A non-Interplay NWN

[fable]

Yes, I know there's a category for NWN discussion, but it seldom gets looked at by any of us. And I just read the news on Gamespot that Interplay has dropped its rights to release NWN. Buck saw this one coming--credit to him for that. Bioware apparently intends to go ahead with the early 2002 release of the game, in any case.

[C Elegans]

What will this mean, do you think?

[Gwalchmai]

More delays? Inadequate marketing?

[Quark]

Nothing. The hype's already there and now maybe the game can improve since the developer won't be so worried about getting payed anymore.

[C Elegans]

I will actually be surprised if NWN is ever released.

[Xandax]

Quote:

Originally posted by C Elegans: <STRONG>I will actually be surprised if NWN is ever released.</STRONG>

Hey - don't go giving me shocks like this.

Seeing as there've been alot of problems between Interplay and Bioware and internal in Interplay (or Titus or however owns them) I would actually think that this is a good thing.
Let Bioware concentrate on finishing NwN without Interplay looking over the shoulder.
And as Quark already mentioned - there is a lot of hype about NwN "already".

My biggest fear is not that it isen't released - but that it can't live up to what it promises.

[ 12-01-2001: Message edited by: Xandax ]

[fable]

My biggest fear is not that it isen't released - but that it can't live up to what it promises.

This is my greatest concern, as well. I remember having a good, long conversation with one of the TORN developers at the last E3. He was adamant that TORN was *not* going to make the NWN mistake of forcing you to play in realtime, without pausing.

Now, TORN is officially dead, but his point remains. The one thing I hated about Ultima VIII was the inability look in inventory to find a particular spell scroll during battle, or even out of battle. How the hell am I supposed to control three or four characters in combat, making all their choices (including the selection of mage and priest spells) while everything continues in realtime?

[Xandax]

IIRC in single player there would be somekind of pause - but not in multiplayer.
But I can't recall the excat wording

Xandax is correct. During single player, when you're controlling multiple characters, there will be some sort of pause function like in the Infinity engine games (according to a dev post anyway).

It will only be when you're playing online that there won't be any type of pause, and I'm thankful for that. It would be very frustrating if you were always having to wait for other people during combat. And since you can only control one character in multiplayer, it shouldn't be too tough to use scrolls, potions, etc real time. I would imagine there will be hotkeys to do these types of things quickly.

As far as NWN being released, I am confident it will *eventually* ship, but not in early 2002. Finding another publisher takes time and there will definitely be changes that will have to be made to suit the new publisher's demands. Summer of 2002 would be my best guess as to when we will see the game hit store shelves.

[humanflyz]

Quote:

Originally posted by Buck Summer of 2002 would be my best guess as to when we will see the game hit store shelves.

Yes!!!!!!!!! I will get my new computer then.

[fable]

@Xandax, @Buck, thanks for clearing that up--I distinctly remember being told by a member of the NWN team that there would be no pausing in the game at all, but it sounds like he was thinking specifically about multiplayer. That, I can understand. Hopefuly, they'll also have some kind of user-configurable hotkeyed interface, so you can bring up a fireball or whatever else you need at a moment's notice in multiplayer.

Concerning its release date, I would hope that as popular as NWN is, there's ready money out there and contracts a-waiting. If Bioware believes it can be released on deadline, I'm still hopeful.

[Xandax]

Several screenshot I've seen (okay, they are proberly not the most reliable source of infomation) there have been quick-slots for the F1-F12 keys. But IIRC I've also seen it mentioned that these F#-keys will work somewhat like the "quick-item, quick-spell, belt"-thingy from BG.

[fable]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xandax: <STRONG>Several screenshot I've seen (okay, they are proberly not the most reliable source of infomation) there have been quick-slots for the F1-F12 keys. But IIRC I've also seen it mentioned that these F#-keys will work somewhat like the "quick-item, quick-spell, belt"-thingy from BG.</STRONG>

Hmmm...that's not quite what I'd hoped it would be in multiplayer mode, then. I know that in the Simutronics games, for instance, the frontend they provided allowed you to easily script a whole series of actions. Mind, I'm not asking for that, but I would like the ability to hit an F key and replace my weapon with another one, while I queue in a series of defensive spells to fire off in successive turns.

[Xandax]

Well the weapon thing would just need you to press F2 instead of F1 (for instance, if you set that key up to that weapon)
There will IIRC also be a sort of queing actions - but AFAIK not through hot-keys but through the GUI where they seem to be working on a wheel-kinda-interface where you right click and a interface pops-up.

But other then that F#-hot keys - I do not know of other shot-cuts/hot-keys.

But also - this infomation can change much before the game comes out (maybe, depending on release date )

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Xandax ]

[FudD]

i have no idea bout hot keys in NWN...i call hot keys "binds"....

i do know that in other games, HL for example i have F-1 thru F-12 binded and each also has 1-10 binds in that..plus i have . binded so that it switches between Off & Def commands....so that gives me about 120 binds x 2.../me thinks...plus a few more..i'm close to 275 binds in HL and thats with most being F-1 thru F-12...now granted all but one bind are team talks...i.e /me hits F-1 & then # 4..i say "flag leaving flag room thru lift" and on and on....now these were done by a friend and took alot of time and customization to our HL files...yet the end the result is that when we play as a team and use our binds we can easly beat better players who are not using the binds...and thats if we both use RW....

So i am pretty sure that almost every key on the key board can be binded in BG2...thus resulting in a playing style where you don't have the interface showing...except on rare once in awhile like leveling up... Additionally i'm pretty sure that every command could be binded so that controlling 6 characters in battle in real time is just a matter of hitting F-8 & #9 say to have minsc shoot fire arrows at the troll...while hitting F-2 & #5 would have Edwin cast fireball....now i admit that this would require so much time to learn that it would be a major chore...it took me 4 months to learn most of my HL binds and they are for one person and all are team messages, screwing up won't cost my character to die...maybe just lose a flag or a few enemies will suprise a teamate, if i hit the wronge key...with an online RPG, if you messed up on the binds you might die...

So basically if it can be done to sum extent in BG2 then it would be plain stupid to not have the option in NWN and really binding commands is the only way to play online games in a fast pace where other peeps will be affected by pausing the game....making it unfeasable to include pause in multiplayer.

The only multiplayer game i ever saw that worked "ok" without being able to bind all comands was PSO....and it's on a consol so binds not possible...in multiplayer for PSO you had to drop outa combat and then access your menues and it worked decent cept it took away from game play a bit.....and you could/would get attacked if not far enuff outa combat. They did make menues transparent to help this...and you could move your character with the menues up so that you can avoid enemies or keep up with the team...

Lets hope that NWN is loaded with all the stuff we need to make it werth the hype...personally i have seen way to many games not live up to the hype...that is why it's called "hype"...nowadays i don't listen to all the talk bout games before they come out because so many things happen in developement that you never know what your getting till your playing it...i just buy games that are made by companies i trust...and usually regret when i take a risk on the other guys...

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: FudD ]