Lilura1 Neverwinter Nights 2 YouTube Vids

Lilura1 Neverwinter Nights 2 YouTube Vids

This is just an overview of the NWN2 vids I've uploaded to YouTube, with a few explanatory notes.

• FRW Character Creator. This mini-module allows you to customize your character (level, gold, equipment etc.) in preparation for an adventure module or campaign. It has been recently updated by long-time community member Berliad, and is the equivalent to the famous PGC3 for the original NWN. These modules are must-haves for serious players because many builders neglect to offer sensible starter zones, like those offered by Swordflight, Snow Hunt and Cormyrean Nights. This means you are forced to use the console to prepare, which I don't like. I used FRW to prepare for my Subtlety of Thay and Harp & Chrysanthemum write-ups. So yeah, FRW is indispensable.

• Vordan's Hero Creator. Vordan's mini-module allows you to prepare for adventures and campaigns like FRW does, but it offers way too many powerful items and its focus is more on testing the builds in a highly configurable gladiatorial arena. This is just a short demonstration by a thirtieth level Sorcerer, where I was mainly testing out a few visual and sound mods, such as Simple Fix Missiles, Gate, and Meteor Swarm. Baldur's Gate fans might like to check out the BG incantations mod that I used here, too. :)

The three other arena modules I know of are JEGs, Heroic Dream and Battle of the Builds. Each of these have their pros and cons. Check them all out and decide for yourself which is the best.

• Provoking on-rest ambushes in Mask of the Betrayer's Death God's Vault. This vid demonstrates that farming is possible in MotB even with the Spirit Energy drain mechanic that people are so frightened of.

From my Retrospective Walkthrough: Once I gained the Eternal Rest feat, spirit energy drain from resting ceased to be an issue. I could rest a full eight hours to regain spells, attempt to rest again to provoke an ambush of Vampire Ancients, fight them off, Eternally Rest one of them, and actually make a profit in spirit energy from what I had before resting, not to mention farm valuable experience points and essences. I didn't abuse this... much.

Death God's Vault represents the high-point of MotB design and immersion, imo.

• Taking down the Faceless Man boss in Mask of the Betrayer. I used to have a lot of problems beating this guy so it was refreshing that he dropped so quickly for once, thanks to a fairly optimized build.

• Air Genasi dual-wielding build and Strategy cam demonstration. The NWN2 camera is not as bad as some people make it out to be. That's not to say there are no issues with regard to it but, in my opinion, they are minor (aka quirks) IF you set things up as follows: Strategy Mode cam, Camera Mode: Can Be Moved Freely (Free Camera), Ceilings Always Off and Marquee Select On. Now the game pretty much plays like isometric RPGs of the past, except that you can also rotate and zoom your view. 

Most of the complaints about NWN2 cam and control are based upon pre-final-patch versions. There are still reasons to complain about it (two, in fact) but the current complaints I've read concern issues that have been fixed long ago, and so these people don't know what they're talking about. NWN2 cam and control is the most powerful and flexible ever seen in an RPG. Take the following example from Harp & Chrysanthemum, a module that features complex undulating terrain. See where my character is positioned, having just exited a cave in the top-right? I can click where that blue asterisk is and have my character move there in a single click. The cam will smoothly auto-track and follow her the whole way; down the sloping path (pulling backwards as she moves towards it), across the river at bottom-left, and then all the way along the opposite shoreline of the river to the asterisk in the woods! That's quite impressive and I can't think of any other RPG that allows for this sort of thing.

The cam could be improved by allowing for increased zoom-out and better tracking over steeply undulating terrain, but these valid criticisms have never been put forth by the ignoramuses referred to above.

• Same Air Genasi dual-wielding build taking on a dozen or so hagspawn as she escapes the Skein in MotB. Skip to 2:24 for the whirlwinding.

• The Scroll for Neverwinter Nights 2. UI- and mechanics wise this is the most ambitious NWN2 module out there by far. In fact, it's pretty amazing what Lance Botelle has achieved here, and a lil' disappointing to me that his efforts have gone largely unnoticed. Check it out!

MetaRod of Preparations, aka The MetaPrepa.
Storm of Zehir unlock Overland Map (OLM) camera.

Full write-ups for NWN and NWN2 mods.

EoP