Total Overall Possible?

Pheosics

I was just wondering if a total overall of the game would be possible through modding? By that I mean, could you basically create a whole new game, new world map, new characters, new setting, new lore, etc... and have none of the BG parts?

Contemplative_Hamster

Sure. Though by the time you're done, your kids and grandkids will wonder about the identity of the angry old man in the attic.

Oh, and you mean "overhaul", not "overall."

Pheosics

Or did I mean a farming simulator where everyone wears overalls???

But yes, you are correct on both fronts, I looked through what would be needed for such an overhaul and it is a bit more work than I am willing to put in. Which is unfortunate, since I would love to convert my D&D world into a BG like game.

TheArtisan

The BG engine isn't really designed well enough for a complete overhaul, with a lack of an official toolset and the way the graphical elements work (areas being essentially 2D pictures and stuff so you'd have to draw areas from scratch). It's possible, but it would take forever. Neverwinter Night's claim to fame was its built-in toolset that made things like creating custom campaigns extremely easy once you got familiar with it.

Aquadrizzt

I second @Artemius_I that if you want easy conversion of a world, NWN's toolset is fantastic for that.

BG2 can work, but unless you are okay with recycling Infinity Engine areas (easily the most tedious part of the process), you will have a lot of work to do.

PaulaMigrate

At least two attempts have been made in the past that I know of
- Classic Adventures
- Return to Trademeet
They got stuck at some point, however.

The more successful approach was done by mods that have added large and epic episodes to the game (in the tradition of TotSC, the very first official addon to the game).
This has been the kernel of BG modding since the game came out and is part of its success until today.

A number of mods added almost a *game inside a game* with adding dozens of new area to the worldmap with hundreds of new creatures, quests, items etc and endless hours of additional playing.
There is no limit to the creativity and work you like to invest into it but you still stay within a completed story at all times.
The biggest of them are probably
- Region of Terror
- Never Ending Journey (not available for EE)
- The Sandrah Saga (for EET only)
- Check the Bodies
- Dark Side of the Sword Coast
- The Darkest Day
- Shadows over Soubar (not yet for EE)
- Secrets of Bone Hill (under conversion for EE)
- Ice Wind Dale in EET (the next big thing to come out)

The advantage of all these mods is that you take your party and experience/equipment all the way through. These mods add to the game but do not replace it.

Pheosics

Thanks for all the replies.

Playing those large mods like TDD and DSotSC was what gave me the idea in the first place.

I suppose I shouldn't have said TOTAL overhaul since I was assuming I would still be using the infinity engine areas, just with a different world map and story and different names for things. I'll have to look into the NWN toolset.