Neverwinter Nights 2 Forum News (Feb. 03, 05)

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Here are today's Neverwinter Nights 2 forum highlights, collected by NWVault from Obsidian Forums. Please take into account that these are only single parts of various threads and should not be taken out of context. Bear in mind also that the posts presented here are copied as-is, and that any bad spelling and grammar does not get corrected on our end.

Adam Brennecke, Programmer

"Find Nutty Boo Search!"
I would cry if I had to code on that little 15inch screen. Thank goodness that's John Morgan's desk. Nutty Boo must have gotten into his stash of pistachios.

Are our ideas getting consideration?
Yes, we try to read and consider every post.

Are our ideas getting consideration?
Check our webpage for job postings.

Erik Novales, Programmer

Are our ideas getting consideration?
The reason we don't say "yeah, we'll look at doing that" often is because people tend to view that as a commitment to a feature. So we comment on feature lists and things like that only once we're certain that it's going to be done. We tend to read the boards pretty frequently, actually.

A-men
Not exactly sure what you mean, but the way parameters currently work is:

1) Create script with parameters in its main function (main or StartingConditional).
2) Select a dialogue node where you're going to run the script.
3) Set the parameters for the script in the dialogue node.

Jason Keeney, Programmer

RPG to it's fullest: JUMP and CLIMB

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Basically, from a programming perspective, none of this is showstoppingly difficult to code - just depends on where they choose to spend their zots....

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While sure, one can imagine how to solve some of the technical issues facing flying/climbing/whatever, but thats rarely ever the real problem facing their inclusion in a game like this.

When you allow the player such wildly different modes of getting from point A to point B each designer must now consider these possibilties for almost every element they put into their designs. It would be one thing if NWN2 was a game of merely random encounters and not intensely plot drivin like it is. To what is already a complex combination of triggers, conditionals and scripted events they must now add to the mix "what if the player flys over?.. what if they swim around...? what if...? what if.....?". Now we're talking about an enormous amount of added design work and complexity for (IMO) very limited gameplay benefit.

That will be the #1 issue that determines whether or not NWN2 gets flying/jumping/climbing/etc...

And, while I dont mean any real offense, the way in which you suggest that the pathfinding/AI/etc solutions for all this stuff merely requires cracking open a copy of Game Programming Gems for some "standard issue" solutions is, well, just a little unrealistic...

Ferret Baudoin, Lead Designer

What can the Community do for the Developers
We use the tools, scripting language, and editor every day. So we have a lot of knowledge on the ins and outs, but cumulatively the community has used the Toolset for a staggering amount of time. One of the most helpful thing the community can bring to our attention are tweaks and adjustments that would make your lives happier for NWN2.

We only have so much time, and so big new features are chancy whether they get in. But a slight change to a scripting command, spell effect, or UI element those are be doable. Add enough of those, and it can make for better tools and a better game.

So are there going to be romances?
There will be l'amour.

thanks obsidian et. al.
I will have to defer to Darren's obviously superior l337 skillz. I suppose I can hazard a w00t, though.