PhD's Quest Showcase

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Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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2021-01-16 23:32
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15 hours 15 min ago

This is my showcase, an implementation of the quest outline entitled Headless.

This specifically contains a complete working quest wherein one can meet talking skull Rilas Romavel in the Romavel Ancestral Tomb; use him to find relative Navil Romavel in Boethiah's Spine; and convince Navil to go to the ancestral tomb to give Rilas a second burial, of which on completion Rilas will give the player the skill book "The 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 24" a near-priceless gemstone as a reward (don't ask where he was keeping it).

The magic training + ambient jokes + Temis Romavel path implied in the outline TBD yet can be easily tacked onto what's already here.

NOTE: In the ideal world, there are no enemies in the Romavel Ancestral Tomb. This is not an ideal world. I cannot remove the enemies already there with a plugin. Thus, I recommend that any testers of this plugin use tai in the console to toggle AI. Just to make it less annoying. There's no combat in this quest.

EDIT: In response to feedback from mort and Shah, minor update to dialogue/sequencing, major update to the mechanics of the scavenger hunt, and a better reward.

EDIT 2: In response to feedback from Shah, further revisions to dialogue and scripts.

EDIT 3: At the behest of mort, fixed an infinite loop and revised dialogue further.

Shout out to rotouns for these posable corpse nifs, which really ought to be merged by now.

AttachmentSizeDate
Package icon TR_Headless.zip268.14 KB2022-02-17 03:11
Package icon TR_Headless_2.zip269.46 KB2022-02-17 14:45
Package icon TR_Headless_3.zip269.67 KB2022-02-18 01:34
Package icon TR_Headless_4.zip269.99 KB2022-02-18 08:14
Mortimer's picture
Mortimer
Senior DeveloperQuest Reviewer
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2016-06-10 21:48
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1 week 3 days ago

Review Notes
-Clean Dialogue, requires additional body .nifs to position npcs correctly (https://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/asset/death-animations)
-Changed a messagebox line to cut back on ellipses and make the language a bit more natural
-Added another dialogue entry to prevent the quest from being started accidentally
-Added another post-quest dialogue entry to reflect the NPC being in the tomb itself
-The Blue Carbuncle gem reward is a unique ingredient, which usually unbalances potionmaking, but the effects chosen (damage health, damage fatigue, shield, resist magicka) seem to be intentionally chosen to prevent abuse. Very astute
-Future addition to the quest is included (separate journal tree), and commented nicely
-This is one of the most complex and impressive showcases I've ever seen

Merge notes
-Ensure the body nifs above are added
-remove all undead except for the bonelord in the basement

 

Final file uploaded to main quest page (link above)

Recommended for promotion

Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
Joined:
2021-01-16 23:32
Last seen:
15 hours 15 min ago

Since the rules say to only have one showcase thread per user, here is my interiors showcase, at roerich's behest.

Matches to ex_hlaalu_b_17. I imagined it as the Balmora home of a hitman. His table seats only one, because he never has guests over, and the chair is positioned the way it is because a man in his profession never eats his back to the door. He doesn't mind living in relative poverty, but he has manners and obeys proper aristocratic forms on arranging one's silverware (or woodware, in his case).

Cell name: TR_Marh_Showcase

Forgot to remove a master.

Final modifications.

AttachmentSizeDate
Binary Data TR_Marhaus_Showcase_3.esp5.35 KB2023-07-03 04:29
Denis418's picture
Denis418
ModeratorSenior DeveloperExterior DeveloperInterior ReviewerQuest Developer
Joined:
2020-12-31 14:03
Last seen:
3 days 6 hours ago

Name: TR_Marh_Showcase

Clean: Yes

Esm dependencies: Ok

Northmarker: Ok

Light: Ok

Illegal to sleep here: Yes, correct.

Gridsnap: Ok

Pathgrid: You have to connect all nodes with yellow paths by selecting a node, holding Ctrl, and left-clicking another node you aim to connect with. Make sure that yellow lines do not cross through solid objects (being burried in stair steps is fine though)

Fits exterior: Ok, fits ex_hlaalu_b_17

Floaters:

  • T_Com_WoodFork_a01 and T_Com_WoodKnife_a01 float above the center of the plate (the plate is not flat but concave).
  • furn_de_p_shelf_02 (top floor) - does not connect with the wall.
  • misc_de_bowl_redware_01 - pointy-bottomed vessels like this one have to be sunk into the surface until they appear normal (flat-bottomed). Mortar&pestle is another example of these.
  • misc_uni_pillow_01 - pillows, sacks and other soft objects should be bled into the surface to replicate their softness. With pillows, 1-2 inches is enough.
  • light_de_lamp_03

Bleeders:

  • furn_de_rope_03 (storage corner) - goes through the ceiling beam and out of it from the other side.
  • furn_de_p_shelf_02 (first floor) - too much into the wall. With shelves, you wan't them to sit flush with the wall, and not get burried inside it.
  • furn_de_tapestry_03 (top floor) - the stake should not be burried into the wall. Ideally, leave an inch of breathing space between the wall and a rope knot on a stake.

Other:

  • furn_de_rug_big_06 (bottom floor) - Carpets with tassles should be bled into the floor until the tassles lay flush with the floor.
  • It's best to center your lanters in the middle of the rope that supports them (as they would drag the rope down making the lowest point of the bent). Also, try to carefully place the rope inside the lanterns' ear without bleeding.
  • 3 x in_hlaalu_room_post - it is possible to create your shell without using these. Search for Hlaalu shell pieces that have parts of the column at their respective edges to suit your shell needs. Also, current set up creates caspering holes in some places of connections between the walls. Using dedicated shell pieces will solve that.
  • misc_de_bowl_01 - this piece belongs to Blueware which is an upper-class tableware. Reference the Hlaalu Style Guide for details on various sets.
  • 2 x light_de_lantern_04_157 in front of the bottom entrance - my personal preference is to put all lanterns on some sort of support. Like a hook or a piece of rope.
  • 2 x in_hlaalu_door - these doors are designed for not-loadscreen connections. For exterior connections, look for Hlaalu load doors (they don't have a back).
  • chest_small_01_gold_50 - it's good to lock treasure-containing chests like this one. Double click the object and check the Lock box. Set a level of 20-40 after that.
  • furn_de_p_table_05 - I'm afraid, the items on this bent table do not sit flush. The book and the candle are either bleeding or floating with their ends.

General:

Being a thoughtful quest-dev and lore person, you did great job designing the background of your interior. But for a showcase, there should be some additional things:

  1. Overall ref count is somewhat low (66) - bring it to at least twice as much.
  2. You have only two items placed on the bent De_p furniture, while showcase requirements expect at least 10 such items. I suggest placing a bookshelf and filling it with various clutter. Maybe some tools of trade of the inhabintant. And no amount of bottles is too many. You could also place a planter with some plant somewhere.
  3. Place at least two more tapestries. Preferably, of a different design. Generally, an interior of this size uses 2-3 types of tapestries.

Good work and looking forward to your next update!

 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
Joined:
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Last seen:
15 hours 15 min ago

Thank you for the very thorough review!

I've fixed everything here but the Hlaalu posts. I seem to recall resorting to the posts because there curiously were no existing pieces that let me construct a staircase going right-to-left, only left-to-right, but I could be mistaken. Might you be so good as to point out where the caspering occurs?

I've added more tapestries. I couldn't find a good place to put a bookshelf without disrupting the "flow" of the int, so I found other ways to clutter the place and work in the bent de_p furniture.

AttachmentSizeDate
Binary Data TR_Marhaus_Showcase_4.esp7.76 KB2023-07-20 08:44
Denis418's picture
Denis418
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Hello, the interior looks even lovlier now. Thank you.

Some items left to fix:

Otherwise, this is a very good interior. Please, fix the above items and I'll recommend for promotion.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
Joined:
2021-01-16 23:32
Last seen:
15 hours 15 min ago

I think I fixed the caspering without compromising the layout.

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Binary Data TR_Marhaus_Showcase_5.esp7.97 KB2023-07-20 10:57
Denis418's picture
Denis418
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The shell is fixed, good work. Only a couple of minor things remains:

Only one step from promotion!

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
Joined:
2021-01-16 23:32
Last seen:
15 hours 15 min ago

Ultimately, looking at the wireframe of the table, I realized there weren't any flat parts of it large enough to support the book, so I just placed it on the ground (which I've seen in a few vanilla ints -- presumably the int's inhabitant picks it back up when he's actively reading it).

I hope the tapestries are to your liking!

AttachmentSizeDate
Binary Data TR_Marhaus_Showcase_6.esp7.95 KB2023-07-21 00:09
Denis418's picture
Denis418
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I'm sorry to be nitpicky, but I'm afraid that the book was the 10th item needed to be placed on the curved surface. So, to officially wrap up the showcase, please put something else on the table. Maybe a small item like a dagger (make sure that it's touching the table with two points).

While at it, I have noticed that some misc items has ownership to Nine Toes and Caius Cosades. As a quester, you probably know how to clear/assign the ownership. But just in case: check/uncheck the Extra Data box in item property window, and choose your NPC to assign the ownership (or in this case, just uncheck the boxes on all such items to remove it).

Thank you for your patience. Please, do these changes and I'll recommend for promotion

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Marhaus's picture
Marhaus
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
Joined:
2021-01-16 23:32
Last seen:
15 hours 15 min ago

By my count, the inkwell, quill, pile of gold, and candle on the second floor make 4 and the napkin, plate, knife, fork, goblet, and candle on the second floor make 6 for a total of exactly 10. Regardless, I have placed a rolled paper on the second floor desk anyway and cleared up the ownerships.

AttachmentSizeDate
Binary Data TR_Marhaus_Showcase_7.esp7.76 KB2023-07-21 12:51
Denis418's picture
Denis418
ModeratorSenior DeveloperExterior DeveloperInterior ReviewerQuest Developer
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2020-12-31 14:03
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All fixed, recommend for promotion

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. 
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18