[WIP] The Big three

[Vouivre]

Background:

To begin things it seems I do like to push myself, perhaps even abuse myself so to speak. It's no secret really that I bite off more than i can chew regularly and always go for huge things. Some are completed others not so much. Now as for the mods I have released for oblivion it does show I have some promise. Nexus was my first real dungeon, it was a fun little project I had done for school. The overall ambiance and theme came out pretty good. Crystalline Memoria is like my small jewel, it's one of my smaller mods but I got creative like with Nexus it's an extra dimensional realm, but instead of a dungeon this is a home for the player. Varlasel my beautiful Ayleid home which I do need to revisit and actually finish for release to make sure everything works, and all meshes/textures are in place. And then what could/should be my achievement for Oblivion Amarantha, the massive worldspace which is currently on hold due to lack of time. I don't have a lot of mods, nor were they so ground breaking and wonderful to put me into a prestigious category of modders. Every mod I do, is a new experience, I never did anything until I started in 2010. That being said I'm approaching Skyrim with a more.. professional fervor, to try to push my skills to the limit. To prove to myself that I can be a good level designer and make something solid that people will enjoy going through. Without further delay here are the big three in planning

Crystal Memoria Skyrim Edition

Taking the beauty I had created in Oblivion, Crystal Memoria is getting revamped in skyrim. With new assets it'll let me create something beautiful, now of course given the tileset to be used has enough pieces and variety. I'll be able to create something unique and beautiful, a player home, with something new.

How to get there

Spells/lesser abilities

Planned features:

Enchanting area

Alchemy area

'outdoor area' featuring northern lights(going to see if there's a script to have this night time and the aurora up and change color on normal cycle)

Smithing

Bed area

living area

companion section

storage

mannequins

Ambient lighting

spells to come and go

Perhaps even more, possibly expansions/ more dimensional homes

Next:

Amarantha

The great worldspace planned for Oblivion will be going to Skyrim, with a new engine, more more beautiful landscape and with the northern lights. Don't be surprised to see Amarantha in a new light, it's scale will be on par as it was with Oblivion. Twice, maybe three times the size of skyrim. If all goes well hopefully this will be a worldspace that will out do anything I'll have ever done. May very well be my last mod before hopefully entering the industry.

The world space is to be my vision of a game I wish to create, something that is visually stunning, allows for greater immersion and practically untouched landscapes. Like the original there'll be landmarks what/where they'll be? Who knows yet, I may very well craft a brand new world space map. If all works out, there'll be a story to be told, a great story locked within my mind. Eventually if things work out, this will get it's own thread with updates and images.

Finally:

The Lost Valkyrie(Shieldmaiden)

The core idea behind this mod is to take my entry for the Skyrim contest, and turn it into a full mod with most likely a quest at the end resulting. Features of the mod include:

Story with quest

A very long dungeon to delve through(possible) whether it will have enemies haunting it, or it will be a trek to go through and explore to find out the history of this missing person.

A companion(the woman herself... or maybe her descendant?)- tentative

Custom weapon/armor/other item- Given should I be able to figure out how to create the meshes and texture them I want. A brand new weapon(s) will be included as well as custom armor will be available. It will be upgradeable and perhaps also able to be worked in the forge.

Custom spell/shout?- tentative use the ability and turn the sky to a clear night with the northern lights, possibly even summoning the shield maiden herself.

Other- who knows these plans may change or may not even happen.

This mod really is to be kind of like.. my labor of love with the character. From Guild Wars to Oblivion, she has a history that for some reason or another... is hard to explain. Should all work out, players will be able to explore and find out more about the mysterious woman, a shield maiden who survived the oblivion crisis. Had seen great changes in her life, and had disappeared, presumed died in combat. Her tomb lays at the end of a very long trecherous journey underground, perhaps even through other worlds before reaching her resting place. Within the tomb would be her treasures, her weapon perhaps now broken and splintered waiting to be repaired, armor remnants needing to be re-forged. Her dov name on a wall, a woman forgotten in history. While she may not have been Ysgrammor, or Talos or Martin. Her loyalty to her people, family and her home was undying. Her soul now is at peace in Sovngarde, perhaps the player will make a trip there to see her. Will she join the dovahkiin? Or perhaps will her decendant join the fight following in her ancestor's footsteps as a fighter. (the companion will be essential)

So these are the big three, there will be smaller projects. Of course should my artistic skills with modeling and be able to make textures rise up, there'll be more resources. That's all for now. I'll post updates on what's done, perhaps reveal sketches concept art of armor/weapons dungeon perhaps? All comments are welcome as well as suggestions, I don't plan on doing it all alone, all help's welcome.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Vouivre

[Antiscamp]

I'm looking forward to seeing your work progress and these projects do sound promising. I'm especially looking forward to see you develop the Armantha you began with Oblivion further with Skyrim. We're all going to have a great adventure for many years to come with the Skyrim CK

[Vouivre]

I agree with a new engine and seeing that we'll have probably a good five years before the next tes comes out skyrim has a long life head with mods. My plans for Armantha is to exclude a desert but instead focus on the idea that nature reclaimed the land. Towers, towns, cities have been reclaimed. Perhaps a small bit of civilization is left.. haven't decided on that part yet. As for the other two namely the shieldmaiden bit.. I can create a vast expanse of a dungeon to crawl through. Problem is however I want to have custom assets to include. But, we'll see how things go.

[ResolveThatChord]

With regards to deserts, I saw somewhere someone had experimented with a Saharan sand kind of retexture for snow in Skyrim. The results were extremely promising.

[Vouivre]

Oh good, that still leaves the need to retexture some rocks.. Which should prove interesting.. I -might- be able to with painter given it's ability to supposedly change color of areas as needed.

[Vouivre]

Big update folks, with college winding down I now have a lot more time to dedicate to modding. But I'm going to put up a poll and need some input. My project previously known as "The Lost Valkyrie" I kind of want a new name and will like input of others here.

[bradleyh]

Since I voted for Snowy Ocean View,

If your project will be a long crawl through multiple worlds, there are quite a few Vanilla Caves that could act as an entrance to the "Worldspace" of the mod. There is quite a bit of land along the Northern Coastline of Haafingar Hold that is scenic, but Bethesda placed an ugly shipwreck (Orphan's Tear) that is visible from most of the Coastline from Solitude to Northwatch keep.

There is an existing part of a Nordic Tomb (Skytemple Ruins) directly North of the College of Winterhold that could make an entranceway.

[Vouivre]

Thanks for the input, I was kinda thinking up north, possibly close to solitude. I'll start looking up there, and maybe with a bit of landscaping and such I'll have a nice location. But yes I do plan on it being a very large dungeon. With a lot of room to explore. The hardest part right now is designing but also where I'm gonna put the entrance. As for entrances from other caverns.. it'd be difficult without causing a conflict with other possible mods. The idea of it is I'll have a location that will convey the look and appearance that I've wanted. Soon I'll have an official thread for the project.