Modding Heljarchen. A few questions about using the CK.

[BUCKinFL]

I'm starting to see why so few people tried to mod the Hearthfire homes. There are added complications when modding them.

[BUCKinFL]

Haven't had time to do any work to this lately, but I know I need to watch the tutorial vids to gain more insight into what to do.

[Shivala]

I think it is looking good! If it is a training area it definitely fits the style of an Imperial Garrison stationed there.

[BUCKinFL]

I think it is looking good! If it is a training area it definitely fits the style of an Imperial Garrison stationed there.

 

I wish I had more talent..mine is minimal at best. If I had come to this game with modding experience, and got here much earlier, I would totally redo Heljarchen Hall, and make it compatible with Heljarchen farm. I would make this the place to be. Ideally I would do the following.

 

1. Alter the landscape as necessary.
2. Add a proper road.
3. Create a proper stable with working stalls for 8 horses, along with maybe a proper corral.
4. Add a barracks largely based on what I have started here. More on this below.
5. Add a proper covered blacksmith shop.
6. Remove the farm and leave that for Heljarchen Farm
7. Alter the house so that it has the 3 square roofed additions, with the 2nd stories of the towers on the two side additions, the end one being left open. In other words, leave the bedroom addition as it is, and put the kitchen in the same type of structure.
8. In the storage room on the north end, this would be converted into the apartment for the housecarl/blacksmith and bard/maid/cook, whom I would alter to being a married couple.
9. Add fortification walls, and guard towers.
10. Alter the upstairs bedroom area into a master bedroom.
11. Alter the entryway into a proper entryway. Too much foo foo there. It's purpose is to show guests the importance of the owner who in the end is thane of all the holds, and the Dragonborn. So to show that, the focus should be on displaying all of the weapons given to him by the Jarls, along with anything else that displays the owner's greatness. Maybe a mannequin for his armor, with a script that makes your wear normal clothes.
12. Convert the cellar into a meadery, bar and library, complete with fireplace, and a few chairs to sit in by the fire.
13. Add a switch to change flags, and decorating theme of the house and barracks based on whether you ally with the Legion or the Stormcloaks. Maybe just do it as a script that does it automatically based on your choice of allegiance.

 

 

Notes on the above.

 

For the house. I would add those two towers onto the flat roofs of the two side additions. I would alter the present bedroom addition to be for nothing but multiple adoptions, or possible using a switch, it could be the room for your 5 followers instead of the barracks. I would move the Enchanting and Alchemy stuff into those two towers. If possible, I would add stairs that circle the outside to make the top more easily accessible for guards to use as archer spots. I would place some of the archery targets around the landscape outside of the walls. A flower garden would be just off the north side. A place for the wife to enjoy.

 

For the barracks. The Main Hall would be used for this, with the downstairs having the tables, cooking area, some weapons and shield racks the interactive map showing who owns what. The 2nd floor would be the bunk room. A cellar just below, and the same footprint, would have the armory for the upper floor, and the 2nd floor down would have the training area. Some training dummies would be outside of the barracks. I would add a script for soldiers, followers and adopted children to use them. A few archery targets would be here also.

 

Stables. It would be nice to have a script that allows you to assign stall spaces for each horse, and have the housecarl take it there after you dismount.

 

Ideally, this mod would not even be Heljarchen Hall, but in another central location, this way it could have two different architectures used based on your alliance. Cleaner, more regal if you join the Empire, and more rustic if you join the Stormcloaks. It would not exist until you joined one side or the other, at which point a courier would find you and give you a letter informing you of the place.

 

So this is my dream home in Skyrim. LOL

[NexusComa]

"I wish I had more talent..mine is minimal at best." And this is how you get that talent ... by building stuff like this.

Don't let the comments or lack of - bum you out. People that have never made anything like this have no clue the

time and skill level this takes. I know modders who have problems with any type of rack. You seem to have that in the bag.

[Shivala]

Maybe you should / could ask Gillian [sp] from the Holds mod, he has a ton of experience and you could perhaps work with him or ask for some pointers to create that vision of yours. Or just progress steadily. The Holds mod was three years in the making I believe.
I'll read your post more in-depth later, but yeah, don't give up! (Never surrender ;)

[BUCKinFL]

Maybe you should / could ask Gillian [sp] from the Holds mod,

 

I may do that. Thanks, and thanks for the kind words.

[LooseEnds]

This looks great, I'm been looking in the same direction as yourself with regards to certain things needed for any sort of player home.

[thumbincubation]

What an undertaking. The armory alone would probably be too much for me.

[tsunshine]

How is your mod coming along? From your pictures it looks impressive!

 

Did you upload your mod somewhere? I hope you haven't given up.

 

Did you see these curved interior stairs for your towers/turrets :

 

NorRmShaftMidStair01

 

Perhaps someone has or will apply a fresh reskin of the ancient tread wood and straighten the ends?

There is also "ramp" style if you have a wheeled Dwemer Guardian follower.

 

Just type "ShaftMidStair" or "Stair" in the Filter of the CK Object Window while you have the "Interiors" world space selected in the Cell View window. Then select one, right-click to choose Preview. Then browse the different stairs to see if any appeal.

 

I have a similar interest in improving HH. I agree with many of your ideas and suggestions, and smoke less ventilation!

I also like openness and the views, so after spending a lot of time in the cellar, I am not keen to spend the off-smithing time in a claustrophobic Fort around the exterior of my farmland. I feel confident my staff and posse can handle any marauders with their loot and giant's toes makes dealing with them worthwhile... as long as they don't kill my awesomely overconfident warhorse "Baby" who amazingly runs toward more battles than away. Was jokingly thinking "Little John" or "Tiny" when I named him. Forces me into Restoration Mage mode to keep from One-Handedly dispatching him in my attempts to protect him from Ice-Wraiths, SaberTeeth... you name it. SMH. Anyway... a Stable expansion is top of my list. Perhaps rooms above or below for the Driver and/or Steward quarters to occupy when we have a full house of followers.

Edited April 4, 2018 by tsunshine