Fans of online gaming have been enjoying the release of new modules in the Dungeons & Dragons inspired MMORPG Neverwinter since 2013. Integrating the concepts from content in D&D sounds like a challenging task, but Neverwinter does so with care and finesse. Thanks to dedicated creators like Neverwinter’s Lead Designer Randy Mosiondz, fans continue to get quality updates in the MMORPG’s storyline.
Games like Neverwinter mesh the world of Dungeons & Dragons with the accessibility of online play. This allows fans who may not have the ability to run a full campaign from their living room to step into the world of Faerûn and connect with other RPG gamers in an epic adventure. Neverwinter has 19 modules for players to explore and more on the way, the most recent being Avernus which was released this year in June. Players have the ability explore the Forgotten Realms in a whole new way in Neverwinter, while delving into the games’ rich storyline.
Screen Rant had the chance to speak with Randy Mosiondz about what it is like to be the Lead Designer for Neverwinter, and what helps him to create the stories for each of the modules in the game. He also reveals how 36 years of D&D Dungeon Master experience have influenced his creative choices for the game.
We are here today with Randy Mosiondz to talk about the game Neverwinter, and the inspiration that goes into developing such a complex MMORPG. What originally inspired you to get involved in designing Neverwinter?
I’ve had a passion for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game for a long time, having both run and played games in Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, and Dark Sun. I also played a lot of BioWare’s Neverwinter Nights back in the day. I’d been working as a designer at Cryptic Studios for years at this point, and had just finished work as Lead Designer on Champions Online. The Neverwinter team was looking at bringing on more designers onboard the pre-launch team, so when asked, I happily agreed.
Designing game content that has spanned the last seven years is no small undertaking. Randy, what helps you to continue finding inspiration for new module content?
Part of the inspiration comes with our strong ongoing relationship with Wizards of the Coast. With a large amount of the game at launch being based on the D&D 4th edition version of the city of Neverwinter and the Forgotten Realms setting, we’ve been working with them closely ever since pre-launch on coordinating tabletop content with our Neverwinter content. Since launch, and through the development of D&D 5th edition, we’ve coordinated much of our content to roughly coincide with D&D tabletop releases.
That being said, we do also have a lot of original content in Neverwinter. There is a lot of great inspiration for new content that can be taken from story threads in the tabletop game books and novels.
And of course we still work with Wizards of the Coast on making sure it fits the context of the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons and the Forgotten Realms.
Out of the 19 modules of DLC that have been released throughout Neverwinter’srun time, what is the module you like the best and why?
I think for me it would have to be Ravenloft. There are a lot of elements that we just got right in developing the module. The gothic horror-fantasy setting of Ravenloft makes it fairly distinctive. We built a really strong grounding for the thematic elements of the setting and incorporated them well into the environment, gameplay, and story. Strahd was a memorable villain, too, both monstrous and tragic. I think it’s also a favorite of many of our fans.
With Dungeons & Dragons continuing to release new content, is it possible that there could be expansions on available classes and races in future updates for Neverwinter? If so, what new race or class would you like to see added the most?
New classes or races are always possible! In our recent Avernus module we actually had the Aasimar race as a reward unlock for completing the Redeemed Citadel episode pass system, and the previous year we had the Gith race option. We also have a new class in the works, but we’ll be revealing more details in time. As I can’t reveal too much right now, I’ll just say that my personal preferences align with what we’re planning for the new class!
As a long-time D&D player and Dungeon Master, what has been the most influential changes you’ve seen in the game and has that affected your work as a game designer for Neverwinter?
A big part of it for me were the changes that came about in D&D 5th edition. Wizards of the Coast took several of the elements that were core to the D&D, updated the game mechanics to a modern and more accessible aesthetic, and iterated a lot with the community before final release.
For me, that’s been reflected in our approach to how we implement new and revised content. Neverwinter is a D&D game at its core, so we want to make sure our content reflects that, even if our gameplay mechanics are a bit different to fit the action-MMORPG implementation. Our ongoing gameplay revisions are intended to make our content accessible for new players while still offering challenges to our more veteran players. And our Collaborative Development Program (CDP) ensures that the changes we’re making incorporate player feedback.
As a Dungeon Master, do you have a story from a playthrough that has stood out to you and acted as inspiration for module content, or helped you in creating new stories?
I’d have to go back to the Ravenloft Curse of Strahd tabletop adventure. When I ran the adventure for a bunch of my co-workers, there were certain atmospheric details that prompted great player reactions. It ranged from the interactions with the Barovians and Strahd to the fear of the night when the creatures emerged to stalk them. It was those same details we incorporated when putting together our Ravenloft module for Neverwinter, which did a lot to convey its distinctive atmosphere.
What is it like to be a game designer for a game like Neverwinter, being a D&D fan and DM yourself?
It’s great! How often do you get to be a Dungeon Master for millions of players?
In a more practical sense, having your creative hobby also be the focal point of your creative work has a lot of advantages. Whenever someone has a question about creative direction pertaining to D&D, I’m available to guide the process as the Lead Designer and loremaster for D&D. Having that passion for what makes D&D fun is an excellent guiding force to have on the team.
What was your favorite race to create content for from a story-telling perspective and why?
I think the Gith content in our Undermountain module was the most interesting, because it dealt with a race uniquely D&D with an interesting and otherworldly origin. Having a race that was held in thrall to the mind flayers for generations, and now the Gith now range from the Astral Plane to Limbo, makes for some interesting character concepts and storytelling.
As a long-term table-top gamer, what is your favorite class to play as and what is your least favorite class to deal with as a Dungeon Master?
My favorite class to play is Wizard. Lots of arcane knowledge, and a huge range of spells to choose from. Starts off a bit fragile and limited, but becomes godlike in power later on. It takes a certain amount of courage to go into a dungeon in robes, but it’s worth it!
As for least favorite class to deal with as a Dungeon Master: also Wizard. When you’re trying to build challenges for players, having a class that is effectively an arcane Swiss army knife makes that difficult. It’s not so bad at the lower levels, but when you’re trying to run higher-level content, you really have to be on your toes!
What is the hardest part about creating story content for Neverwinter?
Probably the toughest part is getting the right mix of familiar and new gameplay. Players who have been with the game for a while know what they like, and we want to provide more of that. At the same time, if we don’t try innovating, the gameplay starts to stagnate and feel the same. That’s why we typically try to change up the themes of the modules every module or two, while introducing new gameplay elements for each module.
What is it like working with Wizards of the Coast regarding what can go into Neverwinter, and has it ever held you back as far as creativity and writing for new modules goes?
Working with Wizards of the Coast has been great! We meet every week to touch base on development and review things the Neverwinter team has created. This has helped us build a strong working relationship and trust over time. We haven’t had much problem; occasionally there’ve been clarifications and revisions on how certain factions, monsters, or key IP characters might act in terms of D&D in the Forgotten Realms, but there hasn’t been major re-writes necessary. I think it also helps that we have a lot of D&D players on the team and developers who are willing to take a dive into the D&D lore, so there’s less of a problem in making the game into something it’s not.
Are there any new modules in the works for the game currently? If so, when can players expect to hear more about these updates?.
We are almost always creating new modules! Our next module is coming out in early 2021, but we can’t provide more details at this time. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
What has been the coolest experience you have had while working on content for Neverwinter?
The coolest experience for me was working with R.A. Salvatore on an in-game Neverwinter story arc. Bob is a N.Y. Times bestselling author who defined so much of what the Forgotten Realms is through his stories, including the Neverwinter Saga novels. It was fantastic working with him on translating his stories and character into a playable game experience in Neverwinter. He’s a great guy, and I always look forward to catching up with him at Wizards of the Coast gatherings.
Do you have any advice for new Dungeon Masters who might feel intimidated by the expansive content and the complexities of running their own campaign?
Probably the best bit of advice is to start small. You don’t need to build every intricacy of the massive campaign world, because that’s when it becomes overwhelming to new Dungeon Masters. Stick with rough frameworks, and fill in the details when needed. Within that framework, pick something like a small dungeon adventure with a nearby village to develop in more detail to get your players started. When your players go through the adventure and want to play more, start adding more details to your game world based on what they want to do. If you have a particular story you want to tell, work in story leads into the earlier adventures. In time, you’ll have a more fleshed-out world based on your original rough ideas and the interactions with your players.
What are some future projects that you specifically would like to work on, both with Neverwinter and other ideas?
Caveat: I can’t speak specifically to what my team is working on or anything my team has planned for the future. This is more-so what I’m interested in working on at some point in the future.
As a former programmer and long-time game designer, I’ve always been interested in effective procedurally-generated content. The trick being that there have to be enough random elements to keep things interesting, as people are very good at picking up patterns in multiple playthroughs. Incorporating elements like an AI director component can help a lot, as it can incorporate on-the-fly dynamic gameplay elements based on player activities and momentum.
As a long-time DM and someone who has put so much dedicated time towards content like Neverwinter, what does D&D mean to you as a creator?
D&D is a great inspirational source for me. If you watched Stranger Things, I was pretty much one of those kids in the basement playing D&D! Over the years, D&D has evolved into a pop culture phenomena, which is not something I was expecting so many years ago! And whether it’s as a tabletop game or an online video game like Neverwinter, it brings people together for a fun shared experience they’ll remember for years to come. That’s a powerful thing, especially during times when it’s difficult for people to get together normally.
Neverwinter is free-to-play on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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