Looking for a new challenge in your career, you decided to reply to a job offer of the dark and notoriously evil company "sinister inc." The company is looking for a sturdy adventurer to carry out assignments in the field directly delegated from the top management. Not much is known in public about that organization, rumor has it that it is run by an old ferocious black dragon who employs the skills of a number of agents to further the company's interests. At least the payments seem to be handsome. With anticipation you eagerly await the job interview...
Little do you know about the adventure awaiting you....
Sinister inc. - episode 1 - Dilating dimensions is a huge story-driven single player module that might appeal to everyone with a taste for black humor and an interesting storyline with many unexpected turns, difficult battles, unusual items and charismatic characters.
The module should be playable with any male character, melee classes might have a considerable advantage in the battles. The alignment should not matter at all, you have the choice to play with a good character as well as with an evil one. There are some items in the game that might help you to fight with a refined strategy instead of using brute force.
Have fun!
(Please note: Try to avoid dying after you went through the portal at the nexus point. You will end up as a prisoner upon respawning and you will have to load a saved game. However, at one point of the game you WILL die on purpose, respawning then will allow you to continue the module.)
An interesting module, great humor and an excellent dramatic atmosphere! I didn't intend to vote at first, but then this mod really surprised me and I think it doesn't deserve being overlooked. I had lots of fun playing it, some of the dialogs were really hilarious. -The story is quite good, its only weak point is its linearity after some point, otherwise the plot is captivating until the end. -Dialogs: Intelligent, most NPCs are well-developed, the clockmaker and Cordelia's reactions really blew me away. I've also noticed some entertaining allusions to the world of literature and such, like Siggy Freud (he saved my day in the dungeons!). The final showdown in the dark tower couldn't have been better, Menthena's french added much to the comic situation. -The visuals were ok so far, good area design (some might be a little too big), and I really liked the appearances of the NPCs, most of them obviously designed with a great love for detail. -The battles were ok so far and quite balanced, and if the enemies seem too strong you can always count on the cow for help :-) I'd really love to see a sequel.
Posted by Ploedminka at on01/30/08
Just finished the module. But since you're claiming to be from Austria (or at least studying in Austria), i'll write the rest of my comment in german ;) Ok, wo fang ich an. Also zuerst einmal hat mich das Modul in angenehmer Weise an die Arbeit von Stefan Gagne erinnert. Ich hab mich über weite Teile wirklich köstlich amüsiert, der Humor ist erstklassig und wirkt zu keiner Zeit billig oder deplaziert. Das gilt insbesondere für die extrem spassigen Dialoge (und natürlich die sprechenden NPCs), vorallem die Kommentare von Cordelia sind göttlich. Allein schon wegen ihr würde ich eine Fortsetzung unbedingt spielen wollen ! Die ganzen Anspielungen (Betriebssysteme, Freud, die Bücher, etc.) sind mir natürlich nicht entgangen :) Aber es gibt da natürlich auch ein paar Schattenseiten, beziehungsweise Dinge die mir weniger gefallen haben. Ich werde mal etwas ausführlicher: Da wäre zum einen das Leveldesign, was etwas verbesserungswürdig ist. Einige Level sind meiner Meinung nach viel zu groß geraten für das was sie bieten, insbesondere die Aussenlevel der Stadt würde ich hier erwähnen. Hier und da gab es ein paar leere, unnötige Räume sowie ein paar fehlende Marker für die Karte. Optisch war es jedoch recht solide. Ein weiterer Punkt, der mir nicht gefallen hat ist das Gameplay, die "Action" oder wie man es auch nennen mag. Die Kämpfe ausserhalb der Stadt (Orks, Riesen) sind absolut nicht fordernd, sondern oftmals nur lästig. Etwas weniger Monster die dafür etwas härter austeilen (und das Ganze auf einer kleineren Karte, siehe oben) wären mir lieber gewesen. Und die Kämpfe gegen die Höllenkreaturen, nunja. Es wurde mit der Zeit richtig lästig. Gerade im Herz der Dunkelheit artet es zu reinem Massen-HackSlay aus, dazu noch gegen immer die selben Gegnergruppen. Und nicht nur die Masse und Eintönigkeit der Kämpfe empfand ich als störend, sonder auch das ganze Balancing ebenjener. Die Kämpfe wurden entschieden durch a) meine Unverletzbarkeit (abartige Rüstungswerte, Schadensreduktionsitems) und b) diese Killerkuh. Ok, und Cordelia mit ihren Level 30 und dem Monsterbogen war auch noch da. Es ist schwer in Worte zu fassen, aber das Moschen hat einfach keinen großen Spaß gemacht. Die Itemisierung war jenseits von Gut und Böse (sogar für eine Parodie) und die Kämpfe waren arm an Abwechslung und Herausforderung. Hier und da gabs noch ein paar Kleinigkeiten. Beispielsweise hätte ich an mancher Stelle gerne ein Kommentar mehr von Cordelia gehört (Beispielsweise bei den Gesrpächen mit der Drowpriesterin, oder über den Papagei den man ja mit zu ihre ins Gefängnis bringt). Auch der Papagei hätte durchaus am Ende mal etwas plappern dürfen. Die Quests am Anfang, ich meine diese Alliertenquests, die können auch etwas...hmm...spürbarer sein. Ich hätte zum Beispiel erwartet, dass die Orks zur Stadt marschieren und die Höllentruppen bekämpfen (ich hatte zu diesem Zeitpunkt die Kuh nicht, ergo keine Chance in den Kämpfen). Der Umstand, dass es sich bei den Allierten nur um Allierte im Endkampf handelt, ist etwas merkwürdig. So, mehr fällt mir gerade nicht ein dazu. Von der Anzahl der geschriebenen Worte her muss das jetzt so aussehn, als hätte ich es als grauenhaft empfunden hehe. Das Gegenteil ist der Fall, aber Kritisieren gelingt mir immer leichter und auch ausführlicher als Loben ;) Ich würde mich auf jeden Fall über eine Fortsetzung freuen ! Wieviel Punkte geb ich hmmmhmmm. Eine schwere Entscheidung für mich. Auf der einen Seite gibts einige Punkte, die mir misfallen haben, auf der anderen Seite war die ganze "Schreiberei" aber genial. Ich vote mal eine 7, aber mit eindeutiger Tendenz nach oben. Sollte es irgendwann einmal ein Update geben, welches das Modul etwas abrundet, dann werde ich es erneut spielen und auch mein Voting dementsprechend verbessern. _________________________ "Duty is everything - the greatest of joys, the deepest of sorrows..." - Aribeth de Tylmarande NWN2 Romance Module List Thread for NWN2 Romance Module List
Posted by Ploedminka at on01/30/08
NWN 1 still lives, hurray ! I will play it ! _________________________ "Duty is everything - the greatest of joys, the deepest of sorrows..." - Aribeth de Tylmarande NWN2 Romance Module List Thread for NWN2 Romance Module List
Posted by seinsvergessen at 2008-01-1807:13:02
Note: You don't need to download both versions, 1.0 is the old version, what you are probably looking for is 1.0.5 which is not only an update but a complete package with all necessary files.
Posted by seinsvergessen at 2008-01-0814:12:52
I added a 'user manual' with the combination to version 1.0.5, it's in the same room where the computer is.
Posted by Howatt at 2008-01-0813:40:52
Hi, still can't figure out the combo for the machine in the Drow cave. The scroll is confusing me rather than helping.
Posted by seinsvergessen at 2008-01-0511:34:34
Your comments are always welcome. :-) SPOILERS... Thanks for pointing out the bug in the wizard-quest. One of the scripts in his conversation should check for noir_date to be 3 and not 2. (Sadly this will not allow you to complete your quest and collect your reward) Originally I wanted bill to disappear after you recruit him as escort, however it turned out somewhat difficult to kill bill (no pun intended), he just refused to disappear after a DestroyObject or a JumpToLocation so I decided to leave him in the party. He should leave when you go through the teleporter at the nexus point, even there I'm not sure if he disappears correctly, I don't know what causes this strange behavior. There seem to be some issues related to the factions. Yes, it is intended that all drow go hostile (how could they forgive you for killing their queen ;-)) and the inhabitants battle the soldiers. However, C attacking the befriended orcs looks like another bug. Viriatus mentioned that C's father appeared hostile, this leaves me puzzled as I have no idea what went wrong. How can this bug be reproduced? I also can't offer an explanation why the parrot attacks enemies only so reluctantly. (he has the same scripts as all other henchmen) END OF SPOILERS.... I will try to fix the major bugs and glitches, add some of the simpler features requested here and upload an update in a few days.
Posted by andgalf at on01/05/08
A suprisingly good mod! Thanks for making this! Had a great time playing and enjoyed it very much! Great, and quite complex, story with excellent characters! It was a pretty long module and that's a huge plus! It was also quite linear and I really liked that! *SPOILERS* Somehow I managed to do some of the quests in the wrong order so quite a few of them was never completed for me. I agree with several others here that when you die it would be better to not have to respawn. I loaded a new game two times before I realized it had to be that you were suppose to respawn. The characters were really good but because I did the optional quests in the wrong order (I completed the main quest with the bank before taking care of for example the orcs and the evil mage date quest, so they got unresolved), I only had Cordelia as henchman most of the time accept in the end where I also had the parrot. But I still had a lot of fun! There seemed to be something going on between Cordelia and my PC, in terms of romance, that never got anywhere, which truly was a shame since she was a really good and fun character. Maybe there will be more of continuing that relationship in episode 2? Her reactions in certain situations were hilarious! It also would have been nice to be able to discuss her past with her after you meet her mother and her father, or talk to her in general about other things than what you were supposed to do next. The mathematics thing with the teleporter I didn't understand at all untill I discussed it with a friend. He knew what the formula was all about and told me and then it was pretty easy. Maybe you should have explained it a bit more on the scroll. Or maybe I'm just a little dumb. A few of the fights (maybe two of them) were a bit hard but otherwise they were very well balanced. But I cheated a little since I brought an old character, which was level 14, into the game, and he had quite a lot of healing potions and a bag of holding, so the problem some other players encountered with not being able to carry stuff around, didn't bother me. I still think it would have helped if you knew that you should buy potions before the attack came though.
Posted by Viriatus at on01/04/08
Just finished. Very good mod, surprisingly for a first one. I hope the second be at least of such level. Antway, some comments: *SPOILER WARNING* . . . . . I too have observed the points which Lord_Frederic_DQ mentions: Evil WIzard Quest: some mess here. Bill goes not to escort (I think he is inteneded to dissapear) but continues in your party. You can fire him, but he remains (and gives no option to rejoining). If you choose the actress, she dissapears, but if you chose the wizardess, she also remains there (thoug in both cases the jounal advances). The evil wizard does not say anything if you go to talk with him (I think is a varint issue). I think the scripsts here should be carefully revised so all can go correctly. I could kick Bill from my party and adjust the variable manually (dm commands - noir_date=2, if I remeber well) to get the correct result and procceed as I though it was intended. Respawns: at two points (the trap, and if you die in the arena), the option to respawn (on death) are not clear. Possibly, it would be better not to show the options, but directly jumping the character to the appropiate area when he dies in those cases, so the action continues without the player being confused if he thinks he can obtain another result by reloading. Faction issues: the factions should be checked a bit. Upon fighting the drow Queen (and his retainers), the drows outside went hostile (I don't know if this is intended). Also, near the clockmaker house, one of the orcs archer (having befriended them) started to fire arrows vs my PC (being blue, not red-hostile). The first time Cordy responded (putting the rest hostile), but upon reloading and sneaking to talk with him he stopped. Also, Cordy's father appeared demon-hostile (he is in the commoneer faction!), surely due to faction issues. I figured something was wrong (as he was immortal) and can avoided it reloading an assigning to the defender faction (dm commands), but this should not be. Also, in Theta's dimension, the "inhabitants" (some king of gelatinous cubes) appeared hostile with the hellis minions, so I saw they fought in the distance amongst them before my PC arrived where they where (I do not know if this is intended). Dryad: very confusing. There should be some to do with her, or somewhere to take her to. I tried to take her to the Hospital, or with the Evil WIzard, without success (she refused crossing the area transitions). Also she was dead if you faced some dangerous enemy. I succeed in saving her by attacking and killing a frost giant (as she entered in the attack mode, it seems the followPC routine was cleared), but it is a pity to have her dead if not. Hospital: I was given the option of paying 1000gp for the gloves, and 5000 to the doctor, while I had not such amount (I bought the gloves by 500). Theta's crossbows: these machines are quite odd. As they have unlimited +5 amm0 AND acid ammo, each time I equipped it I got 99 'real' acid bolts, which I think they were displaced by the 'virtual' +5 bolts. . . . . . *END OF SPOILERS* Now, my personal considerations: Linearity: most of times, any option in the conversations gives the same (and only) effect. Though not bad (anyway the module should be laveled as 'story driven' or similar), one wonders why so many options to choose if there is no difference. Maybe it can be funny, but not practical (and a bit boring after a while). Rating: the 'Adult' classification is somewhat gratuitous. 'Teen' would be more appropiate, as the only occasions something 'happens' (if something would happen) are indeed mildier than most American dumb high-school movies. In the end, the 'Adult' rating seems more a bait to get more people playing the mod than any other thing. Ending: too closed, and fast! That is not funny at all. A real epilogue, in which the character cold influence a bit the ending. A possible relationship which is -the player thinks- developing with the story, ends as nonexistant as the ending is static. Not good :( Hechmen: though not prioritary, maybe a little more interaction with the secondary ones would be welcome. Btw, does the parrot ever attack something? Loot: immense amounts of magic armor and weapons. I think there is no need of lootable corpses *if there is no option to sell it!*. After the attack, the only "shop" is Sigmund, and he buys very few things (herlmets, necklaces, and I do not remember if something more -fortunately he sells some useful potions-). At least, the player SHOULD BE warned to equip himself (and perhaps Cordelia) the best possible before going to rest to the Inn before travelling, as he would not need to worry for loot and money after that -he can get perhaps some useful item, but he will not need to take other thing that evil helmets to sell to Sigmund for money for potions-. More lack of information: due to the characteristics of "some-weapon-that-without-it-you-are-dead", the player SHOULD BE informed to make sure his character has the Proficiency with Exotic Weapon feat, or he will feel as an idiot at some part of the story (you can use Leto, or removing and re-giving XP -dm commands- to take the feat, but that is not the way of doing things). Well, some minor flaws and annoyances, but I think that do not spoil much the fun (of course, only if you know how to overcome them). In the overall, I think it as a quite good and entertaining mod, and if these 'little' annoyances were fixed (so the player had not to encounter them by surprise), it would be better indeed.
Posted by Sync182 at 2008-01-0410:52:31
I was about to go off-tap wondering where the heck things are when I realised/discovered that there is a big difference between description and direction - conversations and journal entries say I have to go EAST to find things (like orcs, giants, wizards, etc...), where I in fact have to NORTH... It's kinda important to know which way I'm supposed to go. It helps me get to my destination. :) _________________________ All I ask is a chance to PROVE money can't make me happy. JOIN the "A Dance With Rogues" discussion group at Yahoo Groups! Link JOIN us also talking about A Dance With Rogues at the Bioware NWN Guild pages... Link Dancing With Rogues group now on the Bioware Social forums! Link
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