(01:32:43) (@OEI_Constant) ok, I guess I'll start (01:32:57) (@OEI_Constant) Hey all, my name is Constant and I was a designer on NWN2, focusing mostly on Act III. (01:33:19) (@OEI_Annie) Hey guys - I'm Annie Carlson, junior designer on NWN2 - focused on the items and suchlike. (01:33:28) (@OEI_Ryan) Hi everyone, I am Ryan Rucinski. I am the Sr. Producer for NWN2. (01:33:40) (@OEI_Georg) I'm George Ziets, senior designer. I worked on Act 2 and the tutorial. (01:33:44) (@[OEI]nchap) My name is Nathaniel Chapman, I'm assistant producer on NWN2. (01:34:00) (@[OEI]RTaylor) My name is Rich Taylor, I am now the Lead Programmer in charge of the ongoing support for NWN2. (01:34:18) (@[OEI]Rob) I'm Rob McGinnis, your professional forum whore (01:34:38) (@[OEI]nchap) I see the promotion from amateur forum whore went through, Rob - congrats! (01:34:44) • @kgambit looks at liso (01:34:51) (@Liso_questions) (01:34:52) (@OEI_Matt) Hello everyone. My name is Matt and I was a designer on NWN2. I did item/store placement stuff, dialogue edits, and spent many a day in ye olde string editor. (01:35:27) (@Liso_questions) Everyone. any questions that I do not already have. please PM me
(01:36:23) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Okay, getting started with the first question here: (01:37:07) (@[OEI]RTaylor) 1. what can you tell us right now about that rumored "autoupdater" that's supposed to make pwc distribution easier (01:39:04) (@[OEI]RTaylor) I wish I could go into more detail about an autoupdater but I can't at this time. It is something we intend to address in a future patch, but not the 1.05 patch that is coming up next. (01:39:23) (@[OEI]RTaylor) For 1.05, the server details page will now contain URL information for the module's homepage and a URL for where the PWC file can be downloaded. (01:39:32) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Clicking on the links will open the user's webbrowser to those addresses. (01:39:54) (@[OEI]RTaylor) But this is just a temporary step, a more robust solution is intended for a future patch.
(01:41:01) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Q2: ActionSit makes different races sit at different heights, so chairs and benches are either to large or to small... is there any chance to get this fixed? (01:42:01) (@[OEI]RTaylor) We're aware of issues with sitting, not just with the animation differences, but also how they are out of synch in multiplayer. I can't give specific information about when this can be fixed, but it is something we will be taking a look at.
(01:45:25) (@OEI_Annie) nwn Podacst would like to know what Annie's been up to since our interview? (01:45:28) (@OEI_Annie) Heh! I thought I saw you guys when you logged on! ::grin:: Been working on exciting Obsidian projects, enjoying the podcast, and recovering from a very persistent post-holiday cold of DOOMY DOOM DOOM.
(01:46:43) (@OEI_Ryan) Are you working on an official add on already, since many rumours told so already (01:47:18) (@OEI_Ryan) We don't have any "Official" word from the publisher, but that doesn't mean we aren't working on something. (01:48:07) (@OEI_Ryan) This is also from Hamuran (01:48:09) (@OEI_Ryan) If we would like to interview one of you, is that possible what would we have to do for it? (01:48:33) (@OEI_Ryan) It worked for Liso, she shot us an email and here we are. (01:48:52) (@OEI_Ryan) So we are basically open to that sort of thing.
(01:49:07) (@OEI_Ryan) Do you guys have the feeling too that the game was released a bit too soon. A lot of negativity is been seen on the official forums due to that so it seems? (01:49:41) (@OEI_Ryan) A game, without a timeline will go on forever. We are happy with what was shipped but not as happy as we wanted everyone to be. (01:50:10) (@OEI_Ryan) We would have killed for more time, but sometimes things have to end whether we like it or not. (01:50:46) (@OEI_Constant) There were many lessons to be learned from the development of NWN2. Fan reaction, both negative and positive, factors greatly into that. (01:51:08) (@OEI_Constant) We see reactions to the game across the entire spectrum, but of course, as developers, we want the best for our baby.
(01:51:29) (@OEI_Constant) Certainly we hope to learn from our mistakes and setbacks during development to ensure that future titles are great shape upon release. (01:51:54) (@OEI_Constant) We are proud of our game, but we also recognizes elements of it that could use improvement.
(01:52:13) (@[OEI]nchap) Question from (01:52:14) (@[OEI]nchap) 1. What happened to horses in NWN2? why was it decided to leave them out and will they be available in a later expansion?
(01:53:30) (@OEI_Matt) Where in your eyes has NWN2 exceeded your expectations, and where do you feel it significantly requires improvement, or what would you have done differently? (01:53:40) (@OEI_Matt) I'm amazed by how the single-player campaign came together. When you work on it for months on end, it becomes old hat to you and you forget how much fun it can be. In terms of where we could have done better, I would have liked to see less emphasis on graphics. Maybe I'm just old school but I'd rather our game be uglier and more accessible to players with older computers.
(01:54:14) (@OEI_Ryan) Arathalion wrote - Why exactly is there going to be difficulty to write a dedicated linux server? (01:55:00) (@OEI_Ryan) DirectX is involved. It is interwoven all over the place in the server. (01:55:32) (@OEI_Ryan) Basically, you can run it on Linux in an emulator but most commercial hosts don't play nice with that
(01:55:35) (@OEI_Matt) 1. Are there any room for junior positions at obsidian? (01:56:22) (@OEI_Matt) If you check out http://www.obsidianent.com/jobs/ you can look at our postings. We've been adding new positions fairly regularly so keep an eye on that page if you're interested. (01:56:49) (@OEI_Georg) Getting into the industry with no xp can be tough. (01:57:18) (@OEI_Matt) And to answer that question in a less-politician-like manner, we're not looking for brand-new junior designers but we'd be in the market for designers with a year or two of experience. (01:57:19) (@OEI_Constant) By that he means please bribe us. (01:57:21) (@[OEI]nchap) I would highly recommend trying to get a QA position as a "foot in the door" dor the industry. (01:57:43) (@[OEI]nchap) "foot in the door" FOR the industry even. (01:58:00) (@[OEI]nchap) You could QA my answer to that question, for instance. (01:58:04) (@OEI_Georg) Alternatively, it is possible to get an entry level job doing other things - i started as a writer, for example
(01:58:46) (@OEI_Annie) Agreed. Heck, 3 out of 5 of the Obsidian owners started out in the industry as QA!
(01:59:25) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Question: Will you provide an easy toolset option to turn off some feats? Cases in point: Able learner and Monkey Grip since they unbalance the classes and their abilities (02:00:24) (@[OEI]RTaylor) We probably won't provide options in the toolset for the specific purpose of turning off feats. However, we /do/ intend to fix character creation to respect .hak pack contents, so it would be possible to have a module that used a custom feats.2da where those feats wouldn't be available for players to select, for example.
(02:00:51) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Question: Can you add the option to make placeables 'solid' since currently you can see through buildings, rocks, etc at PCs/NPCs the other side, which makes 'hiding' behind a wall or structure impossible" (02:02:19) (@[OEI]RTaylor) I can't say for sure on this one. I thought there was already a way to do this, but if not, it probably wouldn't be hard to implement. I've made a note to investigate it further.
(02:02:27) (@OEI_Annie) Question: "Where in your eyes has NWN2 exceeded your expectations, and where do you feel it significantly requires improvement, or what would you have done differently?" (02:02:36) (@OEI_Annie) I've been immensely happy with many elements of the game - and at the same time, even the stuff I really enjoy, I keep thinking of things like "oh, we should've done X" or "Y would've been a neat addition" and suchlike. I think we've got an amazing toolset, for example, but I worry that it seems inaccessible to some people because of how crazy complex it is: I'd have liked to focus on adding more player support and "wizards" to make it e (02:02:40) (@OEI_Annie) And actually, we're hoping to provide a wizard(s) in the future to make things easier.
(02:03:06) (@OEI_Constant) There is a bug currently where if a wizard or sorcerer possesses his beetle familiar, he will get quasi mind-spell immunity (some mind spells will automatically effect, like crushing dispair, and others will be negated, like charm). Is going to be fixed in 1.05, or did I just blindside you? :P (02:03:31) (@OEI_Constant) I'm not sure if anyone here is aware of this issue (we'll have to check the current bug database), but we'll pass on the issue for investigation. No promises
(02:03:56) (@OEI_Georg) Do you believe Baldur's Gate 3 will ever be out? (02:04:06) (@cal1s|admin) hehe (02:04:07) (@OEI_Georg) (02:04:10) (@OEI_Georg) say on, brother (02:04:15) (@cal1s|admin) *sniff (02:05:00) (@OEI_Constant) For those of you interested in something that was *supposed* to be BG3, check out this link: (02:05:00) (@OEI_Constant) http://theblackhound.googlepages.com/ (02:06:09) (@OEI_Matt) Contact Wizards of the Coast/Atari and tell them you'd like to see a BG3... if they know there's a large enough audience, they're more likely to make the game happen... (02:07:51) (@OEI_Matt) And for fans of Baldur's Gate in general, check out this site http://speeddemosarchive.com/BaldursGate2.html to watch some guy beat the game in about 2 hours. It WILL* change your life (* may not actually change your life)
(02:05:14) (@[OEI]Rob) 1. Would any of you be willing to join me on a multiplayer server so you can see potential problems and solutions? (02:05:23) (@[OEI]Rob) I have actually spent some time jumping from server to server to see how the community implemented things. I also wanted to see first hand some of the problems you all were having. I haven’t been on every server, but I have been on quite a few and have seen the crashes and such. (02:06:40) (@[OEI]RTaylor) With regards to joining people on multiplayer servers to help solve problems, I'm afraid I don't have as much time to do something like that as I would like. I won't rule it out, but usually Rob is able to get the information I need to resolve issues I'm working on.
(02:09:10) (@OEI_Ryan) what are the chances of the NWN2 forums moving off of Bioware's site and into a home of their own? Obsidian doesn't have the existing staff dedicated to moderating forums all by our lonesome. Atari wanted to use the established Bioware forums and userbase and it made sense. I will say the Bioware folks definitely rock their site and we are grateful to be part of it. (02:11:23) (@[OEI]Rob) We should also be going live with the Blog site this week. The site will have a lot of Questions from the community answered on there and some great technical tidbits from Rich
(02:13:09) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Question: Do you have any plans for any A.I. improvements? (02:13:58) (@[OEI]RTaylor) Yes, the AI has been improved substantially. This change should be a part of the upcoming 1.05 patch. See the patch notes when it comes out for details, but both companion and monster AI will be substantially improved.
(02:14:25) (@OEI_Annie) Question: "Will there ever been an attempt to turn NWN into a mmorpg setting?" (02:14:26) (@OEI_Annie) Officially, I have no idea - that's up to Wizards of the Coast to decide. It's been more our focus (in addition to a solid, fun OC and good multiplayer support, of course) to provide a robust toolset that lets people create these worlds on their own. (02:14:30) (@OEI_Annie) In my mind, that sort of already exists with the many Persistent Worlds that are either in production currently or are already up - I think personally I'd rather see a lot of PWs out there with their own interpretations of the world of Faerun (and countless other worlds) than just one as the "official" one. ::smile::
(02:15:22) (@OEI_Matt) Question: What are your thoughts on NWN2 being used as the New Benchmark for Computer Performance, Replaceing Both Oblivion & FEAR? (02:15:40) (@OEI_Matt) I'm rather ambivalent about this one. The original Neverwinter was 'in play' long after it hit the shelves - that's rare for games in general. The player-made content kept the game fun and engaging for years. By that same thought, our game should 'push the limits' or 'take it to the extreme' or whatever since the player-made content will make the game viable for years to come - and we want the game to have graphics enough to age gracefull (02:15:50) (@OEI_Matt) At the same time, I do worry that some players in the here-and-now aren't able to play the game due to lack of computing power... like say, certain folks who still own 486's because damnitall, DOSBox just won't run Darklands the way an old machine will...
(02:16:25) (@OEI_Ryan) To add to Rich's A.I. Answer - When I first saw the list on AI improvements I sorta (_O_) it's impressive.
(02:18:50) (@[OEI]Rob) Sorry folks.. We're recovering from Ryan's emote still... give us a sec (02:19:00) (@cal1s|admin) (02:19:05) (@kgambit) lol (02:19:12) (@GrinningFool) The fallout is not a pretty sight. (02:19:17) (~[REP]Mortis) Its not what it looks like... honest (02:19:20) (@OEI_Annie) I'm hiding under my desk. I don't even know if this is going to show up inteligibly because I'm not looking at the screen. (02:19:24) (@cal1s|admin) suuure (02:19:33) (@cal1s|admin) i got everything logged! (02:19:35) (@cal1s|admin) (02:19:43) (@OEI_Annie) I'm using a periscope to type! (02:19:49) (@cal1s|admin) as a matter of fact im already doing the content site for the log (02:19:52) (@cal1s|admin) including that emote
(02:19:52) (@OEI_Constant) Question: what was it like going into this game as a sequal, knowing that you had to meet up to the standards of the first at least, if not surpass it. that can be quite imposing in some game series. (02:19:57) (@OEI_Ryan) My goal was to not sicken anyone, rather to make someone laugh. (02:20:01) (@OEI_Constant) It was definitely a little intimidating entering the project, given that NWN1 was a game of enormous scope. Not only did we feel pressure to do everything Neverwinter did, but we expected to add features, like the cinematic nature of KoTOR II, the full-party experience of old D&D games, and a more robust and powerful toolset. We aimed very, very high, and I think that the timeframe and resources we had to work with made the going (02:21:04) (@OEI_Constant) very tough. Personally, I think that we have in some ways greatly exceeded the expectations of the first title, but in other ways we fell somewhat short. That's sort of the nature of things: with limited time and resources, you have to pick and choose which elements you want to focus on to make your title the game of games. We did our best and want to continue supporting NWN2, and ultimately hope that the community enjoys the result
(02:22:50) (@OEI_Matt) To add to Constant's comment from the point of view of someone not on the project from the start... I actually felt like NWN1 had a lack-luster single-player component and was driven wholly by the awesome work of the player base. So there was, for me, this big sense of obligation to do single-player better while maintaining multiplayer usability. Those can be contradictory goals.
(02:23:05) (@Liso_questions) Everyone!!!! Obsidian has stayed even past there scheduled time. They have to go work now!!! Please everyone give them a thank you and a (((((claps))))))) (02:23:33) • @kgambit claps ENCORE (02:23:35) (@OEI_Ryan) Thanks for having us, everyone!
