How hard is it to make an animated and dynamic fishing mod like in Zelda?

[toadguy]

how hard is it and how come no one has made an animation for a fishing pole yet?

[brandan93]

Give it a go if it's easy enough ;)

 

I think there's way to much involved then what you understand misdeed can only make what the creation lot allows them

[Matth85]

The problem is custom animations are not very well received in the game engine used.

It's not that it is hard, it is that we are using a static game engine, not made for animations.

 

Also, just to throw some random numbers around.

80% of the modders do nothing but work in the CK.

10% script.

5% recolor/retexture

3% model/texture static models from scratch

1% Model/texture animated models from scratch

1% does character animations.

 

Now, add the fact that the majority of modders only mod during the first year of the game. The longer it goes, the lower the skill level goes down overall. Today you find nothing but new modders, and a few decent ones.

So if I'd guess: About 0-2 people CAN do animation at the moment. And neither WANTS to fight the game engine.

 

Cheers,

Matth

[toadguy]

I am not sure about that. I mean there has been a lot of modders coming out with animation mods recently.

 

Just a 3 sec animation when using the fish pole should be enough. How come no one did that yet?

[Matth85]

It's not as simple as that. If you want a fishing mod, you need:

 

1) The fishing pole mesh and texture.

2) The fishing pole animation. This means every part needs to be animated. This is not easy with the current engine.

3) The character animations. Unless you own some multi-million hardware, you will need to key-by-key animate this. This takes time, and will add a lot of clipping.

4) A script to activate the script at the right time. Again, difficult with the current tools.

 

Now, if you also want to add fish:

- Animation for the fish getting lured.

- Animation when the fish is on the hook

- Animation for the struggle with the fish.

- Animation when the fish breaks loose.

- Animation when the fish is caught.

- Script to remove the fish from the game, and add to your inventory.

 

Now, you might also want different fish models, or different poles, or different lures, or give the fish a weight.

 

So, no. This is not simple, not quick and no -- "a lot" of modders have not done, or can not do, this. Some might, but the engine, and the tools we use, makes it tenfolds harder than it should be.

If you still don't believe me, do it yourself. The mods that is being released today are mods from new modders, and some veterand. The best modders are long gone, and will not return before a new TES or Fallout is released. So you can easily get to the current overall skill level, and do it yourself -- if you believe it is that easy.

[TaeRai]

I'm not sure about animation, but could one make the fishing rod added to your inventory, and then script it so when a player drops it into water, and have a message box will pop up saying if you caught something or not?

I know almost nothing about scripts so this idea may sound implausible to people who do know what they're doing.

[Matth85]

Yes of course, you could simplify it like that. It does add 2 problems though:

Detect you are near a water with fishes.

Would it be fun?

 

It's like the old mods where you got "woodcutting", where you would look at a tree, use a spell, get some wood and the tree would dissapear. You know, the mods that got boring after 2 minutes?

 

But, yes. You could just use scripting and do that. Could work, but if you are going to do something, why not do it as good as possible?

[toadguy]

I'm not sure about animation, but could one make the fishing rod added to your inventory, and then script it so when a player drops it into water, and have a message box will pop up saying if you caught something or not?

 

I know almost nothing about scripts so this idea may sound implausible to people who do know what they're doing.

 

It already exist, but it kinda breaks immersion, because, well, it doesn't look like fishing.

 

The strict minimum should be: a 3 sec animation of throwing a pole in a water body, after which your inventory opens up with a fish.

 

 

Imagine a sex mod where a dialog box opens up and says: you've had sex. That would be the same thing.

Edited April 25, 2014 by toadguy

[TaeRai]

Hey, just offering solution to a possible problem. I would be happy with that, if it was done right, by adding in chnaces of getting a fish. Eg, 40% fail rate, 15% alchemy fish (like a spadetail), 30% salmon, 15% slaughterfish...

It's a shame new animations are a b**** to implement and make, because a fishing mod is defiantly something I would use.

[toadguy]

I am just saying that I was talking specifically about an animated mod.