Neverwinter Nights 2: NWN 2 Designer Diary & Official Movie

The interview with Darren Monahan focuses our attention on graphics and the inherent cinematic quality it will bring to the game:

When we first set out to design Neverwinter Nights 2, we looked to the community as a source for inspiration and ideas. We had found that many users wanted even more options and greater control through the toolset to bring their worlds alive. One of the first big departures from the first game we decided upon was to allow our designers (and you!) the ability to sculpt exterior areas using a system called "height mapping" instead of the tile-based system in the original NWN. We liked this idea because it would make for more organic and natural areas in the game, and would really help distinguish between travel within dungeons and close quarters to a more-expansive, 3D feel for exteriors. Throughout the course of the game, you will scale the sides of mountains, look over deep chasms, and visit cities that sit atop great cliffs overlooking the Sea of Swords.

Read the article here and download the accompanying video here.