessary development time
to support in our initial release. Currently, we have no plans
to support climbing, swimming, and riding as actions within the
gameworld. We may choose to include them in a future expansion
and will reassess their feasibility at that time.
Go to Section (Index, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
