Neverwinter Nights (MMORPG)
Neverwinter Nights is a system developed by Stormfront Studios and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Game in the D & D game world of the Forgotten Realms. It is considered the first graphical MMORPG, and was offered from 1991 to 1997 exclusively through AOL.
Gameplay
Neverwinter Nights is based on the AD & D rules. At the beginning, the player creates an optional male or female character, for whom he made six races ( human, elf, half-elf, halfling, dwarf, gnome ) and classes (Fighter, Cleric, Ranger, Paladin, Rogue, Mage, and combinations of these classes ) can choose. The values of the six main attributes ( Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma ) are diced from the program randomly, but move within certain limits, arising from the choice of race and class.
In the game, the player explores the region around Neverwinter, a fictional town in the D & D campaign world of the Forgotten Realms. These include the cities Lletzthafen, Luskan and other areas of the surrounding countryside. As usual in the GoldBox series games, the player receives orders for whose execution it receives experience points, just for killing enemies. A character has enough experience points, he can not trade in the so-called exercise halls in Neverwinter against a level-up and thus improve his character stats and abilities. The character can achieve a maximum level 12.
The battles are turn-based and are carried out on special tactical overview map. Here, each player per train is a time window of 20 seconds available to perform an action. Otherwise, the turn and the next player or computer opponents forfeited 's turn. Players can join at any time in already started fighting other players and support them. If a competitor is in the vicinity of a corresponding struggle, it is pointed out by the program. Loot and experience points are distributed at the end of a fight from the computer equally among the participants. Death of a character during a fight, he is brought to life in the entrance area of the region with reduced life points again. Using a Follow - function, several heroes can join together to form a group and jointly explore the game world.
Neverwinter Nights peculiarity lay in the combination of the characteristics of GoldBox computer role-playing games with the RPG aspects of Multi -User Dungeons (MUD ). Players could using a simple text input via on-screen text to communicate. The resulting social interaction constituted a major incentive of the game. Players organized themselves into groups of players, called guilds, and designed the game world through their own activities and actions. Committed players took over large parts taking care of the community and contributed to the development of the game.
Was also taken over by the MUDs PvP mode. Although originally not planned, it has been integrated later after extensive discussions among the players into the game. He remained, however, limited to magic users. A self-imposed by the community rules bordered one the areas where PvP was allowed. PvP developed in consequence to a standard functionality of many MMORPGs, and in multiplayer computer role playing games.
Development
The development of Neverwinter Nights were previously ahead of business relations between the founder of Stormfront Studios Don Daglow and AOL CEO Steve Case and AOL producer Kathi McHugh. Stormfront programmed several online games for AOL before they developed with Tony La Russa 's Ultimate Baseball for SSI for the first time a retail title. Chuck Kroegel, head of product development of SSI, the team around Daglow commissioned in 1989 ultimately with the continued GoldBox series. The game was released in 1991 under the title of Gateway to the Savage Frontier.
In 1989, Storm Front AOL commissioned to develop a graphical online multiplayer role playing game. On the part of AOL's producers Scott Gries and Jessica Mulligan were involved in the project. This resulted in a collaboration of Stormfront, SSI and AOL finally Neverwinter Nights, as the Gateway to the Savage Frontier based on the engine of GoldBox series. At the beginning supported Neverwinter Nights only 50 players simultaneously. The capacity was expanded over time to 500 players.
To use Neverwinter Nights, the player needed addition to the program access to the Internet from AOL, because the game server was only accessible through the closed online network of the provider. In addition to the Internet connection charges an hourly fee was due. Only in 1997, a flat rate tariff was introduced for the game. Nevertheless, the game enjoyed great popularity and players had to wait until last during peak hours on vacant places. The player base was estimated over the entire period with a total of 115,000 users, of which up to last approximately 2,000 active players. According to estimates, the proceeds for 1996, approximately five million U.S. dollars.
Although Neverwinter Nights AOL was considered a financial success, the development of the game due to the booming business was treated with subordinated private Internet connections. On 18 July 1997 AOL switched from the game servers despite long-lasting and effective public protests of the remaining player base. Officially, this step was based on the outdated technology of the game. Unofficially are disagreements about the business model between the parties AOL, SSI and the D & D rights holders TSR as a ground for termination of the cooperation. Thus, the valid until July 15, 1997 contract was not renewed.
The game is still playable offline. Since a memory function is missing, but go all the progress with the completion of the program is lost.
Reception
The D & D fanzine Dragon rated the game in its issue 179 of March 1992 with four out of five stars. The authors Patricia Hartley and Kirk Lesser thereby emphasized especially the thoughtful care by the active player, the combat system and the interaction possibilities. Criticized, however, the high costs were.
The success of Neverwinter Nights prompted the AOL competitors AT & T to give 1994 a MMORPG for their own online network Interchange in order. SSI then developed, based on its then current Dark Sun engine, Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands. The game was released in 1996 on Total Entertainment Network, after AT & T had decided on the setting of Interchange in November 1995.
2008 Stormfront Studios were honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Technology Award for the creation of the first graphical online role-playing game.
Follow-up projects
There is no direct successor to Neverwinter Nights. However, over time, several projects that take her through gameplay or the choice of name and the associated choice of the game world direct reference to the title arose.
Forgotten World
Forgotten World is a fan project, which was created in 1998 and the receipt or continuation of the original Neverwinter Nights its goals. It is a clone of the original game, which is a self-developed Windows Client playable online.
Neverwinter Nights (2002)
Published in 2002, the Canadian developer BioWare and publisher together with the D & D license holder Atari under the same name another computer role-playing game. Unlike the original, it had a single player mode and therefore could also be played offline. However, the core of the product was an easy to use editor for creating your own adventure and an extensive multiplayer mode. This allowed the game to be both played online with friends over the network. It developed an active modding community that contributed to the continuing success of the game.
The possibility of self-created modules using dedicated servers for up to 96 players provide online, so-called Persistent developed on the basis of the game worlds. Messing with it was a great close to the original Neverwinter Nights and it created among other things the old AOL Fanremakes title.
2006 Obsidian Entertainment developed for Atari the official successor to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights. The features of its predecessor have been consistently further developed during the technical framework was modernized. Although the responses to the title compared to its predecessor failed restrained, also developed the second part of long-lasting fan activities surrounding the game.
Neverwinter
2010 Atari announced the development of Neverwinter by Cryptic Studios. The formerly belonging to Atari Developer developed based on the 4th Edition rules, a MMORPG which is also located in the vicinity of the city of Neverwinter.
Heroes of Neverwinter
In June 2011, Atari announced in collaboration with Liquid Entertainment Heroes of Neverwinter as games application for the social network Facebook. It is based on the D & D rules the 4th edition and provides the player with smaller adventures that he can play alone with a six-member group of heroes or with friends inside the network. The social interaction make this a main feature of the game dar. At first publication were available a total of 45 mission, an editor allows players but to create their own adventures and share them with friends. The battle system of the game is turn-based. The use of the game is basically free, but offers players a fee certain advantages in the game. An open beta phase started in September 2011.