Neverwinter Nights Project Update

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(Originally posted by Sylvus Moonbow)

"Neverwinter Nights Project Update

Throughout the last month we have been working hard to ensure that Neverwinter Nights will meet the expectations of gamers everywhere. This has involved refinements to both the content and the code. With our PR campaign once again ramping up, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from us over the coming months. As we don't want to give too much away, however, we'll be starting you off with some simple but tantalizing glimpses of what's still to come.

Programming

The game interface is beginning to take shape, including the character generation process and the major in-game panels such as maps and spell memorization. The interface is a vital component of the project and we are working hard to ensure that it is easy to understand and use. Beyond interface, our interactive combat animation system is almost complete and looking great. Say goodbye to the "Flintstones Boxing" of yesteryear, because we're bringing you a whole new level of combat interaction. Thrusts, parries, and dodges all add up to the intricate ballet that will be combat in Neverwinter Nights. As for the focus of the coming months, we just have the small challenge of implementing the entire 3rd Edition D&D rules set, a high-quality toolset, a DM Client, and a tiny little matching service. Trust me, the pain is worth it. ; )

Art

The art team has been busy defining the look and feel of Neverwinter, across various aspects of the game. The portraits are piling up and I think you'll be pleased with the amount and variety we're making available. Monster and animal models are coming along nicely, with textures and animations being applied at a steady rate. In terms of tiles, City, Rural, Sewer, and Dungeon are all progressing well, with more scheduled for the future. The tiles are looking amazing and we can't wait to show off some of the new content in the coming months. Also, armor pieces are starting to fall into place, interface art is being created, and icons are streaming in at an ever-increasing rate. Little by little, it's starting to look like a game around here.

Design

The Design Team has completed the Implementation Plans and is now making a second pass through them to make sure they're as fun and tight as possible. Narration for the various modules is being written, as are the voice-acting lines for the numerous generic player and non-player voice sets. On the technical side, we're on Design Doc 5.0 now and are continuing to keep the document up to date as more and more things get tweaked and decided. The design on the underlying effect systems for spells, monsters, and items is almost complete and we will soon be ready to begin implementation. We're getting our first taste of the scripting language and, while it has a ways to come before we can start any serious work on plot and combat scripts, we've been very happy with the power and flexibility that the programmers have been building into it. All in all, while we still have a lot of work ahead of us, things are progressing smoothly and staying on track.

Summary

In short, Neverwinter Nights is the game we've all been dreaming of and it's exciting to see it start becoming a eality."