Neverwinter Nights: Diamond Compilation Pack (DVD-ROM)

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After waiting patiently for MacSoft to release a combo pack of the Neverwinter expansions, I decided to go ahead and purchase this one. The installation was not difficult, and I found myself immersed in the new stories in no time. It's a lot cheaper than buying them separately from MacSoft, and there are plenty of places on the net with instructions on how to install.

The game is dated (certainly by now) but it's still a lot of fun, and definitely a good value.

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With all the free online play (some of it very good) and the standalone campaigns as well as the module design software Neverwinter is an outstanding value and Diamond is the most inclusive.

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I bought this game over a week ago from Amazon and would really like to play it, but so far have been unable to do so. I have the original NWN and have had no trouble playing it on my Windows Vista quad core machine. Then I installed this Diamond collection. The message I received on my screen said that the game is not compatible with Windows Vista. Fine, so I go to the website to download the patches and load one patch, still the game doesn't work. Then I try to download the other patch and its over 100 mb of programming. I start the download through my phonelines, the computer is on all night until morning and in the morning the computer says "you ran out of time" whatever that means. So I go to the website again and try to get through to a technician and there is no phone number. So they give me a message that they have received my complaint and will get back to me which of course they never did. So here I am stuck with a $20 coaster. I really want to play this game if I could ever get it to work but I doubt it since I got no help from Atari. Now the Atari corporate offices are in NYC and I could probably take the train over there and make a scene by using their disk as a frisbee in the CEO's office but I doubt it would do much good. So come on Atari and get your freakin act together so I can play what I paid for. Just an update. It is now Nov. 20 and I haven't heard a word from Atari. It's nice to know these companies couldn't care less about you buying their game and not being able to use it. If you do buy this game be sure not to have phone lines for the large download. And let me know if you enjoyed it since I will probably never play the game myself.

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Pro's: Good DnD Game, as always. DVD makes install a breeze. A lot of replay ability and classes to choose from. Definitely a good way to spend twenty bucks.

Con's: While it is hard to find con's with the game itself, here are some problems I had. 1st, Windows Vista, you must download all the Bioware updates before even trying to play this game. Otherwise, windows will block it completely. Along with this you still get loading screen crashes and it may take you a few attempt to get into the game (Right clicking and running as Admin helps) The 2nd issue I had was with Multiplayer Games. I haven't been able to post any successfully online to play with friends. Lan seems to work just fine, however, after following all trouble shooting steps and several hours of technical support forming this issue is still unresolved.

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When I was younger, I didn't have the patience to wade through NWN's seemingly endless quests as you participate in the spiralling plot. This kept me in the first two chapters indefinitely. But when NWN2 came out, my interest in the NWN franchise was renewed. NWN2 was more immediately engaging for me than NWN, but the denouement of the original NWN campaign makes the foot-dragging of the mid-game well worth it.

Coming back to NWN, I can say I'm glad I did. BioWare adventures like this are always worth your money if you're an avid RPG fan. With my Diamond edition, I beat the original and part of SotU, and still come back to play it from time to time when I am craving a well-designed and interesting single player RPG.

I'm also hosting a NWN dedicated server campaign on my Internet-facing Linux box. Some friends and I work on the module and deploy once in a while, then partake in a little roleplaying environment when we all have the time. So the multiplayer and modding aspects are actually the best of any Bioware game (except, perhaps, NWN2). All of this is great fun, and puts Mass Effect to shame.

Those unfamiliar with BioWare's legacy may not be convinced by the name alone; but once you've taken the time to play through just one of their games, you'll have no doubt that BioWare titles truly live up to their renown: a genuinely interesting, intense, engrossing single player RPG experience that will keep you glued to your screen until you've finally restored order to the Forgotten Realms once again.


Stability/System Reqs: 4.5/5. Game is well-engineered to scale to high and low-end hardware, and has never crashed on me. Minor Windows Vista issues can be worked around.

5/5 for replayability/moddability, excellent main storyline (in all the expansions), value (only $20 for all of this!), and graphics that are serviceable even in 2008. Recommended as a gift to folks who are stuck with an older PC that can't play the newer ones like Mass Effect. Highly recommended to anyone who has ever played a BioWare game, liked it, and somehow skipped NWN.