Neverwinter Nights Online. (Cryptic Studios)

[Xilren's Twin]

Also, shameless plug: my first foundry quest should be available if anyone wants to take a look. Name is "March of the Destroyer", or you can find it by searching for @zaphtastic (don't ask). Feel free to put random f13 injokes on the ingame review form!

Played through you quest this morning with my lvl 6 control wizard.  I thought it was nicely done, and i especially liked when i intentionally explored away from the golden path there was stuff to see and do.  Nice use of various skills in the interaction dialogues and the triggered event after the "boss fight".  Even the little things like renaming the various mobs to make them consistent with the story theme is the kind of attention to detail which others are not exercising.

Without spoiling it for anyone else, were there 'better or diffent' outcomes from some of the choices below?  Just curious.

[Malakili]

The gameplay actually feels quite a bit like Smite (The 3rd person MOBA from Hi-Res) if that gives anyone an idea.  At the end of the day though, the fact that this is a Dungeons and Dragons IP is my main interest.  I could see playing this for a month or two based on the decent combat mechanics and the fact that I'm a big D&D player.  If you have no investment in the IP, I think that this would lose a lot.

[Gets]

Personally, I am not jawing yet even though I think it would be extremely easy to do it considering the overall product. But "different", really? Different how? I am asking because I could use some "different" in order to maintain interest (and I want to, otherwise I would have uninstalled already).

It's about as different as changing the order of how you put your socks on in the morning.

[Numtini]

I rolled a Cleric for giggles. I realized they were nothing but piss-weak ranged casters with even worse heals. I immediately deleted it.

In the 20 or so years I've played D&D, I have never, ever, ever played a Cleric who did not at least occasionally hit something with a blunt instrument. Am disappoint.

Just to clarify, is the cleric a gimped class or just not what you were looking for?

[Zetor]

For anyone who is interested in messing around with The Foundry, you can access it from the character select page and load into it and mess around even without waiting for a queue.  I did it for a bit.  As someone who did a LOT with the NWN toolset, this is very very limited, but it might be possible to do a fair amount too once I get the hang of it.  The dialog tree stuff actually looks fairly robust, so it might be possible to do some interest non-combat stuff.

Yes, the toolset is very powerful. But, like I said, don't expect your creations to actually get played if the ingame browser and rating system stay as they are right now.

I played your Foundry mission and subscribed to...you...or however its done.  I liked it.  Only complaint would be that there was a lot of "dead space".  Lots of walking before getting to the action.

Thanks! Yeah, I've been thinking about the dead space myself. I did try to put a trap or weak enemy spawn in each hallway/room, but from a story standpoint it makes sense that most of the baddies are hanging out in the final room. Ultimately, when we get the option to use 'DM Notes' (basically raid warning text that pops up when the player reaches a point / uses an item / etc), I'll use that to spice things up a bit.

Also, shameless plug: my first foundry quest should be available if anyone wants to take a look. Name is "March of the Destroyer", or you can find it by searching for @zaphtastic (don't ask). Feel free to put random f13 injokes on the ingame review form!

Played through you quest this morning with my lvl 6 control wizard.  I thought it was nicely done, and i especially liked when i intentionally explored away from the golden path there was stuff to see and do.  Nice use of various skills in the interaction dialogues and the triggered event after the "boss fight".  Even the little things like renaming the various mobs to make them consistent with the story theme is the kind of attention to detail which others are not exercising.

Without spoiling it for anyone else, were there 'better or diffent' outcomes from some of the choices below?  Just curious.

Thanks, yo!

[Merusk]

It's different

Personally, I am not jawing yet even though I think it would be extremely easy to do it considering the overall product. But "different", really? Different how? I am asking because I could use some "different" in order to maintain interest (and I want to, otherwise I would have uninstalled already).

1) Not tab-targeted
2) Not a mess of keybinds
3) People are responsible for their own healing
4) It's not using the EQ/ WoW/ AAA-MMO DIKU plan for content
5) Doesnt' require a sub or a box fee.
6) I'm currently amused by some of the systems
7) "Different" can also mean it's a new game system around the same old rule system. Which - hey -  it is!  I don't whine about shooters being "blow thousands of NPCs away" at their core, why do it for a DIKU?

While there may be other games *you* have played that fit some of those, they didn't catch my eye so I didn't play them.  TSW and GW2 looked boring to me from the get-go so I didn't try them.  Never will, most likely.

I've also *never* been one of those pining for a virtual world.  Ever.  I don't care. I have a world to live in, when I want to I live there.   If I want a virtual world I'll play Minecraft which is *the* virtual world right now.  I'm looking for a game. get in, play around, get out and no additional bullshit.  This has a lot of it.

I rolled a Cleric for giggles. I realized they were nothing but piss-weak ranged casters with even worse heals. I immediately deleted it.

In the 20 or so years I've played D&D, I have never, ever, ever played a Cleric who did not at least occasionally hit something with a blunt instrument. Am disappoint.

Just to clarify, is the cleric a gimped class or just not what you were looking for?

Probably not what he was looking for.  I'm having no problems at 30 as a cleric.

[Draegan]

I played a GWF in the little time I had last night to level 7. Kind of boring. For some reason I need some special effects.

I think I might have to roll a cleric.

[Lantyssa]

It's the best game Cryptic has put out since splitting with CoH.  Not ground-breaking, but decent enough.

[Shannow]

Tried this out last night and was somewhat entertained. However not being all that familar with modern day MMORPGs is there any room to get out and explore and find stuff that doesn't feel like its 'quest on rails?'...Mind you I was bitterly dissapointed I couldn't start in the Dalelands...I saw Myth Drannor pop up and almost lost it in nerdgasm..

[Fabricated]

How good is the Foundry compared to previous "make your own content" attempts?

[Zetor]

How good is the Foundry compared to previous "make your own content" attempts?

I haven't tried the STO foundry yet, but compared to the COH Mission Architect, it has a lot of new features. You can hand-place mobs, set patrol paths, and customize them pretty heavily. You can do the same with NPCs (to simulate bar patrons moving around and stuff). There is a dialogue system with branching and skill check (basically class check) as well as quest item-driven conditions to hide/show dialogue options. There's a trigger system for spawning/removing objects (both enemies and parts of the scenery) after selecting a dialog option, reaching a certain point, killing an enemy group, etc. There's a way to implement quest items with descriptions (they take up actual backpack space though). There are teleporters, traps, instant-killing endless pits, and similar dungeon stuff... you can also use a pretty big library of objects to build a kobold sewer, a jumping puzzle in a cave, or a village. There are even FX like fading out the screen and such.

Like I said before, the Foundry is pretty good for a MMO content creation system. The biggest problem with it isn't the capabilities of the editor itself... but rather what happens when you take such a system and put it in a f2p MMO. I linked my mad bomber manifesto a few pages back, but the results are... not pretty, whether you're a player or an author.

[Fabricated]

How good is the Foundry compared to previous "make your own content" attempts?

I haven't tried the STO foundry yet, but compared to the COH Mission Architect, it has a lot of new features. You can hand-place mobs, set patrol paths, and customize them pretty heavily. You can do the same with NPCs (to simulate bar patrons moving around and stuff). There is a dialogue system with branching and skill check (basically class check) as well as quest item-driven conditions to hide/show dialogue options. There's a trigger system for spawning/removing objects (both enemies and parts of the scenery) after selecting a dialog option, reaching a certain point, killing an enemy group, etc. There's a way to implement quest items with descriptions (they take up actual backpack space though). There are teleporters, traps, instant-killing endless pits, and similar dungeon stuff... you can also use a pretty big library of objects to build a kobold sewer, a jumping puzzle in a cave, or a village. There are even FX like fading out the screen and such.

Like I said before, the Foundry is pretty good for a MMO content creation system. The biggest problem with it isn't the capabilities of the editor itself... but rather what happens when you take such a system and put it in a f2p MMO. I linked my mad bomber manifesto a few pages back, but the results are... not pretty, whether you're a player or an author.

Neat. I did one of the featured modules, and it was actually pretty cool. A bit of a talky-RP puzzle where you need to figure out which room in an inn belongs to an NPC you're looking for...rogues can just break into the rooms with varying results, you can steal liquor for a drunken rogue to figure it out, or do some sleuthing by talking up the inn patrons. Then it's pretty much following breadcrumbs through roaming packs of enemies until you find the NPC.

I was reasonably impressed. Hopefully they improve tilesets/cinematic capabilities. If someone could break down the more traditional NWN1 modules into bite-sized quest chains that would be pretty kickass. I'm not expecting Honor Among Thieves (which was entirely scripted by hand with no hack packs- and had NPCs with shedules, day/night transitions, a massively open ended plot, etc), but if someone could produce something like...Elegia Eternum minus the custom voice acting that would own pretty hard.

[Ironwood]

Eurofag servers or not ?  And, if not, where are the bulk of you hanging out ?

(Apart from the belly area.)

[Ginaz]

Eurofag servers or not ?  And, if not, where are the bulk of you hanging out ?

(Apart from the belly area.)

I haven't see any Euro specific servers so I don't know if there are any and I'm playing on the Dragon server.

[Signe]

I dl'd it and make a character on a server that starts with an M.  It might be a W.  Anyway, does this game make your keyboard lighting go bonkers?  My lights are going off and on, mostly off, and so is the little square bit surrounding my laptop buttons.  Is that called something?  Well, this has never happened to me before.  Either it's the game doing it or the game buggered up my laptop lights!  It's almost just like Tera, this game, no?  The controls and all that.  Tera is prettier.  Let me know which server everyone is going to go Bat Country on... I'm only level 1 so far so re-rolling won't be a hardship.   

[Phred]

It's the best game Cryptic has put out since splitting with CoH.  Not ground-breaking, but decent enough.

This. Compared to their other offerings this is far better.

[Signe]

Never mind.  Somehow, my clumsy self disabled all my computer shinies.  So far at level one, this game is great.  There are little sparklies showing where to go.  It reminds me of that game with the sign, "To Monsters".  Name slips my mind.

[Rasix]

Horizons.

[Draegan]

I dl'd it and make a character on a server that starts with an M.  I

Mindflayer

[Lantyssa]

Eurofag servers or not ?  And, if not, where are the bulk of you hanging out ?

I'm on Mindflayer.  Not that I talk or group with anyone, ever.

We are looking for two more people to get our private guild started.  We might be tempted to let someone we know stay and use it, too, if they're known individuals.  Mainly I want the extra bank space.

[Zetor]

I'm on Dragon (the Foundry Alpha folks chose that server at headstart), but I don't actually PLAY my char much at all, so it probably doesn't matter too much.

[Merusk]

I'm on Dragon, too.

[Ingmar]

Eurofag servers or not ?  And, if not, where are the bulk of you hanging out ?

I'm on Mindflayer.  Not that I talk or group with anyone, ever.

We are looking for two more people to get our private guild started.  We might be tempted to let someone we know stay and use it, too, if they're known individuals.  Mainly I want the extra bank space.

I can probably help with this once I get around to installing. Maybe I'll set it to download during practice tonight.

[koro]

I rolled a Cleric for giggles. I realized they were nothing but piss-weak ranged casters with even worse heals. I immediately deleted it.

In the 20 or so years I've played D&D, I have never, ever, ever played a Cleric who did not at least occasionally hit something with a blunt instrument. Am disappoint.

Just to clarify, is the cleric a gimped class or just not what you were looking for?

Not what I'm looking for. I play Clerics to bash skulls in heavy armor while healing my allies. Being a WoW Priest in chainmail is a no-go for me.

[Signe]

Horizons.

That's it!  The sign was my favourite bit of the game.  

So the NWN city lag kicked my ass.    I turned everything down low, which I shouldn't have to do, and it was still insanely stuttery.  It started making me sea sick so I took a Xanax and now I might take a nap.  Geez.  I need meds to play this game!

[Soln]

Just cause it touched me wrongly... this is nothing like DDO, right?  In any way?

[Ironwood]

I'm not minding this game.  It's rather inoffensive.

However, much like Swotor, it seems to be an always online Single Player game thus far.

Hmmm

[murdoc]

Tried this last night with a buddy - rolled a Thief and him a big sword swinger. Didn't mind it at all. Price is right to have a new world to explore for a couple weeks.

[Rasix]

I'm not minding this game.  It's rather inoffensive.

However, much like Swotor, it seems to be an always online Single Player game thus far.

Hmmm

That's not terrible, especially for free.

[Engels]

I'm on Mindflayer and can accommodate TS communications if needed. I haven't tried out the in game coms yet.

Its a vanilla game with some garden variety MMO stuff that's run by a company that did ok things in the past.

I'm not expecting great things from it, but I stopped expecting great things from MMOs last decade.

[Shannow]

However, much like Swotor, it seems to be an always online Single Player game thus far.

Hmmm

[Threash]

Just cause it touched me wrongly... this is nothing like DDO, right?  In any way?

It is actually a whole lot like DDO.

[Ironwood]

I'm not minding this game.  It's rather inoffensive.

However, much like Swotor, it seems to be an always online Single Player game thus far.

Hmmm

That's not terrible, especially for free.

I said not so.  For free, it is, in fact, rather awesome.

One thing I will say is :  Is this actually what tabletop D&D is like these days with the feats and powers and shit ?  Because while I'm enjoying it in an online game, the idea of tabletop being this turns my guts...

Wife will now try it out, so we are two.

[Merusk]

It's basis is 4th ed D&D.  Back when that book was released the kick-around discussion had here was it looked like a good rule basis for a computer game but a horrible one for P&P.   Seemed to be the consensus during the beta discussions that cropped-up in Neverwinter, too. 

Apparently the upcoming 5th ed is more of a return to traditional D&D but using only additives instead of trying to explain THAC0 to people scared of negative numbers.

[Stormwaltz]

I played a 4e D&D campaign for a while. It took me a while to get over the fact that they'd turned it into a pen & paper WoW clone. Most of the non-combat skills were "streamlined" out, classes were overtly categorized as DPS/Tank/Heal/CC, and the combat mechanics were strongly focused on Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers, tracked using cards... which, at least in our game, get arranged into ersatz hotbars on the table in front of us.

I grant that most of the flavor of a campaign comes from how the DM spins it, but whenever we went into combat it was hard to ignore.