Neverwinter Nights Forum Update

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(Originally posted by Arwen)

Trent Oster, Producer:

Attack animations: Flurry attacks are used when you have more attacks/round remaining than we think we can fit in. Aflurry plays only the second half of the swing animation, eliminating the backswing. Flurry attacks also play at a faster animation rate. In NWN every attack will have a swing to go with it, but every swing may not have an attack. This is to cover up the fact low level characters do nothing interesting for about 5 second of the round. So in some ways it will be like BG, but the swing animations and the attacks are more closely linked time wise.

Pause: What you call pause we call pause in play it means you can still issue orders to your character while the game is paused. While balancing NWN if we feel we need to add the ability to Pause in play it will be added.

Charm/domination spells: To answer the first, we have a number of difficulty settings for the game. In the default setting your character only gets the daze effect if he/she is charmed/dominated, etc... The effect is fairly short in duration, long enough to worry you, but it ends just as you start to get mad. On the Hardcore D&D setting every spell does what it should. If someone dominated you it is probably the end for your character.

Cleric Domain/Metamagic: We had to step away from metamagic on spontaneous casting as we couldn't figure out an efficient way to implement it in a timely manner.

Multiple CPU's or Single CPU what will server app support: At Bioware we typicaly use dual processor workstations. I've found in the past the second CPU, if nothing else makes the computer feel more responsive. If you plan on running a game and playing in it yourself, a Dual processor box will perform quite well. If you plan on a standalone server, the most important aspect of the box will the bandwidth you have available, followed by RAM and CPU speed. A faster HDD setup will make for shorter save game times and will make for faster server module loads (which only happen once per module), but it is a lesser priority. I'm planning on giving my old Athlon 650 at home a period as a server to see how it holds up. She's a little slow by today's standards, but the cable modem should help out.

David Gaider, Designer:

Skill Synergy: No, there's no synergy bonus to skills. The majority of combinations don't exist for the lack of one or more feats, so there's no call for them.

Scripting: Quote: We know that NPC's have "events" (ie such as "OnAttacked", etc, etc), what I would like to know is whether an AI script comes packaged up into a single set of functions that can be "dropped" or "tagged" to an NPC with one foul swoop, or whether the setting of AI for an NPC requires several insertions into various places?

Okay... this requires a bit of an explanation.
Yes, there are triggers that can be given scripts:
OnHeartbeat()
OnPerception()
OnSpellCastAt()
OnPhysicalAttacked()
OnDamaged()
OnDisturbed()
OnCombatRoundEnd()
OnConversation()
OnSpawn()
OnRested()
OnDeath()
OnBlocked()
OnUserDefined()

Now... the thing to realize is that EACH of these triggers has the ability to have a script applied to it. And whenever you create a creature, there are default scripts that are put into these to give the 'standard' functions that creatures should be capable of.

There is also a larger AI script that contains the broader functions... these are things that are common to all creatures that the AI script is included into. At the top of each of the trigger scripts you will have the #include "LARGE_AI_SCRIPT" that refers to this big file.

If you want to change the individual actions that a creature does, you can change the script that is on its trigger. If you want to effect a larger AI change, you would edit the large AI script.

This sounds complicated. It isn't... it's just easier to pull up those trigger scripts and see for yourself than it is to describe. For the most part, Preston has gone out of his way so that the majority of things you will commonly want to change in the AI require you only to uncomment commands from a big menu in the OnSpawn() script.

If you want a more detailed explanation, I can try... but it's much easier to show someone, like I said.

Quote: To try and explain myself better... we know that Bioware have developed a kind of generic script for NPC actions. In effect can you consider this script to be a series of event definitions and functions that are all bundled into a single file (well not file but logical unit perhaps) which is then labelled as being "Generic NPC script"?

Thus we could go into the toolset and create a "NEW" script, name it whatever we want (say "Aggressive Fighter Script") and then add all the OnAttack function definitions etc, etc and then as we create various NPC's simply "tag" this same script to each of them?

If I understand what you want to do, yes... you can write the AI file seperately and then just use the #include to reference your new script rather than the generic one.

Quote: Do the local variables we reference in them remain local to the NPC? ie if I have a "LocalVariable" called "Attitude" and set it to "Happy" for an NPC that has this script tagged to it, when I tag the same script to a different NPC I could set HIS local variable "Attitude" to "Angry" and it wouldn't effect the first?

Absolutely. As an example:

SetLocalInt(OBJECT_SELF,"Attitude",1);

This sets an integer called "Attitude" to 1 on the creature. This command could be used by 100 different creatures, all having their personal value for the "Attitude" local.

If you wanted the integer to be more 'global' in its effect, it is best to set it on the PC or on the Module rather than OBJECT_SELF.

Quote: Also... can these scripting bundles reference functions that are "outside" the actual set of functions themselves? Such as a universal function, or common function that is used by many other scripting modules? (ie if I write a script and tag it to the module instead of an NPC, does that mean its functions are available to anything that is within the module?)

I'm not sure I understand what you mean, here. If you include a script into the triggers used by the module, it would reference that script. If you didn't include that same script into the triggers used by a creature in that module, then the creature wouldn't reference that script.
All scripts work the same, however. A module script can issue commands to a creature... and a creature script can issue commands to a module. It all depends on how you write it.

Quote: Ultimately I am asking how the structure of the scripts fit together, how they are related to the various objects in the game (and remember an object can be a module, item, character, etc, etc), and the "rough" framework that is being used to determine where all these scripts and functions are placed.

Well, I hope I've shed a bit of light on it. Probably Preston or someone with more advanced knowledge of how to change the scripts could explain better... but I could always try to give you some examples if you still don't understand.

Passage of Time: Set the colours, rest is automatic : For a particular area you set the "Day" palette colour and the "Night" palette colour for the area and the engine itself will gradually change from the day to night colours based on the game time clock. This is a good option, takes all the scripting work out of it and should be a nice transition from one to the other.

Robes: The mesh that is the problem is the drape of fabric between the legs and getting it to move in a realistic manner while the model underneath is moving (and not to have limbs poking through and such). The rest of the robe, even billowy sleeves, already exist.

A robe item goes in the chest slot just like armor and clothing do. I doubt we'd have a robe that would go over armor... you'd need a new inventory slot.

This is all aside from the fact that there are no plans to do flowing robes, currently.

Adding/removing portals: Yes. A portal is a placeable object that a DM can spawn in or remove as he wishes.

Scaleable encounter: Monsters are sorted by category (aberration, undead, etc.) and within those categories are sorted alphabetically.

For the Encounter system, you do have to drop in specific monsters. You can make the list as long as you like, however... it's purely drag-n-drop, so there's nothing to stop you from dragging over the entire Undead list into a single Encounter polygon, if you like. Unless you mark the individual monster as 'unique', it will spawn in as many of each creature as it feels the need to.
There are 5 difficulty levels: Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Impossible. It uses these levels to generate a total CR of creatures required based on the level and number within the party.

This is not only a 'random encounter', per se... it can be used for any encounter you want to set up within the polygon. The settings are also scriptable (and other scripts can also be applied to the encounter's events).
As was mentioned above, you can also set creatures down directly... or have a script spawn in creatures for you, looking at whatever criteria you wish. The Encounter system is the fastest way to set up a scalable encounter for your party, but not the only one.

Help in the encounter (henchmen, familiar, summoned creature)
It depends on what you mean by easier.

If I was a wizard, I might bring along a fighter with me so he can distract opponents so I can cast. Or a cleric for his healing abilities. This kind of help makes combat easier because I take advantage of the tactics.

If you mean easier by way of you hire a henchmen so that all former combats that were meant for 1 opponent are now twice as simple, no... that would defeat the purpose of a scaleable encounter to begin with. If I as a DM include a scaleable encounter that is set to HARD, that means it is hard for however many people enter the encounter at whatever level. That's the idea. It's so the player doesn't end up breezing through something that's far too simple or face a challenge that is far too tough.

Any monster encounters that are placed, and not scaled, would act the opposite way. A lone mage might potentially get slaughtered... but if he had a henchmen with him and a familiar he could breeze through and barely notice the encounter. How the encounter is run is in the hands of the DM.

Cleric domains: Obviously my saying cleric domains were up in the air suddenly made everybody think they were a shoo-in again. There is a SMALL chance they will get in, a few hurdles notwithstanding. That means they, like many other small things, are 'up in the air'.

So let me correct myself, so everyone doesn't get too hopeful: cleric domain abilities are OUT. Until we say otherwise.

Stoping a battle in the middle (as DM): There is a ready-made script that already does this, actually... it's part of the 'I surrender!' script. It sets the creature's faction to temporarily neutral and makes everyone (including PC's) in the immediate area stop what they were doing.

If the PC wishes to continue the attack, they need only re-initiate hostilities. Otherwise they can initiate dialogue with their former combatants.

(As a matter of fact, upon looking at the surrender script, all you would have to do is take out the string shout of 'I surrender!'... the rest of that surrendering process is totally in dialogue, so all you'd have to do is give the chieftain different dialogue and continue on with your plot as normal. Easy easy easy.)

NWN and 3rd edition D&D rules: When we were doing the initial design work for NWN, the 3rd edition ruleset was not even complete. 'Masters of the Wild' has some great stuff in it, but there's no way for us to incorporate anything from it in our initial release.

As NWN continues to expand in the future, I think there's a good chance that some stuff from the class-specific sourcebooks will get included. There's still a bunch from the core rulebooks that has to be worked on or included, however.

Jay Watamaniuk, Community Manager:

Experience level cap: In NWN there will be a level cap of 20. That means a total of 20 levels. You can be a 20th level Barbarian or a 10th level Fighter/ 10th Level Barbarian for example.

The rules for 20+ have not been fleshed out a great deal yet in the absence of the Epic Level Handbook which is being worked on right now.

I think a 40th level Barbarian would be screaming so much there kidney would explode.

BeOS client: We have ceased development of the BeOS (Section 8.04) version of NWN.

DM Avatar: Sometimes it is easier to have an actual character to perform specific things within a game. For example, say the players did not get the special key to open a specific door in the module and I, as the DM, have decided to let them open it in other ways just to keep the module moving. It is easier for me to use my avatar (not visible to players) to run over there and click the door open then use the tree system to find that specific door to open.

Also it is a convenient NPC which can be part of the story that you do not have to possess to interact with the players. There are many ways to use the avatar but none of them have to be used for the DM who does not want his avatar to be seen at all. It was a design convention that's all.

Derek French, Assistant Producer:

Portals: IP or DNS: Still IP right now. We fully understand that DNS would be the preferrable method, but it just isn't that way right now. And please, don't start posting about "it would take 10 minutes" or "its so simple to do" because you really don't know our codebase.

Sophia Smith, Programmer:

Scaleable encounters: Encounters are scaleable in a few ways:
1) They will match the collective level of the party
2) You can set the difficulty so that once the level of the party has been calculated, the level of the encounter is adjusted up or down.
3) You can choose only to have higher-CR creatures in the list of monsters for your encounter. Since encounters spawn at least one creature, a lower-level party will be able to see that they are not quite ready for this encounter.

Brenon Holmes, Programmer:

Spells and abilities post effects: In BG series, when charm wears off the NPC is hostile (even if he was friendly before). This sort of bugged me--why would he turn hostile? (Remember the little gully dwarf and Raistlin in Dragonlance?--no hostility there) Is NWN (yes, dammit, I know you can script it--I mean the SP campaign) going to fix that?

Well... charm is a rather hostile thing to do... you're invading another person's mind with magicks that will force them to like you... Not a very nice thing to do... NPC's will react (when it wears off) as if you had just slapped them upside the head (ie: Get Angry).

Will failed pick-pocket automatically cause friendly NPC to turn hostile (again, default script, or in SP campaign, or whatever), or must NPCs roll to notice the attempt like in PnP?

There are two rolls in the pick pocket attempt, one to actually perform the pickpocket. Then the second (a contested roll vs the other creature's spot, I believe) is performed to see whether or not the attempt was detected (NOTE: This is independant of the results of the first roll).