Lucherenren

Viconia's my personal favorite, so far: confident to the point of arrogance, beautiful, witty - Sulteric & Co. have really captured her essence. The OBSE integration in recent versions made her even better. Ruined-Tail is another excellent choice, in my opinion. Both CSR and CM Partners have strengths and weaknesses. I see the first as more appropriate when you're dealing with stable allies and retainers in-game, such as Oreyn or Eyja - so that they fit better with you and the world, and vice versa: I always make it a point to give poor Modreyn better gear while we're investigating Azani or the Blackwood bunch. CM gives you finer tuning in a few areas, and it's slightly more capable in terms of social options. Moreover, there are several high-quality companions for this platform, though they obviously lack quest components. In both cases, if you're looking into scenic play/staging scenes, a pose mod or two will probably come in handy for additional immersion.

There isn't always a solid answer for crashes. First off, make sure the game is patched up: Oblivion is huge, and may require a little fine-tuning. Disable the various autosave features, lest you end up with corrupt saves. Even like that, crashes will still happen every now and then, especially later on in the game: there's a lot of stuff to handle. Anyway, there's a tried-and-tested way to avoid crashes when you're exiting the game on your own: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21416 I've been using this on my system (Vista Home Premium SP1, by the by) for quite a while now, and it works like a charm.

If that's on Seven, chances are the UAC is still a little messed up. On Vista/Vista SP1 you might consider TweakUAC to keep its behavior consistent - I stick to Quiet Mode whenever I'm dabbling into the CS, myself. And Run as Administrator is a definite plus. Still, be warned that random crashes are still bound to happen no matter what. For me, they've been rare, but still... Keep backups of your ESPs and save often.

Well, perhaps not the toughest or the longest per se, but the quest for Brusef Amelion's armor (Fighters' Guild path) becomes a lot more interesting if you throw the Daemon Queen armor mod in the mix. Besides the armor, you get: - the titular character, who will be armed with at least dwarven weaponry at lowest levels - a lich specializing in higher-level skeletal warrior summons, and a rather annoying tendency towards casting self-healing spells - a female Daedra carrying a really large warhammer, and more than happy to show her skills with the thing - a rather stubborn Faded Wraith. It takes a little while to whittle the thing down. Oh, and they all attack you at once (except for the wraith, usually, but that can be easily remedied - just open a certain niche a little too soon...). Also, the opponents in the final chamber seem to get a little tougher. Upon closing in they naturally tend to swarm around, so you can hack away at 'em with gusto, but you'll have to keep track of those in the back - they'll either keep summoning reinforcements or snipe at you with lots, and lots, and lots of arrows. Nothing to worry if you're above average level, but keep that in mind if you're trying this out early on. It might take a while.

Heh!... Excellent work, Ran. This is something the pesky little fella won't forget, I'm sure. And as soon as he respawns we can put him through the Adoring Fan Tower. Repeat the cycle a few thousand times... :thumbsup:

Sharkolo, a few words in Italian... --- La scelta dipende essenzialmente dal tuo stile di gioco e da come vuoi affrontare le sfide che ti porrà dinanzi Oblivion. Inoltre, tieni conto che (almeno con il sistema standard) le abilità salgono di valore a seconda di quanto le si usa. Personalmente, se è il tuo primo personaggio ti consiglierei di valutare bene come vuoi iniziare a muoverti e di lasciarti un po' di spazio per "crescere" e approcci differenti. Sarà particolarmente importante se intendi portare avanti altre quest oltre a quella principale, come la carriera in una o più gilde e l'esplorazione intensiva del territorio di Tamriel. Questo vale anche se stai creando la tua classe personalizzata; sui classici, i miei preferiti in ordine sparso: spada incantata, esploratore, stregone, lama notturna, cavaliere. C'è comunque una pletora di oggetti ed effetti che potrai usare per personalizzare ulteriormente il tuo personaggio (diversi li otterrai come ricompense). Valuta bene anche il tuo segno. Per un principiante, può essere utile sceglierne uno che attribuisca bonus e stabilità ragionevoli (es. La Signora), senza sbilanciare l'esperienza di gioco. --- Hope this will help.

What about BOSS? http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516 I'm more of an OBMM/OBSE person myself, but this is indeed a very solid helper application.

This is by all means only a partial listing, but let's see: Used him as a substitute for a garden gnome; setscale and derived spell effects are your friends. Launched him off various scenic cliffs, hilltops and mountainsides. Great way to test just how much punch your favorite fireball spell packs. Took a nice seat while the guards were having a chitchat with him. Ouch, that broadsword must've hurt. Had a refreshing little dip at the lake; just forgot to tell him about the resident mother slaughterfish. Played as monster bait in Scary Castle (also known as "The Adoring Fan Meets Ju-On"). Thrust him in a maid outfit and locked him in a scaryscary-- er, set up with a cute pose out of the zillions cute alternatives featured in Pose Thumbnail. And then he was left in care of Rosethorn Hall, while Eyja joined the rest of the party for some serious treasure-hunting. Evil beware the lady with a frying pan!

If I may add my two cents on the issues: the idiots and their commentary come and go, the real talent stays and shines. Also, T3H 1N73RW3BZ tends to bring together people with similar interests - or similar outlooks. This probably explains a lot about the dog-pack (or landslide, if you like) effect you sometimes experience with "i ra73z ur m0d at 1" or "this mesh is t3h sux0rz" threads - barely coherent english, oftentimes sprinkled in netspeak, cut-to-the-chase-speak-like-a-macho-bulldrek-man one-liners, and total disregard of constructive criticism. Cliques are easy. Blending in is easy. Being in tight with the normals is always easier -- it explains why my homeland is blissfully devolving into a very normal, very phobic and very dangerous autocracy: sincerely, I had hoped World War II cured us italians of that problem. But, since we're none the wiser... and this gets us back to topic: don't let the stupid win. That's all I can say. To all the skilled modders, coming and going, my best thanks.

I think so as well. OSR Pose also includes a few cool sword moves along with the social/artsy ones. Lera and Pizz made a thumbnailed index detailing the various options: http://obcos.blog109.fc2.com/blog-category-11.html

You're welcome. And that is one nifty piece of armor indeed! Must get it too, it would suit at least one of my female characters pretty well (and I don't have to wait for sales either!).

Well, this is definitely a very good source of inspiration: nice art piece. Being a semiotics major, and a sucker for graphic arts at the same time, I like the way the ascension theme is played here: not too blatant, but you can see the transition from earth, the world and worries of men, to the next degree (and by proxy Valhalla - Odin's up there in the sky), with the Valkyrie serving as the trait d'union between worlds. Pretty good, like I said, and the execution goes hand in hand with the mythos.

Back on topic, Kresselack is right here and that should be the focus. Suggestions are always welcome. Namco's designs for the Valkyrie games are actually fairly sensible (marketing-wise, they already have other characters in different franchises appealing to the, ahem, "thong brigade") , but nevertheless it is a different stylistic take on those figures. Besides, this thread has already split from what I've seen. So it's probably safe to stay closer to more traditional/estabilished designs.

"She's da bomb!" Quite literally, indeed... I second the additon of sai to the arsenal: they're both historically accurate, and the ninja/assassin-types would benefit from those as well. I would also please Marvel fans, really, since everybody from Elektra to Deadpool has used them with good at least once - and usually with very lethal results.

Same here. Played it quite a bit on my beloved Apple IIgs... though I was more of a Dungeon Master type, myself. Also, you might want try out an emulator to try and resurrect The Real Thing in all its glory - kind of a trip down Memory Lane. For that, I'm quite fond of SDLMame because it tends towards stable performance. It's still fun to pop in a few (virtual) coins every now and then. As for the latest head-ups, these are certainly good additions for a Valkyrie campaign. I'd also point out Valkyrie profile, although Namco's aesthetics aren't strictly traditional , hence... your mileage may vary.

Alpha channels have been around since Photoshop went full color, after the Macintosh II was introduced. I used 2.0.1 a lot on my old Mac before upgrading to the subsequent releases (gawd, that does indeed sound like ages ago). An excellent open source alternative is GIMP coupled with the DDS and normal map plugins (it handles mipmaps quite well, from what I've seen so far). LHammonds has uploaded all the necessary software and information on the Nexus. Have fun with your textures! Ah, if you don't want to empty your wallet for Photoshop - there's also the lighter and much less pricey Elements edition, which should still be more than enough (just in case, ask for a demonstration at the store).

it isnt the making of the crossbow..it is the firing of it that would require OBSE. Exactly, because they do require scripting. No crossbows, slings or suchlike: besides arrows, the only other kind of projectile you usually get in standard Oblivion are. well, the ranged spells. Besides crossbows, there have been attempts at shuriken and throwing weapons (I think there's at least a functioning module floating about, but I'll have to check). However, I do agree with Dezdi and others that the gear should be a complement to the context and the story, rather than replacing them as the goal.

In my opinion: crossbows, most definitely. That way we stay in theme - it's pratical, and it keeps Dezdi happy, which is a definite plus. Since we've already stranded into assassination / special ops / tactical espionage action (forgive me, oh Kojima) while attempting to keep up with the lore, I also figure blowguns (with one-shot poisons, or infected) could be added to the list of available gear. At close quarters, the emphasis shifts towards quick, if not immediate removal of the opposition. For single targets, I'd recommend considering a garrote or hidden stiletto (a' la Altair, perhaps?) , just to avoid drawing attention. There's also the classic knife to the throat. This is, of course, if the operative manages to avoid detection...

Fresh update from the Nexus: Norse Weapons It looks good: I'm going to download this and test it out. The relatively small file size isn't bad either.

If you want hair to show from a helmet you map it like a hat instead of mapping it as a helm. That means you use the amulet or tail slot. That'd be the quickest and most efficient way around, I agree. Just check slot deployment in case you're using third-party clothing, or in case the outfitting revolves around a companion. In fact, this can be amusing. Yesterday I had quite a bit of fun trying out a witch hat on my right-hand sorceress, only to find she would insist to wear it atop her hooded cloak instead of switching headgear (I didn't try with a large helmet, but I -will- do so later!). :biggrin:

The ideas are flowing, I like the way this project is coming along. It's certainly adding more depth to Cyrodill, which is quite good: in a small part of my brain, I kept wondering why the Blades considered themselves so secretive when just about every average city guard knew they didn't manage to protect the Emperor. But then they functioned a lot more like a private guard than - broad generalization here, I know - actual Secret Service agents. Putting in the cloak and dagger, spy/special ops stuff sounds a bit more realistic; if anything, it adds much welcome spice to the mix. Kudos, everybody.

Nice one, because that winged helm does actually work well with the hair, and without visible clipping issues. Definitely a plus in my opinion. And for the Marvel fans: with this, a large/extra-large cape and a few finishing touches (lightning and weather-based spells, of course!) you can actually run all over Cyrodill doing Mighty Thor impressions - I was perusing the Japanese Oblivion forums a while ago, and there are some sweet, huge warhammers out there, they're just screaming "Mjolnir". :thumbsup:

Always glad to help. Besides, it's always interesting when characters are given some context accounting for their development. I use the console for such small tweaks, as well. I feel it adds a bit of variety to my characters (I'm all for immersive play, and a short, quick and waifish thief -should- feel and look different from a tall, brawny battle mage). Hmm. Installing Oblivion in a different folder is actually the preferred solution, especially if you're on a Vista-equipped system ( less UAC stress). You might want to make sure you've got the right version installed : I'm currently up to 2.47 on both Linux and Vista Home Premium. Moreover, Blender can use Python for extensions, so you might want to check that one as well for future expansions. For general help and reference, try these links: BlenderArtists.Org BlenderNation And the reference for modelers, artists and animators: BlenderArt Magazine Most issues feature tutorials you can follow, and reference material (meshes and stuff) under separate links.

How about giving folks long-drawn monologues and battle speeches? I'm always been fascinated by the way some characters tend to be, well, quite talkative right in the heat of a battle. And then there's the Evil Lord Monologue, a standard routine by spy story and Marvel standards. Of course this has to be overdone. Joe Kelly once wrote that "lengthy speeches while leaping must be a secondary mutant power", we should aim for that kind of effect. :biggrin:

That's good to hear! While the initial learning curve is admittably still a bit steep in places, it's easy to fall in love with Blender. I have to say, your Valkyrie design shows promise! Well done. For additional diversity, try out Capes & Cloaks (with or without the amulet add-on), and you can certainly expand your weaponry - there are a few swords on TESNexus which would fit quite nicely. If you're planning for a brawny Valkyrie, in my opinion the "body mods to go" are probably Exnem's or HGEC, opting for the more muscular variations. And last but not least... if she is meant to be imposing, let her tower above most other people! Nord characters are already slightly taller than the average Imperial (rated at 1.0), but you can still use player.setscale from the console to adjust her stature.