Jump to content

Modding Heljarchen. A few questions about using the CK.

BUCKinFL

By BUCKinFL
in Skyrim LE

 Share

Recommended Posts

BUCKinFL Enthusiast

BUCKinFL

Posted
  • Author
Posted

OK, making some progress on this mod. Keep in mind that it is my first mod, and my goal is not to make the most awesomestestz Modz. Way too much talent out there for me to even dream that big, and my skills are a work in progress. The theme of this mod is that you choose a side, Imperial Legion, or Storm Cloaks, and the banners in side would match your choice. The idea being that the Jarls are mostly loyal to the same side, regardless of what they say. This cellar under Heljarchen Hall is their project, given to you in order to carry out there plans in defeating the other side. It is also intended to be used with multiple followers...I use AFT.

 

Again, this is my first ever mod. Only thing I have ever done before is make a multiplayer map for a flagball game people were playing in Delta Force Land Warrior, about 15 years ago. People were playing with just knives, on a football field. I made a stadium with locker rooms and sky boxes using the observation towers, Aztex pyramids, stair wells, and armories. I made a few variants for grass and dirt field, and good and bad weather, and a night game. The relevant upload sight similar to Nexus, rated it as the #1 in its class. It was named "*TOMB Stadium," after my squad. So, I like the idea of learning to mod, and make mods that people will truly enjoy.

 

I will show what I have so far, and I am sure I am making some mistakes, but will find them as I continue to learn...and nice people point them out. :wink: I am more than appreciative of any constructive criticism/advice.

 

 

Present overview

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory_zpsila24jvc.jpg

 

A few notes about the above pic. I don't think this will be the final layout. I like the idea of having a stairwell go below where the training area will be found, along with the armory and blacksmith shop. Problem...I have yet to find the stairwells for this dungeon/cellar type. Second, I want to make the armory it's own cell because after all, there are 7 x 7 x 6 = 294 weapon racks, 22 mannequins, and an as yet to be determined number of shield plaques and places to display daggers. I would also like to place 4 shadow casting lights in there for ambiance. Additionally, I want to make it non-respawning as I have read this helps with bugs associated with the mannequins, etc... Advice is welcome.

 

More to follow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BUCKinFL Enthusiast

BUCKinFL

Posted
  • Author
Posted

OK, I had a ton of stuff I was going to try to put into one post. Too many pics. So I cut part of it and was going to paste in a few posts. But when I submitted the first post, it evidently doesn't save what you cut to the clipboard. So I will have to add more stuff later. Have someplace to be right now. Ah well, live and learn. Also, it would help to know how many pics are allowed per post. Also, can more than the allowed limit be placed in a "spoiler?" It just said too many pics with no indication of how many are allowed.

 

 

Edit: OK, figured it out. The pasting problem was due to my browser settings.

 

Also, now know that at least 7 pics are allowed. :smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BUCKinFL Enthusiast

BUCKinFL

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Speaking of those areas...here are the present views.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Armory2_zpsxlskpjzz.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Armory1_zpshxvdqydy.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Training_Area1_zps3ejtdtqa.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Training_Area2_zpsv5th1zxn.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Forge_zpszhpdausp.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Forge2_zpsfdilywdd.jpg

 

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Smelter_zpsolqs8kn1.jpg

 

One note about the Smelter. That is not the light I will use. It is a place-holder. (Shadow casting sun hemi light.) I do want a spotlight or hemi light, but one that flickers and or has an orange/yellow glow to it. Advice? Also, note the exhaust vent for the forge/shop. :smile: Intake vents to follow. :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BUCKinFL Enthusiast

BUCKinFL

Posted
  • Author
Posted

What follows are the areas that would be on the upper level. Barracks, Kitchen, worship area, library/reading area, enchanting/alchemy room, bar area. Note the exhaust vent over the cooking pit, and intake vents above the alters. I would like to put two NPCs in this mod, preferably a married couple like the blacksmith and his wife in Riverwood. I thought about copying and renaming them...but I just know it's not that easy. Thought it would be cool to have the woman tend the kitchen and bar area, and remind you that she's taken, while her husband works in the blacksmith shop on the lower level. I would have to make them a bedroom off the kitchen, but with the other areas moved to a lower level, this would create more room to do that. Speaking of beds, I noticed my followers never use bed unless you tell them to, but even then, they never actually get in the bed. Thought it would be great to assign them beds, and then make them actually use them during certain hours. This way when you visit the cellar at midnight, you would find them asleep in their beds. Don't know if this is possible. Maybe a long term project. Also, don't want the hired help using the main sleeping area as that is for your followers. Also don't want the kids or wife using those beds.

 

Well, here are the pics.

 

Main Hall - dining area.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Main_Hall_zpsnzskifjq.jpg

 

Main Hall - Bar area.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Main_Hall_2_zps0y5znsfm.jpg

 

Main Hall - Alter area. Note intake vents with small amount of mist moving into room to show air flow.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Air_Intakes_zpspmiyfgkr.jpg

 

Main Hall - Library area.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Library_Area_zpsm3uhfsw1.jpg

 

A note about the main hall and training areas. I do know that I need to reposition the lights on the pillars after I added the ceiling braces.

 

Sleeping quarters for your crew just off the main hall. Lighting is subdued in here with very small radiuses on the candles. Most of the lighting comes from the fireplace, which being a shadow caster, adds ambiance in the darkened room. To the right is the kitchen.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Beds_Kitchen_zps5t3cklw6.jpg

 

Kitchen area, concentrating on the cooking pit and exhaust vent.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af238/russellhushjr/Heljarchen-Barracks-Armory-Kitchen%20-Exhaust_Vent_zps8v0bjaos.jpg

 

 

Facts about this mod, so far.

 

Areas include

  • Main Hall which has the dining area, bar, library and alter/religious area.
  • Off the main hall are a kitchen, barracks, and enchanting/alchemy room. Need to add sleeping quarters for the staff.
  • The areas to hopefully be removed: Armory, Blacksmith shop, Training area.

Goals

  1. Clean, no problems mod.
  2. Lore friendly
  3. Compatible with all relevant mods, such as Heljarchen Farm, and any other mod that does not alter the cellar.
  4. Several options, such as choice of Stormcloak and Imperial banners. Stripped down armory with only a few basic weapons and shields, and one with as many weapons as I can add...even rare and powerful weapons.
  5. Add merchant...maybe the married couple (blacksmith and wife.)
  6. Autosorting stores. No idea yet how to do that. Baby steps.
  7. Add a staircase going down to a door from the foyer in Heljarchen Hall, and remove the trap door. Would also like to remove the alchemy/enchanting tables since they will be in the cellar. Maybe just as an option. Same for the blacksmith's stuff. Just a thought.
  8. Make the armory it's own cell. I have not yet learned you to do this. Specifically have not learned how to create the portals from one cell to the next, and back.
  9. Modify Heljarchen Hall to add the 2nd floors of all three towers onto the 1st floor buildings. In short, overhaul the entire house, leaving most of what is there. (See moving the alchemy/enchanting tables to the cellar.) Would be nice to add a few sentries that are under cover, to fit the theme. In other words, depending on the loyalty choice, the guards would be Imperial Guards, wearing non-descript merc armor, or Stormcloaks doing the same. Could put one as an Archer in one of the towers.
  10. Proper corral and stables for several horses. Need to really do some homework on how this could be done without conflicting with other mods, especially Heljarchen Farm.

...OK, now I'm dreaming. LOL

 

 

Questions I have.

  1. Any problems you see that need to be addressed, feel free to tell me. Advice and criticism is welcome.
  2. I can't find that style of fireplace, or something better, that does not have the stack that extends way up above the ceiling. Is this a problem? Does the cellar have to be right below the house, or can I make it much deeper? Reason I ask is that when I was playing a dungeon, I had to turn off collision to get into the second part of the dungeon because I kept glitching to the end as soon as I entered. Doing this allowed me to see that all of those levels were actually there when I did this, and I was able to move to the area just beyond the door. So the question is simple. Will those smoke stacks stick up out of the ground and be seen when you are outside of Heljarchen Hall, or inside the first floor...assuming one goes up through the house? My point is, I thought this was the reason for loading new areas...the stuff wouldn't be there until you actually load the cell, and the stuff from the previous cell is now gone. If this were true, the smoke stacks would not stick up out of the ground, even if I put the cellar right under the house. But, to be honest, I am not even sure how to put the mod anywhere yet. LOL
  3. The total mod, as it sits right now, is at M#: 54.82% (86.06 MB / 157.00 MB) If I were to remove just the armory and put it in its own cell, would that be OK? The idea being that the training area, archery range, and blacksmith's shop would be in the same cell as the upper floor, which I assume makes it easier for the blacksmith and followers to move back and forth between these areas on the upper and lower floor. If I give the followers the order to stay while on the upper floor, they would not enter those areas if they are a separate cell....right? But the main question is, will those areas be OK as far as lag/memory goes, for most people's rigs? Even if the armory would also fit with regards to memory resources, I want it in a separate cell so I can make it non-respawning.
  4. Is there a known maximum number of lights that can be visible at a time, other than the limit of 4 for shadow casters?
  5. Any advice on how to put in a switch to change the loyalty, and banners?
  6. Any advice on adding Blacksmith and housekeeper/cook/bartender/merchant/wife...especially ones that actually talk to you, like the Riverwood couple?
  7. Advice on making the place interesting. In a dungeon you change a lot of walls, floors, throw clutter around, add in mist, water on the floor, skylights, etc... This place would be fairly well maintained. I am adding a few spider webs in upper corners here and there, but if I get too carried away, it looks like the housekeeper needs to be fired...LOL I have added the vents, and smoke and lights to the cooking fire, forge/smelter, etc.. Using as many flickering torch/candle lights as possible since the vents provide airflow. Even added small dirt piles in front of the sweeping idle markers. Even made it so that missing mugs, and wine/mead bottles from the inventory can be found on the dinner table. Different diets can be seen on the table. One fish eater, one vegan, one meat eater, and 3 omnivores. :) Not sure what else I can do. Advice is very welcome.
  8. Having a mental block right now, so I will add a questions section in a later post.

 

Thanks for your time and attention if you made it this far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...