My Big Castle Mod

[Vagrant0]

I don't know what kind of thing process you have planned for turning over ownership, but you might want to make a note of how to use the "initially disabled" flag works. It's kinda useful for changing the overall theme of a cell based on the situation. IE, if you wanted the castle inhabited by an army of the undead, you could set everything inside as initially disabled, add in broken and worn stuff to make it look like there hasn't been anything alive inside for awhile. Then when the player takes over, either all at once, or slowly over time enable the pieces of furniture that you have set.

 

Maybe even scripting a carpenter to be hired from one of the towns to come into the castle and build the stuff. Naturally, you could use the same sort of idea to go around hiring all the other NPCs you want in the castle.

 

I might have an alpha version of my mod available next week to give you an idea of how to make all the packages and stuff work. Even if I'm not ready yet, I could probably guide you guys through some of the steps.

[GBHis]

This is what I currently have:

 

Scriptname PimpMyCastle

; By GBHis

short renamedone

short renameit

short ihavetheletter

short letssetownership

float temp

 

Begin OnAdd player

IF (IHaveTheLetter < 2)

;The player can only name the castle _once_. Remove the ^IF^ to allow multiple renames

set IHaveTheLetter to 1

set temp to (GetPCMiscStat 15)+1 ; How many houses has the player got?

setpcmiscstat 15 temp ; Well, now he has one more

END ; IF

 

IF (LetsSetOwnership < 1)

set LetSetOwnership to 1

END ; IF

End ; OnAdd

 

 

 

Begin GameMode

 

IF (IHaveTheLetter == 1)

messagebox "I have just recovered the letter. Maybe I should give the castle a new name?",

 

"No, I like the name 'Pipp'.", "Yes, I should give it a new name immediately"

set renameit to GetButtonPressed

set IHaveTheLetter to 2

END ;IF

 

IF (renameit == 1 && renamedone != 1)

; Large Keyboard here!

messagebox "-=(PLEASE CHOOSE A NAME BELOW)=-","-=(SYMBOLS)=-",

END ; IF

 

IF (LetsSetOwnerShip == 1)

; Separate IFs. We do not want to set ownership again just because of a silly rename..?

SetCellOwnership *CellId, not name*

SetCellOwnership *CellId, not name*

; ===== End of block

set LetsSetOwnership to 2

END ; IF

 

End ;GameMode

[WarKirby3333]

I made another patch that fixes all the bugs mentioned by vulture. I've got it on CD right here, but I can't upload it because my granny's PC has a broken CD drive. And this piece of crap is the only internet access I have right now because my uncle, who usually gives me internet access is out of town til tomorrow. I'll be uploading the patch tomorrow hopefully.

 

I'm trying to look on the bright side. My broadband connectuion pack is due to arrive at my front door any day now. The patch adds a freaky humanoid in the prison. I just thought I'd have a little fun with the CS face editor and made something that sorta looks human, but not quite.

 

@GBHis: I have a new idea fro the naming thing. Could you possibly have the player enter their chosen name in a text box. And have that prefixed to the names of all the cells. I will Include a book full of name ideas suggested by you guys, for the creatively challenged who want their castle to have a good name.

 

Anyway. The editor ID's and names of the cells. IDs on left, names on right.

 

Mycastle (the mapmarker outside. It would be good if this could be renamed as well.)

MycastleGrandHall Grand Hall

MycastleWestWing West Wing

MycastleEastWing East Wing

MycastleUpperLevel Upper Level

MycastleLowerLevel Lower Level

MycastleArena Arena

MycastleInnerSanctum InnerSanctum

MycastleGarden Garden (I haven't added the garden cell yet, but that's what it will be called)

 

WarKirby

[GBHis]

Double-posting is rude, i know.

 

Thank you! I thought about adding that option, but it would require a huge script using a LOT of factions... Oblivion doesn't support string variables. (text)

Could you please give me the top 16 list of names (those the player can choose from)?

The script is almost done. If you post quick, I think we can get it into the mod that's supposed to be uploaded tomorrow!

[Irindiil]

Introduction.

 

I've been playing Oblivion for a month and a half now. And in that time I have used 208 different mods. Having taken so much from the mod community, I decided It was about time I gave something back.

 

I'm building a huge castle for use as a player house. It's a big project, and big projects often get canned because the author is too busy to devote time to it, but I'm an unemployed student. And the 7 week summer holiday starts at 4:15 on friday. Im going to have plenty of free time, but time alone is not enough- i need some help from you guys- the mod community.

 

I need 3 kinds of help:

 

Technical

I now know just about everthing I need. But i'm not familiar with HTML code so I need help on writing books. Also, where the hell are the NIF files stored. I want to make an activator that looks like a book, but I cannot find the book models (or any nifs).

 

Creative

The castle will be built into a mountainside, with only the courtyard, outer walls, front door and an observation tower being outside. And a garden.

I have a mental map of most things concerning this castle, but there are a few key details which elude me:

 

1. I cannot think of a worthy name for such a castle. Suggestions encouraged and welcomed

 

2. I have not found a suitable site for it within Cyrodiil. I was thinking of putting it at the end of the road west from Chorrol, but theres an oblivion gate there. Im pretty good with the sculpting tool though, and I reckon I could build around it, but what do you guys think?

 

3. As a later detail, i was thinking on creating a custom symbol/icon for the guard's armor and banners around the castle. Any ideas for something universally appealing?

 

Permission

Not something most people can help with, I would like to use pieces from certain other mods and I need the permission of their authors. The list thus far is:

 

The Weather Wizard by Kweeky

Avelars Armory by Nezroy

 

From all of these i need only a few specific bits. I am building the castle completely from scratch. I'm not even re using rooms from existing castles- I want everything to feel new and fresh.

 

Planned features

 

Public Level

Great Hall

Throne Room

Kitchen

Dining Hall

Tower Access

Battlements Access

 

East Wing

Barracks

Armory

Forge

Archery Range

Training Centre

 

West Wing

Museum

Gallery

Guest Quarters

Garden Access

 

Upper Level

Library (I plan to have the library empty, and have the player fill it using the bookplacing mod)

 

Lower Level

Alchemy Lab

Arena (may be moved to garden if an underground arena proves unfeasable)

Vault

Dungeon

Portal Hub

Servant’s Quarters

 

Inner Sanctum

Private chambers

Sleeping Victim

 

Garden (the garden will be an interior cell made to look like an outdoor cell, so that i can add water features without drowning Cyrodiil)

Arboretum (lots of alchemy plants)

Arena (possibly- see above)

 

I also plan to have lots of guards, and lots of servants (maid, chef, porter, attendants for things like the arena), and a few permanent 'guests' to add color.

 

If anyone has any comments, suggestions for features or info on any of the above issues please post here.

 

Thanx

 

WarKirby

 

[email protected]

 

Partly because my last post was REAALLY long, and because it looks better to break things up, I'm double posting. Just this once.

 

 

Progress Report

 

I have completed the framework of the public level cell, ie. I have laid rooms, corridors and doors but absolubtly no furniture, decoration, lighting or people of any sort. It didn't take as long as I thought. I should reach first release in around a week. First release will no include any NPC's though, and the arena will not function. Nevertheless, it's progress.

 

Thanx

 

WarKirby

 

 

Hi, love the idea. I realy hope that you will give us a HARD quest to earn the castle, and i also hope that there will be some kick-ass loot in the secret room or something like that. Wish that i could help, but to make castles in the CS is beyond my abbilities. Im quite new with the CS. Looking forward to try it out. :D

[WarKirby3333]

OK. Here are my future plans for the castle. I will update this frequently as I recieve ideas from you guys or think of them on my own. This is gonna be a fairly long post, so get comfortable. If anyone would like to halp with anything on this list please tell me. I will gladly accept all the help i can get.

 

Short Term (within the next month or two)

 

Things I will definitely do

 

A full complement of guards. I haven't got an exact number yet but I'm thinking around 30.

Each of the guards will be a unique object, rather than reusing objects like bethesda does. This will be partially to simplify things, and also to give each guard a unique name.

 

A number of servants. I'm not quite sure what I can do with servants. I'm looking for a way to make waitresses serve food to a table. Also, I'll need help with the Idle animations.

 

The rear garden will be added. It will be as beautiful as I can possibly make it. It will also have an arboretum full of several of every type of ingredient including several Nirnroots. Stinkhorn and Harrada will be cordoned off so as to prevent injury.

 

A live combat training room will be added on to the east wing. I am pretty confident I can do this. It should be just a simple matter of placing a few creatures which are initially disabled and have them enabled by pressing a switch. In kumiko manor, the training room had a failsafe which made the enemies disappear if the player was in danger of dying. I don't know how to do this so any help will be appreciated.

 

An archery range in the east wing. Again, kumiko manor did this. I'm not quite sure how it works although I have a rough idea. (Shawn Dworshak will be credited for both these parts.)

 

A secret underwater entrance (Credit to Zeth 545). Don't think I'll lock it though.

 

A number of unique, permanent guests who also act as vendors and trainers. The idea is to make 24, so that the dining table can be full at dinnertime. But honestly, I'm more likely to shrink the dining hall than make enough guests to fill it as is.

 

A few prisoners in the prison down stairs to laugh at or execute.

 

Fix the posing on the mannequins (help needed)

 

Roof Access

 

Things I might Do

 

Everything in this section is subject to the opinions of you guys. You will decide whether it's in or not.

 

The ability to rename the castle.

 

The necessity to pay wages to your guards/servants. This goes with:

 

Collecting rent from guests. This would offset the wages for your guards and still make you a tidy profit.

 

Things I probably won't do.

These are ideas that I don't like, and I am against. But if there is a strong demand for any of them I will reconsider.

 

The necessity to buy the castle or complete a quest to acquire it.

 

The necessity to fight someone to acquire it.

 

A hidden dungeon in the basement.

 

Moving the castle somewhere else.

 

A temple, altar or any other religious area in or near the castle. My resons for this are personal. I'm an atheist.

 

Long Term (Next 6 months)

 

Things I will do

 

Get the arena working. It will have many different battle options available, and will hopefully be better than the IC arena. This part I need help with more than any other. In addition to basic battles, I want to add tournaments and team battles.

 

Things I might do.

 

whether or not I do these depends upon demand and how much time I have.

 

Make a village around the castle to protect and collect taxes from.

 

Give the guards retextured armor with a unique color and insignia. I don't own paintshop so I will need someone else to make the textures.

 

Different themes to choose between like Vagrant0's idea

 

Voice acting for the NPC's in the castle.

[WarKirby3333]

Oblivion doesn't support strings????

 

That's stupid. I wonder what idiot made that decision.

 

I haven't even picked a top 1 name let alone a top 16. I'm too busy at the moment. talk to vulture and decide between you guys what names are best. I will accept whatever decision you come to.

 

Keep in mind to add a option for 'Name the castle later' so as not to pressure the player to decide immediately. And also an option for 'I'm happy for the castle to remain nameless' just in case.

 

Also, I don't like the idea of getting only one shot at naming your castle, especially if we add extra names in future updates. So could you possibly make a seperate script that I could attach to another item which would allow renaming. I would put this item in a shop for about 5k so that mistakes are costly, but not irreversible.

 

Thanks

 

PS @ Irindiil: I appreciate the support but pleas DO NOT quote the biggest post in this thread just to add a 2 line comment. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, there is a button marked 'add new reply'. Please use that in future.

 

WarKirby

[CJD]

alright u heard the man, i made a topic to list ur ideas, for a castle name

 

 

 

 

http://forum.gamingsource.net/index.php?sh...c=23869&hl=

[WarKirby3333]

I uploaded V1.3

 

I am posting this from my own, newly installed broadband connection. Mwahahahahaha!!

 

I uploaded a few images too.

 

WarKirby

[Vagrant0]

Oblivion doesn't support strings????

Nope... There isn't any way to display a non-numerical variable inside a message. But then again, there isn't any way to declare any non-numerical variables. There might be a way around this if variables could be stored as letters, a very complicated way, but a way (I think). This kinda reminds me of the limitations of RPGMaker, there wasn't any way to declare a new name for any of the characters inside the game, until someone, somewhere figured out how. Not sure what they did, or how, but might be worth looking into.