Neverwinter Nights 2 Interview with Chris Avellone and J.E. Sawyer
Suzie 'Kalia' Ford & the RPGDot Editorial Staff, 2006-05-04

Recently, RPGDot editors had the chance to submit questions to the Obsidian Entertainment developers working on Neverwinter Nights 2, the sequel to the popular 2002 title, Neverwinter Nights. Developers J.E. Sawyer and Chris Avellone graciously submitted the following:

RPGDot: The last time we spoke with Obsidian, Ferret Baudoin commented that diplomatic characters would have more moments to strut their stuff, while Darren Monahan explained NWN2 has some complex dialogue. Can you expand this further? How much impact will players have on the gameplay through dialogue rather than combat and how will stats or elements influence the options?

Chris Avellone: We make extensive use of Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and deception and lying in general, as well as some more unusual skills for influencing others in dialogue, including Perform and Taunt. Without giving too much away about moments in the plotline, there's plenty of ways to crush your opponents and defeat them with just the right word or turn of phrase. There are even instances where the companions can back you up with certain skills (Neeshka can occasionally help you pull out of a Taunt or Lie-based Failure, for example). Aside from skills, we also use a number of attributes common from the Black Isle games, including Intelligence and Wisdom and various class and race-based responses.

RPGDot: Lately the discussion on the official forums has started to focus on the single player campaign. A question that has often been asked is whether or not romances will be included? Further, if they are included, are romance options going to be available for PCs of both genders? What will the impact be on the campaign and in the world as a result of romantic entanglements?

Chris Avellone: Yes, we allow romance options for male and female players, but since I am a cynic at heart, they may not come with the whole the sweeping chorus of violins and in some instances, may be unrequited or other difficulties preventing you from experiencing the now-classic Fade to Black. A lot of the romance issues are based a great deal on influence, not necessarily alignment, so the more the romantic interest trusts and confides in you, the deeper your relationship will be.

RPGDot: What are the main differences between the reputation system and the alignment system? How is the reputation system different from your previous release of KotOR II where it was first implemented? Will one's reputation affect the way NPCs react to the character?

Chris Avellone: The influence system doesn't have the same effects it did in K2 (by nature of the genre), but it is another factor in how a CNPC treats you and how much they trust you, if at all. In some respects, having a high influence with one character will necessitate a lower influence with another, and if influence drops too low, you may even have defections over the course of the game from CNPCs who would rather be alone than follow your path any longer.

RPGDot: Will a player's reputation or alignment, along with the choices they make throughout the game produce multiple endings?

Chris Avellone: It will, but the alignment endings aren't as varied as the ones you do based on your actions, if that makes any sense. We are planning for a denouement style ending much like the Fallouts, so that's where most of the end branches occur in the storyline.

RPGDot: Speculation is rampant about the strongholds that will be included in the game. What can you tell us about them? Are they class-specific? Can a PC own more than one? How do they work?

Chris Avellone: The player has a single stronghold, and it is not class-specific, although some of the things you can do in the stronghold may have different effects depending on your class and alignment. Without giving too much away, the Stronghold game mechanic begins with you given a shell, then you have to spend and gather the resources to build and upgrade it however you see fit. Some of these may involve searching the world for recruits, others involve completing certain quests, others involve spending a few dozen bags of gold or so.

RPGDot: Recent comments from Josh Sawyer seem to suggest there will be few changes in multiplayer support from NWN. Where do previously planned improvements such as more emotes, chat filtering and multiple chat windows stand?

J.E. Sawyer: There will be significantly more emotes. Chat filtering and multiple chat windows are still being implemented.

RPGDot: Will NWN 2 continue to utilize Gamespy for matchmaking? Will any improvements or changes be made in the filtering capabilities? For example, will players be able to filter PWs with haks/no-haks, etc.?

J.E. Sawyer: We will still be using Gamespy, and we're experimenting with filtering options right now.

RPGDot: How will the toolset that ships with NWN 2 expand upon the ability of would-be Game Masters to create intricate storylines in their modules? That is, will there be a greater facility for them to create characters and scenarios with in-depth back stories that can be explored by players?

J.E. Sawyer: Our toolset isn't going to make a bad writer good, but it should make the process of actually getting dialogue written much easier. Also, the greatly improved cutscene functionality gives module builders some powerful storytelling tools.

RPGDot: Dovetailing with the above, there was a lively discussion on the official NWN 2 forums about the educational uses for NWN 2. People suggested building worlds to teach various historical events. What are your feelings on this and is the toolset up to the challenge of such modules?

J.E. Sawyer: I think the toolset could allow users to make historically-oriented modules, but I think it might be a poor medium for such things due to the fact that the game mechanics of D&D are so prominent in the engine. I think it harms didactics.

RPGDot: NWN was used at the University of Minnesota to help students hone their problem-solving skills. Does Obsidian Entertainment plan to release any type of materials for teachers and professors to assist them with implementing NWN 2 in the classroom?

J.E. Sawyer: We have no specific plans for materials of that sort, no.

RPGDot: Have any 'famous' actors been brought in for voiceovers? What about actors used in previous Bioware/OE releases? If so, who and which characters will they portray?

Chris Avellone: We are still getting the casting auditions for NWN2, so we really can't say at this time. The auditions we have heard have been pretty good, though, so I'm anxious to see what comes out of the recordings.

Our thanks to Obsidian for their time and we wish them all the best with the continued development.