Visbending

Immersive Guideposts for the No-Map Challenge

"Visbending" is Old Norse for clue, hint, or point of reference.

In the world of Valheim, survival is hard—even for traders. Haldor, Hildir, and the Bog Witch need customers to stay in business. If you were a trader in the harsh world of Valheim, you would want to be found!

Visbending adds runestones that act as "billboards" to guide travelers to the merchants' camps. By doing so, the mod enhances immersion by providing a realistic, in-game explanation for why merchant icons appear on the map the way they do.

Although the mod was originally created out of necessity for No-Map playstyles, it works well in any playthrough. The idea was to fill a logical gap, not to change the game as such.

Visual Impression

Haldor (Cyan)

Hildir (Yellow)

Bog Witch (Green)

Installation instructions

Option 1: Mod Manager (Recommended)

Click the "Mod Manager Download" button (Vortex or r2modman). Everything will be set up automatically.

Option 2: Manual Installation

1. Ensure BepInEx for Valheim (v5.4.2333 or newer) is installed.
2. Download the Visbending archive and open the ZIP.
3. Extract the entire Visbending folder into your Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
   • Note: Make sure the Languages subfolder stays inside the Visbending folder!
4. Launch the game and start your search for the traders!

Main features

• Immersive Guideposts: Adds custom-colored runestones around Haldor, Hildir, and the Bog Witch at a distance where they would normally be "discovered."
• Lore-Friendly Pigments:
  • Cyan (Haldor): Inspired by the glowing eyes of Greydwarves.
  • Yellow (Hildir): A bright, sunny hue for the meadows.
  • Green (Bog Witch): Created from the murky ooze of the swamp.
• True-to-Game Runes: The stones feature unique texts for each trader. I’ve carefully implemented them to match Valheim’s style: first, the runic text appears, which is then translated into the player's language. If the player's language is not supported, English is used instead.
• Localization: Includes hand-crafted translations for English and German. (Note: If you'd like to help translate the mod into other languages, feel free to reach out!)
• Multiplayer Ready: Tested in a local multiplayer environment. While tricky to develop and test, the markers correctly sync for players exploring the world together.
• Fully Configurable: Don't like the colors? You can easily change them in the configuration file.
• Vanilla Feel: Uses original game assets to ensure the markers feel like a natural part of the environment.

Requirements

• BepInEx Pack for Valheim (v5.4.2333 or newer recommended for Unity 6 compatibility).

Technical Details & Placement

To ensure a natural look and avoid overlapping, Visbending uses a smart spawning system inspired by Valheim's internal logic:

• Distance Range: The mod operates within a safe distance window (minimum 80m). This prevents "crowding" near the center and ensures that even merchants spawning near the coastline can be announced by stones on the shore before they come into direct view.
• Smart Search: The mod attempts to place stones at your configured distance. If a spot is unsuitable (e.g., underwater or blocked by another location), it automatically tries again 5 meters closer to the center until a valid spot is found.
• Safety First: To prevent "floating" stones or clipping, a stone will simply not spawn if no valid location is found for a specific angle.

AI Disclosure & Credits

I used Gemini (Google AI) as a technical consultant while creating this mod. While the AI did not write any code, it provided extensive research and helped brainstorm technical solutions.

I want to be transparent: Although I did not copy code from other mods, I am aware that AI suggestions may be based on existing technical approaches found in the community. Since I cannot know every source the AI took into account, I want to give credit where it's due:

• Gemini (Google AI): For the countless discussions, technical tips, and guidance during development.
• The Unknown Modders: A special shout-out to any modders whose public knowledge or techniques might have been cited by the AI without me realizing. Thank you for your indirect contribution!
• Iron Gate team: For the beautiful world of Valheim.