Claim your space in the Hlaalu Council Building ;)

[Razorwing]

Kindly skip down to "version 4" and continue reading from there for current information.

Hlaalu Council Building, v1

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Posted: 11.05.2005, 00:25 C.E.T.

- from the "Drawing and farewell for a little while" thread
The attached pic shows how far I got on the base of the building tonight. It's not done yet, as I plan to mold it so the base isn't as wide and long. The hole is where I figured the door was going to be later on, but I figured I'd make the door and steps separate models, as they're heavy on detail (and could be used elsewhere too).

The hole is a bit complicated as I think I'll have to edit the vertices a lot (I think a vertice is a connection point between polygons, kindof like the map grid in Morrowind), but seeing it take shape before my eyes is a helluva lot of fun. I really regret that I didn't spend more time on this while I was modding for Morrowind. Though I'll need support from a texture artist later on, I think.

Hlaalu Council Building, v2

I started over on the Hlaalu Council Building, but I picked up a few tricks along the way so it wasn't a waste. Included in this post are some screenies and a zipped NIF file. As I'm unsure if the scale is accurate, perhaps someone could help me and check out the model from within Morrowind? I have a hunch Oblivion will use the same scale as Morrowind did, so I'm reasonably sure that if the scale I use works in Morrowind, it'll work in Oblivion as well. Or maybe the model will turn out to only be suitable for knee-high leprechauns, but that's a risk I'm willing to take :o)

Anyway... I exported the NIF with the option of including the textures inside it. I hope it works. If anyone could take some screenies while testing it, I'd really appreciate it.

I haven't paid any attention to the textures as I need to wait until I'm happy with the way the mesh looks, and getting feedback on the scale is a big part of that. So, without further ado...

v2, img #1 | v2, img #2 | v2, img #3

Hlaalu Council Building, v3

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Posted: 13.05.2005, 03:51 C.E.T.

I think I screwed up the polygons around the "mouth", which is the reason the textures look so horrible. I kept tooling with it for a couple hours tonight, but I think making an intricate model like that - one that caves in on itself - is way over my head. Making dentures on the other hand, like creating a window sill, isn't that hard, so I'll start fresh tomorrow I think.

Hmm, might make a decent fireplace though... I'll hold on to the model just in case.

But I'd really need to know if the scale is accurate before I start over. If I can get some nice screenies, I can compare them to the numbers in 3DSM and adjust the size.

I'm still hoping to create a caved-in building model in the future, because it'd be so damn cool to be able to break the window and jump through the hole and kill the guy inside >: -) ...I wouldn't mind playing such a building myself, actually.

And I found a great site with high-quality freeware fantasy textures, so that situation is taken care of I think, though the option for a custom-made Hlaalu texture will always be open in the future.

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Posted: 13.05.2005 21:45 C.E.T.

As I mentioned yesterday, I started over today and it got better this time. I've attached a screenshot. As you can see I spent the most time on the stairs and railing, and will proceed to detail the actual building tomorrow. I still need a scale report, but I soon have access to the game again so I can take care of that myself. The oak steps to the right are leftovers from yesterday, which I don't want to delete from the scene.

Hlaalu Council Building, v4

Well... I don't know if it's appropriate of me to post this. But I was thinking, if you want, you can now claim a part of Cheese's and mine's Hlaalu Council Building. If so, just make a post in this thread and outline what NPCs you want to use, what it will be like, et cetera as you feel you want to -- it'd just be a way for the rest of us to know you have that intention, and the info you provide mostly your own notes so you remember what you wanted to do when in the future you're modding for Oblivion.

And the Council Building can only be so tall, so who knows, the theoretical claim slots might fill up if you hold off posting too long :o) ...you never know.

As seen in the screenshot, there is a base level (beige) and a segment level (brown). The beige base level isn't open for claiming, but the segment is. The segments can "tile" upwards, meaning the building can grow as tall as we want to make it. If you want a customized segment for your claim, feel free to propose it.

The base area of the building is 2560x2560 units, which corresponds to 20x20 interior blocks in Morrowind scale. So it's pretty spacious when you think of Morrowind, but take a look at any city screenshot from Oblivion and you'll see that buildings have a much larger (and realistic) scale this time around. If we go by the idea that a normal room in Oblivion is 7x7 tiles, then there would be room for 8(,1632) such rooms on each level. I'm sure you see larger buildings in real life every day.

- one segment is two levels high
- I feel three segments are minimum to make it look good, so that would equate to six levels
- Feel free to claim half a level or just a room. Or, for that matter, two levels if you think you need the space.
- Also, feel free to add comments and suggestions on what you generally think should be in the building. Artisans? Trainers? Merchants? Guilds? Et cetera.

Oh yeah, and by the way, the model is a developing project, but it's looking better and better every day, if I say so myself.

[Cheese]

Hi all,

I would like to claim the top part of the tower if you all dont mind. Its gonna be the chambers of the Hlaalu guild masters and the Hlaalu council seat.

greetings,

Cheese

P.S. Great work on the Tower Razorwing, exactly what i had in mind. Looking forward to a finished picture of the tower

[Razorwing]

Cheese: Thanks! Your claim is granted!

I'll be sure to give extra attention to your "penthouse" suite, and create an interior set piece to match it =)

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Posted: 15.05.2005, 03:56 C.E.T.

Here is version 6 of the Hlaalu Council Building:

- I replaced all windows with this, better, variety. See the left window second from the top? That's not a mishap, that's a broken window (you should see it up close, it's a great texture).

- In screenshot #2 you see what happens when you use a texture that doesn't tile in all four directions. I'll search for an amicable one that does. Again, it *will* not look like that on the sides once I get the right texture; it's not a problem with the mesh.

- Especially noticeable in screenshot #2 are the window sills with narrow, protruding ledges which I think create a very nice effect.

- The penthouse part is large enough to hold a very spacious room, but may or may not include the block underneath it as well. Cheese, do you want it as well? If not, perhaps it could be used either for the Bank of Silgrad or Hlaalu Vault? Just some ideas that popped into my head.

- A statue will be placed on top of the penthouse in my next version.

- For those that love excersizing their mind, try and figure out what the daedric sign says.

[Deus]

Ok my few cents on this building.

first of all I am kinda happy to see that you evolve so much and develop skills we very much need in the coming time..

Ok enough feathers up your arse.. Now my comments.

- I personally think its too high.. I would have liked a two story building max, since that seems to be standard in the world of elderscrolls. I never saw any skyscrapers there.
- I would have liked to see the stairs bigger and more Majestic, keep in mind that house Hlaalu the house of thieves mostly likes to show up and have a big ego.
- Next to the stairs I would have liked 2 statues of people like their guarding the place. That would mean that the windows behind it have to be removed. (otherwise they look upon the back of the statues, and that wouldnt be a good thing.)
- The Crest with the deadric sign could be a bit bigger.. a bit more pompus)

Hope you can appreciate this thorough commentlist.

-D-

[Razorwing]

Thankyou for sharing your ideas, Deus.

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Posted: 16.05.2005, 02:53 C.E.T.

Hlaalu Council Building v7

Info
The new wall texture used is so-so but at least it tiles well, looks like concrete or close to it, and has that yellowish Hlaalu color.

The base area of the structure is now 75% of the previous version, meaning 300 interior set pieces. If you imagine you enter the door, you may find yourself in a spacious hallway with two doors to your left and two to the right, leading to 5x5 rooms; at the end of the corridor is a nice big office, as well as the stairs leading to the next level. So it's not as gargantuan as you might think when you hear "300 set pieces".

- Wireframe.

[Haplo]

Great Job! It's much better than I could do, I don't even own 3D Studio Max, BUT -

One problem.

The windows. They're great, but they're way too bright and bumpy. They had tons of miniature bumps when I looked at them closely, and the tone is wayyyy too high. Try using the dull green glass used in TES:III Hlaalu windows, or a much duller blue.

That looks like something from a high-definition version of the SIMS. (No offense, the building is superb)

[Razorwing]

Originally posted by Haplo
Great Job! It's much better than I could do, I don't even own 3D Studio Max, BUT -

One problem.

The windows. They're great, but they're way too bright and bumpy. They had tons of miniature bumps when I looked at them closely, and the tone is wayyyy too high. Try using the dull green glass used in TES:III Hlaalu windows, or a much duller blue.

That looks like something from a high-definition version of the SIMS. (No offense, the building is superb)

Thanks. I don't pretend to know how to make textures, so I can't take offense. The windows are so far the best I've found while surfing the internet. I didn't make any of them, except for the daedric text on the sign. They should be easy to retexture as they are just planes, i.e. have no depth. Kinda like the moss that grew on bitter coast trees in Morrowind.

There seems to be some form of natural law that divide people into modellers and texturers :o) Often, one type can't do what the other type can and vice verca. I've been trying to get help in the texturing area, but I haven't had any luck so far.

As far as I can remember, Hlaalu houses didn't have windows? Redoran did, sometimes, and they were green I think.

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Posted: 17.05.2005, 02:23 C.E.T.

Hlaalu Council Building v8

- The penthouse has been given a treatment, and now sports a skywindow, a chimney, and some loose "bricks" to give a less perfect impression.

- A railing keeps the bankers on the fifth level from falling to their deaths (there'll be a door leading out to that balcony on the banking level, I imagine).

- Added a plank beneath the door on the entry level for better depth perception.

[noremorse]

It's coming along very well I see. Glad to see your skills improving as well. Great job!

[Razorwing]

Originally posted by NoRemorse
It's coming along very well I see. Glad to see your skills improving as well. Great job!

Thanks buddy! :cheers:

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Edit May 19th 2005, 17:00 C.E.T.

Hmm, I've done some investigating in 3D Studio Max, gathering data from other interior set pieces and it would seem that an interior set piece from Morrowind is 256x256x256 points large, not 128x128x128 as I previously thought. A loaddoor is 207 points high, for example.

So it would seem my building isn't as gargantuan as I first thought (though I'm still keeping it at 75% of the size I started with). To me, that's good news.

[Razorwing]

Public version 9
Internal version number 79

.max model here.
Textures are here.