Mod Request: Required wilderness passages for BG2EE/EET

[maurvir]

I posted this on the Beamdog forums as well, but I have been thinking about this idea more and more. The ultimate issue is the artwork, which I feel is beyond my abilities. The rest I could probably pick up from tutorials. However, to the idea...

The one aspect of BG1 I really missed in BG2 was the lack of a sense of exploration and the wilderness areas. Sure, you only traversed them once usually, but it made the world feel larger and the time between locations more sensible. Not having them in SoA somehow makes Faerun feel smaller as a result. Thus the idea of bringing back a small number of wilderness areas that would be required to pass through to unlock the more eastern villages or locations.

Much like the BG1 versions, these would likely have mostly randomly spawned creatures, maybe a cave or inn, etc. No real "quests", few NPCs, etc. It really would involve mostly walking along the road through the wilderness as a way to make it feel more like a journey. More so than instant fast-travel, anyway. Ideally, there would be a whole sequence of them, but I imagine that would be a tough sell to create that much artwork, but it would be nice if there were a few "intersections" in the forest. Areas remain "inaccessible" until you exit either north, south, or east. If possible, like BG1, which direction you exit would determine which areas are unlocked. So, for example, Delon might tell you about the Umar Hills, but it would be "unreachable" until you went through these new wilderness areas. Similarly for Nalia and the De'Arnise keep.

Essentially take the original BG2 concept of keeping everything outside of Athkatla "inaccessible" until you exit the city gates a bit further, and replicate it in four new wilderness areas. Based on the maps of the area, each would have a theme consistent with the land between the various points.

1) A new grassy valley with rolling hills and gentle grass-lined streams between the city and De'Arnise keep. In the core mod, less cross-mod compatibility, east would unlock area #2 and De'Arnise keep if the quest is active. Going south would unlock area #4. I believe one of Dorn's areas is also near there, though I never play with him, so I'm not sure which direction would be appropriate for it.

In my head, I imagine a more lush, grassy version of Peldvale, but with a meandering stream more like that of the Fire Leaf Forest. Essentially a lot of deep grasses and hills, but with a shallow, occasionally walkable, stream and pools with fish. This would be an official road, so a legit bridge across the stream, though perhaps with a bandit asking for a toll? In fact, since this is primarily about traveling, perhaps some randomly spawned robbers (ala bandits) along the road? Low-level parties could skip them by crossing the stream elsewhere (at a shallow spot). I could also see a landscape a bit more like Dead Man's Pass in SoD, so perhaps some random beetles, etc., to make bypassing the bridge more challenging. Lastly, since this will be the path for a lot of chapter 2 quests, maybe a hidden trinket in a tree or along the road.

Other things that would be nice here would be neutral/blue rabbits, deer, and other grassland creatures. To spice it up, random predators, such as (regular) wolves or wild dogs, would wander around and occasionally attack the rabbits or deer.

2) A new lakeside area (north side of the lake) between De-Arnise Keep and Trademeet. Going east unlocks Umar Hills and Windspear Hills, while going south unlocks Trademeet. West would open up the De'Arnise keep (again, if the quest is active). If the Rasaad quest is active, going north would unlock the first forest area of his quest - with the ruined amphitheater.

The map as seen in the original BG2 SoA artwork shows Trademeet sitting on the banks of a lake. The north-eastern side of the lake appears to rise up a bit, so perhaps a lake like the one in the Cloakwood forest (the spider area) would work? Something related to the water - maybe a wizard with water elementals or nereids? As a throwback to BG1, this might be a great place for a spider cave like the one in SoD south of the dragon lair. Leaving the marked road should lead into areas with web traps and level appropriate spiders, with the reward of finding the spider cave. (Yes, this would be an homage to the Cloakwood, but set near Trademeet.

Basically a mashup of the spider section of the Cloakwood and the spider cave in the Forest of Wyrms. No Centeol, though. Just spiders. Lots of them, and nasty ones. I'm not sure if it's allowable, but actually just using the cavern from SoD would be awesome, as that is a very nice spider cavern layout.

2A) Change Trademeet so that leaving to the south or east should open up forest #3 and north or west should open area #2.

3) A new forest between Trademeet and the Druid Grove, where East or South opens up the grove. South (only) might open up the chapter 6 areas in the Tethyrian forest.

As an intersection of Trademeet, the Druid Grove, and possibly the Tethyrian forest, it feels like this forest should start to feel deep and dark, like the Tethyrian forest, but also more swampy, like the Druid Grove. Ideally it would be almost as dark in the daylight as it is at night, lit mostly by glowing mushrooms and fireflies. The road would more or less be constrained to walking through the swamp, with dark pools on all sides. Perhaps throw in some water lilies, bullrushes and cattails for contrast.

Random spawn could be either forest spirits or dire wolves, and perhaps a nice wolf den as a side-challenge. Level appropriate, but a nasty surprise like the temple of Lathander in Beregost. Optionally, as a nice little extra, once the party is heading to the Druid Grove, perhaps they could run across a few of said druids in this forest? (they would only show up if that quest is active) These would be immediately hostile and start summoning creatures that block the road. Also, since it would remain inaccessible until you exit the area to the east, it would mean a revisit at some point.

A wolf den could involve the standard "cave" that is reused all over the place in BG2 - the two room cavern with a shallow pool. Only with wolves, some vampiric, as a forewarning for what you will later find in those forests. Reusing a standard cavern kind of stinks, but it reduces the effort greatly. The cavern used in the Aumanator temple area would also be a good one for reuse (I think that one is also used for the pirate cave in the dock's area)

3a) Modify the forest areas in chapter 6 to open up area's #3 or #4 appropriately. Specifically the one to the west should open up #4 on the western edge, while the one to the east should open up #3 when leaving from the north or east. (The idea here is that these existing forests could be looped in to provide a southern path around the lake)

4) A new small sea-side inn on the path between area #1 and Watcher's Keep - since that is one long haul. Leaving from the east could open up #3, and possibly the chapter 6 wilderness areas, while leaving to the south would open up Watcher's Keep. If Neera's quest is active, this could also unlock her wilderness location. Since this is primarily an Inn, I could see this one not being a full-size map - and instead being just enough of a map for the beach, the road, and the inn. However, it would be nice if the inn let you sleep there. Nothing fancy, and as the only area with a speaking NPC, perhaps the inn-owner could be a retired merchant (as opposed to the usual retired adventurer). However, this NPC would be the standard bartender model that can offer rest, drinks, and maybe a shop with basic supplies.

I imagine it would be a simple affair, perhaps like the one in Nashkel or Umar Hills. Nothing fancy, just the goods.

4A) Modify Watcher's Keep so that it can also unlock the Neera quest areas if active.
4B) Modify Neera's quest areas so that they can do the inverse, and unlock Watcher's Keep.

This is a mod I have been thinking about for years, but I lack the artistic ability to pull off the new landscapes. I might be able to work out the coding part on my own, but for something like this to exist, I would need someone that knows how to make the artwork.

Edited August 25, 2021 by maurvir