Greetings,

So I figured this would be the perfect spot for me to help explain this mod to anyone either currently using or simply reading the mod for the first time. I'll be blunt here.

This mod I'm working on is massive, I'm directly working on re-adjusting nearly every aspect of this game. I'm in college, got a job and have responsibilities to do. That's normal but that just means less time spent on this mod. Regardless of that, progress will be made and accomplished.



Regions, zones and cave environments will be overhauled.-

About 60% done here, main work left is adding new vegetation, pathways and effects. Lots of new trees, rocks placed around, new sound triggers for many more enviromental sfx. Brand new pathway placements around the levels so getting around is easier but doesn't break story progression.


Ghettos, camps, cities and towns will be overhauled.-

The Tutorial ship, Fort Joy are nearly finished with bug testing and issues left. Reapers Coast, ARX and islands are about 40% finished with progress going smoothly. Scripting NPC's with custom splines are time consuming and lots of time spent here. Really irritating that NPC splines refuse to use any type of ladder from what I can find. Only stairs are acceptable to them so it's a problem with making every part of the area fully accessible to players AND npcs thanks to the limitation of space.



Wilderness encounters increased and overhauled.-

Nearly 40% done here, easiest to do but still some work to do to bug test and make sure encounters aren't too OP. Biggest time will be spent on adjusting the loot pools and placements. My main goal is here is mixing up the enemy pool to every level of the game. Mid-End game creatures spawn earlier in the start of the game and more early game creatures found in the later stages. Like crocodiles were only found for a single quest in Fort Joy. WHY? They're an awesome creature and then they were abandoned for the rest of the game? Sharks were only used twice in Reapers Coast? Again, why? Lots of animals, creatures and void enemies barely used so I'll be spicing up the combat this way.

Now, I can read your mind of what you're thinking, I'll be placing level 20 bosses to fight as a level 3? No and you can rest easy on that worry. ALL new enemies will have their levels and skills adjusted for their environment. Nor will any one enemy be spammed repeatedly and call it a day. They will instead be placed properly, statistically valued properly with a diverse arrangement. The way it should be done.



Brand new areas added with heavy detail.-

Insane amount of work being spent here but 10% done here? I've nearly finished my own fishing harbor behind the Seeker Camp in Fort Joy, bug testing, scripting and dialogue left to finish. I want to add more mini camps and locations throughout the game but navmeshing is a ♥♥♥♥♥. Looking to add some really cool and unique dungeons sprinkled around the game.



Enemies, bosses and allies are overhauled and their appearence updated.-

About 40% done but a lot of working adjusting their combat skills and capabilities.Some npcs are quite limited in editing their appearances but I found most vanilla npcs to look stupidly goofy in their outfits they drunkenly put on. I'm working hard on fixing this and making them look good.



Big fight zones like the Oil Fields and Lone Wolf Camp expanded and overhauled.-

These places are awesome fight scenes but they ended up being so small of a field to fight in.Mainly working on adding new pathways for the players and enemies to move around, have their own favorable cover spots while breathing fresh air into the fluidity of the combat. Enemies aren't funneled through one path anymore and neither are the players if I can help it. My goal is to make these areas threatening, if not more so to the players. These areas are strongholds of the enemies, they've had time to work on their defensive cover, they are playing defense against the player. The player can't have the upperhand or advantage all the time and everywhere. Sometimes, you gotta be made to feel unimportant or weak. That's where the game will truly shine with the player devising strats to make their own advantages in combat. That's what I want to flourish. Nearly 40% done here



Campaign arena fight zones expanded and overhauled.-

Almost finished with the Fort Joy arena, 30% done. I personally found these fights a joke, well no longer. These AI will be higher levels, better geared, better appereances and vastly improved selections of spells and skills. They will finally be a worthy fight, they aren't useless enemies anymore. They can use their class spells getting around the map and match you. Improved environment objects like barrels and elemental pools added for the AI and players to use.


New interactable NPC's with expansive dialogue.-

Currently only have a few speaking NPC's in Fort Joy and seekercamp to boost the immersion. Lots of dialogue work to do left and more areas to do. About 20% done and this will take quite some time to finish crafting the new dialogue with the numerous options for the players. Looking to make some of these NPC's able to become your henchman or skill book summon. Will be mainly working on this once I'm done editing the cities so it'll be temporarily put on hold with micro fixes inbetween.



Massively improved life in ghettos, cities and towns.-

The wilderness, towns, cities, ghettos and minor locations felt like ghost towns in vanilla. Where are the workers? The patroling guards? Chefs? Prisoners? Slaves? etc? Fishermans? Hunters? Well, no longer. These areas will be vastly more populated with a healthy amount of each race and no, they won't all be static. These guys and girls have ♥♥♥♥ to do and places to be. Streets are bustling with people, the ground covered in garbage and junk being a common sight. Huts and houses with an immersive touch, poor peasant live in poor huts, middle class and rich citizens enjoy a higher standard of clean and healthy food.

Traders are one of my main goals in this aspect. Their vanilla inventory was piss poor especially considering how long it took for them to restock. No more, I've personally invested in their capital backers allowing them to not just only stock and sell more goodies, but with an expanded list of items they can sell that stays realistic to what type of trader they are. The pièce de résistance here will be the traders locations, shall be woefully overhauled if I'm honest. Their trader spot screams I'm a dirty begger but they have fourty grand of gold in their pocket with legendary goods for sale. Nah, I don't buy it so I'm going to change that. All traders past Fort Joy will have much larger stall locations showing off their wealth and clientele. That's right, there are OTHER adventurers who buy their goods other than the player. Poor traders like the ones in Fort Joy will have slightly expanded stalls but nothing fancy, just more rubble, ruined furniture and moldy tents. The player should easily tell who's a trader and who's not by their outfit and location. Fort Joy handles that very oddly by mixing them all up so you can't tell who's who, let alone having the traders wander around. Why? They have goods to sell and they need to stay by the stall to make money. Helps the player easily identify them and keeps the map tidy.

I want to make their goods more expensive but unsure how to accomplish that and if that's a good gameplay decision. Cost decision is in the air atm. About 30% done here.




I'm working hard when I have time to, of course to keep compatibility problems with other mods low as much as I possibly can without downgrading my finished plan.

If you choose to use and play this mod, you must understand that there will be bugs, errors, oversights, broken navmeshing or accidental placements at any time. I am working and updating this mod constantly. This is a personal project that I'm inspired to achieve and I'm allowing other people to use it too. You're free to give suggestions or critique as long as its positive and constructive feedback.This doesn't mean overly nice, just don't put any insults, rude remarks or low IQ comments in your comments and we'll be fine.

I'm not an expert with the games editor but I'm pretty good using it. Scripting and coding is something I can't fully comprehend which will make finishing some parts of this mod complicated.

The work I'm doing is what I believe how the game should be improved but there's only so much I can change in each area in terms of the engines limitations and functions. Some changes are minor but goes a long way on making the playing experience better.

My updates may screw your playthrough progress and it's your choice to deal with that or not if you use this mod. If it's not fixed or you found a leftover bug, please message me in the bug/glitches discussion page and I'll put that on the top of my to do list.

I'll be making a progress report discussion page shortly for anyone who cares to read it. It'll essentially be the change-log for the mod but I'm not going to make it stupidly long.

Thank you for taking the time to read this