Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Silgrad Tower's Planning thread [Old Discussion]
08-07-2011, 11:17 AM,
#1
Silgrad Tower's Planning thread [Old Discussion]
As you all know Skyrim will be released on 11/11/2011.


I assume you played our mod, if not please check this link.


Notes, points of interest.
  • We'll downsize our mod in a drastic manner for the TESV version.
    Obviously it depends on the TESV scale compared to the TESIV scale.
  • Lore changes.
  • What should be changed?
  • Improvements?

Silgrad Tower Lore.


Suggestions are more than welcome. Smile
Dum loquor, hora fugitĀ  - While I speak the time flies



Ovid 43 BC - 17 AD
Reply
08-07-2011, 05:14 PM,
#2
 
I think it would be nice to be able to release a fully, 100% completed mod to the public at some point or another for TESV. My ideas for how to organize the project are designed to concentrate modding efforts to certain areas. This will assure that we have some areas that are 100% compete (exterior, interior, quests, etc) by the time TESVI comes out.

Our past approach to making our landmass (both TESIII and TESIV) was to choose how big we want our mod to be at its maximum, based on how much we thought was possible to complete. The problem with this approach is that it's impossible to gauge how much the project can complete based on modding activity when TESV is first released, since the activity will slowly decline in the years between TESV and TESVI. As a result, you get a large amount of land where nearly every area is approximately 80% complete.

Therefore, I propose we use a system similar to Tamriel Rebuilt's "map" system, where we focus on one area at a time until it's done. This would assure that at least one area is 100% complete, and can be released as a finished mod at some point.

For example, let's say that Silgrad Tower (the city) and its surroundings are "Map 1." We can do the project in the following steps:

Step 1: Exterior modders make the exteriors for ST and its surrounding areas. Once this is mostly done, we open up exterior modding for our map 2. This assures that map 1 exteriors will be mostly complete. At the same time, by opening map 2 as we conclude map 1, we ensure a diversity of claims available for our exterior modders to choose from. The whole point is to make sure we aren't spread too thinly.

Step 2: After each exterior in map 1 claim is completed, its interiors are opened for claiming. As map 1 exteriors are mostly completed, map 2 interiors will be opened, once again to avoid spreading ourselves too thin.

Step 3: As interiors are finished, their quests become available. For experienced modders, they can include quests with their interiors, as is currently the case.

Step 4: Once map 1 is 100% complete, we call it Release Version 1.00, so the player can play a completed mod made by us. We may have an early release once exteriors and interiors are completed ("Version 0.5"?) just to show that we have made progress.

Then, we can work from there to add each completed map as it is finished. Once we run out of time (TESVI is released), we must find a way to cap the work on our final map so that it will be 100% complete as well.

In other words, this plan assures that there will be no unfinished work in our final release version. We will only make what we can finish.

On a side note, we should make sure not to say, "We won't open map X interiors until map X-1 interiors are complete." We tried that at TR back in 2004 to encourage interiors modders to finish map 1. It didn't work Tongue. They simply stopped modding until we opened Map 2 interiors Tongue.

We may also choose to call our maps "regions" just for originality.
Reply
08-09-2011, 06:45 AM,
#3
 
Based on Deeza's post here and the picture on the link, Steadhelm would probably have been destroyed by the Tsunamis from the Red Mountain eruption and the fall of the Ministry of Truth.

It would fit into lore realistically for it to be destroyed (and we could add the flooded Steadhelm Castle as a dungeon, sunk into the swampy Bitter Coast) from that, but it would leave us with 2 major settlements. Do you think we should create another one? Perhaps with the destruction of Steadhelm, Holdgate grew into the main Imperial settlement in the area.

Also, perhaps we could add a refugee sector to SC as somewhere the refugees from the south came through to head to Solstheim but decided to stay in the area.


Also (this isn't in any official lore so I'm guessing it) IMO in Morrowind's bad situation (the destruction of Vvardenfell, the invasion of the Argonians etc.) the Dunmer lose faith in the government and King Helseth and more locally, the Silgrad Council, so they revert to supporting their Great Houses, who establish themselves as separate states, although still within Morrowind. In this area, the Redoran and Hlaalu would be most prominent. They would sometimes have fights in the area, but never a full-scale war.
Also, religious extremist groups would form due to these events which would eg.try to remake the Tribunal Temple etc.

I would also imagine there to be an Argonian scouting camp in the south.



black[/HR]

These are just lore ideas really.

What do you think?
Trespassers will be shot.
Survivors will be shot again.



[Image: mini-Skyrim2.jpg]
Reply
08-09-2011, 01:43 PM,
#4
 
The Imperial Library says the following about the current state of Morrowind:

Quote:Shortly after the cataclysmic eruption of Red Mountain, the crippled Morrowind is invaded by the army of Black Marsh, the Dunmer nation of Morrowind collapses. The survivors of the cataclysm and the war fled to the island of Solstheim. Vvardenfell, and most of Morrowind are now known as the Wasteland.

You can read more about the 4th era here:

http://imperial-library.info/content/fourth-era

Sadly, Morrowind, as a nation, has collapsed. Of course, we still don't know how many Dunmer still live in different parts of Morrowind, or how far the Argonian invasion progressed. Heck, who knows if the great houses still exist. I'd guess the Dunmer would most likely hang onto their affiliations as long as they can, though.

We may learn more with the release of the next Elder Scrolls novel at the end of September, too. I have the novel on pre- order Smile.

Also, I'm not sure if Morrowind is part of the Empire anymore:

Quote:Circa 4E 1: The Empire collapses. Most of the provinces secede from the Imperial rule

This quote is from the same page. I will be re-reading The Infernal City after I finish reading the last Lord of the Rings book (early September). Hopefully, I can contribute more to lore discussion then Smile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like Deeza's ideas. One thing we have to consider is that our mod will take place 200 years after Oblivion, while the novel takes place only ~40 years after Oblivion. Obviously, things will change in that 160 year gap. Sadly, we won't know what those changes are until Skyrim Tongue. We can still speculate, but we have to be prepared for Bethesda to change things on us.
Reply
08-09-2011, 03:18 PM,
#5
 
I'm glad that you found my previous posts useful. A few things I've been thinking about:

(1) Very good call by Sandor on reducing the scale of the mod. I think that's a very wise decision and will make the project much more achievable. Silgrad's actually the best possible part of Morrowind we could make since it's so close to Skyrim and we could copy and paste the landscape across like you did with Cyrodiil to make a seamless border.

(2) An important consequence of the reduced scale is that Vvardenfell will be visible in the LOD. Even though we won't (I assume) actually be including any of it in our mod, it will still need to be landscaped and covered with suitable textures.

(3) Ditto Solstheim. I would suggest we don't do anything with this area because I'm 80% sure that Bethesda will be doing it for one of their inevitable add-on packs, but it will still need to be visible from the north coast.

(4) Another consequence of the reduced scale: will this mean including the northern area around Blacklight? I understand that this was planned for TES4 version but never implemented. Perhaps we could use the old concepts and planning documents?

(5) Sniper is absolutely right about using a zoning system similar to TR's Map system. This is the system Black Marsh has transferred to over the last two years and we have hugely increased the amount of finished areas because of this. Also see how much one person was able to achieve in Deserts of Anequina by concentrating on just one area of a province at a time.

(6) It's worth bearing in mind that Argonia may not be in the best of states either. They suffered some pretty terrible damage from Umbriel if I have interpreted Lady Nerevar's notes correctly, and they were never a united nation to begin with, so it's possible the invasion force has withdrawn from some areas, or even split off to form independent tribes.
Core Member of Black Marsh (Lore and Modding)

Retired Editor of Silgrad Tower

77 interiors completed and counting!
Reply
08-13-2011, 03:31 PM,
#6
 
I agree with the vast majority of the ideas proposed in this thread. A reduced scale, together with working on one area at a time, would vastly enhance the quality of the areas that we feature in our releases.

As for lore, myself I am really liking the idea of fewer cities and civilizations... Fewer resources and more of a "survival" aspect.

I think it goes without saying that Silgrad Tower we would want to keep. Smile The region itself might have eventually become overrun with disease/famine/Nords/Argonians/Hlaalu... but the tower always stood as a Dunmer stronghold - one of the few symbols of hope as the curtains began to close on the Dunmer nation. Maybe all this time (200 years), the inhabitants of the area were able to keep it safe. Or maybe they've had to pull back in the city somewhat (leaving a few ruins around the tower), but the tower still stands and people even live in it now.

Personally I agree with jucklesjenk's comment above about Steadhelm being flooded. If we redesign the city such that it was built into a hill, we could have a fair bit of fun with different areas having different levels of flooding. Big Grin It would also be a good place to bring Argonians into the picture (our TES3 mod featured a few renegade Argonians in several places, such as Deepen Moor and Legio Argonis I believe). They did, after all, try to invade Morrowind, and are sure to have sent scouting parties. If Argonia withdrew and left a few troops behind, they could have began a few settlements of their own (though whether they'd be friendly or hostile, who can say? Wink).

This leaves Soluthis as our only other original major settlement. I think after needing to defend against both House Hlaalu and Skyrim, this Redoran settlement is unlikely to have survived. Though maybe there are a few remnants left in the region... People who were forced to evacuate the city but refused to travel too far from their home. They could have taken refuge in the surrounding mountains for the times of unrest, and then when they came out, they saw that their home was destroyed. Perhaps another settlement is building near the ruins of the old?

Maybe we wouldn't want to do ruins everywhere but we should take advantage of the lore that is being given to us, because it sets a very nice scene for us to work with. One thing about having fewer settlements is we could focus more on specific characters, really enriching them with dialogue and involving them in several quests.
Reply
08-17-2011, 02:05 PM,
#7
 
Just checking up during my limited internet access on holiday. Smile

I like TID's idea of a survival aspect - the first thing that enters my mind is Fallout:Morrowind Wink
But, as the others said, we don't know enough about the lore, but using what we do know, I'm very keen on the idea of a breakdown in politics and the area being torn between warring factions:
1. Silgrad City which has fallen much into disrepair, with the residents gathering under the banner of House Hlaalu.
2. Pretty much the same for Soluthis and House Redoran, perhaps with the Imperials withdrawing from Reich Parkeep?
3. The invading Nords from the north-west, based in the Velothi Mountains
4. The Argonian scouting parties in the south-east which is dense swampland due to the flooding after the Tsunamis caused by the fall of the Ministry of Truth.
5. The dwindling Imperial presence which is still persistent in remaining settled on the border to Cyrodiil in the south-west.
6. The Dunmer outcasts from Hlaalu and Redoran who still believe in the return of the Tribunal and live in what is now a wasteland in the area.

Obviously we don't know enough for points 3, 4 and 5 but the others we could incorporate regardless of lore, provided that the effects of the Red Mountain eruption are as we speculate.
Trespassers will be shot.
Survivors will be shot again.



[Image: mini-Skyrim2.jpg]
Reply
08-20-2011, 08:46 AM,
#8
 
I don't think we know enough to make any real plans yet, to be honest. I mean, when Skyrim comes out, we might learn that the dunmer have long since retaken Morrowind and returned it to it's former glory. Or, we might learn that persistant earthquakes have literally sunken 80% of Morrowind below the sea. Who knows? Fact is, a lot could have changed in 150 years...

Ultimately, the only real work we could do now would be structuring the team and maybe making graphics assets (and hope that they aren't made unusable/obsolete by vanilla Skyrim).
Reply
08-20-2011, 10:39 AM,
#9
 
Quote:Originally posted by candlemaster
I don't think we know enough to make any real plans yet, to be honest.

Whilst I understand where you're coming from, (indeed I agree to an extent) I still think that it would go easier for us if we have some kind of provisional plan which we can modify in light of the new lore when the game comes out, rather than starting from scratch.
Core Member of Black Marsh (Lore and Modding)

Retired Editor of Silgrad Tower

77 interiors completed and counting!
Reply
08-21-2011, 03:18 AM,
#10
 
I can't disagree with the fact that lore could change quite a bit for when Skyrim comes out. Smile I was hoping that my own comments could be general enough to apply to most scenarios, though I also keep in mind that some or even all suggestions might not be possible. I'd like to think that what we discuss in this thread (in terms of lore at least) is more brainstorming, rather than concrete planning, simply because odds are we will need to make adjustments no matter how many contingency plans we have. In the best case, we could come out with good, really cool ideas to kick-start to our Skyrim mod. And even if ideas don't necessarily get used, brainstorming can be quite a lot of fun (at least I think so). Smile
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)