Well I'm no "new commer" but I've only recently indulge myself into the wonders of the toolset. I'm only 15, and the first time I played the game I think I was 11? Maybe 10. By then the game had already been out for about 4-5 years of course. My step father introduced me to the game, and the OC gave me hours of enjoyment. It was about 2 years before I ever completed the game though.
I was completely unaware of the many modules people had made. But I used to mess around with the toolset and sucked at it. Its only probably a year ago since I downloaded my first 3rd party module. Since then, I've only become an even bigger fan of NWN. My Mum wonders how this single game keeps me on for hours.
Simple, its not a game. Its an engine. Too me it is at least. The OC is only a *demonstration* as to what the toolset can do. You even look at the back cover, read it and it mostly talk about how revolutionary the game is for letting the players *create* all these modules. People change the gameplay significantly from OC. Like the rogue modules, such as Rogues of Quinn. it introduced to me a completely differernt way of playing the game. People mod the game, bring in new equipment etc. Design new areas and with it, design new worlds.
As for the question of, "Is NWN dying?" the answer depends on your preception of when something is dying. From my preception, no its not dying. But it will get there soon enough. From another point of view, a game starts to die once it is off the market, as NWN has been for ages. NWN is rare, (I should know, i've been looking for diamond edition for months. God I want those expansions so bad)