I've well surpassed the 10,000 download mark ...

December 19, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've well surpassed the 10,000 download mark for the Neverwinter Nights modules I've created. People e-mail daily, asking for hints and mentioning problems. Lots of good feedback too. I'm plugging away at the new campaign - the first module is complete and I'm busy creating new items for the new one.

I preordered a couple things from Amazon, taking advantage of a gift certificate and a $15 off offer. I picked up Unreal 2 and Splinter Cell, which both sound really good. So, the end of January and beginning of February should be fun computer times.



My little Neverwinter Nights phenomena seems ...

December 04, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

My little Neverwinter Nights phenomena seems to be growing. In just a couple weeks, the number of downloads of the first module has grown to 9,500. I'm expecting that it'll be ready for the "Hall of Fame" next month, ranking among the top dozen of the couple thousand modules that have been created by fans. I'm regularly getting e-mails letting me know that it's great.

It's nice to hear that I can do well at game design. The programming part is fairly intuitive to me, but I'm happy that the writing is getting the attention that it is. Making a good story full of interesting twists and dialog is hard to pull off.



I finished up the last module in my Neverwint...

November 25, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finished up the last module in my Neverwinter Nights campaign last Friday, and posted it a couple days ago. Already the feedback is pouring in. I just finished a neat little e-mail exchange with someone living in France. I've also had a lot of people telling me how great it was. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I've been having fun developing the latest campaign. I just finished a hysterically funny encounter. It still makes me laugh thinking about it.



Sam and I continue to play Jedi Knight Outcas...

November 23, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Sam and I continue to play Jedi Knight Outcast endlessly. We discovered a site that had new add-ins for the game, so we downloaded some maps and modifications. This is a shot of us with Boba Fett models complete with working jet packs. It's being pretty hard to pry Sam away.

We finished the Shadowlords campaign last night. It went pretty well, with only minor problems along the way. The final battle was a bit easy, as they had tons of people wailing on the final bad guy.

I think I'll be finishing up Icewind Dale II, which I still enjoy. I'm also plugging away at my new Neverwinter Nights Campaign. I even made my Dart of Returning work, though it was tremendously difficult. Great fun.



Strangely enough, I got a job offer this morning

November 19, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Strangely enough, I got a job offer this morning. Someone was playing one of my Neverwinter Night modules and they liked it so much they offered me a position working on some MMORG game. Very odd.

I finished up the last module of my Shadowlords campaign, with testing following this Thursday. It's gone quite well and I'm pretty happy with it.

I've got a tentative title for the second campaign: Dreamcatcher. I'm letting myself have a bigger hak pack, so I'm creating and including a number of new items - placeables, creatures, tilesets, and so on. Should be fun!



I picked up Icewind Dale 2 over the weekend

November 14, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up Icewind Dale 2 over the weekend. It's quite good - very strategic and challenging. I find myself having to use all my knowledge of D&D to make it through some of the fights. There have been some interesting quests too, spurring some creative thinking on my part with regards to my Neverwinter Nights campaign.

The Shadowlords campaign is shaping up. I'm almost finished with the final module. I've got some dialog to add, as well as the final battle, which is quite challenging. Then it's the unfun testing part, which can take forever. Still, it's shaping up quite nicely and getting some acclaim. Last I checked, there had been over 6,600 downloads of the first module. Whew!



I finished up No One Lives Forever 2 last night

October 30, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finished up No One Lives Forever 2 last night. Fun little ending - cute and amusing, as well as challenging. It was a very well-polished shooter, one of the best I've played in awhile. I find that I appreciate well-placed humor in a game. It's a nice break from the earlier far-too-serious FPS games.

I'll probably turn my attention to Grand Theft Auto 3, finishing up the last few missions. I've also got my last module for Neverwinter Nights to do. I've been creating movies for each module, and plan to wrap up the entire campaign into an easy to download file when I'm finished.



Sam and I have done some serious gaming runs ...

October 19, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Sam and I have done some serious gaming runs these last few days. He's discovered the single player part of Jedi Knight Outcast, and working his way through it. Being invulnerable certainly helps, and I've been assisting with the puzzles. Still, he's a big Star Wars fan, as well as a computer game fan, so he's in heaven.

I've been enjoying No One Lives Forever 2. The humor is top notch, and I enjoy the RPG-lite parts where you get skill points for completing objectives or finding hidden items. It makes exploring even more rewarding, as it has a real effect on the game.

I'm also working hard on completing the fourth module in my Neverwinter Nights campaign. At this point, it's basically finished and fairly well polished. I'll run through with the work crew next Friday then post it for the world to play. I had a funny bug this morning. There was an NPC who was supposed to join if you held a particular item. Instead, he turned into a badger and followed me. Fun with typos.



No One Lives Forever 2 showed up on my doorst...

October 16, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

No One Lives Forever 2 showed up on my doorstep yesterday. Sam and I raced downstairs to load it up and give it a try. I think I managed to play about 20% of the time, as it became quite difficult to pry the keyboard out of his tiny hands.

The game itself looks quite nice. It's one of the first games that I can't crank up the graphics to max, a sure sign that my computer is over a year old. The game is also quite funny, with witty dialog and amusing situations. I'm barely into the game, so it's hard to give a full review, but so far so good.



Sam and I played way too many computer games ...

October 14, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Sam and I played way too many computer games over the weekend. It started out innocuously enough, with a little Jedi Outcast among other outdoor activities. Sunday, though, it all fell apart and we must have spent six to eight hours down in the nerd cave. I was pretty sick of being down there towards the end, but Sam just wouldn't stop.

Probably because of all this, he's become quite good at playing games. In Jedi Outcast, he can run around quite well, jumping on to platforms and doing tricks. He's even picking up on the interface itself, even though he can't read. Once I load up a level, he can pick is light saber color, player model, and click "Start Game". The irony is that I'm pretty much just like him, only with better balance between computers and the rest of life.

I've got a new game coming in a day or two: No One Lives Forever 2. I hear it's really good, and I loved the campy humor in the original. It'll be good to have a new distraction.



In preparation for the Friday Night Fights wi...

September 26, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

In preparation for the Friday Night Fights with NWN, we've got a multiplayer test tonight. Last time we had serious network problems, with massive lag. I'm not sure what the issue is exactly. Hopefully it'll go better tonight.

I've been working on the fourth module, which is turning out more complex than I thought. I've been having fun with it, though I think I'm letting Grand Theft Auto influence me. I put in a couple "take care of this person" quests. And I don't mean babysitting, either.



I spent a good chunk of the weekend playing G...

September 16, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I spent a good chunk of the weekend playing Grand Theft Auto III. Both Josh and Sam seemed mezmerized by it, driving like a maniac through the streets, pulling off insane jumps, and blowing things up. When I went to sleep on Saturday, I kept envisioning driving recklessly through the streets, careening off of streetlights and other cars.

It's a wildly fun game. I think my favorite part is finding the insane jumps hidden around the city and trying to pull them off. For that, we ususally take the Banchee (pictured here), which can be stolen from the show room at a car dealership. It's insanely fast and handles well, but tends to blow up if you hit things too hard.



I picked up a couple games recently: Grand Th...

September 13, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up a couple games recently: Grand Theft Auto III and The Thing. The Thing is a survival-horror game taking place in a base in the arctic after the movie happened. It's okay, though nothing exceptional.

GTA3 is the game that's been villified in the press for being violent and without moral character. What they don't mention is that it's exceptionally fun too. There's something viscerally exciting about stealing a police car and crusing through the streets going way too fast. Traffic laws become "traffic suggestions", and I often go off road if it's more convenient. And if you accidentally total your car - not a problem. Just pull out some unsuspecting driver and take theirs. I haven't let Sam play this one, of course, but it's an entertaining adult game for sure.

Tonight is also the Friday Night Fights where the work group gets together to play Neverwinter Nights. It's the third module in those that I've put together, and I always get a little nervous showing my "creative works." It's still lots of fun, though, and I'm looking forward to playing.



I finished up Warcraft III this morning

September 02, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finished up Warcraft III this morning. It was okay, though nothing too special. The work group and I played Neverwinter Nights on Friday, staying up late and having a great time. My series of modules is over halfway done. The third of five is in "polish" mode, and the fourth is starting to be mapped out.

While there are a few new games that I'm tempted to pick up, I'd like to focus my energies on Neverwinter Nights until my campaign is finished. It's sometimes tedious, but I think it ends up giving a lot of people some simple enjoyment.



Neverwinter Nights continues to suck up most ...

August 23, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Neverwinter Nights continues to suck up most of my time. I am playing a bit of Warcraft III here and there, but I find myself drawn to NWN when I have a little free time. My passion seems to be in building modules, testing them, and then releasing them to the world. It's a bit nerve wracking, as it's a matter of bearing my creative soul to the world. The first module was posted, and was fairly well received. The second should be done in a week or so, and is even more complicated in some respects. Great fun.



Well, we had our big gaming session last night

August 03, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, we had our big gaming session last night. I was up until 11:30. It was . . . interesting. I think everyone had a good time, though there were definately issues. We lost a couple people for awhile when the game crashed. The henchmen weren't behaving right. The party would separate periodically. But again, despite the frustration, I think it was pretty enjoyable. I'll probably debrief with everyone on Monday. We'll see . . .



I "finished" Neverwinter Nights

July 05, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I "finished" Neverwinter Nights. Which means that I finished the official module, though people are coming up with endless other modules. I personally am working on an extensive series of them, which has turned out to be pretty complicated. It's fun, though, watching my creations play out within the game. I also have the work group coming together - I can definately see a "Friday Night Fights" kind of thing happening.



Neverwinter Nights continues to be a great game

June 24, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Neverwinter Nights continues to be a great game. I played with the toolset a bit this weekend, making the first few areas in my module. I have a few conversations in place, so that the player can move around a bit. Lots of bugs still, as I try to figure out how it all works. It took a good ten minutes before I could make a merchant work right. He kept telling me that he couldn't find the store. What's fun is that when an NPC isn't working as I expect, I can smite them dead. If only the programs I worked on at my job acted the same way . . .



Well, I finally got a chance to play yesterday

June 20, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I finally got a chance to play yesterday. It was hard fighting Sam off of the mouse, as he was wanting to play at the beginning. After I got him to bed, I created a cleric and started in on the game. It's pretty darn' good so far - looks beautiful and is fun. I haven't played with the toolset yet. Perhaps this weekend I'll have more time, though I'd like to play through the single player game before I get too serious.

I've been getting portraits ready for the game. I counted 44 NPCs in the first module alone, so I'll need quite a few of them. Fortunately, I found a great source of artwork on the web. The copyright issue should be okay, as all the original artists are long dead. At least I hope so - I actually had a dream about copyright issues last night. Sigh.



Well, today's the big day

June 19, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, today's the big day. Supposedly, today at 1 pm, Neverwinter Nights arrives at the software store. I keep hearing excellent things about it, so it's hard to stay calm. Basically, it's the game I've been waiting for for many years. The best part is being able to create your own modules for it. I already have several ready to be built, and eager players at work ready to play. Should be fun.



Neverwinter Nights just went gold

June 12, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Neverwinter Nights just went gold. I'm starting to get excited, as I've been waiting for the game for almost two years now. It'll be a challenge to play the single player game as well as working on the modules I'm planning. The work group is solidifying, and it may be that I end up running the campaign for that crew. It's a bit weird, as I'm basically exposing myself in a fashion. Of course, I do already have an Internet site, so it's not so much of a big deal.



Well, I finally finished Morrowind last night

May 31, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I finally finished Morrowind last night. Once I got toward the end, it wrapped up fairly quickly. The odd thing was that there was a basic "thanks, but feel free to keep playing" message. There's still a bunch of places to go and things to do. I could join one of the Great Houses, become head of the Fighter's guild, or any of a number of things. Still, I think I'm better off getting ready for Neverwinter Nights. I've got lots of stuff to do still.



Morrowind is deep, really deep

May 21, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Morrowind is deep, really deep. I've been going on the lengthy main quest, and the end is not in sight. I've basically stopped most of my guild quests as well, and only periodically go exploring. I figured out how to make big sums of money, found a Daedric shield, and enchanted it to give me +56 strength. The natural maximum is 100, and I'm running around with a strength of 173. It makes carrying things pretty convenient.

I'm also playing around with the toolset for Neverwinter Nights. It's a beta, so it's not complete, but I've started work on some of the modules I've been planning. Should be fun.



I've been having too much fun with Morrowind ...

May 14, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've been having too much fun with Morrowind lately. I'm actually becoming quite powerful, maxing out a few skills and slowly working on my minor and miscellaneous ones. The only skill I regret not taking as a major one is Enchanting. I've discovered that it's clearly the best one around.

This morning, I cleaned out a Dremora shrine, picking up some great magical items in the process. It was pretty easy, and I even went back to another area that had given me great trouble earlier. I've basically become badder than bad bad Leroy Brown. Perhaps this quote from Shaft will help get my message across:

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!



Well, I think I inadvertently caught a glimps...

May 13, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I think I inadvertently caught a glimpse at the end of the game. Sam came down to visit, and he really wanted me to see what was in the middle of the volcano in the center of the island. Well, after much difficulty and many levitation spells, we made it to the top, only to find a strange city among the magma and steam. Sneaking inside, we ran across who I think was the main bad guy. We almost killed him, but I'm not really quite powerful enough.

The game continues to be lots of fun. I'm going back to a save game before our little exploration. I want to do some of the guild quests and perhaps join one of the three big Houses. The fun of this game is definately getting there.



I'm chugging along at Morrowind

May 09, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm chugging along at Morrowind. My character is slowly getting up in levels, which means I can now get into places where the creatures really kick my butt. Having good armor helps a lot, but when there are a bunch of Bone Lords wacking at you, there's not much you can do. I may try an invisibility potion and sneak through, unfortunately it only lasts for 30 seconds or so. Basically, I'm having way too much fun exploring and trying to puzzle my way through these situations. Great game.



I picked up Morrowind Friday, swinging by on ...

May 06, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up Morrowind Friday, swinging by on a lunch date with Jamie. It's a huge game, very immersive. I haven't started along the main quest at all, but instead joined the mage and fighter guild, and have been doing quests for them. The island is huge, with endless little side quests and dungeons. I've been having a great time just cruising around the wilderness in search of adventure. My main character is around level 8 now. I need her to practice magic some more so that I can advance in the mages guild. So, off to a room to cast "Summon Boots" over and over some more.



Well, I just finished Dungeon Siege

April 30, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I just finished Dungeon Siege. It was a quick little ending - colorful and fun, a fitting end to a beautiful and mindless game. I had no idea really why I was defeating the evil badguy at the end. Only that he was evil.

Soon, Morrowind hits the shelves and I'm sure that will keep me busy for some time. Also, I'm starting to get into Neverwinter Nights preparation again. My modules progress well. I've been adding scripting pieces as we find out more of the scripting language. Hopefully my modules end up being interesting and fun.



I'm nearing the end of Dungeon Siege

April 29, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm nearing the end of Dungeon Siege. Having practically no story is a bit disappointing, though the game itself is beautiful. Having completely new foes and landscapes appear frequently certainly helps. I'll probably finish it up in a few days, just in time for Morrowind.



The other day, Sam was talking to Jamie and h...

April 25, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

The other day, Sam was talking to Jamie and he said, "Mom? Did you know there's a new game coming? Neverwinter Nights."

So, it appears some of the enthusiasm has rubbed off on the boy.



I continue to slash and burn my way through D...

April 22, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I continue to slash and burn my way through Dungeon Siege. It's slowing down a bit, as I keep asking that age-old actor's question: "What's my motivation?" The game is beautiful and fun, but there's a nagging voice that keeps asking why my lowly farmer decided to go off and fight evil.

I signed up for the Neverwinter Nights beta signup. I doubt they'll pick me, but it's promising that they're getting close to releasing the game. After Morrowind, I'm hoping that game keeps me going for quite some time.



As soon as Sam and I got home last night, we ...

April 11, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

As soon as Sam and I got home last night, we loaded up Dungeon Siege. Although I was itching to try out the game, that just wasn't going to happen. Sam happily clicked through the game, relegating me to telling the characters to drink health potions and fiddle with the inventory. He seems to do a pretty good job with the game, even though he kept telling me to equip weapons that might have looked cool, but weren't very effective.

The game itself is pretty good. It's got that addictive quality, though the gameplay is fairly simple. The graphics are nice, and some of the environments are beautiful to just walk around in. It's strange playing a game with no load screens - there's very little to distract from the feel of the game world.



On Sunday, Sam was going to bed and talking t...

April 09, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

On Sunday, Sam was going to bed and talking to Jamie. "Not tomorrow, but the next day, is a special day." "Why?" asked Jamie. "Dungeon Siege."

So, it looks like Sam is almost more excited than this game than I am. Now, UPS is saying that it won't be in until Wednesday. Poor Sam will be disappointed.



With Sam perched on my lap, we finished up Je...

April 07, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

With Sam perched on my lap, we finished up Jedi Outcast. The end was non-stop fun, dueling evil Jedi, driving an AT-ST around, and helping out Luke lay down the law. The final battle was frighteningly easy - it was over in about 30 seconds. I had horded all these moble sentry units, which I used to great success.

The good news is that Dungeon Siege on it's way to me. According to UPS, it's coming in Tuesday. I've heard fairly positive reviews from it, though I also hear that the game practically plays itself. That's good, in one sense. Sam should have no problem playing it, which has been problematic with Jedi Outcast. His poor light sabre spent more time cutting through walls that any evil Jedi.



Sam and I have both been enjoying Jedi Knight...

April 03, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Sam and I have both been enjoying Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Sam's favorite thing is to play team multiplayer with a bunch of bots, switch to the lightsabre, then cut holes in the walls while jumping around.

The single player game is pretty fun too. It starts slow, but ends up quite good after you get your light sabre and force powers. The Matrix-like sabre fights with the Reborn are worth the price of admission right there.

Also, I found this fun easter egg where you can get a two-handed light sabre. Great fun.



Well, my copy of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast...

March 30, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, my copy of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast arrived yesterday. I think Sam was more excited than me, as he made me put on the t-shirt that came with it right away. Sam demanded that he get a chance to play first. It took him awhile to get used to the controls, and he wasn't that good at aiming. Still, in God mode and with a little help he managed to get through a bit of the game. He spent a lot of time shooting at walls.

Sam and I also played a bit of Diablo II together. It's a very simple interface, so he can actually play. He also likes it when we both play together. I think his favorite part is making his character talk to mine: "Follow me. Um . . . oops. Run away!" It's hard to hold a conversation when you can only say six phrases.



I'm in the middle of a lull between games

February 27, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm in the middle of a lull between games. Early April is the time when a whole slew of games hit the shelves. I had a coupon for Amazon burning a hole in my pocket, so I preordered Dungeon Siege.

Maybe the weather will be good in March and I'll spend some time doing gardening. It would make a nice contrast to the indoor nerd-life that will soon consume all.



I finished Medal of Honor this morning

February 15, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finished Medal of Honor this morning. The last minute of the game was incredibly hard, and I played it over and over until I made it past. The actual end was a bit of a let-down, as there was no congratulations or ending movie, just the finish of your last mission.

The hype for the next batch of games is beginning. It looks like Morrowind and Dungeon Seige will be out at the same time. I may just have to buy them both, as they look really good. For now, I'll probably catch up on some television shows and perhaps play a bit of Civ 3 with the new patch.



I'm still working away at Medal of Honor

February 05, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm still working away at Medal of Honor. I think I'm close to the end. There are eight major missions, and I've finished six or seven of them. I'm not really sure what I'll do for the next couple months. There are several RPGs coming out around April, each of which look quite good: Morrowind, Dungeon Siege, and Icewind Dale 2. The one I'm really waiting for, Neverwinter Nights, has been delayed until Summer, which I'm a bit bummed about.

On a positive note, Lynda Carter, the actress who played Wonder Woman, is doing some voice over for Morrowind. She'd doing the female Nord character, so I'll have to play that one for the game. Sweet!



I was playing MoH this morning and ran across...

January 28, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I was playing MoH this morning and ran across a strange sound. When I'm manning a stationary machine gun and firing a lot, there's this weird knocking noise that seems to be coming from my left. I kept thinking that someone was knocking on the door, but determined that it was really coming from the game. I still wonder what it's supposed to be. Shells being ejected and hitting a wall? Ricochets? I'm sure that there's a real-life reason for the sound, but it's pretty baffling.



I finished up AvP2, found it to be quite the ...

January 28, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finished up AvP2, found it to be quite the enjoyable game. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, showed up the day before I finished, so I got the opportunity to jump right into it. It is a most excellent game. It's supposedly quite short, maybe eight hours of straight play time, but every moment is pure gold. The variety of missions, the music and sound, the graphics, and the heart-pounding excitement all make for the best first person shooter I've played in years. If I had to sum it up to someone, I'd say it's like being in Saving Private Ryan.

I stormed the beach at Omaha yesterday morning, everything going to pieces and virtually all the men under my command dying within the first few seconds after the Higgins landing craft unloaded. Just making it to the bunkers brought a strong sense of accomplishment. Very tense, very frightening. Glad it's not real.



I picked up Aliens vs Predator 2 pretty cheap...

January 18, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up Aliens vs Predator 2 pretty cheaply after the Christmas season. I loaded it up the other day and found it immensely gripping. I'm currently playing through the marine mission (there's also one for the alien and predator). It's like living through the Aliens movie, which I thought was the coolest thing when I was a teenager.

In a strange way, it's a useful outlet to my current personal stresses. Most modern problems are solved by internal processing, leaving my good ol' caveman instincts screaming for attention. There's nothing quite like opening up on full auto, watching leaping aliens explode in yellow ichor. Sometimes, Grok just want to smash.



Jamie let me know yesterday that she and Sam ...

January 12, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Jamie let me know yesterday that she and Sam would be heading to the beach in early February. Fortunately, that coincides with the time my preorder for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault should be arriving. It's a first person shooter, based in World War II, and is getting rave reviews from everyone who sees it. So, if anyone wonders where I'll be in early February, I'll be drinking beer and storming the beaches at Omaha.



Over the Christmas break, I actually got a ch...

January 03, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Over the Christmas break, I actually got a chance to play a few games. I found a super deal site and bought four pretty good games for fifty bucks. I finished The Longest Journey, one of the better adventure games I've played in quite some time. I also picked up Civilization 3, which is way too addictive. Finally, I got Rune and Wheel of Time, both fantasy action games. I've been pleased with them in general, though I've been comparing them to games that are coming out right around the corner.

Towards the end of this month, I should be getting Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, which is getting good previews in the gaming press. Then it's a long dry spell until some of the year's big hitters: Neverwinter Nights, Dungeon Seige, and Warcraft III are all at the top of my list. Should be a fun year.



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