Introduction: Neverwinter Nights, Shadows of Undrentide, and Hordes of the Underdark

Introduction. As with any game, the objective of the NWN trilogy (Neverwinter Nights, Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark) is to complete quests. Major quests require defeating an enemy. Within larger quests are smaller quests: puzzles to be solved, information to be obtained, or enemies to be defeated. Emphasis is heavily on the latter. Companions are available to aid the player, providing additional life points and occasionally providing valuable artifacts, but costing experience points.  

Completing quests gains the player experience points, gaining sufficient experience points raises the player’s level, and elevating the level makes completing future quests easier by increasing the player’s skills. At the very end of the trilogy, it turns out that money is required in large quantities, even in Hell, so maximizing money is a significant consideration. For most of the game, however, experience points can be considered an objective function to be maximized under two constraints: money and injury dealt to the player.

Money can be considered a loose constraint—the less money spent, the better, and debt is forbidden—while life points are a strong constraint: at zero, one must pay a heavy penalty to get back into the game. Despite constant urgings by game personalities for the player to hurry, there is no time constraint. A player can fight one enemy, rest and recover, then return and fight a second one.

Since puzzles and information are such a minor part of the game, these may be safely ignored for a first-order analysis. Defeating enemies is the majority of what the game is about, gaining the player both experience points and cash or cash equivalents. Therefore, strategy is reduced to inflicting as much damage as possible using as few non-renewable supplies [2] as possible. Capital equipment such as swords, shields, and boots require no maintenance once purchased.

Damage infliction is accomplished in a wide variety of ways: physically (slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning), through elemental damage (electricity, acid, fire, cold, or divine power), magically through spells other than those involving physical or elemental damage, and through higher order mind spells. Poison and disease typically damage strength. Intelligence, wisdom, and even the player’s ability level can also be damaged magically.   These have unfortunate consequences on skills and spells available.

One can also temporarily raise skill levels using capital equipment in order to obtain an extra spell or so while resting. If the spell is of long duration, it can be expended, enabling the player to switch capital equipment. For example, a wizard can go to sleep wearing a helmet of intelligence granting him an extra spell. Casting the spell, he can then remove the helmet to put on a helmet to, for example, guard him from mind spells.

Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized