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OdysseusB
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Posts posted by OdysseusB
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Four new images for Bevy of Heroes are up.
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Like a bunch of minions to chew through then a boss that has the needed item,maybe?
Yes, I think so. Some kind of scripted battle involving lots of minions being summoned.
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Ok, just a few thoughts.Since the info the player needs is protected by magic,you,as a fighter based char. without the magical acumen to work through the problem would,then,require an assistant,no?
This assistant would need to be "pursuaded" to cooperate and here is where the 3rd option comes in.The prospective asst. could be beaten about the head and body(with weapons unactivated to avoid accidental death) till he capitulates,or,bribed...with an object requiring combat to acquire,maybe?
Another thought,the fighter based char.could "find" an enchanted amulet allowing him to break the ward keeping the spirit from speaking the needed info?
Dunno OdysseusB,just a few thoughts off the top of my head. Maybe I missed it entirely.
I like the idea of having an area that's filled with baddies and a McGuffin at the end.
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Could use some help brainstorming a third option for part of a quest. Major spoilers, so it's spoiler tagged.
It's the quest that stems from the Benirus manor quest. Basically, you want to find out the secrets behind the death of a (legal) necromancer who died before your time. You can find his burial place and talk to his ghost (either by hiring a member of the Imperial Office of Necromancers or doing it yourself). Unfortunately, his ability to speak the specifics of the plot he uncovered (which lead to his death) is blocked by a mysterious enchantment. There are currently two options to solve this block:
-Find his old lab, which contains research on this topic and how to get around it. However, the lab must be claimed by either yourself or your necromancer companion. This is a combination of low combat, speechcraft and puzzle solving.
-Brute force the enchantment by joining forces with the necromancer companion. You enter a magical construct. This is only an option to high-end magic characters, and requires heavy use of spells.
What could a third option that allows a heavy-fighter approach be? I don't know if I'll have time to put it in, but I'd like ideas
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So there are a few things of news:
I fixed my installation of Blender and got the model exported. Yay! Unfortunately, the computers I can get access to can't run Oblivion, so unless there's a spare video card lying around, I can't shove it in game.
This may be a blessing in disguise, though. I had to resort to doing the normal and specular maps out here without a tablet, photoshop, or xNormal and I am not certain I'll be happy with the result as is. When I get back to my apartment I may completely re-work the specular map and finesse a few of the UVs, which should lead to a better image.
So my holiday gift is becoming more of a post-holiday gift. Oh well.
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Was trying to get the weapon exported before I had to leave today, but it seems the exporter is incompatible with Max 2010. I'm going to have to export a .obj and hope to succeed at pulling the sword from blender.
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Wow, I can't wait to use Soul Calibur on some Daedra. Are you going to make Soul Edge too?
Won't have time to get it done by the Holidays (gonna be about 1000 miles from my graphics computer by Sunday), but I may at some point in time.
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yeah that alpha of 2.5 is just awesome... though the nifscripts aren't yet supporting it (but they will soonish... a fair bit of api changes in blender need to be taken into account though)
Speaking of Max, as a quicker method for fixing up your collision exports to be nonstatic rather than blender import and reexport/manually changing with nifskope you might want to use PyFFI... has a nice new spell to do that very quickly. I'm also figuring out C and the max plugin code to see about fixing that properly for exporting from Max to support any col type.
... oh almost forgot: the weapon looks real nice, and I can hardly wait to play (ie slaughter mine enemies) with it.
Pacific Morrowind
Sweet, gonna have to try that out. Does it also fix the animation export issue? Otherwise I need to re-write the max exporter or something.
I mostly use blender just for normal map creation.
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Yeah, I generally prefer to use Max for my modeling needs, and Blender for any sculpting/fluid dynamics. When Blender 2.5 comes out, I may have to re-think my workflow. I've already been loving the alpha.
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Sadly, I can't work on it over break (my computer will be about 1000 miles from where I am), but my laptop can at least allow me to develop the stories and quests somewhat...
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Hey guys!
I found myself with some free time for the first time in a couple of months (to think that finals week is when I finally get free time) so I decided that I should begin work on a new weapon model. After five minutes of pondering, I decided to with Soul Calibur from the game Soul Calibur II by Namco.
It's going to be a bit high-poly for a weapon mesh (at least compared to my normal polycount - I believe it's actually lower than a lot of the better known weapon mods), but I think the quality makes it worth it.
I'm currently trying my hand at hand-painting all the textures. If I run into issues, I may end up using some reference photography I have. After this is done, I'll bring it into blender to generate normal maps and then throw it into Oblivion.
I do plan to release some more stuff if I can find time after January 9th - as it is I'm going to be lacking access to my 3D computer after this Saturday, so I won't be able to do much over my break.
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Quick little update: There's a little more info in the first post, and some new, self-drawn concept art (albeit not very good...)
As a side note, I used a lot of the work I had done for this in my demo reel, which I firmly believe helped me land my part-time job. What's awesome is that I'm working in my field and getting paid, but I have even less time now.
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So due to a class I'm taking for my major this semester, you can expect something new related to this mod soon. It's nothing playable, but it may interest some.
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Really quick ninja post!
I obviously was not able to get the demo out in a months time - I started to make progress, but then I got a job. My major + a job (at least it's in my field!) = pretty much 0 free time.
I may be able to get a little bit done this weekend, but expect the demo to take a while to come out.
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Slight slight update:
A little busy right now as I get prepared to move into my first apartment. However, I think I may have a demo out in about a month's time (no promises, though!). It will only be available for download here, on the Alliance (and possibly my student webspace, in case of emergency).
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downloaded and there are a couple errors (one minor, one major);
minor: it is really polite to have the esp and the meshes/textures/other folders that go in oblivion/data in one folder rather than having the meshes/textures in subfolder.
major: no texture for the sword (haven't checked Ody's sword resource download but I would presume it was in there).
I'll give it a playthrough some time soon
Pacific Morrowind
I wonder if he used the older upload, which had the texture folder set up wrong. I'll take another peek at his upload.
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Glad to see another familiar face - welcome to the Alliance!
These forums are pretty darned nifty, if I do say so myself
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I was gonna offer to test, then I remembered I had waaay too much to do these upcoming weeks to test properly. If you still need testers week after next, though, I'd be glad to help.
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Well, I was going to say hi back to ya, but I was too busy stealing the batteries to the red remote.
Welcome to the alliance! I'm pretty new here myself, but it's simply a wonderful place.
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This file isnt on here... so im going to help out my buddy OdyssuesB =]
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Reclaim: A Modder's Resource
By OdysseusB
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A new dagger, done on request for Zabre on the official forums. While this is intended as a modder's resource, the dagger can be found in the Tiber Septim Hotel lobby if you load the esp. Due to time crunchiness I haven't yet done the icon and I do not intend to do a scabbard - at some point in the future I'll create a new icon.
To install, extract the contents of this archive to your Oblivion directory or use the awesome BAIN installer.
If you want to use in your mod, copy the credits section in this readme into your mod and you are all set.
I have included a glow map - if you want to change the color of the glow, you'll have to use nifskope and play around with the emissive properties.
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CREDITS:
-OdysseusB: Modeling, Texturing, and ESP
-Zabre: Original request and design
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Screenys =]
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Downloads!
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Dun get mad at meh Odyy =[
I'm glad you made a thread here - I never quite got around to it
I'm going to have that newly textured version by the end of next week, if all goes well.
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The armchair egyptologist in me adores the look of the city!
It's beautiful architecture you're creating with the Wayward City! I'm very much looking forward to having that in my game!I'm glad you're picking up on the egyptian architectural themes. Drawing on the final Sands of Time trilogy game, I've tried to make the architecture a mix of Babylonian and Egyptian styles, with the necropolis area leaning more towards the Egyptian side. In fact, the courtyard around the necropolis is directly drawing from the Pylons and courtyards to several known Egyptian temples. I should probably texture that part before I do any more requests.
You're doing something very close to what I dream of doing with My Rival, but with many instead of one. The simple fact you've come this far with creating beautiful pieces tells me that you're not so lazy as you claim.
I wish you the best of luck with this great idea!
Oh, don't underestimate my laziness
Although I guess it's more of wanting to work on a lot of different things at once rather than genuine lack of wanting to work (although that happens at times too, just part of being an artist). Also, the real secret is that the buildings haven't taken that long to model - I'd estimate less than four hours per building (and it shows! I need to touch a few of them up), with around the same amount of time to texture.I've seen your "My Rival" before, and it looks like something I'd love to see in my game. Your plan is quite bit more awesome and a lot more complex - from what I can tell, it's more based the Rival being a fully living, breathing person and somebody you are companion to. My characters are just quest dispensers gussied up with personalities and cool skills (but don't tell anybody, it's a secret). They're generally completely static until you get to them.
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I'm a bit lazy, so I'm just gonna copy and paste from the respective Bethesda forum threads for now:
First, Bevy of Heroes:
What is this mod?
Bevy of Heroes is my attempt to extend the Oblivion experience. While it will be playable for characters of all experience and type, it's aimed at the higher level characters that have gotten past a lot of Oblivion's challenge. The main focus is quests and characters - Bevy of Heroes currently adds in around 10 unique personalities that will lead to exciting adventures, and more will likely follow after the first release. Of course, the idea is less "quests" in the traditional sense of the word, and more "experiences".
Bevy of Heroes is also the framework that will be driving any future story-based mods I do, like The Wayward City. It will include many base resources, NPCs, and areas that these future mods may draw upon.
This explanation needs work - it's kinda complex and more exciting than it sounds.
So it's a quest mod?
Well... Kinda? There are quests in the mod. But they're just a part of telling various stories.
I'm not quite getting you. Can I see an example?
Certainly! We'll use an example from the demo.
One of the characters added is an old Nord bard named Vigunn. He's not very interesting, at first glance - his most fascinating tale is of a legendary cheese farmer. But that's because he doesn't know you. If you're famous enough, he'll befriend you and join you on your adventures (although not every Bevy of Heroes character will be available as a companion). He's not that great in a fight (tough old guy, but not the best with a sword), but he's wonderful out of a fight. Being a bard, he knows a lot of the lore, legends, and stories of Cyrodiil, and has comments on some Vanilla quests. More importantly, he can tell you tales that will open up new quests for you. Here's an example of one (mild spoilers):
If you play through "Where Spirits Have Lease" with Vigunn, he'll be commenting along the way about how the name Benirus sounds very familiar. Towards the end, he'll remember why and offer to tell you a tale when you're done. His tale is of Lorgren Benirus's father, an Imperial sanctioned necromancer (something very lore friendly, see MW books and rumors). Benirus uncovered a secret he shouldn't have, and payed the price. Secret plots are a high point of any story, so Vigunn suggests you check it out.
This will lead you to uncovering the hidden plot, but it leads to a greater discovery. You'll have to contact the Imperial Office of Necromancy, the group that controls the distribution of the dead criminals to sanctioned necromancers, and briefly employ a necromancer. You'll have the chance to move into the old Benirus Catacombs, a necromantic lab, and practice the art banned by the Mages Guild. It's actually extremely close to necromancy as described in the Morrowind books Corpse Preparation, with some additional lore expansions thrown in. In addition, the necromancer you employ can become an ally.
Of course, you may hate necromancers. So you refuse his services. Uncovering the plot becomes extremely difficult (albeit still possible). Or you get the info and then attack him. He may die by your hand or teleport away, in which case you'll have an enemy that will come back to haunt you (so to speak).
And if you're the head of the Mage's Guild, you can work to bring the sanctioned necromancers back into the guild.
So you can see a few things - multiple paths, character relationships, and a whole new branch of gameplay.
Not every quest is quite that cool - some are very simple, and some are even bigger. But I think it gives you a good idea.
Woah. That's a LOT of work!
Yep. Good thing I have a lot of it done. Or, to be specific, a lot of what I have in mind for the first release done. I'm only going to have two to three major storylines in the first non-demo release, so it's really not as bad as it sounds. The other characters will become involved in your life as releases come. Oh, and as Campaigns come.
It's crazy ambitious, I know. So we'll see if it gets done. If not, I'll release any work that I think other modders could use to the public, so at least you'll get something out of it.
Campaigns?
Bevy of Heroes is gonna have quests, but it's also gonna have BIG quests. That have lots of new visuals. Or at least it's going to have one - see the link at the top of this post. These are going to be expansions for the main file, introducing you to Bevy of Heroes characters that previously would have little to do with you and new locales. See The Wayward City for more details on the first campaign.
Voice Acting?
Unless I find an actor I really like for a character (or two characters) with a good amount of time, I doubt it. This mod already has a LOT of dialog. If you don't like it, that sucks for you.
I'd be completely open to partial acted dialog, though.
Release Date?
When it's done! But the demo might be out before the end of 2009. It will feature Vigunn and a few of his tales (but not the extensions of those tales, so probably not necromancy).
Lore friendliness?
It's fairly lore friendly. I derive a lot of stuff based on Daggerfall and Morrowind, so some of it may seem unfamiliar to people who have only played Oblivion. For instance, necromancy is largely based upon information in Morrowind, and the first campaign takes place in a (former) city of the Illiac Bay. But you don't need to learn the lore to enjoy it (I hope!) or even get it (unless it's fundamental to the experience, in which case it will be explainable)
Screenies?
Most of the work currently done can either not be captured with a screenie or uses Vanilla items, so I suggest checking out The Wayward City thread to see pretty pictures with lots of new meshes, textures, and (soon) animations. I could post some pictures of the Bevy of Heroes characters at some point, though.
That being said, here's one screenie of a quest-important character (uncertain if he'll ever join forces with you or not, though). Yes, this is mostly vanilla mesh editing, for saving time and keeping a consistent look with the rest of the game. And yes, the textures need to be re-worked:
Tonwyll - he's certainly a character
A super WiP helmet for a special enemy
Ok, I'm just a liar now.
A New Nordic House (Bruma Textures)
From the Benirus Quest, Super WIP
Could you tell me about the characters?
I'll tell you about one as an example and update it with more information for time to time, but being spoiled could ruin parts of the story for this character.
You aren't the only person who's ever adventured across Cyrodiil - just the latest and most famous. Vigunn is now an old bard, but once he lived the tales. Vigunn used to be a Warrior-Poet, a charismatic hero who traveled the land seeking fame and glory. He worked with many famous people, including the Countess of Cheydinhal.
Vigunn and the Countess began an affair. Though she was married, it was rumored she truly loved Vigunn above her husband, the current Count.
When Vigunn returned from a failed expedition to seek out and slay an old enemy, the feared Wizard Tyrus, he found the Countess dead. Uncertain of the circumstances of her death or who to trust, he staged his death and became a wandering bard, using his ability with song and stories to manipulate others into setting the wrongs he could not right.
But Vigunn still remembers the Countess, and he harbors hatred and revenge within his heart...
Next, The Wayward City:
UPDATE: The City is Pothago from the Illiac Bay! And it will have a House of Dibella
Bevy of Heroes now has it's OWN THREAD! Check it out!
I also plan to have a resettling option for the Docks, Temple, and possibly Market districts.
What is this mod?
The Wayward City is two things. First and foremost, it's the introductory campaign area (for lack of a better term) for Bevy of Heroes. It's goal is to create a brand new area to explore, aimed at higher level characters, in addition to introducing a few members of the Bevy of Heroes cast. Secondly, it's a chance for me to show off my 3D skills, generate a demo-reel, and learn more about 3D art in general.
Wait, what's Bevy of Heroes?
You want to click me to find out more
In addition, I plan to release Bevy of Heroes as a master file. This will allow me to release "adventures" in pieces, rather than having to do it all in one go. As such, the Wayward City is the first adventure planned and will be released concurrently with Bevy of Heroes.
Is there any kind of plot?
Why yes there is! I don't want to reveal too many details at this point in time, but it involves going on an expedition with Augurius Pontius, his two apprentices, and a couple of other characters. During the Warp in the West, a few towns and cities were lost. Augurius believes that one of them, the city in question, was not destroyed. He believes that it was merely... misplaced.
Of course, there's a reason he's hiring extra muscle.
On a more technical note, I'm going to be using this plot as an experiment for story telling within games. The story is all ready completely finished - it's how I'm going to tell it that will take some development. Unique character animations are a must for this, so you can expect to see a lot of new movements.
What are you using from the community?
Currently, nothing. I'd love to get some help on textures, and at some point I may ask for some help on World Building and scripting. But at this point in time, I'm doing all the models, textures, animations, scripting, world building, lighting, and dialog on my own.
What about voice acting?
To be honest, I don't have any significant plans for VA. It's hard to get good VA talent, and it's not that essential to the mod.
However, if you're willing to help me out, I can send you a few lines. If I think it fits well with a certain character, then we'll see about having a voice acted version.
Woah, this is a lot of work! I don't expect to see this project finished
I don't expect it to be a quick release. If it does get to a stage where I can release it, it's going to take a long time. Not only that, but I'm also a full time college student, so expect to see significant slow down when the school year comes around. That's all right - this mod project is for me to learn from as much as for people to download. If I get to a point where I see that I cannot finish it, I'll release the various models, animations, and even junky textures as a modder's resource (I plan to do that if I finish as well).
While I model and animate quickly, it takes me a LOT of time to texture. If I got somebody to help me with a few textures, the mod release might arrive much sooner.
So how big is this city gonna be?
Not entirely certain. The "main" quest for the campaign setting (at least for this volume) will feature at least two districts - a temple district and an undetermined one. The temple district also is the house of the entrance to the necropolis, an underground district of the dead. This is the first district you see coming off of the docks and where the first part of the story takes place.
Other than architecture, what other meshes will this feature?
It will definitely feature a lot of new weapons. I hope to include new armor and clothing, although how new it will be will depend on how my skills improve. Aside from a nice npc/critter retexture, I also would love to make a new creature type, though that is a huge task. Finally, there will be oodles of new animations (not really a mesh, I know) that help to tell the story.
Enough talk. I need pictures!
Certainly.
In-game shots of the new models:
Architecture:
The temple from the front. Statue on right needs new normal map
Part of the entrance to the necropolis in game
Weapons:
Enemies:
A potential enemy type, will use new anims if I do it
And some poorly sorted WIP renders from 3ds Max 2008:
Most up-to-date image of the first district layout (temple) with models but no textures
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I'm OdysseusB from the official forums (in case you couldn't guess).
Aside from doing the occasional mesh request for people, I have a few projects going on:
-Fable II inspired houses for LazyGhost
-Lots of animations for HeX_0ff's Unnecessary Violence (and I mean lots. Too many to list, and I don't remember them all)
-Two of my own projects, which are linked (search the official forums for Bevy of Heroes and The Wayward City, which are character-centric quest mods with lots of new meshes and other graphical joys)
I really like the way this site is set up, so I plan to upload a lot of the requests I do to it. And maybe I'll release the demo to Bevy of Heroes here, too.
Balancing...
in Oblivion Mods
Posted
You need to think about what you're giving for an award.
I'd say the worth of an object should be related strongly to how hard it is to get the object - the more of a fight/challenge it is to obtain, the more powerful it is. Therefore, if it's an awesome artifact of doom, enemies should provide insane challenge.
Of course, enemy toughness is tricky. A base that I do is take the enemy, plug in a level, and auto-balance. Then I uncheck auto-balance and tweak the stats to the enemy. I usually lower the health and raise the amount of damage it can deal in a single hit (and raise the fatigue), because I prefer my enemies to have more oomph but not last forever.