Yes I've actually been working on it... More Asberdies shots

Well believe it or not I have been working, I just keep forgetting to update this page. I am still looking at how to create the gui interface over the top to give a true in game view, but from what I understand you have to include the actual gui interface as an override just to see it correctly, that or put it in a hak pak. Why this is, is beyond me, but I'll get it down sooner or later. Right now I'm more interested in just getting all of the areas created and done.

These screenshots are from the level I'd be placing the camera at for the overland map.



This is the area behind the Nether Mountains. I've made it into a kind of plains/foothills mix so that it blends in really well, it's actually a combination of three grass textures, and the mountains texture along with a little orange/brown color tint to give it a definite autumn look. I haven't placed any real placables there and may not, because it does really achieve it's purpose as is.



Finally decided to post a shot with the actual tree canopy over the top of the moonwoods. This is the area just to the west of the Mouth of Song. There will also be a little grove there in that area called the "Grove of Fangs" an area in eternal darkness where the enemies of the Mouth of Song dwell. While you are attempting to find clues to locate Claw Hollow, this is one of the areas you can find them.



Last but not least a shot from inside the Silverymoon pass. The tower is a guard tower that protects the pass and will be a stopover allowing safe rest as you travel through the pass. In some of the later stages you will come here to find the person who can help you ascend to the top of the Nether Mountains and find the ancient Tomb of Dekan Thar to further your quest to find the remaining fragments of the Asberdies Stones.

Well that should give a good update for now.

Resolved the Seasonal Differences... for Overland Map

Thanks to DwarvenDervish's suggestions, I decided to try shrinking down normal trees for the Overland map in order to keep it a seasonal look, and it's looking very good. I am now very pleased with how the Overland map is coming out.



This is a tilted view from Silverymoon looking toward Silverymoon Pass in the Nether Mountains.

I changed up the texturing and you can see this is looking very good. I am also very impressed with the way the Silverymoon Pass came out. I used a little brown and orange coloring on the textures to make the mountainside and "broken" land of the pass come out.

On top of that the area around silverymoon now look very authentically Autumn. I probably could do a better job with the textures, but I think this will do for an overland map.

On to the Moonwoods.



Basically each part of the Moonwood I'm making are going to have a slightly different forested look as in the above example. This is the place around One Stone and the Sky Pony camp. These two points are map locations. The one to the right is One Stone, the one to the left is Dragon's Heart, both of which you've seen in previous areas I've designed.

In this specific area I've been able to match the textures to those I used in that specific location. And it's turning out really well. When this map comes out it's going to be a very subtle blend of one environment into another, into another.

As in the example of a completely different texture pattern around Quaervarr in the Southern end of the Moonwoods.



You'll notice older areas of my Blog I showed Quaervarr and the screenshots of what the area looks like. Well this was no exception. I've mapped the texture pattern as close as possible to Quaervarr so it will seem a smooth transition when you enter the town.

Keep in mind this will have Tree coverings I left out so you could see the texture job.

Admittedly though I am having to squeeze and get really creative with textures, because you're only limited to 6 textures in any 4 square area, and sometimes to get the environments correct I'd need a good 8 because of the blending from one environment to another.

To close... it is an intricate job, as you can see I have more of the Overland map done, but it's still not a large amount.



But if you want to do it right... it is an intricate thing.

Storm of Zehir

Working on Asberdies again after the new addition of the Overland Map to NWN2. This is a lot more intricate than I'd have suspected. Basically this kind of gives you an overview of the area Asberdies takes place in. While it's not even near complete I was asked about how far I was with regards to getting my hands dirty so to speak and this is the beginnings of what I've started with as an overland map.

The area is the area North of Silverymoon with the Moonwoods to the North and the Nether Mountains to the East. Obviously the trees you see in the middle are going to have the foliage cover you see in the Storm of Zehir expansion when going to the forests but you can at least get a good glimpse of the skeleton I have started with and the base texturing I'm laying down.

Here's a closer look at the base texturing...



This is supposed to be taking place in the autumn as you can see by some of my past posts on this, but I won't necessarily be able to do that on the overland map mostly because the placables Obsidian made for the overland map are summer time placables, so I'm going to have to pull off a half assed mix of summer/autumn type texuring.

This is the texturing around Silverymoon and I may still change it, but it's looking overall to be workable. We'll have to see though, it's just a start and I may change my mind.

So far though I think I like it.

Another part I'm very pleased with though...



One of the places I started with was the Nether Mountains since that's one of the locations you'd be going to is the Tomb of Dekan Thar. And I admit that's coming out really well. Silverymoon pass is looking very nice, as is the upper reaches of the Nether Mountains that you'll be going to.

This is the place you'll be going to in order to find another of the Asberdies stones. And you'll come up against Yetis and other assorted snow creatures, assuming I can find them. Thankfully there's now Wights in the game so I can do the Tomb of Dekan Thar properly.

Previously I thought I'd have to do some major cheating on it.

Well that should do it for an update.