Neverwinter and User-Generated Content are two terms that go hand-in-hand with one another. Ever since Neverwinter Nights, the PC RPG from Bioware that originally released back in 2002, the games have always featured robust tools and systems for players to author their own content. While The Foundry in the latest Neverwinter game, an MMORPG from Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment, may not be quite as deep as the previous Neverwinter games, it offers more than enough to satisfy the urge of Dungeon Masters and amateur developers the world over.

For more information on the game itself, you can check out my first-impressions of the press beta right here, as well as my interview with the Lead Producer. This spotlight video series, instead of focusing on the core game itself, will dive into the intricacies found within The Foundry, or the user-generated content creation hub of the game. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, it’s easy for beginners to try out on the surface, but if you peel back the layers, you’ll find a powerful tool with little more than your imagination providing limitations.

In the video series below, I was joined by The Foundry‘s Producer at Cryptic Studios, Rob Overmeyer, as he walked me through each individual section and step needed to make your own quest. Check it all out!

Part 1 – Overview, Story Structure and Dialogue

Part 1 of our Foundry Spotlight includes a general overview, as well as details on how to structure your story when making an adventure. The system lets you implement everything from dialogue, quest objectives and anything else you could ever really want to include in a quest. Instead of detailing it all here, I’ve provided the video above that covers it all in much more detail than I ever could. Check it out up above!

Part 2 – Maps, Mapping and Maps

Part 2 of our Foundry Spotlight covers everything you ever wanted to know about mapping in the Foundry. This includes how to edit premade maps, how to add and tweak details, how to create your own custom maps and even how to 3D edit them on-the-fly while previewing the zone itself. Check it out!

Part 3 – More Maps, NPCs and Final Questions

The final part of our Foundry Spotlight includes all the rest of the information you want on maps, as well as how to add, tweak and change around the NPCs and enemies in the game. Finally, we wrap things up with some final nagging questions I had and close down the walkthrough. Check out part 3 up above!

Overall, I was captivated by the sheer level of details available for budding authors. I highly recommend that as soon as your character has access, go check out some of the Foundry content. Then once you hit 15, make sure you refer to these videos to learn up on how to be an expert quest author. What better teacher than the producer of the program itself?

Let us know your thoughts on the Foundry and the rest of the game down in the comments below! Have you made anything yet?

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