No sooner than we heard that Obsidian were at work on another NWN2 add-on, with a more party-customisation adventuring approach, we dropped ‘em a line. NWN2: Storm of Zehir’s producer, Kevin Saunders, took a few minutes from measuring the merit of monsters to answer our questions. Below the cut you’ll find a little about what Storm of Zehir’s approach allows (And what’s lost), his memories of playing early D&D games, what the overland map allows and how the fifteen-hour-main story perhaps isn’t everything…

RPS: With its full party customisation approach, it seems to owe more to things like Icewind Dale and even older RPGs (Gold Box and earlier, to Bard’s Tale and similar). Most modern party based games go for the pregenerated NPC character model, making it a rarity in the modern marketplace. Why did you choose to re-explore this terrain? What strengths does this kind of approach offer which the pregenerated NPC model loses?

Kevin Saunders: With this approach, you completely own your character(s). This complete customization of who your alter ego is at the core of what pencil-and-paper role-playing is all about. For me personally - and I suspect this is true for many - my first memory of role-playing is creating my character. I was five and my older brother (9) had bought the Basic D&D book - the red set with the warrior slashing at a red dragon on the cover. I chose a halfling - probably because I was about that size - who I creatively named Nivek. I don’t even remember what adventures he went on, but I do remember him. With a pregenerated character, you lose that magical sense of ownership that’s at the core of role-playing.

There are major trade-offs in making a game that allows character customization. The amount of work required is staggering. Armor, weapons, attack animations, etc. must all be adapted to work with each race. The story must be flexible enough to embrace a wide variety of characters. And there are many other considerations: once you let the player create their own character, you set many expectations that are challenging to meet. It’s much easier to create a great game with a specific character/role the player fills - that’s part of why so many games go that route. The problems can compound when you’re talking about an entire party instead of a single character. But it’s not what D&D and the Neverwinter Nights 2 franchises are about.

Obsidian’s past games have given great customizability in terms of your character. With Storm of Zehir, we wanted to expand that to an entire party (as was done in the older CRPGs you mention).

RPS: Reading between the lines of the press release, Zehir seems to be embracing the old school D&D of dungeon crawling and adventure. Would this be a right impression?

Kevin: I would say that your interpretation is accurate, yes.

RPS: Equally, reading about the encounters in the wilderness… while you talk about a fifteen hour campaign, I get the feeling that refers to the central arc involving the Yuan-Ti, and there’s lots of room for random hack and slash. Am I reaching or onto something?

Kevin: Again, I’d say you’re on target. =)

RPS: Heh. Okay - what sort of strengths does the new exploration map offer?

Kevin: We initially experimented with the Overland Map as a novelty. Toward the end of Mask of the Betrayer, designers Eric Fenstermaker and Jeff Husges played around with the idea a bit just to see what would be possible. As the feature developed (primarily through the work of both Jeff and Nathaniel Chapman), we realized how much value it could add to the game.

The first appeal of the Overland Map was the exploration aspect and how it would support a more open-ended type game. We wanted Storm of Zehir to still be story-driven, but to allow more flexibility and be less linear than Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer (MotB). Having a world to wander around was a great way to embrace this direction. And, as you’ve noted already, the exploration aspect embraces some of the classic D&D and CRPG feel that hasn’t been emphasized in a Neverwinter Nights game before.

The Overland Map also freed us artistically. Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer established a fairly realistic artistic style. While we’re increasing pleased with the areas we’ve been able to create, because the Overland Map is its own “mode” we could stretch our artistic creativity further and develop a different style and feel for it.

Another benefit from the Overland Map has been our D&D rules implementation. We’ve never been thrilled with the role Skills have played in Neverwinter Nights games. They are not as well integrated into the gameplay as we would have liked. On the Overland Map, skills like Spot, Survival, and Listen could all be given gameplay effects that would be fun and interesting, clear to the player, and more faithful to their D&D implementation.

RPS: Basic questions, which I suspect you won’t be able to answer, but I have to try - what classes and playable races are you planning on adding? Why did you choose them? What about the Party Feats?

Kevin Saunders: Yeah, we’re not really discussing this sort of thing (races and classes) just yet. Having party-centric feats seemed like a natural extension of the party-based campaign. Neverwinter Nights 2, especially with Mask of the Betrayer, already has a fairly robust selection of normal feats and we felt we could add more to the game by looking into Teamwork Benefits. We’re still working on them, but expect they will work similarly to how they are described in the Player’s Handbook 2.

RPS: On a racial question, what attracted you to the Yuan-Ti as an adversary?

Kevin: We felt that the southern jungles would be a great area to explore in a second NWN2 expansion - this choice of a future setting was one we made long before we even knew if there’d be a Storm of Zehir (the astute noted references to Chult in Mask of the Betrayer). Jungles would open up a new terrain for the mod community and would give us an excuse to add dinosaurs to NWN2. =) The yuan-ti are a key player in that part of the world and are also an interesting and classic (if slightly exotic) D&D opponent.

RPS: Finally - the economic trading aspect sounds a fascinating thing to try. How will that work in the game? What inspired you to try such a thing - I’ve been very interested in Indie games like Mount & Blade which works with similar dynamic systems, so it all sounds enormously interesting.

Kevin: We’re also not ready to talk about the details of the Trading System just yet. It seemed like a natural way to develop and utilize the Overland Map. For example, it helps us tie traditional NWN 2-style quests into Overland Map gameplay.

RPS: And I suspect that’s more than enough. Before I go - flipping it around, a previous question - what sort of things have you lost which you kind of miss?

Kevin Saunders: Insightful question. Perhaps the biggest thing we “lost” was the involved companions we’ve had in previous Obsidian titles. Storm of Zehir will have Cohorts, each of whom has their own background and personality. But they are much more optional and are not integral story components. They also do not have the expansive dialogues that some Knights of the Old Republic 2, NWN2, and MotB companions have. There will be quite a few to choose from and they’ll comment on what’s going on in the game (as the Mask of the Betrayer companions did) and bolster your custom-created party. This approach with Cohorts felt like it fit the Storm of Zehir gameplay better and allowed us to expend more creative energy on creating a reactive and interesting world to explore.

RPS: Thanks for your time.

We’ll bring more on Storm of the Zehir as we approach its release near the end of the year.

又一篇
Atari and Obsidian Entertainment have been working for some time on a new expansion pack for the well-known D&D flavored RPG, Neverwinter Nights 2. Precious little is known about the project, but the folks at Obsidian were kind enough to share a few new details on Neverwitner Nights 2: Storm of Zehir.

We talk to SoZ producer, Kevin Saunders, who explains a bit about the developer's effort to take the franchise in a completely new direction. Chatting with Kevin, we cover topics such as the revamped gameplay, trading, 3.5 Edition rules, leveling, storyline and the connection to Mask of the Betrayer and so on.

ActionTrip: With Alpha Protocol currently in the spotlight, how much attention is invested into Storm of Zehir at this point and how long has it been in development?

Kevin Saunders: We began work on Storm of Zehir toward the end of Mask of the Betrayer. Almost everyone involved in the development of SoZ also worked on Mask of the Betrayer.

AT: If possible, we'd like to know more about how the storyline kicks off; who the principle characters are and so on. Are there any familiar characters set to make an appearance (from NWN, NWN 2, etc.)?

KS: The events of Storm of Zehir take place approximately concurrently with Mask of the Betrayer. It begins an entirely new story line that is consistent with, but independent of, the previous Neverwinter Nights 2 stories.

In SoZ, you explore the fate of the Sword Coast (and other regions) following the disappearance of the Knight-Captain. You begin the game with a party of low level adventures - this game is about this party's adventures.

Yes, you will come across some familiar characters. One new, yet familiar character, is Volo, the famous Forgotten Realms explorer and chronologer.

AT: Who is writing the story for Storm of Zehir?

KS: Tony Evans is the Lead Designer for Storm of Zehir and is the keeper of its story. Tony led the design of Neverwinter Nights 2's Act 3 and designed the Mulsantir and Slumbering Coven modules in Mask of the Betrayer. Designer Annie Carlson has been heavily involved in the story and character aspects of SoZ. She wrote for Alpha Protocol and also did some creative work on both Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer.

AT: Alrighty, the open-ended bit and theOverland Map a fresh moment in the NWN series. How do you plan to implement this, without losing the thread of the story and throwing the gameplay off balance?

KS: The tone and flavor of Storm of Zehir is quite a bit different from that of Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer. First, the game will be more of a light-hearted adventure than a dark, forbidding tale. A more "fun"-oriented story is generally easier to make less linear. Storm of Zehir has a lot of minor plots and events, not all of which directly support the main storyline.

The story is still very important to Storm of Zehir, but the game is more about exploring an interesting and reactive world than it is about living out an epic storyline.

AT: Any chance we could learn about some of the new classes and playable races?

KS: We're not ready to talk about these just yet. (Drat! - Ed.)

AT: If we're not mistaken, the level cap in the previous add-on was 30. Will you let players go beyond that?

KS: No - we are not focusing on epic level gameplay with SoZ. With this game, we wanted the emphasis to be on the party, not an individual, and we felt beginning at a low level was an important part of this experience. Instead of a single powerful character, you'll be creating a party of up to four who adventure together and develop a reputation throughout the Realms.

AT: Mask of the Betrayer introduced a cool gameplay element (balancing dark powers and so forth). In terms of gameplay, what's the biggest innovation in SoZ?

KS: Mask of the Betrayer colored within the lines set by Neverwinter Nights 2. Storm of Zehir does not. The Overland Map is one of the game's most defining features. It provides a sense of exploration that makes it feel more like a Fallout game than a Neverwinter Nights game. The Overland Map also makes Skills (Survival, Spot, etc.) more important and useful.

When within the specific locales of the game, they feel like other Neverwinter Nights areas, though. Quests, loot, puzzles, characters - all of the same elements are present.

Note that the Overland Map features will also be adaptable by the community for their own worlds and adventures.

AT: Wizards of the Coast already released the 4th Edition D&D rule set. Are some of the changes going to make it into the game or are you still clinging to the 3.5 rule set?

KS: Storm of Zehir is a 3.5 Edition game and will not use any of the 4th Edition rule set. However, we do have some major 4th Edition story tie-ins.

As you well know, with 4th Edition, D&D is switching from Oerth to the Forgotten Realms as the primary setting. The 4th Edition world is set many years after the events of Neverwinter Nights 2, Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of Zehir and in SoZ, we foreshadow events of the future. In fact, if you read the new Player's Handbook carefully, you'll notice that Zehir is one of the new gods created for 4th Edition.

AT: The economic aspect of gameplay (i.e. trading), obviously, plays an important role. Explain how it works in this expansion pack?

KS: Some quests tie directly into the trading system, but how much you want to partake in it is up to you. The core of the trading system in Storm of Zehir is to buy low, sell high, and pay attention to trends and events that impact the economy. There are different trading factions whose goals you can choose to support (or oppose). Ultimately, SoZ is a role-playing game, not an economic sim. The trading system's role in that regard is to add to the world's reactivity, with your trading endeavors potentially opening up new options and impacting story events. It also felt like a natural extension of the Overland Map gameplay.

AT: What is the Teamwork Benefit System?

KS: We'll talk more about this in the future, but Teamwork Benefits in SoZ will be similar to how they work in D&D as described in Player's Handbook 2. Basically, these are "feats" that benefit an entire party but have to be earned. We felt this addition from the D&D rules would be very applicable to our emphasis on party-based gameplay.

AT: The inevitable question: does the game allow players to transfer their Epic-level avatars from Mask of the Betrayer or NWN 2?

KS: Nope. You'll be creating a brand new party of adventurers. (Well, there's nothing that will prevent you from importing your 30th level character into SoZ, but it's not how it's meant to be played.)

AT: I'm sure you guys are really busy with several projects (NWN 2: SoZ, Alpha Protocol, etc.). Don't know if you've even considered this, but I have to ask. Is there a chance we'll be seeing Neverwitner Nights 3 some time in the future?

KS: Many of us at Obsidian have a deeply rooted respect and love for all things D&D. We would certainly enjoy working on a 4th Edition D&D game. Atari holds the license for any D&D electronic games, so they and Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro are the ones who would decide what D&D games are developed.

AT: We appreciate your time and patience. Feel free to add anything else you'd like our readers to know about Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir.

KS: While definitely still a Neverwinter Nights game, Storm of Zehir deviates quite a bit from the typical Neverwinter gameplay. We think, of course, that you'll enjoy the change in direction we've taken.

Important note: We apologize for the lack of media. Unfortunately, Obsidian isn't quite ready to reveal any shots or artwork at this time. We're in contact with them, of course, and will post any media when it becomes available.

居然还有一篇

Strategy Informer: Storm of Zehir is rumored to be much like Icewind Dale and Baldur’s Gate in terms of its non-linear progression.  Exactly how much space will players have to navigate without being tied to any story objectives?

Kevin Saunders:  That’s true – Lead Designer Tony Evans has taken Storm of Zehir in a more non-linear direction than previous Neverwinter Nights games. In that regard, SoZ is more similar to a game like Fallout - there’s a plot and objectives, but you’re free to explore the game world however you wish.

Strategy Informer: We’ve read that you may have run into some time crunches towards the end of the development cycle with the first expansion pack Mask of the Betrayer, including losing a mission called “Patron of the Arts.”  Will we see some sort of revival for that quest or any of the other content that may have been cut from Mask of the Betrayer?

Kevin Saunders: Nope – all of the Storm of Zehir content is brand new! To clarify, no developed content was really cut from Mask of the Betrayer – there are always more ideas than you have time to implement and you have to pick and choose what you actually put into the game. Anything that we considered for MotB but didn’t implement wouldn’t be as beneficial for Storm of Zehir than new content we came up with specifically for this game.

  






Strategy Informer: How will the new D&D 4th edition rules work into Storm of Zehir? Wizards of the Coast maintains that the 4th edition is easier to pick up, play, and learn. Will Storm of Zehir welcome newcomers as much as entertain loyalists?

Kevin Saunders: In terms of game rules, Storm of Zehir is strictly a 3.5 Edition D&D game. We would love to create a 4th Edition D&D game, but that’s simply a bigger undertaking than an expansion can tackle. That said, you will find 4th Edition story tie-ins in SoZ. Besides just changing the rules, Wizards of the Coast also altered the Forgotten Realms setting with 4th Edition. Storm of Zehir takes place before the Spellplague and has some foreshadowing of the events that lead to 4th Edition.

Strategy Informer: Will you be able to import your character from previous Neverwinter Nights 2 campaigns into Storm of Zehir?  If so, will it be a clean slate with the party?

Kevin Saunders: Storm of Zehir is intended to be played with a new party of low level characters. Neverwinter Nights 2 is a flexible game and from a technical perspective, you could bring your high level characters in SoZ.

  

  



Strategy Informer: What sort of graphical overhaul or tweaking can we expect from the new expansion pack?

Kevin Saunders: The Overland Map has a different graphical style than you've seen in NWN2 and MotB. Developed by artists Scott Everts and Justin Cherry, it's more stylized and less "realistic." The adventure areas themselves use new lighting techniques we've developed over the course of creating the previous games. NWN2 artists Jay Bakke and Roger Chang have created some great looking locations, as you'll soon see when we start releasing screenshots.

Strategy Informer: Can we expect the level cap to raise? If so, what will be affected?

Kevin Saunders: Storm of Zehir has the same level cap as Mask of the Betrayer – 30. With its open-ended exploration gameplay, you can certainly reach epic levels in SoZ, but it’s also possible to “win” the game earlier than that. We felt that players would prefer our concentrating on improving other aspects of the NWN2 experience rather than extending the level cap beyond 30. Level 30 is already extreme for D&D (in fact, 4th Edition currently ends at 30).

Strategy Informer: Can you give us any sort of clue as to the story of Storm of Zehir?

Kevin Saunders: Well, Zehir is mentioned briefly in the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook. =)

  






Strategy Informer: Has a release date been finalized yet?

Kevin Saunders: I believe that what has been announced is Q4 2008 – so by the end of the year. We can't comment on an exact date.

Strategy Informer: How long do you plan to keep supporting Neverwinter Nights 2 with additional expansion packs?

Kevin Saunders: There are many people at each Atari and Obsidian who love D&D and love Neverwinter Nights 2. Continuing to support NWN2 is definitely of interest to us. But regardless of what one might personally want to create, we also have to consider financial realities - like everyone else, game developers have families to feed. Mask of the Betrayer exceeded sales projections; if Storm of Zehir is also well received, that would create a strong argument for a third expansion.

Strategy Informer: Is there anything else you'd like to say before we close this interview?

Kevin Saunders: Thank you for your time and interest in D&D, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Obsidian. You’re the reason we make these games. =)


Note: Screenshots are taken from Neverwinter Nights 2, Obsidian aren't ready to release any shots for Storm of Zehir just yet.

没装新机前一律无视......

恩，四人队……

辐射式地图移动并且SURVIVAL、SPOT等技能对你大有帮助，这个绝对支持

机器跑不动啊。。。。。。。。。。

没耐心看e文，等翻译

Note: Screenshots are taken from Neverwinter Nights 2, Obsidian aren't ready to release any shots for Storm of Zehir just yet.


这也太厚道了吧

引用:

原帖由 Wmaker 于 2008-6-20 21:28 发表
Note: Screenshots are taken from Neverwinter Nights 2, Obsidian aren't ready to release any shots for Storm of Zehir just yet.


这也太厚道了吧

没办法，都是采访。太多了，估计不会有人翻译，但大概看看。

Strategy Informer: Can we expect the level cap to raise? If so, what will be affected?

Kevin Saunders: Storm of Zehir has the same level cap as Mask of the Betrayer – 30. With its open-ended exploration gameplay, you can certainly reach epic levels in SoZ, but it’s also possible to “win” the game earlier than that. We felt that players would prefer our concentrating on improving other aspects of the NWN2 experience rather than extending the level cap beyond 30. Level 30 is already extreme for D&D (in fact, 4th Edition currently ends at 30).
这段比较重要， level cap 还是30，而且还据然说出了我们感觉玩家更愿意看到游戏其他方面的体验（游戏品质）的提高而不是提高level cap这种话。游戏由于非线性，所以最终能达epic，这也证明走完所有线的话至少游戏时间要比motb长。
看这里：
RPS: Equally, reading about the encounters in the wilderness… while you talk about a fifteen hour campaign, I get the feeling that refers to the central arc involving the Yuan-Ti, and there’s lots of room for random hack and slash. Am I reaching or onto something?

Kevin: Again, I’d say you’re on target. =)

to楼上，那个截图是老版的
不是Storm of Zehir的

btw：谢谢翻译出重点