Today we are able to share the very first of the 2007 winner interviews, with Markus 'Wayne' Schlegel, winner of the Most Replayable category with Pool of Radiance Remastered (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Nwn2modulesenglish.Detail&id=63). He tells us how why he chose to build PORR, gives insights into the process, and reveals his latest plans...
· What made you start building modules for NWN2?
I've been building modules for NWN1 for years and so building modules for NWN2 was only another step on the same path. Creating something new, changing existing games into something new and, most of all, to tell tales was always fascinating to me.
I came to modding with good old CIVILIZATION 2 when I found out, that you could change almost anything in the game by editing simple text files and replacing bitmap images. I've been always playing Pen&Paper Roleplaying games in my youth, so there were dozens of adventure ideas in my desk when a friend told me that there was a new toolset where you could easily create your own adventures as a computer game. I had been trying Unlimited Adventures, Morrowind and Dungeon Siege and all of them were too limited or too complicated for me.
The Aurora Toolset was quite the right thing at the right time.
· Can you tell us a little more about the inspiration for your module?
There were about 7000 modules at the vault when I started building for NWN1. I started searching for classic modules and Pool of Radiance was the first one to search for. Pool of Radiance is legend. It was the very first CRPG with AD&D background and is still a showcase how a living, realistic world can be blended with character development and gameplay. POR game design is perfect, new monsters and character levels just happen,they are never artificial and always embedded into the storyline. I've player few CRPGs who were able to create the same atmosphere and depth. Chris Fowler did a great job in his adaptation of POR for NWN1 (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Modules.Detail&id=1706). I've played it several times in multiplayer with my friends and we had a lot fun - brought back the good old days of P&P.
When I started building for NWN2 I knew that this would mean a new start with a new platform for all builders. What modules would the community want? What modules would I love to play? The community would be hungry for legendary games and somebody would have to do the Pool of Radiance. Should I do it? Was I able to do it? In the end I decided to give it a try.
• Is there a difference between doing your own modules and doing remakes of classics like Pool of Radiance?
There is a large difference. I've developed a standard procedure of development during the "A Hunt through the Dark (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Modules.Detail&id=83)" project and this means that the community gets regular updates and spotlights as well as the option to give their feedback. Dedicated people are always welcome to participate. So we had a forum thread as well as several spotlights at the start of Pool of Radiance Remastered and the attention was - overwhelming. There were days when we had 400 views. Our first alpha showcase hit 1000 downloads on a single day. People started to commend on any design decision and many of them knew the original POR of 1989. They all had their special moments and wanted to see them in the new version. Imagination and memory is always a very subjective, personal thing. You can't recreate such things.
There is a basic difference between the old POR and its tactical combat system and NWN2 and its action combat. We had to find new ways to recreate the POR feeling in a new, modern form.
The graphical abilities of 1989 computers were too limited to display detailed worlds. So they left many things to the imagination of the players and this is what creates unique playing experience. Modern computer games are detailed and semi-realistic. We had to develop a realistic ruined town based on the maps and sketches of 1989 Phlan.
But you are never free in your decisions. Any gameplay decision you make is discussed by many people. Pool of Radiance Remastered is based on the CRPG, the novel and the P&P "Ruins of Adventure" Campaign Set of TSR. All three sources combined create a full picture of Phlan and the story that unwinds, but there are contradictions. The endings of the CRPG and the novel are different.
In the end we chose the way in the middle, with all key features included and our own freedom in some of the storyline elements. So PORR is not a literate conversion, it is a new adventure which tries to capture the mood of the original with its own variation of the story.
· What are the key differences between building in NWN1 & NWN2, and which do you prefer?
NWN1 had an easy-to-use toolset where area building was based on tilesets. It was simple. Place and object and then place a script that does something with it. All object were pre-defined so you could edit them in some variations but in the end everything was somewhat generic.
NWN2 is different. It still has the same basic platform but exterior areas are no longer tileset-based. This means you are a potter now, an artist working your areas from "digital clay". This is, of course, a great loop ahead, but it is much harder to do. It takes a lot of time, effort and skill. Some of my exterior areas took several days to be done. NWN1 areas rarely take more than 30 minutes.
Of course there are other differences in conversation handling and scripting. All NWN1 scripting commands are still there but many of them don't work anymore. This is really confusing. You should have at least 2 GB of RAM and two displays to work properly.
All things considered I think I got to like the Electron Toolset during the last 2 years. It requires some time of learning but it rewards you with great possibilities once you've mastered it. I've always thought it would be fantastic to have all those legendary locations of the Forgotten Realms
novels re-created for computer gaming. NWN2 has the power to do this.
· What did you think when you first heard about the Golden Dragon Awards?
I thought: "Wow, somebody has created something like the Oscar Awards for NWN. Cooooool!"
And now I got one. Too bad, that there is no statue to put it on a shelf. ;)
· Have you ever tried Pirate Cards (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2ModulesEnglish.Detail&id=7780&id=61), the other finalist in your category?
I must confess, I don't like such card games in general. I've played Adam's Demon Cards (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Modules.Detail&id=3830) as a part of his Planescape module and it was ... a typical card game. It is amazing what he does with this engine and - technically speaking - Pirate Cards is awesome. But it is not my personal taste. I will give a try to his new game Lute hero (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2ModulesEnglish.Detail&id=7780&id=275) - this guy is a wizard. :)
· What impact has being part of the FRW (http://nwcitadel.forgottenrealmsweave.org/forumdisplay.php?f=77) had on you?
FRW is a great thing. I came across it the other day and thought: "Hey, this is what I always wanted to be part of!" And so I joined and found good friends there. I remember many times when something didn't work properly or I had other questions. They were always there, eager to help with ideas, advice, even encouragement.
Thank you :)
· What are you up to currently?
Well, many people asked me if there would be a conversion of A Hunt Through the Dark for NWN2. Drow related things are quite popular at the moment with the new Lady Petinent novels out. I love these books and they add many new aspects to the drow background in general. I checked the vault for NWN2 modules and found that most modules there are "good-vs-evil-"good wins in the end" modules. So I thought that A HUNT THROUGH THE DARK REMASTERED would really fill in a gap. But in tradition of PORR, AHTDR will be a changed, remastered version of the original series.
The new module is making good progress and we are almost done. An internal beta is running and we hope to release a public beta in late July/early August.
You can find more information about this at www.schlegels.de
Good luck with that... and congratulations on the Golden Dragon win!
Good interview Ben, and thank you Wayne for giving us a little insight into your motivations.