NWN2 Toolset Introduction

NEVERWINTER NIGHTS 2 TOOLSET - INTRO

The Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) toolset is a powerful utility that will allow you to create your own NWN2 modules. This is the same tool that has been used by Obsidian game designers to create the official NWN2 campaign.

This brief guide will help you get started by demonstrating the basics of the toolset. You will learn fastest by experimenting with the toolset and by joining the NWN2 mod community, which can be reached through www.obsidianent.com (click on NWN2 logo).

Note: This version of the toolset documentation has been assembled for the purpose of the toolset beta test. We recognize that this documentation is not as thorough as desired and appreciate your patience and understanding in testing the toolset with only this limited documentation to assist you. In addition to your comments on the toolset itself, we would appreciate your feedback on what additional documentation is most needed to help both new and experienced modders create their own NWN2 worlds.
The exclusive NWN2 Toolset Beta Test forum can be found at www.ataricommunity.com. Please look there for more information on this Beta Test.

OVERVIEW

The NWN2 toolset package includes the following elements:
 

• The NWN2 game and toolset.
• NWN2_BetaTest_Toolset_HowTos: A series of HowTos to explain basic toolset use. These HowTos include the following topics:
• Creating a Module: The three components that comprise a module: areas, conversations, scripts. Create a new area, including placing a start location and trying it out in the game.
• Placing Content: Place and set-up creatures, placeables (props), and loot.
• Writing a Conversation: Create a dialogue and attach it to an NPC. Simple use of scripts in conversations.
• Basic Trigger Usage: Place a trigger and use it to cause something to happen.
• Create items: Create your own magic items for players to find (and enemies to use!) Use armor attachments and coloring to create unique armor appearances.
• Map Making: Create and sculpt an exterior or interior area. Understanding how to create maps isn’t necessary to get started, but that will help you create your own world with its own unique flavor.
• NWN2_BetaTest_Toolset_Scripting: This document is primarily intended for advanced users and includes:
• An explanation of NWN2 global script naming conventions.
• A library of over 50 available action and conditional scripts (for use in conversations).
• Descriptions of new and modified scripts (as compared to those in NWN1), including new scripting systems (ambient life and scripted waypoints).
• NWN2_BetaTest_Toolset_FAQ: A short collection of some specific questions that have come up during our development of NWN2.
• Sample Module: A sample module, 0100_UninvitedGuests. This module is an extremely simple adventure that makes use of many of the concepts discussed in the HowTos. It is designed to be easy for you view examples of how to accomplish certain tasks.
• Starter Maps: Six “blank” maps that are fully sculpted but contain no content (monsters, NPCs, etc.). You can use these to quickly set-up your own quests and adventures!

WHAT’S NEW?

If you are experienced with the Aurora engine and NWN1 toolset, then you will find many familiar features in the NWN2 toolset. The toolset you have now has been redesigned, however, to make the most of new features and technology that is available for NWN2. Some of the new features include:
 

World Creation

• Terrain Painting. You can sculpt the terrain and apply textures, water, and animated grass. Various brush sizes are available for initial sculpting/painting and refined work.
• Trees. You can quickly generate unique and animated trees.
• Weather Control. You can set sky color and cloud density and velocity.
• Dynamic Day/Night Cycle. You can set various weather and lighting conditions and the game will dynamically move between them as time progresses. For example, you can have a light fog roll in during the dawn and then burn away as the sun rises.
• Special Effects Editor. The toolset comes with the special effects editor that was used for the NWN2 spells.
• Armor Customization. With over 100 different greaves, vambraces, and more, you can custom tailor armors to create your own unique-looking magic items or uniforms. All armor pieces can be individually tinted with multiple colors.
• Object Scaling. You can scale most placeables and creatures easily, allowing you to make a tougher looking bugbear chieftain or a cat-sized giant spider hatchling.
• Enhanced Camera Controls. New camera features allow for more cinematic cut scenes.
• Global Scripts. The NWN2 toolset has a much more robust collection of global scripts that are ready for use in your own modules.

Usability

• Customizable Workspace. You have much more control over where various tools and windows are located and how much space they take up, allowing you to adjust the toolset’s layout as you wish.
• Improved Conversation Editor. You can pass parameters to scripts and assign multiple conditional and action scripts. A “main question node” feature makes it much easier to construct certain types of conversations.
• Level Baking. A semi-automated baking process creates the walkmesh for your level, which causes placeables you specify to automatically block movement without dealing directly with the walkmesh.
• Multi-tasking. You can have multiple areas, conversations, and scripts open simultaneously, allowing for faster content creation.
• Campaign System. Multiple modules can now share resources and journal data.
• Flexible Categories. NWN2 has no item palettes, allowing you to organize your blueprints and instances in whatever categories you’d like.
• Plugins. You can create plugins for the toolset, much like you can for Photoshop or 3DS Max.

QUICK REFERENCE

To use the toolset, just open the file NWN2ToolsetLauncher.exe. After a few moments, you should see:
All windows within the NWN2 Toolset can be docked, resized, and moved to set things up however you prefer. The main components of the toolset are:

• Menu Bar.
• Toolbars.
• Area List/Conversation List/Script List. Tabs at the bottom select which list you are viewing. Double-click on any area, conversation, or script name in the list to open it.
• Area Contents. Lists all of the components of the currently selected area, if any. Components include items, creatures, triggers, placeables, and more.
• Area Viewer. Shows what the area looks like. You can modify terrain and textures, place objects, etc. through the Area Viewer.
• Property Panel. Shows properties for the selected object. The Property Panel contains many tabs (Basics tab, Skills tab, etc.). If you select an object in the Area Viewer (5), Area Contents (4), or Specific Blueprints (8) section, its properties are shown here.
• Blueprint categories. Blueprints are templates for any object that can be placed in an area. Note that the Area Contents section (4) has the same options. Blueprints include all global content as well as local templates you might create.

Note: If you click on a blueprint, its properties automatically appear in the Property Panel. You can right-click on a blueprint to see its properties in a new window, but this process can be slow and no more than 3 property windows can be open at any time.

• Specific Blueprints. This section is similar to the Area Contents, but lists all available objects, not just those placed in the current area. For example, this section would let you select a goblin, while the Area Contents section lets you select a specific goblin that you have placed.
• Tabs to switch from Blueprints to the Terrain (exteriors) and Tile (interiors) tabs.

The HowTos provide additional detail about many of these features. Open the Sample Module to reverse engineer our content and learn more about the toolset’s functionality.
To try the Sample Module, start NWN2, click “New Game,” then “New Module,” and select 0100_UninvitedGuests.
To open the Sample Module in the toolset, start the toolset, then File  Open, and select 0100_UninvitedGuests.mod.

Some simple tips:

• If you get stuck, please visit www.ataricommunity.com and post on the forums.
• In the Area Viewer, use Ctrl-middle-click to rotate the camera and the mousewheel to move the camera forward and backwards.
• For fast creation of objects (creatures, items, placeables – anything in the Blueprint Categories section) copy the blueprint of an existing object that’s similar to what you want. Then change the properties of the copied blueprint.
• You can use Copy (Ctrl-C) and Paste (Ctrl-V) in the Area Viewer to quickly duplicate placed objects.
• Check View  Options and the Plugins menu to change settings and to access helpful supplemental tools.

We hope you enjoy all of the features of the NWN2 toolset. We appreciate your time and interest and look forward to your comments and suggestions!

Sincerely,

The NWN2 Team