[Released MOD] Call of the Lost Goddess - A quest mod for BG2EE
Acifer
Member Posts: 200
"Know that it is folly for the gods to change fate."
"Call of the Lost Goddess" is a quest mod that adds new quests, areas, monsters and items to BG2. It is inspired by the pen-and-paper adventure "For Duty and Deity" by Dale Donovan.
Key features:
- 46 new areas to explore
45 new areas designed from scratch in 3D
1 modified area from IWD - A new city district accessible from the worldmap: Goldspires
- More than 40 new unique items
- New monsters with new animations: Vrocks, Dretches, Nighthags and many more
- Challenging battles
- Many sidequest for a full gameplay experience
- Multiple different roleplaying options to solve most quests
- 8-10 hours playing time
- The mod is set in the SoA part of the trilogy
- The adventure and quests are playable from the beginning of the game
- Game engine: BG2EE and EET*
- Recommended character level: Level 10+
Current version:
Version 1.3
This mod is only compatible with BG2EE / EET, not the classic BG2 - ToB game
Download:
Click the link below to download the English version of the mod from the German Baldur's Gate community page:
Download
Readme:
https://baldurs-gate.de/acifer/Godcall_Readme.pdf
Trailer:
https://youtu.be/8acjirrDhFQ?si=8G5tUjUfGGRzppBNScreenshots:
Credits:
Acifer: Graphics, design, programming
Morpheus562: Enemy and encounter design, scripting
Lava: Ideas, item graphics and design, Beta Testing
Weigo: Worldmap programming
megrimlock: English version, proofreading, Beta testing
OiseauRebelle: Beta testing
Soul: Beta testing
Morywen: Beta testing
Genwa: Beta testing
shadowlich: Debug test run, proofreading
Taimon: Coding help
Argent: Coding & WeiDU help
Roberciiik: Worldmap help for BP-BGT
Shai Hulud, Lotus Noctus, Belryll, Danol: Help with German translation
Laura Hirsbrunner: Readme Template
This mod uses many animations taken from Infinity Animations. Credits for these amazing animations go to the original creators of this mod.
This mod uses animations originally created for Neverwinter Nights 1 and one songfile from NWN1.
Post edited by Acifer on
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Comments
Thanks for letting me test this!
Let me look for bugs, because that 'll be the first thing I ll do anyway
Dude, you know how to bring up the hype!
Yes, here is the new area on the world map. It was a bit difficult to find a suitable place, as it is technically not a new district within Athkatla, but just outside the city walls.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88425/mod-call-of-the-lost-goddess-a-quest-mod-for-bg2ee
Have same problem for Dark Tidings as well.
forgotten feeling of the very first bg2 experience.
* and not a single bug so far.
Thank you, I'm very glad about that, as I have attempted to recreate the first BG2 vibes.
Just a quick note regarding EET:
Unfortunately the new area is misaligned on some worldmaps in EET installations. Goldspires is located in the north in Icewind Dale.
I will fix this in the next update.
To set the context, I am a dire fan of BG franchise and IE games in general; played (does not mean enjoyed) most if not all mods (including the top-cringy stuff), but missed the Trials of Luremaster and the time of its release and did not touch it in EE era.
As a result, I played the Call of the Lost Goddess right after the very first run through TOLM in a freshly modded BG2 install, and it was a strikingly contrastive experience. TOLM is atmospheric but too dungeon-crawly: tediously boring and repetitive combat, straightforward IWDesque itemization, and non-branching overall path. Does it fit the BG world? Seems so. Would I play it again? Unlikely.
COLG is a very different story. First of all, all basic components are top-notch per se: areas (so many!), carefully integrated environment animations (!), creatures, new items' bams, chapter screens, portraits, music, videos (!). Altogether they match maintaining a distinct overall style that almost seamlessly blends in the main game.
Yet, while the "production value" is sky-high, it does not automatically generate the hearty vibes. They are coming, in fact, from attention to detail: minor stuff in dialogs, differently tones responses, rumors in taverns, interesting but not overwhelming item descriptions, cool but not god-mode-level item mechanics, branching routes in quests, RP opportunities. I truly hope I missed some minor quests related to the flying gnome or planar guildhouse, there should be another excuse to revisit those cozy places.
Finally, I truly enjoyed the game design and writing style. With all the peculiarities of the Abyss, the tone, and style of the text are very close to those of the original game and, even with all the demonic stuff, avoid somersaulting into 18+ territory.
And I specifically like how the items in containers provide hints of 'what is coming next', this is also something nicely reflecting the original BG style.
Summing up: there are tons of nice mods out there, many great mods, but this is the first time I enjoyed every tiny bit of the journey. Does it fit the BG game? 100%. Would I play it again? Cannot imagine my next playthrough without it.
The icing on the cake: no serious bugs. Minor stuff (probably already reported by other players): clickable-but-no-text 'question marks' on the floor in the 'acid' location, multiple copies of 'Heads +3' were obtainable by speaking with the respective demon during his teleport animation, a few quest entries (unfinishable due to the in-game decisions) remain in the journal after finishing the main quest.
It's in my top 3 quests mods for BG2 along with Blooded stings of Barovia from Lava, and Dark Tidings from Acifer too.
I played it on a no reload run and I always feared to make a mistake. Great thrills. ;-)
I got this mod with the help from a friend from another country. Thanks for the offer, I will ask for your help directly next time
@Trouveur : Wow, that's a great compliment - thank you for your kind words and feedback! I'm delighted to hear that you've enjoyed the mod.
Glad it worked out now! Let me know if I can help.
Changelog Version 1.2
- added Chinese translation by lzw104522773 - thank you!
- the worldmap displays properly using the EET worldmap
- area AC#W54: Info regions removed
- Demon in area AC#W76 doesn't spawn countless rewards before teleporting away
1) The idea for the mod is GREAT. It explores the demon-part. The items are
also interesting - they kind of have drawbacks and advantages, like in a
theme "if you deal with a demon, the benefit is an illusion in the long
run", like a curse. Unfortunately most items seemed to not be worth the
benefits, as the drawbacks can be quite annoying, so I didn't use much
at all of any of the items I found so far.
2) The visuals are neat too. I'd even make the main city even more chaotic
in appearance.
3) The only small problem I have so far is with the quest where some pentagon
item should be found from an officer or so. I can't seem to find the
guy. Perhaps that particular quest can be made a bit more obvious as I
am now stuck a bit with that. I may have to reload an earlier save, as
I am not sure how to find the guy now. (It's in the outside area to
the south of the main city.)
4) The staircase idea is great. I'd even make it larger, but I understand
that map design can take a lot of time and effort.
5) The angry squirrel is also great. Could even be a NPC for a furry party,
with some unique abilities like "ferocious nibbling strikes".
6) The lost paladin idea is interesting. Wish that could be a recruitable
NPC at some point in time, perhaps after the paladin is rescued and
outside.
6) Side quests could also involve a heroic group invading the abyss
and your own party has to slay it quickly.
Some of the quests seem to have more than one solution. For instance,
in one part of the main quest, there is a way to "offset" the guy
who keeps on pestering the party. First time I waited to see what
would happen, then I had to fight everyone. On second time I realised
what a "pause" would mean, in regards to that item, and made use of
that item to stop the continuation of attacks, and that worked. That
was quite logical to go through, too.
I am not too familiar with the lore, as it has been many years since
I read e. g. the Drizzt novels and what not; a few things seemed
a bit peculiar though, in particular the Tanari situation. It may
make sense, if the mod ever gets map extensions, to add another
outpost e. g. for Tanari or others; that could also be raided and
could explain why there are so many Tanari (or Bazuzu or whatever;
I lost track as to who is at war with whom else; my own group
considers all of them as enemies anyway).
You mean the pentagram / pentacle quest? You should talk to everyone you encounter south of the city and help them with their concerns and fears.
Yes, that's how I wanted them. When you're dealing with fiends, you always lose in the long term, as the drawbacks outweigh the benefits you gain a lot. You will always end up disillusioned and empty-handed. But I can assure you - the good items with good bonuses will come later.
1) The idea for the mod is GREAT. It explores the demon-part. The items are
also interesting - they kind of have drawbacks and advantages, like in a
theme "if you deal with a demon, the benefit is an illusion in the long
run", like a curse. Unfortunately most items seemed to not be worth the
benefits, as the drawbacks can be quite annoying, so I didn't use much
at all of any of the items I found so far.
2) The visuals are neat too. I'd even make the main city even more chaotic
in appearance.
3) The only small problem I have so far is with the quest where some pentagon
item should be found from an officer or so. I can't seem to find the
guy. Perhaps that particular quest can be made a bit more obvious as I
am now stuck a bit with that. I may have to reload an earlier save, as
I am not sure how to find the guy now. (It's in the outside area to
the south of the main city.)
4) The staircase idea is great. I'd even make it larger, but I understand
that map design can take a lot of time and effort.
5) The angry squirrel is also great. Could even be a NPC for a furry party,
with some unique abilities like "ferocious nibbling strikes".
6) The lost paladin idea is interesting. Wish that could be a recruitable
NPC at some point in time, perhaps after the paladin is rescued and
outside.
6) Side quests could also involve a heroic group invading the abyss
and your own party has to slay it quickly.
Some of the quests seem to have more than one solution. For instance,
in one part of the main quest, there is a way to "offset" the guy
who keeps on pestering the party. First time I waited to see what
would happen, then I had to fight everyone. On second time I realised
what a "pause" would mean, in regards to that item, and made use of
that item to stop the continuation of attacks, and that worked. That
was quite logical to go through, too.
I am not too familiar with the lore, as it has been many years since
I read e. g. the Drizzt novels and what not; a few things seemed
a bit peculiar though, in particular the Tanari situation. It may
make sense, if the mod ever gets map extensions, to add another
outpost e. g. for Tanari or others; that could also be raided and
could explain why there are so many Tanari (or Bazuzu or whatever;
I lost track as to who is at war with whom else; my own group
considers all of them as enemies anyway).
Edit: Just played it through, I'll append this here - the above I
wrote a few days ago or so.
So I'll give some feedback, after having just finished it. I'll cover smaller
things too.
1) First, the mod is really great. It is a larger mod and evidently a lot of
work went into it, including artwork. The quality of the mod is also high;
I think it is probably the best singular mod in the last ... 3 years or so?
Or at the least among the Top 3.
I especially like the demon city. This is probably the best overall area
in the mod; the waukeen temple or whatever it is, is also neat, but of
course much smaller; and the staircase idea is great, although I think
the latter can be improved a little - I get into that soon.
2) There may be a tiny things that can be improved. For instance, one quest
relates to a "deva thingy" (I'll word it that way to avoid giving away too
many spoilers as-is). So I obtained that and gave it to the one needing
it, evidently as I could finish the quest, but the journal entry still
mentioned the "deva thingy". An additional entry may be useful here, such
as "I have delivered the deva thingy to xyz".
3) The demon city is great. The only thing I would improve here would be
in regards to smaller side quests, so perhaps 1 - 3 more small side quests
there. Not sure what could fit the demon theme. For instance, a demon
cat trying to catch a rat, but the rat is a demon monster rat and bigger
than the cat, so the cat needs help to kill the rat. That could be a
simple fight against the demon rat sizing up and bulking up; and/or some
additional items that are required for the cat to win. No clue about the
reward, perhaps a cat whip (tail) as a weapon or "9 lives item" (not sure
what this one does, but it could be a ress-tool like the other rod, or
some other semi-demonic effect).
Not sure about other ideas ... perhaps an imp that is seeking something
or trying to find his friend some dust mephite or so. Another side quest
for evil characters could be to bring a nymph's heart to a cook or something
like that.
By the way, I also skipped some content, such as the gambling hall.
4) I finished this on the second run; first run in the southern fields,
I didn't read closely the dialogue with the NPC there. The NPC tells
the party what to do. Perhaps a journal entry could be added here, aka
"I found blabla. Now I need to find the xyz". (Here, with xyz, I mean
the location that this NPC tells the main character to use. At first
I didn't realiase I could do something else other than interact with
the container; once I realised that I could talk, I could resume and
finish the quest. On first try, I did not notice the dialogue option,
so another journal entry here may make sense.)
5) The Waukeen initial area is quite nice, but perhaps it should have
some more merchants and items. For instance, some item that could
lower trading cost by a bit of percentage. Should not cost too much,
and should not be too useful either - just that when you purchase it,
and then trade a lot, you get a slight net-favour here (not sure
about the correct calculation here; perhaps it should be a one-time
use item; there are other items and ways to get max charisma too).
6) The final fight was quite easy. Actually, Varin or what was the
name, was a harder fight due to the group damage effect whereas in
the last fight, using Dusk and Korgan, their damage output is just
insane on high levels. I would recommend making the final fight a
BIT harder. For instance, in my first play-through of this quest,
the naughty guy revealed the identity and the boss turned hostile,
as well as everyone else in the boss' house. One seemed to be some
alu-fiend that was hasted, or something, and that one actually
managed to kill Dusk during the fight (I was not fully prepared
though). So my idea would be that the female boss gets a dedicated
NPC as bodyguard - not a super-overpowered NPC, but something like
an erynes or alu-fiend or so, but with slightly better stats, hp,
perhaps one or two abilities or effects, and hasted. That one
could have a name and short background too ("why did I become her
bodyguard"), and show up in the final fight.
7) In the staircase, some things I did not solve. For instance
the mechatron thingy. No clue what to do here. Any additional
hints in the log or elsewhere would be neat.
8) In the area before the staircase, this one seems a bit small.
If there are bored artists, I'd make that area a bit larger
and add one or two small gardens. Perhaps a baby centaur or
some birds too or something like that.
I also was not sure if there was not more to do; there was one
door in the staircase - that one could get some hint when the
mouse hovers over it. There was also another gate before the
staircase - not sure where this one leads to. Also, the infinite
staircase could be extended a little bit. Not sure what with;
perhaps one tree that is the home of the squirrel. And some
gallery with gargoyles or tiny angel figurines. Something like
that.
9) One or two pubs in the demon city seem empty. Perhaps one or
two unique NPCs could be added there. One could be a weary
travelling merchant who failed to leave the city or made some
pact and got stuck here, as the pact-dealer demon thingy is
dead. Something to fill up the pubs with a bit content.
10) I am a bit sad that the lust chambers are so empty! One
or two succubi could be added, right?
11) Perhaps also some demon dog thingy with a spike collar
that runs around in the demon city in search for his owner.
Or perhaps for a hand to chew one ... now someone in the city
there could be a hand for the poor puppy to nibble one ...
12) Perhaps there could be some inter-mod-related content,
such as to Tyris Flare. Or any other NPC that may fit.
13) I guess we can not go back to the demon city, although
an evil path could mean to kill some devas or so rather
than help the good people. Like, one way to solve this,
would be for evil characters to side with the demon city
in the end. The demons could then invade the merchant
area and occupy it as an outpost. Or so. Not sure if it is
worth to add this, but this is just a semi-random idea
anyway.
14) I think in Lava's White Queen mod there is some claw of
... someone, some demon claw. Would be interesting if there
is some demon tatooist or demon doctor that could graft
things onto - or into - the hand permanently, for some
imbued benefit (and a high cost). A bit like lich modifications
but demon-mod inspired. Should only be available for
characters with an evil alignment though.
Hmmm. I could probably add more ideas or so, but the mod already
has a very high intrinsic quality, so the above are mostly just a
few random ideas to make the mod even better. Perhaps others can
suggest more demon-inspired ideas that may fit here.
(What I also find interesting is the artwork process. I guess
AI is still not used primarily for art, right? I had a look at
some threads and tutorials on the gibberlings forum, but that
all seems to be rather difficult, which is why I think Ai may
be interesting, if it can produce useful results. Some portraits
seem AI assisted or so. Would be interesting if larger mods also
have some kind of "background story" in regards to the CREATION
of the MOD, e. g. how people approached this. That way others
can learn from them too.)
Anyway, a really great mod. Must have taken a lot of time to
create it, too.
In relation to the staircase-machine, you have the option to interact with the machine by using characters with high intelligence to learn how it works. I wanted to design the mod in such a way that you still experience little surprises after playing it several times.
Crossmod content should be provided by the respective NPC mod creators, and I will gladly incorporate this.
20 years of development?
I bow to your level of commitment. I'm currently in my first playthrough of this mod. Just started, but wow! Just wow! 20 years is one hell of a long time to work on custom content for the Baldur's Gate community. Thanks in advance to you and everyone else who was involved with putting this together for us. I will definitely leave feedback after this playthrough.