Winterhold & the College

[amblingalong]

I think the thing it needs the most of is classrooms! The main building actually has about 10-15 times more space than is used; it cheats by making one staircase take you up half the height of the whole edifice. There is no reason that the rest can't be filled in with lecture halls. What I'd love to do is create one for each school of magic

• An enchanting lecture with lots of enchanting tables, students practing while a master directs them
  
• A destruction class with targets set up at different distances- basically a firing range
  
• An alchemy room with a garden
  
• A conjuration room with a pit in the middle for safely summoning dangerous creatures
  

And so on. Watching lessons in each room for a minute or so could give you a small skill gain in the relevant school of magic, and you can easily see how all kinds of fun scripted events could be instituted in each one (voice work is going to be the biggest hurdle here).

 

I'm currently working on a mod to renovate many of the bigger indoor areas, especially the palaces, and this is where I'm probably going to start (or collaborate with someone else's mod to do the same thing).

[darthmomis]

Yea that's what I was thinking there should be. There are no class rooms, nothing that even shows any learning or teaching. The teachers walk around with nothing to do. The "students" have nothing to do. I would love to use the MC as my place to hang but it doesn't have everything a mage needs.

There could be several levels of training halls above the Hall of Elements. I was looking at it last night. The MC is a lot larger on the outside. Even the towers that are the dorms have several levels more that can be used. The exterior doesn't need to be changed just the insides. I have not modded anything but I'm going to learn as soon as the CK comes out. If it ever does. I want some decent mage robes. Some day, some day.

[Lachdonin]

I would personally like to overhaul not only the College of Winterhold, but the entire questline for it. Not to change anything drastic, but increase the length. There should be another quest or two BEFORE you go to Sarthal, another one between Sarthal and recovering the books, and probably another between going to the observatory and that Thalmor going all crazy fish.. Of course,t hat would require what... A dozen voice actors? Eh..

 

Still, i agree that all the layout changes to the College can be done within the current exterior its self. The main tower has at least another, probably 2 floors which could be included above the Hall of the Elements (Between the Hall and the Library, and between the Library and the Archmage) and each of the dorms could take a third floor. Of course, then you also have the entire storey below which could be put in, without breaking the scaling for the Cistern.

 

Plenty of space to work with, without having to level a mountain and do any funny LOS issues.

[flobalob]

In previous games, we weren't able to redo worldspace LOD, and until we get the toolset we won't know if that issue still exists.

 

Really?, I haven't tried it myself but the GECK Wiki mentions doing it here World LOD, but that it takes 2-3 WEEKS of continuous generation.

 

But even without re-generating the LOD...

 

If the gates at the entrance were to be replaced with a load door, you could create an interior cell of the courtyard that behaves like an exterior cell (like the Sigil chambers at the top ot the oblivion towers in Oblivion).

 

You could then create anything you please within the confines of the college exterior without affecting the LOD in any way. An enclosed courtyard covered by a geodesic dome maybe? Some thought would have to be given if there were still exit(s) to the exterior from places like the Archmages quarters as there is currently. Hell you could probable take a few liberties with the scale of the interior compared to the exterior (it's not like Bethesda didn't) without it being immediately apparent.

 

Also maybe there could be some kind of quest to improve the relationship with the town of Winterhold that would result in some/all of the destroyed buildings being re-built, after all there are already 4 of them that could be replaced with actual buildings (conditionally) easily once the CK is out. You could even incorporate some player decisions at to what gets constructed like in town in Morrowind-Bloodmoon, Ravenswood I think it was called (long time since I played Bloodmoon).

 

I would personally like to overhaul not only the College of Winterhold, but the entire questline for it. Not to change anything drastic, but increase the length. There should be another quest or two BEFORE you go to Sarthal, another one between Sarthal and recovering the books, and probably another between going to the observatory and that Thalmor going all crazy fish.. Of course,t hat would require what... A dozen voice actors? Eh..

 

Yes, the quest line to become Archmage definitely needs expansion.

Edited January 13, 2012 by flobalob

[darthmomis]

The people of Winterhold (all 8 of them) really hate the MC. There should be something the player can do as the Arch mage. Meeting with the Jarl. Giving him some money. Something. Even adding a stable, blacksmiths shop and maybe a MC run store that sells potions and enchanted weapons would be a big improvement. Promise the Jarl 20% of the profits from the items sold at MC store. Maybe let the mage living at the inn have his own shop.

I know as the Arch mage I want to do something for the town. It would raise the reputation of the MC all over Skyrim. Maybe people would start traveling to Winterhold to see the college.

As a player of a mage I guess I'm just unhappy with the whole mage experience that I got. I'm very unhappy and I wish I could do something about it.

 

CK where art thou!!!

Edited January 14, 2012 by darthmomis

[havefunwilltravel]

I think the thing it needs the most of is classrooms! The main building actually has about 10-15 times more space than is used; it cheats by making one staircase take you up half the height of the whole edifice. There is no reason that the rest can't be filled in with lecture halls. What I'd love to do is create one for each school of magic

• An enchanting lecture with lots of enchanting tables, students practing while a master directs them
  
• A destruction class with targets set up at different distances- basically a firing range
  
• An alchemy room with a garden
  
• A conjuration room with a pit in the middle for safely summoning dangerous creatures
  

And so on. Watching lessons in each room for a minute or so could give you a small skill gain in the relevant school of magic, and you can easily see how all kinds of fun scripted events could be instituted in each one (voice work is going to be the biggest hurdle here).

 

I'm currently working on a mod to renovate many of the bigger indoor areas, especially the palaces, and this is where I'm probably going to start (or collaborate with someone else's mod to do the same thing).

 

I've noticed that...had a revisit to dark light tower near Riften and it had MUCH more room than that college! Maybe it would be better to mod that place instead of the college, after you complete the quest, of course.

[darthmomis]

Dark Light Tower? What? I've missed this place. I need to check this out. I don't go to Riften much. Maybe it's worth a trip now. Get saddled up Patches we're going on a road trip.

Something I wouldn't mind is a dome on the courtyard of WMC. The blowing snow and being attacked by dragons when I'm at WMC is annoying. It's nice to have a safe place to hang out. Wear comfortable robes and just relax.

[Ulfar]

You don't necessarily need to alter the exterior of the college, you could add extra rooms that are in pocket dimensions/planes they are after all mages.

 

For instance the conjuring room could be a floating amphitheatre on a plane of oblivion.

[amblingalong]

For instance the conjuring room could be a floating amphitheatre on a plane of oblivion.

 

Actually, this could be really cool. Bring back memories of Battlespire!

[elricshan]

i think that we could get a few more quest like the one where we needed to do the ward thingy in the start.

 

bedroms i like to have bigger bedroms i meen all of theese are mages and mages like to have places to hide theryr secrets and beening snoby so even the bedroms the students are having should be like a smal farms livingroom. but the bedroms could get two towers and some under the ground where the skeletons are. hov about a own library tower?