Which NWN toolset do you recommend developing with, and why?

[Legacy_simomate2]

               I am asking this question at both the NWN 1 and NWN 2 forums because I know I'll get bias answers on both forums. Obviously, the dwellers in this forums would be more inclined to recommend NWN 1, and the dwellers of the other forum would be inclined to recommend NWN 2. It's not enough for you to simply give an answer though, you need to explain why.

I have a brief understanding of the pros and cons of both toolset. I think it boils down to this.

NWN 1

Pro: Faster Developmenttime
Con: Less powerful/more limited

NWN 2
Pro: More powerful
Con: Longer development time

So which would you recommend? I ask because I recently lost my old module AND it's back up. <>< tis my="" fault.="" next="" time="" i="" ought="" to="" back="" it="" up="" more="" often.="" :crying:anyway,="" i'd="" like="" to="" try="" a="" new="" project,="" but="" i'm="" not="" sure="" if="" i="" wanna="" do="" it="" on="" nwn="" 1-="" which i="" already="" have="" experience="" with-="">

Edit: I should add that I'm learning towards the NWN 2 toolset, because my module will be very story and character based. The player will not be making their own character, but will be receviing a premade level 1 paladin with his own backstory and personality. (Multi-classing will be allowed though. So beyond starting with a level 1 paladin, the player is free to customize the character however they like.) Throughout the module, and in the style of the final fantasy games, the player will encounter several companions that will move the story. For the module, I wanted to allow the player to choose the companions stats upon leveling up, and control them also. NWN 2 allows this, but I believe NWN 1 doesn't. I was also planning on making the companions intergratel to the puzzle based dungeons. For example, in one dungeon, the companions, and the PC, would be seperated, and the player would have to switch between the PC/companions as he progresses through the dungeon. (Maybe there's a door that requires the wizard to open it.)

Also, another reason I was leaning towards NWN 2, is that a campagin can consist of multiple modules that you can return to. NWN 1 modules, on the other hand, are limited in this regard
               
               

               

                     Modifié par simomate2, 13 octobre 2013 - 12:48 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               NWN1 because:
- easier to make exterior areas
- more powerful than NWN2 in most aspects, the main advantage is NWNX and NWNCX, NWN2 NWNX features arent that powerful as those for NWN1, the only thing the NWN2 offers on top of NWN1 really are GUI modifications and additions and easier way how to make visual effects
- there is more players playing nwn1 than 2 anyway

As for your goal. thats quite hard to do in NWN, you can control henchman levelling process but only limited to choose of a class. With some extra work it would be possible to control feats chosen and maybe even more, it would required quite a heavy workarounds though: conversation based feat list etc.
To play for a henchman in NWN1 is not much possible. NWNX could allow it but it wouldnt work in singleplayer. Also you cannot pre-set a character to begin your module with, player will be able to make new character/choose premade and get in - you could quit the module in such situation but thats workaround, not solution.

Also, another reason I was leaning towards NWN 2, is that a campagin can consist of multiple modules that you can return to. NWN 1 modules, on the other hand, are limited in this regard

Well, point is why to separate modules at all when you can have it as one module with free traveling, You can jump into any module in NWN1 but I guess it will always reset itself, so you would have to use persistency to restore it back to the state what it as when player left - very problematic...
               
               

               

                     Modifié par ShaDoOoW, 13 octobre 2013 - 01:07 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               This one is easy for me.

Aurora.

The Obsidian one I fooled with for 2 full days trying to get a handle on using it and gave up for another time when I might have the opportunity to focus more fully on it . I suppose there are tutorials out there that will adjust the learning curve.  Meh.

For a complete neophyte trying to throw together a quick module for testing, Aurora was/is intutitive and Obsidian was/is not.

Make what you want from that opinion.  Within the prevailing audience of designers, scripters and admins it is no doubt the minority perspective.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               For a single player module, NWN 2 is probably fine. If its what you want to do, just use it.

However I want to add that the argument of powerful for NWN 2 is misleading. If you want more power at the expense of ease of use, you shouldn't be using NWN, you should be learning how to make games in a real dev environment. There are use for free commercial game dev environments that are more powerful adn more easy to use than NWN 2.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par henesua, 13 octobre 2013 - 02:34 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_simomate2]

               

henesua wrote...

For a single player module, NWN 2 is probably fine. If its what you want to do, just use it.

However I want to add that the argument of powerful for NWN 2 is misleading. If you want more power at the expense of ease of use, you shouldn't be using NWN, you should be learning how to make games in a real dev environment. There are use for free commercial game dev environments that are more powerful adn more easy to use than NWN 2.

When I spoke of power, I was refering, mostly, to the terrian tool in NWN 2. To be honest, I'd rather develop with NWN 1, but that would mean sacrificing party control. I can't decide if I would rather sacrifice party control to use NWN 1 or sacrifice NWN 1 for party control.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_rogueknight333]

               If in doubt, I would recommend going with NWN1. If nothing else, you would waste less time if you start with that toolset and later decide you made a mistake and should be using the other, NWN2's being much more time-consuming to learn and use.

While theoretically NWN2's terrain painting tools allow one to make areas that are better looking, more customized and less generic, it requires an utterly disproportionate investment in time to actually achieve anything like this result. If you are prepared to use a lot of Custom Content you can make NWN1 areas that look almost as good (arguably even better) than anything in NWN2, and do it in a fraction of the time. So I do not really see this (the usual selling point for NWN2) as being much of an advantage.

One reason I prefer NWN to NWN2 actually concerns general gameplay rather than the toolset directly. In NWN2 the worst aspects of the feature bloat that came to weigh down 3E D&D rules is on full display: the game incorporates a huge mass of ECL races, Prestige Classes, special feats, and so on, some of them ridiculously over-powered, others almost useless. There was apparently almost no thought given to the effect all these options could have on play balance. In NWN1, balancing a module for the wide variety of character types players might bring in is kinda, sort-of possible, if you are not too perfectionist about it. Trying to balance an NWN2 module would be a nightmare, IMHO.

That said, NWN2 does have a couple of advantages. One is the presence of some special systems like Storm of Zehir's overland map. I suspect it would be possible to set up something similar in NWN1, but in NWN2 it comes ready made, which is a help. It is however only a specialized subset of modules that really require anything of the sort.

The other advantage is of course, as you say, the ability to more fully control henchman behavior and leveling up in NWN2 - a real advantage as far as it goes. Like many NWN players I have often been frustrated by the gross stupidity routinely displayed by AI-controlled henchmen. One can however mitigate (if not completely remove) NWN1's deficiencies in this area with things like custom level-up packages, improved AIs, and special custom tools to manage henchman behavior (e.g., an item you can click on a target to have a henchman attack it). Despite various frustrations, I have not found that this one factor outweighs all the benefits of the NWN toolset in just about every other area.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_mastermind shokrukip]

               ITo throw my vote in the hat, I prefer NWN I for the simple reason, more user friendly as regards to aflexibility of the toolset as a whole package.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_simomate2]

               I've decided to go with NWN 1. Thanks for the response guys!