Neverwinter Nights FAQ v4.0 - Gameplay

The mechanics of actually playing the game such as the interface, rules system, plot, setting and what to expect within the game.

2.01	How do I play Neverwinter Nights? Is it single-player or multiplayer?
2.02	How will playing Neverwinter Nights in single-player mode differ from playing in multiplayer mode?
2.03	Role-playing games are very rules-based. What rules will you be using for Neverwinter Nights?
2.04	What kind of setting will you using in the game?
2.05	In what area of the Forgotten Realms will Neverwinter Nights take place?
2.06	Will there be magic?
2.07	Will there be monsters in Neverwinter Nights?
2.08	What about dragons?
2.09	Do I need a Dungeon Master in order to play Neverwinter Nights?
2.10	Is the game in 2D or 3D? What is the game's viewing perspective?
2.11	How tactical of a game is Neverwinter Nights going to be?
2.12	Will Neverwinter Nights use a real-time or a turn-based system?
2.13	How will Neverwinter Nights' real-time combat system work?
2.14	What will the combat animation in Neverwinter Nights look like?
2.15	How will I communicate with non-player characters in Neverwinter Nights?
2.16	What is the quickbar?
2.17	Can I customize the hotkeys and controls?
2.18	When you cast a spell such as magic missile or melf's acid arrow, do you have to aim it?
2.19	Will Neverwinter Nights have support for the hearing impaired?
2.20	What is the official word on climbing, swimming, and horse riding? Will these be added into Neverwinter Nights?

2.01 How do I play Neverwinter Nights? Is it single-player or multiplayer? (Back to Top)

There are many different ways to enjoy Neverwinter Nights and we encourage you to try them all. In its simplest form, you can play Neverwinter Nights right out of the box as a Single-Player Game in the Official Campaign. In true BioWare tradition, the Official Campaign, which represents more than 60 hours of game play, is rich and epic, full of complex characters and surprise plot twists that will keep you glued to your screen until the wee morning hours. The Official Campaign is not limited to a single player. You can have your friends join your adventure at any time and the game will adjust for the larger number.

For all the strength of our single-player game, the world of Neverwinter Nights shines as a deeply engaging Multiplayer Game. We are developing competitive modules, from simple arena matches to treasure races to team-based castle stormings. BioWare will be developing additional modules and material for the Neverwinter Nights Community Site for release after the game ships. More importantly, each and every module in the Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign is written and structured to encourage the cooperative, party-based game play that makes pen-and-paper D&D so rewarding. But remember: just because you've finished our story doesn't mean the game is over.

You can always continue your adventures by downloading exciting new Player-Designed Modules from fan and guild sites and our very own Neverwinter Nights Community Site. Whether you prefer single- or multiplayer games, Neverwinter Nights represents a near-infinite amount of solid, D&D gaming.

Should you ever tire of these more traditional playing styles, there are still many fascinating new ways to enjoy our game: take on the role and responsibility of Dungeon Master and shape the gaming experience of your players on a fundamental level. Bring forth words of wisdom from a dragon's mouth, create entire new quests on the fly, or simply throw an orc tribe in the party's way to buy yourself some time.

Best of all, create your own worlds, tales, and adventures with our user-friendly Aurora Neverwinter Toolset and either host them yourself, make them available for download over the Internet, or establish them as part of a larger, persistent world where people can experience your handiwork around the clock.

2.02 How will playing Neverwinter Nights in single-player mode differ from playing in multiplayer mode? (Back to Top)

The single-player mode of the Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign consists of the same game as the multiplayer version. There are a number of automated features to help balance the game, including the dynamic scaling of combat encounters according the size and relative strength of your party. Solo players will also find it easy to acquire companions whether a henchman, familiar or animal companion. While computer-controlled, these henchmen will still be responsive to a variety of commands issued by the player.

2.03 Role-playing games are very rules-based. What rules will you be using for Neverwinter Nights? (Back to Top)

Neverwinter Nights will be using the new 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset developed by Wizards of the Coast. The initial release of Neverwinter Nights will be based on the rules from the core rule books (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual) and will not include prestige classes, feats or additional material in supplemental source books (i.e. Song and Silence). A popular and long-standing pen-and-paper role-playing game in its own right, Dungeons & Dragons also has an extensive pedigree on the computer. It made its first appearance in the 'gold box' titles of the 1980s and now lies at the heart of some of the most popular and critically acclaimed computer role-playing games of the past few years: Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Planescape: Torment, and Icewind Dale. Building on that success, the new 3rd Edition rules provide a much greater degree of flexibility in creating and developing your character, increase the level of player interaction with the gameworld, and enhance the overall playability and enjoyment of the game. The changes to the pen-and-paper game have been very well received and we're very excited to be bringing the 3rd Edition to a hard drive near you.

2.04 What kind of setting will you be using in the game? (Back to Top)

The Official Campaign for Neverwinter Nights takes place in the Forgotten Realms, Dungeons & Dragons' most popular campaign setting. It is the same setting used for both Icewind Dale and the Baldur's Gate series. It is based very loosely on Europe in the Middle Ages, with a fair number of large and cosmopolitan cities scattered throughout the Realms, some as capitols of larger kingdoms but many as independent city-states forging their own destiny. It is still early in 'The Year of Wild Magic,' 1372 by Dalereckoning, and signs of great portent are already being seen throughout the Realms.

2.05 In what area of the Forgotten Realms will Neverwinter Nights take place? (Back to Top)

The official Neverwinter Nights campaign takes place in the north regions of the Forgotten Realms, along the windswept and rocky coastline of the Sea of Swords. The territory covered by the campaign ranges from the fair city of Neverwinter along the southern edge to historic Luskan along the north. The cities of Baldur's Gate and Athkatla lie far to the south and, in order to reach the fabled towns of Icewind Dale, one must still pass through a treacherous mountain range known as The Spine of the World. But that's just our campaign - the areas you can create using our tilesets have no real bounds. They will include everything necessary to create the area surrounding Neverwinter, including urban centers, forest and grassland terrain, numerous types of dungeons, good and evil castles, rural hamlets, and vast subterranean caverns. We hope to make further tilesets available following our initial release.

2.06 Will there be magic? (Back to Top)

Absolutely. No fantasy roleplaying game would be complete without powerful magic. Our current plans are to implement approximately 200 spells, taken straight from the pages of the new 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Also, many of the items you find over the course of your adventures or create within the toolset will have magical effects and abilities.

2.07 Will there be monsters in Neverwinter Nights? (Back to Top)

Of course and they're a fearsome lot if ever there was one. We are expecting to include roughly 200 monsters in Neverwinter Nights. A wide variety of changes to the statistics, abilities, textures, sounds, and AI of the creatures will make up the difference and players will be able to construct even more such variants within the Aurora Neverwinter Toolset. Our bestiary ranges from the lowly orc to the mighty lich and, following our initial release, we hope to add further base models and variations by way of expansions.

2.08 What about dragons? (Back to Top)

We are using the new 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set. As such, there will be dungeons and there will certainly be dragons. We intend to make them among the most impressive creatures to ever grace your monitor.

2.09 Do I need a Dungeon Master in order to play Neverwinter Nights? (Back to Top)

Not at all. The Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign will be fully functional with or without a Dungeon Master. We cannot promise anything with regards to player-created modules but we intend to build the Aurora Neverwinter Toolset in such a way that encourages modules suitable for both forms of play.

2.10 Is the game in 2D or 3D? What is the game's viewing perspective? (Back to Top)

Neverwinter Nights is a 3D game that takes advantage of the latest in graphics and rendering technology. The game is presented to the player from a 3rd person, 3/4-down, isometric view, similar to that used in the Baldur's Gate series. Now, however, you have the added ability to rotate the camera around your character and zoom in and out. Current testing suggests that you will be able to zoom out until your character is 1/15th as tall as the screen, and zoom in until your character is 1/3rd as tall as the screen.

2.11 How tactical of a game is Neverwinter Nights going to be? (Back to Top)

That really depends on the modules you choose to play. Some people may use the toolset to create modules where the game play is based around intrigue and manipulation, and combat is the exception rather than the norm. Others might create modules with more of a real-time strategy flair to them while still others will design dungeon crawls and gladiatorial arenas where brute force is all that's required. As for the Neverwinter Nights Official Campaign, you'll be faced with a lot of the same tactical choices you would be faced with in a typical pen-and-paper session and these become increasingly apparent as you and your fellow players learn to work together as a party. Bards will need to inspire their companions in battle and fighters will need to place themselves in the way of harm to protect the vulnerable wizard. Clerics must show wisdom in who they heal and when and rogues must be willing to act as scouts, assessing the foe and recommending a means of approach. The Neverwinter Nights combat system is structured to bring the cooperation and camaraderie of the pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons experience to your computer. A solid, tactical approach won't be necessary to win every battle but it will always come in handy.

2.12 Will Neverwinter Nights use a real-time or a turn-based system? (Back to Top)

Neverwinter Nights is a real-time game with a strong tactical focus. The Dungeon Master will have the power to pause the game at any time. When paused in the game as a player you will not have the ability to assign actions to your character. Overall, the game is being designed and balanced with non-pausing, real-time game play in mind.

2.13 How will Neverwinter Nights' real-time combat system work? (Back to Top)

While Neverwinter Nights takes place in a real-time environment, we have been very careful to keep our combat system from becoming a 'click-fest' where the player with the highest ping and fastest reflexes wins. Instead, we are opting for a multi-layered approach to combat. The base layer consists of a 'single-click' combat system: Your character will repeat basic attack actions until either your target is slain or you have assigned other actions to your character. The second layer consists of a 'queued' combat system: You can select special combat actions for your character, such as disarming your opponent or using your monk's 'flurry of blows' ability, and these are entered into your combat queue to be performed in the coming round. These actions do not repeat and, once you have finished performing them, you will revert back to your base layer action. The result is a very lag-tolerant system that keeps the player actively engaged in what's going on while not penalizing those with high-latency Internet connections.

2.14 What will the combat animation in Neverwinter Nights look like? (Back to Top)

We are currently working on a very detailed and realistic combat animation system for Neverwinter Nights. Reflexive combat actions, such as dodges, thrusts, and parries, will be visually represented in the game, with combatants interacting in a dynamic and believable fashion that remains true to the 3rd Edition D&D combat rules. Don't expect to just sit back and watch it play out, though. Dungeons & Dragons is a game of both action and tactics - even the greatest fighter must decide when it is best to disarm his opponent, knock them down, or make a tactical retreat.

2.15 How will I communicate with non-player characters in Neverwinter Nights? (Back to Top)

In the official campaign, you will be communicating with non-player characters (NPCs) through a system of pre-defined responses (similar to the system used in the Baldur's Gate series). This allows us to weave a tighter, more gripping story for your enjoyment. We acknowledge, however, the power and flexibility of a keyword-based text parsing system, especially in a multiplayer environment. While we have opted for the former system in the official campaign, both are supported in the engine and toolset, so you can customize the way players interact with your world to suit your needs.

2.16 What is the quickbar? (Back to Top)

The quickbar is a series of twelve slots that we have placed along the bottom of the screen. A rogue might fill them with a series of trap kits and magic arrows for his bow, while a wizard might fill them with favorite spells and a fighter might fill them with potions and the new Disarm ability she just acquired through a heroic feat. In basic terms, these twelve quickslots are an easy way to keep your favorite abilities, actions, and items close at hand and ready for use at a moment's notice.

2.17 Can I customize the hotkeys and controls? (Back to Top)

Yes. Beyond the customisability made available through the quickbar, we will be providing our players with a wide range of configurable options. We are designing our control system to be as customisable and as streamlined as possible.

2.18 When you cast a spell such as magic missile or melf's acid arrow, do you have to aim it? (Back to Top)

In Dungeons & Dragons, some spells such as melf's acid arrow require you to make a successful attack roll in order for them to take effect. Others, such as magic missile, will never miss their target (though your opponent may still shrug off or negate the spell's magical effects). Both of these official rulings are supported in Neverwinter Nights but are hidden behind the scenes. In each case, you simply select the spell and click on the creature - the computer handles any remaining calculations.

2.19 Will Neverwinter Nights have support for the hearing impaired? (Back to Top)

In Neverwinter Nights, text will always be associated with any instance of pre-recorded voice (NPC dialog, the hotkey voice system, etc).

2.20 What is the official word on climbing, swimming, and horse riding? Will these be added into Neverwinter Nights? (Back to Top)

Unfortunately, there are some elements of the Dungeons & Dragons rules that we do not have the necessary development time to support in our initial release. Currently, we have no plans to support climbing, swimming, and riding as actions within the gameworld. We may choose to include them in a future expansion and will reassess their feasibility at that time.

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