Neverwinter Nights Forum News

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(Originally posted by Veldrin)

Here are today's Neverwinter Nights forum highlights. 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.

Georg Zoeller, Designer

Placeable Bug: There was a bug with placeables created through the scripting language at runtime, that were not added to the arealist of traps, thus staying below trap detecting character's radar. This has been fix and will come with one of the next patches, hopefully 1.31

Script Debugger: This is the external script debug server for NWscript:

Usage:

add the command SpawnScriptDebugger() to your code where you want to start debugging

switch the 'generate debug information' option on in the toolsets scripting options

build your module, recompiling all scripts

start debugserver.exe

start the game

once the command is triggered in the script a debugging window will show up outside the game (make sure you use NWN in windowed mode for this functionality)

you need FullScreen=0 AND AllowWindowedMode=1 to be set. Also you must set the default resolution in your game below the resolution of your desktop. i.e. if your desktop is running at 1024x768 set the gameto 800x600

Rob Bartel, Co Lead Designer

Witch's Wake: Witch's Wake is definitely an expression of my underlying design philosophies, how I prefer to work, and the relationship I like to have with those who'll eventually be playing my creation. I was very lucky to have had that opportunity as it's one that few in the industry ever get to experience. WW1 still has its warts and flaws, of course, and a part of me is terrified of WW2. Does lightning ever strike twice? But yes, I'm a firm advocate of the Live Team because that sort of structure is what makes the proverbial extra mile possible. In the end, like all companies, it's on that extra mile that BioWare is going to sink or swim.

Darcy Pajak, Assistant Producer

Shadows of Undrentide: Why should you buy Shadows of Undrentide?

We have a brand new campaign with very interesting characters, and new scripting techniques which show off really neat things. There are better puzzles, different choices of completing quests and getting rewards. There is an alignment system inplace where you actions can alter your alignment.

We have added 3 new tilesets. Desert, rural winter, and ruins.
There are 5 new prestige classes
17 new monsters
51 more spells
Over 30 feats
Grenade like weapons.

All this for a low price of about $30, that’s about $1.50 for every hour you spend playing the game. And if you include all the newer modules that will be out there that will be using SoU tools, for just $30 bucks you will always have a RPG to play when you want to.

Trent Oster, Producer

Weapons: I created the weapons in NWN trying for a balance between minimal texture usage, low polygon count and visual impact. Many of the original weapons are slightly exaggerated so the silhouette would be visibly different for the other weapons. We also designed the entire system to be very general and multipurpose so the three weapon parts weren't always used in an optimal way. When creating weapons I would suggest you also think in terms of the silhouette from the default view and polygon/texture efficiency. I used the same 512x512 TGA for every weapon in an attempt to keep the number of texture binds on the video card down as each texture change introduces a state change in the gpu. Btw. swell looking weapons everyone. I might just have to add some new weapons into the HotU expansion now.

Death Attack: Death Attack is just good clean fun. I spent a great deal of time playing an Assasin character before SoU went gold and it was truly a blast. The other posters are correct, Death Attack follows the same rules as Sneak Attack.

PLT Transparency: We do have issues with sorting alpha transparencies. Unfortunately it was a compromise we had to accept when we designed the engine.

Don Moar, Tools Programmer

.Key Files: Each .key file and the order in which it is loaded is determined by the application. Therefore, you cannot simply create a new set of .bif files and the corresponding .key and expect it to work in NWN. Keep in mind that by attaching one or more .hak files to your module you accomplish the same thing.

You're right. It would be more convenient for the developers if you could just toss in a new .key file into the game root and some bifs into the \data directory and the game and toolset would just take it from there, but that's all and only just barely. Now that modules can support multiple hak packs, you can create a cep.hak attach it to whichever modules require it and you're done. It will have no impact on whatever other .hak files you wish to use. From the player's point of view, the process is exactly the same. In fact, it's probably even easier for the player to use a .hak file since it's only 1 file instead of 2.