The Westeros Project

[ryanwh]

Winterfell would be easy enough, you wouldn't even need to create new assets. Some of the other locations could be trickier, though. But if you start there and at the Wall, the Vale, etc all the snowier areas where you shouldn't have to make new textures or anything, it should give you a good framework to recruit more help and really get the project going. The project has a larger chance of succeeding if you break it down into smaller more manageable projects so its not overwhelming. I wouldn't worry about anything outside ofThe North to begin with.

I'd have to see the extent of the construction kit before agreeing to help with anything, but I do have extensive 3d modeling and texturing experience.

Edited November 20, 2011 by ryanwh

[VreyAar]

I would suggest starting as a recruit being delivered to CastleBlack, by Yoren, probably, but being "doomed" to the role of a future ranger since playing a builder or a scribe wouldnt be fun.

 

Then, starting from that area and expanding, since its easiest to do with available resources available in Skyrim.

Then you do a bit of training with sword and bow and arrow in the yard, then get sent to first missions beyond the wall, dealing only with Wildling bands at first, earning your spurs - sort of, and then ending all the way at the Fist battle, then after certain point, being sent back to the wall to raise alarm (you`d have to appropriate a horse in the chaos and ride back evading all dangers).

 

I would also hope that the art design doesnt follow the tv show but tries to emulate illustrations from other artists and high quality stuff they did for numerous Ice&Fire calendars, for example.

In the architectural and character design sense.

The Others especially, in the books, have armor that has a sort of active camouflage thing going, and generally give off a more calculated and disciplined approach, - rather than what was briefly shown in the show.

 

 

I tried to build just a Westeros world map in oblivion CS once, but it proved too complicated and i couldn't find correct info on it that i needed, it would be nifty if it was built just even without quests, just for sight-seeing :P

Of course, the Wall doesnt need to be as big but i suppose nobody can prevent you building a mountain in specific shape then basically setting the texture to ice :), and distances between the cities could be as squeezed as in Skyrim itself, no need to even attempt "realistic" measures of distances as described in the books.

Edited November 20, 2011 by VreyAar

[kuro1n]

Planning is half the project is something important i learnt about making games. Try setting up iterations to make it easier to push towards your goals.

[GAOBR]

So it'll be North only?

[evermore]

This may just be my personal preference, but I think it is a good rule to follow in general as well. It is better to make a focused effort to make something of manageable scale with a high polish than something that is extremely huge. You can also add-on stuff later, if you try to do something big from the get-go initial quality will be lower and people with lose interest.

 

Specifically to this project I think there should be an initial goal of doing 1 very specific area. Like just Winterfell. Having a really nice-looking winterfell, with NPCs with voice-acting and a quest or 2, would be more effective at drawing in additional people to the project than vast tracts of unfinished land, clumsy models of the cities and empty cities with silent NPCs.

 

Someone who designed a really nice landmass for Westoros (or part of it) could probably attract a lot of people to start working on content for it. My point is looking at all the things that need to be done to create a full world as a monolithic effort will never get anywhere. Even just this landmass or a single city, or even the landmass for a single city is a huge amount of work (if it is to be done well).

 

TL;DR: Quality is more impressive than Scale

[butanokaabii]

Topic watched, because this idea sounds very interesting. Agreed with the comments mentioning that it's best to focus on a small area and make sure it's as good as it can get first, but a full-fledged total conversion would certainly be impressive.

[GAOBR]

Let's do north only? Maybe Iron Isles.

I could help with researching.(I don't know how to mod, but I'm willing to learn.)

[Vinicam]

North only would be cool. You could begin the game having to join the Night's Watch. There is some well developed Factions in the North to start working with, and all the creatures that appears in the books are from the other side of The Wall. We already have mammoths, giants, wolves, eagles, the others, undeads and all sort of creatures that appear in the story. Even Dragons. :)

 

 

Things that would probably need some work are cloths, as the actual armos and equips don't have enough fur.

[GAOBR]

Joining Nights Watch would limit the gameplay. Put it as an option.

[Matth85]

I really think non-experienced modder should stop going for to big projects. I am not kidding. Most good modders got personal projects. Some decent moddrs are in modding teams. Other are doodling around. You will simply not be able to gather the people you require. And unless you got things planned out to the smallest detail, you are just another topic in a hundred.

 

How long would this take? Okay. Take the time you think it will take. Double it. Now muliply it by 10. Now its getting there!

 

Is it a bad project? Not at all! But do not try to do it all. Start off small yourself, get a friend or two to join you. Then when you got something, more people might join. You have then showed you actually work yourself.

Since you can't do too much work now, you can do 2 key things in big mods:

 

1) Plan out what you need. You need 3d modellers? What kind? Textures? What models do you need? Voice actors? What kind of voices? How big is the area? How accurate? How many quests? What quests? Where are the quests`` - you need to take control, and get a detailed plan out.

2) Concept art. Get concept art, or draw it. Get the pictures flowing of how the models loo or how you think they should look. The designers need something visual to make it. in the Industry they use concept artist who draw proffesional concept art. We don't got too many of thoose around, so we google.

 

Having nothing, is not a good start for a big mod. Having something, is a start. You mght need to start alone, you might get a friend or two. Then when you got a vilage done, you might find a decent 3d artist who wants to help, or a few voice actors. Then the project gets a life of itself, and you've got a team. You have now gotten past the hard part, and you got a community for any future projects.

 

Game developement is what this kind of mod is. Well, not as much as the real industry: But you want everything made exept a few pieces. We build from a base.

And for Game Developement, we need a lot of things. Most of all a manager with all the plans and ideas of how things works.

 

I hope this gave some insight into big projects, and game developement in general. You need to stand out of the crowd if you want something big done.

 

Cheers,

Matth