home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
On Disk Monthly 60
/
odm60.zip
/
NWNREV.TXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-08-26
|
6KB
|
119 lines
|E╔════════════╦══════════════════════════════════════════╦════════════╗
|E║ |5Diskussion|E ║ ^1 Review of NeverWinter Nights |E ║ |5Diskussion|E ║
|E╚════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╩════════════╝
^C^1by Jay Wilbur
There I was, face to face with eight Trolls, and they had me up
against a wall with no hope of escape. With the option to flee gone,
a bloody battle was eminent, and I knew it was a losing battle
because Trolls regenerate; by the time I cut down number six, number
one would be standing back up looking for me.
They had me down to twelve hit points, from my usual ninety-six, and
I knew it was all over. The Trolls were regenerating faster than my
+2 two handed sword could chop them down. Out of no where I hear "Hi
Cycles, need some help in there?" from Celebrim and Gods Wrath. I
reply with a quick and to the point--"HELP!" Gods Wrath enters "On
the way buddy," and the battle is joined.
The next thing you know Celebrim and Gods Wrath enter the combat
arena and quickly slice down the remaining bad guys. I'm saved! Now
to get to an inn so I can rest and recoup my hit points.
This is not a chapter from a new fantasy adventure book. This is an
actual scene from Quantum Computer's America Online and SSI's latest
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons--AD&D(tm) computer role playing game
"Neverwinter Nights(tm)". Celebrim and Gods Wrath are actual people
who live somewhere in North America, and I am Cycles controlling my
player's actions from my desk in Shreveport, LA.
In the past there were role playing games like Wizardry and Bards
Tale. These games had you create a party of characters and venture
forth into the world to solve the game's big goal. Along the way you
beat up all sorts of bad guys, made friends, got information from
different non-player characters, and solved many puzzles--some easy,
some torturous. In most of these games each member in your party was
a direct extension of you. They all went the direction you wanted
them to go. They all fought beasties the way you wanted them to
fight. The only player with a personality of his/her own was the
person sitting at the keyboard directing the action.
In Neverwinter Nights each player controls one character. Each
character has his own personality and his own style of play. Some
folks are team players and some are lone hot shots. When you've
played a while you learn who you can count on and who to avoid! For
the most part all the players will help you out of a tough situation.
Players can communicate with each other via the game's chat mode.
You simply type something, and all the players within one space of
where you are will see the message appear on their screen. In the
course of a good dungeon romp you're bound to see all sorts of
chatter going on--some of which I could not print here. When it's
2:00 am, you're knee deep in slime and two or three Dracoliches are
beating on you and your friends, even the most devote Paladin will
let loose a cuss word or two.
The quests in Neverwinter Nights are plentiful. Lord Nasher, ruler
of the city of Neverwinter, will fill you in on what needs to be
dealt with. As of this writing I've completed four quests, the last
being dealing with some Fire Giants who were massing power in one of
the far reaching areas of the game world. Upon my return, Lord N.
again requested my service on another, more difficult quest. Hard
core AD&D players will love the never-ending goals!
Teamwork is the key to Neverwinter Nights. Low level players rely on
the higher level ones to help them get experience. High level
players are usually more than happy to help them out both with
expeditions into the world, escorts back to safety and sharing of the
huge bounty of magic items. Teamwork is also needed for the highest
level players to beat up some of the super bad guys. Knowledgeable
high level players normally love to involve the uninitiated into team
battle. Barrylew and Expando get my thanks for training me, Barrylew
for showing me the finer points of team battle and Expando for
teaching me exactly how to kill a Beholder, one seriously bad, bad
guy. It's this level of player interaction, role playing if you
will, that really makes Neverwinter Nights a winner.
The game is not without it's problems. Magic items: +2 two handed
swords, +3 drow maces, +3 plate armor, +1 rings of protection, etc.
are held by certain monsters who just never seem to go away. For
example, once you map the location of some Hill Giants, holder of +2
two handed swords, in the Lost Hills you can continue to go back,
kill them, and get more magic swords. In my opinion this seriously
hurts the value of magic items in this world. Just once I would like
to kill a monster, take its +5 whatever and be the only one in the
game with that item. More importantly, I would like the beast to
stay down!
Further, there is no interplayer action. While it is possible for a
magic user to cast a spell on a party member, it's not looked upon
with a smile. You'll never have truly EVIL players if they are not
allowed to beat on other players. Thieves should be allowed to rip
other players off, and chaotic evil characters should be allowed, if
not encouraged, to beat on anything that moves. Perhaps it's beyond
the capabilities of the software.
Drawbacks aside, Neverwinter Nights is lots of fun! Both neophytes
and serious D&D players will have a blast running around, exploring
the world, killing bad guys, helping good guys--adventuring. A word
of caution: THIS GAME IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! Every hour that you play
you are charged $4.00 if you are smart enough to call during
non-prime time hours. I have rung up huge monthly bills on this
game. But to be honest, I would do it all over again. What's mere
money when there's a world out there that needs to be saved, and you
and your friends across the country are the ones fit for the job?
-=-
For more information contact America Online at 1-800-827-6354.
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D and FORGOTTEN REALMS are trademarks
owned by TSR, Inc., Lake Geneva, WI, USA and used under license from
SSI, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
Copyright 1991 Quantum Computer Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 1991 Strategic Simulations, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 1991 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.