19 replies to this topic

[MasterDRD]

This is all one thing in my mind, but it's easily at least 3 different mods, I realise one person wouldn't likely do everything involved, so I've broken it down into 3-4 different sub-mods. Anyway, I'll list my ideas/visual references here, and let the modders think about the modding aspect...

EDIT: I realise some people don't like to read really long posts, the actual list of mods/sub-mods is at the bottom of the post with links to visual references. I'll number them in bold, and I'll number the paragraphs to match. If you're interested in an aspect of this project/projects from the list, please, read the corresponding paragraph.

First off, I really like Soul Calibur. I first owned 2 on the Gamecube, and I played it endlessly. I was pissed when 3 came out, as it was a PS2 exclusive. I still managed to play quite a bit of it though, as my friend had it and his house was like party central on weekends... (good times) I was pissed they left out Nightmare's SC2 armor in 3, especially since it's Project Soul's emblem. Now 4's coming out, and the old hype is coming back...

1. Anyway, the first thing I want to see is Nightmare's (SC2) armor and his sword, Soul Edge, as an armor and sword set. In game the armor should be high quality armor (I'll want to keep it on for the majority of the game) and unenchanted (as I can use runeskulls to make it better myself) and in multiple pieces. (boots, greaves, chestplate, gloves, helmet as opposed to 1 piece like the arena raiment) I don't know the modding aspect to this particular item, but the giant mutated arm/claw is a must. I don't know if it would be tied to the glove or the chestplate, though the glove (if possible) is probably the better option. As to the sword itself, Shadowriffe and EternalKnights have already made a Soul Edge model, though it needs to be unenchanted. (The sword looks great, but the enchantment causes an odd purple 'glow' that shows up in patches all over the sword. If the enchantment was removed, the glow would be gone as well... If somebody wanted to enchant the sword without causing a similar glow, they would only need to download a 'no glow' mod.)

2. So say I had the above mod, (and even if I didn't) it still wouldn't look like Nightmare fighting in combat. I also use Deadly Reflex, which if you're not familiar with it is a mod that adds decapitation, disembowelling, shield/hilt bashing, and a lot of other stuff that expands combat. Since I use Deadly Reflex personally, this part should be at least compatible with it, if not an actual addon to the mod. Anyway, this is about changing the animations for two-handed swords(/axes, hammers?). (video) The forward power attack (after gaining Master level in Blade) is already perfect, not sure about the one for Blunt weapons yet. The back power attack is also quite similar to one of Nightmare's signature attacks already. The normal attack animations with a 2 handed sword should be changed to a more Nightmare-like style, (current ones suck) and the idle/walking/running animations with two-handed weapons drawn should definitely be changed. The same animations could be done for two-handed axes or hammers as well, so this sub-mod is good for everybody who likes two-handed weapons, not just Nightmare fans.
EDIT: Here's a link to a request to change the two-handed weapon stances, which is exactly what this needs.

3. Now the Deadly Reflex-like part is about the power attacks and possible 'fatality' animations for them. The side attack already decapitates/disembowels but the forward and backward animations would need to be coded for critical attacks of their own. The forward power attack, (being a giant blade swung down vertically on the enemy's head) would cleave them in half if the critical chance succeeds, (if making the head split in two is too much work, having the blade come down to the side of the neck downward at a very slight slant works too) and the backward attack (being a giant sword stabbed through the stomach area) would impale them through the gut.

4. The last sub-mod could be as simple or complex as you want. The most easy one would be to make a Siegfried NPC wielding Soul Calibur who attacks the character every so often, based on his Soul Calibur 3 or 4 appearance. If you kill him, another Siegfried would come back later on to attack you again (effectively, the same guy keeps coming after you, and is reborn/regenerated/respawned/whatever so it's not just a 1-off occurance.) He'd naturally have to be powerful, so at least as skilled as the player if not more powerful. He should probably only attack you outside of cities as well, similar to other mods that make NPCs come after you randomly. (Ren's mystic elf race is perfect for making him, though the pointy ears should be changed to human ears...)
A more complicated take would be to have a bunch of NPCs in the image of various Soul Calibur characters who come after you to either take Soul Edge or to destroy it, maybe add some of Nightmare's 'allies' as companions in the game, and if you really want to take it further, have fragments of Soul Edge spread across Cyrodiil (say, in the loot lists of the game and/or in the inventories of the hostile NPCs who attack you) that can be added to Soul Edge to make it stronger.

Anyway, the way I see it the whole thing can be broken down into individual projects that different modders could make, that would mostly be independant from the other bits:

1. Making Nightmare's armor and Soul Edge. (I'd imagine you would have to go on a short 'quest' to kill the 'previous owner' who would be very powerful [boss fight level], so you can't just get it right away and start wtfbbqpwning)

2. Changing the two-handed sword(/axe/hammer?) animations.

3. Making the critical attacks (coding-related I think) and death animations (animating) for the back power attack and forward power attack (not conflicting with Deadly Reflex is a necessity for this, since it's essentially just expanding on the idea) for swords(/axes? Deadly Reflex lets axes do the same criticals as swords, so no reason to change that, right?)

4. Making a Siegfried NPC who randomly attacks the player.
If someone wanted to do more than that, after making just Siegfried (so there's something for us to play around with) other Soul Calibur enemies and/or allies could be added, and/or anything else a modder wished to add (after all it's my base idea, but it's their mod and hard work, so they can do whatever they want with it)

So any thoughts? Comments? Criticism? Anybody interested?

EDIT: I almost forgot the pictures... They're big, and I don't want to stretch the page, so I'll just link to them.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

[tyreil829]

im not failmer with Soul Calibur any info on it ( i only quick read it )

Psycho

[MasterDRD]

Soul Calibur is a (very good) fighting game series, and it's weapon-based. There's actually a wealth of SC stuff that would go perfectly with Oblivion, I'm only scratching the surface focusing on Nightmare... BTW the bottom of the page has the 'short version' if you don't want to read the whole post in 1 go.
Also, here are links to pics of Siegfried in SC3 and SC4. First 1 is SC3, (the one on the left or the one on the bottom, ignore the one on the right)
Siegfried 1
Here's him in Soul Calibur 4, in his 'crystal armor'
Siegfried 2
In both pics he's wielding Soul Calibur, the good counterpart to Soul Edge and titular sword of the series.

[MasterDRD]

So 20 views and only 1 reply? Come on, post something... Anyone?

[rickythecat]

I will take up your challenge, sir!]

I have to say, this would make me happy in a very special way. Somebody, please, make this happen. Mostly I just want Siegfried/Nightmare's armour.

[MasterDRD]

I will take up your challenge, sir!]

I have to say, this would make me happy in a very special way. Somebody, please, make this happen. Mostly I just want Siegfried/Nightmare's armour.

Hey cool! Yeah, Soul Calibur is a veritable wealth of content to tap into for Oblivion, much more so than similar games like DoA or Tekken, mainly because it's a fully weapon-based combat game instead of martial arts... And Nightmare is probably one of the most awesome characters to come out of it. Anyway, the two-handed weapon animations are pretty lame aside from the already pretty 'Nightmare-ish' side power attack, particularly the idle, running, and walking with weapon drawn. The horizontal slashes of vanilla two-handed sword attacks suck, adding some more Nightmare-style normal attacks would really make Oblivion more badass. Adding critical kills for those power attacks like Deadly Reflex's would crank Oblivion's power level to OVER NINE THOUUUUUUSAND!!!!!!!!!! ( couldn't resist the Vegeta quote... Hey, at least I didn't do SHOOP DA WOOP! )

So you said 'take up your challenge'... does that mean you're a modder or...?

[MasterDRD]

Just thought you guys might find this interesting... First off, I found a similar but less well thought out request on another forum, but nobody ever replied...
I'm not the only one who wants it!
Also, I found 2 mods that add Soul Calibur and Soul Edge to the game as swords, but I haven't tried either yet. My Soul Edge problems aren't solved though, as it's an enchanted Soul Edge... But the model itself looks great if the screenshots are anything to go by. (I like how the character is wearing Sauron's armor, so do I... until someone makes Nightmare armor that is!)
Soul Edge
Soul Calibur (SC3 version)
Just put these up to prove there's no lack of interest!

EDIT: Ok, I tried both mods... and despite putting the proper meshes/textures in their spots, both weapons are covered in 'ugly purple doom'... On top of that, both are enchanted already (not useful to me personally, especially since I don't bother using soul trap ever) and with the two-handed weapon animations as they are now, Soul Edge covers about half the screen (at the very LEAST someone needs to change the 'weapon drawn' anims for idle, walking and running with two-handed weapons, or a Soul Edge mod will never work well)
Good news though, as it stands the side power attack is just fine, the standing one fits Nightmare's typical stab move very well (although that might be the sneak attack anim mod I downloaded, as it makes sneak attacks with blades, and I think the non-sneaking standing power attack as well, stab instead of slash) and the back power attack only needs a little tweaking to look like Nightmare's impaling move, meaning making the sword be stabbed downward into the enemy's stomach area from above your head instead of horizontally into their stomach from your left like it is now.

[rickythecat]

Come on, post something... Anyone?

I will take up your challenge, sir!

Well, while the only challenge I intended to take up was the one urging me to post... I am a bit of a texture artist. Quite a bit, in fact, to the point that I'm already busy on a few other projects... But. I like your idea a lot. To the point that, if you have an idea of where to get some models I might whip up some textures if I get time. Sound good?

I mean, I really like the idea.

[MasterDRD]

Come on, post something... Anyone?

I will take up your challenge, sir!

Well, while the only challenge I intended to take up was the one urging me to post... I am a bit of a texture artist. Quite a bit, in fact, to the point that I'm already busy on a few other projects... But. I like your idea a lot. To the point that, if you have an idea of where to get some models I might whip up some textures if I get time. Sound good?

I mean, I really like the idea.

As do I, I couldn't even sleep until 5:30 last night because of the ideas running through my head... and I'm sure the can of Java Monster, the cup of fountain pop Mountain Dew, and 4 cans of MD: Revolution didn't help either!
Well anyway the Soul Edge mod I linked to would seemingly contain any source material you need (at least for the sword itself), but... Just dl it and see what I mean. (don't bother with the one-handed version, it doesn't look OR feel right with Soul Edge) There's splotches of purple all over the sword, and unless the anims for two-handed weapons drawn were changed the sword will block half the screen... (at least in 1st person)

But yeah, if you can fix the texture/whatever problem with it and (pleeease) unenchant it, it'll be just fine! The sword will be stuck through the heart of the big dragon statue in Talos Plaza, awesomely enough, but you'll need to shoot it with an arrow or jump up and hit it to get it down.

Again though, it won't look good in 1st person unless those 3 weapon drawn anims for two-handed weapons are changed, as you won't have half the screen due to the size of the sword.

[MasterDRD]

I found a good position for the drawn weapon, held like Nightmare holds it; basically held in the right hand downward like in the pics I'll link below. Could have the sword held so it's more outward or more inward. (the pics will explain it)

This is held more 'outward'.
While this is held more 'inward'. (though it would be in the other hand)
Or, you could have it held forward, like this.

I posted this in the topic for two-handed weapon stances as well, and told them anyone working on it would have my support and 'hopefully' anyone else involved in Project Nightmare (as I call this now... ) That topic had more than 3 people actually posting in it as well, so hopefully we can at least get that aspect of Project Nightmare dealt with.
(And it's a pretty important aspect too, cuz Soul Edge is a damn big sword. It takes up too much of the screen with the current animations, and the thought of making it smaller is laughable...)