Mask of the Betrayer released!

I am proud and happy to announce the release of the expansion pack to Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Ever since I was, what, 10 years old, I'd had a moderate but not fanatical interest in Dungeons and Dragons.

I enjoyed watching the covers of the Monster Manual, Players Handbook, and Dungeon Masters Guide change from rather hideous to gorgeous (Easley covers) to kinda lame (3.0 and 3.5 covers), and all the fun content therein. My friend Jason (who still has yet to grace the "Heroes" section, but rest assured it'll happen) created an alternate rule set which began with "Welcome to my D&D." I of course copied his idea, but rather than create something new, I copied almost everything verbatim from the Companion rule set of Basic D&D in the 80s.

Later we would both attend the game sessions of WASP (Wargamers Association of Severna Park) in Maryland, which ran all manner of games from Friday Night Firefight to the Dragnonlance board game (surprisingly fun), to custom D&D Battlesystem variants that would last months. Then there were the old fogeys in the back who would play miniature naval strategy games with their cracks showing. We tried to dim the lights there so no one would lose their lunch.

Painting miniatures, the adrenalin rushes during a campaign when a REALLY good DM was in charge, geekily comparing different dice sets. It all ended around college (with the last role playing experiences being Shadowrun).

Bored yet? I'm sure you are, let's get to the damn meat. Mask of the Betrayer is the first D&D product I've worked on, and I was salivating at the opportunity. It turned out to be a game that had a great storyline and dialogue, impressive graphics and some new game mechanics that took the standard Baldur's Gate isometric system to a new level. All I had to do was get the audio in there and make it sound pretty.

Over 4 months I worked with Womb Music who provided VO and music (I wrote around 50 minutes worth, Womb provided about 75), and Nathan Lee Smith (NL3 Audio) who provided SFX, Kevin Saunders, producer, Nathan Davis, associate producer, and pretty much the entire team on and off to integrate everything. It turned out better than I expected.

First, head to http://www.nwn2.com and hear the music for yourself. Or, if you're feeling dangerous, buy the game.

Next, here's some reviews:

Gamespot: "The audio experience in Mask of the Betrayer is excellent, from the abundant and solid voice acting to the bombastic orchestral music that swells during battles."

Neverwinter Vault: "In my review of the NWN2 OC, I was extremely critical of the recycled music and seemingly unenthusiastic approach to diversify the music selection. I can proudly say that they made having interesting and unique music a priority, and it was used so well that Mask of the Betrayer forms it's own outstanding musical identity that sets it apart from other games (much like Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale). This critical aspect of uniquely identifying itself with its mood attuned audio helps to make Mask of the Betrayer take on a life of its own."

Game Informer: "Lots of good voice acting enriches the story immensely."

IGN: "Well performed voice acting, an excellent score, and solid battle sounds."

I can close the book on "I wish I had worked on a D&D game". The game really doesn't feel like an expansion, but a sequel, and a fine sequel at that. I want to thank everyone on the team who pulled serious hours to make it happen and help me get the support I needed, and above all my wife for putting up with me being gone most of the time for a month and a half. She's due for some pampering.