Getting Started - Enhanced Edition

GETTING STARTED — ENHANCED EDITION

Install the required files, connect to Sinfar, and begin play.

Welcome to Sinfar — Enhanced Edition

Unlike most other Neverwinter Nights servers, Sinfar uses a large amount of custom content and server-specific features. This page covers connecting using Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition (EE) on Windows.

Sinfar runs natively on Diamond Edition; EE connects through a custom client loader (SinfarXEE). Two things make this work: EE's engine is rolled back to build 81.8193.16 (newer builds break character creation on Sinfar), and the game is launched through Sinfar's loader — both are separate downloads below. EE works about 95% of the time once everything here is in place; where Diamond Edition is available we still recommend it for stability. Buying from GOG includes a free Diamond Edition copy alongside EE.

For Diamond Edition, see Getting Started - Diamond Edition or Getting Started - Diamond Edition on Linux.

Connect with Us

Discord The fastest place for questions, help, and finding people to play with. Sinfar Discord

Forum Ask in-game or on Discord for the sign-up password. forum.sinfar.net

In-game Tools & Info Player tools, character lookup, and server information. nwn.sinfar.net

Vault Page The server's listing on NeverwinterVault. World of Sinfar

Downloads

Install these five downloads in order. Items 1 and 5 install under Documents\Neverwinter Nights; items 2–4 go in your game install folder. Installing out of order — especially the top hak — is the cause of most setup crashes.

1	Full hak pack (v30) — or per-file from Hak Files Core Sinfar content: haks, the Sinfar .tlk, and palette overrides. Required to connect. Install to: Documents\Neverwinter Nights — extract here directly, not into the haks subfolder. The archive fills haks, tlk, and override automatically.
2	Client engine rollback (win32_8181) Replaces EE's game binaries with the supported build, 81.8193.16. Newer EE builds break character creation on Sinfar. Install to: [NWN install]\bin — alongside the existing win32 folder; creates win32_8181\
3	SinfarXEE client loader — see Sinfar Client Extender Sinfar's custom loader; launch the game through sinfarx_ee.exe. Without it you cannot connect at all, even via Direct Connect. Sinfar-only; will not work on other EE servers. Install to: [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\ — into the folder created in step 2
4	Override files (sinfar_ee_ovr.7z) Reverts EE model and tileset changes so you can load into Sinfar and create characters. Install to: [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\ovr\ — create the ovr folder if it does not exist
5	EE top hak Replaces the default top hak; prevents many EE-specific crashes. Install this last, overwriting the top hak from step 1. If you ever reinstall the haks, repeat this step afterward. Install to: Documents\Neverwinter Nights\haks\

Installation

First, install NWN:EE and note the install folder (referred to below as [NWN install]). On Steam this is typically ...\steamapps\common\Neverwinter Nights. Then install the five downloads above in order.

1. Haks: Extract sinfar_all_files_v30.7z into Documents\Neverwinter Nights — not the haks subfolder. The archive carries its own folder structure: it fills haks, drops the Sinfar .tlk into tlk, and places palette files in override.
2. Engine rollback: Extract win32_8181.zip into [NWN install]\bin (next to the existing win32 folder), giving you [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\.
3. SinfarXEE loader: Extract sinfarx_ee.zip into that win32_8181 folder. From now on, launch the game by running sinfarx_ee.exe there — not the normal EE shortcut.
4. Overrides: Extract sinfar_ee_ovr.7z into [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\ovr (create the ovr folder if it does not exist).
5. Top hak (do this last): Place the EE top hak in Documents\Neverwinter Nights\haks, overwriting the top hak from step 1. If you ever reinstall the haks, repeat this step afterward.

Your bin\win32_8181 folder should look like this once steps 2 and 3 are complete:

• 

  The win32_8181 folder inside bin, next to win32

• 

  Inside win32_8181 — note sinfarx_ee.exe

Connecting

The Direct Connect dialog — enter nwn.sinfar.net.

Run sinfarx_ee.exe (in the win32_8181 folder), choose Direct Connect, and enter:

nwn.sinfar.net

A port is optional and only needed for specific servers.

When asked for an account name, you will see a button to save it as default. Leave it unchecked if you use more than one account — checking it writes the name into your .ini files, and changing it later means editing those files by hand.

Creating Your First Character

The override files (step 4) re-enable character creation under EE. If you still crash partway through making a character, a reliable workaround is to create it on a Diamond Edition client (free with the GOG purchase) and then switch back to EE to play — the character carries over. A few high-level dungeons also use heavy visual effects that can crash EE, so some players keep Diamond installed for those.

EE/169 (Diamond 1.69) Hybrid Install

If you keep both EE and Diamond installed, you do not need two copies of the haks. In nwn.ini, point both at one hak folder using the [Alias] section at the top — for example HAK=C:\NeverwinterNights\NWN\hak. EE's nwn.ini is in Documents\Neverwinter Nights.

Troubleshooting

"The code execution cannot proceed because OpenAL32.dll was not found"

Run oalinst.exe from [NWN install]\bin\win32 to install OpenAL, then relaunch. Use this bundled installer rather than downloading one from elsewhere — it is the version guaranteed to stay compatible with NWN:EE.

Crash when clicking Customize in character creation

Missing override files. Confirm they are in [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\ovr (step 4). See also Creating Your First Character.

Direct Connect won't reach Sinfar

Missing the engine rollback or the SinfarXEE loader (steps 2 and 3), or you launched the standard EE client instead of sinfarx_ee.exe in win32_8181.

"The download of nwneecx_sinfar.dll failed"

Download the current nwneecx_sinfar.dll manually and place it in the win32_8181 folder (next to sinfarx_ee.exe), then relaunch.

The launcher won't start, or Windows SmartScreen / antivirus blocks it

On the "Windows protected your PC" prompt, click More info, then Run anyway. If your antivirus quarantines or deletes sinfarx_ee.exe or nwneecx_sinfar.dll, restore the file and add the win32_8181 folder to your antivirus exclusions, then relaunch.

Random crashes on load or in-game

The EE top hak is missing or was overwritten by a hak reinstall — re-apply step 5 last. Missing or misplaced override files can also cause this; confirm they are in [NWN install]\bin\win32_8181\ovr (step 4).

Before Playing Your Character

Read the Rules Required reading before you begin play.

Understanding OOC vs IC The distinction between out-of-character and in-character conduct.

A Beginner's Guide A player-written introduction to life on Sinfar.

Frequently Asked Questions Answers to common questions from new players.

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