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Beamdog [Official Site] have officially announced their next revamp of a classic with Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition. I have it confirmed it will be on Linux too.

See Also: My interview with Beamdog earlier this year.

Their official press details sent out to me clearly listed Linux as a release platform, as expected, since their previous revamps are also on Linux. Really great to see another classic get a refresh, but not only that, to see it get proper official Linux support.

For those that don't remember, Neverwinter Nights did actually have a Linux version, although it wasn't well supported, so it's fantastic that we get it properly this time.

With that out of the way, here's the trailer:

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From the press email I woke up to today:

We are incredibly proud of the work the team has done so far on Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, and with the community’s feedback, we will continue fixing bugs and adding features for launch. We’ve added an improved display that looks great on modern 4k monitors, UI elements now adjust in size based on chosen resolution, and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights work in the Enhanced Edition.

Here's what it will include:

  • Improved Display: Your portrait, combat bar, inventory, and other UI elements adjust in size based on your chosen resolution including 1080p and 4k.
  • Advanced Graphics Options: Pixel shaders and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Enable contrast, vibrance, and depth of field options as preferred.
  • Community Endorsed: Original developers have teamed with key members of the Neverwinter Nights community to curate important fan-requested improvements to support players, storytellers, and modders.
  • Backwards Compatibility: Works with save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights. A galaxy of community created content awaits.

They will be doing a livestream later today at 8PM UTC on their official Twitch channel, where they will give out more info. The official site will be up here, likely once the livestream is over.

Beamdog said that pre-orders will go live today and the game will cost $19.99, it should also get a Steam page later today too. On top of that, Beamdog will be selecting players from the pre-order pool for their "Head Start program" to "play, import modules, and update persistent world servers early".

They will also be doing a Digital Deluxe bundle, which will include Pirates of the Sword Coast, Infinite Dungeons, and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr), two soundtracks collecting all of the original music, and a new portrait pack. Each DLC will also be sold separately for those that don't want it all.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: RPG, Steam, Upcoming
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abelthorne Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: KuromiIs there way to use script without building goddamn DEB package? In my case it produced 5 GB deb file, which is just plainly insane.
If you're talking about the script from ./play.it, I don't think so: its purpose is specifically to make a deb.

You can try to do a manual installation using the guide on GitHub in the link you gave though the files from Bioware might be unavailable. I just did an installation but I had kept the original files. I can share them if needed, with instructions.
slaapliedje Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: abelthorne
Quoting: KuromiIs there way to use script without building goddamn DEB package? In my case it produced 5 GB deb file, which is just plainly insane.
If you're talking about the script from ./play.it, I don't think so: its purpose is specifically to make a deb.

You can try to do a manual installation using the guide on GitHub in the link you gave though the files from Bioware might be unavailable. I just did an installation but I had kept the original files. I can share them if needed, with instructions.

Hmm, I wonder why the game data packaging team for Debian haven't implemented Neverwinter Nights yet.

So how / where do you pre-order such a thing? Would love to give it a play.

Though to be fair I think this would be my... Nth copy?

1) Original NWN.
2) Diamond Edition NWN
3) 2nd Diamond Edition for a friend.
4) Platinum Edition NWN (through GOG)
5) NWN:EE ?

So okay, 5 copies! And they DO show Infinite Dungeons as a DLC. Any of the original keys work on Steam? Or GoG keys?
Kuromi Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: abelthorne
Quoting: KuromiIs there way to use script without building goddamn DEB package? In my case it produced 5 GB deb file, which is just plainly insane.
If you're talking about the script from ./play.it, I don't think so: its purpose is specifically to make a deb.

You can try to do a manual installation using the guide on GitHub in the link you gave though the files from Bioware might be unavailable. I just did an installation but I had kept the original files. I can share them if needed, with instructions.

Well, i found another way - "dpkg-deb -xv path/to/packet.deb /path/to/extract"

After that all you need is to fix several paths in start-up "neverwinter-nights" script and...it works :)

I really like build automation, but its sure sad there is no option to produce flat, just directory output.

I seems not gettin sound to work, though, usual Pulse related problem?


Last edited by Kuromi on 24 November 2017 at 2:21 pm UTC
abelthorne Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: slaapliedjeHmm, I wonder why the game data packaging team for Debian haven't implemented Neverwinter Nights yet.
Even if the client files could be packaged (though they're proprietary, I'm not sure what's the Debian policy on this), the data files are quite a bit of a mess to install.

Quote4) Platinum Edition NWN (through GOG)
What's this Platinum edition? I have the Diamond edition on GOG and I don't see a different version on the store. Was it an older version that's been replaced by Diamond?

Quoting: KuromiI seems not gettin sound to work, though, usual Pulse related problem?
I've seen a lot of different installers/patches for the NWN Linux client, some of them being incomplete. I'm not sure what the ./play.it version uses as a base but NWN uses the Miles sound system for audio and maybe the version you have doesn't include the required libs (that might not be in the repositories: libmss). Do you have a "miles" subdir in the game's dir? If so, does the script adds it through LD_LIBRARY_PATH? Also, be sure to delete the old libSDL (in "lib" probably) that might still be included from the Bioware client


Last edited by abelthorne on 23 November 2017 at 8:31 pm UTC
slaapliedje Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: abelthorne
Quoting: slaapliedjeHmm, I wonder why the game data packaging team for Debian haven't implemented Neverwinter Nights yet.
Even if the client files could be packaged (though they're proprietary, I'm not sure what's the Debian policy on this), the data files are quite a bit of a mess to install.
From what I know about it, you have to provide the data files, then it builds up a Debian package. https://packages.debian.org/stretch/game-data-packager

Quote4) Platinum Edition NWN (through GOG)
What's this Platinum edition? I have the Diamond edition on GOG and I don't see a different version on the store. Was it an older version that's been replaced by Diamond?
[/quote]I think you're correct, maybe the original ones I bought were the Platinum Edition. Yup, confirmed: https://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Nights-Platinum-PC/dp/B00029QORW?th=1

I think the difference is the Diamond Edition came with Pirates of the Sword Coast and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr. I later had bought those as well to try to encourage Bioware to keep releasing them.

Quoting: KuromiI seems not gettin sound to work, though, usual Pulse related problem?
I've seen a lot of different installers/patches for the NWN Linux client, some of them being incomplete. I'm not sure what the ./play.it version uses as a base but NWN uses the Miles sound system for audio and maybe the version you have doesn't include the required libs (that might not be in the repositories: libmss). Do you have a "miles" subdir in the game's dir? If so, does the script adds it through LD_LIBRARY_PATH? Also, be sure to delete the old libSDL (in "lib" probably) that might still be included from the Bioware client[/quote]
It's been so long, but I think I was the one who wrote up one of the installer documents back on the Ubuntu Forums. Someone else wrote the script, I just wrote how to install it with all the weird things at the time. That's been so many years ago I couldn't begin to tell you the fixes now.

I just wish I could find my old save game so I wouldn't have to start over. But I did pre-order it through Beamdog's site and am downloading the 'Head Start' as well (though I pre-ordered the full digital download copy. Excited for them to bring this back, AND they're working with the community 'leaders' to integrate a bunch of the patches that were never official!)
slaapliedje Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: DrMcCoyWell, I did preorder NWN:EE, and have access to the "headstart" (beta) version now.

The game does come with the standard Bink files. And there's still no Bink support in the Linux client at all, so movies still don't play. That's a bit disappointing.

Audio mixing is weird/buggy now, too, with NPC voices not heard unless I start pulseaudio. And area background music isn't heard, with or without pulseaudio.

Ha, a co-worker of mine was irritated that Firefox 57 now requires pulseaudio. I never noticed because I run Gnome-shell anyhow. But I did notice that Firefox 57 on Android was requesting access to record and see pictures! I noped out of that, because why?

Well, at least we know they have been updating some things within the game, it certainly didn't use pulseaudio before.

Edit: Music and sound worked fine for me (running Debian Sid updated to current).


Last edited by slaapliedje on 23 November 2017 at 9:27 pm UTC
abelthorne Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: slaapliedjeI think you're correct, maybe the original ones I bought were the Platinum Edition. Yup, confirmed: https://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Nights-Platinum-PC/dp/B00029QORW?th=1

I think the difference is the Diamond Edition came with Pirates of the Sword Coast and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr. I later had bought those as well to try to encourage Bioware to keep releasing them.
Not sure what the Platinum edition included, probably just the main game and its two expansions (Shadows of Undrentide & Hordes of the Underdark), or maybe just the first one judging by the description on Amazon? The Diamond edition I have on GOG has, as well as the expansions, the premium modules Kingmaker, ShadowGuard & Witch's Wake. The other modules (Infinite Dungeons, Pirates of the Sword Coast & Wyvern Crown of Cormyr) are not included.

Not sure what the EE will include, as the article only mentions the last three premium modules: the whole bunch (game + 2 expansions + 6 premium modules)?


Last edited by abelthorne on 23 November 2017 at 9:16 pm UTC
slaapliedje Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: abelthorne
Quoting: slaapliedjeI think you're correct, maybe the original ones I bought were the Platinum Edition. Yup, confirmed: https://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Nights-Platinum-PC/dp/B00029QORW?th=1

I think the difference is the Diamond Edition came with Pirates of the Sword Coast and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr. I later had bought those as well to try to encourage Bioware to keep releasing them.
Not sure what the Platinum edition included, probably just the main game and its two expansions (Shadows of Undrentide & Hordes of the Underdark), or maybe just the first one judging by the description on Amazon? The Diamond edition I have on GOG has, as well as the expansions, the premium modules Kingmaker, ShadowGuard & Witch's Wake. The other modules (Infinite Dungeons, Pirates of the Sword Coast & Wyvern Crown of Cormyr) are not included.

Not sure what the EE will include, as the article only mentions the last three premium modules: the whole bunch (game + 2 expansions + 6 premium modules)?

Yeah, Platinum had the first two. Then the Diamond included the premium modules. Infinite Dungeons was the 'nethack' of Neverwinter Nights and the other two modules I think they ended up releasing for free? Or all three were like 5 dollars originally, but the other premium modules were more. I can't remember...

The 39.99 Digital Deluxe version (that I bought just now) contains the other Premium modules as well.

Under Premium Modules it lists:
Kingmaker
ShadowGuard
Witch's Wake

Under Other Modules
Contest Of Champions 0492
Kingmaker
ShadowGuard
Witch's Wake
The Dark Ranger's Treasure
The Winds of Eremor
To Heir is Human.

And of course the three campaigns;
Neverwinter Nights
Shadows of Undertide
Hordes of the Underdark

I don't see Infinite Dungeons, and if I recall it was the only one that did some sort of 'call out' to their servers for some reason. The others, as long as you had the key, would work forever. Infinite Dungeons lost support at some point and stopped working.

Edit: Okay, depended on how you bought them. If you bought them with one of the editions that included them off the disk (as I did) then it had no authentication requirements. Infinite Dungeons was the only premium module that never had a boxed version.


Last edited by slaapliedje on 23 November 2017 at 9:40 pm UTC
abelthorne Nov 23, 2017
Quoting: slaapliedjeEdit: Okay, depended on how you bought them. If you bought them with one of the editions that included them off the disk (as I did) then it had no authentication requirements. Infinite Dungeons was the only premium module that never had a boxed version.
Not sure how they were released but from what I've gathered when installing the game on Linux, the premium modules need to be authenticated and the process generates a .dat file (a keyfile, basically). I guess the versions sold on CD included the .dats so that it didn't need to connect to the servers. The GOG version includes these .dats so that the modules can be played.

The authentication servers are down but there's a (unofficial) software that can generate .dats for the modules using the orginial NWN serial, so it's still possible to play the non-CD versions. Not sure if I can put a link here, as it's pretty much a grey area?


Last edited by abelthorne on 23 November 2017 at 10:16 pm UTC
DMJC Nov 24, 2017
Back in the day I hacked in BINK support by hacking libSDL. I made it so you preload a custom SDL that forces the bink commandline player into fullscreen mode and deletes the cursor. Combined with nwmovies it does the job. Native Bink playback.
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