by Archaic

Pros
? great scripting
? the ability to have Aragon as a henchman
? good choice for story
? a few surprises keep you interested
? very intelligent dialogue

Cons
? a little too many delivery-type tasks
? only being able to play Gandalf feels somewhat limiting

The Bottom Line – The best Lord of The Rings module for NWN yet.

Module: Download

Review

There is an old saying that goes like this “Often imitated but never duplicated”. That saying pretty much sums up the efforts to recreate the excellent Lord of the Rings franchise into a Neverwinter Nights (NWN) module. However Lord of the Rings: The Dunedain stands out among the numerous wannabes and commands attention from any Lord of the Rings fan that owns NWN.

Unlike the many LOTR-themed attempts at a module The Dunedain mainly uses just characters of the movies/books while following its own story. Instead of playing with Frodo or your own character you must play with Gandalf while trying to find the Dunedain (a group of rangers). Disappointed that its not more like one of the movies? Well you shouldn’t be because the story and action are very tight through out most of the module. That’s not even talking about the excellent dialogue that makes this module almost feel like a movie on its own. Furthermore the story allows the module to be set in the Lord of the Rings universe while delivering a surprise or two along the way. I will not give away any spoilers but I will say that the use of Glamdring in one scene was simply brilliant and caught me off-guard as well.

Let’s hope that The Dunedain is a start of a new trend because the NWN community could definitely use more LOTR-inspired modules like this one. That said this is easily the best LOTR-themed module yet and I would even go so far as to say the best module based on a major movie as well. This module gets the full five stars because it succeeds where so many others have failed.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

9.00

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Lord of the Rings The Dunedain appeared first on GameOgre.

by Adam Miller

Pros
? excellent story
? great way to begin a character

Cons
? occasional bugs

The Bottom Line – A series of modules that is actually better than Neverwinter Night’s main campaigns.

Download – Hak Pak for the Entire Series (3.5 MB)

ShadowLords1 – The Message
ShadowLords2 – Hill’s Edge
ShadowLords3 – Skull’s Gorge
ShadowLords4 – Stonemeet
ShadowLords5 – Enter the Shadow

Review

Do you own Neverwinter Nights and you are not crazy about the main campaigns that came with the game? No problem because you can pick up the Shadowlords series and engross yourself in a deeper more satisfying game experience. There are a total of five installments in the series and each one boasts a great story fun puzzles and riddles and game play that very seldom breaks down to the point where you are stuck at one point for a significant amount of time. The quality of the modules also increase with each installment. According to the author he spent around two years working on the story. In other words he has been writing the story for the series long before the game hit retail shelves and it definitely shows.

The interaction with henchman also stands out as a major game feature. For example the henchmen will actually strike up a conversation with you at different parts of the game as you encounter different situations. In fact my male fighter could even flirt with the female thief. You not find that type of communication from your henchmen in the main game.

The only downside to this series and the reason it does not get a perfect score are the occasional bugs that can shut down the game. Most of these bugs are in the same general area but they can still be very annoying if you get a few of them right after each other. Those glitches aside Shadowlords easily stands above other modules series and should be played by anyone who owns NWN.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

9.50 

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Shadowlords appeared first on GameOgre.

by Wynne MacLaughlin

Pros
? part 2 continues with the excellent story of Grand Theft Otto
? being involved in a guild war
? great scripting
? well-placed humor
? small game play area keeps the game exciting through out
? sound effects bolster the game’s charm factor

Cons
? little too linear

The Bottom Line – A module that transports you into a fantasy novel.

Module: Download

HakPak: Download

Review

Metal Of Honor is the second installment of In The Company Of Thieves series. The first installment Grand Theft Otto stood out as the top NWN module based on thieves. MOH is not only better than the original but it is also in the same league as elite modules like Dreamcatcher and Elegia Eternum.

What makes this module so special? Metal Of Honor puts you in the role of a thief as a member of a “good” thieves guild. You and your guild members will have to contend with a “bad” thieves guild in an exciting guild war. However this not simply a thief versus thief combat module because this guild war takes place inside a beautifully woven plot that involves two princes.

A great plot alone does not make a great module if the production quality is poor. Fortunately MOH shines in this area as well due to a tight (a good thing) game play area special effects great scripting and music that really captures the mood of every situation. In addition humor also plays a major role in this module. For example you must summon an umber hulk that jokes about republicans and lawyers.

The only negative of this module and the reason that it did not receive a perfect score is that it can be overwhelmingly linear at times. For instance I jumped the gun when starting the guild war and I was locked out of the remaining events of the module like the carnival. Being punished for being impatient makes sense but getting locked out of the rest of the module for doing something that will happen anyway is too harsh.

Besides that one complaint MOH will captivate you until you finish it. This module will not last near a long as some other modules currently available but that is not a problem because it focuses on quality rather than quantity. Thus if you want to be the “hero” of a fantasy novel for a few hours there is currently no greater module than Metal Of Honor.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

9.75 

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Metal of Honor appeared first on GameOgre.

by Jeff ‘Dueeliz’ Weaver

Pros
? great henchmen system
? nonlinear
? several side quests
? feels like an old Dungeon and Dragon’s module
? monsters actually drop the weapons they use

Cons
? too much useless loot and too many crates to search through
? requires a rogue because of all the traps locked doors and locked chests

The Bottom Line – One of the best Dungeon and Dragon module conversions yet.

Module: Download

Review

Few modules are able to capture that special magic of an original Dungeon and Dragon’s (D&D) pen and paper (PnP) module. For example there are attempted PnP conversions like Steading of the Hill Giants where the author trounces any resemblance to the original by mindlessly throwing a swarm of giants at you from the very beginning. Thankfully The Sunless Citadel of the 3rd Edition Adventure Series is nothing like that.

You can tell that The Sunless Citadel is something different when you simply download the file for it. Instead of having to unzip it and place the files in the appropriate folders the self extracting .exe places all the files in the right place so you can start playing the game ASAP. Once you start the game you will see a nice intro that looks very professional.

Fortunately there are several little extras in the actual game as well. First and foremost this module may have the best henchmen system yet. Not only can your henchmen switch weapons and give you input from time to time but you can also have two henchmen at the same time and you get some weird choices for henchmen such as a goblin and a kobold. In fact the interaction with a few of your henchmen is simply brilliant.

The way that you find these henchmen and are given side quests is also nice because you don’t have to do that much in any sort of order. The side quests are interesting and are interweaved into the module’s main goal. The tightly woven story along with the aforementioned henchmen system are what really re-create the magic of classic D&D PnP modules. You just feel like you are playing a D&D module on your PC. The funny thing is that all of NWN’s main campaigns did not get as close to that feeling as this one module did.

On the downside finding mundane loot like plates elf pudding and useless paintings may be more logical than finding magic swords and gems in every crate and chest but the amount of useless equipment that you find in this module is staggering. If you wanted to you could encumber yourself with entirely useless goods very easily due to the huge number of chests and crates in the Citadel. The only other complaint is that this module essentially requires the use of a rogue. Without one you will have a hard time of getting through the entire module. You could probably bash a few doors and chests but some doors and chests have traps on them.

For those of you that play as a rogue or have a rogue in your party this module deserves a perfect score. Simply put you have to play this module if you want to experience the way D&D was meant to play via a computer game.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

8.75

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Sunless Citadel appeared first on GameOgre.

by Wynne MacLaughlin

Pros
? excellent plot
? the focus on thieves works well
? little special effects like the polymorphing and a guard dog add to the excitement level

Cons
? a little on the short side
? need too many keys for being a thief

The Bottom Line – Looks like the beginning of a plot-driven epic starring thieves. Bring on Part 2!

Module: Download

Review

Based (in part) on Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar novels Grand Theft Otto is the initial module of the In The Company of Thieves series. Modules based on thieves have been done before but this one is something special. From the masterful plot to the interesting side missions Grand Theft Otto captures your imagination and then holds it to the game’s conclusion. Even something as simple as interacting with dog on one of your missions adds to the whole experience.

Whereas Raymond Feist had the Mockers as a thieves’ guild in his books the main thieves in this module are known as the Shadowdwellers. Basically a king has died leaving two sons and one of the sons has control of a rival thieves’ guild called the Bloodeaters that is downright evil when compared to the Shadowdwellers. In the midst of all this the title character (Otto Cutpurse) is imprisoned and you are responsible for rescuing him.

From there you will have to go on a few side missions just to meet a few of the Shadowdwellers. These missions are not really challenging combat-wise but they do call upon you to make judgment calls like whether you should trust other thieves or not. The only downside to these missions and later rescuing Otto is the need for too many “special” keys. Part of the attraction of being a thief is being able to go places because of the thief’s lock picking skills where most other characters have a harder time going to. Now having a “special” key or two in order to introduce a boss fight is fine but any more than that is pushing it.

Lastly I was disappointed when the module ended because I was thoroughly enjoying the game. Hopefully Part 2 will be released soon because this is definitely the best thief-focused module yet.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

9.25

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Grand Theft Otto appeared first on GameOgre.

by Stefan Gagne

Pros
? excellent story that keeps you glued to the screen
? high production value with intro movie and voice actors
? gameplay fits the story perfectly
? challenging but fun puzzles
? tight gameplay area works well

Cons
? large download (19.6 MB)
? lots of back tracking

The Bottom Line – Possibly the best NWN module available that does not have either a sequel or a prequel.

Module: Download

Review

The author of the popular Penultima series delivers another blockbuster module with this story-based masterpiece. Very few modules can suck you into the story and keep you off balance the way that Elegia Eternum can. The intro movie sets the mood for the module instantly and lets you that you are about to enjoy a quality albeit somewhat mature gaming experience. The addition of the voice actors and the long conversation trees make you really care about some of the characters. In other words this module builds up its characters well and this allows you to be more emotionally attached to the events that unfold.

For players who prefer simple hack and slash games to story-built ones you will be teased at the beginning of the module with what sounds like a standard hack and slash type quest. At the very beginning you think the only goal of this module is to find some magical evil staff in a cave and destroy it. Once you begin to hack and slash in that cave however you will learn that you were wrong on that assumption. From there the real story kicks in and never lets go until you finish the module.

The entire module takes place in a rather small area which is good because you will have to do a fair amount of back tracking to solve the puzzles. You feel that you really want to solve the puzzles because they are expertly done and the story is wrapped around them like a glove. For example you have to engage in an all-important insult slinging contest because of the personality of a young boy.

The negatives for this module are small due to the overall high production value. Nevertheless people with slow modems may be turned off by the almost 20 MB download and there is a large amount of going back and forth between different locations. Those minor issues aside Elegia Eternum simply stands out from most other modules in terms of quality. For a good analogy think of Elegia Eternum as a big-budget movie that delivers on all the hype.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

9.50

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Elgia Eternum appeared first on GameOgre.

Bots serve a variety of functions but their main purpose is to act similar to human players instead of just normal players controlled by the computer. Below is list of bot resources and a few of the more popular bots for the most popular online shooter in the world Half-Life.

Akimbot – One of the best bots for Half-Life multiplayer mods.

The post Bots and Bot Resources appeared first on GameOgre.

by Patrick Cutter

Pros
? based on one of the greatest AD&D module series ever
? background sound effects give the module a little flavor
? displayed the original art of the PnP module cover for the intro

Cons
? poor story
? too much hack-and-slash with little else
? encountered a few script errors in the game

The Bottom Line – There are worse modules based on the old AD&D Against the Giant PnP modules but this series definitely deserves better.

Module: Download

Review

Take note that the module being reviewed here is actually 2 modules G1 and G2. G1 and G2 are named to represent the corresponding AD&D modules that they are based on. Since 3 modules comprised the Against the Giants series this module does not remake the entire series.

Finding a NWN module like Against The Giants definitely brings back great memories of playing Dungeons and Dragons pen and paper modules. The sizable download (10 MB) also gave rise to my anticipation level. I was even more excited when I started the module and saw the original cover for the series. I thought “wow I am actually going to recreate one of my favorite role playing experiences.”

However that overwhelming nostalgia faded rather quickly when the module failed to capture the magic of the original almost immediately after the intro. Walking up to a guy to only boost your character up to level 10 may be needed because of the game’s difficulty but it kills the charm of the game rather fast when it is done so blatantly. Besides that is what trainers are for. The sad thing is that nothing exciting happens after that to make you interested in what transpires with the giants.

This module was infinitely better than the poorly done Steading of the Hill Giants but it still lacked a real story. The gameplay degenerated very quickly into a mindless hack-and-slash affair against endless arrays of giants ogres and bugbears. That said anybody attempting this module will either need a super strong melee character or they should try it with a few other people.

So why 3 stars instead of 1 like Steading of the Hill Giants? You can actually spend some time in this module you have substantially more areas to explore you have more loot and there is at least an attempt at a story. The download is also fairly sizable so there was a significant amount of effort put into it.

Simply put gamers who are content with a shallow gaming experience may enjoy this but gamers wanting more should look elsewhere. Hopefully more skilled and experienced module makers will attempt to do a remake of Against The Giants in the future so we can finally play some quality modules based on this vaunted series.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

6.00

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Against the Giants appeared first on GameOgre.

by Bioware

Pros
? treasure galore
? relatively easy

Cons
? lack of depth
? little experience points

The Bottom Line – Quick way to boost your armor rating and the amount of gold in your pocket.

Download – Module

Review

The Dark Ranger’ Treasure is a module for Neverwinter Nights that was made by the game’s creators. You start out in a nearly deserted inn with just the inn keeper and a rather talkative gnome as the only inhabitants. Once you talk to the gnome you will learn that a brutal ranger left mountain loads of armor and shields in some old ruins nearby the inn. Once you and the gnome set out on the journey to the ruins only weak monsters like Orcs and Goblins will confront you. Battles are quickly won because the gnome can take care of business. However all the easy combat changes once you enter the ruins to get the treasure and on the way back to the inn.

Besides the easy first encounters the module provides ample amounts of excitement throughout. That excitement and the fact that this is one of the best ways to beef up your characters bank account makes this rather short module a must-play for anybody who owns Neverwinter Nights.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

6.00

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: Dark Ranger Treasure appeared first on GameOgre.

by Implimian

Pros
? no need to look for a fight
? relatively fast leveling

Cons
? lack of journal updates
? story could be improved

The Bottom Line – One of the best modules for getting instantly involved in combat.

Download – Module

Review

If you do not like to go around talking to several other characters to find some action then of the Yellow Fang may be what you are looking for. From the very beginning of the module you are right in the middle of an all-out invasion by the Yellow Fang goblins. You will have to withstand such powerful enemies as goblin bombers goblin elite (semi-powerful) hobgoblin champions and hobgoblin shaman. Since the side you are fighting on is rather small most of them are killed rather quick. When their leader falls you have to open the north gate and go find reinforcements. In addition a “boss” makes a rather quick appearance. These events lead to an intense and action-packed gaming experience.

However the module does not maintain this same intensity throughout the game. After you leave by the main fighting area you will still encounter pockets of enemies through out the rest of the game. The only downside to this is that some spots spawn goblins goblin elite and goblin bombers constantly. Killing an endless line of goblins gets old substantially faster than it would if spawning was turned down in some areas.

In addition the game does not always take journal notes when it should. This issue can turn into a major problem if you have to save your game at a certain point because you may forget the exact words. For example you meet a wizard in a cave who has to have a journal from a young boy to open up a passage that lets you continue with the game. The wizard tells you where the boy might be one time and that is it because the journal does not record this all-important conversation. Without this journal for the wizard you are stuck. That said an otherwise action-packed module is bogged down to a crawl. Nevertheless War of the Yellow Fang offers an hour or two of exciting game play that should not be missed.

Game Ogre’s Rating (out of 10):

7.00

Back To Module Review Section

The post NWN Module: War of the Yellow Fang appeared first on GameOgre.