Neverwinter Nights Forum News
Posted Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 18:55 CET by Z-Layrex

Here are today's official Neverwinter Nights forum highlights. Please take into account that these are only single parts of various threads and should not be taken out of context.

David Gaider, Designer

Spellcasting Classes:

Quote: Are there any plans to unhardcode spellcasting classes so that they use the 2da files (and thus, so spellcasting classes could be added in)?

I've asked about this one myself and the answer, unfortunately, is no. The spellcasting classes are like that because each one has its own seperate GUI. Looking back on it now, it might have been better in the long run to have designed each class so that it "detected" available spells and had one GUI that listed the spell icons that were selectable. That's not how it was done, however (for various reasons, including the plain fact that the ability to add spellcasting classes was simply not required), and going back and re-working the entire thing now just isn't going to happen short of a sequel.

Custom Content: It's rather unfortunate that there are simply so many ways for us to get screwed when it comes to custom content. Besides the example of the textures made above, there's also such things to consider as 'did he make this himself?' ("Hey! Didn't you know that I helped that guy make the tileset! We were a team!") or the possibility of derivative work ("I made a model that looks just like one of the ones he used in his tileset!")... the list goes on. Not being a legal expert, I have no idea if a legal contract could be made with a community member that would cover all the bases necessary, but from the descriptions I get it doesn't sound promising.

Not impossible, however, as there are some companies out there that obviously do do stuff like this and Bioware is continuing to look at the possibility of doing something similar. I've heard of one scenario that sounds promising, personally. We'll have to wait and see if anything materializes, as utilizing what's out there and being made in a broader and more official capacity could only benefit everyone involved, no?

Wishful thinking does not exactly equate to protection in our litigious society, however, much as we might want otherwise.

Tom Ohle, Communications Assistant

Portraits:

Quote: Well, the whole style issue went along BiS, I think. Looking at the appearance of NWN (not only portraits, you mind), we can say that Bio was the serious and old school DnD part of the job, while BiS was the more artistic and cunning half.

Actually, all of the Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 portraits were created by BioWare, not Black Isle. Neverwinter simply featured a different visual style than the BG series, as do Icewind Dale 1 & 2

More:
As LdyShayna said, the rights to those BG1 and 2 portraits are held by Interplay.