City Adventure, Forest Adventure, Mountain Adventure, Puzzles
Scope
Medium
Content
Mature
TricksTraps
Heavy
Roleplay
Medium
HackSlash
Medium
LevelMin
01
LevelMax
01
Gameplay Hours
06
Categories
adventure
puzzles
dreams
bizarre
self-reflection
Patch
1.23
NWN2Game
NWN2:SoZ
Description
There already is a 'release candidate' version of this mod, please visit that page instead.
'Alcheringa' means 'dreamtime', the age of dreams (look it up if you are interested in what language :). This module is built around the concept of entering the dreams of other people, as well as your own. One of the goals behind it was make gameplay have narrative meaning and story be interactive and told through the gameplay; dreams, with their literal use of metaphors, are very helpful here (I just hope I wasn't too heavy-handed and didactic doing that - God knows I tried not to be).
Gameplay-wise, I'd say it's closest to a 'sandbox' adventure game, although it also has enough resource management, exploration, and fighting if you choose to fight (which you *can* do in most cases). For the most part, the 'puzzles' are not hardcoded but rather built around using NWN/DnD core mechanics to achieve a specific goal (so in many cases there are several possible solutions, likely even some I haven't thought of). Also, there's a built-in multi-level hint system.
The module is designed for a fresh level 1 character, although if you import a high-level one you might still enjoy some puzzles and hack your way through the ones you don't like (as I mentioned, in most cases it is an option). In fact, you can even *finish* the module while staying at level 1. As an another 'in fact', your main ('awake') character will stay at level 1 anyway, only your dream avatar and dream companions can level up. Since many puzzles involve casting spells, a caster type is recommended, but both arcane and divine casters are available as companions, so it's not a necessity.
The setting of the module is something I would call 'postfantasy', meaning it's how a generic (FR-based in this case) fantasy world would look like when it undergoes a modern-style globalization (this affects only the social part; there's no science or steam-punk involved). It's kind of effete, deconstructive and secretly envious to its brutally straightforward heroic past.
As the name says (in capital letters), this upload really is a BETA, so please vote only if feel that you absolutely have to. Given the large amount of scripting and custom gameplay, I'm afraid the probability of bugs is rather high, so I can only be thankful to the people who are willing to try it at this stage and offer feedback. WARNING: the comments now contain several SPOILERS.
Gameplay notes:
- sometimes the game requires you to say something outside the conversation mode. Use NWN talk interface for that: press Enter, type the text, Enter again to say it (you can switch between shout/talk/whisper if you like - gameplay-wise it shouldn't matter);
- don't hesitate to use z-highlighting of interactive objects. There are some non-plot objects which don't highlight and you'll have to mouseover them; this is not because I wanted to introduce pixel-hunting, but simply because I found no good way of making highlighting work for them:(
- while it's not required, sometimes it's a valid gameplay option to attack neutral NPCs (from the right-click menu). In order to be able to do that, you must start the game on D&D hardcore rules (or higher).
I must say I worked on this mod for a *very* long time - somewhere close to 4 years (with some interruptions), so a lot of thought was put into the design, even though it might not be always apparent :). It's rather funny how its release coincided with 'Inception' (although personally I don't think it's just 'funny' - it's at least an act of synchronicity). I was actually very impressed with the movie, but I think it's sufficiently different from my mod to completely wipe the floor with it.
The combined hak for the module. Apart from my module-specific stuff, it contains the following contributions baked in: Aleanne's clothing pak 3 and 4; Male version of it by Chimneyfish (only one model from it though); Zylch's nudes (yes, the module does have some nudity); Miss O's elf heads; Equippable wings by D15C0RD; Hair extensions by Barrel of Monkeys; Big Tower by Botumys; Skull head by paladin3333; Custom NPCs by Ayrik. I apologize to the authors of these excellent pieces for not providing direct links to their haks, but I just felt it was more convenient for the users (and, admittedly, for myself) this way; perhaps I'll change that in the final version. External Website Beyond Our Control
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