LE Tolkien Lore Mods: The Silmarillion in Skyrim

[brolol404]

What is the totality of this mod? A new worldspace with new NPCs, monsters, quests and locations? Or, are you planning on changing gameplay elements of Skyrim as well?

 

Who has the final say or who decides on what goes into or doesnt go into this mod?

 

Is Facebook the only way to join this project?

[bben46]

The Tolkein estate still owns the copyright, and may insist you pay them for the rights to use their property in a game - so you would still need their permission. Copyright was what killed the MERP. The studios just enforced the copyright they had paid to use.

 

The estate sold the rights to make games based on The Hobbit & LOTR. ( I don't know if the Silmarillion was included in that deal or not) Why would they then allow another property to be used without being paid for it?

 

Have you actually read the Silmarillion? It is more of a history than a story. And takes place over a wide expanse of both time and territory. Turning the entire book into a game is a bit overboard. Pick an era and a locale - use that for your game.

 

If you can get over the idea that you absolutely must use the same names, locations and concepts as LOTR - make your game (or mod) and change the names. Not just character names, place names, race names and monster names as well. Be sure to not use easily identifiable elements in your game/mod. The terms elves, dwarves, trolls etc are not copyrighted. These are staples of fantasy literature form long before Tolkien. Hobbits are copyrighted as they did not appear in any literature previous to Tolkien. Some years ago, the original Dungeons and Dragons ran into this kind of thing and we now have Halflings instead of Hobbits - similar, but not exactly the same.

[Guinefort1]

Speaking of copyright problems, just how would this mod/mods circumvent the recurring characters and plot threads mentioned in both the SIlmarillion and LotR? Many characters and settings appear in both books, whether as quick references or major supporting characters (i.e. Galadriel, Elrond, Sauron, etc.) Both properties tie into each other so much that Warner Brothers could conceivably crack down due to copyright violation even if the Tolkien estate didn't.

[Deleted1308005User]

Speaking of copyright problems, just how would this mod/mods circumvent the recurring characters and plot threads mentioned in both the SIlmarillion and LotR? Many characters and settings appear in both books, whether as quick references or major supporting characters (i.e. Galadriel, Elrond, Sauron, etc.) Both properties tie into each other so much that Warner Brothers could conceivably crack down due to copyright violation even if the Tolkien estate didn't.

That's what I was thinking as well.

 

So, one way to do it would be to do like Ben said.

[DominikPrause]

You guys are absolutely right.

@bben46: I had the same thought. If the tolkien estate would really care about our mod, we had to make some changes (names etc.) in order to be safe.
And yes I read the book. There is no charakter that appears from the beginning from the book till the end (except the valar), so we would have a problem there.
My thought was an openworld with quests, the kingdoms of noldor and men (with their own unique places like they are explained in the book)

And then points where you can enter the story. So your charakter enters the world of beleriand and you can choose whether to follow the story or explore the world.
If you follow the story you take over a predesigned charakter and follow his personal quest (Story of beren and luthien e.g.). At the end of the quest you earn a benefit/item.

If the story changes the world (like after the wars, orc patrols or not, more edain in the world or not etc. so on and on) is up the people joining the project.
So this would really be an idea of the character walking through the first age.
In case of names like galadriel and gandalf we have to change them, for only silmarillion names it´s up to the team if they want to take the risk our not. If this thing is really going to happen, i am afraid we have to the names.

What I would not do is a lord of the rings mod with other names. People already have a rough idea how middle earth, famous characters and places have to look like. And if we change it, it does not feel the same anymore.

Alright guys (my carpeltunnel is coming back right now, and this is a lot of typing) I do appreciate your critics and ideas, that is awesome. If you want your ideas in the mod, join the project or at least stay tuned!


If my hand/arm feels better I´ll write a bit more!


To keep you up2date:

More people are joining the project.
I have to check my mailbox maybe there are more ideas/critics/joiners

On our facebook group we are slowly approaching ideas how to start this thing (different languages)

What we want to do in the next time
Recruiting more members, so we can start creating our core idea of how the game should look in the end.
Making a video, showing Feanor fighting against a balrog and the background story of the silmarill (so we get peoples attention).

Ok my arm really hurts^^

[DominikPrause]

Hier ein update für alle deutschsprachigen Interessenten:

Es gab viele Einwände und Kritiken bezüglich der Copyrights und Realisierung des Buchinhalts im finalen Mod.

Bezüglich des Copyrights müssen wir wenn wir es nicht darauf anlegen wollen ein paar namensänderungen vornehmen, vor allem bei charakteren die im herr der ringe vorkommen.

Die Idee doch den Herr der Ringe als einen Mod zu machen anstatt das Silmarillion habe ich abgelehnt. Die wahrscheinlichkeit dafür drangekriegt zu werden bei etwaigen verstößen ist definitiv gegeben und auch die Idee in den Köpfen der Leute ist bereits geformt d.h. wie dieses spiel aussehen soll, die Charaktere und Landschaften und einzigartigen Orte. Nachdem man das dann alles verzerren/ändern müsste, wäre es nicht mehr dasselbe.

Vorstellbar ist ein openworld beleriand bei dem man an gewissen orten die story nachverfolgen kann. D.h. man schlüpft dann in die Rolle des helden/ der helden der/die für den storyabschnitt im silmarillion wichtig ist/sind.
Für den abschluss der story gibt es dann belohnungen und die welt könnte sich evtl. verändern d.h. es kommen die menschen nach beleriand, oder Fingon fällt im Kampf gegen Gothmog und und und.

Wie das alles genau laufen wird, werdet ihr sehen sobald ein paar mehr leute sich dem projekt anschließen und ihre Ideen einbringen.

Apropos: Eine sehr geschickte Modderin, die spanisch und englisch spricht dazu auch noch sindarin (und quenya mit wörterbuch) hat sich jetzt vorgestellt und möchte bei dem projekt mitmachen!

Das ist schonmal allerhand. Da sieht man es tut sich was und die Leute sind interessiert.

Also haltet euch auf dem Laufenden, wenn ihr etwas beisteuern könnt, macht mit!

Hier meine facebook seite: https://www.facebook.com/unverantwortliches.sicherheitsproblem

[whitedirtyyy]

Is this still going on?

 

[kittykatanderson]

Is this still going on? I know this was posted a while ago so idk. But it sounds like a great idea and i am DEFINITELY a Tolkien lore expert if you need that! Unfortunately the only thing i have for modding is a tiny bit of experimenting with the creation kit but i can't actually DO anything with it lol! But i know everything there is to know about The Silmarillion (I'm a nerd lol)!