Project status

Talk about Neversummer 5 with your fellow players.
User avatar
Flailer
-2 Penalty in Daylight
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:54 am
Location: Central Virginia

Project status

Post by Flailer »

For those interested, our Neversummer 5 module will be called 'Shattered Realms'. Discovering why that is will be part of the fun. :)

As it stands now, it consists of over 100 areas (which, again, areas in NWN2 are much larger than NWN1) and consists of about 1.5 gigs of content we've generated so far. This is already about as much content as most PW's in NWN2 have and we're about a quarter of the way through our planned baseline mod. Not to worry though - when released, it'll be released in stages - you won't have to wait for the whole thing to be finished up.

We have about 200 initial creatures and 400 items with many more on the drawing boards. We're using NWNx4 to integrate with a backend database and have some much more advanced database integration this time around.

We have a test server set up (passworded for now of course) and an automated build and deploy system. We'll be using Worldgate to distribute the files and have hosting capability at a colocated facility with a super-fast Internet connection.

We've already incorporated several HAKs into NS5, especially some great tilesets done by the Robinson Workshop folks.

Our team currently consists of 4-6 area devs, 5-6 scripters/database developers, 2-3 item/creature devs, 1-2 NPC/quest devs, and a few utility & general purpose folks.

Behind the scenes, we've got an NS5 development forum where we've hashed things out through thousands of posts and a wiki to organize our development process. Not that that's terribly interesting, but just wanted you to know how much work we've been putting into this. :wink:

We're always on the lookout for talented folks. Particularly:
  • Exterior area developers
  • Interior area developers
  • Talented coders, particularly those with some NWN1/NWN2 experience
  • Graphic artists
  • Creature/NPC designers, particularly those with a good feel for balancing.
If any of these areas interests you and you'd like to see if you could contribute, drop me a PM on the forums.

Hang in there! We're working hard to make this a reality as quickly as possible!
Flailer
NS Developer

None of us is as dumb as all of us.

User avatar
Aarkon Draco
Newbie Helper
Posts: 492
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:32 am

Re: Project status

Post by Aarkon Draco »

was drooling over the screens posted and i must say "OH SNAP!!!!!!!!!" this is gonna be an awesome place to level in and for my own attempts at making some zones i got to step my game up quite a bit. the city sceens look great and the tree city? pic looks incredible.

ok enough praise here are some questions for ya

with more PRCs and base classes how limited are the players choices for the various "factions" tho i hear that factions are out and a new system will be involved in the mod can we get any hints ect on that? especaly thoes of us in guilds thinking of bringing them to NS5. some of this is answered in the posted documentation but not all please elaborate if you can.

Also what of the NW9 prc? since it requires a special feat will this feat requirement be removed for all to enjoy or some other solution for this?

Third ive already asked about this on the MIRC but im shure others would like to know aswell when going from zone to zone we wont be using the world map yes? but more traditional zone to zone ports like NWN1. i think the world map can be ude like a personal map as you exsplore diffrent zones of note appear on it and while you cant travel via it it will make for a easy way to rember how to get to X city or Y location.


finaly the spirit shaman ... this is a wierd class IMO and very mod specific to the mask exspansion as most of their skills involve spirits what plans do you have to deal with this class will some of their abilitys effect any living thing (beings with spirit energy) and not spiretless creatures like zombies constructs and skeletons ( things with out souls ) or will there be a decent ammount of spirits for them to go and level on? and be effective with?

thats enough for now i dont want to burry you with all of my questions just yet ;) great work guys the screens are awesome and i can hardly wait to get goin in thes brave new world.
Balion, Blade of Torm
Blystos Re wrote: "Join the Northern Coalition.
We have Motivational Posters."

User avatar
Flailer
-2 Penalty in Daylight
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:54 am
Location: Central Virginia

Re: Project status

Post by Flailer »

In brief response to your questions, like NS4, some of the PrCs will be restricted to if you choose to join up with certain factions. Some of them would be available to you regardless of your faction. However, all (as far as I can remember) require some 'training' via some prestige class trainers that are scattered about the realm.

And, unlike NS4, we'll be using a HAK in NS5. Since NWN2 requires a large download to connect to the server anyway, we can use the same mechanism that we're distributing that with to include custom content. This pretty much opens the doors to do whatever we'd like - including customizing the heck out of the classes and PrCs.

Tracking progress via the world map is a good idea, however probably not a top priority. You can always use the old school method you use in NS3/4 now as a fallback. :wink: However, the whole click-map pop up GUI panel that the world map infrastructure provides can be a really valuable interface if exploited properly...

Would be interested to see people suggestions on balancing the classes in NWN2 in the Ideas and Suggestions forum. Warlock for example is an iffy class in a PW unless it's substantially altered in our opinion - ranged magic user that requires no rest and dishes out unresistable damage. Problematic.
Flailer
NS Developer

None of us is as dumb as all of us.

User avatar
Terl
Wheres the donation box?
Posts: 189
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Project status

Post by Terl »

Is there going to be anything that will utilize alignment shifts?
So one cannot just pick an alignment to satisfy a class req' and behave in a fashion that contradicts the class and still be able to level. ie; monks and pallys.
He who exercises no forethought but makes light
of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
SunTzu

"God not only plays dice, he throws them in the corner where you can't see them."
-- Stephen William Hawking (b. 1942)--

User avatar
Flailer
-2 Penalty in Daylight
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:54 am
Location: Central Virginia

Re: Project status

Post by Flailer »

In our current thinking, some alignment shifting will be possible, but probably mostly through quests.

Handling alignment shifting by what monsters you kill is cumbersome and open to a lot of abuse potentially. Doing alignment shifting in order to allow you to build a tweaked out char that doesn't make sense won't be in there. But, handling implications for your actions we're going to try for.
Flailer
NS Developer

None of us is as dumb as all of us.

User avatar
Terl
Wheres the donation box?
Posts: 189
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Project status

Post by Terl »

Wasn't really thinking about the monster side but the killing/looting/PP'ing of people/NPC's of like alignments.
Like a LG type person being less likely to kill another LG type versus an Evil type doing the same.
He who exercises no forethought but makes light
of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
SunTzu

"God not only plays dice, he throws them in the corner where you can't see them."
-- Stephen William Hawking (b. 1942)--

Blystos Re
PKer
Posts: 1021
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:33 pm
Location: This Is DAERON!!!

Re: Project status

Post by Blystos Re »

Terl wrote:Wasn't really thinking about the monster side but the killing/looting/PP'ing of people/NPC's of like alignments.
Like a LG type person being less likely to kill another LG type versus an Evil type doing the same.
Like maybe an xp penalty?

User avatar
Terl
Wheres the donation box?
Posts: 189
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Project status

Post by Terl »

Thinking more of an alignment shift.
He who exercises no forethought but makes light
of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
SunTzu

"God not only plays dice, he throws them in the corner where you can't see them."
-- Stephen William Hawking (b. 1942)--

User avatar
Aarkon Draco
Newbie Helper
Posts: 492
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:32 am

Re: Project status

Post by Aarkon Draco »

on the warlock .. being not well versed at all on how much we can customize here are some ideas

a mana pool that when resting refills itself and for each blast depending on what shapes and effects are added on it drins x ammount of the pool. with levels and perhaps items the pool can be increased allowing the warlock to go longer without rest. you can also perhaps have it regen naturaly over time thus small encounters can be done easly but large long encounters require the warlock to rest after.

another option is a material requirement prolly a buyable one for basic blasts and up to lesser (2nd tier) effects and somewhat common drops for the greater and dark effects sort of like ammo for a archer.

however having played a warlock in the OC yes they have unlimited blasts but there is no way to quicken these and you get one per round period. with their limited hp its rather easy to take said warlock out somewhat quickly where as mages sorc cleric and druids have alot more protection based spells they can use the warlock has only a select fiew this is their weakness along with the time it takes for each blast to be shot. perhaps only limit the upper effects greater and dark ones to some sort of limitation based on rest or found "ammo" even then higer level enemys can take some time to kill with a warlock the epic gnolls for ex in the mask exspansion the red wizzie was killing them way faster than my pure warlock ( random numbers can be a pain)

i see the warlock as a support caster rather than a uber nuker like the other caster classes this should be kept in mind when trying to balance them.

im intrigued by the notion of having to seek out a trainer for PrCs special missions and quests to qualify for the PrC sounds great and makes more sense than just taking the level in said PrC. on the alignment shifts while i can see them in one way i can also see them abused in another i hope we wont see pally bards ect running around ( yes its a awesome combo but such cheese is not ment to be ) and their are other ways of creating a build similar to that without having the shift bard divine champion for ex.

oh one thing thats bugged me since mask came out .. are we going to fix the gensai to our style of them? IE different favored classes for them fixed stats to our style? the ECLs for the most part are spot on IMO tho drow should be a 3ECL and druegar a 2ECL but the rest seem fair.

Hope that helps give you some ideas if you want more just ask. ;)
Balion, Blade of Torm
Blystos Re wrote: "Join the Northern Coalition.
We have Motivational Posters."

Blystos Re
PKer
Posts: 1021
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:33 pm
Location: This Is DAERON!!!

Re: Project status

Post by Blystos Re »

Terl wrote:Thinking more of an alignment shift.
Like Aarkon said, it leaves a lot of room to create builds that would be pretty un-balancing. Like taking the current Githzerai and making a Monk/Bard, as a milder example, or Paladin/Assassin.

I mean, I'm sure there are other methods of keeping you from cross-classing in any dangerous ways, but the work involved becomes more and more intense trying to tighten something down that NS4 currently does ok without.

Don't get me wrong, and Earth Gen Fighter/Paladin would rock, as would a Gith Monk/Bard/AA. :twisted: ...but they seem more on the uber side of things.

User avatar
Terl
Wheres the donation box?
Posts: 189
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Project status

Post by Terl »

I wasn't thinking along the lines of an alignment shift benefiting the build but penalizing it when you engage in certain behavior. As most know it is considerably harder to become lawful or good once that is lost. Maybe since NS5 is using haks maybe a hak to nullify abilities of a class no longer observing its alignment so a pally would lose the pally abilities if no longer LG. This would prevent the assassin/pally, bard/pally and the monk/bard.
He who exercises no forethought but makes light
of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
SunTzu

"God not only plays dice, he throws them in the corner where you can't see them."
-- Stephen William Hawking (b. 1942)--

Daltorias
Noob
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:41 pm

Re: Project status

Post by Daltorias »

What game clients will be required to play NS5? Just the NWN2 game and the downloaded content? Or will we need to also have the "Mask of the betrayer" expansion?

User avatar
Flailer
-2 Penalty in Daylight
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:54 am
Location: Central Virginia

Re: Project status

Post by Flailer »

Yeah - we're already using Mask of the Betrayer content in the mod. It's honestly too good to pass up...
Flailer
NS Developer

None of us is as dumb as all of us.

Amoenotep
Lord DM Supreme
Posts: 4717
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:09 pm
Location: in the mists of eternity

Re: Project status

Post by Amoenotep »

ns5 is being built with the latest and best...something ns4 didn't benefit from until it was too late. the way nwn2 is setup..the whole mod needs to be hak'd. so expect new and wonderful things from ns that you've always dreamed but couldn't be done..........a wonder to behold!
Mask, Lord of the Shadows
Gruumsh, One-Eye
amoenotep@hotmail.com
----------------------------------
Image

User avatar
Aarkon Draco
Newbie Helper
Posts: 492
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:32 am

Re: Project status

Post by Aarkon Draco »

beholders with wonds of wonder ... what? :P
Balion, Blade of Torm
Blystos Re wrote: "Join the Northern Coalition.
We have Motivational Posters."

Locked

Return to “NS5 General Discussion”