Design Thread - Tsaesci Highlands

[Ysne]

I'm copying all the posts from the height map thread to here that should have been made in this thread.

exilehunter 1-1-09
VERY IMPORTANT!!!

I have 2 and a half days before I'm out of action for a month.
The heightmap is pretty much done but the regions still needs altering in the cs region editor - I can do this later.
Before I release the heightmap....

The bamboo is still being sorted so I need someone to sort them out into height or whatever (see knifeblossom thread for previous issues). I'm hoping Ra or someone else will sort this out.
I think the latest models are fine for the job anyway.

When 'painting' the terrains, please be aware that you may need to do it again after I generate region data.

I hope you guys comeup with a generic and organized naming system for object ID's in the CS.

There is a test world I made in the esp for region development. I suggest you try to avoid altering things in it if possible.

Lastly, I have little knowledge in how development works - merging separate claims into one. Therefor I have no ideas if releasing this heightmap will work out well if I still need to do regions. If someone takes over the region drawing job (its quite easy but very tedious and needs some idea of where regions go), I suggest they take a look at a video tutorial I found and followed here- http://www.cstutorials.info/CS.html
Ask DA or another Silgrad memeber if you want more help.

So hopefully you guys give your suggestions, help and knowledge quickly, or i'm releasing the heightmap in its messy state.

RA 1-2-09
*I noted a little info about the trees in the knifeblossom thread*

My vote is for not releasing it. You still wanted more trees and rocks didn't you? I think if you did release it, it would pretty much be in the same state when you came back anyway

Hopefully as a group we can make a realistic list of what we want landcsape/terrain wise for this island and have everything ready to go on your return. Just my 2 cents.

I can make all the trees, rocks and textures we need, but I'm horrible at randomly thinking up concepts. I need a good visual or a detailed discription.

Anyway- I think you have done an awesome job and I would like to know what YOU think would be the best solution

exilehunter 1-2-09
Well, truthfully, i'm very doubtful that this island is going anywhere near completion and that the whole of akavir is nothing more than a dream.
However, i'm always open to the chance of people seriously picking up their game and Shivertail was one of those who really made a break through with the creature models.

Whether or not things will roll along with actual town building, I cant say but I figured that releasing the heightmap may encourage it.

Yes, we do need more trees and rocks. The concept artists seem to have bogged out in this. I ask again that people post WHATEVER they seem fit for concepts, regardless of how easy or difficult they think it is - it doesnt even have to be landscape stuff!

The alternative idea for progress in my absence would be that people made dungeons and caves with this beach tileset from Aezerka - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?fcxv1odzhkk
or any other tilesets they deem worthy (a naming system is still needed!) Cluttering and stuff is still questionable since we dont have any concepts or items. At the very least, some empty and lighted caves could be made for later when clutter is available.

The very least anyone could do if they dont want to pitch in the labor for the project is help the other BC groups. IF you help them, they help us.

If anyone has a view on this, post!!!!

RA 1-5-09
I've been on 6 Akavir teams since the release of Morrowinds construction set. All of them started out strong and all of them dissolved. This is by far the longest lasting mod team. In my opinion, I think we have too many ideas. I am as guilty as anyone here. It's fun to think up all the different cool stuff we can add in, but it's totally different thing actually making the model, making the textures for the model, turning it into a working nif and adding it in game. Concept art is nice to look at, but I think we have enough ideas now to last us for several months of actual work. How many people on this team can actually work the CS? I know a few people are waiting for the heightmap but things like stories and quests, npc's can be made and just moved to a new location once released. In the time it takes to make concept art in a useless format, you can download Blender (3d models) or Gimp (texture maps) which are both free. I totally understand that different people have different abilities and I'm not saying everyone should learn to model. I'm just worried this team is headed for the feared "Akavirian Curse". We have tons and tons of ideas, but no feasible way of getting them in game.

shiver-tail 1-5-09
This mod is not even close in nearing that "curse".
So we have our ideas, and we have people that can model(you, me, and some others) we have people that can make/get textures (LNervar for example,...) we have people that can make heightmaps, we have people that can work in CS (wich is imho very very important) etc.
Okay, we don't have a complete team witch 80 members who work 24/7 on this mod, that's because WE ARE JUST PEOPLE we aren't professional game/graphic designers, we don't have to follow someone's commands, we decide things as a team. Ysne may have "akavir mod leader" in her signature, but that doesn't mean she decides evrything, I believe (correct me if i'm wrong 'boss' )
My advice?
1) FIND more members, don't wait for them to come to you, seek them out
2) foulow the 'R-plan": Recycle, Replace, Reconsider, Recreate and when all else fails, Reanimate (wich we last year)
3) follow Sid Meier's golden sequel rule: 1/3 NEW 1/3 THE SAME and 1/3 IMPROVED ORIGINAL
4) don't think you can't model, it looks hard but it isn't (the stuipid thing is that the good prgrams (Maya, Autodesk 3DS Max, ZBrush,...) are really expensive. But others (Sketchup, Blender,...) aren't (okay Sketchup Basci doesn't allow you to export as an .obj file, but you can still sen the files to someone who has pro so that he can convert them to .obj's)
5) never stop your idea-flow, we can't get EVRYTHING in-game, but it's worth trying

So basically all we need is one topic, wich lists ALL WE HAVE for the island mod and ALL WE NEED. Than it's really easy, and we just have to open the map, place all stuff, etc.
AND, we don't have a deadline.

RA 1-6-09
Exactly- which is why I'm worried about this mod. It's almost exactly the same as the other 5 Akavir mods. It's just that some of us have been working on this for 2 and half years and not that much progress has been made.

I am going to continue to make models that have a Japanese theme (my favorite "culture"). If it fits Knifeblossom, or Akavir in general, thats great. But just in case this mod never gets finished, I'm going to release my models on TESNexus as I finish them.

Ysne 1-6-09

You are correct Shiver-Tail. Coordinator or Facilitator would be a more accurate title, but doesn't actually make sense to use when dealing with outside communities. I do not see people giving up. I intend to keep facilitating as long as people want to keep working towards releasing something.

RA your texturwork is your work. You have every right to release that work any time you want to. We still want to use it in this mod. I see no need to make any exclusive to our mod though. The same applies to anyone else contributing to this mod.

We will be putting out something unique. I believe this island mod is feasible. We can keep the ideas coming and save them for later if they are not relevant to this particular release.

Mirrored 1-6-09

And I am surprised that you abandoned the Game Design Thread, which I was hoping will be the ultimate LIST of what the Akavir team has and what needs to be done. In the music section I expressed what can be sufficient for the mod as a small addition to the vanilla music, and I think it was done quite detailed - how many compositions for a section and how long.
I'd suggest to go there and try to make something from this topic, as it seems it has been abandoned long ago. I'd suggest focusing on the models first.

[exilehunter]

Tut tut. I disappear for a few weeks and things fade like sugar in boiling water. No i'm not back from my holiday and when i am, i'm straight into my last year of highschool. Thanks for this very nice summary anyway.

Lets see. I can say i got access to some better modding programs but i doubt i can learn what i need in any quick amount of time.
The r-rule seems like the way to go but ever since i started my posts on learning new skills, it doesnt like we can get the leverage to follow through.

So here's some of the ideas i came up with for what i believe to be a minimize and generalize approach or else, bust.

Stop floundering for new members without making progress on the mod itself. No one will join if after 2 and a half years, things havent budged. So that means no more forum recruiting and seeking - a waste of effort and time and detracts from the main ideals.

Stop worrying too much about what other people want. It seems crazy to say this but we get too little rsponse from other members to make any solid agreements. Make what you want and pursue it as if it were your own project. This way you gain some more interest and enthusiasm in an already fading game.

Spend time making dungeons! There are a few tilesets we can use right now. Set up a resource esp with the main pieces and distribute it for modding!

Use resources!!! You use it - most likely we'll keep it.

And thats about all for now.