Must Have mods for NWN (for a new player)

[Legacy_Pangaea]

               Just bougth the game off GOG. I have never played it before, but have played a fair bit of BG1 (not BG2). I've looked here for mods,  but it was rather overwhelming (a solid understatement!).

In BG1 I used Tutu with some fixes, Unfinished Business and NPC Project - plus the essential widescreen mod. What mods are essential for NWN? Or am I better off just playing it like it came?

Not been able to fire up the game yet as it flickers and quits on my Win 7 laptop. But some mods I particularly like in BG1 was Tutu (obviously) and being able to buy bags of holding (etc) and stacking a lot more arrows and bullets to prevent too much time lost in the inventory. Are there such issues in NWN too, and what mods must I have to sort it out?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shia Luck]

               Hi '>

Well I suggest you browse through "Add-ons & Tips from the NWN Community".

You might also want to check installation guide if you have issues with your install too.

Good Luck '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Shia Luck, 23 septembre 2011 - 09:47 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               Oooo...NWN blows BG away for Mods - we call these things Haks and Overrides, btw.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               I'd recommend playing NWN as it came for a while first, and then deciding if you want any of the modifications listed in the Add-Ons & Tips thread.  I don't think there are any really annoying features in NWN that make any add-on a must-have.

The only two I use are in the "beautifying" category- Kamiryn's in-game character customizer, and Deathface's colored eyes, lips, and eyebrows.  (Though the next time I play a character who can summon familiars or animal companions, I'll probably download the Familiar and Companion fixes).

By the way, in NWN, there are typically quite a few magic bags / bags of holding to buy, and your ammunition will stack into nice big stacks.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               Oh, the links to the critical rebuild for version 1.69 is probably pretty much must-have.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Mystery X, 23 septembre 2011 - 10:08 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Shia Luck]

               

Mystery X wrote...

Oh, the links to the critical rebuild for version 1.69 is probably pretty much must-have.

GOG version is correctly patched now so that's one s/he won't need *grin*
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pangaea]

               Thanks. I read about the wrong 1.69 patching with GOG, so downloaded it. Then after spending quite some time on that I was told it was the wrong one. Good to hear they've sorted that issue now though '>

That Add-on list freaked me out as there was so much stuff there and I had no idea what was truly needed. Sounds like going vanilla is a good option here so I'll try that (have just been downloading a bunch of mods for Torment).

One thing though. I've heard about NWShader and Project Q. Are these (at least the former) graphical improvements only or do they change the gameplay too? I don't really want the gameplay changed unless there are serious issues that needs fixing, and that doesn't sound to be the case.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndarianTD]

               

Pangaea wrote...

Just bougth the game off GOG. I have never played it before, but have played a fair bit of BG1 (not BG2). I've looked here for mods,  but it was rather overwhelming (a solid understatement!).

In BG1 I used Tutu with some fixes, Unfinished Business and NPC Project - plus the essential widescreen mod. What mods are essential for NWN? Or am I better off just playing it like it came?

Not been able to fire up the game yet as it flickers and quits on my Win 7 laptop. But some mods I particularly like in BG1 was Tutu (obviously) and being able to buy bags of holding (etc) and stacking a lot more arrows and bullets to prevent too much time lost in the inventory. Are there such issues in NWN too, and what mods must I have to sort it out?

The key thing to remember is that with NWN, the word "mod" has two distinct meanings. One is to stand for "modification," as in a "mod" that adds or changes gameplay and game features. The other stands for "module," as in a separate adventure a la the booklets that used to be popular for pen and paper RPG play. With NWN, you don't just modify the developer's original campaign adventure, but can actuallyt build and play wholly new custom adventures developed by us "modders."

"Modification" mods come in two forms. One is player driven, and aimed at modifying all gameplay on the player's machine. These are called "overrides" in NWN and go in the "override" folder. The other is builder driven, when someone who develops a new adventure module also adds gameplay features such as new creature models, custom tileset terrains, and so on. These are generally in the form of "haks," and go in the "hak" folder. An adventure module "modder" will attach these "haks" to his module, and ask you to download and install them in order to play it. Haks only affect modules that are specifically written to use them, but overrides affect the whole game.

Pangaea wrote...

I've heard about NWShader and Project Q. Are these (at least the former) graphical improvements only or do they change the gameplay too? I don't really want the gameplay changed unless there are serious issues that needs fixing, and that doesn't sound to be the case.

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't had time to look into NWShader yet, but Project Q is a hak system built for use by modders. For example, an adventure modder might build his adventure module using Project Q, in which case you would have to download and install the Project Q haks in order to play that module.

The bottom line is: don't approach NWN from the perspective of what overrides or haks to download, but what modules you want to play. Once you've settled on an adventure that sounds interesting, then download the haks and/or overrides you need for it. Bioware's original campaign and expansion packs aren't a bad place to start out "vanilla," as you put it. But to add my own two cents, I think that many of the custom modules developed by the community are in fact better than the original campaigns. I played the OCs exactly once and would never play them again -- not when there are hundreds of wholly original works to choose from.

If you're looking for a custom adventure module, there are a lot of places to look. One place for what I think are good suggestions is the Golden Dragon Award finalist and winners lists from the Academy for Modding Excellence:

NWN Golden Dragon Awards
               
               

               

                     Modifié par AndarianTD, 24 septembre 2011 - 01:51 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               Hi Pangaea
You are the reason why I wrote that list, and I'm glad, and even more surprised, you found it. 
I'm going to give you some strange advice now, from the one who wrote that list: don't use it. 
Play NWN just as it is. It's such a very fine game already. You need nothing else. 
Fall for it, or not. Then only, if you wanna make it yours, use that list. That's the only reason what it's here for: desires.  
Also as a memory, and I'm even surprised seeing myself using it sometimes... 
Depending on what kind of player and human being you are, visual like me, intellectual like HipMaestro, or even worse, girly like Shia, see, think of what you need, miss, or dream with that game, and then only tell NWN what you want. 
As it's probably around already... NWN is a jewel, the other one being its community. Including you. 
I remember myself when I first launched NWN, and what I needed almost right away. I never forgot that. Neither the help I got here. 

Oups, 'talking of forgetting: Welcome to NWN, Pangaea! 
Actually... those should be the first words in that list... 
Great, more work. Just what I needed... 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 24 septembre 2011 - 04:22 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Omega27]

               

Pangaea wrote...

Just bougth the game off GOG. I have never played it before, but have played a fair bit of BG1 (not BG2). I've looked here for mods,  but it was rather overwhelming (a solid understatement!).

In BG1 I used Tutu with some fixes, Unfinished Business and NPC Project - plus the essential widescreen mod. What mods are essential for NWN? Or am I better off just playing it like it came?

Not been able to fire up the game yet as it flickers and quits on my Win 7 laptop. But some mods I particularly like in BG1 was Tutu (obviously) and being able to buy bags of holding (etc) and stacking a lot more arrows and bullets to prevent too much time lost in the inventory. Are there such issues in NWN too, and what mods must I have to sort it out?

I use WIN7 as well for NWN, and i have the same issue ive found a way around that, buy simply pressing the (Windows Icon) on the Keyboard then click the NWN icon that in your "Task Bar" or what ever you want to call it. and you should be all set to continue on past it.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               NWShader is awesome!  Combined with some of the best Overrides (from Chico), it really pushes NWN in the graphics area forwards.

As for Project Q, you CAN get Project Q OCs from The Vault - these are the OCs that have had Project Q's haks added to them.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               Q Campaigns
Are those the ones you mentionned, WebShaman?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pangaea]

               

Omega27 wrote...

Pangaea wrote...

Just bougth the game off GOG. I have never played it before, but have played a fair bit of BG1 (not BG2). I've looked here for mods,  but it was rather overwhelming (a solid understatement!).

In BG1 I used Tutu with some fixes, Unfinished Business and NPC Project - plus the essential widescreen mod. What mods are essential for NWN? Or am I better off just playing it like it came?

Not been able to fire up the game yet as it flickers and quits on my Win 7 laptop. But some mods I particularly like in BG1 was Tutu (obviously) and being able to buy bags of holding (etc) and stacking a lot more arrows and bullets to prevent too much time lost in the inventory. Are there such issues in NWN too, and what mods must I have to sort it out?

I use WIN7 as well for NWN, and i have the same issue ive found a way around that, buy simply pressing the (Windows Icon) on the Keyboard then click the NWN icon that in your "Task Bar" or what ever you want to call it. and you should be all set to continue on past it.

I've set it to run as admin in compatibility. That worked. But it has the annoying side-effect of popping up the UAC "allow to run?" message every time. Is there a way to allow UAC to run this application without prompting me, but without disabling UAC altogether?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pangaea]

               

AndarianTD wrote...

The key thing to remember is that with NWN, the word "mod" has two distinct meanings. One is to stand for "modification," as in a "mod" that adds or changes gameplay and game features. The other stands for "module," as in a separate adventure a la the booklets that used to be popular for pen and paper RPG play. With NWN, you don't just modify the developer's original campaign adventure, but can actuallyt build and play wholly new custom adventures developed by us "modders."

"Modification" mods come in two forms. One is player driven, and aimed at modifying all gameplay on the player's machine. These are called "overrides" in NWN and go in the "override" folder. The other is builder driven, when someone who develops a new adventure module also adds gameplay features such as new creature models, custom tileset terrains, and so on. These are generally in the form of "haks," and go in the "hak" folder. An adventure module "modder" will attach these "haks" to his module, and ask you to download and install them in order to play it. Haks only affect modules that are specifically written to use them, but overrides affect the whole game.


I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't had time to look into NWShader yet, but Project Q is a hak system built for use by modders. For example, an adventure modder might build his adventure module using Project Q, in which case you would have to download and install the Project Q haks in order to play that module.

The bottom line is: don't approach NWN from the perspective of what overrides or haks to download, but what modules you want to play. Once you've settled on an adventure that sounds interesting, then download the haks and/or overrides you need for it. Bioware's original campaign and expansion packs aren't a bad place to start out "vanilla," as you put it. But to add my own two cents, I think that many of the custom modules developed by the community are in fact better than the original campaigns. I played the OCs exactly once and would never play them again -- not when there are hundreds of wholly original works to choose from.

If you're looking for a custom adventure module, there are a lot of places to look. One place for what I think are good suggestions is the Golden Dragon Award finalist and winners lists from the Academy for Modding Excellence:

NWN Golden Dragon Awards

Thanks a million for that rundown. That's exactly what I needed '> Safe to say the modding community for this game is much bigger than for BG, and the game is more moddable than BG too. Rather overwhelmed by all the options so far. And I've barely gotten to the Prologue yet! '>

Sounds like the original game isn't the most exciting of all time, but I'd like to play through it once to see what its like. Just scratching my head when trying to decide what to do on character creation though. Any suggestions? I quite likee being a mage in BG1 (at least now when I know my way around the game). Is it possible to survive as that (sorceror (or wizard)) for a new player to NWN or will I be better off as something else?

Once I've played through the game, or put a decent amount of hours into it, it will be easier to tell what modules or overrides I'd like to try out. If there are practically whole new games made by the community that sounds like an excellent thing to try out. But first I'd like to play the game itself and see how I get on.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pangaea]

               

jmlzemaggo wrote...

Hi Pangaea
You are the reason why I wrote that list, and I'm glad, and even more surprised, you found it. 
I'm going to give you some strange advice now, from the one who wrote that list: don't use it. 
Play NWN just as it is. It's such a very fine game already. You need nothing else. 
Fall for it, or not. Then only, if you wanna make it yours, use that list. That's the only reason what it's here for: desires.  
Also as a memory, and I'm even surprised seeing myself using it sometimes... 
Depending on what kind of player and human being you are, visual like me, intellectual like HipMaestro, or even worse, girly like Shia, see, think of what you need, miss, or dream with that game, and then only tell NWN what you want. 
As it's probably around already... NWN is a jewel, the other one being its community. Including you. 
I remember myself when I first launched NWN, and what I needed almost right away. I never forgot that. Neither the help I got here. 

Oups, 'talking of forgetting: Welcome to NWN, Pangaea! 
Actually... those should be the first words in that list... 
Great, more work. Just what I needed... 

Just for me? That's nice! '> '>

Combined it sure seems like the best approach is to try the game the way it came first. I will do that (when I have more time for gaming).

It's an excellent list really, but a tad overwhelming for a new player to NWN like myself. Was difficult to know what to choose, or if anything was needed. But its how it often goes. Before I knew a bit about BG1 I'd be overwhelmed by the install order list of BG mods too.

See you have changed the list a little now btw. Adding a welcome and changing the colours. Looks nicer now (though the headlines perhaps disappear a little by being black).

I look forward to getting into NWN.