Neverwinter Nights 2 Interview, Part One

Eurogamer is offering up the first installment to a new Neverwinter Nights 2 interview with Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart. Here's a bit of what they talked about:
Q: You've added directly-controlled companions to the game, including similar influencing systems as seen in Knights of the Old Republic 2. Care to talk a little about who we'll be travelling with?

A: There are all different kinds. We tried to make them interesting. There's a dwarf. There's a Tiefling. There's a Githyanki. All I can say about them is that we try to make that you understand very quickly what they're about, so you can place them in your head so you can grasp why they'll be interesting to travel with. But the idea is, after that... you understand who they are and why they joined you, but as time goes on you'll understand more and more of their compulsions. As you went along more and more with your companions, you understood more and more what they wanted. What we wanted to do is that as you figure it out in Neverwinter, what you want to do and what they want to do divulge, which creates conflict and them basically wandering off to do their own thing or leaving. It makes the story and the world seem more real, as it's not just you being in complete control. If whatever you do or say has no effect, it just becomes you going through the motions.