Just bought NWN Platinum

[Legacy_paxmilitaris]

               Hi all
I'v been going around in circles between 2 or 3 sites and i can't find what i'm looking for.
As the title says i just bought the game and now i can't find the patches nor any reasons why i can't access my henchmens inventories or spellbooks or get them to actualy cast spells.

Thanks for any help
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lightfoot8]

               Installation: Critical Rebuild Patch
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

paxmilitaris wrote...
-clip- i can't find ...any reasons why i can't access my henchmens inventories or spellbooks or get them to actualy cast spells.

You'll begin to access henchman inventory in SoU & HotU.  Though the vanilla OC does not provide that option, you can install a utility like Tony K's Henchman AI if you want to do that.  There are no utilties developed that allow you to access the spellbooks of the henchman though custom AI utilities can make the casting more effective and predictable.  Also, HotU's design provides the greatest spellcasting control of the 3 Bioware campaigns where you can select defensive spells prior to combat via convo.

There are ways to control the spell casting proclivity of henchmen in-game but it takes some practice using inventory and the radial combat attitude to achieve.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 12 janvier 2012 - 12:34 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_NWN DM]

               Congrats on your excellent choice in games.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_paxmilitaris]

               Thanks for the help.
I'm having another problem, but from HipMaestro's post i guess that i'll get the ability to have 2 henchmen in SoU & HotU too.
I must say that it is very dissapointing to read stuff in the docs and then not have the game work as explained. Being very familiar with AD&D, i'm already frustrated by all that's not there.

Anything i should install beside the henchai? I saw a CEP and NWNCX, but it's not clear exactly what they do. If NWN could work like DS1 with the autoattack that would be great.

I should probably specify that i'm using NWN on WinXP without internet access.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_wyldhunt1]

               Most of the big advances happen in the online persistent worlds.
CEP is designed for online PW's. NWNCX allows advanced scripts to work, but it won't do anything by itself... And most of the stuff people have made for it is designed for PW's.
The only other major advancement that was designed for the OC that I know of is the PRC.
It adds a ton of new races, classes, spells, etc.
It's a trick or two to use it though. You have to use their special 3rd party program to make your character with if you want a special race or class at 1st level. You have to use their other 3rd party program to 'inject' the PRC in to the OC.

The OC can be fun for the story. The main thing that makes NWN so amazing is the work that the community has done with it... most of which doesn't work in the OC.

If you get too peeved at the OC, try downloading some of the modules from the vault. Or, even better, RP on line in one of the massive PW's where you can have live DM's and other people to RP with. PW's are where all of the latest tech wind up.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par wyldhunt1, 12 janvier 2012 - 10:08 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <counting on his fingers...>

paxmilitaris wrote...
Thanks for the help.
I'm having another problem, but from HipMaestro's post i guess that i'll get the ability to have 2 henchmen in SoU & HotU too.
...

Actually, you can have 1 henchman, 1 familiar/animal companion and a summoned creature for a party of 4. Then there are people who may join you on top of that (in HotU for sure, not sure on the others).

Depending on your favorite class and playing style, you can have quite a full party :-) 
*I* usually do <he doesn't like to get his hands dirty>
No, that's not it... I like to... present opportunities for glory to my friends. Yeah. *That's* the ticket =)

I should probably specify that i'm using NWN on WinXP without internet access.

Me, too.
Mostly.
If I'm not at Starbuck's, I am limited to a 15w solar panel for power :-P *Very* off-grid.

<...happy he doesn't have to take off his boots>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               See jmlzemaggo's add-ons/tips thread for more ideas on how to make the various modules, including the OC, better. I would say that the henchman AI is the most important, but there are lots of good things there. Most of the override goodies will work in the OC (and other Bioware campaigns) as well.

And, wyldhunt1 is right that many PWs have great innovative features. But lots of content for the game, like CEP, works perfectly well in single-player modules, too, but they have to be designed to use it. The OC was not designed that way, since it was released before everything else came out. Obviously, some server-side tools/features will only work on PWs (or at least only when played with a module hosted using a server), and many PWs have lots of custom scripting not available in SP.

Even for single-player, you should install CEP. You can get by without  NWNCX. There are many single-player modules on the Vault that take advantage of cool content. Probably most of the popular modules have their own associated HAK files (new content of some kind) and any module you see that says it requires CEP is using some of that vast compendium of community-created content. Installing CEP requires nothing (except some disk space) and you'll be ready for the modules that use it.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par MrZork, 12 janvier 2012 - 10:57 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               For a new player, I recommend taking a stroll through the Player section of www.neverwinternights.info.  It has information on NWNCX, CEP, adding modifications for the game, and more.

There are going to be definite differences between NWN and AD&D.  There are limitations in a computer game (especially one that's been out for almost 10 years now) that there aren't in a pen and paper game.  There are also differences in the basic game's party set-up from previous D&D computer games.

Different modules may give different options for henchmen.  Module builders can create their own for their stories, and different modules and PWs may even allow more than one at a time.  Control depends on what's built into the system and customizations via scripting and module options.

If going the single-player route, I would definitely recommend getting a bunch of modules from the Vault.  There has been an amazing amount of creative work done by module builders over the years.

If you do end up with regular internet access (even a dial-up connection works for playing NWN), there are a lot of multiplayer servers out there (just check the list through "Join Internet Game" via the game client), and scheduled DM'd games (check the neverwinterconnections.com site).

Good luck!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               While I am sure it is mentioned elsewhere:

A beautiful graphic upgrade for old modules and the original campaign(s) is also available for download:
NWNCQ by Chico. You can download the override version and drop it in your override folder. All of the OC, SoU and HoTU will look much better.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

paxmilitaris wrote...
I must say that it is very dissapointing to read stuff in the docs and then not have the game work as explained. Being very familiar with AD&D, i'm already frustrated by all that's not there.

I suggest that you simply let NWN stand  on its own merit.  Learn what it really offers by experience and read up on the nuances in your spare time using the NWN Wiki.  Delete those ancient manuals which were written 10 years ago before any patches were released.  IIRC, j-m's list of Add-on & stuff has a link to the Grimoire which is probably the best e-document source, but even that is not completely accurate.

There are gobs of AD&D games out there, each with its own slant on the ruleset and NWN is no different.  For my own perspective, an ancient PnP player from the late 60's, real-time gaming was an education.  Can't say I was frustrated when i first played NWN but it required adapting to the new environment to prevent hair-pulling.  At least I don't have to spend time looking for the dice any more. ;P

So my advice is to just try the OC "as is" at least once.  Maybe twice, once as a fighter and another as a magic caster... just to learn the baseline.  Besides. When you start getting conflicts with overrides and haks, it would be a good idea to know what may be causing the burps.  A beginning "snapshot" is always handy.

If you appreciate the merits of game balance, then you should understand that the challenge of the OC was designed BEFORE the expansion prestige classes, spells and feats were added and was never rebalanced.  That means if you play the OC with SoU & HotU already installed it should be extremely easy because it was never readjusted for the uberness of those new features.

Finally, it's always a good idea to form a base metric, some sort of scale on which to judge future modules, and the Bioware crew did a pretty good job of furnishing expansive campaigns that will not lock up, crash, or otherwise leave you stranded and they all use the English language rather than some sort of pseudo-English that defies imagination to understand.

And single player NWN is not Baldur's Gate with massive party size.  If you enjoy the big team concept then venture into on-line PWs or LAN games with your friends.

Bottom line: PLAY! '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 13 janvier 2012 - 12:13 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_paxmilitaris]

               Is it just me or are henchmen really stupid when it comes to using magic?

Also, is it normal for my character's head to dissapear in the OC if i use CEP?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par paxmilitaris, 15 février 2012 - 07:17 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

paxmilitaris wrote...
Is it just me or are henchmen really stupid when it comes to using magic?

It's the most diffcult AI to develop for obvious reasons... one which being spell availability vs. the particular situation.  The permutations of that would be insane unless it allowed a manual round-by-round player selection which is not always possible. The default AI forces them to buff prior to casting offensive spells.  They are also indiscrimate to the the build of the party leader so spells cast could potentially limit or harm the PC. The expansions control system work a bit better than the OC but TBH I have never played a game that provides adequate spell casting AI UNLESS there is a way to pause the game and select (in other words, single-player only).

Also, is it normal for my character's head to dissapear in the OC if i use CEP?

Yes.  You'll need to manage your override properly to avoid problems like this.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 15 février 2012 - 08:15 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               About you simply forget the spellcasters as henchies, even with enhanced community AIs like Tony K's one (in my signature).
The only way to have a decent magician in your party is to be the one yourself.
That's probably the best side of NWN2 actually, being able to control every single member of your gang yourself (like in BG?)
But to much work for a game...
Yeap, nothing like good ol'NWN. 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 15 février 2012 - 09:09 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_paxmilitaris]

               I downloaded the Player Utilities from Calgacus but the zip did not contain any instructions and the page just says to "use the console commnad to spawn the itmes"
If any of you could give me those commands and tell me if by console he means the chat.
Thanks