tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post7455227008684987242..comments2023-03-07T10:40:55.278-05:00Comments on Tiberius' (Mostly) NWN Blog: Storm of Zehir ReviewTiberius209http://www.blogger.com/profile/06479022857581915075noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-30109351954211489342009-01-20T12:26:00.000-05:002009-01-20T12:26:00.000-05:00Thanks for the review. I just bought SoZ yesterday...Thanks for the review. I just bought SoZ yesterday, so I suppose I'll lower my expectations !<BR/><BR/>JBJoseph Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00505709338181731250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-87263432229095861842008-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:002008-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:00Thanks for this review, Tiberius!Thanks for this review, Tiberius!Jclefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12974504403280077032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-34371363836452233382008-11-22T03:04:00.000-05:002008-11-22T03:04:00.000-05:00Thanks for that great review Tiberius! As I'm pret...Thanks for that great review Tiberius! As I'm pretty easy to entertain I'll probably like SoZR. Heck, I even enjoyed the OC ;) Some of the things you mention worries me but not that much that wouldn't play the expansion (when I have the time)Amraphaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831382638321957822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-22945065398346099062008-11-21T23:33:00.000-05:002008-11-21T23:33:00.000-05:00I'll probably get a copy eventually.. I'm ...I'll probably get a copy eventually.. I'm interested in messing with the overland map.. but, quite frankly.. I don't see ..er.. hear of anything that really seems new.. <BR/><BR/>The overland map seems just to be scaled different and have a frozen camera .. not the fixes that I was hoping to unleash my Treasure Island mod (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2PrefabAreas.Detail&id=332)<BR/><BR/>The conversation thing sounds fun.. but it seems to put the player in a situation that reminds me of playing D&D when half the group didn't show up.. so I wound up playing their characters too.. and gone was the fun character interaction..<BR/><BR/>Of course.. I'm just speculating from what I've read in reviews and the forums.. <BR/><BR/>I really like the idea of these new things.. And I look forward to what the community can put out.. as to buying SoZ.. well.. I have a 6-year-old to spend money on.. so I'll just make do with the NWN2 patch 1.21.. I'm thankful they are still supporting the game!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-29784482232516426382008-11-21T21:37:00.000-05:002008-11-21T21:37:00.000-05:00Starwars,I don't think telling a story and all...Starwars,<BR/><BR/>I don't think telling a story and allowing choice are mutually exclusive. I believe that the BG series is generally considered the gold standard in CRPGs precisely because it does both. If forced to choose between the two styles discussed, I'll go for the strong story every day, but modders, and ESPECIALLY game developers with all their resources, should really strive for both.<BR/><BR/>In addition, the choice vs. story is not really a valid excuse to have companions who are mute. If the proper effort was not going to be put into the cohort development, then I think a better design choice would have been to simply abandon the notion altogether and allow the player to fill all six party slots themselves.<BR/><BR/>I'm not ready to abandon the overland map idea yet. I think it might be able to be done well, but it wasn't in SoZ. Ultimately, a game is judged on how fun it is, and while the first pass through the map was fun, traversing it all the subsequent times with only randomly respawning identical encounters to break the monotony was not.<BR/><BR/>I'll agree that the NWN2 OC was horrific; it remains the only NWN-series product that I just couldn't give a damn enough to finish. Obsidian redeemed themselves with MotB, though the spirit eater mechanic is a slight annoyance. I've never played Mass Effect, as I'm really a D&D homer, and so I can't comment there.Tiberius209https://www.blogger.com/profile/06479022857581915075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-24274587433194542742008-11-21T18:05:00.000-05:002008-11-21T18:05:00.000-05:00I completely disagree on the likes/dislikes, but I...I completely disagree on the likes/dislikes, but I also knew that this game would be very different than MotB. They try to achieve very different things and while I really loved MotB, I'm really happy they didn't try to simply live up to its particular qualities and instead take the design in a different direction. This caters to a different crowd and there are many who have disliked both NWN2 and MotB who have voiced their support (I like both "styles" though I found the NWN2 OC to be really mediocre).<BR/><BR/>I will gladly take SoZ over any RPG I've played (aside from MotB) in a really long time. From where I stand, RPGs haven't really *evolved* that much the past 10 years. What I feel they *have* generally done is restricted the player to a very forceful narrative and often simplified and/or actionified the gameplay. And of course, the allmighty graphics. <BR/><BR/>Mass Effect was brought up above and that is a perfect example for me of a game that is so eager to tell a story to the player, rather than allowing the player freedom (either in exploration or in really meaningful choices).<BR/><BR/>But yeah, this expansion will definetely split the community, just like how MotB split the community with its Spirit Eater mechanic. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-18900193650953857922008-11-21T15:20:00.000-05:002008-11-21T15:20:00.000-05:00Great review. Just started it last night so I can'...Great review. Just started it last night so I can't agree or disagree at this point. I do know that after just one fight I really dig my Air Genasi Rogue/Swashbuckler.<BR/><BR/>I opened up the toolset to check out all the new monsters and I agree it's pretty lame. The Yuan-Ti look great and I like the dinos, but everything else is pretty lackluster.<BR/><BR/>JasonNHJasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08028795043716925190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6536839880948362362.post-37277207908031894942008-11-21T14:54:00.000-05:002008-11-21T14:54:00.000-05:00Great review Tiberius. I must say I agree with you...Great review Tiberius. I must say I agree with you on several if not all points. <BR/><BR/>"runs to go play Mass Effects expansion" Bring down the sky! I've not played it yet. <BR/><BR/>our review will be released on podcast this weekend :)<BR/><BR/>Regards<BR/>LisoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com