NWN2: Mask of the betrayer

[alhoon]

I'm half way through the game and it is good. Nothing spectacular, but good. Now, this was a surprise to me since I detest epic level gaming.
(Minor spoilers)

Bad:
The game falls for some of the usual pitfalls of epic computer games like:

- Everyone is extremely tough. Not as tough as you are but extremely tough for its purpose.
I.e The random creep in the wilderness is about CR 15. Sure you can chew them easily alone, but what would the average soldier do to these 200+HP monsters? Well, the average soldier is 10th+ level so he doesn't have so much of a problem.

- You do heroic things but not epic things in the quests. Yes, the final purpose is epic in scope, but not the quests that lead you there.
Sure you jump in the shadow plane to rescue someone. But that's not like... killing a Wyrm or singlehandedly taking on a horde of giants (while yawning)

- Few NPCs and those are a bit weird. No usual D&D for many NPCs.

Good things:
- Much NPC reaction. Few battles and more talking.

- Good RP opportunities with the NPCs and they are interesting. In fact I'm thinking on replaying parts of the game with a different NPC in the party just to see the reactions.

- You don't get a horde of useless extremely powerful magic items. Yes, there are enough +4 swords in the loot to earn a rised brow but there are not countless. In this regard the game is better than Hordes of the Underdark.
On the other hand, you find much gold and the cap for selling magic items is higher. So you earn good money even with finding much fewer items.

- You create awesome items.

[Ornum]

I had heard decent things about this expansion, but to be honest, I still haven't finished NWN2 yet, so I'll be waiting until I'm done before I try and purchase MotB.

[alhoon]

MotB is said to fix many of the bugs of the original... but I guess the patches do so as well.

[Ornum]

Is there a fix for the terrible camera control? If so, I'll purch MotB immediately.

[alhoon]

Well, they say that MotB has better camera control... I disagree. In fact I didn't have a problem with the camera in NWN2 (most of the others had however). Yet, in MotB I haven't found an easy way to roll around the camera, perhaps it's there and I haven't figured it out however I try, perhaps in NWN2 it was as bad but I didn't mind at the time? I don't remember.
I just remember telling my sister and friends "Come on, the camera is not that bad". I don't say that anymore... MotB has very nice rooms that you want to quickly scan. Full of eye candy that you want to look around. But noooo. You have to pause the game and start looking around.

Anyway it allows more angles and has a quick key (default is *) that allows you to change the camera to a strategic mode. It also allows you to control all the NPCs together.

Even if you don't buy MotB download the patches that fix the bugs.

[alhoon]

So... anyone has it?

[Catman Jim]

I have it, but found out I can't play it, as my 2 year old computer doesn't have what it takes to run it. I'll have to stick to NWN 1 until the next time I'm forced to upgrade.

[Jakob]

I have it, but found out I can't play it, as my 2 year old computer doesn't have what it takes to run it.

With my 7 years computer, you mean, I did a good job NOT buying it?

[alhoon]

I have it, but found out I can't play it, as my 2 year old computer doesn't have what it takes to run it. I'll have to stick to NWN 1 until the next time I'm forced to upgrade.

It run very well and smoothly at my 2 and half years old computer.