This is my second module (the first one being Asphyxia). Thanks for taking a look at Live Forever.
I'll be blunt; this is the best book you'll ever play. It has everything of nothing. Wall-of-text conversations. Flawed boss fights. A linear story. Woefully inept scripting. Poorly written dialogue. Hell, I haven't entirely decided what the story's about. Maybe it has something to do with a gem. Maybe a little bit about living forever. Or maybe it has nothing to do with either of those. Wouldn't that be ironic?
You'll have to see for yourself. Let me know what you come up with after playing. Maybe we'll solve the mystery, together. If that sounds like a challenge, then it absolutely is. =)
Good luck.
...
And yeah, I know. Quite the hook to get you to download, right? Mom always told me I was great with the sales pitches.
Thanks to OuterParadise for helping with some of the area design.
Posted by rafaelzimrp at 2013-02-10 01:36:01 Voted 9.75 on 02/10/13
Certainly an amazing experience! Thank you, Azenn!
Posted by Inu at 2013-01-31 03:00:47 Voted 9.75 on 01/31/13
Bloody Brilliant!
Posted by MasterV at 2012-10-15 13:25:25 Voted 9.00 on 10/15/12
I can see where the author's coming from in saying that Asphyxia is a steaming pile of *beep* compared to this, but I don't think is necessarily true.
They both had their pros and cons, and each is brilliant in it's own way.
Asphyxia feels more open ended, since it gives you some room for exploration. On the other hand, this feels much more "mysterious" for lack of a better term. Both look absolutely fantastic though. No doubt about that.
Combat was excellent if you know how to play PnP D&D (or NWN with any semblance of skill). I loved the fights where you had to move around and avoid stuff. Felt more organice than standing there and beating each other's brains out. For those who had difficulty moving the party, use the voice commands to make the party follow you (press V->E->E this engages follow mode, V->W->E returns them to combat mode). You usually had to use some spells and items intelligently and not just nuke everything, at least in my vanilla barbarian's case.
The story is the crux of the matter and this....is a sticky issue. While remaining interesting, VERY interesting throughout, with serious/funny dialogue and great characters the end felt like it fell off a cliff to die. I get what the author went for, and I know this is how the "avant-garde" think stories should be but no. It's just crap. I really dislike the "interpret it how you want" pretentiousness. A story without decent closure is a story unfinished in my opinion, even with all the flourishes and witty writing.
Posted by Avo at 2012-09-16 05:51:27 Voted 8.00 on 09/16/12
Weirdness withing weirdness. Interesting attempt at story within story ideas which, IMO, is not always working well. Some very interesting (and bloody tough) fights. The action made up for the very confusing story. PLayeda cleric and finished lvl6.
Hi Azenn and everybody,
Started enjoying the mod, despite of tons and tons of speech and bla-bla-bla (everybody talks a ton but I was warned), and got stuck. After killing the forest drake on the bridge, that crazy Fizzlethorp told that had managed to open the door (rusty chain, some key and whatever) but nothing happened. Typical bug. Does anyone know the debug script to make the convo happen, work and the door open ?
Posted by Hentai User at 2012-04-22 18:50:07 Voted 9.25 on 04/22/12
Very interesting module, and i did not find it so much nonsensical too.
This remind me of Stephan Gagne, one of the best module maker in the first NWN. But the fighting part must be refined, but that was too very interesting. The fight with the drake in particular, good job really.
Posted by Winwood at 2011-12-09 21:50:51 Voted 9.00 on 12/09/11
Outstanding, a Must Have
Posted by karen at 2011-09-22 13:38:34 Voted 8.00 on 09/22/11
I really don't know how to score this mod - it's very different than anything else I've played (originality is good) and it was fun. The author warns that's there a lot of exposition, which I don't really mind, but this could use some editing - too many long repeated sequences.
I finished the game and I'm still not sure what the hell happened - reality doesn't seem to enter the equasion! A story within a story - with a redo! The only description I can give is esoteric and confusing! The fights are insane for beginning characters without decent armor and weapons - and no heals! Expect to die - a lot!
The areas are really well done as are the characters, and I certainly think it's worth checking out.
Posted by ursine at 2011-09-11 08:33:58 Voted 4.00 on 09/11/11
Well this was certainly not for me. Like stated this is 100% linear which doesn't have to be a bad thing (planescape torment). But where the dialog in pt is intelligent, complex and interesting, here it is only pretentious, banal, and down right annoying.
There are ever so many "you're a fool old-eye" "no, you're the fool blood", "no you're the fool" and so on until I found myself holding down the 1 key until it was over.
The author states he is not balancing for high level play and the same can be said about low level play, obviously. I don't understand how anyone got past the archon who would insta hit my level 6 group for 90 hp (15x6). *SUPER SONIC* *SUPER SONIC* and that was on the easy setting. Sure I would have liked to play the whole thing but there is no way to get past *SUPER SONIC*.
Sure there was some merit in well designed areas and I enjoyed the dragon on the bridge but as a whole it did very little for me. It felt more like an arcade than an rpg and the fights were very expected.
4/10.
Posted by Khaevil at 2011-08-05 08:11:38 Voted 9.75 on 08/05/11
The best told story I've played yet.
There wasn't enough for me to classify it as groundbreaking, though the dragon encounter added something new. A choreographed fight in NWN2, MMO style.
Posted by Infessra at 2011-06-26 02:31:22 Voted 9.50 on 06/26/11
Great module. Wonderfull story. It is one of the modules which I played without break. _________________________ [img]http://www.gwchars.de/signaturen/Zhas_Seriso.png[/img]
Posted by Chymeraes at 2011-06-14 06:54:10 Voted 9.75 on 06/14/11
Well ... this is a horrendously smug module but I loved it anyway. I though the writing was ambitious and, usually, amazing; the characterisation deft and I liked the labyrinthine referential/self-referential plotting. Oh, yeah, and also Oasis. There are a couple of minor bugs, here and there, the occasional misplaced apostrophe and a couple of typos but none of it detracts at all from a wonderful experience. Despite the tendency to self-punctuate what seem to be moments of profundity, I was moved. I thought the areas were gorgeous and atmospheric as well, and some of the boss fights gave me WoW-flashbacks but seemed to be pretty innovative. But those were just cherries on an an already fantastic cake. It doesn't seem like you've been active on the Vault for a while but: more cake please. I think this module is genuinely ground-breaking. Gah, I am not good at praise.
Stuck
I am in part 3 and trying to leave the ruins. I cannot see what to do. The front gate is locked and I can't go anywhere.
Posted by TheVanillaGorilla at 2011-05-19 15:32:36 Voted 9.00 on 05/19/11
This is a great module for sure. Looks great , great story, great atmosphere, at times very intense and scary, but I'd have to agree that the repetition of dialogue altered in minor ways coupled with waxing nihilistic and alluding to Oasis's first U.S. release does not a high brow "smart" module/story experience fully make. Don't get me wrong, this module really IS a must have/must play for anyone with NWN2, it's just not as smart as your line in the categories section implies.
I hope you didn't take that the wrong way though, It's a great work and worth the download and play-through for damned sure, and the atmosphere is on par with the Misery Stone and Trinity, with one particular inn scene being very intense. I was also very pleased to see the birthright setting used, and the gritty, brutal, and at times nightmarish atmosphere of the Birthright setting translated very well. In PnP days I always felt that this setting could be every bit as nightmarish as Ravenloft, and you conveyed that well. Good work!
Posted by firesnakearies at 2011-04-28 14:12:33 Voted 9.50 on 04/28/11
This is actually the first community-created module I've played for NWN2, but I played dozens upon dozens of NWN1 modules. This is one of the best modules I've ever played, highly reminiscent of Stefan Gagne's brilliant works, and almost as good.
In many areas, this was absolutely top notch. The environments and atmosphere, use of music and visual effects, mood, pacing, overall depth of storytelling, characters and dialogue, skillful writing, humor, attention to detail, and a number of very exciting and memorable unique battles with custom scripting - in all of these things, the module shines, and brightly. So many times throughout my playthrough of this module was I awed, immersed, thrilled, amused and very impressed. There were just so many excellent moments, both in gameplay itself and in the storytelling, so many points which made me really love the module.
I don't think it was quite on par with Planescape:Torment, but it came closer perhaps than any other NWN modules I've ever seen besides Gagne's. Overall it was really well done, super creative, and very clever. And tons of fun! I loved the characters, the locations, and the fights. The whole experience was quite remarkable.
The only thing that detracted slightly from my total love of the module was a feeling of some disconnect with the narrative, personally. I think the story itself got a bit lost in itself, due to what seemed to me to be an over-reliance on Oasis lyrics and the author's inside jokes with himself. It felt like the complexities of the narrative, especially toward the end, were being kept deliberately obscure simply to prove how smart and artistic the author was, rather than being written to engage and involve the audience. As the module went on toward its conclusion, I began to feel more and more that this was a story the writer was telling himself, for himself, and that I (as the outside observer of it) was not really meant to fully share in it. All of the Oasis lyrics sort of underscored that point, and trampled a little bit on the characterization and story itself.
But this was a small and personal complaint, and hardly invalidates all that is excellent and well-crafted about the module. It did so much right, and was on the whole a wonderful, brilliant piece of work. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and rather expect to find that no other NWN2 module on the Vault quite measures up to it overall.
9.5 out of 10, very nearly a perfect masterpiece in my opinion. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Posted by Arkalezth at 2011-04-28 11:51:49 Voted 10.00 on 04/28/11
I played this module about a year ago, but forgot to vote. I've played for the second time, and what can I say that hasn't been said already...
The ambient, dialogue and characters were among, if not the best I've seen in the game, and yes, official content included. Combat makes sense and is well balanced for Normal IMO (played a Ranger, normally I play on Hardcore but I changed to Normal in act 2, when fighting the spiders).
I found no important bugs, but
*SPOILERS*
When picking the gem and meeting Aelies, Blood keeps crouching and rising all the conversation long. It's only a little annoyance, but it distracts the attention from one of the main moments in the plot.
*END SPOILERS*
I hope this is not your last module, for this or other games. I think I can say this is one of the best experiences I've had playing NWN2. It's different to just about every other module out there, near perfect. So I give it a 10.
Posted by _MAU_ at 2010-11-19 17:40:09 Voted 9.75 on 11/19/10
Well I had to stop before the end (though judging by my play time and the one promised not much at all before the end) due to a game breaking bug that I saw others complain about too (can't exit elven tomb due to door refusing to unlock). Since the author appears to be not checking up here if the vault log in date thing is any indication I doubt that'll ever get fixed and I'm not gonna bother spending the time trying to figure it out when I know *bleep*all about the toolset etc. It's a shame since the mod's otherwise definitely in my top 10.
I saw people cry about the difficulty but apart from the very end which I can't comment on, it was actually very nicely balanced as long as you're not really bad at this game. For a change you can't just stoneskin your fighter and go make a sandwich while the AI destroys everything for you. The only potentially tricky spot is when you have to solo for a tiny period where you might get*bleep*d if your char is really weak, but considering my swashbuckler/scout got through that on very difficult I doubt there's any nonmoronic build that can't make it if you set the difficulty on easy for it. I really wish more authors spent as much effort balancing combat as nicely as was done here. Even though the mod is (correctly) described as more story oriented than a hack and slash, it's one of the best combat experiences out there, and also very good on the story side.
Posted by Gattamelata at 2010-11-02 17:52:13 Voted 7.50 on 11/02/10
From the readme: "I hate high level play, and I sure as hell am not balancing for it."
No offense, but you didn't seem to bother balancing for low-level play, either.
I had planned to wait to rate the module until I had finished playing, as requested. However, I'm unable to progress beyond the elven banshee/gargoyle point, because every time I beat them, the game doesn't progress. My fallen companions don't get up, I can't rest, and the spirit named "???" is just standing there next to the altar or whatever. I lack the skill with the toolset to diagnose the problem, so I'm giving up.
I'm giving it a 7.5. I liked some things - starting as bandits, for example, I considered to be a refreshing change of pace. I enjoyed the low-magic, low-resources feel to the world. I thought the story, at least as far as I got, was compelling and interesting. I enjoyed the idea that I was playing out a sequence of memories embellished with storytelling.
I found the conversation-heavy nature of the story to bog the module down considerably, though. Watching a bunch of uninteresting, trite, and seemingly insignificant conversations was really tedious. I saw before my game stalled that some of the conversations were being replayed later, but I didn't find that spooky or profound, just annoying.
I thought the sequences where the ghosts pull you into the spirit world were very, very well done. Your skill with this sort of scene transition and npc manipulation increased vastly since Asphyxia. I also liked the bits with the elven statues in the ruins below the village ("Look out behind you" and such).
Overall, I preferred modules like The Last of the Daanan and The Maimed God's Saga, but judging by the other comments here, there is no shortage of fans of your approach here. I definitely liked Live Forever better than Asphyxia, which I wound up abandoning early on because it was too open ended to maintain my interest.
Posted by PaulBlay at 2010-10-28 06:29:30 Voted 9.50 on 10/28/10
Good module, very professional looking, and an interesting story. There were quite a few glitches though, and some of the fights were _way_ too tough for me.
Has anybody played this through as a rogue without having to cheat in some way? I think it must be pretty much impossible.
Posted by Madoga at 2010-10-10 18:50:35 Voted 10.00 on 10/10/10
I wish there were more mods like this.
I've played nearly all "popular" mods and a few not so popular once, but this is my favourite so far.
Great writing and great story. I for once liked the ending, it actually made you think.
Posted by jet truebow at 2010-10-10 09:10:13 Voted 9.75 on 10/10/10
oh btw. if anyone ever finishes this module on HC all the way let me knw.
Posted by jet truebow at 2010-10-10 09:07:38 Voted 9.75 on 10/10/10
Really deep module here. totally interesting story, and let me say I played a lot of modules before this one but this kinda is unique.
The conversations were too long sometimes yet, I wouldnt want it shortened in any way.
++ Spoilers ++
Didnt really get the ending til I read the comments in this page. I must say way unorthodox, yet thoroughly interesting. deep. profound. a must play. _________________________ Jet's Halfling Village
Posted by yldenfrei at 2010-09-21 10:51:43 Voted 9.75 on 09/21/10
I downloaded this last year, but only managed to play it now, along with Asyphyxia. Where Asyphyxia goes the way of the OC with "save the world from evil", this one goes the way of MoTB, with the heavy heavy heavy theme (did I say heavy, cause it is, with a weight of ten tons!). Being cast on the other side of the heroic pond was a very nice move. Just as it is enriching to play Evil on a Good oriented storyline, the same goes when you play Good/Lawful in this Chaotic/Evil story (but mostly Chaotic, yes).
And it wasn't linear at all. The circular storytelling, the constantly repeated lines, hopping from one mouth to another, the deja vu is so intense I was smiling all throughout.
The battles were god hard. I was actually swearing at my computer a lot, I must have made Blood very proud. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, though. Far from it. The battles actually give you motivation for that foul mood you'll carry throughout the story. Heck, I chose some grumpy answers just because I was so exhausted by the fights.
To pour your personality as much as you can to your chosen player character would be mandatory to enjoy this campaign to its fullest. To be wishy washy with your answers would dilute the impact of many of the deja vu's that you'll come across. The way your old answers transform into new meanings is absolutely breathtaking. I was tempted to change my answer in the end when everything became clear, but I stood by my old answers and it gave an immense depth to my character, I literally cried at her stone-cold convictions.
Long story short: Magnificent. ^_^
===Juicy Spoilers===
*What? Did I hear it right? He sold his soul AGAIN? Ha! So he managed to die after all! Ha! HA!
*Wait who was it that he really loved? Me or the old crone? Wow. He actually had a heart?
*Whoever gave the idea of lighting the braziers anyway? And why exactly did I follow that order?
P.S. I've been using nwvault since forever, but I just had to register now for this comment. It's THAT worth it.
Posted by cemeteryschild at 2010-09-07 08:11:19 Voted 9.50 on 09/07/10
great mod!
Posted by valyrd at 2010-08-23 13:50:46 Voted 9.75 on 08/23/10
Epic.
Posted by Kaeldorn at 2010-07-27 14:06:14 Voted 10.00 on 07/21/10
I think you're correct about the reason why Blood has come to see Aelies and tell the tale, and I don't think it's sappy.. it's actually quite interesting.
But it's only Blood's part, and not the sole 'meaning' of the story and the way it's presented to the player. I think arch nemesis' message of 'snap out of it, get real and see things for how futile they really are' and him having the last word opposing the player's attachment to dreams and fantasies is at least as important. It's not for no reason that Aelies is borderline out of character almost half the lines that he speaks.
Anyways.. that's the beauty of it, isn't it? The story has more facets/meanings to it, and we each find another that strikes us hardest. That's philosophy for you ;)
Posted by eternal_icefire at 2010-07-26 17:19:32 Voted 10.00 on 07/26/10
AHA! I think figured it out! I think I understand the story... thanks to jumping back to the really early comments on the module and a book series I am currently reading.
**SPOLIER**
So thanks to the Oasis song list you left us, Ser Azenn (back in Oct. of last year), I went and listened to the songs until I was sure I knew the meanings and then went back and replayed Live Forever. I was pretty sure I knew it then, but I kept my mouth shut.
When I was about to go on a trip a few months ago, I went to B&N and bought the first four books of a five book series my friends recommended. Within the early pages of the first book, I remembered Live Forever. Why? Because the narrator's predicament reminded me of Blood.
The narrator of the story in the series can't die due to the fact (from what he says in the first book) a curse laid on him by the main female character minutes before her death (and it sounds like she did it because the narrator abandoned her). The only way he can break the curse (and finally die) is to tell her story in full and tell it truthfully. I'm currently on the assumption (but I'm not positive; I don't own the fifth and final book nor have I read it) that the narrator is the guy that is in love with the character that curses the narrator before she died. The narrator reminds me of Blood.
So, what I'm saying basically is: It's a very well hidden love story. Blood love(s/d)the main character. The reason he tells the story to Aelies and returns the gem is so he can *finally* die with a clean conscious after abandoning the main character to their death and taking the gem for selfish reasons.
*****SPOILER OVER!*****
So... can the bashing on my theory and myself begin for having a sappy girl moment / theory?
Posted by Kaeldorn at 2010-07-21 18:37:38 Voted 10.00 on 07/21/10
To Skree about the ending, this is what I made of it:
The last words that the villain tells us basically summarize the message that the whole story was about. It was all 'just' a fantasy. The hero never really existed and was a figment of our imagination. Something we created in an attempt to be something meaningful. It's already hinted at in the final few words that Blood and the villain (the embodiment of realism, as opposed to his brother who lives in a world of elves, magic and dreams).
If you think about it, reality effectively kills dreams here. That's the real ending of the story; what would have happened with the hero is made irrelevant. It's left in the dark on purpose.
Posted by Kaeldorn at 2010-07-21 18:21:42 Voted 10.00 on 07/21/10
I just finished playing this module, and I'm still baffled at how brilliant it was.
The psychological/philosophical aspect, the picture that is painted of faith and dreams versus the harsh, cold and cruel pointlessness that is reality is far more sophisticated than any game's story has touched upon in years. I'd level it on par with Planescape: Torment, or perhaps even slightly above, as the entire time I played through this I not once felt like I was experiencing 'filler' content.
Including the combat, which was almost always meaningful to the story and never brainless. The tactics used did remind me a bit of some WoW boss strategies from years back, but that doesn't matter one bit, because that part of the game (and this mod) was well-made and refreshing compared to your average RPG combat strategies. Progression was just right and every fight was challenging, but manageable.
For the record, I do not share the author's outlook on paladins, I actually admire the ways of the really good ones who aren't full of themselves. Because of that, and probably because I fall into the desperate dreamer category, I was struck by the conclusion with a certain sadness. It was really a slap in the face.. but that was exactly what was intended, I believe. This story was enticing. It had merit.
To a realist, it would still be one big joy-ride to laugh at how 'silly' dreaming, fantasy and wanting to be a hero is, with top-notch dialogue that is very often cynical in ways that most game developers these days wouldn't dare.
These must have been some of the best hours I've spent in my life. And I've never rated anything on the Vault this high yet, but here you go.. this one was a masterpiece. Genuinely groundbreaking. A 10 :)
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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