***
There's an alternative version of this mod made specifically for the MM678 Merge which includes dungeon changes and more mindful world map edits plus a bunch of other little things (basically all this one does, only - in my opinion - better, but to each their own, of course!). You can find it here: https://www.celestialheavens.com/forum/10/17343
As for visual assets, you may also find them in the link to the other topic in my signature and pick and choose. Including portraits, items and characters.
Or proceed with the Modling:
EDIT: since the links and uploads got demolished by speedy share service dying, all I have left is my probably-final-package, later described as 'everything and the kitchen sink'. Feel free to extract whatever you like and use just that. Sadly, I don't have time to retrace my steps now and divide it into neat packages anymore. I have packed some of the art-parts of the mod separately for your convenience though.
You can find everything here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e3dxQy ... share_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zk9wwH ... share_link
A nice fellow added the skill tables that for some reason slipped out of the original package and I haven't had time to re-do, he shared them here: https://www.celestialheavens.com/forum/ ... 60#p368857[/color]
End of edit.
Nice folks from a Russian side of the fandom made a translation of the modling. You can find it here:
http://mmgames.ru/index.php?option=com_ ... 65&lang=en
I call this a Modling, because it's too small to be called a mod, but it has a few components, some of them optional. Please read this post to avoid getting things you don't want. You can find a full list of changes down below and in the following post you can find a few screenshots of textures and items.I also did some stuff for MM7 if you like: https://www.celestialheavens.com/forum/10/16074
To "install" this mod you need to put [overwrite] the files in the Data folder of your MM8 install. The Quest for Druid Grove goes elsewhere, details below.
FULL PACKAGE:
[or so called 'everything and the kitchen sink';
these are the final files from my install which include all of the changes I've made - like some experimental Ravenshore textures and whatnot - so there could be some things in it you may not want; choose from the list below if you want to know and choose what you're getting; or get just this if you just want everything and fast and couldn't care less about what's changed as long as it's changed
there's a tiny readme included with install tipsa few newest changes/encounters are only available in this package though since I added them as an afterthought]
Before placing the files in the folder, make a backup of the originals just in case. Always make backups
Files and Alternatives:
#1 changes to classes, items, monsters, spawn sizes, etc: http://speedy.sh/xc9tc/EnglishT.lod
#2 new item visuals, resized potions, ingredients, etc: http://speedy.sh/ypVWp/icons.lod
* #2 as above, but includes the 5 redone characters: http://speedy.sh/YgfKg/icons.lod
#3 redone Shadowspire, new textures for ground, water, etc http://speedy.sh/uqgrq/bitmaps.lod
#4 completing water texture for the patched game: http://speedy.sh/uq4mF/00-patch.bitmaps.lod
** #5 quest for the Druid Grove: http://speedy.sh/JRkKR/Quest-Druid-Circlet.lua
*** #6 redone world areas, new encounters, treasure, etc: http://speedy.sh/RMDMM/MM8MM-AreasMod.7z
*** #6 as above, but with much harder Escaton's Palace & some other difficulty upgrades: http://speedy.sh/CUmAU/MM8MM-AreasMod-Buffed-Palace.7z
* Redone portraits
CAUTION: they're imperfect and rushed, all frames are done, but not all are flawless; also, the clothes on paperdolls are skimpier, so use only if you don't mind such things/get both #2 files and decide whenever, you can swap them at will.
** Quest for Druid Grove
If you have MMExtension, put this in Scripts/Global to include a missing quest for the Druidic Circlet from Murmurwoods. It can be found in the main part Ravenshore.
*** Feeling adventurous?
CAUTION: Start a new game with this file. You can swap icons.lod and bitmaps.lod whenever, but games.lod will cause crashes/anomalies if replaced mid-game.
This file modifies all of the outer-world areas adding new enemies, treasure, sprites, and making the world generally fuller and more diverse.
Use the EnglishT.lod included in the AreasMod package if you use the games.lod file. It reduces the outer-world spawns [to 5-10 down from 10-20 in the previous file] and prevents at least some of the spawn points from disappearing with the new additions. I've added plenty new enemies manually so if difficulty dropping down is your concern, don't worry.
What could worry you is that I've no idea how stable this is. I have checked it the best I could without actually playing the game, but until someone plays through successfully and says it's okay, please be warned something could go wrong.
This file is a pretty big modification I guess, and if it will work as it should it will be a breath of fresh air for MM8
I knew the areas in MM8 were empty, but I haven't realized just HOW empty they were before I tried to fill them. Of course more could be done, but I'm sooo out of time now and I wanted to rejuvenate all of them so I had to curb my enthusiasm Few screenshot examples to show what I mean:
All islands on DWI now have enemies and some new treasure. Some life on the volcanic island:
There are some things happening on the hills of Garrotte George, down on the river, the lake, and the Eep temple is now guarded. The area is not so barren and empty anymore either:
Ravenshore has some more diversity now too. The roads are less safe, the bridge, obelisk, smuggler's cave, and Eep temple are also guarded. Some duergars having a campfire near the shore:
CHANGES ASIDE OF THE OUTWORLD AREAS MODIFICATION:
[difficulty]
### dodging might sometimes be very much in order now I believe
- spawn rates increased severely!
- some monsters deal more damage on their attacks
- some monsters are faster [for example centaurs, unicorns and dragons, those that made sense]
- some monsters got new abilities [notably ruby dragons can eradicate now, some monsters knock people unconscious, misc items can also be broken now and a bunch more; sadly I couldn't add the fun summoning as it likes to crash the game often]
- some monsters got new spells [among others, dragon breath makes a triumphant return and care for phoenixes calling down meteors on you!]
- some monsters have been moved around for surprises and challenge, but aside of my lovely flying turtles I did my best to keep it logical enough [care about winged snakes, they went to the gym and refused to be fodder in the starting temple only, I heard eating gogs for breakfast also did them some good]
- some monsters are now mixed! [you can find wyverns in the herd of gorgons or discover necromancers slumming it in the vampire lair etc.]
- less (if any) helpless monsters [no more flying and herding them for easy meteor showering safely from above, most monsters can now attack the team from the distance, even if less effectively than in melee]
- very slight HP adjustments for very few monsters [maybe +100 or +200 hp in 4-5 instances, barely noticeable]
- some monsters have new/changed resistances, so Identify Monster skill might come in handy
- buffed monsters give more XP and oftentimes better treasure as well
- most areas respawn in 3 years instead of 2, because of how much training there is to be done in mods that increase the spawn rates [just change the year in the editor to next one if you want to easily force a respawn at your leisure! It's not cheating if it's to make your life harder I promise
]- Dark/Light magic spells are much more expensive, especially Soul Drinker and Dragon's Breath spells
- some spells from other magic schools also are more expensive [Town Portal, Lloyd's Beacon, Fly + strongest spell from each school]
- all NPCs have had their levels, skills, and spells zeroed out, but with a mod like this a premade party of 5 is probably still the best choice
- school of fish are unkillable now (I hope), you plane-of-water-armageddoning monsters
- some areas are more dangerous to sleep in! [setting camp in front of the world's arch-enemy's bedroom door is probably not the smartest idea, is it?]
- Necromancers don't start with Dark Magic so they don't get a very valuable spellbook at the start of the game
[utility & coolness]
- weapon/armor artifacts and relics have been buffed to make them actually stand out from the common crap!
- max bonuses on random items raised to 50 for the best items [stuff like Alchemy, X Resist, ID Monster etc, don't know how to modify the preset bonuses like "Of the Gods" etc ;<]
- buff spells have WAY reduced recovery rates [all around 40 like torch light]; I don't know about you, but I didn't find it thrilling to wait after my Day of Protection cast to cast my Hour of Power to wait for my Day of the Gods cast to then wait after each Regeneration... omigod SNOOZE. Well, no more!
- some scarcely used/useless spells like shrinking ray, harm, animate dead etc, also have their recovery rates reduced [varies across the board]
- recipes for black potions for +50 skill are now included in barrel messages for respective skills [everyone checks them online nowadays anyway, let's be honest]
- recipes for Divine Restoration, Divine Power, Divine Cure and Fire Resistance [for the trolls quest] are included in the resistance pot messages
- trainer notes start with SKILL NAME now so that your eye can easily catch what's where
- attribute descriptions include attribute thresholds & bonuses they give
- some things are renamed, because I felt like it
[balance]
- classes/races have been rebalanced; tables:
[items]
- broadswords [5] turned into blade staves
- hats [3] turned into ioun stones
- rings [5/10] turned into sources (new shooting weapon)
- potions are 1-hex big
- all ingedients are 1-hex big
- wolf pelts, naga hides are somewhat smaller
- wasp wax, wasp stinger, wyvern horn are 1-hex big
- imported 1 mace from MM6 and 1 flail from MM7 to replace two maces I didn't like
[textures]
- terrains: dirt, mountains, gray ground, dirt road, gray road, grass [small res]
- water, fire lake
- some skies
- Shadowspire town buildings & Escaton's crystal
*****************
DISCLAIMER:
Thanks to Arret now I know the mod is playable [the basic version, the areas modification for now untested!] and can be completed without hitting the wall with your head so the old disclaimer can be put to rest.
Abandoned Temple has small Coatl spawn. FOR A REASON. RUN FORREST RUUUUN. Or not, but that's on you!
My MM8 mod wishlist
[so things I think would be cool but either don't know how to do or thought I knew, but failed
]- make Escaton's Palace feel more like the true endgame location by adding scripts that spawn additional monsters on any TP/Beacon attempt as per MM7rev4mod
- make the unique boss monsters much stronger than the average creatures from their kind
- replace one behemoth instance with Tolberti sprites, behemoths are boooohring
- add the missing quest for druidic circlet to make that location valid Great success, lol. Thanks GrayFace for your quest template, I turned it into this quest
- add more spawn points to the plains to make things look more like MM6 monster-density wise instead of the speckles MM8 currently has Want something? DIY!
Well, aside of the wonderful tool that made it possible, MMEditor. Pure genius. Didn't find out how to use chests, but I worked around it in a n00bish, but sufficient, way 
), I did travel around from DWI to Ravenshore and then through all the major locations by stables or on foot to see if everything got replaced as I wanted it do. It worked okay. 
