Mod idea, but no idea where to start. Help request.

[Daiyus]

Hey all, this is a mod I'd like to make myself, but I'm not really sure where to start, so I'm looking for some guidance. I have some experience in the CK, and am able to learn new things fairly quickly from examples.

 

Basically I'd like to overhaul Skyrim's fast travel/carriage system. Firstly I would like to completely disable map based fast travel, the only way to fast travel is via carriages. Secondly I'd like to add a carriage to each hold capital that doesn't have one (Morthal, Falkreath, Dawnstar, and Winterhold).

 

The next part of my idea is likely to be the complicated bit. I want to create a micro-fast travel system for each hold using guides. These guides can transport you around the hold for a premium price (similar to, if not higher than the carriages), and the carriages take you between holds. The guides would take you to lesser places like Riverwood, Rorikstead, Ivarstead, etc. Much like the carriage system there'd be a guide in each place you can travel to (likely with a camp situated in or near the destination).

 

I've got no idea where to start, could someone point me in the right direction?

Edited November 29, 2013 by Daiyus

[ArtMurder]

Well, there are already several mods that disable fast travel, and at least one that adds lots of carriages to new cities and towns. ^_^ I don't know if it's possible to activate fast travel directly from an NPC conversation however.

 

It would be a rather complicated task to achieve in the CK, you would need to make new scripts, new NPCs, new spoken dialogue (because what is the point of a realism mod that adds silent people to the game?) as well as placing new carriages about skyrim. I know the one mods that edits and adds carriages is a little glitchy and is incompatible with a lot of stuff.

 

not trying to change your mind on doing this, just letting you know this would be a rather challenging undertaking even for an accomplished modder who knew exactly what he was doing. ^_^ It is, by all means, very possible though!

[Veltoss]

I don't know if it's possible to activate fast travel directly from an NPC conversation however.

I couldn't say how, but I'd imagine this can be done with Papyrus the same way as vanilla carriages do, activated by whichever option you choose.

 

But as ArtMurder also said, the disabling of fast travel and addition of new carriages has already been done by other mods. No use adding extra work that's already been done, I'd focus on the other parts of your idea.

[Daiyus]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll have a look at the Carriage scripts, and go from there. I'll see if I can get the guides working first, then expand to cover the other aspects after. I appreciate other mods do the extra carriages, and no fast travel, which is great while this is being developed, but I would like it all in one eventually.

[ArtMurder]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll have a look at the Carriage scripts, and go from there. I'll see if I can get the guides working first, then expand to cover the other aspects after. I appreciate other mods do the extra carriages, and no fast travel, which is great while this is being developed, but I would like it all in one eventually.

If you do an 'all in one' fast travel overhaul it could become a pretty good mod. possibly do ships and boats to, as well as maybe some magical options in the mages guild like in morrowind? =o

 

I would use that, as long as it was stable. ^_^ I so thing the idea of guides does sound good. Maybe making some specialized guides would be cool as well? Like a 'dwemer specialist' in markarth who can take you to nearby ruins?

 

I also feel these "guides" who take you out into the field, and not just towns/cities should be big and tough looking so immersion buffs can get the impression that they are protect them on the journey for their extra coin. Just an idea though. =3

[Xander9009]

I haven't read the full rundown of this conversation, so if this was already corrected, sorry for the repeatr. Fast travelling via a script fragment or a full papyrus script is really simple. It just the command Game.FastTravel(ObjectReference akDestination). Example: Game.FastTravel(WhiterunOrigin) and you make the property ObjectReference Property WhiterunOrigin Auto and point that property at the marker in Whiterun you want the player placed at.

 

As for the suggestion not to do more work than necessary (directed at those suggesting it), he specifically wanted a system that only allows fast travelling between holds if the source and destination are the capitals. That hasn't been done. Although, if you wanted to save work then you might just require those mods.

 

Also, disabling Fast Travel is as easy as putting in a script Game.EnableFastTravel(False). You can get a full script set which does this based on whether or not the player is on a mount (which makes more sense than outright disabling it altogether to me, but that's an opinion) from the mod Travel Mounts - for fast travel and it's free to use any assets from it so long as you credit the author.

 

You asked where to start, so here's how I'd do it, start by adding other holds' capital carriages and linking them in the main carriage travel system. Once you'd done that, you might have a better idea how to get the travel system set up for within a single hold. Once all of that is working, implement a script to disable fast travel.