New Neverwinter Nights Title?

[Saulus]

The NWN franchise as we know it is now gone, replaced with something else which will likely be another generic DnD game with the Wizards franchise.

Today Atari announced Neverwinter for the PC. The game is being developed by Cryptic Studios, the creators of City of Heroes, Champions Online, and Star Trek Online.

So far we know that the role playing game will support up to five players (real and computer controlled) with online co-op. The five different character classes should be familiar to anyone who knows a thing or two about classic D&D and they are teased on the game's web site.

The developer reports that they are working closely with Wizards of the Coast and author R.A. Salvatore to craft the storyline. You can expect to play Neverwinter in late 2011

Details are sketchy, their FAQ makes mention of make your own adventure... however the viability of persistent worlds or the depth of customization possible really depends on if they go with a new engine or not...

For now it's wait and see...

Press Release from Cryptic Studios:

We're beyond thrilled to develop a brand new version of Neverwinter. It's been years since the original became a gaming icon and we're honored to work with such a great franchise," said Jack Emmert, COO of Cryptic Studios. "We've been working closely with Wizards of the Coast and R.A. Salvatore to create an authentic D&D adventure filled with compelling fiction and exciting gameplay."
In Neverwinter, players choose to become one of five classic D&D classes and team up with friends or computer-controlled allies to form five-person co-op groups. Players also create their own storylines and quests utilizing an extremely user-friendly content generation system, tentatively codenamed Forge.
"Wizards of the Coast is excited to invite millions of fans back to Neverwinter with the launch of R.A. Salvatore's Gauntlgrym,” said Liz Schuh, Brand Director for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. "And we're excited about the prospects for great digital gaming experiences based on this epic world.”
Neverwinter for PC is scheduled to release in Q4 2011 and is part of a multi-platform event, including a book trilogy from New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore and a tabletop roleplaying game from Wizards of the Coast. Book one in Salvatore's Neverwinter trilogy, titled Gauntlgrym, releases on October 5 of this year and lays the groundwork for the Neverwinter storyline. The novel previews the settings, characters and monsters from the PC game and details the events that lead up to this highly anticipated PC gaming experience.

[Seheren]

Only five classes available? That seems a bit strange...

[Doubtful]

Only five classes available? That seems a bit strange...

It's all part of the global 'Back to Basics' campaign.

Or a retro thing.

[Root]

Five classes...

Oh well. I suppose it'll make it easier to balance their servers for correct loot distrubution and PvP battles.

The Forge thing looks like it has potential, but I'm not keeping my hopes up.

[roguethree]

I imagine you'll see a greater depth of customization within those five classes.

[roguethree]

Silhouettes look like fighter, cleric, wizard, rogue, and ranger. Part of me likes that. Part of me wishes they'd just revert to 2e or go with Pathfinder.

[roguethree]

For those not reading, the game takes place in Faerun during/after the Spellplague, uses 4e rules (good for a videogame), and seems to hint you can create your own PW:

The #1 best-selling Neverwinter Nights series of PC RPGs returns with an epic Dungeons & Dragons storyline, next-generation graphics, a persistent world, and accessible content creation tools.

Become a part of the existing Dungeons & Dragons universe... Then build a new one.

...warriors, rogues, wizards and faithful avengers.

Five silhouettes, though.

[MadSeer]

Well ... damn.
Since they say it supports 4 player co-op, I don't know if they're hinting at being able to make a PW, or just being able to create your own adventures for 4. Which would suck. PWs are probably the best thing about the Neverwinter Nights franchise.

[Doubtful]

Hmm...

... PC RPGs returns with an epic Dungeons & Dragons storyline, next-generation graphics, a persistent world, and accessible content creation tools.

and

World Without End

Neverwinter features co-operative multiplayer in an ever-evolving, persistent world where Dungeons & Dragons adventurers quest alongside thousands of other warriors, rogues, wizards and faithful avengers.

A persistent world..

But then it mentions easy to use customization and content creation tools and so on..

A nagging part of my head is saying it'll be part MMO (The big persistent world) with smaller scale multiplayer quest / module options..

Who knows..

[Saulus]

They make mention of PWs and tools, but the biggest thing is I can see them dumbing it all down. A lot. People make think NWN2's toolset is hard, but really it isn't. Try GTKradiant or something and tell me which you think is easier.

The easier something is to do in the toolset, the more you sacrifice in terms of customization. I am very dubious over how viable PWs will be in this game. I'd like to hear how they plan to support the community for NWN as betatesting in the previous titles heavily involved the community.

[MadSeer]

Not necessarily. They might go for easy-to-use wizard plug ins to walk you through creating basic adventure modules, down to the conversations, cameras and shops. But at the same time keep the script editor, so you can do modules varying on complexity or Persistent Worlds with as much customization as you want there to be.

That'd be the best of both worlds, at any rate. Allow for beginners to easily create their own modules while still giving the advanced users freedom to do their thing.

[Redjack]

Sounds to me like they are talking about a singular player world. Something like WoW.

[Zoberraz]

While I think this looks promising, the part that frustrates me the most about this is how the game ends up being based yet again in Neverwinter/Forgotten Realms but as a 4th edition game. I'd have much preferred the Nentir Vale with the default 4e D&D cosmology, deities and such.

[Saulus]

Not necessarily. They might go for easy-to-use wizard plug ins to walk you through creating basic adventure modules, down to the conversations, cameras and shops. But at the same time keep the script editor, so you can do modules varying on complexity or Persistent Worlds with as much customization as you want there to be.

That'd be the best of both worlds, at any rate. Allow for beginners to easily create their own modules while still giving the advanced users freedom to do their thing.

It's a new toolset. Which likely means new engine... The chances of these guys matching half the sophistication with all the simplicity is... a pipe dream at best.

[Root]

These are the things that make me wish I could just rise directly to the head of a team of designers.

First, I make Neverwinter Nights 3, by slamming NWN1 and NWN2 on the table and saying:

'Alright, make a game that looks like 2, has the customisation and world-supporting of 1, and update it for Pathfinder rules. No MMORPG, servers should be able to support, oh, let's push the boat out and say 128 people at the very most, lots of areas, and that's about it. Go.'