NWN2 is another deal though. Gave MotB a good few hours, only to be disappointed by more than a few things, and I did play through SoZ with a friend. Now, I won't go into MotB, but SoZ was a very pleasant experience once we got to the Sword Coast and even though it felt a bit "cheap", I must admit that I enjoyed the trip.
The biggest user-side complain for MotB is probably the spirit energy meter. It can sometimes be a bit forceful for players, who like do idle around *whistle* Using a 1/3 mod now (as am still or was playing it prior to BGEE) and it's way better + Kaedrin's PrC package/fixes and the game is awesome. Though some class-combination and specially prestige classes are a bit OP.
But agree with SoZ, finished it like 3 times now and it's nice to always try something new or just building an odd party .... and I was surprised to finally found a usage for the Bard. He truly shines in SoZ, to the lesser maybe also in NWN2 but not in MoTB given the end-fight and the limitation to 3 NPC. And Okku is just an awful "tank"!
Though I can't remember the last time I played NWN1, got magically absorbed in NWN2+ and just love it ever since.
Heh, I doubt I'll ever give MotB a "fair" chance. Just not interested in it at all, but I have recently started Westgate and plan to play through it - and then those custom modules/campaigns; Baltron's Beacon Edinmoor Legacy of White Plume Mountain Wulverheim
and looking forward to "The Moonlight Path" which is not yet done.
That Kaedrin's PrC mod looks just -horrible- to me. I mean, there are a few nice feats in, but I sure as hell don't want all those changes (not to mention the new Classes) to my NWN.
It's a matter of taste, I know. I usually stick also only to the classes or combinations I know or stay true-class, specially in SoZ, there is no reason to use prestige classes at all, maybe for the rogue but not necessary. Looks different in MotB and affects (if not modded) only your own character. Have also seen a lot of weird stuff, like unlocking those prestige classes for your companions. And that's there it becomes a bit too cheesy even for me: Safiya can then taken the Frostmage: Special - ignores with her frostspells ANY cold-based immunity. Oddly 50% (shades, those ghost thingies, undeads, endboss...) of all enemies in that game have very high or impenetrable cold-immunity. It's a win-win-yawn-situation for me There are for sure other similar combinations possible, but that's just .... (stupid)
For now it's BGEE/BG2-import time So that should occupy me for a bit! Westgate looks interesting. Wondering myself why I haven't given it a try yet. Still on a running SoZ game as well, but it's nearly finished, only some minor location and off yer go to kick the temple-boss .. again. This time I didn't even had such trouble to kill One of Many. :O
[I think I need 28 hours per day, or 30 and 8 days/week!]
Don't see why I didn't drop my comment here earlier.. But I've always been a huge Neverwinter Nights fan! Absolutely loved both of the games, though their expansions have been rather disappointing in my opinion. I enjoyed the Original campaigns and multiplayer Persistant Worlds very much instead!
Now don't jump at my neck straight away; I never gave NWN1's expansions a proper chance. Never even put more than two hours into them total.
NWN2 is another deal though. Gave MotB a good few hours, only to be disappointed by more than a few things, and I did play through SoZ with a friend. Now, I won't go into MotB, but SoZ was a very pleasant experience once we got to the Sword Coast and even though it felt a bit "cheap", I must admit that I enjoyed the trip.
And this new Neverwinter MMO coming? Well, it makes me sad. Everything 4th edition does. But I guess I'll give it a try.
EDIT: My largest problem with MotB and HotU was probably the fact that I absolutely hate epic levels in D&D. I mean, when we go over that magical 12 - 15 in 3.5, things just get "meh".
I enjoyed the original Campaingn a lot , but i was disappointed and a bit confused as to why you couldn't play on with your character from the original campaingn in Shadows of Undrentide (you could but story wise its not following up).
But Hordes of The Underdark is really really good, and i think it holds up or is even better as the original Campaign. Should give it a try again :-)
I remember not finishing Neverwinter because i still was more into the Baldursgate Series and rather wanted to start them over again while i was still playing Neverwinter.
This says a lot about how good Baldursgate was compared to Neverwinter. And i honestly think NWN is one of the best RPG's....BG is just Epic!
What i missed most i think, was the party interaction you had in BG and the romances, which you didn't really have in NWN because you were limited to only one henchmen at the same time.
I found a way to very nearly duplicate an isometric, BG-like viewing experience.
Put the camera into exploration mode. Put the mouse edge-turning sliders all the way down to slowest speed.
Thanks, I will have to try this. I bought NWN2 from the Mac App Store for a buck or two, and played it for all of five minutes before wanting to murder the camera.
I thought NWN1 was just okay. The tileset graphics made everything look the same, and the campaign was a snorefest. SoU was a bit better, but still kinda meh. I've heard good things about HotU, but I never got around to it.
Neverwinter Nights has its strengths, but I never liked the sterile, artificial look of the 3D graphics and tiles. I'm so much more in favour of detailed 2D isometric environments.
Neverwinter Nights has its strengths, but I never liked the sterile, artificial look of the 3D graphics and tiles. I'm so much more in favour of detailed 2D isometric environments.
This.
2D graphics age a hell of a lot better than 3d graphics, because the only thing that really determines the quality of 2D graphics is resolution and colour depth. Just look at Icewind Dale, for example - it was released over ten years ago, yet the graphics still look good, whereas 3D games from the same time period look downright awful today, with their low polygon counts and low-res textures.
On the other hand, NWN is modular, and that means that every object the game has can be interactable in any way the creator desires. Also making a new area/modifying an existing one is much much easier.
NWN was mostly made for user made content, it would not have worked with 2D isometric graphics.
Hmmm.. never got much into the first NWN, mainly because it was not really "Party-based".. love NWN2 though and made a few mods for it which I even still update.
Comments
Using a 1/3 mod now (as am still or was playing it prior to BGEE) and it's way better + Kaedrin's PrC package/fixes and the game is awesome.
Though some class-combination and specially prestige classes are a bit OP.
But agree with SoZ, finished it like 3 times now and it's nice to always try something new or just building an odd party .... and I was surprised to finally found a usage for the Bard. He truly shines in SoZ, to the lesser maybe also in NWN2 but not in MoTB given the end-fight and the limitation to 3 NPC. And Okku is just an awful "tank"!
Though I can't remember the last time I played NWN1, got magically absorbed in NWN2+ and just love it ever since.
Heh, I doubt I'll ever give MotB a "fair" chance. Just not interested in it at all, but I have recently started Westgate and plan to play through it - and then those custom modules/campaigns;
Baltron's Beacon
Edinmoor
Legacy of White Plume Mountain
Wulverheim
and looking forward to "The Moonlight Path" which is not yet done.
That Kaedrin's PrC mod looks just -horrible- to me. I mean, there are a few nice feats in, but I sure as hell don't want all those changes (not to mention the new Classes) to my NWN.
Looks different in MotB and affects (if not modded) only your own character. Have also seen a lot of weird stuff, like unlocking those prestige classes for your companions. And that's there it becomes a bit too cheesy even for me: Safiya can then taken the Frostmage: Special - ignores with her frostspells ANY cold-based immunity. Oddly 50% (shades, those ghost thingies, undeads, endboss...) of all enemies in that game have very high or impenetrable cold-immunity.
It's a win-win-yawn-situation for me
There are for sure other similar combinations possible, but that's just .... (stupid)
For now it's BGEE/BG2-import time
Westgate looks interesting. Wondering myself why I haven't given it a try yet. Still on a running SoZ game as well, but it's nearly finished, only some minor location and off yer go to kick the temple-boss .. again. This time I didn't even had such trouble to kill One of Many. :O
[I think I need 28 hours per day, or 30 and 8 days/week!]
But Hordes of The Underdark is really really good, and i think it holds up or is even better as the original Campaign. Should give it a try again :-)
This says a lot about how good Baldursgate was compared to Neverwinter. And i honestly think NWN is one of the best RPG's....BG is just Epic!
What i missed most i think, was the party interaction you had in BG and the romances, which you didn't really have in NWN because you were limited to only one henchmen at the same time.
2D graphics age a hell of a lot better than 3d graphics, because the only thing that really determines the quality of 2D graphics is resolution and colour depth. Just look at Icewind Dale, for example - it was released over ten years ago, yet the graphics still look good, whereas 3D games from the same time period look downright awful today, with their low polygon counts and low-res textures.
Also making a new area/modifying an existing one is much much easier.
NWN was mostly made for user made content, it would not have worked with 2D isometric graphics.