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

Time Graph Readouts: Green is Graphics Engine, Red scripting, if I remember correctly. Graphics can be optimized by using only a few different creature appearances for each area as well as using the premade appearances contrary to creatures with custom appearances. Red can be brought down by removing unneccessary events (i.e. On Perception perception) from creatures who fight in huge groups as well as by minimizing the number of different heartbeats and delayed commands. SetAILevel() also helps.

Heartbeat Scripts: Indeed, using a heartbeat is in most cases better than most of those complex, recursive pseudo heartbeat solutions people came up with...A module heartbeat script does not necessarily decrease your module performance if it is well coded and cached in the module properties. The ##timegraph 1 console command can help you debug how much cpu power is consumed by your scripts. Short: Heartbeats are not evil if coded well and used only for the essential tasks that can not be run on other events.

David Gaider, Designer

Visual Effects: Do you mean a "visual effect" property... so that you can make a sword all glowy without it being tied to Holy Damage? Yes, I believe that is in. There's no extra effects that I'm aware of, but all the currently-existing visual effects can be assigned (and no doubt the community will expand that list a bit).

Quote: -Gender specific restrictions and/or damage modifiers

No, we won't have these. However I believe there is a plan for some properties/events that may allow you to script this (and, indeed, just about any effect or property you can write a script for).

-The ability to assign 'OnUseUniquePower', 'OnEquip' and 'OnUnequip' scripting to an item so that it could use this function in modules other than the one it is in.

OnEquip and OnUnEquip are probably in... but these will ALWAYS be events at the module level. You cannot assign a script to an item, and nor would that be a good idea (you want someone bringing strange scripts into your module? Probably not...).

Quote: -Level restrictions that are reduced by penalties

We had these and removed them as they were too easily abused by applying penalties that either would never arise in that module or did not affect the character that planned on using them. They did not serve the function they were intended for, then, and so will likely never be restored.

Quote: -A query button in the toolset that allows you to check what an effect does before you apply it to a weapon.

An interesting idea.

Quote: -Properties such as 'Mithril' and 'Elven Chain' that can be assigned in the same manner as 'Holy Avenger'

We are hoping to get an "Arcane Failure modification" armor property, but that's about as far as this would go.

Quote: I agree. At present there is no point in cursed items.

I believe the plan is for a 'cursed' checkbox with does not allow a player to drop an item... not to mention more power to script items to, say, give them hidden effects which are not listed on the item's Examine sheet. That should allow a DM to make properly cursed items, indeed, I'd think.

Quote: I think what is being asked Georg, is will HotU allow mod builders to add the VFX to a weapon without having to add tremendous magical effects.

Yes.

Quote: oka im confussed so are we going to get to choose how are weapons glow know with what ever color we want or no we are not . we really need to be able to and the acid and cold colors need to not drip off our blades.

No... you are not going to get to choose how your weapons glow. The old effects are available to be assigned, but no new ones have been made (which is what multiple glow colors would require). And the acid/cold effects still drip as they always have. It may be possible that the custom content community could alter current effects or make new glow colors for use after release, I really don't know. But there you have it.

Derek French, Assistant Producer

Patch 1.32: Bad News. We found an issue with the 1.32 Beta 1 yesterday and we are not able to release it yet. Tuesday, Sep 2nd would be the soonest now. Sorry for the hassle.