Jade Empire maps Thread - Jade Empire in Style mod for Jade Empire

So I've noticed something about this game, and I'm sure everybody else has noticed it too. JE is a bit too linear. There really isn't much else (ok, anything at all) to go see or do in between the storyline. So I was wondering about editing maps. Or more specifically, making new ones, but editing comes first.
I am not looking to add new NPCs or shops or storyline, as that would require voices and for all that why not just make a new game? I'm simply looking to make something like.. "Uncharted Islands" or some crap. Maybe a forest. Maybe an island. Maybe a dungeon. Heck, a dungeon surrounded by forest on top of an island. Just some areas where there are more things to beat to a pulp, some treasure chests, maybe some traps and useless boxes, etc. Perhaps as a sidequest players could pick up some of the custom styles here. Let's get fancy and throw in some puzzles!

That is to say, I am actually quite interested in doing this myself, but.. I simply don't know where to start. There is no "Jade Empire Map Editor" (that would be too easy, right?) and the best I could find was "JE ERF RIM Editor" but I'm clueless as to what I'm looking at. I'm not completely hopeless though! Once I begin tinkering with things I quickly figure out how they work and how to bend them to my will. *Edits something* ... *Breaks game* WHOOPS. *Fixes* OHHHH so -that's- what that does! *Creates something magical* (I've actually dabbled with scripting for Ragnarok Online, though that's completely different...)
In this case, I'm unfamiliar with the system and need something to work with. Seeing as you've been tinkering with this game for some time now I thought you'd at least know a little bit about this. If not, owell. Something to look into?
Also, I see that it isn't possible to create new models, but this is fine. I intended on using pre-existing ones in the first place. I have no skill with that sort of thing ^^;
Looking forward to a reply! ^^

Edited by: lilkillerduck

Sorry, for the late reply! I only just now saw your post.

Only a fraction of the models are available separate from the scenery. Signposts, barrels, chests, doors and other things the player can directly interact with are available as independent objects. But most other things - like houses, rocks, waterfalls, statues and what have you - are part of their respective area models and not available for world building. Even if there was a construction set of some sort, it would have no assets. And, of course, the models cannot be edited and new models cannot be created. As it is, creating new locations is completely impossible.

It's almost like Bioware doesn't want us to mod this game. No, wait! It's exactly like Bioware doesn't want us to mod this game.

Edited by: pecoes

Hey!
I just registered when remembered this:
You know that magical plane that your transported when you wanna learn a custom skill? Well, here's the idea: even if you can't separate the houses and stuff like that, you could create an alternate dimension that you're transported when you activate something (or talk to someone) with different enemies, different chests and maybe different people with different talk.
Just speculating, if you didn't understand something please say.

P.S. When is the next version released? It's been a while.