Neverwinter Nights Forum News (Jan. 04, 05)

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Here are today's Neverwinter Nights forum highlights, collected by NWVault. 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.

Derek French, Live Team Producer

1.65 and SoU Chapter 2 issue
Sorry for the delays and the bit of confusion. The 1.65 Linux client does, in fact, have this fix in it already. Only the 1.65 standalone Linux server does not. Here is a link to this HotFix for the 1.65 standalone Linux server: Click Here

Is this the end?

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The Bioware forums are booked as "Powered by Gamespy," Which, as we already know, are not secure.

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The BioWare forums are "powered by BioBoards" as it says at the bottom of every page on these forums.

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Quote: I never installed gamespy, that's simply the advertising that shows up at the top of the screen in the lobbies, in the default multiplayer setting. The connection to Bioware issues is obvious, no?

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No.

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Quote: Now, in order for any two computers to connect, information about operating systems, including firewall information, language, system settings, and usually performance settings must be exchanged.

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Actually, in order for two computers to connect, all they need is a IP address and a port. Nothing else.

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Quote: NWN.EXE is enabled through Norton, right now, to access the net unchallenged, passing information from database files across an unsecure network. I tusted Bioware enough to do that, so why am I concerned with database files?

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I can't really say. NWN.exe is just a launcher for NWN. It has no internet access.

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Quote: Well, obviously Bioware must be able to access a local database on my computer to verify ownership.

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Nope. We use the CD Key that you provided at the time of purchase.

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Quote: That information is certainly exchanged with Bioware Corp, because, as they have admitted themselves, they are using it to track module performance issues.

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Sorry, but we don't have any way to "track module performance issues." Nor is this something that we care about at this time.

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Quote: Personally, I suspect that, given the comments from the dialup folks, that there's a little more exchanged than warm fuzzies between my purchase information and Bioware servers.

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At the time of Premium Module authentication, we send your CD Key for authentication, just like in multiplayer, as well as the module name.

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Quote: There's a nice long delay from the time the copyright protection scheme has finished, to the time the module actually begins loading. And yet my network activity light continues to blink. Interesante.

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That time is spent decrypting the module. As to the network activity that you are seeing, I can't really say what that is.

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Quote: As it turns out, there's quite a wide variety of information that can be collected from the database files. I found information on dates, times of play, modules played, version numbers.. including the version numbers for the NWN Premium mods (which might be one reason the debug script doesn't seem to work reliably in these mods). I also found old login names and account information, and in one instance, an email address.

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Where exactly are you looking? We don't write out any such information, as the BioWare Modules don't have access to that kind of info, much less anyone else's modules.

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Quote: I am not worried about Bioware hacking into my computer and doing evil things. I am worried that the degree of exchange of information necessary to protect your copyright, by the very nature of the method and medium used, is wide open to abuse.

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We don't "exchange" any of the information that you have described. All we need to verify your ownership of a module is your CD Key and the module name. There is nothing else going on.

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Quote: Direct marketing relies precisely on the information available to Bioware in the stored files.

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It is important for you to understand that we don't store anything like that, we don't transfer it, and we certainly don't have access to it.

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Quote: Tell me that the folks in marketing don't start breathing heavily when you mention that, as a benficial side affect of your copy protection scheme, you can collect realtime market demographics from actual customers, which can then be compiled, shared, sold, or utilized to create targeted spam, and that they are actually giving you permission to do just that, every time they access your program.

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Once again, the authentication system uses only your CD Key and the module name, nothing else. None of the information you list above is collected, distributed, or accessed in any way, shape, or form, at this time.

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Quote: Now, I'm being pretty nice here, but I notice in all the return comments, which were helpful, by the way, there was never any mention of exactly what information was being transferred or stored... just a broad "feel-good" generalization.

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Then let me take this oppourtunity to say it again. We only use your CD Key and the module name to authenticate your ownership.

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Quote: Now I read through the licensing agreement fairly well, and I notice it's a little vague on the subject as well.

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Correct, as what you are looking at has nothing to do with Privacy, which is what you are concerned about.

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Quote: How about firming that up in a technical faq, just to reassure those of us who are the nervous, spam-ridden, non-unicorn eating types?

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This information has been available for about 2 years now on every page here. http://nwn.bioware.com/privacy.html

Rob Bartel, Senior Designer Live Team

More! More! More!
There is stuff coming and it's pretty darn cool. Whether or not it's a "long way off" is a matter of perspective. Regardless, we're working on it and, now that the holiday hubbub is dying down, I expect we'll start being a little more open about what's coming down the pipe. Hang tight,

When the patches for the premium modules are finished....
Yes, you will have to download the entire *.exe or *.zip again. Due to the nature of the encryption process, there's no easy way to synch up with our existing delta-based patching system. Like the existing authentication system, this process may be improved as our online store matures.

Is this the end?
Yup, there's no conspiracy-ridden Black Ops hanky-panky going on with that database save. It's just saving out plot variables and so forth so I can take them into account for future modules in the series.

Just wanted to say Thanks
And a big thanks to all of you who have taken the plunge and supported the Live Team with your purchase. We've got some cool stuff on the way.

Any chance of a future DD preview?
Don't expect a broad road map at this point as so many things are still in flux and open to change. What you can expect, however, are some previews of our upcoming premium module and the new content that's been developed for it. Hang tight and happy new year

Will SoU and HotU be availble in the e-store?
We haven't ruled out offering the NWN expansions as purchasable downloads through our store but there would be a few logistical hurdles we'd have to clear first. One of them would obviously be some sort of agreement with Atari to allow for it. Another major one would be a proper mechanism for downloading such large files. The third would be a move away from CD-based authentication measures and the establishment of proper patching mechanisms, etc. None of these are insurmountable hurdles but they will take a while to sort through and there's no guarantee that any of it will actually happen. So if you're in a hurry, I recommend purchasing the expansion packs in whatever brick-and-mortar fashion is currently available to you. If you're willing to gamble and wait, recognize that it will be just that - a gamble and a wait.

Giving the modules as gift question
Sounds like fun and I hoped you managed to complete your modules in time. Let us know how it went

Is this the end?
Here are the scripts involved, taken straight out of the WW module...<snip>Not really sure what else to say...

Number of Premium Module(s) in the Next Batch
Pretty much what Orik says. There is one particular module that Keith and I are working on right now and we've got a number of others planned and slotted into a tentative schedule. We're starting to get some contracts out to potential mod developers in the community (similar to how Altaris developed the 'ShadowGuard' module for us) and some or all of those may bear fruit. While I definitely wish we were in a position to release three premium modules a month, we're obviously not there yet. These first three were released simultaneously to make a big splash, generate some useful sales data, and prove that the concept could work. Now that that water is under the bridge, you can expect premium modules to be released one at a time in a relatively staggared fashion. We're hoping to make them a little bit bigger, with more in the way of new art content, multiplayer functionality, and increased level ranges. This takes time, however, so bear with us as we focus on building them right.

Stanley Woo, Quality Assurance

I'd pay good money to see chanting gnomes!
Thanks for the great post, Elara. Allow me to make a couple of corrections:

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He has to justify each patch to his bosses, which are undoubtably stuffy, suit-infested, bottom-line snorkling ... executives. *shudder* The only way he can do that is point to positive cash-flow.

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I don't believe that Georg is on the Live Team, so he's not the one that has to do any justifying. That "privilege" belongs to Rob Bartel and Keith "K2" Hayward. Also, our bosses are neither stuffy, suit-infested, nor "executives." They are very compassionate, capable individuals who treat the company as a family. Geeks in their own right, Ray and Greg are also philanthropic and highly approachable.

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Quote: For one: While I am resigned to the fact that alternative methods of authentication are not possible, is it technically possible to allow the INCLUSION / MERGING of other mods (CEP, PRC, ETC) (No ETC is not a mod for the Minsc's out there) into premium modules? If it's not technically possible, would you let us know? We'll be your friends.

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Technically, it would be possible, but there are two huge issues that prevent it from happening. For one, the Premium Modules are inaccessible to builders. For another, legal issues prevent BioWare from packaging community content (especially collective efforts like the CEP) and releasing it as an "official" product.

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Quote: For two: With advertising in, did you see an appreciable spike? If so, do you plan to amplify your advertising in future patches / premium modules? (The chanting gnome clause).

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I don't know how effective the advertising campaign is/was, but I'm reasonably certain that we won't be any more intrusive than that. And sorry, no chanting gnomes.

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Quote: For three: We understand that the Premium Modules made 1.65 avaiable, and we hope, 1.66, because , um, 1.65 , um , *coughs* needs some work. Not bashing, but the beta a TOUCH too short. Now, with that said, how much longer until you need to relase new PM's to pay for future patches... how many are coming down the pipeline...how much patching goodness can we expect, assuming I intend to throw away eight bucks for the 'cause'. (Which I can't, because I must have the PRC in my modules.)

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Rob Bartel and Keith Hayward are hard at working preparing the next Premium Module(s) for release. I'm sorry I can't give an ETA on it, but this has been discussed in other threads.

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Quote: In conclusion, my posts are too long and I apologize for that, but I think that instead of beating the same old issues into the ground, we need to find new issues so that we can have misinformed posters make straw-man blanket statements and see Georg reduce them to verbal paste before Stanley Wu sneaks in with the ninja-style lockdown.

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Thanks for the concern, and thanks for the posts, ElaraMishue. Incidentally, it's spelled "Woo."

James Henley, Technical Designer

monks
Great, now this has me wondering where I originally read about Cleave being available to Monks at first level...I have no idea where my original manual is stored away. Maybe I just played the game too much and memorized it all.