No need for a clairvoyance effect. It could be done with an easy script using the scripting functions already available in the Infinity Engine. If your character has item X, explore the map.
The one time I think I would approve of revealing the city map (outside of purchasing one) is when you return to Candlekeep for Chapter 6 and you get inside the city and it is unexplored. Obviously at a minimum that should be corrected to include what you previously explored (if that is possible given people are moved around in the map). I've always viewed the fog of war/black in the prologue of Candlekeep as a way of safely introducing the concept to players, similar to the assassins and other aspects of the prologue. But obviously when you go back there you as a player are familiar with the concept and the city by that point so there really is no need to have to re-explore areas.
Buying a city map from a merchant would make it more realistic as it can be also be a purchasable scroll that contains a single charge to fully explored the map.
Buying a city map from a merchant would make it more realistic as it can be also be a purchasable scroll that contains a single charge to fully explored the map.
Nah, not even. Script mod would do it. As soon as the map hits your inventory, it automatically disappears and the map is explored.
We can do it! We have the technology!
It also occurred to me that we have the ability to mess with a character's LOS range. This is evident in the blindness spell. This means that yet another option is to increase a character's LOS in civilized areas.
Buying a city map from a merchant would make it more realistic as it can be also be a purchasable scroll that contains a single charge to fully explored the map.
Nah, not even. Script mod would do it. As soon as the map hits your inventory, it automatically disappears and the map is explored.
We can do it! We have the technology!
It also occurred to me that we have the ability to mess with a character's LOS range. This is evident in the blindness spell. This means that yet another option is to increase a character's LOS in civilized areas.
That's another definite possibility.
It could even be both. A map to show everything, and then an increased line of sight. You don't fight in cities very often, but when you do, you'd certainly feel the effects.
Just to recap people, pretty much every idea that we've come up with for dealing with how civilized areas could be explored is an easy mod to make assuming that we have programs available to us of comparable utility to ones from the past. Combine that with the fact that there are a number of different preferences to do this (not just an on / off toggle that we hope the devs put in), this type of thing begs for a mod rather then a feature request.
If anyone feels so compelled to do just that in the future, here's how you would in the original BG2:
With an area editor, you can change the flag that controls whether or not each sector is explored and then save that area to the override folder.
With a script compiler, you can program an area to explore itself when the party has a map. Find the script named "ARXXXX" (same as the area name), open it, and add this to the end:
IF PartyHasItem("MAPNAME") THEN RESPONSE #100 TakePartyItem("MAPNAME") Explore() END
Compile it with the name "ARXXXX" (same as the area name) and put that in the override folder.
There's a way to increase LOS as well but that's more complicated and I'm sick of writing.
Baldur's Gate 2 had the decency to reveal inhabited areas, such as Athkatla and Trademeet. ...Really, there weren't all that many when I think about it, but it's the thought that counts.
Any possible that the maps for Candlekeep, Beregost, Nashkel, and Baldur's Gate itself at least could be automatically shown, like in the sequel?
As for other areas: Isn't it better (at least with the first playthrough), when you reveal everything by yourself? Maybe something like this would be better: - Make an item "Map of Baldur's Gate". When you use it like a scroll, it reveals whole city. It would cost 500-1000 gold.
Man the fact that BGEE doesn't reveal any of the city maps (with the exception of Candlekeep which makes sense) is one of the things I like about the game. Likewise the fact that it doesn't add map markers to the map for places unless you've actually seen/revealed them (like inns and that sort of thing in Beregost) is really a nice touch. It adds to the feeling that you are a new adventurer.
I'm not opposed to allowing you to purchase area maps though.
Comments
Once again, a real easy to make.
Incidentally, the same thing could be done for BG2 if you wanted to reverse it and require the player to buy a map to reveal everything.
We can do it! We have the technology!
It also occurred to me that we have the ability to mess with a character's LOS range. This is evident in the blindness spell. This means that yet another option is to increase a character's LOS in civilized areas.
It could even be both. A map to show everything, and then an increased line of sight. You don't fight in cities very often, but when you do, you'd certainly feel the effects.
If anyone feels so compelled to do just that in the future, here's how you would in the original BG2:
With an area editor, you can change the flag that controls whether or not each sector is explored and then save that area to the override folder.
With a script compiler, you can program an area to explore itself when the party has a map. Find the script named "ARXXXX" (same as the area name), open it, and add this to the end:
IF
PartyHasItem("MAPNAME")
THEN
RESPONSE #100
TakePartyItem("MAPNAME")
Explore()
END
Compile it with the name "ARXXXX" (same as the area name) and put that in the override folder.
There's a way to increase LOS as well but that's more complicated and I'm sick of writing.
Any possible that the maps for Candlekeep, Beregost, Nashkel, and Baldur's Gate itself at least could be automatically shown, like in the sequel?
As for other areas: Isn't it better (at least with the first playthrough), when you reveal everything by yourself?
Maybe something like this would be better:
- Make an item "Map of Baldur's Gate". When you use it like a scroll, it reveals whole city. It would cost 500-1000 gold.
~BG2_TWEAKS/SETUP-BG2_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1100 // Reveal City Maps When Entering Area: v10
I'm not opposed to allowing you to purchase area maps though.