Exclusive Interview with Neverwinter's Producer: Behind the New Spelljammer Module

Article Key Points

The Neverwinter team faced challenges in adapting the Spelljammer setting, particularly in capturing the sense of exploration and traveling to different locations in Wildspace.

The Landing Sites in Spelljammer provide a departure from previous modules by offering a greater variety of unique locations. Additionally, there is a larger number of landing sites available.

In response to player feedback, the team has made changes and enhancements to the Paladin class, demonstrating their dedication to addressing player concerns and creating a more balanced gameplay experience.

In an exclusive interview with Our website, Neverwinter Executive Producer Brett Norton discussed how Cryptic Studios successfully incorporated the renowned Spelljammer D&D campaign setting into Neverwinter. Norton highlighted the challenges faced in adapting this distinctive setting and also emphasized how the Wildspace landing sites provided an innovative approach to content and level design in the game.

Q: Neverwinter is venturing into the realm of sci-fi with Spelljammer, a previously unexplored setting in the game. What proved to be the most daunting aspect of immersing ourselves in this new environment?

Norton: While discussing this, we often circled back to the biggest challenge presented by Spelljammer as a whole: effectively portraying the thrill of venturing into Wildspace and visiting numerous diverse locations. Wildspace offers a vast and awe-inspiring expanse, but video games have limitations on the number of specific locations we can include compared to the tabletop game. Initially, we considered setting the module on the Rock of Bral, an immense floating asteroid in Wildspace that acts as a central hub for many tabletop adventures. However, the Rock of Bral, although visually striking from the outside, boasts a surface that resembles the cities and landscapes we have previously created in Neverwinter. There is nothing inherently negative about the Rock of Bral, but focusing solely on it would not capture the essence of space exploration that we aimed to convey. We yearned to explore a wider array of environments beyond just the Rock of Bral, which is why our mapping team proposed the concept of 'Landing Sites' instead.

The Landing Sites for Spelljammer are smaller compared to our previous sprawling adventure zones, but this allowed us to include a larger number of unique locations. This is a significant departure from our past modules, which typically only had one or two thematically similar, large maps.

In addition to the challenges posed by maps and locations, we also had to tackle the task of creating starships for travel through Wildspace. Our art team had to carefully allocate resources and create massive and distinctive spelljamming ships, including the iconic Star Moth of the Astral Elves. We have been working on these ships in secret for quite some time, recognizing the need to plan ahead in order to make Spelljammer truly special.

Overall, our team demonstrated exceptional proficiency in the planning, management, and execution of both the landing sites and spelljammer ships. Spelljammer, being a vast intellectual property, unfortunately necessitated leaving out certain aspects; nonetheless, our meticulous long-term planning and collaborative efforts enabled us to incorporate a remarkable level of diversity into this module, surpassing our initial expectations.

What did you consider essential in conveying the overall atmosphere and mood of Spelljammer? Were there any specific elements or qualities you aimed to incorporate?

Norton: The key focus was on evoking a sense of exploration and awe, which we believe lies at the core of Spelljammer's enjoyment. Including spelljamming ships was a crucial aspect for us, although it may seem obvious, building intricate ship models for a video game was no small feat. We hope that the Wildspace map and the diverse landing sites we have developed effectively capture that feeling of wonder. However, translating the boundless space exploration of the tabletop game into a video game always poses a challenge.

Q: Has it been challenging to work on and find references for the relatively underutilized theme of Spelljammer in video games, considering its limited exposure in the past?

Norton: To some extent, yes. However, we were fortunate to have access to the Spelljammer: Adventures in Space set released by Wizards of the Coast last year. This provided us with a solid foundation to begin with. Although a tabletop and gaming experience have different constraints, the abundance of concept art, characters, locations, etc. in those source books greatly aided us in the process.

We encountered a similar challenge with our Menzoberranzan module, a well-known location in the Forgotten Realms IP that has not been extensively featured in video games or recent D&D tabletop books. To address this, we presented early ideas and concepts to Wizards of the Coast on how we could adapt these settings into a video game, ensuring that we met their aesthetic and narrative requirements.

The positive aspect is that the absence of recent, 'canonical' video games in those areas allowed us the opportunity to establish certain elements ourselves. While we do not know if future games will adopt Neverwinter's interpretation of these settings, we believe that we have done a commendable job and hope that our work proves valuable to future developers facing a similar situation.

Q: What sets Defense of the Moondancer apart from other trials? Are there any unique mechanics or standout features that stand out?

Please note that the content provided has been rewritten for clarity and conciseness.

Norton: To keep things exciting, we decided to take a different approach for our latest challenge. Instead of facing one immensely powerful creature like Gzemnid, players will now take on the collective strength of the Xaryxian Empire. This team raiding the Moondancer consists of numerous soldiers, lieutenants, and is led by the formidable Captain Zoor'lar. The Xaryxian Empire fights as a unified army, and Captain Zoor'lar effectively utilizes his lieutenants to support both himself and his soldiers throughout the trial.

We believe this will present players with fresh tactical obstacles, as they will have to strategically control crowds and employ various effects to handle the soldiers while progressively advancing towards Zoor'lar.

Q: This module signifies the start of extra Spelljammer content in Neverwinter. Can you briefly discuss the long-term vision for Spelljammer content? Will future modules continue to use the Landing Zone system?

Norton: We have not revealed any information regarding future modules in Neverwinter, so we cannot disclose our plans. However, there is a strong possibility of future modules expanding on Spelljammer and, specifically, Wildspace. There is definitely room for more landing sites, and we have numerous ideas that were not included in Spelljammer which we would be enthusiastic to include in a future Neverwinter module.

Q: Players can travel to several planets in Spelljammer. How did you decide which planets to include? Were there certain aesthetic or lore considerations guiding the process?

Norton: Definitely! When it came to choosing locations for Spelljammer, we had a specific goal in mind. We created a comprehensive list of intriguing landmarks and locations that we believed would enhance the experience of Wildspace. However, we had to narrow down this extensive list to the ones that made it into the module. Some of these locations were selected because they possessed a visually stunning, science fiction allure, while others were chosen for their compelling local narratives that had to be shared. Additionally, we incorporated a few maps that tied into our overarching Spelljammer story, Light of Xaryxis, as focal points to drive the main narrative forward.

Q: How did the team approach the narrative aspect of Spelljammer? Did they take inspiration from adventures like Light of Xaryxis, or did they have a specific plot or atmosphere they aimed to create?

Norton: The main storyline of Spelljammer draws inspiration from the Light of Xaryxis narrative. However, when we adapt a tabletop story into Neverwinter, we must make certain adjustments to accommodate the limitations of creating various assets and locations. Tabletop narratives often take players to a multitude of diverse locations, which can be more challenging to replicate in a video game. In Spelljammer, we have introduced numerous original sub-plots, specifically centered around the different landing sites. Our aim is for the overarching plot, influenced by Light of Xaryxis, to be captivating, while also ensuring that the unique narratives found in each location are truly enjoyable.

neverwinter spelljammer combat screenshot

A: The team is constantly improving the process and technical structure of Neverwinter. With Spelljammer, we're introducing new development technology that we hope to utilize in future modules. The goal is for players not to notice these changes, but they will help us create content more efficiently. While building Wildspace, we gained valuable knowledge and experience, but we're still unsure how much of that will be applicable to future adventure zones outside of Wildspace.

Players have the opportunity to explore not only different planets but also asteroid landing sites that offer their own unique content. These special landing sites provide various experiences and narratives for players. While the planets offer more intricate and distinctive storylines, each asteroid has its own captivating quests and small-scale plots. For instance, players may find themselves mediating a confrontation between Orcs and Elves on one landing site, or seeking to gain favor with an intergalactic cartel on another. Excitingly, players might even find themselves involved in rounding up the local space hamster population! The most exceptional landing site is the invasion site, a restricted area where players engage in a time-sensitive raid on a Xaryxian shipyard/docks. This raid-style challenge draws players in naturally when it becomes available and drew inspiration from our previous content, Rage of Bel, several years ago.

Q: The development of the update, including a Paladin class update, took into consideration player feedback. Were there specific player concerns or suggestions that you prioritized during the development process?

Norton: We relied on our community to compile an initial list of known bugs, issues, and weaknesses in classes. Using the Paladin class as an example, we identified several areas that needed improvement before developing the module. We promptly implemented our initial set of changes and made them available on our Preview servers.

After updating the Preview servers, we welcomed feedback from the community. We witnessed active discussions on our official forums and lively conversations on various Discord servers dedicated to MMORPG players. Class balance is a topic that sparks passion among players, and this situation was no different. Throughout multiple iterations, we made continuous updates to the classes, particularly the Paladin (and also the Barbarian in some cases). Our Preview servers functioned as an early access platform, and the feedback from the community proved to be invaluable in not only identifying bugs but also providing crucial feedback on the feel and balance of the classes. We incorporated additional changes based on their requests and, in a few instances, even reversed certain changes that were disliked. Specifically, we rolled back modifications to one Paladin power but used the ideas we liked to enhance a different, less popular power instead.

While developing our tank paragons, the community emphasized the need for improvements to the 'threat' system used by tanks. We implemented significant changes to how tank threat is generated throughout Neverwinter and made systemic adjustments to ensure consistency among all three tank paragons. Consequently, Paladins and Barbarians experienced the most significant impact, but Fighter tanks were also affected by fundamental changes.

Introducing Neverwinter, the D&D-inspired MMORPG developed by Cryptic Studios. Embark on a thrilling adventure set in the renowned Faerun-continent of the Forgotten Realms lore. Engage in class-based combat, immerse yourself in captivating stories, and even experience exhilarating PVP game modes - all within the free-to-play world of Neverwinter.

Platform(s) PC, PS4, Xbox OneReleased June 20, 2013Developer(s) Cryptic StudiosPublisher(s) Perfect World Entertainment, Gearbox Publishing

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the release of the new Spelljammer module for Neverwinter. The Spelljammer setting is a unique and innovative take on the traditional fantasy setting of the game, and I am eager to explore the vastness of Wildspace and visit the many different locations it has to offer. I am also intrigued by the new starships that have been created for travel through Wildspace, and I can't wait to take them for a spin.

Additionally, I appreciate the team's dedication to addressing player feedback and making changes and enhancements to the Paladin class. This demonstrates their commitment to creating a balanced and enjoyable gameplay experience for all players. Overall, I believe that the Spelljammer module will be a great addition to Neverwinter and I am looking forward to experiencing all it has to offer.