Newcomer to NWN:EE, recommended for single player only?

tl1942

I'm a newcomer to these classics, having recently played the Baldur's Gate games for the first time last year; they're now my absolute favorite games of all time. I now have over 500 hours in the BG saga across multiple playthroughs, and I've spent countless hours more with mods (including creating and tweaking my own; my override folder has over 42,000 files in it.

I've been inspired to try Planescape Torment; I'm really it.

When it comes to NWN:EE, I've come across non-stop glowing reviews but unlike other reviews I've seen for the above games, these seem to be universally targeted towards people who've already played the game. I've been on the fence because reviewers almost always cite multiplayer, but this is something I definitely will not be using and personally have no interest in. Another factor is that I love the beautiful 2D graphics of the Infinity Engine games, but I'm not so keen about the graphics and visual style of NWN.

The impression I get is that many NWN fans are also MMORPG fans, and I am just not a fan of MMORPGs at all. Again, this is not a dig on anyone who loves MMORPGs, just my own personal taste; to each their own. I prefer deep, immersive story-based games (like the Baldur's Gate saga and Planescape Torment), with an epic, overarching narrative and compelling characters.

So I'd be interested to hear some perspective from NWN:EE fans. Would someone like me enjoy this for singleplayer content only (eg base game plus downloadable campaigns)? Strong narratives and compelling characters?

I know that this is a deeply cherished game for many, and I hope I'm not coming across the wrong way. Just looking for honest feedback.

Proleric

A great immersive story for single player.

My only caveat is that I found Chapter One of the OC a bit of a grind, but the remaining chapters are good. Alternatively, you could start with the SoU expansion, which is an even better story for level 1 onwards, then export your character into HotU, which is also great.

Then you have thousands of fan-made modules, many of which are outstanding.

This is not to knock multiplayer in any way, but NWN literally provides years of entertainment for the many who prefer SP.

TimG

The Accursed Tower by Udasu is a fantastic experience. It has a lot of re-playabilty and it is very pretty too.

Isewein

I've been playing NWN modules for over a decade now, never once touched multiplayer. There's tons of great content out there. Definitely skip the OC if you have a low tolerance for MMORPG-style gameplay. You can jump in either with the expansion packs or classic fan-made modules such as Aielund or Tales of Arterra, which are both good starting points for beginners.

Slapstick

It's a great game for single player. The only thing I would add this that you should be wary of going single-class rogue, as you don't have any easy way to generate sneak attacks. I really like playing it solo.

Proleric

It's not too difficult to win as single-class rogue, though.

Zephirius

I'm with Proleric. Chapter one is kind of grueling but the rest of the official campaign is pretty good.

Isewein

True, there are some good moments later on, but I'm afraid someone already sceptical of the SP element of NWN might be put off easily by the inane collect-four-creatures quest. It certainly has kept me from ever wanting to replay the OC.