DLC and Expansion Functionality

[ChalkLine]

I've seen several references to 'Must have Shivering Isles' or 'Must have Battlehorn Castle' for scripts.

 

Now, I have all the downloads and expansions, but frankly, I don't like them. I use Horse Armour, Spell Tomes and Repairing the Orrery (and only that last one because it's unobtrusive).

 

Do I have to have these other DLC/Expansions running to get access to their scripts or functionality, or does simply installing them upgrade the game?

[Eshenaleros]

as long as you have the resources the game can make use of them.

 

I.e. you do not need to activate them to get the benefit

[AzirAphale001]

If the scripts are being used then wouldn't they need to be activated?

[TotallyNotToastyFresh]

What's wrong with the expansions? I for one really am a fan of Frostcrag, Shivering Isles is pretty good, but I'll admit that the Orrery sucks. Also, I REALLY like KOTN.

[ChalkLine]

What's wrong with the expansions? I for one really am a fan of Frostcrag, Shivering Isles is pretty good, but I'll admit that the Orrery sucks. Also, I REALLY like KOTN.

I don't want to whinge, but;

 

- Battlehorn is lousy. As I've complained before, the inside is twice too big and half as high as the outside. It's just an exercise to show off the 'stuffed critters functionality'. I gave up redoing it and started on my own castle. Honestly, I could go on for hours about parts of Battlehorn that aren't any good, especially as it could have been excellent for so little extra effort.

- The Orrery doesn't do anything really, but I do like the eye candy when it's working.

- Frostcrag is simply beautiful on the outside and totally crap on the inside. I've seen many revisions of its interior, but none make me think 'mystic mage in the mountains'.

- Vile Lair? Meh.

- Dunarrow Cove. This one showed work, but it's a little bit too Disney for me. It's also a real pain to get to, and sort of makes Anvil seem a bit silly. The Lore included in the DLC seems like too much of a 'I have a nifty idea and this is me grafting it onto Tamriel'. Still, probably the best DLC base.

- Shivering Isles is okay once, then too small. Also, the quest ending is a typical Bethesda campaign-wrecker in its uberness. Beth seem to want you to not be able to play the game after the main quests, which is odd when you think of how slow thier games come out. By the way, I never bother with the main quest in Oblivion any more either.

- Knights of the Nine is cool, but it busts part of the setting (Anvil Chapel) which is annoying. This is one DLC I often replay.

[AzirAphale001]

I've never played any of the DLC's, or SI, so I don't feel any need to complain. However, I've always thought that The Orrery should have been included in the vanilla game, what with the door already there and everything.

[Eshenaleros]

KotN and SI are my favorites. I have every expansion and I use all of them. I don't have to actually use them if I don't want to right? and why not have them activated if, in a flight of fancy, I decide to use them? besides, shivering and Knights adds an enourmous amount, even compared to most mods, and I do play them quite a bit. Still, I'll agree that Battlehorn and Frostcrag lack something to be desired, but they're still cool

[ChalkLine]

Like everything, it's all a matter of personal taste. Please don't think that I think poorly of people who enjoy the DLC I bad mouth, not that it matters what I think, it's just a personal preference of mine.

 

If I was to wave the magic wand and be Bethesda's conceptual director, I'd seriously think of upgrading the DLC with the following aspects:

 

Battlehorn.

- Redo the interiors, consign the taxidermy gallery to some back corridor, and relocate the taxidermist into a city (possibly allowing her talents to be used in other locations, like the reward painting from Chorrol). Ensure the interior fits the exterior, at least slightly. Have a look at actual castles for inspiration.

- Come up with a quest that does justice to the product. The knightly theme could be expanded on. The Knights of the Nine shows just what they can do. The "I've received notice that a castle is besieged . . " is cheap and nasty, fan modders do better.

- Develop the area surrounding Battlehorn to reflect the existence of the castle. Most fan mods at least add a farm or two.

- Use their monopoly on the original voice actors to integrate the mod into other levelled dialogue. This should be done for all DLC.

 

Dunbarrow

- As this kinda only really suits pirates, it's not that bad. I think most piratical players would prefer an actual, working ship though. Move the cove somewhere onto the coast in some forsaken place, or even an island, and have it so the pirate player can actually sail their ship right into it.

 

Frostcrag

- As I mentioned above, this really needs a total rethink of the interior. The outside is fantastic, and the funky 'stuff' rotating and counter rotating suits my idea of a wizards castle of a certain type. Once inside, it's less impressive. The rooms are bare and look unfinished. There's a long walk anywhere inside, with no eye-candy to really interest the player to equal the exterior. Some cool things, like the moving wall, are really only used once. Frostcrag smacks of having an exterior concept drawing having some rooms crammed into it. The player wants wild stuff like Automata. Summoned mystical servants. Locked rooms containing trapped magic. Daedra chained to a wall that shout epithets as you walk by ("Mortal, release me or I'll have you boiled in hellfire when I get loose!")

- Nothing takes the gloss of gaining an acquisition like simply having it handed to you. Having the deed and key plonked into your inventory as you escape from prison seems like they simply didn't care. Frostcrag should, like all the other mods, be quested to improve. Finding your grandsire's body, perhaps now in malevolent lich form, to regain the key would be a start. Having a certain activator lost in Oblivion is another though. Perhaps another mage demands a battle of skill, wit and power before giving up another activator (he could make a cool dubious ally later, why waste a good personality?).

- Ongoing interaction with the world, as the creator of 'Frostcrag Reborn' has done in thier mod. Brilliant job there, by the way.

 

Vile Lair

- I can't really comment on this mod, it doesn't appeal to me on some level. It's probably all right as it is, although some quests really need putting in to make getting it feel like an accomplishment.

 

Repairing the Orrery

- One of the very few to get an actual quest, although a lame one. Bothiel could approach you if you enter the Arcane University precincts, and give you some actual dialogue. It should be reserved for a certain level of Mage's Guild rank, and an outsider rogue mage (the game really needs the opportunity for these) completing it should be given some sort of honorary title. The quest could be a great opportunity for some magical and interpersonal adventure, similar to what I've mentioned for Frostcrag, rather than kick-in-the-door-kill-the-goblin-check-for-traps-count-the-loot.

- The rewards are, to be frank, not worth fast travelling to the AU to get. I don't know about you, but I never use them, and only pop in to see the eye-candy.

 

Horse Armour

- A revamp is in order I think. Horse armour is Bethesda's chance to introduce mounted combat. Otherwise, you shouldn't be able to just buy elvish horse armour, you may need Aylied items for construction. Iron, leather and other base level armours could be good. In fact, this was thier chance to overhaul the whole horse functionality. I do love the steel horse armour though, and it's one of my first buys in-game.

- Horses should be of varying quality per breed. Why can't a bay, roan or chestnut be as good as a black or white? Perhaps you could upgrade your horse through training.

- Get it battle trained and it kicks, bites and rears-and-plunges your foes. Ride down the enemy and trample them.

- Change horses to be companion-friendly.

 

Knights of the Nine.

- Can't fault it.

 

Mehrune's Razor

- Same here, can't fault it.

 

Spell Tomes

- Another one I think is perfect. These are a delight to find.

 

What's needed;

 

- A proper urban base for stock thieves (not pirates), not stuck out on the Waterfront. It should have access to the sewers and the rooftops. An old, abandoned guard tower of ill omen would be ideal.

 

If all this was released as a booster pack, bundled with the DLC or not, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[Eshenaleros]

just yes.