Thoughts and praises - Athkatlan Grounds
12-24-2024, 11:23 AM
I managed to play all the modifications from Athkatlan Grounds. They definitely enriched my experience with the capital of Amn, especially after playing through the game for the umpteenth time. It was refreshing to breathe new life into the ossified walls of Athkatla, into places you had already visited far and wide. Each of the new locations allowed us to look at how the city functions from a different angle. Why is it the way we see it? What makes residents behave this way and not another. With each new district of Athkatla, new locations appeared in those that were already well known to me - such as the Temple of Sune in the Waukeen Promenade. New intrigues, new stories, new NPCs to get to know and new items, which, even if only expanded the world around them, were a nice addition. I immersed myself in each new intrigue with joy and curiosity, wanting to know its ending. Each new location had several side missions to complete, along with at least one larger task assigned to the district being visited. Many of the quests went beyond the boundaries of a given district, spreading throughout the entire game (sometimes even into the expansion itself!).
Below, I will rate each element in terms of the availability of quests, the complexity of each mission, level of intrigue and integrity with the entire game and the world itself.
Alabaster Sands - A small location adding the seaside district of Athkatla. We have several tasks to complete along with a plot that runs throughout a large part of the game. It's worth visiting at night, especially between specific hours, so that you don't miss an additional task. A friendly and visually pleasant place, worth recommending. ~ Rating 8/10 (easily missable content)
Bridge's Block - An interesting intrigue that keeps you in suspense until the very end. We are thrown into a seemingly stalemate situation, and our task is to find out what it is all about. Nothing is as black and white as we think. Each new person we meet adds a new layer to our investigation. Even the owner of the tabernacle is not entirely convinced that what we are doing will bring any results. We will meet interesting NPCs from different corners and even different lands of the multiverse. The ending of the intrigue may be surprising. ~ Rating 8.4/10 (small mod, just for a one quick session)
Ooze's Lounge - A location you would least expect to see in Athkatla. What lurks in the city's sewers? Why is this whole place covered in slime? What does helping the residents and visitors of this lounge involve? And why is that eye looking at us like that? These and other questions will be answered soon after you take on the missions assigned by the local residents. The mod gives access to new locations, as well as shopkeepers with access to interesting items. ~ Rating 8.6/10 (I've missed the entrance to this area for the largest portion of the game xD)
Southern Edge - A lot of short side quests, mainly focusing on bringing something to someone. We will meet some new people and even meet people we know well from the first part of the game. Be careful with the books! Not only the knowledge contained in them can be dangerous. ~ Rating 7/10 (not a lot of content, but still very enjoyable)
Tangled Oak Isle - Probably the biggest location added by these mods. There are many new tasks and NPCs in it. We will face another intrigue that threatens this place. We will be dealing with a subliminally insinuated discourse of social identity related to the local community. Social issues interestingly intertwine with a typical sword and sorcery adventure. Our task is to support the residents of this newly incorporated district of Athkatla. Do you remember what I wrote earlier about books? Here it will be taken to an even higher level of (gripping) absurdity. ~ Rating 9/10 (the bookclub quest feels like it could have been made even bigger, with more plot and twists)
Below, I will rate each element in terms of the availability of quests, the complexity of each mission, level of intrigue and integrity with the entire game and the world itself.
Alabaster Sands - A small location adding the seaside district of Athkatla. We have several tasks to complete along with a plot that runs throughout a large part of the game. It's worth visiting at night, especially between specific hours, so that you don't miss an additional task. A friendly and visually pleasant place, worth recommending. ~ Rating 8/10 (easily missable content)
Bridge's Block - An interesting intrigue that keeps you in suspense until the very end. We are thrown into a seemingly stalemate situation, and our task is to find out what it is all about. Nothing is as black and white as we think. Each new person we meet adds a new layer to our investigation. Even the owner of the tabernacle is not entirely convinced that what we are doing will bring any results. We will meet interesting NPCs from different corners and even different lands of the multiverse. The ending of the intrigue may be surprising. ~ Rating 8.4/10 (small mod, just for a one quick session)
Ooze's Lounge - A location you would least expect to see in Athkatla. What lurks in the city's sewers? Why is this whole place covered in slime? What does helping the residents and visitors of this lounge involve? And why is that eye looking at us like that? These and other questions will be answered soon after you take on the missions assigned by the local residents. The mod gives access to new locations, as well as shopkeepers with access to interesting items. ~ Rating 8.6/10 (I've missed the entrance to this area for the largest portion of the game xD)
Southern Edge - A lot of short side quests, mainly focusing on bringing something to someone. We will meet some new people and even meet people we know well from the first part of the game. Be careful with the books! Not only the knowledge contained in them can be dangerous. ~ Rating 7/10 (not a lot of content, but still very enjoyable)
Tangled Oak Isle - Probably the biggest location added by these mods. There are many new tasks and NPCs in it. We will face another intrigue that threatens this place. We will be dealing with a subliminally insinuated discourse of social identity related to the local community. Social issues interestingly intertwine with a typical sword and sorcery adventure. Our task is to support the residents of this newly incorporated district of Athkatla. Do you remember what I wrote earlier about books? Here it will be taken to an even higher level of (gripping) absurdity. ~ Rating 9/10 (the bookclub quest feels like it could have been made even bigger, with more plot and twists)
