MagisterTremere Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Hello everyone and thanks in advance for hearing me out. :^) First I'd like to say that I really like the Alternative Start Mod by Robert Evrae [http://www.tesnexus....e.php?id=11495], but to this day, I still think it could have been done a bit differently for the sake of immersion. As you may know, the mod starts with you being aboard a ship arriving in Cyrodiil. While on board, you're offered some options to customize your character before leaving the ship and starting your life. The main quest can be started by the player venturing into the same sewer exit you'd use at the end of character creation and finding a dead rat who somehow swallowed the Amulet of Kings. o.O Suffice it to say that I didn't like the concept, so I changed this and put the Amulet of Kings, along with a note from the Emperor in a sack "somewhere" in the ruins that you'd travel if you'd completed the original start. This (in my opinion) made getting to the Amulet (and the main quest), more deliberate and still not necessarily a given if you didn't know the items were there. On that note, the only game quest that would send you that way would be a Dark Brotherhood quest. At the end of the day, I still felt like this could have been done differently, but I don't have enough modding expertise to get it done myself which is why I'm putting the idea out in this forum. What I have in mind is a two-pronged approach to starting the main quest. The first being traversing the ruins and finding the items (randomly) as I did. The second (which I haven't explored) involves the quest in The Market District involving the corrupt Captain Audens Auvidius. With the second approach, you are thrown in jail on some trumped up charges, which would explain why you're in prison in the first place. This of course, could/would open the door to other options as well as the start of the main quest. I think these are two good approaches to this subject that help with immersion and allowing the circumstances surrounding the start of the main quest to appear more random. The problems I see with this are (a) Dialogue with NPC's... Vicente Valteri (I think you know the way, hmmm...) and Baurus at the end of the main quest. Neither of these would make sense if (a) You've never been in the ruins under the prison or (b) Aren't an escaped prisoner. Also, there would likely be problems with adjusting triggers for starting the main quest, message windows, etc... Please note that I'm seeing this through the eyes of a modding novice, so my perspective is likely a bit off. Still, I think these are good ideas and would like to read other people's ideas on this and read any commentary from those who could guide me in the process of realizing this or are willing to work with me to make it so. Of course, the mod isn't mine to claim, but I think it could be used as the basis for something new and improved that would add to the game's immersion factor. I hope to hear from you one way or the other. Again, thanks for hearing me out. Oh, I'm also attaching the words on the parchment I put with the Amulet. Take care!Gabriel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuuuzz Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 This could be done, however, I think that you have thought about it too much :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaltOCarrick Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 (edited) This wouldn't really fit in the lore as in why would the Emperor go to the ruins in the first place? Even if he did it so he can drop the amulet, I doubt his advisors or his guards will allow him to do such a thing. Just my opinion... BTW, have you ever tried this mod: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19949 ? It's pretty good in my opinion. Edited April 30, 2011 by HaltOCarrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagisterTremere Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 (edited) I hear what you're saying, but this is how the game starts. And you're absolutely correct... "Why would the emperor escape through the prison at all?" After all he's the emperor and is surrounded by blades and battlemages, etc. Why wouldn't he and his protectors just make their way to Cloudruler Temple and be done with it? Still, to play the Devil's Advocate, the Emperor, knowing that he's about to be killed could have surreptitiously dropped the sack with the Amulet and the letter without his guards knowledge. After all, he gives it to you without anyone knowing. I respect what you're saying, but my frame of reference is how the game started to begin with. In regards to the mod I mentioned in the very beginning, how much sense does it make to find the Amulet of Kings in a dead rat? This is what started me thinking. This wouldn't really fit in the lore as in why would the Emperor go to the ruins in the first place? Even if he did it so he can drop the amulet, I doubt his advisors or his guards will allow him to do such a thing. Just my opinion... BTW, have you ever tried this mod: http://www.tesnexus....le.php?id=19949 ? It's pretty good in my opinion. Edited April 30, 2011 by gabriel07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Brasher Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 It is not what you are looking for, but there is an alternate version of Alternate Start - Arrive by Ship: Alternate Start - Arrive By Boat It is a changed and more highly-polished version of the original. (For instance, you are not confined to the cabin of the ship. You can walk all around on it and walk on the deck and talk to people and look out at the sea before you reach port.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagisterTremere Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 :D *Hahaha* This isn't the first time I've been accused of thinking too much. This could be done, however, I think that you have thought about it too much :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagisterTremere Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Thanks David. I've seen this mod before, but I don't have in mind to remove the main quest all together. Just make it less obtrusive and truly a random event. It is not what you are looking for, but there is an alternate version of Alternate Start - Arrive by Ship: Alternate Start - Arrive By Boat It is a changed and more highly-polished version of the original. (For instance, you are not confined to the cabin of the ship. You can walk all around on it and walk on the deck and talk to people and look out at the sea before you reach port.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaltOCarrick Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I hear what you're saying, but this is how the game starts. And you're absolutely correct... "Why would the emperor escape through the prison at all?" After all he's the emperor and is surrounded by blades and battlemages, etc. Why wouldn't he and his protectors just make their way to Cloudruler Temple and be done with it? Still, to play the Devil's Advocate, the Emperor, knowing that he's about to be killed could have surreptitiously dropped the sack with the Amulet and the letter without his guards knowledge. After all, he gives it to you without anyone knowing. I respect what you're saying, but my frame of reference is how the game started to begin with. In regards to the mod I mentioned in the very beginning, how much sense does it make to find the Amulet of Kings in a dead rat? This is what started me thinking. This wouldn't really fit in the lore as in why would the Emperor go to the ruins in the first place? Even if he did it so he can drop the amulet, I doubt his advisors or his guards will allow him to do such a thing. Just my opinion... BTW, have you ever tried this mod: http://www.tesnexus....le.php?id=19949 ? It's pretty good in my opinion. Well he's escaping through the prison because there are more assassins outside I guess :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagisterTremere Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) *chuckles* Right... The point is, it was an odd beginning to the game that should have been better thought through. I guess the developers just needed a somewhat lore friendly tutorial and settled on what they did. That doesn't deter the fact that it doesn't make much sense. I mean seriously, you're an escaped prisoner and no one is hunting you down? No one questions you? Vouches for you? :mellow::down: Still, my question isn't about any of this. Just the mod in question and how to help it add to the game's immersion factor... Lore-friendly or not. Besides, the mod in question doesn't offer a tutorial at all. It's for those who are replaying the game and don't want to go through the tutorial.I hear what you're saying, but this is how the game starts. And you're absolutely correct... "Why would the emperor escape through the prison at all?" After all he's the emperor and is surrounded by blades and battlemages, etc. Why wouldn't he and his protectors just make their way to Cloudruler Temple and be done with it? Still, to play the Devil's Advocate, the Emperor, knowing that he's about to be killed could have surreptitiously dropped the sack with the Amulet and the letter without his guards knowledge. After all, he gives it to you without anyone knowing. I respect what you're saying, but my frame of reference is how the game started to begin with. In regards to the mod I mentioned in the very beginning, how much sense does it make to find the Amulet of Kings in a dead rat? This is what started me thinking. This wouldn't really fit in the lore as in why would the Emperor go to the ruins in the first place? Even if he did it so he can drop the amulet, I doubt his advisors or his guards will allow him to do such a thing. Just my opinion... BTW, have you ever tried this mod: http://www.tesnexus....le.php?id=19949 ? It's pretty good in my opinion. Well he's escaping through the prison because there are more assassins outside I guess :unsure: Edited May 1, 2011 by gabriel07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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