Adding Specific Elements to the Game

[Dave_91]

Originally posted by Isildur_Diren
I use my CS everyday, adding tons of stuff to Oblivion simply for my own pleasure. But it occured that while Oblivion is a great game, it lacks a few realistic elements. Such as, where are the kids?

In lore, (IIRC) people in Nirn are born as adults. No such thing as children. Or so they say.

[Isildur_Diren]

If that was true, explain "The Real Barenziah" where her birth is celebrated and I quote, "In Symmachus' thirtieth year, there was great rejoicing in Mournhold-a girl-child had been born to the Lord and Lady." This is from the first book of The Real Barenziah. Another quote from the same book suggests that she is indeed a baby at this time and I quote, "Symmachus was close enough to smell wine on the royal breath. On the other side of the carriage his Lady clutched the babe to her breast, and stared slit-eyed at Symmachus, her nostrils flared in disdain."

[Dave_91]

Then I shall consider myself wrong.

I am fairly sure I read it somewhere though.

[Isildur_Diren]

I think the reason children were not put in the game because Bethesda didn't see an importance. And also they most likely didn't want people going around slaughtering kids. :/

[Dave_91]

Yeah. Same with Morrowind. However there were children in Daggerfall, although, Daggerfall isn't as interactive and detailed as the more modern games, so that'll probably be why. Plus it was made by a different developer team.

[Isildur_Diren]

I never played Daggerfall, I started at Battlespire.

[Dave_91]

It was a good game, albeit repetetive. I got bored after a while.

[A_flyboy]

hehe

I started at morrowind and I can tell ya, the COM mod added a lot to the ambience. it was more real to walk into a city and see a kid or 2 in a playground. as for killing kids in it, I agree. However I think the people here are good enough that they wouldn't.
I saw a COM based mod once where you played as a kid i think.

[TheImperialDragon]

Originally posted by A_flyboy
However I think the people here are good enough that they wouldn't.

I also don't think Silgrad Tower forum-ers would. But as a released mod, you've got it so anybody can play, and, well... From the Team Guideline:

(It certainly isn't quite as freeform as you may read, but most of the examples are just examples. There have already been several discussions regarding this.)

[title]?5 This mod is for adults[/title]

Silgrad Tower isn't a child-friendly mod. We are liberal when it comes to featuring nudity, sex, murdering innocents, cannibalism, necromancy, and the like. We believe that if a player wants to roleplay being evil then he should have that option when plausible. Equally important is to allow players to play good-natured characters, so we won't force evil actions on him.

COMMENT BY QF: I agree that the way how the player approaches the game and the moral restrictions are definitely not ours to make, but I would like to see things done very subtly. I personally think that hints and indications are much more powerful than explicit representations. And if somebody comes with the argument that the real world is harsh, cruel, violent and brutal ... heck I'm playing games to get away from this world from time to time and I, again personally, think there is enough slaughter and bloodshed in the game already.

If children aren't in Oblivion but are added to Silgrad by modders, they should be killable. The player will be hated, and persecuted for sure, but the moral choice should be up to the player. They are just polygons. If you don't want to kill polygonal children, just don't do that, and let others have the freedom to play differently.

However, children in Silgrad Tower will be equipped with an amulet, which warps them to the nearest Temple when they are attacked. This still wouldn't prevent them from being killed, when for example an uncautious mage underestimates the range of a fireball. And accidents can happen to anybody.

Ultimately it's up to the core to vote on any sensitive features. If you make an objection, the core will discuss and vote on it.

[A_flyboy]

Wait...
In COM I accidentally hit a kid with a spell in vivec once. arbitrator guys are still pissed at me and he used a recall spell.