Neverwinter Nights FAQ

Question Index

General FAQ

NWN:EE Content FAQ

Multiplayer FAQ


Persistent World FAQ

 

 Linux FAQ

 

General FAQ

What does Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition mean?

Beamdog will be continuing development of Neverwinter Nights as Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. In addition to all the features already included in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, we have created a home for the Neverwinter Nights community on our forums and our support team welcomes feature suggestions, bug fix requests, and player comments to help make Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition even better.

When does the game come out?

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is currently available on Beamdog and Steam!

What does this new Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition include?

Content

  • The original Neverwinter Nights campaign
  • Two expansion packs: Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark
  • Three premium modules: Kingmaker, ShadowGuard, and Witch’s Wake

Features

  • 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.

See the pre-order Release Notes for more details.

Will any other content for this game be available at launch?

Yes! The following additional items are available for purchase.

Premium Modules

  • Pirates of the Sword Coast
  • Infinite Dungeons
  • Wyvern Crown of Cormyr
  • Darkness over Daggerford

Soundtracks

  • Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack
  • Premium Adventures Official Soundtrack
  • Darkness over Daggerford Official Soundtrack

Additional DLC

  • The Heroes of Neverwinter Portrait Pack

Can I get everything as a single package?

Yes! All content is available in a single bundle on Beamdog.com and Steam. 

What platforms can I play on?

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is playable on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is currently available on Beamdog and Steam, and GOG.

If I buy on Beamdog.com will I get a Steam key?

Yes, a Steam key is made available on purchase. Check the Game Keys area on your Beamdog.com account to find it. Please contact support@beamdog.com if you need assistance.

How do I find my Steam key?

Log in to your account on Beamdog.com using the Sign In option at the top of the page. Navigate to the Game Keys tab and copy the 15 character key code next to Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. If you purchased the Digital Deluxe bundle, Steam keys for each piece of DLC will also appear here. Find more detailed how-to instructions here. 

Who is working on the updated version of Neverwinter Nights?

Former Neverwinter Nights team members such as Mark Brockington (who wrote the scripting and multiplayer systems among many others) and Jason Knipe (who wrote the Aurora graphics engine) were our key developers on the project. Trent Oster, the original project director for Neverwinter Nights, is leading the team. We've brought Bernhard Stöckner, a community leader who maintains Neverwinter Vault, onto the development team. We also have an advisory board consisting of talented Neverwinter Nights modders and longtime community members who are essential to the future of Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition.

How much does Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition cost?

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is available on Beamdog and Steam! for $19.99 USD. 

What is the Advisory Board?

The Advisory Board is a group of talented modders and programmers that have been deeply involved with Neverwinter Nights for many years. We gathered the Advisory Board together to curate and develop Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. Going forward we will be directly interacting with the Neverwinter Nights community on the Beamdog forums and elsewhere to ensure fan voices are heard. Your feedback and the input of the Advisory Board will direct where our work is focused in future updates.

How does the Community Patch (CPP) fit into this?

We have been working very closely with Shadooow to incorporate portions of the Community Patch (also known as CPP or 1.71). We plan to continue incorporating fixes which will appear in future patches.

Will the server browser work again?

Yes, the server browser has been rewritten so you can once again find servers for multiplayer. At this time the original NWN restrictions apply: The server host must be reachable at the external UDP address and port advertised through your NAT firewall.

Are you changing existing content in any way?

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition includes UI and quality-of-life features. All the included story content remains as it was in Neverwinter Nights Diamond Edition.

Will NWNX work with NWN: Enhanced Edition?

We are working with the NWNX team to ensure compatibility with Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition.

Will my existing modules and saves work in NWN:EE?

Yes, existing modules and saves will continue to work in NWN:EE.

Will I retain ownership of the premium modules I purchased from BioWare?

If you already have the premium modules (Wyvern Crown of Cormyr, Pirates of the Sword Coast, or Infinite Dungeons), they will function properly in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition.

Will 1.69 clients be able to connect to NWN:EE servers?

No. While save games and modules created in older versions of Neverwinter Nights are usable in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, NWN 1.69 players won't be able to connect to NWN:EE servers. Like all previous patches, we change the networking model continuously to allow us to implement new features and fix bugs. You will need the same NWN:EE client version to connect to an NWN:EE server.

What languages will NWN:EE be released in?

At launch Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Polish. Italian and Spanish localizations are both text-only.

Additional language support is something we're looking into for the future.

Will NWN:EE work on macOS or Linux?

Yes, Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition supports both macOS and Linux. However, at this time, the Aurora Toolset is still Windows-only.

Is NWN:EE DRM free?

The single player Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition experience is DRM free. NWN:EE multiplayer requires a unique CD-Key.

Will Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition be available on mobile (iOS and Android)?

At this time Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is desktop-only. 

Will Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition run on old systems, like Windows XP and Windows Vista? What about nwserver.exe?

At this time Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is only available on Windows 7 and up.

Beamdog has a lot on the go. Is NWN:EE affecting timelines on other projects?

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is being worked on by a separate developer team than the Infinity Engine titles. 

Can I play the premium modules in multiplayer?

Yes. Premium modules now support multiplayer, however some (such as Kingmaker) were designed as single player experiences. 

How long is Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

The main campaign of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is 50 to 60 hours.

Each of the expansions are 20 to 30 hours long

Premium modules vary, ranging from 8 to 20 hours of gameplay.

Will Beamdog provide ongoing server system support for Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition like BioWare did for the original game?

Yes.

Will Beamdog host a Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Community Site?

We have created a full Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition area in our forums the NWN community is actively participating in. Hop in and suggest features and fixes for future NWN:EE updates.

NWN:EE Content FAQ

What does Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition look like with the different features turned on or off?

NWN: Diamond Edition vs. NWN: EE With All Advanced Filters 

NWN: Diamond Edition vs. NWN: EE With Vibrancy Filter

NWN: Diamond Edition vs. NWN: EE With Depth Of Field Filter

NWN: Diamond Edition vs. NWN: EE With High Contrast Filter

NWN: Diamond Edition vs. NWN: EE With No Filters

Which modules for Neverwinter Nights are available in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition? How can they be accessed?

NWN:EE supports modules created for earlier versions of Neverwinter Nights. You can find many community-created modules in Steam Workshop and more over at the Neverwinter Nights Vault.

Where are the new shaders and graphics features located?

Under the Options menu, go to Video Options and select Advanced Frame-Buffer Effects. These options can be toggled off and on in any combination pre-game or during play.

How do I adjust my resolution or size of my UI?

In the Options menu, go to Video Options and choose Resolution and UI Scaling.  

How does the Aurora Toolset work in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

The Aurora Toolset works exactly as it did in the original Neverwinter Nights. You should be able to access the toolset from the Beamdog Client on the right hand side of the Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition section. If you don't see the launch toolset option, try expanding the window.

To access the toolset through Steam, launch Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition and choose Launch Game Editor.

How do the Dungeon Master client components work in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

The Dungeon Master client works exactly as it did in the original Neverwinter Nights.

Will mods for Neverwinter Nights work on Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

Some mods will require updating before they are compatible with Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition.

What are the major technical changes since Neverwinter Nights 1.69?

Mark Brockington: We’ve decided to make the game into a good Windows citizen. We now have a write-able directory where your files reside and a read-only directory where the read-only files reside.  This allows us to patch the game without us having to worry about a patch blowing away your content.

We’ve re-enabled the master server and have the service up and running within the UI. There is no need to patch your executable to get server lists anymore!

We’ve also added a cross-platform library (SDL) for implementing our input systems.

Jason Knipe: The graphics engine has been updated so that everything runs through GLSL shaders, including the toolset. The shaders reproduce the old hardware T&L functionality from the original NWN, and were not meant to add detail or fidelity that did not exist in the original. However, this means that you can create and apply your own custom shaders in the game which opens up a wide variety of graphical possibilities.

Bernhard Stöckner: We've done a thorough security audit of the codebase, removing all known exploits and crash issues in the process. We have also addressed a great many engine, game and rules problems, as well as improved server performance significantly.

On the big feature front, we have done work as well. In addition to things mentioned elsewhere, you can expect to see a collection of new scripting commands and ini configuration flags, hak loading before character creation, area instancing, and much more as the beta will progress and bring in feedback.

Last, but not least, we've approached the NWNX developers and are actively helping them with a clean and complete rewrite of the codebase to the new release, so that the majority of server transitions will go as smooth as possible. Future patches will receive the same loving attention!

Find the full list of changes in the Release Notes.

Will there be achievements, trading cards, and other Steam features?

NWN:EE will launch with Steam Workshop and Friends List features enabled. We plan to make trading cards available shortly after launch. Achievements and other features are things we're working towards.

Can I use save games from Neverwinter Nights in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

Yes. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition supports save games from Neverwinter Nights.

Multiplayer FAQ

How do I play multiplayer?

Joining a game in progress: 

  1. From the main menu, click 'Multiplayer'
  2. Click 'Join Internet Game'
  3. You will be presented with a server-listing
  4. From here, you may either join a game from the server listings, or you may directly connect with a game's IP address

To join a game from the browser

  1. Find the game you are looking for in the server listings
  2. Left click the server-name
  3. Left click 'Connect' button
  4. If a password is requested, enter the password in the provided textbox, and click 'OK'
  5. Select your preferred pre-made character, or create a new character and click Play

To directly connect to a game

  1. Click 'Direct Connect'
  2. Enter the IP address of the server you wish to join into the Server IP Address text box
  3. Enter a password if one is required in the Player Password text box
  4. Click 'OK'
  5. Select your preferred pre-made character, or create a new character and click Play

Creating / Playing in an LAN|Internet Game: 

  1.  From the main menu, click 'Multiplayer'
  2. Click 'New Internet/LAN Game'
  3. A 'Campaign to load' screen will appear. This mimics Single-player game creation. Select the game / module you want to play
  4. On selecting the campaign you want to play, you will be provided options for your multiplayer game at the bottom of the screen. Activate what settings you desire
  5. Advanced options are also available under the 'Advanced Options' menu
  6. On having all options set as is desirable, click the module / chapter name, or the 'load' button
  7. Select your preferred pre-made character, or create a new character
  8. Based on your option selections other players should be free to join your game

Loading / Playing in an LAN|Internet Game:

  1. From the main menu, click 'Multiplayer'
  2. From the multiplayer menu, click 'Load Internet|LAN Game'
  3. A list of save-games will be provided (Should any exist)
  4. A list of optional server-settings will be listed below
  5. Advanced options are listed under 'Advanced Options'
  6. When ready, click 'Load'  

Loading a Dedicated Server (GUI)

  1. From the Beamdog Client, expand the window with Neverwinter Nights selected. Click 'Launch Neverwinter Nights Server Tool'
  2. Alternatively, in the install directory, under 'bin --> System type' you can run nwserver.exe
  3. GUI element will be presented, select / enter all relevant settings
  4. Once 'Module Name' has been filled in, the 'Load' button will be usable. Once all settings are made, click 'Load' to start the game

Loading a Dedicated Server (Command prompt)

  1. The nwserver file is located in the 'bin' folder in the install directory
  2. Running the nwserver file with the appropriate dash-codes allow the server to be hosted with appropriate options
  3. If you want to host a server, you will need to make sure that port 5121(default port) is accessible to the other clients either by allowing it through your firewall or forwarding the port from your router to the computer hosting the game

Persistent World FAQ

Are there any changes in the way persistent worlds work in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition?

In the current Neverwinter Nights 1.69 patch, on persistent worlds, players are generally identified by their public CD key and the player name as a pair of data. Before the Gamespy system went down in 2014, those player names were unique in a global sense, but are now just unique on a per server basis.

In the world of the new patches (NWN:EE), Beamdog has no intention of forcing player names to be unique per server anymore. (Server admins may choose to bind a unique player and dungeon master name to a specific CD key, but it’s not a requirement of any server to do this.) One thing that is unique to each person’s experience is their own unique CD key that is purchased via store.beamdog.com or Steam. If they’ve purchased the game, and launch through the Beamdog Client, they will have their CD key available to them for authentication purposes.

We intend on using the public CD Key as the directory for where someone saves their servervault characters.

We have a master server up and operational that will validate that the CD keys are valid, so we no longer need to resort to other authentication methods for NWN:EE servers. However, when it comes to migrating characters from the 1.69 servervault (where characters are stored by player name) to the NWN:EE server vault (where characters are stored by public CD Key), things get a little bit strange.

So, how are server admins going to translate from 1.69 to NWN:EE easily?

The server admin copies their 1.69 servervault to the new NWN:EE user directory ~/nwn/oldservervault.
The server admin creates the “oldservervault.2da” file in ~/nwn/override that contains the player ID / CD Key pairs of their 1.69 users (such as the following):

2DA V2.0

       Player             CDKey169  
0      trilobyte          USVE763A
1      trinketpony        UCDEFGHJ
2      trottingkrip       URERLADE

When a client logs in to a server, we will provide you with the public NWN:EE CD key. But, we will also provide (if the user has moved their nwncdkey.ini into their ~/nwn folder) the 1.69 key to the server, at startup, along with the player’s name.

When nwserver/NWN:EE sees a user log in with a new CD Key (and has no characters built), but matches the player name in the oldservervault list, we will look at their 1.69 Key and verify that it is the same as the one that was passed in. If they are the same, we will copy the files from oldservervault/trottingkrip to servervault/(NWN:EE CDKey), and then disallow those files to be copied ever again.

Example of how this works. Trottingkrip used your server extensively before NWN:EE to create Deekin’s cousin Beekin (trottingkrip is terrible at naming characters), and now you’re running a NWN:EE server alongside the 1.69 server to allow people to migrate as they see fit.

So, trottingkrip logs in to the NWN:EE server (which he can see from the in-game server browser that accesses (yet-to-be-determined-URL-for-master-server). His NWN:EE public CD Key is UKJKHDWE, and 1.69 public CD Key: URERLADE.

We examine the folders:
~/nwn/servervault/UKJKHDWE has no characters.

But there is a character here:
~/nwn/oldservervault/trottingkrip/Beekin.bic

Since trottingkrip is the player’s name, and they’ve given their 1.69 public CD Key, nwserver can copy the .bic characters from oldservervault/trottingkrip to servervault/UKJKHDWE, and then changing the file extension of the oldservervault characters to ensure they can’t be automatically copied again (but we leave the files there, just in case you need to restore a specific user’s copy ability).

~/nwn/servervault/UKJKHDWE/Beekin.bic
~/nwn/oldservervault/trottingkrip/Beekin.xbc

If the PW client has not installed their 1.69 CD Key, they will show up without their servervault characters, and be given the opportunity to make a new one. The server admins (and forum stickys) can then counsel them on how to install the old nwncdkey.ini file into their new working directory to use the PWs they know and love in NWN:EE .

Linux FAQ

My Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition working directory has defaulted to a hidden directory

Run the following command to create a symlink to the neverwinter nights data in your documents folder:

ln -s ~/.local/share/Neverwinter\ Nights ~/Documents/Neverwinter_Nights

Also, there MAY NOT be a ~/Documents directory already created (though most major Unix manufacturers are starting to follow this standard, so the docs probably should read:

cd ~
mkdir Documents
ln -s ~/.local/share/Neverwinter\ Nights ~/Documents/Neverwinter_Nights

I'm experiencing issues while using Ubuntu 17

The team is currently looking into issues with this version of Ubuntu. We recommend using X session instead of wayland.