So what are you doing for the next six months? How about playing a highly entertaining and absorbing Fantasy Role Playing Game. Neverwinter Nights Diamond has the original NWN, the two expansions Shadow of the Undertide, and Hordes of the Underdark, as well as 3 stand-alone Premium modules (i.e., you would normally have to pay to download these from Bioware's NWN website), Kingmaker, Witch's Wake, and Shadowguard. One very important note about this product that should have be posted clearly is that THIS IS A DVD (i.e. your computer needs a DVD drive to use this product.
One excellent feature of the Diamond Edition is that all the enhanced skills, abilities and character classes made available in the expansions are automatically available in the Original Campaign.
The Bioware website is a wonderful source of information for new players, so do not feel daunted by the multitude of choices. If your previous experience of FRPG ha been a choice of Human, Elf, or Dwarf; or a Class choice of Fighter, Cleric, or Mage, then all the combinations possible between 7 races and 11 classes (not to mention the 11 prestige classes = Multi-Class options)certainly will be quite astounding.
On-line gaming is available, for those interested in MMOPRG (Massively Multi player On-line Role Play Gaming).
Characters can be saved to the "Local Vault' on your computer, so that you can use them again. After completing the Original Campaign, all the chapters become available as individual modules, so if you were wondering "What would it be like to complete Chapter 3 as a Wizard/Arcane Archer instead of a Ranger/Monk?" you have that option without starting off with Basic Training. (Although you will likely need a training module to generate a character of sufficiently high level to survive.
While speaking of modules, it should be noted that if you have spare time left after completing the OC, the two expansion campaigns, and the three premium modules, the enormous and enormously creative NWN community as created a vast number to freely downloadable modules with such widely varying styles as comedy, mystery, and science fiction (FRPG with Joss Whedon's Firefly, anyone?)
So I ask again, what would you like to be doing for the next 6 months? If playing a well thought out FRPG is a possibility, you would do well to give NWN Diamond Edition a try. For the amount of enjoyable hours that may be spent playing, this is truly a remarkable value.
