The High Seas mini-game is an open system of ...

June 14, 2007 by Adam in NWN2

The High Seas mini-game is an open system of sorts. There's general goals, such as getting booty, trading cargo, or simply getting from island to island in order to do the next quest. For the most part, there's formal no stories that occur on the high seas. You can fight, trade, or simply explore. To some degree, that's a problem, as the lack of a well-crafted structure can lead to repetition and boredom. On the other hand, it gives a sandbox to players to make their own stories.

This morning I made my own High Seas story, mostly by accident. I was testing the combat system and decided to attack the nearest cargo ship I could find. Little did I know, I had crossed paths with the infamous bald merchant queen! My crew put up a good fight, but soon Daniel and Heather were laying on the deck, dead, and I soon joined them. Fortunately, Death owed me a favor and I returned to finish off that pesky bald merchant.

Soon I was sailing away with my ill-gotten booty. The merchant ship, in addition to carrying valuable cargo, had along a special treasure called Mask's Vestments. A good percentage of these ships carry unique cargos, which makes for good motivation. Since pirates and merchants carry different ones, I suspect the unsavory players may end up making enemies all around.

In any case, it was a fun little event and it reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the High Seas system.

I continue to debug, and there's still lots of things to take care of. I figured out why my ninja's weren't appearing. I know why sometimes I lost boarding actions, even though I really won. I think I've figured out why I can't fire all the various weapons. The visual effects for combat still need polish, but I think I'm getting closer. Finally, I need to find a wig for my Merchant Queens.

Fun, fun!