As a relative newcomer to NWN ( just over a year now), and as someone who is thoroughly enjoying using the toolset to create things, I was struck by this comment in another thread. Didn’t want to hijack that one so I started this.
Enjoying reading that thread but I’m now curious, what are those more modern engines? Are we talking here about Unreal/Unity style affairs or are there other games with an equivalent of the toolset and, if so, are they as easy to use yet as powerful with a large building community? If there are, is the big selling point the quality of the graphics ?
I remember being reasonably excited by the arrival of Project Spark, Microsoft’s effort, and equally horrified as they veered off into endless swirls on their landscapes and various cash grabbing antics. Sony’s Dreams just doesn’t appeal to me.
So, is there anything else out there, tempting anyone, short of investing the rest of your life trying to master the big hitters in Games Design? For me, working with a class of 14/15 yr old kids and seeing the ease with which from a standing start they can build whole stories and the pleasure it has given them is a pretty hard bar to beat.
On the same grounds like NWN1/NWN2? None that I know of.
You see, moving on sometimes should mean moving forward, and in my original comment I meant exactly this - Unreal Engine, Unity, there are also some other less prominent candidates.
Realistically both NWN1 and NWN2 do a lot for you, while at the same time they limit your capability of doing more as some of the fundamental systems of the game are static and cannot be altered.
Many of us here have invested a lot of time and effort to learn how to create great, unique things for these games, but at some point we have to move forward and learn even more to create something even greater with what new tools we were given.
We have to do it not because it is written in some rulebook, but because we ultimately have no other choice. Nobody will come and put some highly customizable Neverwinter Nights 3 on a silver platter in front of us. And personally I wouldn’t expect any game with equal or better Persistent World capabilities to be released anytime soon.
The only other ways is to retire completely which is flatly not an option for many of us, or stay here where we currently are.
It’s been a good run honestly, and I am nearing the point of creating my final project for Neverwinter Nights 2 before I move on. I’ve already investigated and studied Unreal Engine for a short while to make a new choice, and it looks like a good fit.
Don’t get me wrong - moving to a modern engine is a lot more complex task than anything I’ve dealt with in borders of NWN2 Toolset, there is many more features, yet a lot less of “done for you” content and mechanics. But you will feel a little bit more comfortable with all the experience you already have than a person who is starting it completely from scratch.