Neverwinter Nights 2

• Platform: PC
• Published by: Atari
• Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment
• Release Date: Oct 31, 2006
• Genre: RPG
• Multiplayer: Yes
• Online: Yes

 

Neverwinter Nights 2 Interview

-- February 8, 2006 by: David Craddock

A lot of recent gaming hype has centered around the Xbox 360 and upcoming releases of the Playstation 3 and Revolution. But let's not forget that there are some really cool PC games coming out in 2006 as well. Armed with a revamped single player mode, an even more expansive toolset, and a multiplayer mode that's looking just as addicting as the original's, Neverwinter Nights 2 is one such title. I had a chance to talk with Ferret Baudoin, Lead Designer at Obsidian Entertainment, about the sequel's new features as well as returning tried-and-true characteristics, so read on to find out how the game is shaping up.

Shack: Given that this is an RPG, story is a bigger factor than in other genres. Any spoiler-free tidbits you can give us?

Ferret Baudoin: When Obsidian Entertainment got the project we had the Aurora Engine to work off of, so it put us in a great position to craft an ambitious single-player experience – because we could begin work almost immediately. We wanted to make a story which really made you feel like you are on the journey to become a hero. To really accomplish that we focused on creating more depth, more consistency, and more story realism than people may be used to. There are set-backs, there are triumphs, and there are plenty of complications on the way. We've made our game a bit more hard-hitting because that makes the accomplishments more satisfying. We've treated Neverwinter Nights 2's story with as much attention as we would a Baldur's Gate or a Fallout.

Shack: With Bioware working on the game's engine, a lot more time can be spent focusing on the game play. What are some of the new additions we can look forward to?

Baudoin: We started with the Aurora engine as a base, but many parts of it have been rewritten completely. But having Aurora has freed us up to do a great deal. We've got new spells, new feats and a new ruleset we're using. The AI has also been taught a few new tricks which should make dungeon romping a tad more exciting. (Insert DM cackling when those fun little tricks are revealed!)

Shack: Though the game will still focus on the city of Neverwinter, it's obviously inadvisable to simply "port" the city from the original game to the sequel. What changes can we expect to see to the recreated city of Neverwinter?

Baudoin: One of the big map-making changes in Neverwinter Nights 2 is we're no longer tile-based, so that opened up whole new vistas for Neverwinter city herself. Hills, winding roads, parks, etc. are now all doable. So the city may not look much like the first game. You visit some of the same districts (like Blacklake and the Docks). [As far as storyline is concerned,] The reason it's so different is the construction after the war in the original game.

Shack: Can heroes from the first game be used in this installment?

Baudoin: In almost every arena our game has had a lot of changes and improvements. The reason why I'm going to say "no" to this isn't a bummer, it's because Neverwinter Nights 2 uses Wizard of the Coast's new 3.5 edition rules of Dungeons and Dragons. There are a lot of tweaks, improvements, and fixes that Wizards made for 3.5 - and as much as possible our game has them. The rules have changed enough that importing characters really isn't feasible - character creation and level-up hinges on tough choices. And in 3.5 the choices are different, and in my opinion, better.

Shack: Will the player's avatar have to work his/her way up the hierarchy, (e.g., can we go and get quests from the King right away) or do we have to earn our stripes first? If so, how?

Baudoin: You start off as a villager in West Harbor. Not very aptly named because it's in the middle of a dangerous monster-ridden swamp. Harbormen are hearty folk - they have to be with all the lizardfolk running about. So you start from a humble beginning.

Early on you have a goal - to find answers to what's threatening your village and your own skin. And that leads to adventure. As you do noteworthy deeds people start recognizing that you aren't just a face in the crowd, but someone who is growing more and more formidable. Which leads to complications of its own. If you get an audience with Lord Nasher Alagondar it's not because he's a bored ruler with nothing better to do than greet a random passerby and give them some quest ("Our streets are unclean - clean them, for the sake of the kingdom let no bubblegum wrapper go unpicked up!"), but it's because the lord of a mighty city has a reason to meet you in particular.

Shack: So really, the game will focus more on the player's personal journey. Given this, will there be game play mechanics that can be used to give each play through a unique feel? After all, two different gamers are two unique people, and wouldn't expect to have the exact same adventure.

Baudoin: There are a lot of decisions the player makes, and cumulatively those can add up to different experiences. The choice in which companions you bring with you, can also add flavor, spice, and occasionally open up whole new things. There's definitely re-playability.

Shack: What improvements have been made to returning classes?

Baudoin: Most of the improvements come from adopting D&D 3.5. Many classes got significant rebalancing – generally if you're curious what, just look inside a 3.5 Player's Handbook. Rangers have had a lot of changes in particular, now having their advantages spread over many levels and also being able to specialize in the bow instead of fighting flortentine. One class internally we've paid some attention to are Bards. The Bard is a great class in PnP, but in CRPG they've had a hard life. They now get more songs, more options, and they should find they're valued a lot more in groups.

Shack: What can you tell us about the Warlock class?

Baudoin: The Warlock is a brand-new base class - their shtick is they're born with power, it runs in their supernatural veins. They scoff at Wizards who must memorize their spells each day and also sorcerers who can run out of spells they can cast once a day. Warlocks are always ready for action - anything they can do, they can do all the time. This works great in a computer game setting. One of their stand-bys is the eldritch bolt - which is a magical bolt of energy which they can fling every round. As Warlocks gain more invocations they can choose cool spell-like invocations or change what their eldritch bolt does. So they can make it so it has a chance to frighten their target as well as blast them (like Frightful Blast) or modify who it affects (like chaining between targets with Eldritch Chain). And you can mix and match some of these attributes. Unlike many spell casters they start off as a solidly useful class. Add that all up and you get a really fun new class featured in our game.

Shack: The henchmen from the original NWN were very useful, but you could only have one at a time. Will this be the case in NWN2?

Baudoin: We're staying close to D&D on this one and allowing 3 companions. Added to yourself that's a party of 4, which is what D&D is balanced for because you can have all the major archetypes represented – those who fight, those who heal, those who nuke with spells, and those who sneak (and get into things they really shouldn't).

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