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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ ShadowrunnerNights
Posted by: Scorpion Mar 1 2007, 02:48 PM
Well, I was just discussing the M$ "Shadowrun" FPS with a friend and we decided to find out what happend to the Neverwinter Nights mod "Shadowrunner Nights".
But unfortunately I wasn't able to find any recent info. 
Do any of you know what happened to it??
Did M$ finally wave it's mighty franchise rights around and stop the project or is my Search-Fu just too weak? Or was it something completely different?
Posted by: HullBreach Mar 1 2007, 02:51 PM
The first time I played that game (NWN) I remember saying to myself: This would rock for a shadowrun game!
I think it got killed due to legal issues.
Posted by: Scorpion Mar 1 2007, 03:06 PM
| QUOTE (HullBreach) |
| The first time I played that game (NWN) I remember saying to myself: This would rock for a shadowrun game! |
My thoughts exactly.
| QUOTE (HullBreach) |
I think it got killed due to legal issues. |
That's what I feared would happen since I found out that MS ows the game rights.
I'd just like to know for sure that all hope is lost.
Posted by: The ubbergeek Mar 1 2007, 04:04 PM
Nah, mods can be done without legal hassle, as long you don't take stuff from copyrighted materials (in the sense of music from a game or movie, by example).
Posted by: HullBreach Mar 1 2007, 04:08 PM
Well its one of those things that boils down to who's lawyers are bigger. A long legal struggle is taxing to both sides finanacially, and Microsoft has deeper pockets than any of us.
Even though you may be in the right, you'll be financially destroyed long before the decision comes in your favor, and then you had better hope you can get the judge to force them to pay your legal fees.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Mar 1 2007, 04:19 PM
The tradition for mods legally thretened out of existence is to retract the mod and post a long rant complaining about the oppressive corporation. Since neither happened, and the author's last post was September indicating that the site has changed to a new domain (which does not currently exist), a more likely explination is that the dreaded Real Life ™ issues have gotten in the way.
There may be more progress next summer, or it may be fully dead, but it doesn't show the standards of being destroyed by lawyers.
Posted by: Tanka Mar 1 2007, 05:33 PM
He may be waiting for the kinks to be worked out of NWN2 to give that a go as the new medium.
But that's all speculation. With no news in a six month period, there's no truth to be found online.
Posted by: Thane36425 Mar 1 2007, 11:16 PM
"The fist thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Henry V
Posted by: Thane36425 Mar 1 2007, 11:26 PM
That engine would have worked well, with modifications. You would certainly need a command for taking cover and using cover, and making sure the AI understood the concept. Also, keyed attack settings would save a lot of pausing. For example: the number keys could be custom programmed for setting like Single Shots, bursts (tight or wide) etc. as the player chose. The same could apply for magic.
NWN2 was buggy. Many fights had to be done over and over because of the bugs and a very stupid AI.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Mar 2 2007, 03:20 AM
| QUOTE (Thane36425) |
| NWN2 was buggy. |
Do you remember initial NWN1? Just give it a few dozen patches. NWN1 is at 68 patches (well, version 1.68, not all of them were public patches).
Posted by: Tanka Mar 2 2007, 10:56 PM
| QUOTE (Thane36425) |
| NWN2 was buggy. Many fights had to be done over and over because of the bugs and a very stupid AI. |
You've apparently never played a game that was released upon force by a parent company.
Obsidian's been hosed twice now, once by LucasArts (KotOR2) and once by Atari (NWN2).
It ain't par for the course, as far as Obsidian is concerned. It's par for the course according to people who only look at profits and not a releasable game.
Posted by: ATimson Mar 3 2007, 02:36 AM
| QUOTE (Tanka) |
| You've apparently never played a game that was released upon force by a parent company. Obsidian's been hosed twice now, once by LucasArts (KotOR2) and once by Atari (NWN2). It ain't par for the course, as far as Obsidian is concerned. It's par for the course according to people who only look at profits and not a releasable game. |
To be fair, if Obsidian didn't make their release schedule, then it is their fault, and not the publisher's. I haven't heard about NWN2, but everything I've read about KOTOR2 says that Obsidian simply didn't uphold their end of the contract.
Posted by: Tanka Mar 3 2007, 07:53 AM
| QUOTE (ATimson) |
| To be fair, if Obsidian didn't make their release schedule, then it is their fault, and not the publisher's. I haven't heard about NWN2, but everything I've read about KOTOR2 says that Obsidian simply didn't uphold their end of the contract. |
Well, when LA says "Put this out now" because it's just before a big sale season, then it isn't Obsidian "not making their release schedule".
Posted by: ShadowDragon Mar 3 2007, 08:43 AM
I'm guessing that it disappeared because it's a lot of work. Not only would you have to design the world like normal DnD mods, you'd have to redo the artwork and tweak the rules. I've been overwhelmed just making normal mods for NWN1&2; I can't imagine making a Shadowrun mod.
Posted by: Naysayer Mar 3 2007, 12:44 PM
I vaguely remember reading somewhere on the site's forums that the guy was employed with the army.
That might explain why he's "held up by work" these days...
Posted by: Firestorm Mar 4 2007, 07:51 PM
| QUOTE (ATimson) | ||
To be fair, if Obsidian didn't make their release schedule, then it is their fault, and not the publisher's. I haven't heard about NWN2, but everything I've read about KOTOR2 says that Obsidian simply didn't uphold their end of the contract. |
Last time I allowed myself to be bothered with NWN2, it was buggy as hell, the camera/character moves were hellish to master, the AI was crappy, and none of the promised to world builderss things were included ( database support for world design, wizards to create stuff easilly, a good number of monsters, easy to 'tweak' system, no hardcoding.... )
All in all, for me NWN2 has been a huge disappointment.
Now, I know that Infograme ( Atari ) wanted the game out, but I think also that they wanted also to make sure the game wasn't going to compete with DDO, which would explain the pushed dates.
Posted by: warrior_allanon Mar 5 2007, 12:29 AM
i still say they should do a mod for DDO, its just about the perfect setup for an SR online MMOG
Posted by: Tanka Mar 5 2007, 03:15 AM
| QUOTE (warrior_allanon) |
| i still say they should do a mod for DDO, its just about the perfect setup for an SR online MMOG |
Well, unless one of two things happen:
1) Turbine releases the source (HA!)
2) MS agrees to work with Atari/Turbine for the source (HA!)
I can't see it ever happening.
Posted by: ATimson Mar 5 2007, 03:35 AM
| QUOTE (Firestorm) |
| Now, I know that Infograme ( Atari ) wanted the game out, but I think also that they wanted also to make sure the game wasn't going to compete with DDO, which would explain the pushed dates. |
That makes no sense--NWN2 was released nine months after DDO's February 2006 release. Either Obsidian slipped massively (the engine wasn't even finished until late May 2006), or that's not the case. And since they were displaying it at E3 instead of crunching to finish the game, I'm inclined to think that it's the latter.
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Mar 5 2007, 03:57 AM
There are so many very promising mods that just never get done. I think that the amount of work involved is just colossal and more often than not people just lose interest.
Posted by: d'Ark Mar 5 2007, 09:59 AM
With regards to KOTOR 2, Obsidian did get royally screwed....
They were nowhere near finished with the game, and weren't particularly near its original release date when they were told they had to get it out ASAP, as its original release date would have clashed with all the Episode II tie-in games being released, IIRC.
Posted by: Tanka Mar 5 2007, 11:43 AM
| QUOTE (d'Ark) |
| With regards to KOTOR 2, Obsidian did get royally screwed.... They were nowhere near finished with the game, and weren't particularly near its original release date when they were told they had to get it out ASAP, as its original release date would have clashed with all the Episode II tie-in games being released, IIRC. |
Let's not forget Holiday sales.
Notice NWN2's release date? Beginning of November?
Just in time to not get enough product to all the stores and have it not-sold-out in time for Thanksgiving.
Funny thing, those holidays.
Posted by: Firestorm Mar 5 2007, 06:27 PM
| QUOTE (ATimson) | ||
That makes no sense--NWN2 was released nine months after DDO's February 2006 release. Either Obsidian slipped massively (the engine wasn't even finished until late May 2006), or that's not the case. And since they were displaying it at E3 instead of crunching to finish the game, I'm inclined to think that it's the latter. |
True, but you have a monthly fee in DDO, while NWN PWs are free.
DDO is a MMORPG, NWN is not but can be made almost into one with enough sweat and coding...
NWN2 last time I bothered to check was far from having even the NWN capabilities regarding PW designing.
Having all the goodies the PW builders asked would have made building a world like DDO easy, thus making customers leave DDO.
Atari ( Infograme ) is the editor for both....They had to choose.
What is best in the end for their corporate balance sheet ? having a good game that sold great that you will have to support for free for the next several years or having a good game that sold great, where people pay a monthly fee, that you will have to support for the next several years...
The choice is easy. Release NWN2 too early, crash the game because of that, anyway the dummies ( including myself ) will buy the game, so that you secure your revenues from DDO.
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