Ask Us Anything

[Nokteronoth]

Hello everyone!

These are some general notes about the Ask Us Anything we did on February 1, 2026. These notes are NOT word for word. This is a rough transcription that I put together while we actively answered things. I will apologize for the shitty formatting:

How do NPCs/the setting treat Alyrae with the pineapples?
- Not many have actually ever reacted.
- Silly antics get a giggle but often get shadowed over for more serious responses.

(Side tangent that we do try to keep a separation between silly parts of the setting and serious, with suspension of disbelief being core to where that distinction should be. Killing Varyxia 5x a week = no bueno. Saying you killed 'a dragon' more or less fine.)

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Has it been hard to tweak/balancing or changing feats or classes knowing how sometimes the players can react?

- We always consider player feedback and reactions in pretty much all balance changes, because it's sometimes not worth the arguments or fighting that might come afterwards after a particular buff or nerf.
- Example given about the XP system. Daily ticks had players leave because they thought levelling was going to slow down.
- A hard note was given that no balance changes are permanent, we change things if they don't work.
- Players originally were upset about fairy ticks because they felt like event XP was getting devalued.
- Recap of the history of Swordmage and that it was entirely super overtuned on going into the server, people upset with the nerf bat. SM used to be able to take on level 15 content at sub-level-7.
- Buffing is a lot easier than nerfing, because nerfing means a lot of relevels across the entire playerbase every single time.


- - sub note: Fury demands to be called Doctor for a week after his dissertation is done.
- Note from Pope: Is the balance team in agreement on things? Answer: Almost never. We argue all the time about like every single detail.
- - sub note: No automated relevels because scripts break things, characters have troubles and problems that really, really need a DM there to handle if there's a problem.
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Is there anything in the works that would let players spend their marks? Aside from houses, casters have epic spells, but that's limited. Martials don't really have anything.

- 'The gold spell' potentially being added, you can spend money and do damage.
- Martial epic feat project - This is difficult from trying to not power creep the server more, but we're looking into an epic spell alternative type of system, but it's hard to balance without just adding even more damage across the board. Maneuvers like in the Epic Level Handbook. Will not cost a feat slot, but will cost MM and research time.
- Adding gold sinks is difficult since the economy is one-sided in that you can farm it infinitely.

-'Build a pet?' system suggested, gold sink to maybe be able to customize a little baby summon creature.
- Potential crafting system in the future, but again, needs a lot of mechanical consideration and balance. This is a very long term project for the future. Fury has a minor idea for some mundane ish craftables for things like different elemental grenades or buff items, but doesn't want to completely ruin scrolls.


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Are we adding Alchemist or any other PRCs soon?

- Vince has maybe an idea for alchemist, but it's going to need a crapton of planning and balance work, and we'd basically be making it maybe like an INT based warlock in functionality and play.
- SP works in short bursts of inspiration, doesn't have any plans at the moment.
- Fury has an idea for a CON-based class.
- Vince also wants to make Inquisitor.
- Shaman is a maybe, more of an innate/CHA based druid. (No Spirit Shaman)
- Nok might want a Knight class, at some point, with a proper Challenge.

What classes would you add if you didn't have to worry about the game or what's possible in the engine? - Kineticist, Psychic, (Joke about fixing Coup De Gras and removing the level limit.)
- - Sub topic: Are there feats we could add? - Some, but a lot of them have to do with things that are hardcoded in the game engine, or it's NWN and something we can't do in the game.

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What is something the Developers want to add be it class or item etc?

SP : I want to add things to break up the repetitive nature of the times between bigger plots and server things. Might be weekly/daily dungeon quests, etc.
Vince: Randomized areas or mobs/modifiers, something like heroic or mythic dungeons in WoW or other MMOs.
- Possible infinite dive with increasing difficulty and rewards.


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Are there any plans to curb or put a halt to the increasing amount of catcalling / sexual harassment RP that has been on the rise?

- We do try to handle it if we can, but we don't see it all the time. Upper staff isn't topside all the time. PLEASE send in reports or let the upper staff know if there is something.
- If you don't see a public response, it's because we've tried to handle it in private to keep any victims' privacy in the front.
- If you are uncomfortable dealing with something, we're happy to be intermediaries or to pass on wishes for no-contact, low-contact, or setting boundaries.
- Biggest concern is player comfort and consent. If people aren't having fun, then it should be dealt with.
- We'll never complain about something being reported.
- From Fury: Haven't ever seen retaliatory action for reporting anything since they joined the server. Nobody's going to get after you for 'How dare you report ME?!'
- From Fire: Example about Lurker. Newer player put in complaints about them. Nobody else had been until we started actually looking/asking after that, and apparently there was a widespread pattern of problematic activity, because it was assumed that they were friends with staff.
- From Fury: We often only hear about people coming back to the server after a problem has left, but it'd be really nice to know about the problem before they drive people off in the first place.
- From Nibbles: Rest assured, none of you are my friends, and I will turn on any of the staff who are being problematic. (Half joking.)
Vince: I have banned my friends from the server
- General note that we don't care what players do in private as long as it's between consenting adults.


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Regarding "characterization based in harmful racial stereotypes" being "strictly prohibited on this server;" what is considered a harmful racial stereotype? One can see the obvious, such as "this group is prone to [insert generally negative behavior]" or "these people do/don't do [insert behavior]," but is it not considered a harmful racial stereotype to have, say, a character from the eastern continent be, say, obsessed with honor to the detriment of all else, or a brogue character that speaks as if their education is severely lacking?

"There have been recent announcements (citing specifically from Nibbles and Lady Bug) addressing inappropriate or disrespectful behavior. For players who weren't present or directly involved, it can be difficult to understand what kinds of actions led to those messages and to be absolutely clear on what to avoid doing. Could you share an example for clarity?"

- N: The short answer is that we don't want people to feel uncomfortable, and especially not over things that are out of their control. When dealing with stereotypes, these are things that have been and continue to be weaponized, so when you come into a video game where it's not 1:1 analog, and those same descriptions are being used, it feels as if there is a targeted use of it without a need or purpose. Similar to the LGBTQ announcement, we'd seen an uptick of people that had opinions that were less-kind to those who might follow 'alternative lifestyles' and we aren't going to stand for it. It's not political, it's just a moral stance that we aren't going to allow hate to be spread. If it's racial, sexual, or gender stereotype that has been used in a harmful way, we don't like that. Ultimately, if people in those spheres feel harmed, then we need to address those. If you want to avoid it, spend a little time thinking about how others might feel. If you don't have experience or knowledge, accept a little bit of responsibility and try to do better the next time. Do your best. We'll get along fine if you try. However, if you stick your heels in and don't see any issue when we do, then there's going to be a conversation about this not being the space for you.

This goes for sexism and several other -isms. Trans people definitely exist in the realms, for example, sex changing magic is pretty regular and normal. Sexuality is pretty fluid and widely accepted. Not all relationships are a nuclear family, polyamory is pretty regular, just like worshipping multiple deities. Some characters might believe in one thing, but it shouldn't be translated OOCly. There are other places to play if you feel that those things don't belong.

- Fury: Kara-Turan characters getting an accent or being described in an insensitive way is the most common. (See swapping Ls and Rs.) - Nico asked "On that note I have a question what guidelines "how to" for races that are known for xenophobia such as drow?  Hell even Sun Elves culturally are described as xenophiopic. Is it taken as not canon? I stay away from it by default but I dont know what the rule of thumb is?" - Fantasy racism is fine, it has setting relevance and importance. It's when OOC problems bleed into the game that there are issues. Final Girl pointed out "I'd point out that being like 'their DARK SKIN is emblematic of their EVIL' is SUPER not cool." - This is true. Drow are not evil because they're dark of skin. They're evil because their society has made them incredibly competitive and ruthless, often uncaring of others.

- SP: Substituting RL languages for in game languages is also a really jarring issue. Most things in Maztica as far as the rework have to do with breaking up RL analogues in the lore and making it less problematic.

- Fire: This is why we added in things like the regional languages. People using Tolkien Elven instead of in game Elven, which doesn't really work in FR and it made things incredibly difficult for players that didn't have Erdu memorized, which is othering and not great. (Notes later after Nibbles' bit on isms) The Realms are full of all sorts, and we try to be really welcoming to most all sorts. Remember the paradox of tolerance. TSR tamped it down for the official lore and releases, but Greenwood and the other authors are accepting of different lifestyles being normative. There -is- some degree of having to do heteronormative decorum involving nobility in the Realms, but that's mostly because of heredity and inheritance and that kind of thing.

- Nok: Don't use RL slurs. Don't pull RL stuff into the game. Come up with fresh fantasy things about what people do, not what they are. If you need swear words or insults in the realms that are common, Greenwood has made a list (several of them) in our approved Elmister Presents The Forgotten Realms books. (Book note by Fire) The line is where you start making people feel bad for what they are.


Top note from SwordSaint:
SwordoSainto, Fist of Goose
— 5:35 PM
Exotic is a weapon proficiency, not a way to describe people

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"I've noticed that admins rarely participate in regular gameplay alongside the wider community. Do you think this approach can create a sense of distance between players and the administration?"

- We do play, it just tends to be odd hours. FW is on Evaelyn a lot. Nok plays like 2-8 AM CST often, and doesn't sit around the Square much. Vince does dungeons early pacific time. We do all agree that it's important to keep playing with everyone when we can.
- FW: We set it up a long time ago that we wanted to guarantee that everyone on staff -has- to be a player first. We don't have separation between staff and players because that makes different classes of players, which just doesn't work.

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Is there any plans to look at ECL races in their performance as primary casters? Be it a feat able to be chosen or the likes to help in some manner.
- Not really at the moment.
- The races tend to get an easier time maxing out their casting stat, so we aren't highly interested in allowing them to exceed ECL 0 casters via HD.
- On the whole this has been balanced to even out mostly around level 30, +/- 3% or something.

Follow up from Nico: "I have a question; I am a huge fan of the spells and the effects you all have added (looking at you spell that allows me to make a house to rest in) Are there plans for more spells /changes to effects visuals etc"
SP: No plans, but try to tweak things up when we get the idea for them. The main thing to understand as far as dev goes, for new content, is that it's very rare a system is planned for a long time before going in. Like, I don't really have much of a backlog. It's more that I work in bursts of manic ADHD hyperfocus, so uh, just get me ideas and they may make it in.
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"How do you feel Cormyr & the Dalelands has evolved over the past year?"
- Fury: There are a lot more of you. Though that's mostly been a last month or two thing.
- FW: There have been staff departures that have mixed things up a lot. We've had some trouble tying up plot threads from that, and had difficulty trying to get organized and back on track. We are in a better place, between all of Spacepope's dev work and in terms of getting things sorted. There haven't been too many heavy plots going on, which is unfortunate. (Fury apologizes.)
- SP: We did have a lot of new people, and it's looking hopeful in the future for more plots. <Plug for joining the aDM team here.>

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"What changes are you most proud of?"
- Nok: The wiki. Everyone came together to do a ton of work and put it together and its now the best source of info on any server remaining in NWN. Getting apps on a set schedule has been a game changer, big thanks to Nibbles and Ladybug for helping keep it steady.
- Vince: Hate that we lost all the old changelogs from old forums. Shoutout to all of the editing tools that Pope put together. Very proud and happy with warlock and the fact that it exists and is in a good place and out of the dev document, after 8 years+, it languished because it was going to be kludgy and SP found great ways to do things. Similarly, the swordmage rework.
- SP: Updating all the spell entries for the spells so they're all correct, because everything was off and wrong in little ways. The forum was still wrong in a lot of ways. It's kind of hard to choose, but proud of all the changes and seeing everyone enjoy everything.
- Nibbles: Spell scaling. It just made playing a blaster caster feel good.
- Fury: The nerfing of my own character. Nerfs will continue until gishes are not dominant.

NOTE: Not having to do LETO work is incredible.
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"With the benefit of hindsight, is there anything you would approach differently now?"
Nok - Should have banned a few people a lot faster, been more active on dealing with problems.

Noting some about thanks to Fox, SP, Ray.

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"Where do you feel the server is most constrained right now?"

- Nok: Constraint is in the number of DMs, their energy, and how many plots they can run. There's burnout and RL stuff and imposter syndrome and all sorts.
- FW: In agreement, there's a lot of burnout and other problems that can drive people to not want to run anything, and that's the biggest driver of engagement and story for the server.
- Fury: Nothing kills enthusiasm quite as much as having to get after people for rules breaks or other problems.

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"In what areas do you feel the team's intentions are most often misunderstood?"
- Nerfs, balance changes.
- Bans

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"What part of the server and work still excites the team the most?"
- Nok: Server plots
- Fury: Agree, but also crafting system
- Ray: While pope is doing serious work, Ray is doing things that don't matter and ways for players to blow themselves up. Non-combat related, non-quest, things outside of those realms that will induce some roleplaying. Looking forward to giving some extra fun out to players.
- SP: Super excited about Ray's stuff coming out, it's really impressive.
- Nibbles: A lot of different things. One, hopefully, cooking up a big plot, haven't said much about it. Don't want to tease and not deliver, as well as a dungeon and something that has been requested, a document and how-to on creating custom content on the server. Help with how to make things in Blender, how to import and how to do exporting, robes, cloaks, et cetera. (Nibbles hates cloaks. USE POPE'S PLUGINS.)
- Vince: Mostly enjoyed making dungeons. Wanting to get back to making more dungeons as time permits. (Noted working on a history post for the server, how we got where we are, 20 years along the server's path, what we learned, et cetera.)
- FW: What the players are trying to do with getting stuff going with Yulash especially. It was a pet project to expand into Cormanthor and Yulash. It's great seeing the Banite group, Furies group, mercenaries, everyone trying to get involved.

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What do you think could help encourage more player-run events? As an example as I came from PoTM, the majority of events are driven by players rather than DMs. ^^
- Nok: Think about what people are going to do RL. Explore together, do competitions, go visit a town as a mercantile company to get better deals on goods, start a cult.
- Fury: The tools being added, for example, the camping gear. Placeables and other things (credit to Ray.)
- Vince: It can help to write a background, even if its basic or your character is a local or whatever.
- SP: There's also mentor/student RP, teaching classes, doing studies on various creatures or places. EX inventors forum that Rubi started. The fighting pit. The DMs can't do much to lead player events, it has to come from the players.
- Nibbles: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it run an event.
- FW: It's not just being open to conflict, but the other problem is that not everyone wants that conflict. There's inherent imbalances and it tends to make a lot of PvP unfun. So a lot of player events in the form like other servers (PotM, Arelith), where PvP is core, we can't really do that much.

Red Mage mentioned: "I really liked Runai's lectures and even the old plots Cherrycoke ran as a DM. I still talk about the gnomish "captives" in highmoon making clockwork stuff. It's been pretty pivotal to my gnomes to explain their innate desire of freedom and aversion to any sort "captivity(or darker)"."


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Are there any plans for large-scale server events, like wars or other sorts of incursions that may shift what enemies populate the overworld, or open up new dungeons and quests?

Also, are there any plans for expansion to the overworld map, or is it considered to be feature complete at this time?
- Nok: Most certainly adding in a few areas here and there, and doing a lot of server plots. Lot of stuff in the pipe, like Factions of Old (perhaps in two parts.) Probably not going to be doing Cormyr-based big plots for a while.
- Fury/FW: Probably going to expand Evereska more and flesh it out. Depending on how Unmartyred goes, and builder participation, we might add Teshendale or Teshwave, which might add in a unique version of server canon depending on how the plot turns out. There are also spells or some other things that might be added or changed depending on how the plot goes. MAYBE playable race expansion. Perhaps another server plot after Unmartyed that centers around a dungeon that needs to be cleaned out.
- Vince: Expanding the desert and connecting to Evereska is a definite potential. Probably not doing sweeping changes to overland mobs, though we will update or add more dungeons. Dungeons are a lot of work, so probably not going to clean them out or remove them.
Nibbles: A plan for Semberdale and Yulash bigger plot/events.

Honorable note: Edge and others working on other dungeons out in the dales and perhaps Misty might add more things out in the world.

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What aspect of the server does upper staff think has the most room for improvement, and what are some ideas to do so?
- Nok: Being decisive and acting more quickly. Think that just has to come with practice.
- Nibbles: Communication is a skill that needs active practice. Should always be worth practicing and talking between staff and players pretty much all the time.
- SP: Rebalancing and doing a pass-over of old content, especially old dungeons that don't feel worth running. That's the current big project right now.
- Fury: A lot of older content and things need brought up to current standards. Note that Misty is going through ALL the loot list. Also wanted to add in a lot of inter-group communication between various factions in Unmartyred and whatnot.


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Each DMs/ Devs fav NPC or Dungeon Boss?
- Fury: Asylum, Boss: Faeriophax, (honorable mention to the former doctor), Formerly Manynests (May still be if not Milil.) Lykor. Honorable mentions Erixitl *spelling may be wrong*, and The Vagabond King. Plot: The Thirteenth Heart, Coinflip
- Nok: Tower of Ruin, end boss on Well of Dragons, NPC? Hard question. Brorrin (Honorable mention to the Multicolored Knight.)
- Vince: Tower of Ruin (original story involved a creature stealing locks of hair), favorite boss: Hags(3), NPC: Dance of Pales' Bixby
- Nibbles: Asylum (references, details) but planned dungeon randomizer, Dungeon NPC: Asbaron, NPC: Puck
- FW: NPC: Tiddlfaranian, Liesel Hawkfeather (Silvery killed the original, Liesel's uncle Torvath.), Claudiane the Empress of Winter, Boss: Umbra Obscura, Event NPCs: A lot of the nobles that Blackheart and Ladybug made for the various noble events. Dungeon: Tilverton Ruins. Favorite plot: HWC, Coinflip. Honorable Mention: Rykka quest, refugees in the east district of Arabel.
- SP: Hard to pick something.