Ashunor Valley [Claimed]

[Razorwing]

See Information for Region Modders for important modding information.

Claimed by TheImperialDragon

[title]What is Ashunor Valley?[/title]

It's a region on our landmass that can be said to be a cross between the two Vvardenfell regions 'Ascadian Isles' and 'Grazelands'. If you haven't played TES3 then Ascadian Isles can be likened to 'a peaceful, fertile paradise' while the Grazelands can be likened to 'African Savannah but with temperate climate'. In that respect Ashunor Valley is rather similar to the Silgrad region and to Deepen Meadows, but the flora differs somewhat and most importantly Ashunor Valley doesn't have any farms. It's raw wilderness, dotted with caves, thieves dens, dungeons and other locations that'd be fun for the player. But it's wilderness that's not quite as desolate and sparse as the Grazelands was.

The region is situated mainly on the huge 'tongue' of land around which Ashunor bends in a U-shape. It extends further than that tongue though. Here is a map of our landmass showing the 'tongue' I'm referring to:

Note that the area across the river to the east has already been completed, by sandor, and belongs to the Steadhelm region. Please don't edit his work, but do feel free to create a transition between Ashunor Valley-type region and Steadhelm-type region on your side.

[title]Generation preset[/title]

? Choose a set of landscape textures for the region and use/generate them on the alotted land as appropriate. Don't use the 'bw' or 'hd' sets from Qarl's landscape texture pack as they're already in use. You can use default landscape textures if you like, that wouldn't be a problem, but custom textures are better - not only because they'll give variety compared to the main game, but also because it gives such excellent control over them afterwards. If a better replacement for a particular texture appears six months down the line all one would have to do would be to switch files, without any need to mess up your work.

? Detail the landscape with the following assets:
[indent][/indent]- Emperor parasols (StStaticFloraParasol##, from the Static list)
[indent][/indent]- Ficus, Maple and Willow Oak (from the Tree list)
[indent][/indent]- Ascadian Isles rocks (from the Static>ST>Rocks list)
[indent][/indent]- Muckspunge, wickwheat, stoneflower, heather (from the Flora>ST>Flora list)

In addition, saltrice and marshmerrow should be found growing in clusters here and there along the riverbanks. The ratio should be about two marshmerrow for every saltrice. Try to plant them in the water, with some part of the plants sticking up.

[title]Locations of Interest[/title]

Lumen Julianii

This is one of our most memorable locations from the old mod, which took one of our old members (Reena McGuire) several weeks to complete. Simply put, it's a huge monastery secluded in the mountains bordering Ashunor Valley. Technically it belongs to the Reich Parkeep region, and the assets that would be needed to construct it doesn't exist yet, so there's several reasons why you don't need to mod it. But, it would be great if you accomodated for it's future existence by not extending the region too far north on the tounge - since the mountains that secludes Lumen Julianii are meant to go there. Here's an image of it. If you want to take on Lumen Julianii after you've finished Ashunor Valley you're most welcome to, and we can hold on to it for you to take when you're ready. If so, you're of course most welcome to mod as much of the monastery's mountains as you like in preparation for it. (Use 'WG' rocks in that case by the way, not 'AI' rocks)

[title]Roads[/title]

Add roads as you see fit. If you look at the map from the old mod, linked below, you can see where the important roads needs to be; one on the eastern side of the tongue leading to Steadhelm, and one on the opposing riverbank to the south that leads to Silgrad/Deepen Meadows in the west and to Dumac/Legio Argonis (not on the map) to the east.

[title]Reference[/title]

Here are a few screenshots showing typical Ashunor Valley scenes from our TES3 mod, in case they can inspire.

And here is the extent of the region from our TES3 mod, in case it can be of use.

Here is a map of the region:


(click for a larger image!)

[Razorwing]

Let's get the ball rolling

- What makes Ashunor Valley uninteresting to region modders?

- How can we change the region's design so that it becomes interesting to mod?

I didn't invent the region myself and I don't think anyone who worked on it in the TES3 mod is around anymore, so we can be as honest as we like. For instance should we discard the idea of using Emperor Parasols in the region? The TES3 region had them, but we're using parasols so much already that it might be boring to use them here as well.

[blackbird]

I have another region I'm responsible for! Perhaps the fact that those modders need to spend a lot of their time in that region. Which cells needs to be generated?

[Razorwing]

Originally posted by blackbird
I have another region I'm responsible for! Perhaps the fact that those modders need to spend a lot of their time in that region. Which cells needs to be generated?

I meant, why is it unattractive to modders in our team that have little on their plate at the moment. I thought that was obvious, but if you felt targeted then I'm sorry I wasn't clearer.

These should be the cell coordinates, but TID has the final word on that:
http://www.silgradtower.net/PublicForumA...t-9924.png

[blackbird]

I did not felt targeted, but if you read the second phrase again, you can find a possible reason.
I don't know if you would like to hear this, but I have tried a generation for myself of this region.

[TheImperialDragon]

I thought the map was already attached - don't know why it wasn't. I fixed that. I'll also fix the text a little later.

Thanks for pointing that out.

EDIT: There is the original attachment. Someone dropped the claim a while back.

blackbird: Could you upload the preset you worked on then? It might just make things go that much faster for this region.

EDIT: Also, how long ago did you start this?

[blackbird]

I started yesterday, only to have an idea to see how the region should look and enjoying the mod more.
I have uploaded my version of ashunor valley. I dont know if it's good. I din't use custom textures.

[TheImperialDragon]

I tried a preview generation last night, and it's looking promising. Would you be interested in changing and finishing just the preset so we do have something to go with for the next release? In case no one shows any interest? You don't need to, but it would be great if you could.

If you're interested, I'll write up what needs to be done.

[Shakes]

If there is already a preset to work on and fiddle with id like to take up this claim, unless blackbird wants to do it in which case im just as happy to do BC Latrys South. I havent got much exterior modding experience yet but I wouldnt mind fiddling around with numbers to get the right look for the region, plus I definitely have an affinity to the outdoors moreso than interiors.

I'll collect some real life pictures plus have a look through TES3 to help with inspiration.

[Razorwing]

Cool that it's underway!

I think it could work out pretty well if blackbird / TID generated it, but if you Shakes is interested in taking a deeper commitment to the region beyond generating it then I think that could be the best solution. By deeper commitment I mean drawing the road network, making the landscape look interesting where you can and want to, setting up dungeon claims, and things of that nature (pardon the pun ). Doesn't have to be major if you don't want it to be, just so that it looks interesting in the areas the player is likely to go. The region generator can do some fantastic work, but it always comes out looking generated. Which of course is ten times better than nothing at all, but still, giving it personal touches when possible makes the landscape much more interesting.

One thing I'd like to chip in is that if any model is giving you troubles when generated then please let me know which model(s) and what the unwanted effect is. The latter would most likely be that it's either floating or sunk beneath the landscape, but I'd need to know which.

The best scenario would be if I had a copy of the plugin so that I can manipulate the nif file to fit the way it was generated. If the model is already used widely in the mod, I'd just save the modification as a new nif file and tweak the model to look original while I was at it.

I hope there won't be any problems to begin with, but until a model is generated it's hard to know