This expansion was Bioware at its best

[Legacy_Eternal Phoenix]

               

It's been a while since I last played this expansion so some details are forgotten but it was Bioware at its best if you ask me. This expansion is what the original campaign for Neverwinter Nights should have been like with its characterization, customizable party members and choices that impact the plot. The writing is of better quality, the companions have more interesting tales to tell and there are multiple endings with a proper epilogue in the end not to mention the expansion features an incredible villain. As I've said so many times before, I think Hordes of the Underdark is on par with Baldur's Gate.

 

I never understood why both NWN OC and Shadow of Undrentide limited us to one party member either. I think they should have gone with two as well and the later could have especially done with this seeing as half of it was spent exploring dungeons and caves without much dialogue.

 

It's the shame Bioware couldn't go along with the original plot and features for the OC of NWN. I think it could have been as great as HoU if they had done. That sanity system would have been something to remember if it was done properly.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nick The Noodle]

               

My favourite was Pirates of the Sword Coast, while I was never able to finish Wyvern Knights due to its style.

 

Horses for courses I suspect.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eternal Phoenix]

               

I never got to play that add-on. Damn shame you can't purchase it anymore alongside Wyvern Crown of Cormyr and Infinite Dungeons. 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               

There you go.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Jfoxtail]

               

I certainly respect your opinion about HoTU and even the other campaigns...

 

---

 

However (always a however) I cannot help but be a bit of a neigh sayer.

 

The Original Campaign was "rushed for Financial reasons" (Atari and other complex business reasons)... 

 

The SOU campaign was instantly a hate it or love it campaign due to "Deekan and the whole slavery bit"... the cliff hanger ending (it was also very buggy in its day in a certain temple of undead)

 

Yes HoTU was a pinnacle.

 

---

 

However the 2 OC's prior to HOTU both were amazing campaigns in their own time and generated a lot of praise. It seems to me that a fair amount of revisionist apologies are made for what is a very very good game. 

 

There were legions of Aribeth Fan-bois and Aribeth threads. Her pivotal moment in the plot  spawned countless conversations. SOU too had many many ardent supporters that applauded the artistic decision to hold the player antagonist "hostage" to events and not be yet another super powered Faerunian demi god.

 

Forgive me but this is overly criticed now a days.

 

One must remember there is "nothing new In D&D since the 1980's.

 

The 3 OCs all borrowed liberally from earlier works be it Baldurs Gate, or PnP (Against the Giants, Against the Drow series especially). 

 

HoTU evokes significant elements of Baldurs Gate - Shadows of Amn... (hmmm underdark Mind Flayers, Beholders, Undead all near a Drow city !)   and so I personally agree with you.

 

I just wound not go so far to critic the other OCs as HoTU represented the 3rd OC at the peak of development including all the benefits of community contributions.

 

I still run through the 3 OCs from time to time 

 

Cheers

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lilura]

               

I agree Hordes of the Underdark is pretty good, there aren't enough people who appreciate it these days.


Just recently I completed a detailed seven-part recounting of an entire play-through. I played an Arcane Archer build, and tried to keep a full archer party at all times - Deekin, Sharwyn, Nathyrra and Aribeth all used ranged weapons.


Here is the first post:

Recounting Hordes of the Underdark - Part I of VII


This recounting should be of interest to NWN veterans and new players alike. You might notice the visuals are far superior to vanilla - that's because I've used Q Campaigns to infuse HotU with Project Q visuals.


My motivation in posting this recounting was to increase awareness of Hordes of the Underdark being a worthwhile experience for anyone interested in PC RPGs, and to showcase Project Q.


I enjoyed doing it, and welcome comments and criticism about how I played it.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Eternal Phoenix]

               

I certainly respect your opinion about HoTU and even the other campaigns...

 

---

 

However (always a however) I cannot help but be a bit of a neigh sayer.

 

The Original Campaign was "rushed for Financial reasons" (Atari and other complex business reasons)... 

 

The SOU campaign was instantly a hate it or love it campaign due to "Deekan and the whole slavery bit"... the cliff hanger ending (it was also very buggy in its day in a certain temple of undead)

 

Yes HoTU was a pinnacle.

 

Yes and I remember reading what the original script for the original campaign was going be. It's a shame that it never came to fruition because it sounded interesting and I would love to have seen it executed properly.

 

I thought Shadows of Undrentide was terrible but for different reasons. I liked how the writing was improved upon but it had very minimal role-playing when compared to the Original Campaign, a worst story (IMO) and hand held the player too much. I remember at one point in the final chapter, every enemy encounter consisted of skeleton devourers and groups of them were spawning in the same area. I just found most enemy encounters in SOU cheap in some instances and easy in others. However, despite all its negatives for me, it gave us Deekin and I for one loved that little kobold.

 

 

However the 2 OC's prior to HOTU both were amazing campaigns in their own time and generated a lot of praise. It seems to me that a fair amount of revisionist apologies are made for what is a very very good game. 

 

There were legions of Aribeth Fan-bois and Aribeth threads. Her pivotal moment in the plot  spawned countless conversations. SOU too had many many ardent supporters that applauded the artistic decision to hold the player antagonist "hostage" to events and not be yet another super powered Faerunian demi god.

 

Forgive me but this is overly criticed now a days.

 

One must remember there is "nothing new In D&D since the 1980's.

 

The 3 OCs all borrowed liberally from earlier works be it Baldurs Gate, or PnP (Against the Giants, Against the Drow series especially). 

 

HoTU evokes significant elements of Baldurs Gate - Shadows of Amn... (hmmm underdark Mind Flayers, Beholders, Undead all near a Drow city !)   and so I personally agree with you.

 

I just wound not go so far to critic the other OCs as HoTU represented the 3rd OC at the peak of development including all the benefits of community contributions.

 

I still run through the 3 OCs from time to time 

 

Cheers

I'll agree that I enjoyed the Original Campaign and I think it gets too much hate but I just couldn't enjoy Shadows of the Undrentide. It started off somewhat non-linear but the later chapters set you upon more linear paths. It was a far cry from the Original Campaign and am even further far cry from Baldur's Gate. I liked how the Original Campaign in each chapter started you off in a hub and then you were free to go off in any direction, the quests were better too IMO and there was far more optional content and role-playing choices in terms of decisions to be made in quests. Of course the lack-luster story and one party member system really weighed it down from being great.

 

The fact that HotU drew its main inspiration from Baldur's Gate is the reason I enjoyed it most. Choices had more consequences, all the sub plots were brilliant, the enemy encounters were challenging without being cheap or impossible, the epic level skills were well developed, the companions had deeper back stories (and banter), the antagonist was far better written that what we got in the campaigns prior to HotU (and he remains one of my favourite villains in any game) and the ending and boss encounter was satisfying. I could even see how some of HotU later influenced Dragon Age: Origins.

 

Each to their own though. I've played through the OC and HotU multiple times but could only do SotU once. I think it's as you said, it's a love it or hate it expansion that one.


And lol about Aribeth. I was never around on Bioware forums when NWN released (in fact I played it years later) so I guess I missed all the fanboyism around her. It's strange because now all I see are comments from people that hate her. I guess the haters outlasted the lovers...  

 

I agree Hordes of the Underdark is pretty good, there aren't enough people who appreciate it these days.


Just recently I completed a detailed seven-part recounting of an entire play-through. I played an Arcane Archer build, and tried to keep a full archer party at all times - Deekin, Sharwyn, Nathyrra and Aribeth all used ranged weapons.


Here is the first post:

Recounting Hordes of the Underdark - Part I of VII


This recounting should be of interest to NWN veterans and new players alike. You might notice the visuals are far superior to vanilla - that's because I've used Q Campaigns to infuse HotU with Project Q visuals.


My motivation in posting this recounting was to increase awareness of Hordes of the Underdark being a worthwhile experience for anyone interested in PC RPGs, and to showcase Project Q.


I enjoyed doing it, and welcome comments and criticism about how I played it.

 

I first saw Project Q when it was introduced into two NWN mods last year, although they never released, nonetheless, I was impressed with the graphical upgrade it gave the game.

 

That post is a great read. It's good to see some people are still interested in Hordes of the Underdark. IMO, it's overshadowed by Baldur's Gate, by fans of Bioware classics, when it's just as good (and perhaps even better in some instances). Even Jade Empire seems to get name dropped more on these forums than Hordes of the Underdark lol.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lilura]

               

That post is a great read. It's good to see some people are still interested in Hordes of the Underdark.

 

Thanks!

 

With a combat overhaul, ability to take OC Henchmen into Chapter Two (and beyond), larger party size and a Project Q facelift, imo HotU can easily contend with other combat-centric single-player campaigns for NWN - including user-made stuff.