Bugs occur when software does not perform as intended, usually due to a faulty implementation, but sometimes due to inadequate design. Known bugs may be repaired by updates to the software.

Bug reporting

Previously, suspected bugs in Neverwinter Nights could be reported to BioWare. However, BioWare is no longer permitted to support the game, so no fixes will be forthcoming from BioWare unless a game-breaking bug is discovered, and even then there is no guarantee that a fix will be approved.

With the release of Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition, the task of fixing bugs has fallen to Beamdog. New bug fixes will only be applied to the Enhanced Edition of the game, as this is the only officially supported release.

Legacy bug reports

The email addresses for reporting bugs to BioWare were the following:

• nwbugs@bioware.com
• nwexploits@bioware.com
• nwtoolsetbugs@bioware.com

To ensure the accuracy of bug reports, it is important for the person reporting to verify that the bug is in the latest patch. Far too often, bugs had been reported after a patch because the bug was not specifically mentioned in the patch notes.

The best way to format a bug report is as follows:

• Provide the full game version number under which the bug occurs (e.g. 1.69.8109). This information can be found by either running the updater or looking at the top right of the in-game options menu.
• Indicate what expansion packs are installed.
• Provide a description of what the bug actually is.
• Provide step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the problem.
• If the bug is in one of BioWare's scripts, supplying the name of the script is also extremely helpful (but not necessary, as most players would not know this information).

Bugs should not be considered reported merely because they have been posted in a forum. With millions of posts in the Neverwinter Nights forums, it is unlikely that the right person will see the post, thus learning that there is an issue to fix. However, posting in a Neverwinter Nights forum is a good way to discuss with other players whether or not something might be a bug. Confirming that others have the same problem is a good way to help identify that there actually is a bug (rather than just a problem with an installation, or a misunderstanding of the Dungeons & Dragons rules).