We wanted to have reactive, realistic characters, a story that adapted to the player's decisions, an immersive world with stunning visuals, etc.
Of course, we wanted to make the best RPG experience we could, while improving the tools for the mod community as much as we could. While it's true that some in game development get rich, most of us work hard just to be able to pay the bills and live a life like everyone else (our big payoff is that we tend to love our jobs). Unless we can do it efficiently enough, we go out of business. Fans probably hate to hear this, but at the end of the day, developing games is a business. Kevin: My answer is boring, but our primary goal was creating a great game on time and within our budget. GB: What was your primary goal with Mask of the Betrayer and do you feel that you accomplished it? I've been playing D&D since I was 5 and have a deeply rooted passion for the game. My educational background was in environmental engineering, but I've been a game designer for over nine years, working on titles such as Shattered Galaxy (MMORTS), C&C Generals: Zero Hour (RTS), and Knights of the Old Republic 2 (RPG).
Kevin: My name is Kevin Saunders and I was the lead designer and the producer for NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer. GB: Tell us a little about yourself and your role in the creation of Mask of the Betrayer. With Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer finished and on store shelves, we fired over a handful of tough questions to lead designer and producer Kevin Saunders.