chevalier
Sun, 15th Jul '07, 1:59pm
Here are today's Neverwinter Nights 2 forum highlights, collected by NWVault (http://nwvault.ign.com). Please take into account that these are only single parts of various threads and should not be taken out of context. Bear in mind also that the posts presented here are copied as-is, and that any bad spelling and grammar does not get corrected on our end.
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Rob McGinnis</font>
Crash on load after patching to 1.06.973 English (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5127617&forum=116&highlight=)
<hr />I don't know about him, but when I say I'm "afraid" of Obsidian what I mean is that you guys are willing and able to just do whatever you want to the game, even if it's a highly questionable decision. Examples: Knockdown, Warlocks, Parry, Shadowdancers, prestige classes capped at 10 in MotB, "new" MotB camera angles, numerous instances of cut content (story and otherwise), etc...
Edit: and as far as I know, neither demands nor polite requests have helped for any of the above.<hr />That's a very interesting take on everything. I'll try to address it as best as I can.
When it comes to the initial implementation of things for the original game release, we got a lot of feedback from external testers and NWN1 players. We cannot ask players for approval of the implementation of every feature, nor would we since it just wouldn't work. Ask a dozen people here their opinions and you will get a dozen different answers ranging from slight variations to wildly different points of view.
To address your specific examples:
Knockdown: After we saw that knockdown was flawed, I started a thread asking for people's opinions on how to handle it. Should we cut it until it can change, leave it alone, leave it in while we fix it, or cut it altogether? The answers we received ran the gamut. Based on everyone's feedback, we decided to leave it in while we worked on it. With 1.07, knockdown will have a two-round cooldown. That may disappoint some people, but we feel this will help balance it a bit more until we have the time to do a more permanent solution.
Warlocks: I am not quite sure what you mean here. Many people did not want them implemented at all. Some people do not like how they were implemented. We have been following many of the discussions on Warlocks and have made some changes to their invocations and eldritch powers. More changes are expected, but it all comes down to time.
Parry: There has been a lot of talk about the parry skill; most of that talk has been incorrect. Many people have been espousing what they think happens with parry, but few seem to actually know what is happening. Is there a bug? Yes, but for the most part parry works as it is supposed to. The problem lies with pathing. This will be looked at closer when the more urgent issues are taken care of.
Shadowdancers: I am not aware of any real issues with Shadow Dancers. As I understand it, they were implemented the same way as in NWN1. You will have to enlighten me as to any other issues.
prestige classes capped at 10 in MotB: This follows one of the variations of the standard D&D rules. Prestige classes only go to 10 levels. If we were to go by the majority of feedback on these boards alone, there probably wouldn't be any epic levels since the loudest voices on these boards don't want them.
"new" MotB camera angles: These changes are based off the requests and complaints of the people on these very boards. In fact, the majority of the feedback we get on these are extremely positive.
numerous instances of cut content (story and otherwise): It all comes down to time. We could have implemented everything and left everything in. But you could also have been waiting for a 2012 release of the game as well.
We are very open to the suggestions of the community. We have implemented many of them. We don't make changes in a vacuum, but we aren't going to design a game by waiting on the community to come to some sort of consensus either. If you haven't seen how much we work with and listen to the community by now, you probably will never see it.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128141&forum=116&highlight=)<hr />On topic please. My previous post was to say that people were getting into the blame game, and now this particular direction is going to further derail the original intent of this thread. It is interesting, but threads for these discussions exist. It only serves to encourage people to skim the last page and post, rather than plod through page after page of off-topic discussion.<hr />You are absolutely right and I should have stayed on topic.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128695&forum=116&highlight=) Aren't there enough anti-Obsidian threads in these forums already? Just jump on any number of them.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128962&forum=116&highlight=) So, if you are having this issue, please run the auto-updater. Let me know if you can download and install the hotfix.
NPC Events & PC Events (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=521698&post=5128231&forum=114&highlight=)
How do we decide what suggestions get implemented? The quick and easy answer is that we look at the amount of time and effort something will take and compare it to everything else on the list. If we were to add PC events, what would need to get pushed back or removed from the list altogether?
What makes one suggestion better than another? I think I can safely say that I receive well over 100 suggestions a week. Thousands of suggestions and personal gripes in a month. A quick glance through the first page of the general forums will probably yield over 100 suggestions alone.
What makes one issue more important than another? From the player's perspective, the case is usually based on who made the suggestions: each person's suggestions are more important, so that means all suggestions pretty much have the same importance. From our perspective, sometimes it's as simple as the speed with which something can be implemented. But often times, it's more complicated than that.
Why do Duergar have LA +2? (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573614&post=5128264&forum=109&highlight=)
Both the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Races of Faerun list the gray dwarves as receiving an ECL of +2.
Moreover, the Duergar in NWN2 are as approved by WoTC. All races and classes had to be approved by WoTC.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573614&post=5128291&forum=109&highlight=)<hr /><hr />Both the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Races of Faerun list the gray dwarves as receiving an ECL of +2.<hr />Take a look at Periodiko's excellent post on the first page - it shows that more recent WotC publications (including FR specific) have Duergar as +1LA). It certainly convinced me.
<hr />Quote: Moreover, the Duergar in NWN2 are as approved by WoTC. All races and classes had to be approved by WoTC.<hr />Thought that might be the case. Doesn't mean that getting this changed is impossible with the appropriate supporting info though http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif<hr />Actually, Periodiko is right in that the Underdark book shows Duergar as +1 LA and not +2, as was previously stated. I will submit a bug on this.
Things you would like to see in NWN 2 (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=572138&post=5128606&forum=109&highlight=)
<hr />i would like to see interiors i can walk inside of instead of having to transition into an interior area. i play other games where you simply walk into the house and the walls blocking the camera disappear allowing me to see the interior without having to view a loading screen. back in junior high i played a game called the sims which allowed this. that was nearly a decade ago. surely this game from just last year can do this?<hr />This would require a total re-do of the game. I think you will have to wait for an NWN3 or its replacement for this.
HOT FIX FOR 1.06 STARTUP CRASH AVAILABLE (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573981&post=5128967&forum=109&highlight=)
As the title says: the Hot Fix for the 1.06 startup crash is available.
Please run your autoupdater.
While this fix only takes care of a problem some people have, it does increment your version number to 1.06.980. So, if you play MP, you will need to get this Hot Fix.
Please post here if you have any problems with this Hot Fix
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573982&post=5128971&forum=116&highlight=) As the title says: the Hot Fix for the 1.06 startup crash is available.
Please run your autoupdater.
While this fix only takes care of a problem some people have, it does increment your version number to 1.06.980. So, if you play MP, you will need to get this Hot Fix.
Please post here if you have any problems with this Hot Fix
NWN2 Patch Version 1.06 Final Released (part 3) (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=571870&post=5129052&forum=109&highlight=)
<hr />I keep reading patch 1.06.973 is the final 1.06 version. I just re-installed my game and ran the auto-updater. It patched to (german) version 1.06.980! I canīt find anything on the net about this one. More important, I canīt play online, because my client version is now incompatible with every server out there. What went wrong http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif
edit: thank you Selene, for the fastest help ever http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif<hr />Do you have the German version installed?
Neverwinter Nights 2 Reformation of Party Inquisition (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573987&post=5129066&forum=109&highlight=)
In NWN2's campaign, there are some companions that you will need to take with you. Your companions are integral to the story and there will be differences depending on which companions you have with you.
NWN2 Patch Version 1.06 Final Released (part 3) (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=571870&post=5129068&forum=109&highlight=)
Everyone will need to install the Hot Fix.
Feargus Urquhart Developer Profile (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573969&post=5129189&forum=109&highlight=)
This may help a bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feargus_Urquhart
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Rob McGinnis</font>
Crash on load after patching to 1.06.973 English (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5127617&forum=116&highlight=)
<hr />I don't know about him, but when I say I'm "afraid" of Obsidian what I mean is that you guys are willing and able to just do whatever you want to the game, even if it's a highly questionable decision. Examples: Knockdown, Warlocks, Parry, Shadowdancers, prestige classes capped at 10 in MotB, "new" MotB camera angles, numerous instances of cut content (story and otherwise), etc...
Edit: and as far as I know, neither demands nor polite requests have helped for any of the above.<hr />That's a very interesting take on everything. I'll try to address it as best as I can.
When it comes to the initial implementation of things for the original game release, we got a lot of feedback from external testers and NWN1 players. We cannot ask players for approval of the implementation of every feature, nor would we since it just wouldn't work. Ask a dozen people here their opinions and you will get a dozen different answers ranging from slight variations to wildly different points of view.
To address your specific examples:
Knockdown: After we saw that knockdown was flawed, I started a thread asking for people's opinions on how to handle it. Should we cut it until it can change, leave it alone, leave it in while we fix it, or cut it altogether? The answers we received ran the gamut. Based on everyone's feedback, we decided to leave it in while we worked on it. With 1.07, knockdown will have a two-round cooldown. That may disappoint some people, but we feel this will help balance it a bit more until we have the time to do a more permanent solution.
Warlocks: I am not quite sure what you mean here. Many people did not want them implemented at all. Some people do not like how they were implemented. We have been following many of the discussions on Warlocks and have made some changes to their invocations and eldritch powers. More changes are expected, but it all comes down to time.
Parry: There has been a lot of talk about the parry skill; most of that talk has been incorrect. Many people have been espousing what they think happens with parry, but few seem to actually know what is happening. Is there a bug? Yes, but for the most part parry works as it is supposed to. The problem lies with pathing. This will be looked at closer when the more urgent issues are taken care of.
Shadowdancers: I am not aware of any real issues with Shadow Dancers. As I understand it, they were implemented the same way as in NWN1. You will have to enlighten me as to any other issues.
prestige classes capped at 10 in MotB: This follows one of the variations of the standard D&D rules. Prestige classes only go to 10 levels. If we were to go by the majority of feedback on these boards alone, there probably wouldn't be any epic levels since the loudest voices on these boards don't want them.
"new" MotB camera angles: These changes are based off the requests and complaints of the people on these very boards. In fact, the majority of the feedback we get on these are extremely positive.
numerous instances of cut content (story and otherwise): It all comes down to time. We could have implemented everything and left everything in. But you could also have been waiting for a 2012 release of the game as well.
We are very open to the suggestions of the community. We have implemented many of them. We don't make changes in a vacuum, but we aren't going to design a game by waiting on the community to come to some sort of consensus either. If you haven't seen how much we work with and listen to the community by now, you probably will never see it.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128141&forum=116&highlight=)<hr />On topic please. My previous post was to say that people were getting into the blame game, and now this particular direction is going to further derail the original intent of this thread. It is interesting, but threads for these discussions exist. It only serves to encourage people to skim the last page and post, rather than plod through page after page of off-topic discussion.<hr />You are absolutely right and I should have stayed on topic.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128695&forum=116&highlight=) Aren't there enough anti-Obsidian threads in these forums already? Just jump on any number of them.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=569597&post=5128962&forum=116&highlight=) So, if you are having this issue, please run the auto-updater. Let me know if you can download and install the hotfix.
NPC Events & PC Events (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=521698&post=5128231&forum=114&highlight=)
How do we decide what suggestions get implemented? The quick and easy answer is that we look at the amount of time and effort something will take and compare it to everything else on the list. If we were to add PC events, what would need to get pushed back or removed from the list altogether?
What makes one suggestion better than another? I think I can safely say that I receive well over 100 suggestions a week. Thousands of suggestions and personal gripes in a month. A quick glance through the first page of the general forums will probably yield over 100 suggestions alone.
What makes one issue more important than another? From the player's perspective, the case is usually based on who made the suggestions: each person's suggestions are more important, so that means all suggestions pretty much have the same importance. From our perspective, sometimes it's as simple as the speed with which something can be implemented. But often times, it's more complicated than that.
Why do Duergar have LA +2? (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573614&post=5128264&forum=109&highlight=)
Both the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Races of Faerun list the gray dwarves as receiving an ECL of +2.
Moreover, the Duergar in NWN2 are as approved by WoTC. All races and classes had to be approved by WoTC.
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573614&post=5128291&forum=109&highlight=)<hr /><hr />Both the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Races of Faerun list the gray dwarves as receiving an ECL of +2.<hr />Take a look at Periodiko's excellent post on the first page - it shows that more recent WotC publications (including FR specific) have Duergar as +1LA). It certainly convinced me.
<hr />Quote: Moreover, the Duergar in NWN2 are as approved by WoTC. All races and classes had to be approved by WoTC.<hr />Thought that might be the case. Doesn't mean that getting this changed is impossible with the appropriate supporting info though http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif<hr />Actually, Periodiko is right in that the Underdark book shows Duergar as +1 LA and not +2, as was previously stated. I will submit a bug on this.
Things you would like to see in NWN 2 (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=572138&post=5128606&forum=109&highlight=)
<hr />i would like to see interiors i can walk inside of instead of having to transition into an interior area. i play other games where you simply walk into the house and the walls blocking the camera disappear allowing me to see the interior without having to view a loading screen. back in junior high i played a game called the sims which allowed this. that was nearly a decade ago. surely this game from just last year can do this?<hr />This would require a total re-do of the game. I think you will have to wait for an NWN3 or its replacement for this.
HOT FIX FOR 1.06 STARTUP CRASH AVAILABLE (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573981&post=5128967&forum=109&highlight=)
As the title says: the Hot Fix for the 1.06 startup crash is available.
Please run your autoupdater.
While this fix only takes care of a problem some people have, it does increment your version number to 1.06.980. So, if you play MP, you will need to get this Hot Fix.
Please post here if you have any problems with this Hot Fix
More: (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573982&post=5128971&forum=116&highlight=) As the title says: the Hot Fix for the 1.06 startup crash is available.
Please run your autoupdater.
While this fix only takes care of a problem some people have, it does increment your version number to 1.06.980. So, if you play MP, you will need to get this Hot Fix.
Please post here if you have any problems with this Hot Fix
NWN2 Patch Version 1.06 Final Released (part 3) (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=571870&post=5129052&forum=109&highlight=)
<hr />I keep reading patch 1.06.973 is the final 1.06 version. I just re-installed my game and ran the auto-updater. It patched to (german) version 1.06.980! I canīt find anything on the net about this one. More important, I canīt play online, because my client version is now incompatible with every server out there. What went wrong http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif
edit: thank you Selene, for the fastest help ever http://forums.bioware.com/_commonext/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif<hr />Do you have the German version installed?
Neverwinter Nights 2 Reformation of Party Inquisition (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573987&post=5129066&forum=109&highlight=)
In NWN2's campaign, there are some companions that you will need to take with you. Your companions are integral to the story and there will be differences depending on which companions you have with you.
NWN2 Patch Version 1.06 Final Released (part 3) (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=571870&post=5129068&forum=109&highlight=)
Everyone will need to install the Hot Fix.
Feargus Urquhart Developer Profile (http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewpost.html?topic=573969&post=5129189&forum=109&highlight=)
This may help a bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feargus_Urquhart