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JBMoney
06-12-02, 10:19 AM
BioWare's Dungeons & Dragons Masterpiece Is Complete

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - June 11, 2002 - Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM), a leading global publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced that the long awaited and highly anticipated epic, Neverwinter Nights(tm), has completed development and will ship to retail stores under the Company's Atari label before the end of June. The most complete software adaptation of the classic pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons® role-playing game ever, Neverwinter Nights is the latest game from BioWare Corp., creators of the 4 million selling Baldur's Gate series.

"Finally, PC gamers the world over can breathe - their dream computer game is complete and only days away from their PCs," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames' Los Angeles studio. "Neverwinter Nights has lived up to all of its promises - engaging and exciting single player campaign, a groundbreaking multiplayer component, never-before-seen user editing abilities and, for the first time ever, a true translation of the D&D® 'Dungeon Master' to electronic entertainment." Neverwinter Nights redefines the electronic role-playing game genre using the fully-3D BioWare Aurora Engine and the Third Edition of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) core rulebook, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The game contains an amazing 60-100 hour single player campaign that is also playable in multiplayer mode. More than just a game, Neverwinter Nights breaks new ground as the first complete role-playing system for the computer platform, allowing its players to step into the shoes of the Dungeon Master to tell their own stories and create their own adventures in the spirit of the exciting pen and paper original.

"We're very proud of the hard work every member of our development team has put into Neverwinter Nights over the last five years," said Greg Zeschuk, Joint CEO of BioWare Corp. and Co-Executive Producer of Neverwinter Nights. "When we started developing Neverwinter Nights, we realized that technology would reach the point where we could actually have a 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons computer game that brought the best social elements of traditional kitchen-table pen-and-paper role-playing to people all over the world through their computer and the Internet. We're very fortunate to be able to do this."

"Neverwinter Nights was designed to be everything anybody could ever want in a D&D(tm) role-playing game," said Ray Muzyka, Joint CEO of BioWare Corp and Co-Executive Producer of Neverwinter Nights. "The development team - a group of exceptionally creative, smart people - has done an amazing job: Neverwinter Nights has an incredibly engaging 60-100 hour official campaign, playable in either single-player or in multiplayer mode. Everything in the campaign has been built with the same BioWare Aurora Neverwinter Toolset that is also bundled with the game. We've enabled gamers to join their friends online and play through adventure modules created by fans and Neverwinter Nights community members, together with a dungeon master if they so choose! The game looks amazing - the BioWare Aurora Engine is capable of some amazing graphical effects. Overall, we just can't wait to see what the Neverwinter Nights community comes up with when they've got the game and its powerful tools in their hands!"

The PC version of Neverwinter Nights will ship to retailers before the end of June. Linux gamers can anticipate the online release of the Neverwinter Nights server at launch and the client program shortly afterward. Linux gamers will still need the Windows version of the game to register at the Neverwinter Nights community site (http://neverwinternights.com) and to import essential game resources into their Linux server and game.

JBMoney
06-17-02, 11:21 AM
I can already tell that this is all I'm going to care about this week. Need to focus...

Expected in the stores either Tuesday or Wednesday.

:what: Hmmm... how many days can I take off work?

Eddioboy
06-18-02, 05:46 PM
I'm looking to buy a copy too! I'd be interested in any scenario exchanging, or game running, however it's supposed to work. I have yet to get broadband though. It may not matter! That's probably wishful thinking.

JBMoney
06-18-02, 07:35 PM
Very cool. I was starting to think no one was interested in this anymore. We have at least six folks on the board who play Baldur's Gate 2 but they've been suspiciously silent. Also, one other who's played in MMORPGs.

As I mentioned, I was hoping we could put together a Bressler.org created 'World' at some point. That would be a great deal of effort: design, scripting of npc & critters, some kind of plot. A few folks here had volunteered to help at one point. We'll see how that goes. We could definitely start on some rough ideas now, like starting a basic, very general 'unfinished tale' without an ending.

Short of creating a world, I should be able to host some games and I'd like to try out the DM aspect. The official line is that a 56k will work for multiplayer and even light hosting. The server requirements look to be pretty steep though.

Isolated folks have been able to get the game already today, but as of right now, it looks like nobody in Sacramento will be getting it until the 19th. Overall, the standard line from Electronics Boutique nationwide has been that it will be available on the 19th. Best Buy is generally saying the 20th. GameSpots, Fry's and Babbages are also in the race.

Like I said though, they are popping up in a couple of places, but not many.

Eddioboy
06-20-02, 04:11 PM
I just got hold of NWN yesterday, and played around a wee bit with the editor. I used it to create a module, with one area, with one NPC, who says nothing.

It looks like they went out of their way to make it user friendly, with help wizards and all. Still, it looks confusing to me, just because of the depth and detail of it all! I want to learn it and see what I can make.

JBMoney
06-20-02, 04:22 PM
I played with the beta toolset a bit. There is a helluva lot of detail, that's why I think it might be more doable with several of us on it.

Not only do you have overall placement of items/structures/creatures, but then the creation/description/modification of items, a rough story, dialogue (the hardest part), triggers, sounds, etc.

Modification of an existing one (at least as a base) might be a good way to go for me. I'm supposed to be able to download a 'special' module made for pre-orders soon. I'll see what that is like.

BTW, there are tow guides, one a World Builder guide, that you should be able to get at the game store.

JBMoney
06-21-02, 10:37 AM
Found some good 'base material' within the official campaign. I'm going to use it to study up on how the whole thing comes together.

Right now I'm going to start by playing around with making a Carl's Beer Garden and some characters from the forum here. I found a portion of a module that is about what I wanted for that.

I think this is going to speed my acquisition of a new computer though.

JBMoney
06-25-02, 11:42 AM
They've already put together an 'Arena' type module for purely PVP matches.

http://nwn.bioware.com/downloads/modules.html

1300 people playing online right now. ;)

JBMoney
06-30-02, 01:46 PM
Nice advertising:

http://www.videogamesupport.net/images/scrshot/nwnbig.jpg

Wham Valdez
07-01-02, 12:10 PM
Ok JB$, I'm in the process of getting my hands on NWN today. I also have three friends who already have it. They convinced me to get it on our camping trip last week.

So, once I figure some stuff out, maybe we could all adventure together. Or perhaps our little raiding party could pillage Bresslerville. Muahahhahah*ack*kaff kaff.

JBMoney
07-03-02, 10:36 AM
Sounds good. I've been rampaging through the single player and love it, probably will do a full review/comparison at some point.

Any of the folks playing BG2 (Jimness, Robb, RickMode, Barb101) should quit and get this game, it has some serious growth potential, in that I don't think there will ever be a shortage of new content. No more going through the same module over and over and over again. There are already a couple dozen new & free modules available for download. Can't wait to see some new object models.

I've also been studying the World Builder. Eventually I need to get to some multiplayer which after all is the principle focus of the entire game's design. NEED to check that out.

Let me know if you and your friends schedule something, and I will do the same. I don't expect to be hosting anything myself for a bit. First I want to finish the single player at least once, and then get started on 'Carlsville' or whatever.

robb
07-03-02, 10:19 PM
Well since I'm now housepoor, why not take up a new game. Will try and get it next week.