[WIPz] The Pages of History

[DaMage]

As many of you have seen over the last week I have been recreating the orginal Arena dungeon in the oblivion CS, using a custom tileset and the textures from the orginal game. The aim of the mod is to catch a little bit of the magic from the orginal game for oblivion players, and it also produces one of the most confusing mazes the game has ever seen. The entire dungeon is in a single cell, there are only 5 wall pieces, there are sercet walls, underwater tunnels and treasure piles.

This mod will use OBSE, as I will make the Arena world sperate from the Oblivion one. You will lose all items and spells when you cross between them. Still tossing up wether to revert character level. Magic and Health only return when you rest (magic does not come back just as you play), I would od that same for fatigue, but it is too different in oblivion.

Okay, word back from GStaff, we cannot use the arena textures. I had feared this, but its not bad, all I have to do is replace the textures with my own hand made ones. using the orginal ones for a templete, it doesnt take long for me to create the new ones. Till then the picutres will be removed.

Authors:

Da Mage (Main Modder)

InsanitySorrow (Creating the textures)

What I need help with:

Weapons: If you have made weapon meshes before cna you help me to create the Arena weapons? Most are fairly low ploy and simple. Feel you are up to it, PM me and ill send you the picture of it.

List of Weapons Remaining:

Dagger

Staff

Shortsword

Broadsword

Saber

Longsword

Claymore

Tanto

Wakizashi

Katana

Dia-Katana

Mace

War Hammer

War Axe

Battle Axe

Short Bow

Long Bow

Now this project started on a whim, so i didnt really think things through when starting it, hence I have a few questions.

1. I need a name for this mod, sometihng that relates to it being of the game Arena, not the oblivion guild, and that it is a direct remake of part of it... "The Pages of History"

2. How do i get the player there? teleport them in? or what? You read the introduction about arena, thne are teleported into the dungeon

3. Do I remove the player's items or not? I want to create a number of arena style weapons/armor, so.... All items and spells are removed and added back when you exit.

Current Progress:

Dungeon:

- Layout: 90%

- Creatures: 100%

- NPCs: 0%

- Clutter 0%

- Quest: 0%

Pictures:

Video:

Just a small clip that shows off the climbing animation that plays when you get out of the water channels.

[Joben]

Maybe some sort of reference to the date or age the events in Arena took place during?

[DaMage]

Maybe some sort of reference to the date or age the events in Arena took place during?

Arena is set only 40 years before oblivion....but you do give me an idea, prehaps you find a book about the event of arena, and you get teleported back to 'relive' them....yes, that makes the most sense.

oh and i remembered the third question. Remove the player's items or not? I want to create a number of arena style weapons/armor, so....

[InsanitySorrow]

oh and i remembered the third question. Remove the player's items or not? I want to create a number of arena style weapons/armor, so....

To give the player the complete Arena Experience I would remove the weapons/armor/items from them and return them when the player has finished all the Arena stuff.

[Joben]

Oh hmm didn't know they were that close in time.

"Arena - The Chronicles of Jagar Tharn"

Yes, remove items definitely.

[DaMage]

okay, Im also looking into removing the player spells and adding them back once done, shouldnt be too hard, but uses OBSE.

[DaMage]

Okay, word back from GStaff, we cannot use the arena textures

I had feared this, but its not bad, all I have to do is replace the textures with my own hand made ones. using the orginal ones for a templete, it doesnt take long for me to create the new ones.

[WillieSea]

1. Search for the Staff of Chaos? Jagar Tharn's Revenge?

2. Have the player read the Arena history book. Upon closing the book, they are teleported to the Imperial Dungeon (first level of Arena) with nothing but their skin. In the room they can find prisoner rags.

3. Remove the players Items (during the teleport, 'Terminator' style, they arrive in their skin only) and put a token on the player that drains their Magicka by 100 per turn. That would keep them from casting magic spells. Unless you want them to find spells they can use, then you would have to remove the current ones I guess.

[DaMage]

Okay, I have done the script which allows me to completely remove everything from the oblivion world from the player, then able to add them back again later, including items, spells, hotkeys, equipped items etc etc.

Lots of OBSE (and yes I do need to do this) plus I want to make 'unidentified items', which will need OBSE.

Im thinking that after the first dungeon, I may make one of the small towns.

[InsanitySorrow]

Not being able to use the Arena textures sucks, but it should not be hard to make something similar. The only thing I was worried about when I was thinking of new textures whats the lions head? on one of the Arena textures, will be hard to get something that looks very close to that.

[DaMage]

thanks some great teamwork between IS an I, and a lot of sending textures back and forth, most of the texture have been replaced now. So i have put a new picture into the first post.

Also, I have updated what I need help with doing still, any help is appreciated.

[DaMage]

I think this is starting to fall into the TC catergory now...

For my next trick I have started converting over the classes, you now go through a small character gen when you first enter now, allowing you to pick from the Arena Classes and setting your attributes. My older character gen script menus are finally getting used.

You are reverted to level 1 and you levelling in Arena is totally indepentant from that in oblivion, all stats and whatnot are saved and swapped when you go between.

Though the first release will only be the dungeon, I want ot later create a small arena town and some more of the dungeon layouts. I am really enjoying this.

[InsanitySorrow]

The Pages of History, it has a name

[DaMage]

Okay, video of the climbing animation is up. It plays when you get out of the water, cause it doesnt suit to just have you teleport out.

[InsanitySorrow]

Bit of a jump before playing your animation, but the animation itself looks sweet

[DaMage]

Bit of a jump before playing your animation, but the animation itself looks sweet

yeah, I need to use moveto on the player to get them into the right position, so there is a little gap between the moveto and the game realising that it needs to play the animation. It is less noticable when you are playing.

[InsanitySorrow]

Oh ok, that explains it , Did you have any success with the Shift Gate?

[DaMage]

Progress is good on this, but Im still missing the weapons for it. After my failled attempt, I'm going to have to use a retexture of another lot of weapons (iron or steel) and prehaps do some modifications for weapons like the Tanto and Wakizashi. Still really would love some help on this....

[InsanitySorrow]

You know you can always send me a PM for help , I am not the best retexturer (by far) but I am willing to help if need be.

[DaMage]

Okay, found the town I want to build, Vullain Haven.

Picture:

The town has the following Important buildings:

Inns:

Crimson Noose

Crimson Skull

Dancing Port

Lucky Crow's Nest

Queen's Pier

Stores:

Naronor's Merchandise

Karovan's Professional Gear Store

Lidriel Bluebrooks's Armaments

Talas's Weaponary Store

The Basic Equipment Store

The Wyrm's Armaments

Temple:

Brotherhood of Faith

Other:

Mages Guild

Palace

2 City Gates

All the other buidlings are just generic houses.

[Pushkatu]

I heard prev. TES had a climbing skill. Nice video!