Modding

[Skillgannon]

I am wondering how hard is it to mod things in Oblivion. Ive used the half life SDK and had a go at coding its pretty tough but theres plenty of help. Is oblivion similar? I was thinking about it in respect to modding things like swords and outfits, then i got on to thinking about how complicated it might be to alter the horse-mounted features so that you could fight whilst on horseback. Would these things be achievable?
Skillgannon.

[Gez]

I am wondering how hard is it to mod things in Oblivion. Ive used the half life SDK and had a go at coding its pretty tough but theres plenty of help. Is oblivion similar? I was thinking about it in respect to modding things like swords and outfits, then i got on to thinking about how complicated it might be to alter the horse-mounted features so that you could fight whilst on horseback. Would these things be achievable?
Skillgannon.

Simply put, within the possibilities offered by Oblivion itself, nope.

There are mounted combat mods, but they require [url=http://obse.silverlock.org/]OBSE[/url], an external tool which adds many new powerful scripting functions.

[Skillgannon]

Has Tamriel rebuilt never wanted to mod certain things in the elder scrolls world. Or have they already?
Things like the journal and movement.

[Gez]

I'm not sure I get what you mean. TR is a modding project for the Elder Scrolls games. Of course we want to mod certain things, that's the raison d'être of the project.

[Skillgannon]

I know i just edited my post, im trying to explain better.
I heard that werewolfs were on the cards but where then cancelled. Im just thinking about major things that Bethesda didnt do but tamriel could do. Like as i said the journal or HUD, and the movement of characters and animals.
Tamriel Rebuilt seem to be adding to what already exists(I know that new creatures and places have been made, i mean it in loose terms.), but will they also be creating anew for it too?

[Lady Nerevar]

you mean modifying the way the game works? nope, we dont do that. there are plenty of mods that change the HUD and stuff for both games. TR is focused on adding new content for players to explore, not changing the way they play the game.

[Skillgannon]

Cool, thanks for decoding my explanation

[Gnomey]

However, in the case of Lycanthropes it isn't exactly against TR rules, seeing as they are Lore-accurate and there might have simply not been that many of them in the Imperial province. (By which I mean that they got the same amount of attention in Oblivion as the Cheydinhall Sewer Cleaner's Guild did. ) This is going by the motto of TR doing things like Bethesda would have done them, and Bethesda would have probably had Lycanthropes in some of the other provinces. (Like Skyrim). But I'd be surprised if Wereboars were added to Hammerfell.

[Gez]

There are a couple of lycanthropy mods out there, and I'd be surprised if they didn't all use OBSE. Since we're not going to rely on third-party stuff, we won't use OBSE.

Otherwise, from a strict lore perspective, there are werewoves and wereboars around the Iliac Bay.

Likewise, there are a couple of vampire clans, which are not Cyrodiil vampires.

Whether we bother with them or not remains to be seen, but you can assume "no."

[Skillgannon]

So why were the werewolves and Vampire clans cancelled?

Also does anyone know a good menu and journal mod out there?

[Gez]

Canceled would mean they had been planned to begin with.

Lycanthropy requires a lot of scripting, which would detract from the worldbuilding part and border on the gameplay -- something it is in our policy not to touch.

Vampirism is a niche thing. Most heroes aren't vampires; and vampire clan quests wouldn't be available to most players because of that. It's a waste of resource.

[Skillgannon]

True an i suppose, just like the menu and journal, there are plenty of mods out there that have done the job for you. Whereas no one else will have recreated all of Tamriel. I imagine this is a ridiculously rehashed topic but in my defence i'm just imagining TR as a whole game package rather than an extravagant mod made by fans in a world of modding. It's cool though i guess it would make everyones experience of the elder scrolls different.
Just quickly, at the moment im saving up for an SLi compat. PC and ive sold my old one. But in preparation i have bought morrowind. Now ive heard there were werewolf and vampire things in those, are they in depth or similar to the darkness eternal quest line? Did you ignore (not meant in a bad way) these aspects in the modding of morrowind?

[Nanu]

Gannon, if you can handle Hammer, then the CS will be a walk in the park.

[Skillgannon]

Haha. I think all the PC's in my house just made a collective sigh. Hammer was tough to run, but with all the guides out there it's easier to get used to it. Is there as big a help/guidance base for the CS? or is it more or less trial and error?

[Skillgannon]

Hey nanu ra, i just happened upon your showcase the other day. Its funny how your now the head of literature but anyway, what i meant to ask was is it better to get into TR as a modder by making interior/exterior cells and then when you've joined fully do writing instead, or as well as.

[Skillgannon]

I am wondering if anybody knows anybody who would create a sword to my specifications and designs for in game to use in a quest?
And anybody who would create a building for me? Or help me to do it at least?

Also is there anyone out there that I can contact, to give me some serious help modding a quest?

Thanks.

[theviking]

That would be me. I can recommend "Calislahn's dialogue challenge" to you to learn dialogue and GhanBuriGhan's "scripting for dummies" as a guideline what you should do with scripting. Besides that there are good tutorials on this site and of course you can find a lot of information in the Oblivion constuction set wiki.

[Skillgannon]

Some quick concept art i've had done for me, i'm awaiting the official stuff.

[img]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l12/JAMAM_97/hello_im_a_picture.jpg[/img]

How hard would it be to mod this costume into the game?
Is there anyone that would do that for me out there.
Also what do you think?

P.S. i know its similar to the shrouded armour. Kinda the point.

[Lady Nerevar]

being that its similar to DB armor it should be pretty basic to implement. i dont have a pic of the BD armor on hand, but it may be that all you really need to do is a few minor modifications. i doubt that anyone here has the time, you may wana ask nicely at the BSF. its pretty easy to do and looks like it would interest a bunch of people.

you should try doing some concept art for TR, you draw well a CA promotion is much simpler then a lit one due to greater demand of the later.

[Skillgannon]

I wish that was my art
It was done by my official concept artist (my girlfriend) hehe
This was done whilst she was on the phone to me, she's working on a better one at the moment. I'm not exactly sure what better can be lol.
I am trying to convince her though, that she should conceptualize on TR. Im working on it

[Skillgannon]

This is the synopsis for a quest i want to mod, it is also the content of my showcase:

(You could skip to the bold if you dont want to read this)

Pirates arrive on the shores of Hammerfell, at Roseguard, looking to take ownership of a farmhouse where they can then stash their loot. The first building they find just off the shore is a monastery. They lay siege upon the monastery and the Monks submit without much struggle. They capture the monks and force them to endure solitary confinement. The pirates then claim the monastery and have free roam of their new home in Hammerfell.

Eventually the two factions begin to 'bond' with each other and the pirates become more placid and thoughtful. One pirate begins openly teaching a monk the benefits of physical fitness through battle techniques in exchange for tutelage in scholarly matters. A group of monks propose an idea to the Elder monk. The pirate receiving tutelage, named Tuskus, and his tutor Ahldmeria secretly begin talks with the Elder. The Elder succumbs and convinces the rest of the monks that they have been given a new task by the gods. The pirate convinces the Captain to share their skills in battle and fitness with the monks. With the help of the Pirates, the Monks perfect a form of Tai Chi. The monks make a truce with the pirates and work towards living in harmony.

The pirates now calling themselves ‘The Waylanders’ set out to sea for trade. When they return they find the monastery in a bloody ruin. All the monks have been slain save one. And all Waylanders who were left behind have been killed save one. Tuskus, the pirate was left alive to tell the tale, as was the monk Ahldmeria. According to the two survivors, forty-two monks and Waylanders were killed, leaving two remaining, in an Orc raid. The Waylander Captain vows vengeance.

The monks who went to sea with the Waylanders set about burying the bodies and busying themselves with consecrating the land. The two survivors are sent to find out who the murderers were and where they are now.

The two survivors, Tuskus and Ahldmeria, are gone for months. When they return they find a changed monastery. It is now a fortified keep, with heavily armored men in hoods and cloaks who carry Katana's. After seeing enough blood shed already and having noticed the corruption of the monks and the sins of The Waylanders who were nothing more than glorified pirates, the two inform the newly formed 'Order Of The Waylanders' as to the whereabouts of the raiders and decide to leave. They journey across Hammerfell and into Cyrodiil.

The Order of the Waylanders hunt down the raiders of the monastery to where the survivors found them. They then set upon them. The remaining monks cull the fight and make a bargain. If the raiders will find an artifact that the Elder requires. The raiders agree to these terms. The Waylanders and monks return to the monastery and the rest of the raiders leave a promise to return, under threat of being hunted down again, with the mysterious artifacts the Elder wishes to possess.

One bloodied raider returns on an over encumbered and starving horse with a man following behind. The raider gives the monk the horse and all the saddlebags contents and informs him everyone was killed apart from him but he now has to cope with being a vampire. He leaves Hammerfell forever. The man on the horse following reveals himself to be an ironmonger of much renown. The Elder gives the captain the saddlebags and shows him what is inside. They contain legendary armor and an antique enchanted hooded robe and a powerful katana sword, he is given the title of "The Waylander", Captain of the order and Champion of the keep. The Elder then orders the ironmonger to make more versions of the Captains armor and weapon. "The Order of the Waylander" (note the missing plural, as homage to the captain and newly appointed hero) is then complete, with its own ironmonger, fortified keep, army, monastery and monks. The Keep becomes known as "The Tempest".

That’s the end of the literature synopsis. It will all be revealed to the player through journals and letters.

Just after the end of the synopsis is when the player comes in. The Waylander (the champion guy) wishes to find out more about his old companions Tuskus and Ahldmeria. He happens to know that the two men shared a journal which is now in the Elder’s private tower. He commissions the player to steal the journal from the tower.
The Champion, The Waylander, then requires the player to find the two men described in the book, Tuskus and Ahldmeria, wherever they now reside (which is in Cyrodiil) using clues from the journal.
The player after reading a journal entry about a nightmare is given a journal entry hinting that the two men are in an icy climate. The player must find them in/around Bruma and then take knowledge of them back to the Waylander. When the player engages the two men he is given a quest (I know what I want this to be, but I’m not sure in a lore respect, yet).
The reward for getting the book is a small amount of gold. The reward for finding the two men is an honorary title/place in the Order of the Waylander, which gives access to a unique signature blade, bow, arrows, shield and armour (like when you join the Blades). Upon finding Tuskus and Ahldmeria the player is given an informative travel guide book and the extra quest.
The final part of the quest is given to the player by the Elder, he must travel to Gilane to find an old enemy of the Captain’s who still haunts him (Not sure who yet).

I've been asking around for help and if there is anyone here that wouldn't mind giving a hand I would be really grateful. I've possibly got a scripter and a texturer/animator. I need help though

Thanks.