NWN2 - Mysteries of Westgate: Gold!

Alan Miranda from Ossian has posted on the official forums that Atari has passed Mysteries of Westgate through QA with the latest 1.22 patch, making the game officially "Gold":

Hi Everyone,

As per my earlier post (see below), Ossian and Atari have done the final QA pass on MoW to make sure everything is working with 1.22. We finished yesterday and the critical path and sidequests all check out fine. I’ve gotten the official Atari stamp of approval today, meaning that MoW is now gold!

With MoW in the pipe, the next step is to get this final version to the digital distributors, for as you may or may not know, Atari uses services like Digital River to digitally distribute their games from the Atari website. When that has been hooked up, MoW will be set to release, and you’ll hear the official word from Atari about it. I’ll also post here to tell you the good news.

In the interim, it will be reviewers who will now get their copies of MoW to review. We’re looking forward to what they have to say!
- Alan

Thanks to Cal1s from Thieves Guild.net for the heads up.
More information.

Isn't this the 3rd expansion for NWN 2 already? I really need to get around to playing it someday. I've had the OC and MotB for a long time but never installed them.

Mask of the Betrayer is storywise one of the best RPG's in recent years, even if it's very linear.

Not technically an "expansion" but an Adventure Pack. In other words, a professionally made adventure but not quite the scope (or additions to game mechanics) included with a true expansion.

Really looking forward to this - I have high expectations.

There was mention of a third expansion somewhere.

Hopefully not too soon though. I still have to finish the original quest, MOtB, SoZ and now this.

Is that a pig I see flying over there?

Great news though (finally…)

I know we're a small site here, but are they sending anyone on the RPGwatch staff a copy? I would like to know what you guys have to say about it.

Sweet! I have been waiting a long time for this. Now let's just hope it meets our expectations (I know they are quite high around here!).

So fast ? After the Storm of Zehir ? I'm quite impressed.

I assume you're being sarcastic, Alrik?

Mysteries of Wesgate was announced 18 months ago, and ready for release 6 months ago if not earlier. The odds are stacked against it but I hope it at least succeeds now.

Originally Posted by JemyM
Mask of the Betrayer is storywise one of the best RPG's in recent years, even if it's very linear.

I'm about 5-6 hours in (Just started Chapter 2) and I just can't get into it. I don't know why, but I feel no sense of ownership with my character or NPC's.

Originally Posted by Brother None
Mysteries of Wesgate was announced 18 months ago, and ready for release 6 months ago if not earlier. The odds are stacked against it but I hope it at least succeeds now.

Alan wrote the campaign was final September 2007

Originally Posted by Brother None
I assume you're being sarcastic, Alrik?

No. I was merely referring to the time point of release.

Storm of Zehir was released not long ago, wasn't it ?

Originally Posted by Brother None
I'm not sure what you're referring to. What's "the campaign"? The adventure pack was announced October 2007, I remember doing an interview shortly after. I think without the security system delays it might've been out in July of last year, but not sure about that one.

The PR died down in May 2008, anyway. Man, this adventure pack has the odds stacked against it now.

Campaign means the module itself, not the technical circumstances (authentication system).

That's what Alan wrote me yesterday when he informed me, that MoW is through the testing. He wrote, that MoW was completed in september 2007 but due to the complicated process of implementing an authentication system not released until now.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Storm of Zehir was released not long ago, wasn't it ?

In Octobre. But MoW is only a download, not a full retail release. And they also have to face the fact, that NWN2 release was more than 2 years ago. NWN2 is near to the end of its life cycle (from an economic pov)

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
No. I was merely referring to the time point of release.

Storm of Zehir was released not long ago, wasn't it ?

Sure. And it's nice to see a lot of NWN2 content back-to-back for the fans, but as said, it's a huge delay that made the timing as it is.

Originally Posted by Avantenor
Alan wrote the campaign was final September 2007

So the game was done 18 months ago, announced 17 months ago, and released now.

I have rarely seen a publisher botch a release as badly as Atari has this one. It really is something else, but "at least" it's not a full game.

Originally Posted by Avantenor
That's what Alan wrote me yesterday when he informed me, that MoW is through the testing. He wrote, that MoW was completed in september 2007 but due to the complicated process of implementing an authentication system not released until now.

Yes, I got the same info through mail just now (as in just now, which is why I deleted the post you were replying to, sorry about that) but…er…I'm not exactly sure it is supposed to be public knowledge, dude. :/

Originally Posted by Avantenor
NWN2 is near to the end of its life cycle (from an economic pov)

I don't think that's true. As long as Obsidian keeps supporting it like they have with expansions and patch releases it can keep going for a while longer.

I would like to see one (maybe two) expansion packs for NWN 2 before a new D&D game word is created. I still see a lot of potential in the NWN 2 engine. Especially with some of the new elements like the multi party conversations and the overland map.

Originally Posted by Brother None
I have rarely seen a publisher botch a release as badly as Atari has this one. It really is something else, but "at least" it's not a full game.

Appalling management, their lost sales from the marketing buzz having gone cold will be far greater than any lost sales from a bit of piracy.

And it may not be a full game, but it was a high profile precedent for the treatment that community generated content could get, who knows how many people just haven't bothered because of the way MoW was handled

Originally Posted by Gauntt
I don't think that's true. As long as Obsidian keeps supporting it like they have with expansions and patch releases it can keep going for a while longer.

I would like to see one (maybe two) expansion packs for NWN 2 before a new D&D game word is created. I still see a lot of potential in the NWN 2 engine. Especially with some of the new elements like the multi party conversations and the overland map.

I would like that too, especially because NWN 2 uses D&D 3/3.5 rules, while whatever new game comes out will probably use D&D 4th ed. which I don't care about at all.

Originally Posted by Gauntt
I still see a lot of potential in the NWN 2 engine.

That would be the case if NWN2 was a stable platform. But it's not. The whole engine is messed up. It seems every patch introduces the same amount of bugs it is supposed to fix. I'm really scared of 1.23, because Obsidian wants to introduce new features. I'm not convinced it will add to NWN2 stability…

Don't take me wrong, I think the NWN2 content is great, but the technical side is… terrible.

Originally Posted by blatantninja
I'm about 5-6 hours in (Just started Chapter 2) and I just can't get into it. I don't know why, but I feel no sense of ownership with my character or NPC's.

I had no problem as I used my character from the OC. Loved it. :-)

Daniel.