The Path of Evil "Overland" Map

Technically, it's not one anymore... The overland map scripts from Obsidian slow down the player on the map tremendously. While it's more realistic over the regional map scale used in SoZ, it is just not "fun" over a Faerun map unless you want to put literally hundreds of regular map areas in tied to it. Otherwise it's an interminable length of time moving slowly overland.

This works much better for me. I've actually removed the Overland Map scripts. Our intrepid player is now full size on the map and moves at full speed with an unlocked camera. Because I'm using a projection map the abstraction of the players size is not jarring like it would be if they were on the standard Overland Map. Everything on this map becomes symbolic.

With the unlocked camera, tilting the map is now possible, allowing the player to see farther. The sense of scale is greatly increased. Distant areas look distant. The arbitrary inability to see as far south of the player as they can see north is removed. Look how distant those glacial lands look.

Of course there are some minor drawbacks to this. Many of the overland map placables from SoZ are designed specifically for the locked camera. They have things like missing backs, 2D parts etc. This makes them useless for me. Also odd things happen to the camea if the map placeables are set to walkable as Obsidian recommends. The camera takes a view under the player and map. So I'll have to be turning off the walkable settings for overland map placeables.

Also, now that the player can see the sky, they can see that they can apparently run the length of Faerun in a day. I know SoZ had faster day/night cycling, so I'll be looking into it.

Fortunately, there is plenty of solid prefab work available to fill in our overland map. So at the bottom are two screenshots from nice areas.

Misery Stone is perfect, but there are a few tiny Bouncy Bugs

Misery Stone. I don't think it's toppable. I played straight through and couldn't step away except for the bathroom. I even ate at my computer. But there are a very, very few bugs.

A walkmesh issue by the shambling mound, you can walk into a corner of the wall. A walkmesh issue with the two giant statues in Castle Firglore library (can walk right through them).

Typos and description problems. The artifacts of Firglore have as their description "There is nothing special about this object.". As artifacts, there should be some sort of description. A minotaur whose description is a gargoyle. The quarterstaff shovel. Hand drawn picture keys. "Machince", and "stready". The incomplete description of "This chair".

Finally there was a broken journal entry. Though this may be related to my overrides, I got the same broken empty journal with Trinity. I'm using Tony K's ai and Kaedrin's prc pack.

edit: More bugs:

One female companion is a Vistani gypsy and native the Firglore. The other female companion talks about the Vistani. We never find any other evidence the Vistani exist even though we travel the length and breadth of Firglore.

A red dragon, what was that doing there? Make it a white please. There's one on the Vault.

Dynamic journal failure. The journal keeps track of your good/evil deeds. This only worked for the very first deed, in the inn with the sleeping guard. After that I was stuck on 1 good/0 evil the rest of the game even when I did some definitely good deeds (the Misfield children).

Journal failure: Giving a female companion the items for her quest would update her journal. The update made no changes to it. I only did this after I had completed her quest.

Duplicate npcs: In the basement of the asylum, there were duplicate liches. The second one did not go hostile, but did attack until I'd killed the first. Once I killed the first I could talk to the second again and get the same conversation as the first. I couldn't attack it again though, it would not go hostile.

Finally, a preference. There are several item accumulation quests. It would be nice if the items were removed from the player inventory after they are no longer needed. I was walking around with a number of keys.

Custom Loading Screen Samples

To get this effect I take the screenshots and loaded them into GIMP. First I applied the Oilify filter (Filter -> Artistic -> Oilify) using the default settings. The border was done by using the Fuzzy Border filter (Filter -> Decor -> Fuzzy Border) with a 32 pixel black border.

Oilify works well when there's significant color contrast or strong colors.

Here are some prefab areas from the Vault given this treatment.

And here are some of my own areas.

More testing, More screenshots.

Well, these are certainly some nice prefabs....

Allyndyn's city
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2PrefabAreas.Detail&id=10762&id=331




















Surague Escarpment
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2PrefabAreas.Detail&id=311





I have to relight everything.....















iirc From the Baldur's Gate areas prefab
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2PrefabAreas.Detail&id=340

Our player is being a smartypants...

More testing, More screenshots.

Where does this lead?







A new module opens as testing for the old one finishes....







Let's build something, shall we?







These people could use some help.







A dingy inn.







This shot just looks awesome.







NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

More testing, More screenshots.

Some skills are useful outside of combat. I need to add more of this though.






More "flavor text".















Sometimes flavor text is used to give game relevant information. Here the player is told they are unable to rest in the area.






Just some pretty shots:
Temple of the Old Night, Calimport Muzad






A pretty prefab area.