There are a number of potential improvements to modules - some ideas for now. This will primarily apply to the main 3 campaigns, Wailing Death, Shadows of Unrentide and Hordes of the Underdark.

Some notes might come from here: https://www.reddit.com/r/neverwinternights/comments/tf2359/what_would_you_guys_change_in_neverwinter_nights/

Improved AI

Obviously add some better AI to improve it. It will up the difficulty a bit but if Henchmen are used they also get the benefits.

Improved Henchmen

Henchmen get a bit shafted across the 3 OC campaigns, some core improvements to do;

  • Wailing Death only;
    • Allow inventory access/equipping henchmen
    • Allow levelling up henchmen instead of replace-with-new-version ala other campaigns (allows levelling past 13 too)
    • Provide easier access to quests for each henchman
  • Allow henchmen levelups to be chosen, or altered;
    • Do a before and after copy of the henchman, and give the player an option to re-choose what is available possibly from a cut down list of options. Mainly focus on feats perhaps. Spells can be dealt with with spellbooks.
  • Allow spellbook alterations
    • Finally can have more than one spell of a given type (at least post Wailing Death)
    • Allow scroll learning for Wizards (maybe Bobbyknock can be a Wizard as he probably was intended)
    • Allow choice in what was learnt on levelup

Optional improvements:

  • Allow more than one henchman at a time. A full party should scale the module appropriately and adjust the XP given.
    • Need to think if we'd want a more HotU-like "2 guys following me" or an expanded "we can take everyone" mantra. The Wailing Death has 6, Shadows of Unrentide has 3 (potentially 4) and Hordes of the Underdark has variable amounts, but a maximum of 4 for chapters 2 and 3.

Expansion Content in OC modules

Some basic quality of life;

  • Extend the loot system to include all weapons available in the game
  • Extend any stores to include expansion magic spell scrolls, potions, and so forth from expansions
  • Provide more appropriate monsters to fight (a Cockatrice could be present, even if dead, as the OC ingredient for instance)

In Game Manual

A manual for browsing all spells, feats, classes and other information would be useful.

A bestiary of monsters might be nice for novices to provide tips on how to defeat them.

Quickbars

Quickbars ala; https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwnee/script/nui-spell-widget

Obviously as many options as possible but a focus on;

  • Spell quickbar - shows your current spells, collapse-able menu
  • Item quickbar - eg; equipped items that cast spells, scrolls, potions
  • Henchmen control - eg; move to point, attack specific enemy, defend ally, heal

Quick Buffs / Sequencers

Allow simple time saving to apply spells in rapid succession (maybe with a quick cutscene fade to be less jarring).

Cutscene Improvements

How about some actual real cutscenes? Wailing Death has a few "cutscenes" fudged in there, since there was no cutscene engine, in particular:

  • The escape of Desther with the cure at the end of chapter 1. Which goes by so quickly and awkwardly it's just bizarre.
  • The top of the Host Tower with Aribeth turning Evil(TM). You can watch nicely behind the gate or fire on one of them to interrupt it - so I guess we're just changing that to pressing Escape instead.
  • The various "boss talks" which can be simply interrupted or ignored by attacking them. A cutscene intro + conversation would help promote the roleplay and you still get the "Attack now" option (added into the conversation or by pressing escape) if you worry about things.

It'd be nice if buffs didn't expire during cutscenes but I guess that's why we have the Escape key option.

For SoU and HotU the cutscenes usually suffice.

Major Changes

General Changes

  • Minor sprucing up of areas a little, along with some better fighting areas especially for bosses
  • Add in XP rewards for area exploration and/or trap disarming and lock picking, to give rogues and non-combat classes a little boost. Can also help balance out XP gain.
    • Have optional "Milestone" XP rewards where no XP is gained for anything other than quest completion.
  • Bugfixes - bad loops in dialogue, problematic use of the Pool of Plot Items to duplicate things, incorrect rewards.

Cut Content

Some particulars:

  • SoU - Add Mischa as a henchman. They even get voiced lines for quests we could re-integrate. Note potentially not much in the way of TLK entries.
  • HotU - Add in MP compatibility. It was something like 80% done (with assumptions of no DM as well) and can be tuned to work fully.

Streamlining

Skips for parts such as the prologue tutorial area (skip to the combat etc.).

Optional loot streamlining - will remove all the containers and concentrate it into the boss containers or quest rewards. Less busywork finding chests although it does lower the rogues power since they could sell recovered traps.

Conversation Alterations

Some potential improvements although this breaks localisation unless translated;

  • Additional skills peppered through the different modules. EG Bluff and other conversation skills are made useful.
  • Skill checks are optionally threshold based (10 Persuade needed ala Fallout New Vegas), or roll based (and not repeatable) or default (roll based and repeatable).

Boss Improvements

Improvements to the core bosses in NWN:OC:

  • Remove the "fake immortal" from some which is frustrating for players since it means the NPC has super high health so it's hard to tell you're doing anything to them - Desther and Aribeth especially have this since they want to chat after. Need to check others.
  • Alter spells, abilities and feats to include expansion content as appropriate. Alter classes - eg Blackguard for Aribeth at the end.
  • Improve the AI with potential special scripts, eg to teleport around or call in reinforcements or replenish.
  • Improve the boss areas so they're better to fight in
  • Add respawning minions if appropriate

Difficulty Changes

Depending on if a full henchman party is taken or not you can up the difficulty in a few other ways; some of these are more obvious to have with a fuller PC party.

  • Add additional encounter triggers that start disabled, but are enabled if increased difficulty is on and spawn more monsters
  • Add additional changes to monsters on spawn, such as more levels or HP or effects

Some more gameplay orientated items;

  • Proper death;
    • Stone of Recall no longer can resurrect but can still teleport
    • You maybe get an optional rod of raise dead since henchmen will die too
  • Improved monsters; similar to harder modes in BG:EE
    • Better spell and feat selections including expansion content
  • Improved AI:
    • Apart from the default normal stuff, add in some boss calls, potentially patrols to certain areas
    • Mages get sequencers or spell triggers to keep them alive longer
    • Fast buffing is enabled on more monsters
    • Some areas can teleport in more enemies once a fight begins and reinforcements are needed
  • More traps:
    • Throw them traps down on the ground! (and if the difficulty is lower remove or alter them). Make them more a hindrance with some more disease/poison/permanent ability decrease effects that are hard to remove.
  • OC Rest restrictions:
    • Must find a more suitable room in a dungeon ala SoU
  • OC Teleport restrictions:
    • Either stop the stone of recall working at all, or restrict it in particular areas
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