I've written about this before, but updates to it demand that I bring it up again. I cannot express how incredible this is.
The client extension is an add-on to the standard NWN2 game client that fixes various crash bugs and adds new multiplayer functionality to the game (for example, a better reply function, command history, and a host of other improvements).
There's also TON of features in it as well. Here's the feature list:
/invertrun toggles walking to be your player's default. Holding shift will cause you to run.
Hotbar macro buttons have been added to the game; you can configure a single hotbar button press to perform many tasks at once (useful for queuing up rebuffs after resting if you're playing a cleric).
- Fixed a bug that causes wizards to randomly crash on transition if they have metamagic on spell hotbar buttons.
- Point and click movement is now responsive (as WASD is) even on laggy servers.
- Fixed a crash at logon issue relating to libcurl usage in autodownloader servers.
- Fixed a bug where animations in the game client become choppy on computers that have a long uptime (i.e. that haven't rebooted recently).
- A full-size clickable area map (showing terrain and other static map features) is now available for servers that utilize the built-in autodownloader (no .PWCs supported, sorry -- you won't get a map if you use a .PWC). Clicking on the map can be used to navigate across long distances. DMs can see all players and creatures in the area, and where they are pathing through the area map.
- A better reply command (/re) is added. /re replies to the last tell you received and doesn't get distracted by non-tell chat, or by you sending a tell.
- A retell (/rt) command is added. /rt sends a tell to the last person you sent a tell to.
- Command history is now available when you use the new external chat interface (for cycling through messages you've previously sent). Great if someone disconnects and you just typed a long message to them.
- Copy and paste is now available when you use the new external chat interface.
- Area transitions no longer forget that you had Darkvision up.
- An option to walk by default (and run on SHIFT) for point and click movement is now available.
- Fixed a client bug where right-clicking the name of a player who sent you a tell and using the "Send tell" menu option didn't work for players with characters without last names.
- Many other features not listed here, check the documentation.
There are some new DM features too:
- A DM Scry function now shows you where all players are and their current HP at a glance, without having to scroll through the party list. Double clicking a player will send them a tell, and selecting a player will highlight them on the map.
- DMs can see where all creatures are in the current area, and how they are pathing around.
- A DM Area Teleport Chooser map is now available that lets you view another area graphically and precision choose a point to teleport yourself (or your selection) to. You no longer are restricted to teleporting to just specific waypoints, and you no longer have to teleport to an area ahead of players to pull them with you.
- DMs can easily mass-select creatures and order them to move or attack via the new area map. Great for orchestrating large conflicts.
- DMs can possess NPCs anywhere on the map by clicking on that creature on the area map.
- A lightweight, standalone DM client is included that you can use to log on to your PW for administrative functions without launching the full game. You still need a valid CD-Key and community account to log on. This is useful if you need to handle an administrative task (i.e. deal with a bad player) without dropping everything you were working on so that you can launch the full DM client. The standalone DM client will easily run on a netbook-class computer and can be used to activate unique power items, chat with players, and navigate dialogs (as well as view the area map). The standalone DM client needs some additional setup; check the documentation for more details.
Several improvements for builders are available:
- You can cycle through displaying various levels of terrain and walkable meshes with the T key in the area map. This provides a better visualization of your walkmesh complexity.
- You can hold down CTRL on the area map to see how the AI will path a creature from your location to another location (assuming there are no creatures in the way). This is useful for debugging AI pathing bottlenecks in your modules.
- You can take thumbnail screenshots of the terrain in your exterior areas from the area map by using the standard Windows Printscreen key combination.
- Builders can use a special GUI script to prevent the area map from displaying static terrain features. This is not recommended, but details are available in the PW Admin Roundtable forum.
But what if you don't like all these features? What if you don't have the screen space to use the extra windows? No worries. Simply close those windows and take advantage of the game optimizations under the hood. That alone is paramount!
The full location of the DM Client Extension is located here:
http://social.bioware.com/forum/Neverwinter-Nights-2/NwN-2-Persistent-Worlds-amp-Multiplayer/Announcing-the-NWN2-Client-Extension-client-crash-fixes--enhancements-3116438-1.htmlThe Client Extension Documentation is included in the download file.
