Murkwood Concept art

[Deeza]

Whoah! Rickious is back!

I think this qualifies as "something I missed while I was away".... :lmao:

How are you doing Rickious? Been up to much?

[Rickious]

Yo Deeza. I have never really been away. I have email notifications on so if anybody ever wants me just pm me!

If anyone wants a peek at some of the stuff I have been up to, its on my online portfolio at TRiCKYDeSiGN.TK

MY current project should look good on my CV/Resume. I am designing and rendering static backgrounds for a point-and-click mystery adventure set amidst a zombie apocalypse. It will be released on Xbox Live Indie Games, so like I say, great for my CV! :goodjob:

Also did renders for a car convertion for a UK company that converts things like Toyota MR2's into Ferrari Enzo's. Their latest project was the Aston Martin One77, resized, unbadged (obviously) and ungrilled. It is smaller in height and wider, so will have a great centre of gravity. Will be primarily be a track car. Im looking forward to seeing one finished.

Anyhoo, regarding the tree-city. I will be trying a more 'rounded-trees-fused-together-over-time' look this time. What do people think of a structure at the top of the inner tree? maybe the equivelent of a castle, fort, townhall or whatever?

[Koniption]

Ah cool! I like point and click games. I also have played several Resident Evil games, so I've been known to battle zombies from time to time. Sounds like a good combo to me.

A structure at the top of the inner tree should be fine. It can be a castle or main building of sorts, like you mentioned.

Keep in mind that it should be a "wild" and "jungely" type of structure, and not something more modern, per se. It can be fancy, but still primitive.

I think we're gonna use various huts on the ground level area inside the fused trees, so that statement there should give you an idea.

Koniption

[Deeza]

Those are some very pretty renders you've made there.

As for the structure, I believe we discussed something along these lines:

http://worldreligion.nielsonpi.com/media/tikal.jpg
http://www.belizesurvivor.com/images/may...l_300w.jpg

But that's just a real-world approximation to the kind of thing we're looking for. In the lore it mentions that the Argonians built giant pyramids out in the swamp. It would be nice to have something more original than a rip-off of a real-world culture though...

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Cool designs, Rick! Those pics from Deeza are very accurate of the sort of pyramid we're after btw...

[Rickious]

Right, Im doing some thinking and researching and I am now thinking the fused outer wall, several trees around the outer, but a temple in the centre which I am thinking could contain a Hist, or the fossilised and worshipped remains of one or something?

How does this stand with the lore? I know that the black marsh was the part of the Argonian homeland to survive, so this tree fortress would have survived as its only penetrable underwater, and would just look like another gloomy place people woulnt want to enter from the outside, so would have possibly gone unnoticed as a settlement/fortification and was maybe the place used as 'last stand/last line of defence'.

So, as you can see in the below renders, the area would be a large enclosed clearing if you like, presumably the temple was surrounded with the trees which were tended for centuries by the Hist or Hist-worshiping Argonians until it fused into a solid barrier. Maybe this was the place in which a Hist seedling was stored to ensure the Hists survival through wars, the 12 worlds of creation etc? I can imagine a single tree inside, shrouded in golden light, protected and cared for until a time when the Hist can be safely returned to the world? Or depending what people think of the Hist, maybe a pair would be more appropriate? Or a fertilised female tree? Very spiritual and could have a good quest to save this tree by re-enchanting the protection on the temple?

Anyway, I am now thinking a raised stone temple, similar to the ones in the previous links from Deeza. But maybe raised up out of the swamp, with arches tunnels beneath? But the stone steps sinking into the murky waters.

I also think, in terms of whoever would have the mammoth task of creating this area in the editor, several beams of lights, (like the ones in caves but much larger) and one larger, central one which focuses into the top of the temple. If possible, these would only be there in daylight hours, but I dont know if that can be done? Im sure it can, but I wouldnt imagine it would fade in and out, rather just turn on and off with the changing hours. Maybe the actual model for the 'beams' could have several versions, each fading from invisible, to full beam, these could change on a 1-2 second basis when the fade in/out times came. Just so this only happens when the sun is at its highest in the sky, 12 noon probably, lasting 2 hrs of something? quests, or temple times (NPCs schedules) could them revolve around this... anyway Im rambling, you people are the ones who have to make this happen, I can come up with ideas, models and storylines til the Hist come home.

Lastly, what areas would you like to see here? market district high up in the treetops? lower class huts out over the swamp like fisherman shantytowns? I think a fish farm is a must as this would need to look and feel like a self-contained settlement. what else do Argonians do and eat? What kind of buildings would be here in terms of municipal? factions? etc?





Oh and although my textures probably wouldnt be used in the game, the canopy is made up of 3 layers, 2 foliage with 1 branches inbetween 1200x1200 pixels, I think it works pretty well to say they arejust textures not models. The lower leaf layer is a 3D very low poly surface to give more irregularity to the appearance.

[Koniption]

That render looks pretty darn nice!

I'm not a lore professional, so I'll wait until Deeza comes to answer your lore-ish questions.

About the raised stone temple: do you mean the arched tunnels will be underwater, and will allow access to the temple interior? I'm ok with that. Ibsen/Deeza?

Actually beams of light could be made to fade in and out gradually, depending on time of day. Oblivion nifs allow use of something called a NiAlphaController in animations, "alpha" referring to the property that allows things to go invisible.

As for the areas and districts within, Ibsen will know more about what would be needed.

If you're making huts, houses, and a temple, can you make interiors for them also? It'd be nice to have interiors to go with these exterior structures.

Koniption

[Rickious]

I could probably make the interiors, maybe evn tile sets if Im given some dimensions and stuff. But again, all falls back on the conversion to TES which I can not help with. If the interior is most reliant on modelling, and has just simple textures, then I may be of value still, so for unique interiors I may be of use though, certainly the temple and maybe others.

Going to start the temple now. If anybody wants to make any suggestions or requests, please do so. Otherwise wait and see what I produce and then give me feedback. Its not a big deal for me to change a model afterwards so please do all speak your minds. Same goes for the above renders from the interior of the tree walls.

[Deeza]

Hi Rickious!

First of all, I like the new design of the trees. But I'd love to see a return of those big buttress-roots that were there last time. I know you're going for a smoother effect, but I really liked those and also, it would be cool to have buildings tucked in between them.

As for the temple, your ideas so far sound great. I especially like the idea of it being partially submerged, with flooded sections underwater (remember, all Argonians can breathe water as easily as air, so this is no barrier to them).

I think having a two entwined Hist in the middle of the Temple would be great. As far as I know they're both male and female, like plants in the real world, but it still takes two I guess.

I don't know if this is feasible, but would it be possible to have the roots of the trees spreading out along the floor, walls and ceilings of the other parts of the temple, so that they reach through the whole complex? In one part they could form a sort of gate or doorway similar to the rock portal KP made for Kungomabog.

Also, how about the temple containing a sort of "seed bank" of all the Hist lineages - perhaps even a sort of library of the eggs and seeds of interesting creatures they've collected over the years.

[Rickious]

The species library sounds great, sounds like this is becoming more like a kind of monestary of the Hist, a centre for millenia of their knowlege. Maybe thats what its original purpose was, then during war time, it became a safe-haven and the settlement was formed?? sounds believeable to me, but like I say, Im no lore expert.

I liked the buttress roots too, I will see what I can do.

As for the roots extending. If you mean out from the bottoms of the trees and wrapping around the temple, eachother etc? This could look really good if done properly, but it could also be a pain to model. I will certainly have a go though. I think maybe several large roots and the rest would just be textured roots and slightly 3D roots... I will see what I can do. I will stick with the temple for now, then try and make some buttresses which the root continues out at the end.