The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the latest Golden Dragon Award winner!

NWN2 Best Storytelling Module of 2010-2011: The Last Days of the Raven by PJ156

The Last Days of the Raven provides a strong and interesting story that includes plot twists, happy and sad moments, and well developed characters both old and new. A sequel to Caravan Club, the action takes place in Thunder Bay, a different setting than previous modules in the series. The combat is fun and complements the story by taking place when it makes sense, rather than as a hack and slash fest.

Last Days of the Raven starts after the eventful Caravan Club, bringing the player back on track after what only seemed a time of rest. Defining elements, such as the finely crafted environments and innovative sense of time, are brought to a height as exciting as the events surrounding Thunder Bay. At the same time, those searching for action are drawn to fights stacked against all odds. It provides an experience that is also backed by a soundtrack bound to sway the bravest adventurer.

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the winner of the NWN2 2009-2011 Most Replayable Module Award!

NWN2 2009-11 Most Replayable Module: Dark Waters by Adam Miller

Dark Waters is a series of three modules set in a customised world made up of a series of islands. The full version released in 2009 includes the third and final chapter of the saga and integrates it with the first two.

Littered with inventive scripting, custom content, interesting side quests and mini games there is plenty to keep the player coming back to this campaign, indeed the side diversions can, at times, keep the player from progressing the modules main story line. The story starts out very linear in construction but soon opens out allowing the player to engage in a more sand box style play. This is particularly the case with the bucaneering system allowing the PC to sail the seas in search of treasure and adventure.

The combination of a strong story, interesting npc’s and an ample serving of in game diversions in the form of mini games, makes this a worthy winner of the award for the most replayable module 2009 – 2011.

Congratulations to Adam for winning the award!

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the winner of the NWN2 2009-2010 Best Roleplaying Module Award!

NWN2 2009-10 Best RPG: The Maimed God’s Saga by Tiberius209

In The Maimed God’s Saga you get the chance to play a cleric of Tyr, the Faerunian god of justice. Answering a call for help from one of the church’s devotees in a remote village, you become involved in a dark and twisted plot that will take you from the most radiant cities to the harshest wilds.

The Maimed God’s Saga includes some unique gameplay additions, such as praying in order to commune with Tyr and spellcasting through conversation. These and other interesting features increase the roleplaying value of the module and make the player feel like he or she is really walking the path of a true divine champion.

Congratulations to Tiberius for winning the award!

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce new finalists for Neverwinter Nights 1!

NWN1 2010-2011 Best Storytelling Module – Finalists

Prophet – Chapter II – The Century of Sorrow by Baldecaran

The Prophet series features one of the most gripping plots ever written for a NWN module. A mystery thriller set in a fantasy universe, it is the NWN equivalent of a page-turner.

The PC has a strong personal involvement in the story right from the beginning and it’s kept up all through the series, never losing anything of the menace and mystery connected to it. This is conveyed by the convincing and highly polished writing as well as by the use of cutscene and atmospheric scenery, featuring intelligently complex construction and stunning cinematic presentation. Baldecaran makes perfect use of selected custom music and some of the best tilesets available, and he manages to exploit their full potential by careful use of lighting and well thought-out area design. Every new area is a surprising sight, and every conversation is interesting and adds to the plot.

The Relbonian Chronicles – Chapter One by Quillmaster

This is a strong story driven module with a good immersion factor. The attention to detail, area design, well written conversations, cutscenes and last but not least the numerous custom books, were all impressive features of this work. Relbonian Chronicles is not set in the Forgotten Realms but has an original and interesting setting with its own history, pantheon and a mythology that’s exciting to learn about.

FA1 – Halls of the High King by Udasu

This module has a strong story/plot that keeps the player interested. The polish level is very good, and there is lots of background information to be had as the story progresses. It is visually impressive, with lots of attention to detail and a fun romp for low level PC’s. At first glance it may seems more of an hack and slash action module with only basic story and NPC development, but the care towards atmosphere, area design, lighting and music, as well as some hidden side stories and books add greatly to the storytelling experience and drive the player on with curiosity to see what’s next.

NWN1 Special Recognition Award: ‘Coffeebreak Module’ – Finalists

This is a special recognition category covering the whole of the history of NWN1, for development of a short module that can be played “on a coffee break” (typically under an hour).

Celestial Chronicles Part 1 by Madhenchbot

This short module is a very polished and professional-looking work, and an excellent example stylistically of a dramatic NWN module. The writing, scripting, cutscenes, structure, pacing, and attention to detail are all flawless. The area design was well done, the story pulls you in nicely, and all the NPCs had well written believable dialogue.

Science Macabre by Tempered Moon

Science Macabre is a very well written and dialogue-heavy module that packs a great deal of reading into its short, “coffeebreak” format. Designed essentially as a “portfolio work” to showcase the author’s writing skills, it combines well structured dialogue and conversation options with an intriguing “alternate history” setting that does a good job of delivering what the title claims: a combination of science and the macabre.

The Sunken Shrine of Ahmenkatja by Jesse Sky

This is a short and enjoyable mini-mod from 2007 that feels just like a full NWN story, only more compressed. Its forte is the story-telling, drawing you in with just the right amount of background information and well-made cutscenes to get the story across, without requiring lots of reading. But it also features exploration, combat, puzzles and neat scripting ideas. A good recommendation for anyone who wants to learn what NWN is about in less than an hour!

Congratulations to all the finalists!

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the 2009 thru 2011 winners of the NWN2 Debut Author Award!

NWN2 2009 Debut Author: Tsongo (for Serene)

This module, the first of three to date, has you playing the role of the younger sibling of your sister, Serene. The module opens with you following in her footsteps, initiating into the Order of the Moon — a group of monks who, you hope, will give you training, a life outside the small village you live in and a chance to see your sister again. Things don’t turn out the way you hoped, and you soon find yourself embroiled in a tale of deception and revenge — locked on a twisting path that you hope will lead you to your lost sister, before it is too late.

Serene is a strong first module and has been well recieved by the community at large. It is a linear, story led, module which takes you through a number of environments in your quest to find Serene. The areas are well made and the story well thought out, and the pace of the module keeps the player interested all along the way. It has good, well fleshed out NPCs and companions, and a challenging set of enemies to fight along the way. All in all a worthy first module and winner of the 2009 Debut Author award.

NWN2 2010-2011 Debut Author: Shaughn78 (for Risen Hero)

Risen Hero is a story-driven module that carries the protagonist on a journey of self-discovery, from a mysterious beginning to an epic ending against a world-shattering threat. All along the way, the player has the opportunity to recruit an unusually high number of companions, as well as completing quests through stealth, smooth talking, or in many other ways, making this one of the most replayable modules of its year.

Congratulations to the winners!

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the finalists for the NWN2 2010-2011 Debut Author Award!

Kamal (for Path of Evil)

“Villains have to start somewhere.” This is the motto of Path of Evil, where you play the unusual role of the villain of the story, from the humble begginings to the rise in power, until you become a serious menace to the realms.

Path of Evil is a huge sandbox module where you can do evil deeds while you explore the whole map of Faerun. Unlike in many other modules, you are the one who creates the story, always a step forward of the heroes who are trying to stop you. It also allows the player to be evil in an intelligent and manipulative way, rather than the usual psychopatic, mass-murderous one.

Matt Rieder (for The Wizard’s Apprentice)

As its name implies, the first installment in Matt Rieder’s acclaimed trilogy narrates – often in a Python-esque style – the story of a young wizard student and his/her early adventure days. Class-specific as it is, the module features a good deal of wizard-related content, as well as challenging combat and an increasingly complicated plot.

Shaughn78 (for Risen Hero)

Risen Hero is a story-driven module that carries the protagonist on a journey of self-discovery, from a mysterious beginning to an epic ending against a world-shattering threat. All along the way, the player has the opportunity to recruit an unusually high number of companions, as well as completing quests through stealth, smooth talking, or in many other different ways, making this one of the most replayable modules of its year.

Congratulations to all the finalists!

The AME is pleased to announce the results of our Fall 2012 Quarterly review!

The following Neverwinter Nights 2 Golden Dragon Awards have now entered the finals:

NWN2 2009-2011 Most Replayable Module Award

• Edinmoor (by Dorateen). As all Dorateen’s modules, Edinmoor features SoZ’s party creation and conversation systems. The author put an effort in providing specific conversation lines for a variety of classes, races and alignments, as well as different quest paths.
• Lowena (by Jezla9). Lowena is a short module that features a surprisingly amount of story paths and endings in roughly half an hour. Its short duration makes exploring the different options much easier than in other, longer modules.
• Dark Waters 3 (by Adam Miller). Following the trail led by its predecessor, Dark Waters 3 is a sandbox module with lots of exploration. Aside from a strong plot with multiple endings, it features naval battles with two factions to choose from, and a remarkable number of minigames, such a “Lute Hero” or “Pirate Cards“, which you may find yourself liking as much as the main story.

Congratulations to all finalists!

The AME is pleased to announce the results of our Mid-Summer 2012 Review!

Neverwinter Nights 2 Best Storytelling Module of 2009

The three finalists in this category were:

• Serene by Tsongo
• Sands of Solvheil III: Crusaders of Shalihir by Raith Veldrin
• Dark Waters III by Adam Miller

The winner of the NWN2 2009 Best Storytelling Module is Sands of Solvheil III: Crusaders of Shalihir by Raith Veldrin. Here are a few thoughts about this module from the AME’s award deliberations:

“I think in Part III the author has finally managed to find the right balance between involving the player in big events and having the story unfold… you can really see the way the themes and ideas shine through the story he’s telling and the world he constructs – and there are some big issues going on here, about religion, science, destiny and free will…

“…my main appreciation for this author’s work springs from his embrace of adventuring as “aggressive archaeology”.  I think there’s a sense often in games that “story” is the thing that happens with all the words.  But what makes SoS really stand out for me is the way story is embedded in the places you visit, often more so than in conversations you have or books you read.  This, to me, is really quality area design and genuinely original story-telling: not just creating a sense of place with the toolset but having the skills also to communicate history, to make a story not just something the player reads but something the player can walk around and look at.”

Neverwinter Nights 2 Debut Author Award of 2009

This category has just completed the nominations phase and has now entered the finals. The finalists are:

• PJ156 for Sheep and Stone
• Tsongo for Serene
• J.E. McKellar for The Last of the Danaan

Please feel free to discuss the new awards on our AME 2012 Awards Discussion Thread, and Congratulations to all of the Finalists and Winners!

And don’t miss our recent Summer 2012 AME News Update, regarding our NWN1 and NWN2 awards activities!

The AME is pleased to announce the results of our Spring 2012 Quarterly review!

Christopher Escalante has won the 2009 Joint Best Sound or Music Award for his body of work published to the Neverwinter Nights Vault in 2009. From heroic to sad and light guitar to serious piano, Christopher delivers a wide range of musical themes that provoke the listener and provide excellent resources for builders in developing a module score.

The NWN1 Best Conversion or Remake Module Award (2008-2011) has completed the nominations phase and qualified to enter the finals. The finalists are:

• The Accursed Tower, by Udasu
• S4 – The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth by SirOtus
• FA1 – Halls of the High King by Udasu

We’re also pleased to announce the first of the finalists in the AME’s new “Special Recognition Award Series” for Neverwinter Nights 1. Spanning the entire history of NWN1 rather than only recent years, each Special Recognition Award will focus on a different theme. The first of the series to enter the finals is NWN1 Special Recognition Award: Module Series, and the finalists are:

• The Aielund Saga by Savant
• The Bastard of Kosigan by Fabien Cerutti
• Prophet by Baldecaran

Two other Special Recognition Awards are currently in the AME Nominations Phase. These are NWN1 Special Recognition: Coffebreak Module (for short modules that can be played in an hour or less), and  NWN1 Special Recognition: Original Setting (for creativity in creating a unique module world or setting).

Congratulations to all the Finalists and Winners!

The Academy for Modding Excellence is pleased to announce the NWN1 Golden Dragon Award winners for 2009:

NWN1 AME Golden Dragon Award Winners for 2009

Also, please feel free to visit our our forums for information and discussion about the AME 2009 awards:

AME 2009 GDA Finalists and Winners Discussion Thread

Andarian
AME Site Admin