[WIP] Thunderchild - The Tongue Experience

[EnaiSiaion]

It seems no one really cares about this mod and most people would prefer if I made Mesmerverse first because "shouts are useless" (and spells aren't?). Meh.

 

I'm trying to minimise the number of items in favour of innate abilities learned by using items. The main thing is that shouts have a sufficiently long cooldown to encourage item swapping, which is a huge flaw in Thunderbolt. Instead, you'll be able to swap abilities, which requires at least a bit of planning.

 

Here's a list, partially implemented/tested. Will attach screenshots soonish.

 

Actives

 

Power: Unyielding Storm (Talos)

Once a day, lets you cast shouts with a 2 second cooldown for 10 seconds.

 

Power: Soulcrusher (Shor)

Once a day, shouts are 3x more powerful for 10 seconds.

 

Lesser power: Mantra

Configure a shout to be automatically selected when you enter battle, leave battle, or get low on health. It does not cast them, but it reduces the hassle of selecting them manually.

 

Apprentice restoration spell: Gathering Breath

6 second cast time, one handed, removes an active shout cooldown.

 

General abilities

 

Second Wind

Your active shout cooldown is removed when you drop below 25% health. Can only occur once per battle.

 

Nordic Greeting

Shouts are 50% more effective against full health targets.

 

(...)

 

Individual shout enhancers

 

Ruthless Force

The third level of your Unrelenting Force shout now has a knockup effect.

 

Pandemonium

The third level of your Dismay shout works on anything.

 

Tempest

The third level of your Whirlwind Sprint shout has a cooldown of only 10 seconds.

 

(...)

[Tykiii]

Duhh… in vanilla Skyrim Shouts aren’t that much useful… however this mod has a good chance of changing that. Some ability and item mechanics that you are planning to implement should fix most of the vanilla flaws… like:

 

Spells

I'm currently working on the visual styles for shout-related spells (I'm doing everything except shouts lolface).

 

 

Enchantments

Several items that can be disenchanted. Will include things like combat or social bonuses when shouts are cooling down, a chance for shouts to have 0 cooldown, etc.

 

 

 

A new power: Unyielding Storm - once a day, instantly resets your shout cooldown.

 

A contingency will be implemented that automatically equips a shout when you enter combat and another when you leave combat, as well as an item that resets shout cooldown when you enter combat, etc. The age old problem of "I can't actually use shouts in battle unless I get -100% cooldown" will be SOLVED.

 

Alsoo... the mechanic related to Kyne favour points looks like something that will make shouting mechanic more interesting... and give the player a feeling of progress on the shout field that the normal game was lacking. I love that you will get some items for compleating Kyne quests... please dunn drop tchunderchild... ;;

[EnaiSiaion]

The main thing is that there need to be mechanics to make a tongue build viable without relying on the (dangerous, snowballing, dependent on other mods) shout cooldown reduction modifier.

 

There will be three ways to achieve this goal:

 

- Mechanics that reduce an active shout cooldown when a condition is met (entering combat, dropping to low health, being near enemies etc). This is the main way to make shout spam viable: you just have to meet the condition and you can cast shouts at a relatively rapid rate. For instance, the Storm Crown ability reduces your shout cooldowns by 1 second per second for each nearby hostile, so when up against 4 enemies your 20 second Fire Breath will have a 5 second cooldown.

 

- A lowish level spell to clear an active shout cooldown. It does have a long cast time but is one handed. This is something you do while hiding or running away.

 

- The Unyielding Storm power just lets you cast shouts with abandon once a day as a backup when all else fails.

[Tykiii]

Instead, you'll be able to swap abilities, which requires at least a bit of planning.

 

Curious how are planning to implement the swapping. ;3

 

Btw. I have noticed that some of the abilities are god themed. Hope that each of the deities will get one. :wink:

 

Yeah... well... relaying on the shout cooldown modifier might make the player spam shouts like mad... and it is not exactly how shouting should work in my opinion.

 

Alsoo... did you dropped the idea of giving the player some bonuses while the shouts are cooling down (social, combat)? I liked the idea a lot and was hoping that you would throw in some magic bonus. :wink:

 

Several random ideas:

-Ability that restores a small portion of health or magica or stamia whenever you shout

-Ability that makes you cast a selected spell when you shout

 

Btw. Can't wait to see the screenies. ;3

Edited July 24, 2013 by Tykiii

[TheUninvitedGuest]

 

Apprentice restoration spell: Gathering Breath

6 second cast time, one handed, removes an active shout cooldown.

 

 

 

I'm really looking forward to this Mod - I've always felt that a Tongue / Two handed build would be a huge amount of fun.

 

One request / suggestion:

 

Would it be possible to have "Gathering Breath" be a power rather than a spell ?

 

I recognise that a valid reason for this ability being a spell is that powers occupy the same slot as Shouts and a player would therefore have to switch back to a shout having used it. On the other hand it would seem to fit better with the tone of this mod if this ability were something to do with your voice. A short 3rd person animation / period of vulnerability (as with transformations found in the game) could provide a nicely balanced penalty to what is otherwise a powerful ability.

 

I may not be making much sense - in my mind I keep coming back to something akin to meditation.

 

Anyway - completely understand if you choose to leave it as is - but thought it was worth the ask.

[Deleted3765355User]

I'm looking forward to this mod so much I've begun to role a new character specifically in wait for it. I'm currently trying to learn every single shout on him to prepare! I loved your original shout package, and know I'll love this one even more.

[Hallabalooga]

I do understand your reluctance on relying on other mods which make shouts more spammable, but you will still have to consider them. "Mechanics that reduce an active shout cooldown when a condition is met" for example could lead to shout-machinegun characters if used with other mods, but then again, if it is an abilty with a long cooldown, it could be considered a OMG I WILL BE KILLED MOMENT last resort and not be that bad.

[TehKaoZ]

I'm looking forward to this mod as well, shouts are a bit underwhelming in the vanilla game. I want to be a "DRAGONBORN" because that's one of the central points of the game.

Of course I am looking forward to Mesmerverse too =p

So far every update you posted looks awesome and I'm very excited ^.^

FUS RO DAH!

[EnaiSiaion]

I do understand your reluctance on relying on other mods which make shouts more spammable, but you will still have to consider them. "Mechanics that reduce an active shout cooldown when a condition is met" for example could lead to shout-machinegun characters if used with other mods, but then again, if it is an abilty with a long cooldown, it could be considered a OMG I WILL BE KILLED MOMENT last resort and not be that bad.

The idea is, I want to completely bypass the shout cooldown mechanic and replace it with conditional "now your shouts have a cooldown of only X seconds no matter what" mechanics. Whether the shout originally has a cooldown of 200 seconds or 50 seconds doesn't matter if it goes to 10 seconds when you [meet requirement]. Unless people literally have -100%, it's balanced.

 

 

Would it be possible to have "Gathering Breath" be a power rather than a spell ?

 

I recognise that a valid reason for this ability being a spell is that powers occupy the same slot as Shouts and a player would therefore have to switch back to a shout having used it. On the other hand it would seem to fit better with the tone of this mod if this ability were something to do with your voice. A short 3rd person animation / period of vulnerability (as with transformations found in the game) could provide a nicely balanced penalty to what is otherwise a powerful ability.

 

I may not be making much sense - in my mind I keep coming back to something akin to meditation.

 

Anyway - completely understand if you choose to leave it as is - but thought it was worth the ask.

Hence why it's a restoration spell. There's no usable "animation" - adding animations is a mod in and of itself. Also, the point is that you can do it while fighting.

[fifteenspades]

I'm looking forward to this mod as well, shouts are a bit underwhelming in the vanilla game. I want to be a "DRAGONBORN" because that's one of the central points of the game.

Of course I am looking forward to Mesmerverse too =p

So far every update you posted looks awesome and I'm very excited ^.^

FUS RO DAH!

 

To be fair Dragonborn is quite misleading :P.

You are just a descendant of people who could understand and speak in dragon tongue because they were taught by a dragon.

 

Looking forward to this mod as well ^^