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Which area(s) in BG:EE need more love? [The Enemy Within]

ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
edited February 2016 in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
I was thinking about placing some random encounters (some will be quest related) to some areas since I have scripted NPCs ready I am not going to use elsewhere (foolish me did more NPCs than I need). I thought why not ask the community's opinion what areas feel too empty and need more sweet sweet love. Of course it would be great, if you can explain why you chose what you chose :D If you want to select more than one, then I guess you need to put it into the comments :)
  1. Which area(s) in BG:EE need more love? [The Enemy Within]66 votes
    1. Spiderwood, East of Larswood (AR3000)
        7.58%
    2. The Coastal Area, South of Candlekeep (AR3100)
        6.06%
    3. South of Beregost (AR3800)
        6.06%
    4. South of the Lighthouse (AR4100)
        3.03%
    5. North of Nashkel (AR4300)
      18.18%
    6. South of Ulcaster (AR4400)
        4.55%
    7. North of Gnoll Stronghold (AR4600)
        0.00%
    8. Xvart village West of Nashkel (AR4700)
      19.70%
    9. Southwest of Nashkel (AR5200)
        3.03%
    10. Some other? Let me know which one and why
      31.82%
Post edited by Zanso on
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Comments

  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,753
    Moved this thread to the BGEE general section, because the question is very interesting, and more people should see it.

    I think the area that needs more love in BG1 among wild areas is the Area North of Nashkel, also known as North Nashkel Road.

    Currently, with the EE, it has only one subquest - Colquetle's Family Amulet. And only two characters - Lord Foreshadow and Portalbendarwinden.

    Maybe add a quest about an Island with what looks a cave, or maybe add a quest about a vampiric wolf that can spawn on this map? Or maybe something completely different?
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    In every area I would add lair of the lich and backstory because they are just awesome to battle.
  • dok0zhivagodok0zhivago Member Posts: 82
    Small bandit camps and goblin villages throughout the coast would be a nice addition. Unmarked caverns and low level crypts would also be nice. While we are at it, an abandoned ruined tower or two wouldn't hurt.
  • FinnTheHumanFinnTheHuman Member Posts: 404
    South of Beregost was my vote. Or north of Nashkel, or Nashkel, or Beregost. I'd like to see more economic activity. More reason for these settlements to exist in a world surrounded by monsters. Seems there needs to be more of a buffer zone between civilization and the wild.
  • DurenasDurenas Member Posts: 508
    Larswood or Peldvale, because they're out of the way, so new players won't accidentally stumble upon the enemies before they're high enough level to handle them, and they can still be accessed early if you really want to go hunting.
  • SirBatinceSirBatince Member Posts: 882
    I can't easily pick one out. There are just so many useless/unrewarding areas in BG1 it's unbelievable. I'm thinking Bioware tried to emulate realism where adventuring doesn't always mean exciting things are bound to happen. But that's just kind of silly because exciting things are exactly what a videogame is made for.

    I'd vote for this Black Dragon Gate area though.
  • ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
    Lots of good points made here :smile: Hopefully more people will share their opinions :wink:
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    I wouldn't touch the S of Beregost or the N of Nashkel. It's best to keep those areas at a "low threat" level since you're required to pass through them on your way to Nashkel and thus expected to do so at Level 1.

    IMHO Peldvale would be a nice area for a new encounter. It's the only area I can think of that doesn't have any relevant encounter or subquest except for recruiting Viconia (hardly a battle) or running into bandits (which only happens in a very specific time window).
  • O_BruceO_Bruce Member Posts: 2,790
    Majority of the areas, I would say. Many side areas are just huge, empty spaces with one or two interesting things in them And since I know where these things are, I'm not really "exploring" the world. Arguments that BG1 gave a wonderful sense of exploration were always pretty funny for me.
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    I am with @bengoshi. I can't imagine it being too hard to add an internal cave area to the area north of Nashkel. Put something in that cave!
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    Maybe saving the kid in the lighthouse isn't as easy as killing a couple wolves. Maybe there's something else in there.
    The kid could be barricaded at the top, but to get to him you might have to take care of a couple of ghouls. In return you could find a few potions or maybe an under-represented weapon, like a +1 quarterstaff or spear.
  • Eadwyn_G8keeperEadwyn_G8keeper Member Posts: 541
    edited February 2016
    I voted for South of Ulcaster but not sure if that is the area I am thinking of. It is the area where Batalista's Ring of Fire Resistance is stashed, far, far away from anything else of even the remotest interest. There really needs to be some sort of plot element associated with that little cove in the escarpment. Otherwise just too, too bizarre...and such a nice toy, the Passport, leading to some really fun and effective treatments.
  • Eadwyn_G8keeperEadwyn_G8keeper Member Posts: 541
    After checking the Dudleyville site I found that the area I am thinking of is Area 5500 /The Gibberling Mountains
  • ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
    Not a bad idea @BillyYank, but there actually is already a mod and quest regarding the lighthouse (Sirine's Call mod) :smile:

    @Eadwyn_G8keeper, Gibberling Mountains have been one possible location for a new quest for me. BG:EE however actually does add a small quest to the area where you have to visit it (I think I am not gonna spoil which NPC is involved) :smiley:
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Because we need more Nexlit. "Die, snotheads!"
  • CahirCahir Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 2,819
    edited February 2016
    Nimran said:

    Because we need more Nexlit. "Die, snotheads!"

    Yeah, and we can call it Brexit (sorry guys couldn't help myself :smiley: )
  • ChnapyChnapy Member Posts: 360
    edited February 2016
    I agree with Kilivitz when it comes to the Bergegost-Nashkel road : they're not really crowded and aren't very challenging either but it suits a road that players have to take to really get the game going.

    The map I always found underwhelming was the farmland one, all the way north. Sure, there are monsters everywhere but by the time people go there they usually make short work of those zombies (they've got to pass a few ankhegs on the way after all). Or rather, ignore them entirely, seing as the reward isn't exactly great either.

    I say a map so far remote from the main road deserves both better rewards and bigger challenges. Maybe add an explanation as to why this particular countryside is ripe with zombies, some invading necromancer or another antagonizing adventuring party, but of the evil (and maybe part undead? ghoul PCs are best PCs after all) type.
    Post edited by Chnapy on
  • Eadwyn_G8keeperEadwyn_G8keeper Member Posts: 541
    @Chnapy Agree but not sure the answer for that area is another quest. Perhaps a storyline linking Wenric to someone in The Baldur's Gate city-quests would make more sense.
  • ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
    Lots of good ideas and suggestions :smile: I wish I had time to use use them all :smiley:
  • ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
    @bengoshi
    That's a great idea! I actually already have one encounter in the area, but now I can move it to much more interesting location. Thanks! :smiley:
  • CaradocCaradoc Member Posts: 92
    edited March 2016
    I agree what has been said about Carnival. Its this massive area and would definitely benefit of having more content, like a small quest or two. Carnival would also be the perfect location for an other assasination attempt. I'd also populate the area with more npcs etc.

    Speaking of Carnival, NPC project mod deserves to mentioned here. As a whole its such outstanding work and can't play the game anymore without it. However in relation to the Carnival area, the mod has these components that allow user to change the starting location of few companions. For instance you can set Carnival as Quayle's starting location.

    I think Carnival would be a better starting location for Rasaad as well. After all he is a monk and it would have made sense for him travel with the circus folk.

    One of the most underwhelming locations in entire bg was definitely the farmland. Place a necromancer there or something more exciting than just few lousy zombies. Or atleast it should be many wawes of relentless zombies that you're really struggling to fight against! ;)
  • DurenasDurenas Member Posts: 508
    bengoshi said:

    Another idea, @Zanso. On the Gullykin map, there's a big plateau, unavailable to reach from the ground:

    image

    Maybe an access can be added to that plateau, an encounter on it, a cave... Now we have a big part of the map completely hollow and unused.

    The problem with adding an encounter in this area is that it's literally impassible terrain. There's no way to get up there, and even if you were to force move the characters up there(ctrl-j doesn't work) you wouldn't be able to move your characters around since there's no 'surface' to move on(if that makes sense). You'd end up having to actually mod the map itself somehow, which seems a much larger task.
  • ZansoZanso Member Posts: 136
    edited March 2016
    @Amberion
    Modding the map itself (making it possible to move there) isn't the problem. You just need to overwrite the Search Map. The modified Search Map can be done in like 15 minutes or so.

    The difficult thing however are the wall polygons (being behind trees, rocks and such). You need to be able to go behind the hill and it becomes very problematic trying to make the wall polygons over there. And then of course you would need to overwrite the .WED file which would probably make the mod incompatible with any other mod that modifies this same area (since I was told there are no Weidu commands to add wall polygons atm).

    Actually going up there would need to be made by dimension door or something like that. Other option is of course replacing the whole area image and creating a ramp or something like that.
  • kungfuhobbitkungfuhobbit Member Posts: 169
    Durlag's Tower - it needs and deserves its own cinematic/artwork chapterscreen intro
  • kungfuhobbitkungfuhobbit Member Posts: 169
    Also, Gnoll Stronghold needs more challenge - miniboss?
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