BG3 and what could be done, and here's a few ideas from me to the dev team
Kaliesto
Member Posts: 282
We all played in Faerun for a long time from official projects to modder's creations, but there's other lands that most of the time never been given recognition besides the modders (looking at the awesome NWN and BG community).
It would be cool if video game companies explored other lands if they are looking for something new and fresh. Here is the lands in question, and feel free to discuss about each one!
There is map of Toril for reference and hopefully that's the accurate one since it was mixed up with fan-creations of the unknown lands, but I think that one is the official one.
Faerûn: By far the most detailed continent of the world and arguably the most interesting. (which most video game and pen and paper have done to death).
Zakhara: A mostly hot, arid realm dominated by elemental forces and a philosophy of Fate and Honour.
Kara-Tur: The exotic east, steeped in ancient history like a fine tea.
Maztica: Primitive cultures bound by duty to their gods give blood sacrifices in return for power while those who disagree with the practice struggle to survive. (Note that in 1386 DR Maztica violently exchanged places with the lands of Abeir located there, known as Returned Abeir.)
Anchorome: Hardly explored, seemingly populated with violent elves and more of the humans found in Maztica.
Katashaka: South of what was Maztica. Unexplored.
Osse: Populated by spiritalists and druids, the spirit world and nature dominate the lives of its inhabitants.
There's the islands as well, but I can't find references to them.
There is alot of video game potential with Katashaka and Zakhara in my personal opinion. I have guilty pleasure for desert settings.
Files
1: Toril
2: Zakhara
3: Kara-tur
4: Maztica
5:Anchorome (there's not much because it's considered not that explored, good game potential)
6:Katashaka (I couldn't find much on this)
7:Osse (not much on it too)
You also have the case of the underdark, but that's been somewhat explored, but it's always been fun.
I also did this topic for fun too, and have a discussion on those lands.
My other idea would be centered around that "one event" with Cyric and Mystra because it was a very major event, I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read about it yet.
It would be cool if video game companies explored other lands if they are looking for something new and fresh. Here is the lands in question, and feel free to discuss about each one!
There is map of Toril for reference and hopefully that's the accurate one since it was mixed up with fan-creations of the unknown lands, but I think that one is the official one.
Faerûn: By far the most detailed continent of the world and arguably the most interesting. (which most video game and pen and paper have done to death).
Zakhara: A mostly hot, arid realm dominated by elemental forces and a philosophy of Fate and Honour.
Kara-Tur: The exotic east, steeped in ancient history like a fine tea.
Maztica: Primitive cultures bound by duty to their gods give blood sacrifices in return for power while those who disagree with the practice struggle to survive. (Note that in 1386 DR Maztica violently exchanged places with the lands of Abeir located there, known as Returned Abeir.)
Anchorome: Hardly explored, seemingly populated with violent elves and more of the humans found in Maztica.
Katashaka: South of what was Maztica. Unexplored.
Osse: Populated by spiritalists and druids, the spirit world and nature dominate the lives of its inhabitants.
There's the islands as well, but I can't find references to them.
There is alot of video game potential with Katashaka and Zakhara in my personal opinion. I have guilty pleasure for desert settings.
Files
1: Toril
2: Zakhara
3: Kara-tur
4: Maztica
5:Anchorome (there's not much because it's considered not that explored, good game potential)
6:Katashaka (I couldn't find much on this)
7:Osse (not much on it too)
You also have the case of the underdark, but that's been somewhat explored, but it's always been fun.
I also did this topic for fun too, and have a discussion on those lands.
My other idea would be centered around that "one event" with Cyric and Mystra because it was a very major event, I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read about it yet.
Post edited by Kaliesto on
1
Comments
Jungles are fun
Maztica is pretty much a jungle world and most of the ideas are reflections of South American Culture. Maztica is the South America of Toril or maybe Mexico..or both.
Early in the continent's history it was a land fought over by the gods Qotal (the Plumed Serpent) and his brother Zaltec. For a crime against his sister, Qotal retreated from Maztica for an age but returned in recent times. Maztica was also the name of the elder goddess who embodied the land of Maztica. Killed by her own son Zaltec, she was the wife of dead Kukul, but unlike her husband, continued to live on in the continued existence of the continent.[citation needed]
Maztica was 'discovered' by Amnian explorers led by Captain-general Cordell and his Golden Legion in 1361 DR. Amn was quick to lay its claim to the land for trade benefits, establishing the port city of Helmsport,[2] named after the deity Helm, some of whose followers began to migrate into the new land. The native peoples were devastated by foreign diseases and the ruthlessness of the invaders, and this, coupled with the difficulties encountered on Maztica backfiring against them, caused the church of Helm to come under heavy criticism. Lantan also claimed some lands. Some scorpionfolk from Maztica found an Underdark passage to the Underdark of Faerûn.
-from the Faerun wiki
It also has it's own unique races like Desert Dwarfs, and Tabaxi.
Also in 4th edition it's completely gone and replaced with Abeir where the dragons rule. Maztica still exists, but it's trapped in the other world called Abeir, and while a piece of land from Abeir is trapped in Toril.
side note: Osse is modeled after Aboriginal Australia
Entirely about Cernd.
Baldurs gate 3: The Chinchillas wrath
I would have a serious problem if they based BG3 in Kara-Tur. The names would drive me NUTS!!!
BG1- Up and down a quarter of the Sword Coast
BG2- Was all about Amn (few places never did make appearance, but modders can play with that).
ToB: Tethyr and Calimshan I believe?
IWD- Was all about Icewind dale.
IWD2- Same thing around the northern regions and explored the Jungles of Chult if I remember right
NWN- Explored the Neverwinter Region
Urdentide- Some of the Anauroch Desert
Hordes of the Underdark- Now this irritated me since it was just one big dungeon romp, and barely got to see WaterDeep. WaterDeep never get's any justice.
Hey! Why not Waterdeep!?
*uses hide in shadows ability*
I thought NWN2 MOTB was interesting in this regard: the location (Rashemen) greatly affected the lore and characters, so I thought that had value. Anyway, what I'm saying, in a roundabout way, is that I wouldn't mind different locations, but would prefer that the area match the story and have relevance to the story.
In short, good writing >> diverse landmasses
EDIT: I thought of your post for awhile and deleted my last post, and personally I can see a little why they want to keep tight reigns over DnD as not to let people spoil the soup. My dad and me had a conversation where DnD got really ridiculous because everybody had these off the wall ideas that doesn't usually make alot of sense. If you seen how NWN community operates, you get the gist of it.
Ever heard of a ORC ranger and Vampire Unicorn? I never heard of that before, and that shouldn't be possible.
But when it comes to other settings like Zakhara, and Osse. That I can agree with you on because they refuse to budge away from Faerun.
What needs to be done WOTSC needs to let people submit projects if it follows lore guidelines, and let it be part of the DnD community at large if it's good enough. It be semi-open source, but more community cooperation. I just don't see WOTSC doing anything with their campaigns if they only make a few a year.