[Jazhara7]

Originally Posted by Crunchy in milk

I keep tryingto play the single player OC (all the way through for a second time) but I always drop out around chapter 2/3.

I must have done chapter one so many times.

So this time I just started at chapter 3. And to spark a little more interest I knocked up my own outfits in the toolset with some robe and head models I downloaded from IGN's nwvault. A bit of a Jade Empire influence.




I'm particularly fond of the samurai like armor. The OHS system still rocks,letting me make my own party (above) and I'm using a 3.5 edition rules override mod that removes some of the restrictions in the NWN system, ups the enemy difficulty and brings some neat feat changes like multiple undead summons for palemaster armies, spell sneak attacks for rogue/magic users and a favourite of mine, better support for the dirty fighting feat for higher level characters.

I must be really tired, because for some 2 minutes I was trying to zoom in on the characters to see them better, by the use of my mouse wheel. Only after some time did I remember that I am not actually looking at a scene inside the game itself...

I just met Asheena, and am continuing at a good pace. If you know who she is, you know where I am.


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[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by Jazhara7

was trying to zoom in on the characters to see them better

Here you go

The little bronze dragon isn't working out for me (not enough animations) and it doesn't really fit the monk/sorcerer/palemaster build so I'm heading back to the toolset to make another guy. Something like a Lotus Assassin which fits the character class perfectly. I love Baldur's Hauberks. If it turns out I'll post a screenshot. I'm liking the toolset more than the game right now

[samIamsad]

Looking good! The OC is okay.. I have to play HOTU someday. I'm now playing Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher/Demon.. that's ((almost)) Torment material, it is (I'm exaggerating a bit ). Of course on a much, much smaller scale and such. Still, incredibly well done for an user made campaign. Henchmen that actually have some life to them (possible romances included of course ), cool quests, ingame cutscenes... WAY better than the OC, that's for sure. There are some pop culture references integrated into the plot, but it's often good for a laugh or two. Like a Pythonesque encounter with a creature called Candyman. "It's only a flesh wound.."

[RLacey]

You guys are making me want to play Neverwinter Nights when I get home. Which is very strange, because this D&D setting tends to bore me ...

[samIamsad]

What setting?

This? Or perhaps this? Even this, maybe? Or what about this? This, even? Mr. Lacey, me thinks you sooooo don't get this game.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

What setting?

This? Or perhaps this? Even this, maybe? Or what about this? This, even? Mr. Lacey, me thinks you sooooo don't get this game.

OK, I admit defeat. I'm stealing my brother's copy when I get home.

[Jazhara7]

SamIamsad, if you are still reading this, here is how I deafeated the two dragons (I had the problem with the Fear too):

Spoiler:

First of all, get yourself the Mighty Belt of the Guiding Light ("Mächtiger Gürtel des Wegweisenden Lichts"), because it gives you Immunity against Fear - You can get one from Eltoora Sarptyl, in the Cloaktower ("Mantelturm" - Ich glaube so heisst der). It's a bit on the expensive side, but it's worth every Goldpiece in this fight.

Then stock up on Potions of Heal ("Trank: Heilung") - And if I say "stock up", I mean buy a whole wagonload of them. I must have used up more than 20 Potions of Heal, just to defeat the Silverdragon (he's more difficult than the Copperdragon, though). Place the potions into the visible Quick-use slot. Then get into the fray! Attack, Use the points at latest when you are down to half your HP, and occasionally teleport back to the temple.

The fight was quite long, but in the end I managed to defeat both the dragons (and I had set it on Easy difficulty, too). And that's no small task for a Half-Elven Rogue/Ranger Chick, isn't it? It should be easier for your fighter Chick to defeat them.

You might also want to use some other potions occasionally. Blessing, Support, Haste, Dexterity, and Barkskin were the ones I usually used.

Also: Toi, toi, toi!

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[samIamsad]

Thanks Jaz! I'm gonna try again, once I finished (see above). He who made these modules taught the NWN engine stuff you didn't even know it would able to pull off. (Even mini-games..... and they're not Simon Says either).

[samIamsad]

Uhhhh....... Interesting.

[Jazhara7]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

Uhhhh....... Interesting.

Well, had they played "Maths Blasters" and the like instead of playing Tomb Raider, they wouldn't have had those problems now.

You say they didn't have that back then? Well, that's not my problem. They could still use their LÃœK-Kasten! Those were fun too!


By the way, how's the fight going?


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[Jazhara7]

Right now I am playing the expansion "Shadows of Undrentide", and I noticed that I love it even more than the original campaign.


I loved the atmosphere while still in the Academy. Even though people treated Joellin a bit special ("Ah, you are nearly finished. I still have years to study.", etc.), it still felt a bit like a family. I actually thought for a while, that there really would be a Graduation party (silly me )! However, later that atmosphere was lost. It was still fun, but you didn't really feel at home, more like a stranger (seriously, did they lock the students in the Academy until they are finished? That's kind of silly, if you ask me.). And even though it's nice to be known and praised as a hero, it gets boring quickly to always be known by your name, but not by who you are.

In SoU, it's different. You start in a school, yes. It gets attacked, but that's quickly fought off with the help of your fellow students. These students are your first possible companions (well, two of the three). The school is set in the small village of Hilltop, where your teacher Drogan and his student are known. And not known as heroes (okay, maybe Drogan is known as a kind of hero), but known as a person. The village is small, and basically every one knows every one. When you free the cook of the local tavern from being a hostage, you are praised, but still treated as that-nice-student-from-that-school-up-the-street (they actually say "You saved Mara! Well done, Sharillin!"). The children know your name, and are kind of wide-eyed at times, as children tend to be. But mainly because they see someone who has adventured, and makes them dream (Or sometimes asking if the child's sister is correct when she says that he [the child] looks like a kobold when angry).

I hope this atmosphere does not change too much as the game progresses. I know that probably the people will start seeing you as a hero. But I hope that Bioware stayed realistic, and remembered that whatever a person does, and however many heroic deeds you do, people that knew that person will not forget the past, and not forget how once at that Sports Day of your sister, you fell into a large muddy puddle, and thereby gained the nickname "Mudmonster" (oh, and they won't shy back from telling such things to other people, which were unfortunately not present to witness the event. But that's why god gave us photography. ).

Okay, so I am playing an elf, and with the standard adventuring age of 120 I'm older than anyone's grandparent in town, but my character certainly lived for several years in town, and I doubt that *any* character of mine would ever live a life of grace and perfection - au contraire, I insist that any character of mine must have had at least 5 strange-experiences-that-you-will-later-laugh-about, be goofy, and spunky.


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[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by Jazhara7

Right now I am playing the expansion "Shadows of Undrentide", and I noticed that I love it even more than the original campaign.

I enjoyed SOU as well. I too appreciated the more 'homey' feel to it...

##Minor spoiler about the ending:

Spoiler:

it almost made up for the "save the world" confrontation inevitable at the end of Bioware games.

As for the henchmen in SOU. They're great because they have ambition, and they even occasionally talk about the adventure you're on. Unlike the henchmen in the OC who hardly discuss the events of the game until the very end. Happy to bore you for the most part with staggered press releases of their past with the occasional shopping list quest (get me some milk, eggs and the hair of a nymph while you're out will you darling?).

##Minor spoiler about picking henchmen:

Spoiler:

I'm not sure if it was because I had HOTU installed or the OHS system but at SOU's intermission I was able to take one of the NPCs from Hilltop, as well as Deekin at the same time. I don't recommend this because the floor triggers in the levels prompt only the first NPC in your party list to chat with you so you may not hear everything your henchmen have to say. At the end of the intermission whoever is first up the ramp behind you is the NPC the game picks to let you take through the last chapter. So I recommend picking only one henchman and sticking with them from start to finish. If you find Deekin annoying, do give him a try in HOTU. He really comes of age in Hordes and is the funniest NPC by far, especially his one-two conversations with the NPCs you pick up in Chapter 2 of HOTU.

I expect Bioware will announce their new premium module(s) soon, I rather enjoyed Pirates of the Coast, which I plan to play again after the OC.

[RLacey]

Ooh, Atari have released the DVD edition in the UK with three premium modules and the expansions (at least, it's appeared on Amazon).

When that appears in the "New & Used" section I might buy my own copy, rather than nicking my brother's .

[seebaruk]

Just picked up the deluxe edition from Game, with the original and the 2 expansions for just £15, if you fancy getting a copy RLacey.

Started as a fighter focusing on the katana, seems to be doing great so far but hope she's gonna be alright when I get into the game properly. Anyone got any hints for which feats and skills to give her?

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by seebaruk

Just picked up the deluxe edition from Game, with the original and the 2 expansions for just £15, if you fancy getting a copy RLacey.

Well, I'm nicking my brother's when I get home. So you didn't get the £25 new release with the downloadable expansions too?

[seebaruk]

Originally Posted by RLacey

Well, I'm nicking my brother's when I get home. So you didn't get the £25 new release with the downloadable expansions too?

Good plan, saves some cash! It hasn't got the downloadable expansions, just the main 2. Just started chapter 1, hoping the pace picks up a bit now that the training stuffs over.

[samIamsad]

Is this party STILL going.......

@Jaz: Still haven't finished the OC (and beaten the dragons).

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

Is this party STILL going.......

Who's up for a multiplayer game over Christmas?

[samIamsad]

Originally Posted by RLacey

Who's up for a multiplayer game over Christmas?

That's a great idea, actually! I'm sure my bro is busy drinking during the holidays (he's the one with the DSL connection over here...).

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by samIamsad

That's a great idea, actually! I'm sure my bro is busy drinking during the holidays (he's the one with the DSL connection over here...).

Excellent. Now we need Jaz to get over her fear of multiplayer, and to get seebaruk in. Oh, and I need to actually play the game so that I can start with a character that isn't Level 1 ...