Bioware Releases Neverwinter Nights Linux Client Beta

valedaemon writes "Well, I thought that the world would end before this day dawned, but Bioware has finally made good on its promise of a Linux client for Neverwinter Nights. You still need a Windows installation in order to copy the game data, but the good news is that the downloadable is only 4.4 MB. I could write more, but why? Go play!"

Not all features represented

[Anonymous Coward]

Server browsing and chat are disabled in this beta.

Link

[m0rph3us0]

if you dont want to login to their site. download direct from here [bioware.com]

Just downloaded it.

[The_Dougster]

And now the fun begins! I've been toying with it somewhat in WinDOS so far. If you liked Baldur's Gate et al then this is for you! (OpenGL required)

data 3x7r4[70rz

[alienhazard]

if u dont have a windows install, u can extract the data from ur cds with these toolz: http://icculus.org/~ravage/nwn/nwn_linux_installer .run http://members.cox.net/monteslu/nwn_data_installer .run their may be issues since the stuff extracted from the cds arent patched up to 1.29, but i cant say for sure. reply with info and/or tips if u have any

Re:Why?

[skt]

They mention why on their website, there is no practical way to get the data out of the Windows InstallShield cabinet files under linux.

Re:Is a copy of Windows *really* necessary?

[Genyin]

You can copy the files from another installation. (in fact, the copying of files is not automated at all at this point)

Installing the Linux Client

[rossz]

Step 1. Install the windoze version on a windoze box.
step 2. Update the windoze version to 1.29. 18meg download - and it's ssssllllloooowwwww.
step 3. Copy a pile of files over to your linux box. It would have been nice for them to include a script to do this for me.

e.g. 'getnwn /path/to/mounted/nwn/directory

I'll write my own. Hmm, maybe I can just install the Linux client into the mounted windows directory and save me the trouble.

step 4. Install SDL if you don't already have it.
step 5. Install the NWN Linux client.
step 6. Profit!

Started this message when the update to 1.29 was at 8%. Finished this message at 58%. Damn slow.

Re:Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

cabextract [uklinux.net]

Success - Debian Woody / GeForce4MX

[The_Dougster]

Seems to work for me. I just followed the instructions and copied the files from my NTFS partition, extracted the tarball, ran the "fixnwn" script, and the dang thing works! Loaded my save game and everything.

Neverwinter Nights works with:
[X] Debian Woody 3.0

Yeah but you can create for NwN

[The_Dougster]

Baldur's Gate etc was not that great for modding. Hey if you just got NwN for the "smallish stock module" then you are missing out. There are thousands of new modules made by aspiring Dungeon Masters out there now, and this is just the start. Not happy with the stock, well make your own! I agree that BG I / ToTSC / II / ToB are really great, but NwN is a rather ambitious undertaking in that you can make your own adventures, and even DM them if you want. Even still, I like the stock module. I like zooming in and watching my warrior hack those monsters to bits in full OpenGL splendor, and be sure to enable "Special Violence Mode" for extra fun!

Re:Maybe we will finally see

[Len]

Note that this is a beta version. BioWare has said [bioware.com] that after the final release they will make the game data available for download from several mirror sites. So you won't have to make friends with a Windows user to install it.

I think I have different standards than you. To me, "a major hack" is putting adb -k in the boot script. :-)

NWN linux installers

[LDoggg_]

I made one a few days ago in preparation for this: http://members.cox.net/monteslu/nwn_data_installer .html ravage also made one : http://icculus.org/~ravage/nwn

Re:Maybe we will finally see

[Anonymous Coward]

IF doom 3 comes out for both at the same time. I believe he said the same thing for his last two games and it did not happen that way at all! If carmack is anything in this area, he is a liar.

1337 s]-[|7, |3r0

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you typing from a cell phone or something?

Here's an english translation:
"If you don't have a Windows install, you can extract the data from your CDs with these tools:
http://icculus.org/~ravage/nwn/nwn_linux_installer .run [icculus.org] http://members.cox.net/monteslu/nwn_data_installer .run [cox.net]
There may be issues since the stuff extracted from the CDs isn't patched up to 1.29, but I can't say for sure. Reply with info and/or tips if you have any."

Re:NWN linux installers

[LDoggg_]

aparently someone (not bioware) is working on a patch for the installer to make the 1.0 data 1.29 data. check out the forums, i'm sure it'll get posted when its up.

Re:Let this be a lesson...

[dr00g911]

Try telling that to the scores of Mac users that have since cancelled preorders of the retail box.

Bioware said specifically up until less than a month before the launch that the Win, Mac and Linux clients would be in the same box, when development of the Mac and Linux-side clients had ceased months before in order to rush the Win version out the door.

That's not inexperience. That's a flat-out lie. Here we are, almost a year later, and there's still no Mac client, although it's reportedly in beta. Without the DM toolset. And I'm assuming that it's going to be priced as a "premium" game ($60ish).

I have to say, I've got multiple PCs capable of running NWN under either Win or Linux, and I haven't bought the game out of general principle. When there's a forthcoming Mac version, I hold out in order to support the porters. It's that simple. I put my money where my mouth is.

My mouth is saying that NWN without the toolset isn't worth the "premium" pricepoint, a year late. And I doubt that I'm alone.

FWIW, that $60ish is probably going into Shadowbane instead of NWN now, as it really is going to ship hybrid at launch -- I can play with both my Mac-owning friends, *and* those unfortunate enough to be on a Wintel box.

Works fine with .27 client and Mandrake 9.1rc2

[Hunterdvs]

Just played a little Pools of Radiance mod (my personal favorite mod) and it looks and works great for me. Stock Mandrake 9.1rc2 install, and I only had NWN version .27 not .29

Re:Please port Baldur instead...

[StarTux]

Played NWN and Baldurs Gate...And I am not sure why someone chose to mod up this opinion. NWN is nothing like D2, sure Chapter 1 kinda sucks, but then it really takes off.

Although with these types of games save/load tends to help a lot in single player. Did like the Green Griffon challenge quite a bit though :). Although thats as far as I got with my Pally.

Where this is likely to shine the most is with Multiplayer, the above poster obviously has not found a good DM to be with. NWN actually allows too for hack'n slash, but depending on DM and module it does allow for the closest RPG experience there is.

Baldurs Gate; Great Single player games, no doubting that :). But it wasn't as close to pen and paper D&D...Nor was it 3rd edition as far as I recall.

StarTux

Re:data 3x7r4[70rz

[StarTux]

Indeed,

Try manual patching, will get updater to 1.14, then I had to do a manual patch rebuild as it was having issues, then it worked and updated.

StarTux

Re:Let this be a lesson...

[Graff]

$60ish is probably going into Shadowbane instead of NWN now, as it really is going to ship hybrid at launch

I couldn't agree more. I was really hoping to play Neverwinter Nights with the rest of my gaming group, and also to create my own modules for them to play. It is now months later and I have yet to see even a beta of the MacOS client. Not only that, but they have also said that there will be NO toolset for MacOS. It's bad enough that they short Mac users, but they totally lied to us just about right up to the launch about the availability of Mac and Linux clients.

On the other hand, Ubi Soft has done the right thing and is releasing a full-featured, multi-platform Shadowbane. They took the extra time to make sure the game is done right and works for everyone. I've already pre-ordered Shadowbane and I can't wait to fire it up. It is companies such as this that get my gaming dollars.

Re:I know what I will be doing this weekend...

[vondo]

It took me ten minutes. Grab the two SRPMS from Nvidia, rpm --rebuild, rpm -Uvh, and change nv -> nvidia in XF86Config The only reason it took 10 minutes is I was trying to rpm -Uvh a SRPM. It does look awesome. Now I'll have to buy it and return the discs to buddy.

Re:Success - Debian Woody / GeForce4MX

[EvilMal]

I have the same situation, I have NWN install on an NTFS partition. For me, it worked perfectly to symlink all the data files it would have me copy to the actual ones on the NTFS drive. As a result, the space occupied on my linux drive is only 13M.

Why have redundant files when you don't need to? :]

Installing the data *without* Windows!

[Colin Walsh]

Just wanted to point out to everyone (it's been mentioned before in some replys, but what the heck) that there are *TWO* unofficial Linux data installers available here [cox.net] and here [icculus.org]. All you need are your installation CDs. No Windows partition required.

After installing the data, you're then going to need some form of Wine (the latest Wine worked for me). You then add the following to the end of ~/.wine/system.reg:

[Software//Bioware//NWN//Neverwinter] 1048122278
"Location"="X://nwn"

With drive X (or what have you) set up to point to wherever the nwn data directory is.

Finally you download and run the standalone patch [bioware.com] using Wine.

-Colin

Answering some of the dumber flames.

[Kenneth]

First off, there are features missing. Some will be enabled in future builds, as this is beta1. Don't sweat those.

Second, you don't actually need windows installed, all you need is access to the game resources.

From the instructions here [bioware.com]

2. Copy the following files from a Windows installation of Neverwinter Nights (updated to 1.29) into a directory called, for example, 'nwn':

ambient/*
[snip long list of directories]
dialog.tlk
dialogF.tlk (French, German, Italian, and Spanish)

If you are using ftp to transfer the files, be sure to transfer them in binary mode.

Note the last statment in step 2. You don't need NWN installed on the windows partition of the machine you're using. It only needs to be installed on a machine you can get to. For that matter, I would bet that that machine doesn't even need to be anywhere near up to the task of running NWN. Install it, update it, and use ftp. Bioware is actually suggesting that you get them from another machine.

Other options would include:
Grabbing the files from someone who has them and a burner. You might have to get creative and use several cd's as well as creative use of zip, and then be careful to put things where they're supposed to be, but there is no reason it wouldn't work.

Even an old machine with win95osr1 should be able to handle the install, and update scripts. The game doesn't actually have to work on that machine, it only has to install and update.

Third, this is still a beta. From the old Linux update page [bioware.com] (Before the beta client was released):
Neverwinter Nights Linux Client Installation:
There are 2 things you will need for the Neverwinter Nights Linux Client, aside from the Linux Client executable:
- the game resources
- a CD-Key

You will need to get the Neverwinter Nights game resouces from one of two locations. You can either get them from an existing Windows installation of the English 1.27 build of Neverwinter Nights, or from a Neverwinter Nights Linux Game Resource download that will be available from several mirror sites. Either way, instructions will be provided with the downloads. Why must it be this way, you ask? It is because there is no feasable way to get the game resources from the InstallShield cabinet files on the Windows version CDs.

Read that carefully. There apparently will be resource files for download, they just don't appear to be ready yet. It does make me wonder though, if the Stand alone server can work for getting the resources. I tend to doubt it.

This all said, it would be better to have some sort of installer. As others have posted that such things are possible, and some have claimed to have done it, I suspect that some of the legal issues may have surrounded this specifically, and the necessity to create a click through EULA that can't be bypassed, which would be nearly impossible to do given the nature of the tools available to Linux. Such things give IP Lawyers a terrific case of the vapors, and yes I know that such things are legally ambiguious at best. Don't tell me, tell the lawyer.