LE Improving the Blades

[Draco856]

There are many named Dragons that were revived by Alduin, maybe these could start off our dragon allies? Though it might be needed to bring them back to life (just create a full copy and make them non-hostile, and add dialogue, becuase I don't know of a script function that knows if an NPC is dead or not, so if these dragons are all ready dead, it would make this idea moot for those who have gone far enough for them to rise again) Currently, these dragons are hostile to the player, but perhaps that could change with this mod, we can make them submit like we did to Odahviing. They appear near the locations they were buried, I've encountered maybe 3 of them so far, I think there are maybe 6? but no more then 10 of these unique dragons. 2 of them must die, the rest how ever act like any other dragon in the world, and simply attack. You can witness their resurrection and fight them then and there, but it's not needed. The two dragons that have to die, are part of the main quest, so those two are out, but the rest should be fair game. There's also a dragon hidden in the Dwemer capital city of Blackreach that requires you to use the Unrelenting Force shout on a sun-like sphere in the middle of the city to draw out the dragon, this could be an ally for two reasons, one, you have to do something to draw it out so there's less of a chance of killing him before anything happens, and two, he's stuck underground, so maybe a way of befriending him would be to find a way to get him out of the caves? Blackreach is now a Falmer hive, but to get inside you need special keys, maybe this could serve as a secondary base of some sort if we clear it out? It might tie into another mod though that would allow the crafting of Dwemer machines in a factory that *might* be located there, nothing is finial in that mod yet as it's just an idea.

[Logiwink]

Wow, I need to spend some more time in Blackreach apparently. Had no idea about using the Shout on the Sun-sphere.

 

Anyone else who is interested in a foreign language version of this mod and can translate please let me know. Right now we have a volunteer to do German translations which will likely be added as subtitles with the currently planned English voice-acting.

 

Draco - I like the idea of incorporating named dragons, if they aren't part of an existing quest line then they are fair game for this mod.

[Logiwink]

IMPORTANT: The ideas on this thread have matured nicely and I think we have the basis for a great mod. I think we may be approaching the time to finalize the Dev team for the mod and get cracking. If the team agrees that is. Everyone who's definitely in for some aspect of the project please PM an email address when I can reach you and remind me of the sort of tasks you'd like to work on. In return I'll shoot you my email address and I'll start putting up some organizational Google Docs that everyone can access and comment on.

 

Reminder of Necessary Jobs

 

1) Conversation Script Writers - write NPC and Player text that will appear in-game. These scripts will be voiced at some point in development.

2) Level Designers - use the Creation Kit to map out Dungeon and other locations, populate them with NPCs, navmesh them etc. Some program script writing for quest objectives.

3) Resource Creation - 3D modeling and/or Texture Designing for new mod-related items (example arms and armor, special quest items like the Dragonstone)

4) Voice Acting - record and edit voices for Player-NPC interaction in the mod (Anyone who could do a passable Delphine or Esbern voice is especially needed), please send a voice sample, access to a quality microphone or previous home-recording experience is a major plus.

5) Playtesters - folks interested in testing out pre-alpha and alpha versions of the mod content

 

A project like this is going to go a lot faster with a team behind it (since I have a day and sometimes night job!) and my primary job will be co-ordinate the team and make sure everyone is talking to each other, I will also:

1) Design the new Sky Haven Temple (Team input will be solicited before it's finalized, you'll get to walk through, test it out first)

2) Edit Conversation Scripts and Format them for voice talent

3) Act as a central clearhouse for mod files

4) Assemble the pieces of the mod and force them all to get along!

5) Design some dungeons

6) Do some convo script writing

7) Do anything that needs doing that someone else isn't doing

 

 

Why join the team? Well a couple reasons:

 

1) You like this mod and want to see it happen

2) You will get access to alpha editions before everyone on the Nexus to playtest

3) You'll be giving something back to the Mod community that we all love

4) You get to be part of something awesome

 

So join today! Uncle Sam wants you. And by Uncle Sam I mean me. No I won't wear the hat.

[Draco856]

I'll play-test it. I would help with the creation, but I have a house mod that I want to make that's fairly large and finding a suitable cave and dungeon system that would go with the idea is a lengthy process. No skill in building my own dungeons, I've failed horribly every time I've tried. They've all looked either too linear, or too disjointed. I can however give advice if it's needed, even though my modding experience is very small and only consists of customizing other peoples work for my characters.

 

The two dragons that can't be used are the first dragon you ever fight, in the quest "Dragon Rising" and the one you see revived by Alduin in the quest "A Blade in the Dark". The rest of them have no quest assioated with them, but we have to remember, the ones out in the world that are named, were all brought back by Alduin, so they are all likely his generals. Only the dragon in Blackreach might not be one his generals as it seems he's been trapped down there in that artificial sun (Which is why it's an artificial sun, probably power by dragonfire) since the first Dragon War

[Draco856]

I do have a thought about the temple itself, but have to know, is it going up or down? I'm thinking it should go both ways:

 

Build Up:

 

(Need to think of a good name for this platform, maybe something involving Kyne (Kynareth) - We can break through the mountain top and create a platform for any ally dragons to land on (Dependent on Dragon Ally/Kill quests. Option for this perch would only be there for dragon allies, but not for dragon killers), this could alternatively act as Odahviing's perch instead of him constant flying around the Throat of the World never to land

 

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Sky-View Balcony - Would be outside the Grandmasters quarters, it should look over the training area on the outcrop below

 

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Grandmasters Quarters - A bit like the Listener's quarters of the Dark Brotherhood, nothing too gaudy, but obviously the room of someone important to the group.

 

Features:

 

Two mannequins - One will always hold the Grandmasters Armor (A new set of armor made for the Grandmaster of the Blades, perhaps something that looks like the Imperial Dragon armor from Oblivion, but not so ornate, needs to be battle ready) A quest to recover this armor could be given by the ghost of a blade that we summon to the temple, who that ghost will be is still up for debate I think. The other one will be up to the player, but one of them should hold the unique armor. This armor would also require a shield, even if the player might not use it, it should still be found.

 

4 Weapon Plaques - These are the red plaques you see that usually hold two iron swords and a shield, they display weapons. One of these should hold a unique weapon used by the Grandmaster, depending on your choice with the dragons, it could be deadly to them, or deadly to other creatures. The player would have a choice between one or two handed, as well as dual wield. If the player chooses dual wield, the enchantments would be split evenly between the two blades. The player will be able to change this choice as much as they want, but they can only have one blade type at a time. There should also be a bow for this set just in case, as well as maybe a staff, but we definitely need a blade.

 

Example:

 

1-handed or 2-handed Enchantment is say 40 bonus damage to dragons (for dragonslayers)

 

the Dual Wield version would be 20 bonus damage to dragons on each blade, it would total the same amount of bonus damage, but keep the balance of the enchantment in place. Obviously wielding two weapons would be more powerful then a single weapon, but the choice is there.

 

3 - 4 weapon racks, or perhaps one large one, enough to hold a single type of weapon

 

Example:

 

Enough to hold all the Daedric weapons, from daggers, to axes, to bows

 

Containers - 4 or 5, noble version. Dresser, chest, end tables, perhaps a cupboard or something for any food storage. Would also need a bookcase, large enough for say 20 - 40 books per shelf, would be one of the large bookcases, with 4 or 5 shelves.

 

Bed - simple double bed, just a place to rest our head (if we aren't werewolves, then it's just a comfortable place for our spouse (if we have one) to rest)

 

Table and chairs

 

Shrine of Talos

 

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Build Down:

 

Temple of Talos - Like it says, a temple dedicated to Talos, it would have the small Talos shrine, as well as that large statue that is usually behind it. Think the one in Whiterun that the preacher is always in front of.

 

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Alchemy and Enchanting Lab - These should be separated by a stone divider to guard against any explosive combination's that might happen in the alchemy lab (figuratively speaking, there's no mechanic for failed potions to explode)

 

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Recruit quarters - Simple, army style layout, think the barracks in guard houses, a good representation of this idea is in solitude, Castle Dour, the barracks on the lower floor, just before the entrance to the jail

 

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That's all I've got for now. I also think maybe a Word Wall, with a short history of the Blades, or a basic history of the Dragonborn (Not the player dragonborn as that story is still being written, but of previous Dragonborn) The current dragonborn could inscribe it much like Paarthurnax did when we teaches us the words of power for Fire Breath, we shout at the wall to write this history, we won't need any new shouts, we just use Unrelenting Force and the words would appear as if we said them, maybe we'd also inscribe it in the other languages of Tamriel, Elven, Dwemer, etc. ending in English, and put it into a book, as there's only so much room on a dragon wall.

[Zero713]

@Draco- Yeah, I also mentioned either upward and downward progress. It would be easier for the level designers to go downward, but more beautiful and eye-candy for upward, and would make it easier for dragon ally stuff.

 

On the terms of recruitment, because I have done things like it before (just not for elder scroll games mind you) i'd take level designer, some 3d modeling, perhaps some voice acting, and definitely testing. I'm good for that. lol

[Draco856]

Well, the upward building would be limited to the more ornate parts, and we don't have much room to go up anyway so it can't all be up. Most of the down and dirty parts of the temple need to go down into the mountain, perhaps far enough down to reach a magma flow, which gives me an idea, if we go down far enough to hit magma, this could be the location of the Dragon Forge, we'd use the magma for heat and fire for the forge, it could produce the more difficult to craft items of the mod. As well as be used to craft any unique items based around smithing.

[Zero713]

I like the magma level idea. Why use actual dragons when you could use magma? It would really give it a ancient, deep, secret feel. Perhaps it could also be rigged like the entrence to the SHT. Some traps, puzzles, ect to give it more play value and fun for the player. Just tossing that out there.

 

And btw, if ya want I could actually write one of those books that could go with the blades. Just would need a objective.

[Draco856]

It's just a history, a little flavor to put things in perspective.

 

Things like why did the Tsaesci first seek out the Dragonborn?

 

How did the Dragonguard transform over the years into the Blades as we know them now?

 

Things like this that would give some flavor to the Blades. This history should be simple, no other languages of Tamriel, just the simple common tounge

 

The Book on the Dragonborns however should have the languages of all the races that we can actually put into words. It might come down to that we don't have enough words to even write in the other languages of Tamriel, and the Dwemer tounge is a bit of a lost language because they aren't around any more.

 

This book should focus on the history of the Dragonborn, who they were in life, what they did with their power. The most famous and revered is of course Talos, but he wasn't the first of the Dragonborn, so we should start there. I'm sure there is some information in the Wiki, and perhaps the game itself on the previous dragonborn.

[Zero713]

Awesome, k. I'll do a bit of research, familiar myself with more of the lore around that subject, and get on my way.