10/23/99 - Latest News
NWN Article at Gamecenter
Berendir @ 10:52 pm EST
Theres an article about Neverwinter Nights at Gamecenter.
Heres a piece from the article:
Neverwinter Nights will ship with approximately 30 modules, playable either in solo mode or in multiplayer. I asked Oster to explain further. "The modules in Neverwinter Nights are a rough parallel to traditional pen-and-paper D&D modules," he said. "Each module is a choreographed adventure, based around a precomposed story line. For example, one module could focus on solving a mysterious murder, while another might deal with committing a series of assassinations in order to draw guards away from a temple that holds an extremely important book. On the grander scale, our story will introduce players to the northern coastal region of TSR's Forgotten Realms, dominated by the cities of Neverwinter and Luskan."
Go check out the article if you want to hear more.
10/22/99 - Latest News
Map Making In NWN
Berendir @ 2:47 pm EST
More News from the Neverwinter Vault.
This is important, it has to do with how you will go about making a map and building with the solstice Toolset. If a Middle Earth area is created than the Solstice Toolset will be the only way to do it, and heres some information on how it works:
Laying down terrain, buildings, and creatures in the Solstice Toolset is very similar to the equivalent tasks in the WarCraft and StarCraft editors. Writing
and Scripting are going to be the slower parts of the process but the map work will be pretty quick and easy.
10/20/99 - Latest News
Spell Casting and Security in NWN
Berendir @ 5:18 pm EST
More news from the NW Vault.
Heres some info on Spell Casting:
Our approach to this topic is to implement what the 3rd Edition rules detail. I can't comment about the 3rd ED. I can ask about 2nd ed though. How many people actually paid attention to the three parts of spell casting? I think they were verbal, somatic and material.
Heres information on Security in NW:
Security is the main reason we decided to write our own scripting language. The system will be as robust as we can create. The issue of 3rd party modifications is still under debate and we won't post on it until we know exactly what we can and cannot do. As for the Videe card, we are dependant on the driver for a solid Open GL implementation. If the driver support is not there, the client and editor will not run. We may do a Direct X version if it is required. The card you have should work fine as long as the drivers support Open GL.
10/19/99 - Latest News
NWN Mapping and Modules
Berendir @ 6:48 pm EST
Heres some more news from the Neverwinter Nights Vault. The first bit of news is about Mapping in NWN:
Both the players and the DM will have access to a map. The map screen will display a small scale iconic representation of the terrain in the area. The map will automap while you walk around, with the DM's map fully exposed.
And heres some information on Modules:
The client is actually quite unaware of what module you are running. The server hold the module and send the client updates about which tiles to display, where the characters are, where they are going, etc. The only items requiring downloading are custom art or sounds (if we can support them). Make what you want, share it by uploading it or keep it to yourself, it matters not.
If your interested in helping to build a Middle Earth world in Neverwinter Nights, check out the Arda Nights guild page at the playervault.
10/18/99 - Latest News
Jay Esparza's Thoughts
Berendir @ 9:51 pm EST
Jay Esparza is an ex Dev Team member of Middle Earth Online. Heres what he had to say about what happend to MEO:
Although I understand the frustration that becomes the impetus for this point of view, I also see this as a somewhat narrow-minded perspective.
Having worked on ME and Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient (both cancelled), I know firsthand the anger felt when months of work on a good title is canned based on a pure business decision. However this is a business. The company that feeds me and my family is attempting to turn a profit. And I am willing to make art for them while they continue to do so. So, in that sense, I think they have secured the right to decide what they pay me for.
Someone outside the development realm can look at it another way. Imagine you are 45 years old and a major shareholder of an interactive software company. The head of sales tells you that although most of the dev team would play this game, he doubts that it will turn a profit in the end. Well, you don't play games, but that's YOUR money he's talking about. Do you tell him "screw the profit, games have to be fun"?. You have a mortgage and plenty of consumer debt, so you can hardly afford to piss your money away. Tough call?
It may be unfortunate that our industry is driven by profit and loss, but we are not alone. This has little to do with right and wrong and plenty to do with capitalism. Now, I'm not trying to tell you that all suits are saints. And although ignorant at times, they haven't cornered the market. But not all developers are full of conscience either.
I hope ME eventually is made into the title it deserves to be and I hope that the most faithful of you are rewarded.
That news was found at theMiddle Earth Vault.
NWN Head Programmer
Berendir @ 5:55 pm EST
Scott Greig is the head programmer of Neverwinter Nights.
Heres what he had to say about his backround in this area:
I have a university comp-sci degree and spent the next 4 years playing video games, uh I mean writing data base tools. A former co-worker of mine, told me about these medical doctors that were trying to make video games in their basement. I met them, and showed them the Wing Commander models that I had made (ah, sad but true). They figured that anyone with this little of a life would be a perfect employee, so they offered to pay me for a few months. We put together a demo for what was eventually going to be Baldur's Gate, got a contract from Interplay and that is how I got into the game industry.
If you want to learn more about Scott Greig check out hsi profile Here.
World Forge
Berendir @ 4:43 pm EST
World Forge is a project that will enable people to create their own worlds of any kind.
This sounds a bit like Neverwinter Nights, however its different, and might offer many different possibilities.
One of the most ambitious aspects of the WorldForge Project is its goal to provide an engine to support any kind of world that the server admin should desire to design.
Theres lots of information on the site, so go check it out. I'll keep you updated on the progress of the World Forge, and information it has to offer. Its another possibility of a Middle Earth Game being created.
NWN Server Controls
Berendir @ 2:47 pm EST
Well the following news, which comes from The NWN Vault, doesn't mean a whole lot to me, but it might be useful to you, so here it is:
Yes, the dedicated server executable will be very similar to the Quake server model. A machine running a dedicated server doesn't need a 3d video card.
Based on the server that we have developed so far (the one that I'm currently swearing at right now ... ;]), the dedicated server will only use a text-based interface. We intend on providing a "server monitor" client for mucking around with the server options (in case you're really not keen on using configuration files and command lines).
Well there you have it, some information on how the server will work for Neverwinter Nights, the game that many former MEO fans hope to make Arda Nights out of.
10/17/99 - Latest News
New MEO FAQ
Berendir @ 3:37 pm EST
Well this is hardly an official FAQ of Middle Earth Online, but its funny non the less.
Enoreth took the official FAQ of Middle Earth and made a new unofficial version of it, you can check that out Here.
10/16/99 - Latest News
Arda Nights Update
Berendir @ 2:51 pm EST
There's been some major updates to the Arda Nights Guild, check that out Here.
The guild is still only located at the Playervault, however they are looking for a new home to build the guild site.
Heres some more news on Neverwinter Nights:
Our plan is to do as BG has and ignore spell components. When I played PnP we tried to use components and found it took way too much time for a magic user character to worry about the components. I personally believe you should never be totally useless as a character in the world, which is what happens to a mage with no components. If components are ignored, a mage only has to wait and rest to become powerfull again. With components, the mage must return to the nearest town and stock up, breaking up the party or forcing a delay in adventuring. We feel keeping the party together is very important and anything we can do to avoid splitting up the party we will do.
Well I'm sure Magic in this game will be a great concern of many of you, so theres a tidbit on that. However using the toolset to make new worlds, you might be able to edit how magic is used and all, not sure of that as of yet.
We'll have a connection service, where you can see who's playing and what games are available, there will be some ability to chat with other players seeking games and DM's seeking players.
From there you'll choose a module and a party to play with, then enter the module and play.
When the module is done, you can return to the matching service if you wish.
Well thers some information on how you will enter games, and chat with other players.