Ad Astra

The toolset is a great development tool, but it does have a learning curve, and can be a little quirky. So, a couple of things that will hopefully save somebody some grief:

Auto-Save
Auto-Save is not your friend, it can cause instability. So, first thing, go to the toolset options, and turn it off completely. 

Directory Mode
You can save your work in two different 'modes'--module, and directory. Module creates a .mod file, and Directory creates a folder with every blueprint being its own file. The normal "save" and "open" options open and save .mod files. "Save directory" and "open directory" open and save directory folders. Which one you use is really a matter of personal preference when you're working with small projects, but the larger your project the more advantageous directory mode becomes.

Advantages of Directory Mode:
- When you close an area or script, it actually saves; when you close and "save" something in module mode, it doesn't actually save until you save the whole module. Basically, when you crash in directory mode, you will only loose progress on creatures and items. 

- Directory mode loads and saves much much faster than module mode.

- You can grab files directly out of the module in directory mode without opening the toolset. 

I have to use directory mode (and so does the server really) in building, so the builder module is in directory mode currently. If directory mode bugs you for some reason, you can open it up in the toolset and "save as" a module.

Plugins

There are a host of plugins available on the vault to make your life easier when working in the toolset. Two I've found useful are TerraCoppa (for exterior areas), and InCharacter (for creature creation). Every new patch, plugins would need to be recompiled, so make sure you get the version for the latest patch--1.23 (1765). Not every plugin on the vault was updated for the latest patch, so this will narrow your choices. I find the toolset fine as is for most things, but I know there are reworked creature and item creation screens somewhere out there if for some reason the default method bugs you.

Most plugin creators assume you just know how to install plugins, so here's the basic instructions:

- Copy the dll file of whatever you just downloaded into Program Files/Atari/Neverwinter Nights 2/ NWN2 Toolset / Plugins (if your installation directory is somewhere else, adjust accordingly).

- Open the toolset, go to options, and enable 3rd party plugins.

- You might have to restart the toolset to see your full plugin list.

Exporting / Importing

You can import and export erf files to transfer your work (its just the export and import options in the toolset). This is fine for almost everything, but if you ever wanted to edit an erf file, or pack up a hak file, you want this tool: NWN2 Packer.