Neverwinter Nights is an RPG with a third-person isometric view based on the 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. All of the systems and rules are handled for you, though it is wise to have some general knowledge of them so that you do not end up in a precarious situation.
Gameplay is mainly mouse controlled for interacting with the world. The keyboard is used for shortcuts to actions such as opening menus, camera manipulation, an alternative method of movement, and commands in the Quickbar.
Left-Clicking in an empty spot on the map will move your character to the spot you clicked. You can hold the button to have the character continuously walk in that direction. Clicking a creature will initiate the default behaviour for that creature. If they are non-hostile this is usually Speak, and if they are hostile it is usually Attack.
Right-clicking will bring up the Radial menu where you can choose a broader range of actions. You'll be using this menu a lot throughout the game.
Main Menu[edit]
When you start the game the main menu has several options to choose.
- New - Start a new game in any of the available modules.
- Load - Takes you to the list of saved games where you can continue playing them, or delete them.
- Multiplayer - Start or join online or LAN games.
- Movies - Rewatch videos you've already viewed of the main modules. You can also view the credits video from here.
- Options - Change various game options. These options are global and take effect for any game you start or continue. They can also be changed while playing.
- Exit - Close the game.
Getting Started[edit]
Choosing "New" on the main menu will take you to a list of modules to choose from. Once you have chosen one to start, you will be asked if you want to "Create New Character" or "Select Premade Character" to play as.
Several premade characters are available to play as and can be a great way to just get into the game and start playing. Select one from the list and hit Play to jump right in. You won't have to worry much about building the character's skills or feats when going this route and can focus on the gameplay and the story.
Creating a Character is also possible. You can choose your Race, Class, Abilities, and Packages or Feats and build and play a character that is truly your own.
Saving and Loading[edit]
You are able to save your game at any time while playing single-player. Just open the Options menu by pressing Escape, O, or clicking the Options button under your character's portrait. At the top of the Options menu is the options to Load, Save, and Save Character.
Save will take you to the list of saved games. You can choose to overwrite an existing save, or save into the "EmptySlot" at the top of the list to create a new entry. You'll be able to give it a descriptive name, and it will also save a screenshot and a small snapshot of relevant details of your character to help further differentiate the save from others.
Load will take you to the list of saved games. Just select one and click the Load button to resume the saved game.
Save Character will create a snapshot of the character and their current equipment that you can load into other modules, allowing you to play the same character in several different adventures.
Radial Menu[edit]
When you right-click somewhere in the game map, on a creature, or an object in the world the Radial menu will appear. This will display a ring with all the actions you can perform on what you clicked. If an option has further actions, it will display a preview of another radial menu and have an arrow pointing from it. Clicking it will display the next level of the radial menu that was previewed. You can go back a level or exit the radial menu by clicking in the center. Clicking outside of the center will perform the highlighted action.
This allows you to perform actions like disarming a trap, bashing a locked door, or even dropping items you do not need on the ground.
The Radial menu can also be controlled by holding the right mouse button down and moving the mouse towards the desired action, or with the numpad keys.