Home Neverwinter Wednesday Archive BioWare Wednesday Archive - 2004

BioWare Wednesday Archive - 2004

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Wednesday, Dec 22 2004

Jade Empire Horse Demon Transformation Fighting Style Video
Another exclusive new in-game video featuring the Horse Demon Transformation fighting style. Using the captured spirit of a defeated foe, Wu uses her Chi to transform into the powerful Horse Demon. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Desktop: Furious Ming
Available now: A new desktop wallpaper featuring Furious Ming, the quintessential light and fast martial artist. Download and install the beautiful desktop today. Discuss.

West Nottinghamshire Wins Beacon Award!
The Computing Science team at West Nottinghamshire College crafted Neverwinter into a learning tool that just won one of the top awards in education in the UK: a Beacon. Members of the team share their experiences with winning the Beacon Award and their thoughts on the future. Discuss.

Holiday Top 10
'Tis the season to overindulge on kidney-damaging sweets like "Chocolate covered Suger Fried Icing Smacktee-Loops" and put yourself into an endless dreamy glucose stupor. Put down grandma's fruit cake and catch up on the Top 10 reasons to give premium Neverwinter Nights modules this holiday season. Discuss.

Wednesday, Dec 15 2004

Neverwinter Nights Profile of Composer David John
Adding music can have a profound affect on gameplay. Just ask David John, a Canadian composer who was recently contracted to conjure up some exceptional music for the premium Neverwinter Nights modules on sale now at the BioWare Online Store. This week, we chat with David to learn more about his instrumental game craft. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Twin Ham Fighting Style Video!
Click over to the Jade Empire site to view an exciting and exclusive new in-game video featuring Wu the Lotus Blossom battling in the Teahouse. Watch as she mercilessly takes down her enemy with the improvised but deadly weapon, Twin Hams. Discuss.

BioWare Holiday Card
Ho ho ho! We hope your holiday season is full of peace, harmony, and gobs of loot! If you're having trouble finding anything good to watch on TV, as lawful evil broadcast executives greenlight more and more reality shows, you might want to pick up your clicker and check out this year's BioWare Holiday card. Happy holidays from BioWare! Discuss.

Wednesday, Dec 08 2004

Neverwinter Nights: Witch's Wake Developer Put To The Question
Witch's Wake I was a huge hit among NWN community members, with over a million downloads since its release over a year and a half ago. The remastered premium Neverwinter Nights: Witch's Wake module is now available at the BioWare Online Store, and we took a few moments to chat with the module's developer, Rob Bartel, to learn about the module's design and to see if we could pry some information from him about the future of the series. Discuss.

Jade Empire Philosophy Part 2: Way of the Open Palm
The Jade Empire is a land steeped in tradition, where every person has his or her place in the grand scheme of things. Many of the greatest minds in the Empire believe that their civilization was built on the tenets of strength, duty, and honor: the Way of the Open Palm. Read this week's feature article that discusses this aspect of Jade Empire's intriguing philosophy. Discuss.

Wednesday, Dec 01 2004

Developer of Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard Interviewed
Ben McJunkin was one of the first community members to be approached to create a module exclusively for BioWare. In this week's article, our intrepid Community Manager learns how Ben approached the creation of Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard and some of the challenges involved in making a BioWare Online Store premium module. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Desktop: Tiger Shen In A Fierce Battle
Get this hot new Jade Empire desktop today that features the mighty Tiger Shen lashing out at a gang of enemies in Leaping Tiger fighting style. The battleground is full of chaos and mayhem, and it appears he is surrounded! How will he get out of this one? Discuss.

Wednesday, Nov 24 2004

Exclusive New Screenshots For Jade Empire
Crack open these four new exclusive screenshots revealing more Jade Empire RPG adventure action! See Radiant Jen Zi teaching a lesson in the art of Leaping Tiger, Furious Ming driving foes back using White Demon style, Sky charging into battle, and Furious Ming exploring a heavenly realm. Discuss.

Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker Developer Interview
We recently caught up with the Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker module developers to get their thoughts and views on the making of this premium module that's now available at the BioWare Online Store. Read about what they enjoyed most about crafting the adventure, their favourite module character, and more. Discuss.

Wednesday, Nov 17 2004

NPCs of Neverwinter Nights: ShadowGuard
Keep your enemies close and your friends closer--it pays to know who you're adventuring with! Read this week's NPC profiles for the premium Neverwinter Nights module, ShadowGuard, to learn more about your companions--perhaps more than they'd like you to know. Heh. Discuss.

Jade Empire: The Way of the Closed Fist
After rigorous debate and discussion, philosophers in the Jade Empire have defined two opposing moral paths: the Way of the Open Palm and the Way of the Closed Fist. This week, we delve into the Way of the Closed Fist, a philosophy of doing whatever it takes to further one's station, regardless of the consequences this has on the world at large. Discuss.

Catch These Premium Neverwinter Nights Module Tips
Check out cool tips and secrets from the writers and designers of the premium Neverwinter Nights modules that are on sale now: Kingmaker, ShadowGuard, and Witch's Wake. Use these tips to get the most out of your gameplay experiences and to replay the adventures with different objectives and perspectives in mind! (Spoiler warning.) Discuss.

Wednesday, Nov 10 2004

Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker NPCs Profiled With Audio!
Kingmaker offers some wonderful, non-linear story-telling and roleplaying possibilities. The quality of personality, writing, and voice-over of non-player characters definitely impacts how enjoyable an adventure is to play, and Kingmaker's designers spent a lot of time making sure this module's NPCs are fun to roleplay and interact with. Read, look, and listen to a sample cast of henchmen from Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker in this week's NPC profile. Discuss.

Jade Empire: A Labour Of Love Part 2
Part two of the Labour of Love article, featuring several Jade Empire team interviews, is up right now at the Jade web site. This week, we feature Combat, Production, and QA, plus new, exclusive screenshots. Discuss.

Premium Neverwinter Nights Modules Now Available!
The doors opened November 10th to BioWare's Online Store. Sporting fresh new adventures for Neverwinter Nights fans to explore is only the beginning of what fans can expect! We caught up with BioWare Joint-CEO Ray Muzyka, Marketing Director Craig Priddle, Live Team Lead Designer Rob Bartel, Client Care Specialist Jason Barlow, and Community Manager Jay Watamaniuk to answer a few questions about the bright future of the BioWare Online Store. Discuss.

Wednesday, Nov 03 2004

Way of the Closed Fist - Jade Philosophy
Learn more about the Jade Empire's philosophy in an article up right now at Gamespy's web site. Discover some intriguing tid bits about the Way of the Open Palm, the Way of the Closed Fist, the Followers of the Discordant Path, the Iron Soldier, the Lotus Assassins, and more! Discuss.

Jade Empire: A Labour Of Love
Jade Empire is a large, exciting project and a huge team effort that crosses several game creation disciplines. This week, we feature Jade team interviews to learn what roles are involved in creating a AAA title and why BioWare's first intellectual property is not merely a job--it's a labour of love. The interviews also contain new, exclusive screenshots! Discuss.

Neverwinter Nights: Witch's Wake Remastered Sub-Races
Great news for Witch's Wake fans! There are now 27 new subraces for you to choose from when creating your character for Witch's Wake Remastered! These races were added to flesh out the game world of Witch's Wake and to enhance the roleplaying aspects of the module. Visit the Witch's Wake site for subrace pics and profiles. Discuss.

Wednesday, Oct 27 2004

New Jade Desktop: Scholar Ling
Available now: A new desktop wallpaper featuring the graceful and deadly Scholar Ling, whose magical affinity gives her an advantage over those who rely on muscle alone. Download and install the beautiful desktop today. Discuss.

NWN Community Expansion Pack 1.50 Upgrade Now Available
Not only is the NWN Community Expansion Pack 1.50 upgrade compatible with NWN 1.64, but it comes with a cornucopia of new content, such as CODI's osyluth and maugs, DLA's treant and gem golems, exotic new weapons, additional shields, more clothing, new placeables, and much, much more. The long-awaited CEP sequel is now available for download--get yours today! Discuss.

All-New Adventures For Neverwinter Nights!
Neverwinter Nights fans rejoice for more official content is coming your way. BioWare has announced three new premium Neverwinter Nights modules: Kingmaker, ShadowGuard, and Witch's Wake. Each will be available November 10th when the BioWare Online Store opens its online doors. The premium modules will host a wide variety of features, including engrossing storylines, professional voice-over, musical scores, brand new in-game content, and much more. Discuss.

Wednesday, Oct 20 2004

5 New Jade Empire Screenshots
We have five exclusive and cool Jade Empire screenshots for you this week. See Tiger Shen dodging a student's attack, Kang the Mad launching the Ice Shard Style, Sagacious Zu battling cannibals, Silk Fox and Wu readying for combat, and the Necropolis. Visit the gallery to view them all. Discuss.

NWN Goes To School
Crushing your foes and driving them before you amongst the lamentations of their women (and men...this is an equal opportunity lamentation) is how Neverwinter Nights is generally expected to be used. Team staff at the West Nottinghamshire College are changing that expectation though, and they're building excitement in their students at the same time by taking Neverwinter Nights and turning it into a learning tool. Read the article for the full scoop. Discuss.

Wednesday, Oct 13 2004

NWN Player Profile: Skullport Game Guides
Game walkthroughs are awesome tools for extracting every last ounce of entertainment from a game. The Skullport website has embraced computer games set in the Forgotten Realms and provides walkthroughs for games such as the Baldur's Gate series and Neverwinter Nights. Each walkthrough is crazy with detail on plots, gameplay tips, PC classes, spells, items, and more. We caught up with founder and obvious worklunatic, Sylvus Moonbow, to get the goods on Skullport. Discuss.

New Jade Weapon: Fortune's Favorite
Fortune's Favorite is a wondrous saber that was crafted by the gods-cursed blacksmith, Shining Fortune. View the weapons profile page on the Jade Empire site to learn more about this blade's intriguing history and unique design. Discuss.

Wednesday, Oct 06 2004

Feast Your Eyes Upon The Jade Cannibal Desktop
Now this a wallpaper we can all sink our teeth into! Install this new desktop for Jade Empire that depicts several fine young cannibals peacefully dining on their latest dinner guest. Pass the salt, anyone? Discuss.

Need Help Building NWN Modules?
Wanna build your own Neverwinter Nights module and don't know where to start? Read our profile of the wonderful and valuable Builders Project guild. One of the most popular NWN guilds to form, the Builders Project exists to help newbs and experienced builders alike make their story and adventure visions become a reality. Discuss.

Wednesday, Sep 29 2004

Jade Empire Rocks On MTV2
The first ever Jade Empire music video mod will appear on MTV2 October 2nd, 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT. Rocking the world will be Wu the Lotus Blossom, Furious Ming, and Death's Hand as they sing to Christina Milian's "Dip it Low," and New Found Glory's "It's all downhill from here." For more information on MTV2 "Video Mods" visit www.MTV2.com. For sneak peak screenshots of the video mods, visit the Jade site. Discuss.

New Skies For Neverwinter Nights
Three great new skies will be included in the upcoming Neverwinter Nights update. Fly over to the NWN screenshots page to see the crisp Desert Clear sky, the ominous Grassy Storm sky, and the chilly Winter Clear sky. Discuss.

Wednesday, Sep 22 2004

NWN Platinum Now In Stores!
Finally, your RPG collection will be complete! The NWN Platinum Edition is unleashed and on store shelves. It comes complete with the 100-hour official campaign and both official expansion packs, Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark for one low price. Discuss.

NWCon 2.5 The Madness Continues...
NWCon takes places this weekend, Sept 25-26. It's a free, online convention for Neverwinter Nights players that includes in-game and chat-based seminars where experts will share their NWN knowledge on DMing, gaming, building, and more. And, of course, there are games. Lots of games! New players and experts alike are welcome to join in and share the fun. For more info, hit the NWCon site. Discuss.

Hot New Jade Empire Screenshots
Take a gander at the five new screenshots just posted at the Jade Empire web site. See the Black Whirlwind wildly wielding a pair of double axes, Furious Ming battling a wily fox demon, Wu employing the Heavenly Wave fighting style, and more! Discuss.

NWN Bites The Bulette
Beware the landshark and its mighty bite. Being stupid, always hungry, and fearless, when a bulette rounds a corner forget negotiation, stop looking like food, and unsheath your weapons! The Bulette is a tough new creature appearing in the upcoming NWN update. Discuss.

Wednesday, Sep 15 2004

Jade Empire Weapon Profile: The Dragon Sword
The weapons of the Jade Empire are as wondrous and exotic as the land itself. Rich in history and forged for conflict, they should be prized...and feared. This week, we reveal the mighty Dragon Sword. Hard as dragon scales and sharp as a dragon's tooth, it is one of the most formidable blades in the Empire. Discuss.

NWN - The Stink On Trogs
Devilish creatures of heartless evil, Troglodytes delight in feasting on their defeated enemies and thus carry a variety of exotic mustards and other condiments at all times. Although cunning and fierce in battle, when the Troglodyte is angry or frightened they secrete an oily musk-like substance similar to what you smell at gaming conventions and LAN parties. The Trog is a new critter appearing in the upcoming NWN update. Discuss.

Wednesday, Sep 08 2004

Jade Empire Art Corner: Death's Hand
Jade Empire artist, Rion Swanson, fills us in this week about the artistic evolution of the Death's Hand character. From vague sketches to a fully rendered game model, learn how the Jade team tackled the creation of the grim, masked servant of the Emperor. Discuss.

A Feast of Worlds For NWN
Experience a feast of worlds in part two of our Confederation of Planes & Planets profile. We visit eleven cool persistent worlds, all linked together as part of the CoPaP group for unlimited, seamless adventures and roleplaying. Check out the horde of screenshots as you read about each world! Discuss.

Wednesday, Sep 01 2004

BioWare RSS Feeds
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is an easy way to have information to come you. Web sites can put their news, forum postings, and other information in RSS XML format so that your RSS reader can periodically check for it and let you know when new things become available. We have just set-up RSS feeds for all our forums to make tracking new threads even easier. Check out our RSS article for information about RSS, RSS readers, and our feeds. Discuss.

Interview With Death's Hand
"Back to work you worms!" *crack* If you thought you worked for a tyrant, try toiling for Death's Hand, the Emperor's formidable right arm in Jade Empire. Lead Designer Kevin Martens musters up the courage this week to interview Death's Hand while trying to dodge the sting of the Lotus Assassin Leader's backhand. Discuss.

NWN Profile - The Confederation of Planes & Planets
The Confederation of Planes & Planets is a group of linked NWN persistent worlds that players can seamlessly adventure in and travel through. CoPaP's goal is to create the entire D&D setting in Neverwinter Nights, piecing together every plane, planet, wildspace area, and every campaign setting, both official and unofficial. We spoke with some of the head honchos of these worlds to get a better idea of what they have set-up for our gaming giddiness. Discuss.

Wednesday, Aug 25 2004

NWN Gen Con Report
Our brave Community Manager, Jay Watamaniuk, reports from the field at this year's Gen Con in Indianapolis. Read how he avoids a close brush with death by taking photos of a Tigerlady and his experience being on the show floor meeting and greeting BioWare fans from around the world. Discuss.

The NWN Roundtable Discussion - Part 2
Last week, we asked our panel of experts to talk about the persistence of the Neverwinter Nights community, how people play, and why. This week, we gaze a little further into the crystal ball and get some impressions on what is in store for our favorite game. Discuss.

Jade Empire - 2 Gamespot Videos
Two cool new preview videos are now available at the Jade Empire web site. Narrated by Producer Jim Bishop, the vids reveal exciting new creatures, fighting styles, adventure areas, and even a new player character. If you've never seen someone beat up with a pair of hams, then you have to see this great gameplay footage. Discuss.

2 Million Member Giveaway Closed
The entry deadline is over and winners of the Alienware PC, video cards, Xboxes, and a horde of games will soon be notified by e-mail. The entire BioWare staff would like to thank everyone who entered this amazing, unique, BioWare community event. We have the best community in the world! Be sure to surf to the web site and read the past weeks' 2 Million Member celebration articles. Discuss.

Wednesday, Aug 18 2004

Jade Empire Art Corner - Furious Ming
This week we feature the concepts behind the playable character, Furious Ming. Rion Swanson, Artist on the Jade Empire team, takes us through concept art and character renders for the quintessential light and fast martial artist, Furious Ming. Discuss.

So You Want To Be A Dungeon Master?
Looking for a new way to play NWN beyond the single player game? The DM Client offers a unique experience in computer gaming. As DM, you do more than play the game, you are the game. You provide the adventure, moderate events, and help make a story come alive for your players. How do you become a DM? A good start would be reading the advice of Arawen Silverstar, head of the DM-Friendly Initiative and a DM at Neverwinter Connections. Discuss.

Looking Into The Crystal Ball - The NWN Roundtable
As part of the 2 Million Member Celebration bonanza event this month, we asked a group of Neverwinter Nights community members to talk about the BioWare's community, persistent worlds, multiplayer and DMed NWN play, and the future of NWN. Reminder: the last day to enter the giveaway is Monday, so enter now! Discuss.

Wednesday, Aug 11 2004

Four New Jade Empire Screenshots
Swing by the Jade Empire web site and view four gorgeous new screenshots. Check out Sagacious Zu battling a Toad Demon, Monk Zeng fighting a Cannibal, and Chai Ka with Dawn Star. Discuss.

Dragonlance Adventures Update, Part 2
In part I, we introduced the massive NWN community-made project known as DragonLance Adventures. This week, we get the scoop on some of the details about what fans can expect when DLA is completed. If you're curious about cloaks, rideable horses, new tilesets, and other cool new goodies, read on. Discuss.

From Talented Community Member to BioWare Staff
Over the years, several talented BioWare community members have come to work for BioWare. Hard work, a fevered excitement for games, and the guts to make big life changes have brought some exceptional people to our doorstep. This week, as part of our ongoing 2 Million Member celebration (have you entered the contest yet?), we profile four community members who joined our family and have helped us develop some of the best games around. Discuss.

Wednesday, Aug 04 2004

Jade Developer Diary: Deo Perez, Lead Animator
Jade Empire is a game of "firsts" at BioWare. You may know this is BioWare's first intellectual property, our first action-roleplaying game, and our first game inspired by mythical China. What's not widely known is that this is also the first time we've built an animation skeleton and system from scratch, and the first time we've used motion capture to animate our characters. This week, Lead Animator, Deo Perez, gives us the low-down on MoCap. Discuss.

Dragonlance Adventures Progress Update, Part 1
Ever wanted to throttle a kender? Well, your chance is coming. This week, we speak with Steel_Wind, Project Lead on the DragonLance Adventures fan expansion for Neverwinter Nights. Find out how the project got started, what the biggest challenges were in bringing DragonLance to NWN, and info about the upcoming downloadable version of the classic PnP module, DL1: Dragons of Despair. By the way, that Kender's turning blue now--and your wristwatch is missing... Discuss.

A BioWare Community Timeline
We take a walk down memory lane in the first part of our 2 Million Member celebration article series. Where were you October 2001 when forums.bioware.com first launched? Dancing fleetfootedly to "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi perhaps? Hmmm, maybe not. If you haven't already, be sure to enter the contest for your chance to win an Alienware PC, Xboxes, and more! Discuss.

Wednesday, Jul 28 2004

Win With BioWare Community 2 Million Celebration!
The BioWare community is now over 2 million members! To show our thanks we are giving away some fantastic loot, including an Alienware PC, Xboxes, NVIDIA graphics cards, games, and more. Visit the contest page today for details and entry form. Discuss.

NWN CEP Race Profile - The Brownie
The brownie can kick a grasshopper in the knees yet still take down a dragon when he gets his dander up. This week, we profile the small and mighty brownie, one of the two new races featured in the Community Expansion Pack for NWN. Be sure to download the customizable brownie character files for CEP enabled modules and game play. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jul 21 2004

NWN CEP Race Profile - The Wemic
Tired of tripping over your beard in every adventure as a dwarf? Looking to play something that can arm wrestle a half-orc, play footsie with an elf, and disembowel a zombie all at the same time? The CEP offers two new races for your playing enjoyment, and this week we profile the majestic wemic. Included in the profile are 22 customizable character files for download! Discuss.

Snag The Top NWN CEP Modules For Yourself
Wanna take your Neverwinter Nights Community Expansion Pack (CEP) goodies for a spin? You can now discover what the top-rated fan-created CEP enabled modules are, download 'em, and play 'em to your heart's content! The top modules are available for download at the NWVault, and you can catch the rankings and links on our modules page and in the Modules side panel of the Neverwinter Nights web site. Discuss.

Jade Exclusive Developer Interview
Alex Scott is a Senior Technical Artist on the Jade Empire development team. In this insightful interview, discover what a technical artist technically is, what tools he uses to create Jade's dazzling effects, and his secret technique for generating good ideas. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jul 14 2004

New NWN Epics: Sorceress & Archer
'Lo an' behold all ye adventurers, the Bewildering Archer! A skilled missile combatant who utilizes spell powers to supplement her amazing archery, she is also a competent illusionist with many talents who can hide from enemies and deceive them into devious traps. The second epic character is the Exalted Sorceress who is the embodiment of an epic spell caster. Not to be trifled with, she has focused her studies on the art of necromancy and specializes in death-like spells. She dislikes little dogs too. Discuss.

Jade Temple of Dirge Concept Art
The Temple of Dirge has withstood wind and snow for centuries and is now home to a malevolent force that has twisted it into an evil and perilous place. Stark and uninviting, the Temple of Dirge is more trap than sanctuary. This week, view two pieces of concept art that laid the foundations for the Temple's current development. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jul 07 2004

New NWN Epics!
Two new Epic Character builds are out this week. The first is the Versatile Kensai, a jack-of-all-trades of epic proportions with a skill list a mile long. A veritable Swiss army knife of characters. The next one gives us the willies--the Infernal Warrior. Here's a dude who'd just as soon eat your soul as look at ya. Yikes! Discuss.

Download A New Dragon Age Wallpaper!
Download a brand new wallpaper for our exciting PC fantasy roleplaying game in development, Dragon Age. This wallpaper depicts a barbarian from some of our early, early concept art for the recent E3 trade show demo. Check out a full body shot, a profile, head shots, and a couple of conceptual equipment items. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jun 30 2004

New Epic Characters - Marauder & Medic
The epic characters are back with a pair of cool new builds. The Magical Marauder is a harmonious combination of magic and might who can dish out arcane mayhem and devastating greatsword criticals. With a measely AC of 70, The Combat Medic is a bastion of defense who can leap into battle, grab those bandages, and patch up the fallen so they can jump back into the fray. Discuss.

New Jade Wallpaper: Wu the Lotus Blossom
Wu the Lotus Blossom represents a balanced and sensible approach to combat. She is both fast and powerful, but not exceptional in either category. The true strength of this playable character is flexibility, and she excels equally in defense and offense, in melee and magic. We have just released a brand new desktop of Wu--put her on your desktop today! Discuss.

CEP in Spanish!
The Neverwinter Nights Community Expansion Pack now includes Spanish versions of all the CEP items, creatures, clothing, and placeable names and descriptions. As a special bonus, it also includes updated crafting scripts in Spanish. Download it today from the NWVault. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jun 23 2004

NWN Profile: NWTactics
Do you yearn to crush your friends like the dogs they are in gleeful player versus player (PvP) gaming under the Neverwinter roof? If so, look no further than the world of NWTactics! NWTactics is a tested, balanced, and exciting way to flex your might. Recently, we chatted with PDL Northpal, NWTactics developer and PvP enthusiast. Discuss.

The First Dragon Age Wallpaper Just Released
The first Dragon Age wallpaper has just been released! Based on a piece of awesome concept art, the wallpaper is sure to spruce up even the dullest monitors. Visit the official Dragon Age web site to download the wallpaper today. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Region: Tien's Landing
The first Tien's Landing village was one of the oldest in the Jade Empire, serving as a gateway to the Silkworm River trade route. When the great drought ended twenty years ago, a dam was built to tame the Silkworm River. The resulting reservoir flooded the basin of Tien's Landing, "accidentally" trapping some of the more undesirable residents. Shame over this event is cited as a reason the new Tien's Landing has not yet regained its former importance. Discuss.

NWN Profile: NWConnections Player's Guide
NWConnections is one of the most impressive venues for recreating a tabletop D&D atmosphere. However, the site might seem daunting to some, so a handy guide was developed. We spoke with Gruush, who was part of the team of authors that recently created a complete guide to NWConnections. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jun 16 2004

Player's Guide to Neverwinter Connections Released
The world's leading Neverwinter gamer matchmaking service has recently posted a new guide to their services. The guide tells you what you need to know about NeverwinterConnections.com, how to get involved with online multi-player games, what multiplayer Neverwinter Nights is like, and more! The guide is also available in a handy print-frienldy format. Be sure to check out upcoming scheduled games at www.neverwinterconnections.com or the official NWN site as well. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Emperor Sun Hai Desktop
The Emperor rules the Jade Empire and was key to returning life-giving water to the parched land. Yet, with restless spirits and ghosts wandering the realm, some whisper he has upset the order of things. Strange disappearances, blood-curdling screams, and chilling sightings now plague numerous regions. This week, we feature a downloadable Emperor Sun Hai desktop. Why don't you install him today? Maybe he'll bring you a change of fortune too... Discuss.

NWN Profile: The Persistent World of Brynsaar
Brynsaar (pronounced BRIN-saur) is a Neverwinter Nights persistent world where serious roleplayers come to pursue epic quests in search of glory and renown. Caught in the crux between law and chaos, good and evil, Brynsaar is brimming with exciting areas, epic quests, and roleplaying possibilities. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jun 09 2004

NWN Profile: The Persistent World of Glorwing
With engaging quests, glowing standing stones that transport you to far flung parts of the world, and interesting characters, Glorwing has become known for being an easy place in which to start your persistent world journeys with Neverwinter Nights. We spoke with founder and organizer Cornflower to find out more about the world of Glorwing. Discuss.

Explore A New Jade Region: The Quarry Caves
The Quarry Caves are an ancient tunnel network famous for the resilient and attractive stones they produced. Twenty years ago a dam was built on the Silkworm River and the area was flooded--but no one told the captive miners toiling beneath the earth. Today, the locals whisper of lingering cries for help coming from the caves. They're convinced that the ghosts of those lost now haunt the area.... Discuss.

Wednesday, Jun 02 2004

Watch The Full 20 Minute E3 Demo Video Of Jade Empire
Ray Muzyka, Joint-CEO of BioWare, takes you through a full length, 20 minute video demo of the exciting combat, detailed characters, new areas, and stunning effects that debuted at E3. Also check out the new screenshots available to community members! Discuss.

NWN Profile: The Persistent World Of Avlis
Avlis is one of the original NWN persistent worlds and has grown to include 2500+ areas to explore and offers exceptional roleplaying to experience. New players can read through over one hundred pages of history and details about this very mature world. Josh Simon, Team Leader, found the time to respond to some our questions about Blackdagger: The World of Avlis. Discuss.

Get paralyzed! New Jade Empire Interactive Fighting Style Unleashed!
Tiger Shen and Furious Ming demonstrate the latest fighting style revealed at the Jade Empire site. Employing a free 3D player and simple web page controls, you can execute a variety of moves from the Paralyzing Palm fighting style sequence in real time with real character models from the game! Be sure to execute Tiger Shen's Kick Combo in slow motion--too cool! Discuss.

Wednesday, May 26 2004

Haunted New Jade Area Revealed: The Temple of Dirge
High on a crag in the western mountains of the Jade Empire, the ancient Temple of Dirge is now home to a malevolent force that has twisted it into an evil and perilous place where no living creature dares to tread. Visit the Temple of Dirge page to go where other mortals fear to tread. Discuss.

Post HotU Contest Winner!
Craving more adventure after Hordes of the Underdark? Play the three entries of the NWVault's HotU contest where the goal was to create the best module that continues the story from the Hordes of the Underdark expansion. Congratulations goes to Sands of Fate 1 - Shadows under Heliopolis by John McA for winning the contest. Why don't you download all three modules and decide for yourself! Discuss.

NWN Profile: Introduction To Persistent Worlds
Have you finished Neverwinter Nights? Do you still lust for adventure? Neverwinter Nights is far more than just the official campaign. An entire universe of quests, treasure, danger, and monsters await you in the many persistent worlds that have been created by the community. Not sure what persistent worlds are? Lycius, founder and owner of Brynsaar, explains what a persistent world is and how you can continue your endless adventures. Discuss.

Wednesday, May 19 2004

Road To E3: Jade Empire A Huge Success, Plus New Trailer Available
E3 is done and the BioWare team has returned from LA safe and sound. The reviews and previews are pouring in, heaping the praises upon a successful Jade Empire showing. Read the E3 wrap-up report and check out a final batch of showfloor pics. Also, be sure to view the E3 2004 Jade Empire trailer--a provocative and evocative preview of the game! Discuss.

Dragon Age Images & Updates Released
Dragon Age has won the E3 Best of Show award from ActionTrip. According to the game site, "This is the first game we have ever seen where the end result looks better than the concept artwork. BioWare has outdone themselves, blending everything good about Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Knights of the Old Republic into this stunning new title. This was, flat out, the best thing we saw at all of E3." Check out the new images and information at the Dragon Age site today Discuss.

More Jade Empire Characters Revealed!
Two more Jade Empire characters are up at the site this week. Kang the Mad is one of a new breed of artisans who pushes the boundaries of what can be done with hammer, chisel, and divine appeasement. He has been accused of not ensuring his creations are safe, however, so is he friend or menace? Tiger Shen, a playable character, is an example of the quintessential brawler. He has the strength to use the heaviest weapons available and the skill to bring them to bear against even the fastest opponents. Discuss.

NWN Profile: Player Resource Consortium
The lack of career choices starting to chaff just a tad? Having trouble relating to the somewhat conservative fighter, wizard or rogue? Does your complex soul scream for more? Rejoice, for the Player Resource Consortium has the solution. Take a look at this exceptional group of people who have been hard at work creating huge extras for players of Neverwinter Nights. Discuss.

Wednesday, May 12 2004

NWNCon II: Wrap-Up Thoughts
The second online Neverwinter Night convention wrapped up after a very successful three days of non-stop gaming, chatting, and smacking the XP out of their enemies. J'Dai Voisin and Danebo, two of the chief organizers of the convention, give us their thoughts on how the event went and what we can expect in the future. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Screens & Characters!
Several cool new screenshots are up at the Jade Empire site. Also new this week are two game characters. Emperor Sun Hai holds dominion over all the Jade Empire, but some whisper he has upset the order of things and all of the Jade Empire will suffer the consequences. Dawn Star, a follower in the game, was born under an ominous sign and has spent much of her life at the Two Rivers school. Discuss.

NWN Community Expansion Pack Patch Released
There have been over 185,961 downloads of the CEP, and thanks to our great community, a number of bugs have been identified and reported. The CEP Team has been listening and a new patch is out and ready for everyone to download. Over 30 bugs have been stomped out, including crafting script issues, misbehaving placeables, and non-gurgling slimes! Download the patch today. Discuss.

Road To E3: BioWare Builds A Big Booth
E3 threw open its doors today and the throngs are thronging. In Part 2 of our 2004 E3 coverage series, read about our booth preparations, and check out new pics from the trip, the E3 showfloor, and the BioWare booth. Discuss.

Wednesday, May 05 2004

Revving Up For E3
The BioWare offices are buzzing these days as we rev our engines up for what looks to be our best Electronic Entertainment Expo yet. We've been working closely with Microsoft Game Studios to prepare, and we're pretty juiced about demoing the beautiful Jade Empire action RPG on the Xbox floor to excited E3 attendees. Check out this article, complete with pictures, to get an insider's look into BioWare's trade show planning and organization process. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Characters - Toad Demon & Mask Spirit
It's a villainous day at the Jade Empire site. We're not sure how it happened, but the Toad Demon and Mask Spirit pushed their way onto the characters page. There are pictures and character information about them there and there's no volunteers in our offices who are willing to get close enough to remove them, so it looks like the information is here to stay. Toad demon spit...yech! Discuss.

2 New NWN Epics: Dragon Kin and Dwarven Wall
Fresh meat! The Dragon Kin is a combination of epic wizard and formidable, shape-shifting druid. Epic enemies might not fear a regular dragon, but they will fear the Dragon Kin! Those who attack our second epic PC offering will learn the full meaning of futility as their blows bounce off his incredibly hard form. Those who stick around afterwards will learn what the afterlife holds in store for them, as the Dwarven Wall will neatly separate their head from their shoulders with devastating blows. Discuss.

Wednesday, Apr 28 2004

New Epic Builds - Dark Stalker & Dragon Savant
The newest NWN epic character builds are out! Beware the Dark Stalker, by Carl "Syrsuro" Torvik. Wherever you may run, he will hunt you down. Wherever you hide, he will search you out. Whatever defences you establish, the Dark Stalker will slip by them unseen. The second epic is the Dragon Savant, by Lockindal Linantal. Born a dwarf, walks as a dragon, with his power the Dragon Savant defends dwarves and destroys their enemies. Discuss.

Jade Empire Interactive Fighting Styles Unleashed
Experience and interact with real 3D character models from the Jade Empire Game! Using simple controls on a web page and a free 3D player, execute a variety of killer fighting style moves for actual characters from the game--all rendered in real time with sound effects. This week we unleash the Legendary Fist and Storm Dragon fighting styles. Be sure to try the ultra-stylin' slo-mo moves! Also revealed this week are two new multi-style combos. Discuss.

Wednesday, Apr 21 2004

Jade Empire Ability Scores Revealed
Your character's ability scores in Jade Empire grow and change under your control in many ways as the story unfolds. This week, learn all about Primary and Secondary abilities, how they affect game play, and how those scores impact your roleplaying. Will your character be charming, intimidating, or intuitive? The choice is yours... Discuss.

The Community Expansion Project Is A Hit!
The wildly successful CEP has been downloaded a stunning 142,871 times since its release March 24. The community has embraced the custom content package with open arms, no doubt because of the huge amount of free, high quality content it contains. Also note that the CEP team is working hard on the first CEP patch as we speak. NWCon II took place last weekend and was a great success. The transcript of Thursday's kickoff chat has been posted at the Neverwinter Vault. Discuss.

Two New NWN Epic Characters Posted
Ding, ding! It's round four of the NWN Epic Character builds. Check out the gruesome Undead Lord who calls demiliches pets and the half-dragon Blade Juggernaut who enjoys a good fire belch every day. Created by Christopher "cdaulepp" Aulepp, you don't want to miss these epic builds. Discuss.

Wednesday, Apr 14 2004

NWCon II Kicks Off This Thursday Eve!
Be sure to attend the kickoff chat for the second NWCon on April 15th at 7pm CST (GMT-5). Hobnob with members from the City of Doors Initiative, Dragonlance Adventures, d20 Modern Group, and BioWare staff. And then Friday through Sunday will be overflowing with awesome gaming events and informative panels; so clear your schedule, adjust your chair, and stock up on the pop and chips--it's gamin' time! This week we've also posted a new profile about NWCon that's an interesting read. Discuss.

Builder Alert: Awesome NWN 3d Tool
Ever wanted to craft your own critters, weapons, or placeables? Check out NWMax. Produced by the DragonLance Adventures team to manage the huge content demands for their upcoming module, this wonderful, time-saving tool will help you craft new models and tilesets faster and easier than ever before. It's based on discreet's free gmax software, and while NWmax won't model for you, it does remove the barriers to community creation of 3d content. From the interested amateur to the advanced builder - this is an exceptional tool at the very best price - FREE. Discuss.

Jade Empire Fan Site Kit Now Available
The official Jade Empire fan site kit is now available and free to download. Chock full of game art, screenshots, logos, game information, and other great content, this kit will help you get your Jade fan site up and running in no time. When your site is finished, be sure to submit your link at the official Jade site to drive traffic, fame, and fortune cookies to your new creation! Discuss.

Thursday, Apr 08 2004

NWN City Of Doors Initiative Profile
Heads up berks! The City Of Doors Initiative, "Foundation", is almost here. We tracked canny CODI team leader Papermonk down in his birdcage and got the latest chant about the project before he could wriggle away and give us the laugh. CODI is all about bringing the revered Planescape setting to NWN, and if you're not barmy, you'll check it out. If you are barmy, drop me a note 'cause I got some prime Gehenna real estate if you've got the jink! Discuss.

Jade Empire GDC Producer's Cut Video
Produced by BioWare Joint CEOs Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, this movie is a whopping 12 minutes long. Take a thorough tour of Jade Empire's beautiful, fast-paced, action combat. Watch as the main characters of the game use numerous fighting styles, transformation styles, and multi-style combos to defeat deadly opponents. The video features real in-game footage, soundtrack, and feature-revealing narrative. Couldn't make it to the Game Developers Conference? No sweat--watch the video today. Discuss.

NWCon II is coming April 16-18!
Last Year's NWCon was a huge success and this year's event will be even better. Swing by and attend DMed sessions, multiplayer DM-less mods, PvP arenas, and team events, all scheduled through the Neverwinter Connections player matching service. Plan to attend the expert panel discussions on a wide variety of topics that include Designing and Building Long Term Campaigns, Playing PnP Style, Custom Content Creation, and much more! NWCon events will run Friday April 16 to Sunday April 18, with a kickoff extravaganza on the evening of Thursday, April 15. For more information, visit the NWNCon Site, forums, and online store. Discuss.

More Jade Empire Multi-Style Combos Revealed
Kicking demon butt has never been more exciting! Revealed for the first time are four new multi-style fighting combos. The Jade Empire game offers beautiful, fast-paced, action combat--but it's not about learning a single trick and pressing those buttons the whole game. Different foes will require different tactics and styles to defeat. Through exploration, experimentation, and roleplaying, your character will discover what works best against demons, wizards, the executioner, and other nasty foes! It will require good roleplaying, superior tactics, and great reflexes to put these new multi-style combos to best use. Discuss.

Wednesday, Mar 31 2004

Jade Empire GDC Combat Demo Video
Catch astonishing new game play footage of Jade Empire in a just-released game trailer. Almost two minutes in length, this video will treat you to a mouth watering sampling of some of the many fighting styles, such as transformation styles, weapons styles, and magic styles. You've seen the screenshots, now see the full motion version of exciting scenes, such as Furious Ming Catching Fire, Wu stealing Chi from her foes, and Tiger Shen transforming into Chai Ka then battling a Toad Demon and some cannibals! Discuss.

Neverwinter Nights Goes Modern
Ditch the dragons and bring on the tanks. Booyah! Thanks to the d20 Modern Mod group, the Neverwinter Nights game is being dragged into the 21st century, replete with guns, skyscrapers, cyberpunk duds, and more. Read about the evil geniuses behind this ambitious plot and learn details about what's shakin' in the modern world. On an NWN related note, NWCon events are running Friday April 16 to Sunday April 18, with a kickoff extravaganza on the evening of Thursday, April 15. For more information, visit the NWNCon Site, forums, and online store. Discuss.

Jade Empire Multi-Style Combos
How would you like to turn an enemy to stone and then shatter him into a million pieces? Maybe you'd prefer to set your foe on fire instead, and knock him into his evil henchmen, catching them on fire too? The choice is yours--once you master Multi-Style Combos in Jade Empire. Discuss.

Wednesday, Mar 24 2004

Jade Empire Update: Two New Fighting Styles Revealed
Opponents in the Jade Empire will employ a dizzying variety of styles, but you can rise to the challenge by wielding an array of fighting styles yourself. This week, we reveal two new styles: Legendary Fist and Storm Dragon. Of course, the trick will be to choose the right style at the right moment--or your foes will enjoy the honour of the last blow. Discuss.

Awesome New Screens & FAQ Updates For Jade Empire
View ten new screenshots that reveal fighting transformations, fighting styles, chi theft, toad demons, and more. Also, discover the latest info about Jade Empire in our Frequently Asked Questions update. Get the scoop on mocap, the skinny about character ability scores, the hubbub on sound, the dirt on the Dragon Amulet, and more! Discuss.

NWN Community Expansion Pack Released!
The CEP team has just released the much anticipated Community Expansion Pack! Once you download the free CEP you can use it to run any CEP-compatible modules. If you have never used custom content before, don't worry: the CEP does not affect your NWN game installation. It's simple and takes minutes to install. You will be amazed at what it can do for the look and feel of you game. The CEP also contains a fully playable module, so you can try out the new content right away. Be sure to check out the CEP trailer for a guided tour as well. Discuss.

Wednesday, Mar 17 2004

Community Expansion Pack Coming March 24!
BioWare is excited to announce the official public release for the highly anticipated Community Expansion Project (CEP) will be March 24th! For more information about the CEP, visit BioWare's CEP info page. While you have your calendar open, note that NWCon II: Hordes of the Internet will take place online April 16th-18th. Play in games and attend expert panel discussions on a wide variety of topics! Want to get involved? Visit www.neverwinterconnections.com. Discuss.

New Jade Empire Wallpaper Download & Screenshots
Catch Furious Ming as he battles ferocious swamp monsters with his bare hands! But wait--is that Death's Hand looming behind him? Look out Ming! Download the new Jade Empire Wallpaper and catch all the action right now. Be sure to view the compelling new screenshots just released this morning as well. Discuss.

NWN Epic Character Builds: Part III
This week, we feature two more awe-inspiring epic character community contributions. The Devastating Kukri Master is the consummate combatant, combining a blenderific attack style with a stainless steel defense. The Rogue Archer was built to deliver the best sneak attack damage and employ hit and run guerilla tactics. Discuss.

Wednesday, Mar 10 2004

NWN Epic Character Builds: Part II
This week, we feature two new cool epic character community contributions. Whirling Death was designed to maximize the odds of getting critical hits and doing massive damage against multiple melee opponents in a round. The Damage Adept was built around the concept of delivering the most damage in one hit with a scythe. Discuss.

Xbox Live Content Available For KotOR
New content for KotOR Xbox gamers with Xbox Live subscriptions was released this week. Included in the update is a new area, the gas giant of Yavin, where you can purchase new stuff, such as new crystals and new armor with powerful strength and endurance. There's also a new race: the Trandoshans. Hailing from Trandosa, these 1.9 meter tall beings were popularised by the Empire Strikes Back's bounty hunter Bossk. Discuss.

NWN Community Expansion Pack Team Profile
Meet the masterminds behind the upcoming Community Expansion Pack for Neverwinter Nights. Learn why the project got started, who is a secret geneticist in disguise, and what the team hopes you'll use the expansion pack for. The CEP is an upcoming, community created, simple download that contains a ton of high-quality, custom content for Neverwinter Nights. For more information and screenshots, check the CEP information page. Discuss.

Wednesday, Mar 03 2004

NWN Epic Character Builds
Munchkins are people too. We think. So, for all you power mongers, we have a special treat. Check out these epic characters, built ground up from level one to forty by community uber-moderator, Christian "Torias" Gillott, tweaked for cosmic power. This week, we feature the Divine Warrior and the Reliable Archer, complete with downloadable character files! Discuss.

KotOR Game Guide Re-Released
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic strategy game guide has been re-promoted at Gamespot. If you need tips, help, or advice about the game, this guide has it all. Within is a very comprehensive walk-through detailing main and optional quests for all seven planets, mini-game strategies, and extensive character creation information. Discuss.

Wednesday, Feb 25 2004

Community Expansion Pack Preview Part II
The CEP is a community created, simple download that contains a ton of high-quality, custom content for Neverwinter Nights. For this week's sneak preview update, we feature a new FAQ with questions from fans and answers from the CEP team. Also new are 6 new galleries, featuring some of the new creatures, structures, PC races, and more! Check out the sneak preview now! Discuss.

Happy Easter Eggs NWN and KotOR Fans!
The Easter bunny has hopped over to the BioWare Game Secrets section and laid some new easter eggs! For Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic gamers, check out the hole in Jolee’s Saucy Suspender Socks. For Neverwinter Nights fans, BioWare demonstrates its nerdiness with the Pearl of Bashing. Discuss.

Wednesday, Feb 18 2004

Community Expansion Pack Preview
The CEP is the result of over two years' community development and contributions and contains a ton of high-quality, custom content for Neverwinter Nights. When it's available, it will be a simple download that takes just minutes to install and inlcudes such things as 450 creatures, 14 new weapons and thousands of components, 324 shields, 1448 new placeables, and more. Check out the sneak preview right now! Discuss.

Jade Empire Wallpaper Download
If you're going to shatter your enemies like day-old breakfast bagels you really need a fetching logo or nobody will take you seriously as a mythic hero. BioWare is here to help with this very fine Jade Empire logo wallpaper that is the very pinnacle of bagel-shatteringness. Discuss.

Wednesday, Feb 11 2004

Jade Empire Villainous Update
Death's hand is considered to be the strongest warrior in all the empire who, rumour has it, has mastered an ancient martial arts style that has no counter! Recently, the Death's Hand character was revised with a compelling new look. Check out the new screenshots as well as the community exclusive inside scoop about the changes. Be sure to watch the updated Jade Empire Premier Trailers as well. Discuss.

Cool Winter Skies
Brrrrr. Check out the cool Winter Skies addition to the upcoming Neverwinter Nights update. These skies are replacing the Stormy set, which will appear in a later update after we do some touch-ups to those tempestuous items. Discuss.

Wednesday, Feb 04 2004

Nasher Leaves His Stuff Around
Remember the young Lord Nasher battling the minotaur in the opening cinematic of Neverwinter Nights? Well, he's a wee bit older now, and several important and magical pieces of his equipment have gone missing! Finding these items is a fun mini-quest in Chapter 2 of Hordes of the Underdark. Discuss.

Find Multiplayer Games Easier
The Neverwinter site now features a live, 24/7 feed of available servers, games, players, and DMs from Neverwinter Connections. Find this information in the "Scheduled Games" side panel of the Neverwinter Community site. Discuss.

Thursday, Jan 29 2004

Hordes Introductory Walkthrough
More and more players are joining the community to delve into the dank depths of the Underdark. We've got an introductory walkthrough to get you out of bed and through the first level of Undermountain. You don't know what you might have missed until you check it out. Discuss.

Hordes of the Underdark - Complete Feats List (Printable)
We've completed the list of Feats in Hordes of the Underdark, and added a printer-friendly option. Blinding Speed, Dragon Shape, Thundering Rage and Planar Turning are just a sampling of the tasty Epic Feats added in this expansion pack. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jan 21 2004

Stormy Skies Screenshots
It was a dark and stormy night.... Add some squall to your adventure with these stormy skies appearing in a future Hordes of the Underdark update. Discuss.

Hordes - Complete Spell List (Printable)
We've buffed up the Hordes of the Underdark spell list to include all of the spells in the expansion pack. Details on Hellball, Dragon Knight, Black Blade of Disaster and many more are now available in browser and printer-friendly forms. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jan 14 2004

Top Hordes Modules
The Neverwinter, Shadows, and Hordes sites now list the top rated Hordes of the Underdark modules hosted at NWVault. You will find this information listed in the "Modules" side panel of each site, as well as the modules page. The % of online players with Hordes installed is now also shown in the "Site Status" side panel. Discuss.

Guilds and Registries and NWN Lexicon Hordesified
The Guilds and Registries section has been updated with Hordes of the Underdark classes, skills, and feats so you can now search players and guilds by Hordes prestige classes, or add example characters to your registry profile that use Hordes skills and feats! Additionally, NWN Lexicon (the reference bible for builders) has recently been updated with scripting functions and constants up to and including patch 1.61, including the scripting additions introduced in Hordes of the Underdark. Discuss.

Gelatinous Cube
Just when you thought that unsightly pasta stains had no champion, and you were comfortable in a world where mayonnaise didn't fight back, comes a creature made entirely of the stuff that bursts out of mashed caterpillars. A wobbly favorite of roleplayers young and old, the Gelatinous Cube is one of the new creatures in Hordes of the Underdark. Discuss.

Wednesday, Jan 07 2004

Sea Hag
Gibbering, wretched, seaweed-covered, screeching horrors of the sea, these watery minxes used to lure sailors to their death with their seductive, haunting call. The Sea Hag is a new creature that will be included in a future Neverwinter Nights update. Discuss.

NWVault Module Contest Overall Winner
We previously announced that Papermonk’s "The Nether Scrolls" and Xxtayce’s "Shadohaunt" were the two finalists in the NWVault Module Contest. After some tough deliberation, we have named an overall winner. Discuss.

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