For those in need of a good RPG to play on Linux you're in luck, as Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition [Steam] is now officially available with day-1 Linux support.
For those that don't know, the original Neverwinter Nights actually did have a Linux version, although it wasn't officially supported and needed some manual tinkering to get working properly, so having an updated version that is supported is fantastic. Beamdog have done some good things for Linux gaming, giving us official support for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition and now this too! For fans of more classic RPG experiences, Linux is a pretty good gaming platform.
Note: My copy was provided by Beamdog.
Here's what's changed:
- Improved Display: Your portrait, combat bar, inventory, and other UI elements adjust in size based on your chosen resolution including 1080p and 4k.
- Advanced Graphics Options: Pixel shaders and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Enable contrast, vibrance, and depth of field options as preferred.
- Community Endorsed: Original developers have teamed with key members of the Neverwinter Nights community to curate important fan-requested improvements to support players, storytellers, and modders.
- Backwards Compatibility: Works with save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights. A galaxy of community created content awaits.
They're also including all the content from Neverwinter Nights Diamond Edition, so you get the Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark expansions as well. As it's on Steam, it comes with Steam Workshop support.
On top of this, Beamdog have said that development will be ongoing. The released version is just the start, they do plan a graphical overhaul and they will have a Steam beta up for people to test what they're working on.
Honestly, there's not a huge point in doing a traditional review, since the story hasn't changed and it's been around since 2002. I can say, since the earlier versions I tested, some Linux-specific issues like cursors vanishing behind the UI and some sound issues have been solved so the Linux version is working rather nicely.
In regards to the editor being Windows-only, it is on the Roadmap to make a version that's cross-platform, but it's in the "Icebox" section, which is items they want to do, but aren't the highest priority.
Find Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition on Steam now. As for a GOG release, they told me directly they don't have any dates lined up yet, but it sounds like it's not off the table.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: dubigrasuTried to buy the game directly from their Beamdog client, but you end up buying from their site. Any idea if they track Linux sales this way?They go by install numbers, as they told me in one of my Linux sales statistics articles.
QuoteFor those that don't know, the original Neverwinter Nights actually did have a Linux version, although it wasn't officially supported and needed some manual tinkering to get working properly,
Well, it was official enough to have the Tux logo on the game box. They did officially support it; the main limitation was that the editor was never made available.
ps. The two "Penultima" campaigns by Stefan Gagne is still the single best thing I played on Neverwinter Nights, and one of the best computer RPGs I've played, period. No idea if you can still find and download them, or if they work on this new release though.
Last edited by Janne on 27 March 2018 at 11:50 pm UTC
psycho_driver Mar 28, 2018
Quoting: dubigrasuTried to buy the game directly from their Beamdog client, but you end up buying from their site. Any idea if they track Linux sales this way?
They track linux usage after purchase, so no worries regarding getting counted as a linux sale.
psycho_driver Mar 28, 2018
Quoting: JanneQuoteFor those that don't know, the original Neverwinter Nights actually did have a Linux version, although it wasn't officially supported and needed some manual tinkering to get working properly,
Well, it was official enough to have the Tux logo on the game box. They did officially support it; the main limitation was that the editor was never made available.
Hmm maybe a later edition of the game had the tux logo. I don't remember that the original NWN release box art *didn't* have it, but I doubt it, since they talked up linux support up til falling silent 3-4 weeks prior to launch and then linux support was nowhere to be seen on launch day (sounds somewhat familiar these days).
I lost my $h!t all over the Bioware forums since I had preordered based on the supposed linux support until finally a nice user there offered to pay full price for my copy. It was about six months later that linux support launched, and it was kind of treated like a red-headed stepchild from Bioware. People like me probably soured them on ever considering linux support again, but damnit guys, communicate with your customers.
Kimyrielle Mar 28, 2018
Good news - they are working on it.
Quoting: JanneQuoteFor those that don't know, the original Neverwinter Nights actually did have a Linux version, although it wasn't officially supported and needed some manual tinkering to get working properly,
Well, it was official enough to have the Tux logo on the game box. They did officially support it; the main limitation was that the editor was never made available.
ps. The two "Penultima" campaigns by Stefan Gagne is still the single best thing I played on Neverwinter Nights, and one of the best computer RPGs I've played, period. No idea if you can still find and download them, or if they work on this new release though.
Did not hear of them.
Seems the dude still has them up on his site :
http://stefangagne.com/penultima/modules.html
Quoting: KimyrielleQuoting: etonbearsThe biggest problem was that NWN1 mods were based on assembling playing areas from pre-existing rectangular tile sets, for both interior and exterior scenes, which could be quite limiting even 15 years ago. It produces OK interiors, as one is generally accustomed to rectilinear architecture, but creating good exterior areas is challenging.
The simplicity allowed single creators to rapidly make a large numbers of areas though, which I believe had no small part in drawing in so many creators. NWN2's area editor was more powerful, but also much more tedious to use. I don't believe it's a coincidence that NWN2 had dramatically fewer games made with it than NWN. And both editors don't remotely compare to full-blown game engines, where you can't even build a garden shed in any reasonable amount of time.
Personally, I think the trade-off was very acceptable and a smart move by NWN devs.
That's true; custom content was also simpler to produce ( except tile sets ), but I think it was less to do with dev choice, and more to do with limited capabilities of PCs when NWN1 came out.
I think there are probably a lot of people that have story ideas that don't have all the other skills ( and patience ) needed to produce content in more recent games. It's not just the exterior editor, but the advent of cut-scenes, an increasing use of voice-acting, and a much higher custom-content level of detail that is now needed.
NWN1 was, I think, just a particular point-in-time that allowed almost anyone to get involved; but from a personal point of view, I much preferred the NWN2 tool-set, particularly for exterior areas.
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