Storm of Zehir first impressions

[MLMarkland]

"Maybe"

"Not"

 

[LeStryfe79]

I wonder if it would be possible to take screenshots of all the 3d environments from an isometric perspective and use them as tiles to create a 2 dimensional nwn2 mod?

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

I say take us back to an updated Goldbox engine for exploring, zoom in to turn based tactical battles, and add in fancy pants dialogue, etc, for the larping crowd. Instawin!

The first thing I found, though I enjoy SoZ and what it is attempting to do, is that the wrong engine was used. The battles cannot really be tactical without a turn based system, and the loading is not what I would call "stellar". As others have said, mow down half of the small places, flesh out several larger dungeons, towns, etc.

 

[LeStryfe79]

RPGs don't have to be turn based, but REAL dnd probably does. NWN has always tried to be a jack of all trades, however, and this makes matters difficult.

 

[Volourn]

"but REAL dnd probably does."

nO.

And, SOZ's problem was not the engine. It wa sjust plain, old fahsion SOZZY aka SHIT. Afterall, MOTB had the same engine yet was supeior in every way including and espicially combat.

 

[Thrasher]

If there were reliable highly auto-customizable auto-pause functions, rtwp would be OK.

As it stands it's too flakey and imprecise to try to time your actions by hitting the pause key at the right time... Rather spastic gameplay.

 

[Volourn]

Autopause is for pussies. And, there is no 'right time' to hit pause. Just do it when you need to. Dumbass.

 

[Thrasher]

Idiot. Actions are lost if you don't time it properly. It's very flakey.

 

[LeStryfe79]

"but REAL dnd probably does."

nO.

And, SOZ's problem was not the engine. It wa sjust plain, old fahsion SOZZY aka SHIT. Afterall, MOTB had the same engine yet was supeior in every way including and espicially combat.

Not sure what dnd you've played, but what I've played was always turn based. I've played some good CRPGs that used dnd mechanics and were in real time, but they really didn't completely simulate the dnd experience. Perhaps you haven't played any PnP? If not, I suggest you do, since it teaches people to be constructive and get along.

 

[theverybigslayer]

The EPIC FAILS of SOZ.

1. I went to the Stoneknive Tribe Cave. I saw a Batiri group. They were waiting for something. I sent forward my sorcerer and he threw a fireball at the Bataris, but the fireball didn't hurt them. I had to make some chit chat with them first.

2. My party, led by my high skill character, couldn't evade a level2 goblin group. So I had to endure 2 loading screens and a meaningless combat.

 

[Shagnak]

The EPIC FAILS of SOZ.

1. I went to the Stoneknive Tribe Cave. I saw a Batiri group. They were waiting for something. I sent forward my sorcerer and he threw a fireball at the Bataris, but the fireball didn't hurt them. I had to make some chit chat with them first.

That happens a lot in the OC as well (haven't played MOTB, so can't comment there).
Each time the conversation has ended in unavoidable combat, so the fact I couldn't get the first nuke in annoyed me somewhat.

 

[Thrasher]

Can you fix that by turning on hardcore settings?

 

[Volourn]

"Perhaps you haven't played any PnP?"

L0LZ

 

[LeStryfe79]

"LOLZ"

Yes.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

My point was, in a nutshell: If you are going to do an old school dungeon crawling game, best get one of the main elements right and engaging. The Rtwp system, especially with the NWN system, is not engaging next to a well thought out system, preferably turn based, with good AI, a nice tactical map to fight on, decent AI and plenty of options.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

The Rtwp system, especially with the NWN system, is not engaging next to a well thought out system, preferably turn based, with good AI, a nice tactical map to fight on, decent AI and plenty of options.

True dat.

Not to mention a lot of the better features of DnD combat simply cannot work in real-time.

 

[Volourn]

Bullshit.

 

[Helton]

My point was, in a nutshell: If you are going to do an old school dungeon crawling game, best get one of the main elements right and engaging. The Rtwp system, especially with the NWN system, is not engaging next to a well thought out system, preferably turn based, with good AI, a nice tactical map to fight on, decent AI and plenty of options.

And at least passable AI.

 

[Qwinn]

My own personal philosophy on game design is that it would be much better to have a game only have 10 really well designed, challenging fights with good AI than a game with lots of long boring monotonous dungeon slogs (whether challenging or not).

A lot of game developers seem to feel differently, though, and seem to feel it's more important to keep interspersing story with combat throughout so the player doesn't get bored. Eh. I disagree. You keep the player from being bored with lots of story by making the story worth reading, IMO. And then those 10 challenging, intelligent fights become memorable.

Qwinn

 

[Thrasher]

Yes, Vogel calls numeroua monotonous flights "trash" encounters that are just fillers. Oblivion suffers from this for 99% (unless you fast travel everywhere).

 

[Crichton]

Can you fix that by turning on hardcore settings?

No, no matter the difficulty setting, AoE magic doesn't hurt neutrals. I think there's a campaign setting that changes that but for all three OC's, neutrals aren't hurt by AoE magic.

I don't have a big problem with it, but my first playthrough of SoZ consisted of (Paladin, Favored Soul, Monk, Cleric) and my 2nd is (Ranger/Favored Soul, Druid, Barbarian, Spirit Shaman). I prefer iron to light shows.

I also like it when there's a nice little discussion before the fight, even if the fight is inevitable. I liked a lot of the early D&D hostile dialog options ("Tektekulay is the son of a kank!") and I even liked the one half-dragon IWD2 pre-battle chat "What else can happen when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?". There are significant problems with this approach in NWN2, from short-term buffs to shapechanging being reversed, but as I said, I don't tend to use that stuff anyway.

The only thing that really bothers me is when you can get close enough to people who hate you, but aren't technically hostile without triggering the convo that it screws up the combat. ToEE had a lot of those; I remember my five person party filing into Alrrem's room and sodomizing him while his bodyguards outside were helpless to assist him. Lareth was the same way, come to think of it.

 

[theverybigslayer]

If you find this area, prepare to get fucked:

I was totally fucked. I killed some Yuan-ti Holy Guardians, made a save and went forward into the next room but the battle became more difficult when my priest instead of casting a Flame Strike, walked away into the opposing direction
I had a savegame, but when I loaded it, Holy Guardians were in the middle of my party!