GB Feature: NWN: Wyvern Crown of Cormyr Review

[GameBanshee News]

We've published a review of Wyvern Crown of Cormyr, BioWare's latest (and most likely final) premium module for the original Neverwinter Nights.

But probably the most notable addition in Wyvern Crown of Cormyr is the jousting tournament. Unlike the other games included in the module (like darts or the guess-the-magic-spell game), jousting doesn’t have anything to do with your character build. It’s more of a rock-paper-scissors game. You select where to aim your lance (there are seven spots), and then you choose how to sit on your horse (such as leaning to the left), and then the jousting bout is run. Depending on what choices your opponent made, you might score a solid hit (worth 1 or 2 points), knock your opponent off his horse (worth 3 points), or miss him entirely (worth nothing). The first person to reach 3 points wins, so sometimes jousts can end quickly, and sometimes they can go on for several bouts. The jousting competition is a fun little mini-game, and it does a nice job of underscoring the medieval setting of the module.

[uk_john]

The very simple fact - THAT YOU HAVE TO AUTHENTICATE EVERY TIME YOU PLAY OR LOAD A SAVE FILE - OVER THE INTERNET!!!!!!!

Don't suppose that was a very important thing to tell gamers was it?!

In a world that decries Bioware's 10 day authentication - I find is strange a 12 buck module for a 5 year old game needs authentication EVERY TIME YOU PLAY!

[swcarter]

FWIW, we mentioned this when we reviewed the first batch of premium modules.

SWC

[uk_john]

So what your saying is - if you don't read all the Premium reviews from the start, instead of just the one you're interested in, it's your fault you don't know about the Authentication?

Gee whiz this site is as bad as the publishers Bioware! Just doesn't care about gamers!

[Brother None]

Originally Posted by uk_john

So what your saying is - if you don't read all the Premium reviews from the start, instead of just the one you're interested in, it's your fault you don't know about the Authentication?

There is a certain point where there is information redundancy, yes, it's a bit silly to repeat certain points of information that are true for every premium module in every review.

More importantly, you're acting as if BioWare keeps this process a secret during purchase. No less could be true. Even during payment, you're shown a screen that shows requirements to purchase and requirements to play. Amongst which is "internet connection while playing". When I click more info there, I go to this page:

An Internet connection for premium Neverwinter Nights modules is needed when starting a new game or when loading a saved game. This is because Neverwinter Nights needs to authenticate with our servers to verify that you have purchased the module. If Neverwinter Nights cannot communicate with our server when starting a new game or loading a saved game, you will not be able to play the module.

This information isn't just available on the website, BioWare actively points you to this information as one of the game's requirements prior to purchase.

So yes, even though it sounds a bit harsh, it *is* your own fault if you buy the premium module without knowing about its authentication system. Not because GameBanshee fails to remind you every time, but simply because it's right there, a big flat reminder on the purchase page.