Request: Epic Dungeon/tower

[silverstar]

I was just thinking, "Y'know, what this game needs is a completely optional yet epic dungeon sidequest..."

 

I know it's been done to death in so many other games, but the sheer level of customization available in Oblivion makes me think it could be a true holy grail of quest modding in this game.

 

Basically, the general idea is to create a non-scaled dungeon or tower, that has it's own mini questline in it. Either 50, 75 or 100 floors, with emergency exits every 5 or so floors which lead to a 1-way door so you can't just step back in or go lower without fighting your way through(with a merchant and special shared ID chest, so you can store whatever you want in it, to collect later for use or collection). As you progress through the floors, the enemies slowly become more dangerous, until eventually you're fighting enemies you wouldn't normally find in the game(even if they're just cloned creatures for now, with higher stats), so that anyone who can get to the final level and beat it, would have every right to claim superiority, and defeating the boss of the last floor would present you with a unique key, that would unlock a new home, fully furnished, either connected to or above the dungeon, that is as grand as one would expect from such a monumental task.

 

I think it would be a great way to get modders together to lend their various skills in, some in dungeon design, some in quest layout, some in home design and layout, some in item design/balance, to make something that would show even the most apologetic Bethsoft fan that player created mods can be as epic and complete as anything the company can charge for, if not moreso, to show what really is possible.

[siliticx]

YES! this is a GREAT idea. the dungeons are so small ;(

[Skite]

Here's my current vision on it:

 

It would be an undeground settlement or city of sorts. Including a main quest and side quests. Something in the lines of an expedition. Maybe these villagers lived for generations, but never were able to explore the dungeon much. Side quest(s) would involve someone missing, inside the dungeon. Main quest would be a trial or expedition. You'd have a group that would come up to you only if you cleared out the next part, and then they'd have someone or a few people run around with the loot, getting a big plundered pile at the end. (Possibly making this poor underground civilization very wealthy after the main quest.) Unique treasures of sorts along the way. Lots of puzzle rooms. Like in the dreamworld quest. (Not spoilering for those who haven't played that one yet. Try it!) Maybe you need to collect items, or pieces of, that unlock the final level or so. Then, half-way or whatever, you'd find an old guy with his own quest, with his cabin as reward. (Should be a hard one to do.) The main quest's reward should be something in proportion as big as the nerevarine's sword in MW's expansion. Something unique, though. A spell or so that would make the weather change into a storm and lightning would shoot down onto enemies. Though that makes no sense when the main quest evolves around one huge dungeon with an underground settlement..

There's a quest where you have to go through a cave to get to a secluded area within steep, unclimbable mountains. Maybe have it that the key for that door/cave was lost outside the settlement, and through quest/rumors you found it. The door would be locked from outside, leaving those people trapped, and needed to live on their own. They would only come out at night, and because the surrounding mountains are so high, it would be very dark aswell. You can figure that when being born and raised underground with limited light, your body would adept. They can't live all too low, since oxygen would be a problem. So if the settlement/city would be half in that secluded mountain area and would just gradually slope into a cave or such.. Maybe they're using Dwemer technology. :)

 

Ugh, writer's block. Might come up with things sooner or later again. Take these into consideration instead of a standard fairytale storyline.

 

Also, make it as big as it would look like an expansion. Nothing's more fun than just forgetting about the original main quest because you're so emerged into this one. :) And then coming out, having fantastic results. (What Morrowind lacked.)

 

P.S: If you know where to find complete and easy to follow tutorials for modding, I'd be happy to help myself. (And not like that crappy quest "tutorial" on the CS Wiki.)

[silverstar]

Heh. Almost sounds like Diablo at the start, there.

 

But, I agree, every epic RPG needs somewhere that you can just completely get away from everything and focus on something new, just so you don't burn out. Something that is barely related to the story at all, aside from it simply being in the same world. And I've always loved the massive dungeon type places. Especially the 100 floor dungeon of Lufia 2. :)

 

Maybe, at the very end, instead of actually fighting someone, you find an ancient creature, something pre-dating vampires, that is chained up, begging for release from its suffering. Instead of fighting it, you simply trigger something in the room and it lets the creature die, having spent thousands of years, since ages before the high elves, tortured by it's own existence, regretting whatever ancient wrong it did, but leading up to it are story panels that, at the start, paint it as being the greatest evil, to scare off any casual hunter, and as you get deeper you start finding panels that explain what wrong it did and how it's being punished, with the eldest beasts in the land guarding it, only the bravest, most powerful being able to set the suffering wretch free... Sorta starting off by having it be the mentally frightening, painting it as some massive beast, but eventually replacing it by actual, physical fear, from monsters that would be able to raid Oblivion and leave it in utter ruins, without even trying.

 

Including mechanical beasts, if it could be done. Maybe some sort of monster with 4 bows and 2 claymores, each one unique. Of course, it'd probably have to be designed as 6 different monsters that are all just bound to the same place, only moving their arm... but it'd still be pretty sweet. :)

[Skite]

As seen in the land Dreugh, it would be possible to make it as one creature. It'll take long and hard work though.

 

Yes, I loved Lufia 2 too.

 

But try and come up with something more original. What you're explaining here was done in.. Durlog's Tower? In Baldur's Gate II. :)

 

Whatever price you get doesn't have to be perfectly balanced, if the way to get it is pretty hard.

Going through 100 levels of monsters is a pain if you only get a Silver Sword of Fireball. :/

[Agraza]

Dwemer? Didn't they take up residence between Morrowind and Skyrim within and around the mountains seperating those regions? There is also a lot of activity going on up there now, apparently with slavery being abolished in Morrowind, the Arch-Mage's quest against necromancers, the Nord armies on the march, etc. etc. Furthermore, Dwemer equipment has been well represented in Oblivion, where it was not in Morrowind, yet the reverse is true of Dwemer settlements.

 

My grasp on Tamriel's lore is a poor one, so I apologize if I've misconstrued the position of the Dwemer heartland.

[silverstar]

As seen in the land Dreugh, it would be possible to make it as one creature. It'll take long and hard work though.

 

Yes, I loved Lufia 2 too.

 

But try and come up with something more original. What you're explaining here was done in.. Durlog's Tower? In Baldur's Gate II. :)

 

Whatever price you get doesn't have to be perfectly balanced, if the way to get it is pretty hard.

Going through 100 levels of monsters is a pain if you only get a Silver Sword of Fireball. :/

Pfft. Like the reward would be that piddly?

 

I'd like to see the reward be something truely impressive. Like a unique home, that actually has its own map marker(not located within a town, or have you forced to swing the camera over laggy water), an epic castle that has all the best things in it. Including a place for your horses, armorers that will eventually sell Fine Daedric stuff(or better, given what equipment may be out by then, modded and otherwise), and generally make it your own little castle, run by the people you've saved through the dungeon and the quests involving it.

 

The deeper you go, the bigger and badder your ultimate home would be. Complete with a display room for all your phat lewt, organized in a nice way, leading right up to your own personal throne, overlooking a hidden lake or something. :)

[Skite]

Not Dwemers, Agraza, they mysteriously disappeared a long time ago.

 

 

A home is worthless. It adds nothing important to the game. Just a place you have to travel to to rest. Oh yay. I've seen and played crappy mods that add giant castles with a storage chest and mannequin every 5 meter. There's nothing more worthless than something like this in The Elder Scrolls games. Especially if you're adding overpowered pooe like daedric selling smiths.

 

The art in finding the best armor, is what makes it the best armor.

 

No, for the direction you're thinking, I must totally disagree. It's a bad idea. :)

No offence, ofcourse.

[Myydraal]

The ironic thing about getting like some uber weapon or somethin from the end of the hardest dungeon is that what are you gonna use it on then, you just beat the hardest thing in the game, weeeeeeeeee =P But yeah i know thats not the point i just think its ironic and funny, hehe.

[Skite]

The ironic thing about getting like some uber weapon or somethin from the end of the hardest dungeon is that what are you gonna use it on then, you just beat the hardest thing in the game, weeeeeeeeee =P But yeah i know thats not the point i just think its ironic and funny, hehe.

 

1. It should not be overpowered.

2. No, this is a second main-quest. :)