ADWR

I have been out of pocket lately, been very busy plus Valine went and did it again, yet another update for ADWR. I have spent what time I had for NWN exploring the changes to the module. ADWR 1 has significant changes, positive for the most part, and ADWR 2 has been updated for ACAG 1.06 hak update. She is currently working on the update to ADWR 2, taking into account the changes in ADWR 1.

She is the best non-online module creator I know, if you enjoy playing a rogue, she is the master of offline NWN. Of course, she cannot hold a candle to , and you have to be ....... somewhat open-minded ....... to play her modules, as there are some very explicit dialogues involved, and the ACAG hak is more anatomically correct than we in NWN are used to. Definitely 18+.

Thanks for this recommendation, skywatcher! I started playing through the mod some time ago, I didn't get very far ... I am going to re-download it and give it a spin. A nice change of pace ...

Skywatcher wrote:... the ACAG hak is more anatomically correct than we in NWN are used to. Definitely 18+.

You've never been victimized by my overrides, have you? I'll have to see if the hak has any better textures/models than the ones I use ... maybe some extraction will be in order!

For the uninitiated, ADWR stands for "A Dance with Rogues"

Must we encourage Eric any further?

Just don't come within screencap range of me, or you will feel my override fury! (And we'll get great pics, too!)

I have, as per Skywatcher's recommendations, reimmersed myself in ADWR. Splendid, truly splendid! And even better that I discovered some console codes to make the game ... more ... acceptable to my limited play parameters! Perhaps I will return soon!

Although, I do still have Arandie on the old hard drive, and I haven't played that one in awhile ... Night of Venom as well, though that one won't take forever to go through ...

And I think that once I figure out how to extract model parts and whatnot, that Valine's hak is most suited for pulling out some awesome armor pieces! Overrides, beware!

Still stuck in this mod ... dammit, this is a good mod! I think I like it a hair better than Arandie, too (and that is a hard thing to admit!).

I'll be back sometime when my comp gets tired ...

*spoilers*

I tired ADWR a couple years ago, it was sort of interesting, although a little unfun in places if one is sensitive to coerced sexual situations. I sort of lost interest, but might try it again with the latest update. I am a member of their forum, and keep tabs on it, as it is an interesting and well-developed module. Mostly the reason I'm not playing it is probably that my character Ramana is actually sort of a similar version to that archetypal 'aristocrat girl become rogue who was abused, got angry and learned self-empowerment' which is the ADWR character, and so I get my kicks out of my Ramana (in a PG-13 manner), here at Aenea and elsewhere.

When I go to play ADWR again, I will likely cheat level up to at least L5 right away again, as I had to do when I first played it. I had gotten stuck trying to get through the goblin warrens, so trying it again after cheat leveling with the intention to get past the goblin warrens also overcame the bandits in their dungeon and avoided the unpleasant situation with the dog. Also, cheat leveling to a respectable level makes it generally easier to defend oneself against those aforementioned coerced sexual situations that pop up throughout the module, and gives one's character the empowerment to make use of her sexuality by choice rather than such situations becoming uncomfortably ugly. At least that's how I'd rather play the game.

Hey, Skywatcher! (And anyone else who may have enjoyed ADWR over the years!) I have a recommendation along these lines ... check out FallynRayne's Gladiatrix - it's been on the vault for exactly a month (as of this posting), and it already has 55 votes for a score of 9.41. As I understand, FallynRayne is right now hard at work on the sequel. Check it out if you have a chance.

For those which enjoyed playing through the two ADWR modules, I can recommend trying out the Almraiven module and it's sequel, Shadewood. It's both amazingly built and has a very well written plot, plus many side-quests with alternative endings (depending on the choice of the player).

One of the things I like most about it, is how the skill checks are done in the background, so the player doesn't get to know whether they failed a skill check or not, they just have to roll with whatever happens. You're only made aware of that you used a skill. Spells like Charm Person and Scare spells are also used in the conversations with multiple NPCs to learn additional information or avoid combat all together. ^^

The module is built around a sorcerer/wizard build (male or female doesn't matter), but multi-classing can make combat easier. Most XP comes from completing side quests and further the main plot, as well as exploring/talking with npcs. Very little combat is involved (and that which are can for the most part be avoided with the right spells memorized or a skill check or being clever) so probably not something for the more hack n' slasher oriented players.

Edit: Oh, the series may have a sorta "mature-theme" to it (violence, crime, raising the dead, etc), but there's no real sexual conversation (outside prostitutes lining some of the streets for flavour and such), like in the ADWR modules.

While I do not care for low level mods myself, the Almraiven series is top caliber from what I have played. A lot of work, care, and detaiing went into these, and I believe part three is still in the works.

There's a third part of the series coming? Cool, I did not knew that. Thanks for the info, Elhanan.

Definitely looking forward to that appearing available for download.

18+? Hmmmm.... never turn down free cleavage. LOL!

Seriously, sounds like an interesting mod. Might have to check it out someday.

DPLincoln wrote:18+? Hmmmm.... never turn down free cleavage. LOL!

ADWR, you mean? Definitely is.

The Almraiven/Shadewood modules, not so much. There's a lot of detail gone into it though, so at night at certain parts of the city there is prostitutes standing at street corners--there's no real sexual dialog written, though. For the most part, just flavour.

Angel of Death wrote:There's a third part of the series coming? Cool, I did not knew that. Thanks for the info, Elhanan.

Definitely looking forward to that appearing available for download.

From the Bioware forums:

Fate of the Auren
- by Fester Pot
- Continuation of Shadewood
- Status: in progress
* Project Details Page

"I've finally found extra time to update Almraiven and Shadewood. Small bugs and tweaks for the most part, as well as updating each module to the latest 1.69 patch. Cosmetic changes here and there, as well as addressing some of the pain points in both modules that have been commented on more than once by players.

These updates will be repackaged when Fate of the Auren is released in one large trilogy collection, for anyone who has not played the modules as they were released, allowing them to download all the haks and modules together and play right through Almraiven, Shadewood and Fate of the Auren as one single play.

You'll also be able to enjoy these updates in the individual Almraiven and Shadewood module before the trilogy is released.

Unless any new major concerns are raised in either module, this will be the last update as focus on Fate of the Auren moves forward."

Ah, the bioware forums. Gotcha.
I only really check the custom content section when I visit that site. XD

I was under the impression that the author had decided not to carry on with the final module (think I might have read that on the NWVault page), but I'd certainly be happy if I were wrong!

Amethyst347 wrote:I was under the impression that the author had decided not to carry on with the final module (think I might have read that on the NWVault page), but I'd certainly be happy if I were wrong!

For some more recent info on Fate:

http://aurensociety.blogspot.com/

Angel of Death wrote:
The [Fate of the Auren] module is built around a sorcerer/wizard build (male or female doesn't matter), but multi-classing can make combat easier. Most XP comes from completing side quests and further the main plot, as well as exploring/talking with npcs. Very little combat is involved (and that which are can for the most part be avoided with the right spells memorized or a skill check or being clever) so probably not something for the more hack n' slasher oriented players.

I see that Bluff, Intimidate, Lore, and Persuade are mentioned as being necessary. So, how much does one need the rogue technical skills, like Open Lock and Disable Trap?

Ramana Jala wrote:

Angel of Death wrote:
The [Fate of the Auren] module is built around a sorcerer/wizard build (male or female doesn't matter), but multi-classing can make combat easier. Most XP comes from completing side quests and further the main plot, as well as exploring/talking with npcs. Very little combat is involved (and that which are can for the most part be avoided with the right spells memorized or a skill check or being clever) so probably not something for the more hack n' slasher oriented players.

I see that Bluff, Intimidate, Lore, and Persuade are mentioned as being necessary. So, how much does one need the rogue technical skills, like Open Lock and Disable Trap?

The Auren series is developed for pure Mages, so I doubt that anything is included for Rogues at all. That said, one can multi-class for added Skills pts and abilities; just do not expect them to be addressed in the series.

Personally, I am not a fan of beginning lvl play. But this series - at least the first mod - is so well written that it removes the stereotypes, and keeps the freshness of a PnP experience.

What Elhanan said; the series was designed for pure mages (wizards and sorcerers) in mind. So not much rogue play about it.

The Wizard/Palemaster is the ideal roleplay build, since the Auren Society involves a lot about raising the dead, grave-robbery, and stuff like that. Other multiclassing can probably be done though (not that I have tried it out), it may be possible to complete the module with an UMD User (lots of spellcraft and lore checks in dialog though--and spells needed to be cast in order to continue the plot).