LE Besieged

[JanusForbeare]

One thing that a lot of people enjoyed in Oblivion were the castle mods, that allowed you to purchase or earn a fortress of your own, complete with guards, merchants, etc. The problem with these mods was that they were often mostly cosmetic; your castle's defenses were rarely, if ever, put to the test. Given Skyrim's wartime setting, I think that this would be the perfect opportunity for a dedicated team of modders to revolutionize the castle experience by bringing the war to the player.

 

To briefly outline the "bare-bones" of the idea

 

The player could start the game with a note in his inventory, inviting him to work as a guard or castle servant. This wouldn't interrupt the vanilla plotline at all, and would presumably suit most "alternate start" mods as well. In terms of mechanics, the castle would work as a third alternative to the two opposing sides in the civil war, and joining it would eventually trigger Ulfrik's declaration of war (ideally this would be time-based), bypassing the initial Stormcloak/Legion quests up to "Defense of Whiterun" or so. The player could perform mundane services for their faction, much as any guard or servant might, eventually rising both in rank and in the esteem of the castle's lord. In time, the player would be called upon to advise the Jarl, who is forced to declare allegiance to one side or the other. Shortly afterwards, enemy forces besiege the castle, and the a long series of randomized, sequential scripted events play out, where the player's choices affect the strategy used to defend the castle, the morale of those inside, and the ultimate outcome for both the castle and the war.

 

 

The advantages of this concept are

 

-A high level of replayability, as enemy tactics and local events would vary with each playthrough

 

-A highly immersive environment, as the focus would be on a single geographical location

 

-Detailed and emotionally captivating NPCs, with whom the character is forced to develop long-term and constantly evolving relationships

 

-An opportunity to play a role other than the "wandering hero"

 

 

The challenges of this concept are

 

-The intricacy of building a consistent storyline that allows for a large amount of player interaction, as well as randomized events

 

-Finding appropriate voice actors to meet the needs of the project

 

 

That being said, given the right team, I don't think this would be an outrageous suggestion. While I am committed to another mod at the moment, if someone wants to follow up on this idea, I would be happy to help out however I can. If support for this idea grows, perhaps it will become more than just a concept.