What it says on the title.
Trailers and screenshots here (http://www.geeknative.com/38344/dungeons-dragons-neverwinter-mmo-trailers/).
I'm not really in the market for a new MMO -- shit, it's been almost two weeks since I've last logged in on WoW --, but I do have a soft spot for the Realms as the one true setting of D&D videogames. Neverwinter in particular, since the 2002 Neverwinter Nights game was what I was playing during a tabletop gaming drought of sorts.
Meh. Looks more like WoW than D&D to me so... *shrug*
I played a good bit of it last year, was lots of fun--sure, there are WoW influences, but the graphics at least had a different look and it seemed to be a bit more third person friendly.
As an added bonus, a game "Based on 4e" that uses the words of 4e but with dramatically different meanings (such as a "daily" you could use several times a day) seemed hearty poetic justice.
Quote from: Benoist;637660Meh. Looks more like WoW than D&D to me so... *shrug*
We don't want our RPGs to look like MMOs, why should we expect our MMOs to look like RPGs? ;)
On a more serious note, one of the (very few) things DDO: Stormreach used to do better than WoW was implementing (even iof half-heartedly) non-combat challenges like traps and puzzles in its dungeons. Legend of Grimrock it ain't, but it's a start. Here's hoping Neverwinter builds on this, but for some reason I don't think it's likely.
I was curious to see what people's impressions on it were who have managed to play in beta
I have been in two betas for neverwinter.
I like it, and it has potential. It will have tools included that allow players to create their own game content.
However, it plans to go live with only 6 classes.
That little detail is EPIC FAIL.
But the game is fun to play.
Quote from: Bill;640393However, it plans to go live with only 6 classes.
That little detail is EPIC FAIL.
Depends on how many moving parts each of these classes is giving the player to play with.
Casuals like me will hit Noxxic and use the build they give as the best. But give the hardcore CharOp crowd enough toys and they'll be entertained for a long, long time. Rift: Planes of Telara might be proof of this: four classes, each with a dozen or so talent trees. And the character-tinkering types love it, or so I'm told.
Quote from: Bill;640393I have been in two betas for neverwinter.
I like it, and it has potential. It will have tools included that allow players to create their own game content.
Staying true to the franchise and having player content is huge. I still play Neverwinter Nights I is some old AD&D modules.
QuoteHowever, it plans to go live with only 6 classes.
That little detail is EPIC FAIL.
.
I disagree. Each class seems to have plenty of options. D&D did just fine for a very long time with only a half dozen or so classes. And seeing as how I'm positive new classes will be added in short order, I don't think it's fail at all. Looking at the screen grab of class selection, and it looks like there will be 9 classes to choose from soon.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;640489Staying true to the franchise and having player content is huge. I still play Neverwinter Nights I is some old AD&D modules.
I disagree. Each class seems to have plenty of options. D&D did just fine for a very long time with only a half dozen or so classes. And seeing as how I'm positive new classes will be added in short order, I don't think it's fail at all. Looking at the screen grab of class selection, and it looks like there will be 9 classes to choose from soon.
Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed playing the beta. It's fun.
But they need more classes, and more importantly, more options within each class desperately.
Lots of players will be quite pissed when they discover you can't have a ranger. or a fighter with a bow. or a druid. or a cleric that uses mace and shield. or a sorceror.
I think the next class to be added is a warlock.
Quote from: Bill;641975Lots of players will be quite pissed when they discover you can't have a ranger. or a fighter with a bow. or a druid. or a cleric that uses mace and shield. or a sorceror.
Okay, this is bad. Not having a mace-and-shield cleric in a
D&D video game is probably a no-sell for me, honest. And the ranger/hunter/archer archetype is huge with MMO players.
Quote from: The Butcher;642091Okay, this is bad. Not having a mace-and-shield cleric in a D&D video game is probably a no-sell for me, honest. And the ranger/hunter/archer archetype is huge with MMO players.
I have followed Cryptic games since City of Heroes. I like their games and could be called a fanboy.
Coh, Champions, Startrek, now Neverwinter.
They will add classes as soon as they are able.
But some damage will be done not having more at the start.
One potentially amazing feature of Neverwinter is the Forge.
You can make your own game content.
Quote from: The Butcher;642091Okay, this is bad. Not having a mace-and-shield cleric in a D&D video game is probably a no-sell for me, honest. And the ranger/hunter/archer archetype is huge with MMO players.
The main reason why the ranger/archer is so huge is because there is, always, a problem with the AI, somewhere in the game, that allows for l33t powerleveling.
The first Neverwinter was the best one for online play. The second one had quite decent graphics (grand improvement over first one, which had dated graphics even for it's time - though that is/was also a plus, as even most rusty machines could play multiplayer without dying in smoke), but it had this odd thing where you had to store server files also locally, as well as strone files for the module - while the genius of original Neverwinter was, that if the module hosted had no hackpacks (custom content, usually graphic), there needn't be any download.
And at later times, people really did wonders in regard to scripting & custom overrides.
And of course, creme da creme of it - ridiculously easy to use DM client. I learned a lot while both playing and DMing in NWN as a wee lad. Sadly, it seems that only Persistant Worlds live now (which are really quite good though, I must admit, they are usually focused on Player versus Player conflict and sandbox&story), and the once - grand community is mostly dead. As I wrote these words, I went on one of the old pages, the one that was -the- lifeblood of Neverwinter, and seeing it completely dead brought a certain shiver to my heart. To see that page, once lively with weekly campaigns, one shots, new campaigns, bustling in colours of various announcements, now dead...
*sighs* End of an era. *raises a bottle of gin for one last drink*
Edit: Oh hey, I found the podcast's episode with me :D. Listen to my...I think 19? Years old voice. I don't think I said very wise things. And god, you could cut stone with my accent.
http://www.nwnpodcast.com/nwnp/2008/07/25/nwnp-episode-64-arek32-aka-matt/
Quote from: Bill;642215One potentially amazing feature of Neverwinter is the Forge.
You can make your own game content.
I somewhat doubt it'd be the class of first NWN, especially since this is supposed to be an MMO in a way - there were even D20 Modern modifications, that actually worked.
Edit2: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9878-Neverwinter-Nevermore.2 This article has some really decent points.
Beta weekend 4 opens tomorrow I think
Quote from: Rincewind1;645142The first Neverwinter was the best one for online play. The second one had quite decent graphics (grand improvement over first one, which had dated graphics even for it's time - though that is/was also a plus, as even most rusty machines could play multiplayer without dying in smoke), but it had this odd thing where you had to store server files also locally, as well as strone files for the module - while the genius of original Neverwinter was, that if the module hosted had no hackpacks (custom content, usually graphic), there needn't be any download.
And at later times, people really did wonders in regard to scripting & custom overrides.
And of course, creme da creme of it - ridiculously easy to use DM client. I learned a lot while both playing and DMing in NWN as a wee lad. Sadly, it seems that only Persistant Worlds live now (which are really quite good though, I must admit, they are usually focused on Player versus Player conflict and sandbox&story), and the once - grand community is mostly dead. As I wrote these words, I went on one of the old pages, the one that was -the- lifeblood of Neverwinter, and seeing it completely dead brought a certain shiver to my heart. To see that page, once lively with weekly campaigns, one shots, new campaigns, bustling in colours of various announcements, now dead...
*sighs* End of an era. *raises a bottle of gin for one last drink*
Edit: Oh hey, I found the podcast's episode with me :D. Listen to my...I think 19? Years old voice. I don't think I said very wise things. And god, you could cut stone with my accent.
http://www.nwnpodcast.com/nwnp/2008/07/25/nwnp-episode-64-arek32-aka-matt/
I somewhat doubt it'd be the class of first NWN, especially since this is supposed to be an MMO in a way - there were even D20 Modern modifications, that actually worked.
Edit2: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9878-Neverwinter-Nevermore.2 This article has some really decent points.
Cryptic had design your own content in City of Heroes as well, so they should be good at it by now. Time will tell if it is as good as the old neverwinter tools.
My impressions of the game so far?
I don't like the interface. The buttons for your abilities are right next to the ones you use for movement, and the mouse is locked to your looking direction, so you can't just use the mouse to click on an ability like you could with WoW or Guild Wars. When you're movement keys are WASD and your power keys are q, e, 1, etc, it's easy to accidentally use the wrong power at the wrong time.
I also think it's a huge mistake to only have one zone to start from. Having multiple zones ala WoW is a big deal for wanting to try out new races, etc because otherwise I'd get REALLY bored playing the same quests over and over any time I wanted a new class or race.
Quote from: Bill;645250Cryptic had design your own content in City of Heroes as well, so they should be good at it by now. Time will tell if it is as good as the old neverwinter tools.
That is rather impossible. There are games countable on one hand, that have design tools as good and easy to use as NWN did. And since this custom content will have to fit with the MMO superserver, it'll be but a hollow shadow of what once was.
Quote from: Rincewind1;645472That is rather impossible. There are games countable on one hand, that have design tools as good and easy to use as NWN did. And since this custom content will have to fit with the MMO superserver, it'll be but a hollow shadow of what once was.
I played an early custom foundry quest yesterday. One that used the same public map location (ie. not a private instance) of an area where I had other quests. It was interesting how they handled it. All the NPCs and mobs you'd find normally in the area were not there, and only the ones that were part of your particular custom foundry quest you were doing. I have to say it actually worked fairly well in that regard, as I was able to play the custom quest pretty seamlessly and it felt like a regular part of the game.
I figure once I get a chance to really dig into the Forge, I will be able to assess how good it is. It looks promising.