'Neverwinter' to reward quest creators with achievements, Dungeon Master levels

Cryptic Studios' free-to-play MMO Neverwinter will reward user-generated content creators with unique achievements and a Dungeon Master level, CCO Craig Zinkievich revealed at GDC Europe today.

Cryptic Studios' free-to-play massively multiplayer online game Neverwinter will reward user-generated content creators with unique achievements and a Dungeon Master level, CCO Craig Zinkievich revealed at GDC Europe today.

Folks who create levels and quests using Neverwinter's robust Foundry toolset will be able to complete tasks tied to the creation and promotion of their user-generated content, such as publishing a certain number of quests, or earning the highest review rating for their levels. These achievements will increase the player's Dungeon Master level, which in turn unlock further rewards, like unique forum titles and aesthetic in-game costumes.

It's one of the many ways Cryptic is hoping to draw players into the game's UGC offerings. Zinkievich described the plan for creator retention, which includes dedicating a portion of the live team to creating new features and assets for the platform, and spotlighting highly-rated or trafficked quests. Authors will be able to effectively create their own in-game blog, which players can follow to keep track of when that author has created something new. Those followers can even donate in-game currency to the creators they like the best.

We're checking out Neverwinter later this week at Gamescom, and will let you know how Cryptic's take on the classic role-playing franchise is shaping up.