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An interview posted at Neverwinter Vault talks with BioWare's producer Trent Oster about his latest project, Neverwinter Nights. Specifically, the Q&A deals with their use of the brand-new Third Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules as the basis of this online RPG. BioWare has been working closely with Wizards of the Coast from the beginning, to assure that NWN would stay compliant with the AD&D standards; in fact they were able to introduce some new aspects to the rules themselves. Here's a clip from the interview:

Jonric: In terms of using them as the basis for a computer game, what are the major differences in the 3rd Edition rules compared to the AD&D version it replaces?

Trent Oster: The major changes are the simplification of the rules as a whole and the introduction of Skills and Feats. The 3rd Edition rules are easier to implement on the computer than the second edition rules were due to a number of simplifications in the basic rules. A wonderful simplification is the standardisation of skill attempts and the whole idea of a Difficulty Class (DC). In 2nd edition AD&D it seemed almost every action you attempted had a different set of rules and a different method of resolution. That was why so few non-weapon proficiencies ever made it onto the computer. With the new 3rd Edition, all actions you attempt are resolved in a similar manner, with a similar resolution mechanic and, as a result, you’ll have a wider range to choose from in Neverwinter.

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