RPGWatch Feature: NWN Premium Modules Retrospective

Dhruin

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From time to time we plan to re-use some old material, both as a form of retrospective and as a sort of historical record. We don't have a grand plan (at this stage) but many of you probably realise we lost many years of work with our previous site. Our first such retrospective sees Mike Anderson review the Premium Module content for NWN, with some small updates added in.
Darkness over Daggerford
This was planned as a Premium module, but was cancelled when Atari pulled the plug on that program. Ossian studios continued on and released the module in August for free. And thank goodness they did - the game offers tremendous gameplay as well as innovations that make it hard to believe this is just a module.

From the start it is clear that things are different in this module - there is an overworld map and unfolding story reminiscent of Baldur's Gate 2. The ability to gain a stronghold is another thing that makes this feel like that classic game. There is a love for the D&D world and gaming universe heaped on this module that adds to the fun without feeling forced - for example, in one quest, you find a floating skull who was from a different plane ... a place of Torment. Add to this a solid story and quest that unfolds gradually as you open areas on the map and you have a feel for the excellence of the module. Many newer modules are stricter about enforcing your alignment, and this is no exception. You get small rewards or deductions to your alignment as always, but also small bits of experience as a bonus.
Read it all here.
More information.
 
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In my opinion, a short addendum would have been nice to reflect recent developments - for example these modules no more being available online anymore.

Apart from that, a fine read ! :)
 
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Can anyone remember if key(s) where needed for installing the Premium Modules?
 
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What happened to that Planescape module for NWN 2?
 
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What happened to that Planescape module for NWN 2?

Yeah, that was so promising.

Anyway. I just started to replay NWN2. Can someone suggest some good free modules for it?
 
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In my opinion, a short addendum would have been nice to reflect recent developments - for example these modules no more being available online anymore.

Apart from that, a fine read ! :)

I mentioned it as a 'con' at the bottom ... but yeah, it it unfortunate that they can no longer be purchased.

Can anyone remember if key(s) where needed for installing the Premium Modules?

No - you download and install, and the game checks online against the master server for ownership every time.
 
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So… all stick and no carrot? I never owned NWN, so I never got any of the modules either. But as I am slowly working on my backlog NWN is on that list. Are you saying I will never play these modules except, I guess, the free one?
 
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Yeah, that was so promising.

Anyway. I just started to replay NWN2. Can someone suggest some good free modules for it?

There was one being worked on for NWN1 that got canned.

I also was bummed by it disappearing. Looked good too.
I remember there being a Shadowrun mod being worked
on... damn modders and their laziness ;)

But the NWN2 one is still running. Halways through they just
decided to make it expansion size. Here.

http://www.roguedao.com/
 
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I believe the DRM for the Premium Modules has been turned off if you can score a copy of them.

There were a few other Premium Mods that were cancelled and released for free. The one that comes immediately to mind is HeX Coda that was extremely different and sci-fi. It was probably the best mod ever made for the game. He even started on a sequel.

I don't believe it was ever reviewed here but I did bring it to the attention of the editors here who let the world know,
 
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No - you download and install, and the game checks online against the master server for ownership every time.

Thanks, but do you know how ownership is verified? I'm not sure I still have the downloads and I'm wondering if the were somehow tagged or not.
 
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Actually my original inspiration to revisit this was replaying NWN for a Netbook Gamer article ... and I can confirm that even fully patched up (which nicely removes the CD check) the Premium Mods still phone home.
 
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Thanks, but do you know how ownership is verified? I'm not sure I still have the downloads and I'm wondering if the were somehow tagged or not.

Really not sure ...

I know there were a couple of other things tagged as Premium, but nothing as brutally whacked as Daggerford IIRC
 
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I've found the Windows installer version of the Premium Modules on one of my drives. I might also still have the alternate versions somewhere.
 
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Does Diamond feature all of the premium mods, or just Kingmaker, Shadowguard and Witche's Wake?

As far as modules go, HeX Coda 01 and the Paladin Trilogy are the best things I've seen, even beating the Premium ones. Too bad neither of them are finished. That led to some frustration some time ago, leading to me abandoning NWN altogether, only recently I decided to go back and play through some of the other (and finished) series.

Speaking of NWN2 mods, anyone know what happened to Sawyer's Black Hound mod?
 
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There was one being worked on for NWN1 that got canned.

I also was bummed by it disappearing. Looked good too.
I remember there being a Shadowrun mod being worked
on… damn modders and their laziness ;)

But the NWN2 one is still running. Halways through they just
decided to make it expansion size. Here.

http://www.roguedao.com/

Thanks for reminding me if this one. Apparently they will release an update in just a few days: http://www.roguedao.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1749
 
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To me, that's just a question of the international audience being screwed again. I mean - these were nowhere available here in Germany, the only possibility to get them would have been to buy them online (as originally intended, I guess).

And they have never been translated, too.

To me this is a sign as what might happen to DLC in general, too.
 
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