NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer

[Fragamemnon]

In stores Tuesday/Wednesday:


System Requirements:

Required:
Operating System:  Windows XP/Vista
Processor:  Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or Athlon XP 2000 or equivalent
RAM:  512MB RAM 
Video Card:  GeForce 6600 or Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card with PS 2.0 or better
Price - $29.99 US dollars.

(I wouldn't run this with less than 1GB of RAM , other than that it's realistic.)

Note: Requires the original Neverwinter Nights 2 to play.

Fact Sheet:

Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer presents players with an exciting new 20-30+ hour campaign filled with meaningful choices, rich characters, and surprising outcomes. Continue the adventure of your Neverwinter Nights 2 character or create a completely new epic hero – no previous Neverwinter Nights experience required. Hundreds of new gameplay options include epic levels; feats, spells, races, and classes; powerful weapons, armour, and crafting options; and hordes of diverse creatures.

New Features:

*) Major improvements to the Neverwinter Nights franchise: enhanced graphics, including extensive use of specularity, environment effects, and normal maps; improved performance; streamlined party control; and an easier to use and more powerful toolset. Experience Neverwinter Nights 2 at its best.

*) Epic storyline provides the most riveting RPG experience since Planescape: Torment, with the compelling characters and plotlines for which Obsidian Entertainment is renowned. Play the official campaign either alone or online with your friends.

*) Stunning new environments include

spoiler (click to show/hide)

the Astral Plane, sunken Imaskari ruins, a Thayan wizard academy, and the Shadow Plane

[close]

. Immerse yourself in the Forgotten Realms as you’ve never seen it before.

*) Explore an amazingly reactive world, where your decisions affect those around you and the passage of time realistically impacts gameplay.

*) Switch seamlessly between exploration and tactical combat with the immersive, over the shoulder view of Character Mode and the top down perspective of Strategy Mode with its RTS-like controls.

*) Combat and negotiate with dozens of new creatures including many D&D favourites such as blue dragons, treants, hags, solars, and the two-headed fell troll.

*) Choose from over 20 classic and exotic D&D races, including the new genasi: planetouched humanoids hailing from the elemental planes of air, earth, fire, or water.

*) Customize your character with over 60 epic feats including the monk’s Blazing Aura, the rogue’s Epic Precision, and the druid’s Dragon Shape.

*) Master more than 50 new spells, including epic spells such as mass fowl, damnation, and vampiric feast.

*) Play new D&D classes such as the Red Wizard of Thay, spirit shaman, and invisible blade.

*) Collect souls from defeated foes to create mighty artefacts using an expanded item enchantment system.

*) Create your own D&D adventures to play with friends online with enhanced modding tools.

Anyway, this is probably my most anticipated game in some time. Juggling this and Episode 2/Portal will be hard work but it must be done, since the pre-release buzz for MotB has been really, really positive.

I know I can count on Prole/MAF/TVC to buy it with me! NWN2 = awesome.

[Smooth Groove]

I know I can count on Prole/MAF/TVC to buy it with me! NWN2 = awesome.

Me too.  Why didn't you post the GAF FAQ portion?  That was the funniest part. 

[Fragamemnon]

I didn't post it out of courtesy to the 'bore, which isn't full of raging distinguished mentally-challenged fellows and luddites like GAF  where the people who don't play PC games actually do so for valid reasons like "not my taste" and not some contrived platform advocacy bullshit.

anyway as requested!

GAF FAQ:

Q: NWN2 ran like crap on my P3-733 and Geforce 4 ti 4200. WTF IS THIS SHIT?
A: Game runs fine on the required specs w/ 1GB of RAM , tested it myself. Upgrade, you dirty poor.

Q: NWN2 didn't run at 200000FPS at 20020x1024 with 1400AAx184AF. WTF IS THIS SHIT?
A: Get over yourself and just play the damn game at native res on your LCD at 30fps or better. Game runs fine now with the patches that have been released/will be included with the expansion.

Q: CAN I BE DRIZZT?
A: You can be a emo half-drow, sure. That's one of the races they added.

Q: These games suck, Fallout is the only good CRPG ever made.
A: Go play in traffic you rpgcodex trogdolyte.

Q: Didn't NWN2 suck?
A: No, after some patches it was pretty much the best CRPG since Baldur's Gate 2.

Q: How does this compare to <insert fruity animu RPG>?
A: More character customization, more meaningful dialogue, better character development, strong tactical combat.

Q: How is the interaction between characters? Is it like other games where I need to make a gannt chart to schedule my NPC interactions properly?
A: You gain influence with other party members through your actions and conversation choices. You can't please everyone-they have their own agendas-but if you just respond favorably to the people you like and want to learn more about/stick around, you'll be fine. No need to bust out the Microsoft Project or anything.

Q: Is there a console version in the works? I flunked out of PC gaming and would like to play on my comfy couch, pc gaming is harrrrrrddddd.
A: NWN2 isn't coming to consoles. The tooling-the soul of the package if the campaigns are its heart-and the community that fuels the game isn't a console sort of thing.

Q: Can I install NWN2 and play through the original + expansion with the same character using the new races/classes?
A: Yes.

End GAF FAQ

[Smooth Groove]

Q: Is there a console version in the works? I flunked out of PC gaming and would like to play on my comfy couch, pc gaming is harrrrrrddddd.
A: NWN2 isn't coming to consoles. The tooling-the soul of the package if the campaigns are its heart-and the community that fuels the game isn't a console sort of thing

Highlighted for Abrader.

[Fragamemnon]

I am going to start using the "flunk out" verb to describe lapsed PC gamers who stopped PC gaming for reasons that have nothing to do with the PC gaming, but they blame it on PC gaming anyway. There was a six page GAF thread where the stupidity flowed like a damn river earlier.

[Smooth Groove]

The "I like to play on a couch" excuse is the most hilarious.  Those people can't stand playing at a PC desk yet they don't mind playing a tiny handheld for hours. 

[MrAngryFace]

Thanks for this frag. Ill get it when I have money again. The bills were cruel this month and I was coming off my Laptop/8800 buygasm

[Mondain]

I need to complete Neverwinter Nights 2 ASAP. Problem is that the game is still installed but in another partition, it was under my old Vista installation, and now this PC is running XP.

If I want to re-install the game, is it possible to take the old save files back and transfer them in the new Neverwinter Nights 2 folder?

[Van Cruncheon]

yes

[Mondain]

how, what are the required files and in which folder are they located

[Van Cruncheon]

the save game is under "neverwinter nights 2" in yer "my documents" folder or thereabouts

[Fragamemnon]

in stores today, reviews are all in the mid to high 8 range, which is really damn nice given the way that a good half of the PC gaming press has been doped into thinking that elder scrolls "moar is bettar, dnd suxxors" designs are the way PC RPGs should be made.

[Fragamemnon]

played this until 4:30 AM here, thankfully wife was up that late playing WOW as well.

Holy shit this is good. REAL good. Everything is more tighter, more intimate, if you will, than NWN2 was and the combat, characterization, and venues are of very high quality.

I would not hesitate to recommend this highly to anyone who liked NWN2 or even a lapsed CRPG fan whose last foray into the genre was Baldur's Gate 2 or something.