Aeres169 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'm using one of many mods that makes dungeons darker, which means that torches are a necessity whenever I decide to desecrate a tomb for sport. However, there are several problems I have with the implementation of portable light sources in Skyrim, at least in the sense of convenience. Most of them are simply me being lazy and/or preferring not to be mildly inconvenienced, but I'm really not too happy with having to equip the torch. My character specializes in dual swords, so that means when I start exploring Generic Nordic Catacombs #295, I'm essentially only at 50% combat effectiveness should some Draugr or other undesirables appear. Unfortunately, if I attempt to remedy this by putting the torch away and equipping my second Blade o' Doom, I can't really see the things I'm trying to kill. More than once, this conundrum has resulted in ME being sent to Sovngarde instead of my foe, and I'm getting a little sick of it. That's why I wanted to suggest the implementation of an alternate portable light source: the lantern! My vision of this mod is that the player can "equip" the lantern and activate its light, but instead of being held by the player in his or her hand, it hangs at the player's side, supported by a belt or something. Like a fanny pack, except not an abomination to mankind. Anyway, while "equipped", the lantern would provide light like a torch does, except both hands are free to punch rabbits or something. Whatever floats your boat. This way, there's no fumbling for torches over weapons or vice versa, which is a real hassle when you're in the midst of battle. You just activate the lantern, pull out your blades, and then it's up to your prowess in combat to see which of you is victorious, not the whimsy of a lousy user interface. I don't want this lantern to make the torch obsolete, though, so each item would have distinct benefits and drawbacks. Obviously, you can't block attacks or set Bandits on fire when your light source is on your belt, which is something the torch can do. Also, given the smaller flame from the candle in the lantern, the light provided from the lantern wouldn't be as powerful as that of the torch, meaning a smaller radius of illumination. But another gripe I have with torches is that they burn out, and since you can't rekindle the flame, they become immediately and permanently useless. I would make it so that the lantern burns for longer than the torch (8 minutes, maybe, instead of 4?), and once extinguished, can be refilled with some sort of fuel to function again (say, Dwarven Oil, as a placeholder). You wouldn't have to carry a bunch of torches with you when dungeon crawling extensively, and while the spare fuel wouldn't be weightless (0.3 units, in the case of Dwarven Oil), it's still less than torches, and you wouldn't need to have as many spares if the lantern lasts longer on average. While this lantern would be a powerful tool for prospective adventurers, it would be a bit of a waste to make it free or common. I'm not really sure about a fair and balanced way for one to acquire this lantern, but I'm thinking the General Goods merchant in each major city might provide one at a semi-hefty cost, along with a reasonable stock of fuel for the lantern This way, beginning players cannot immediately reap the benefits of the lantern, but a bit of patience earning gold will allow its purchase relatively early on (much like horses). For those of you who played Amnesia: The Dark Descent... I'm basically talking about the lantern you use in that game, adjusted to work with merchants (given that you can't buy anything in Amnesia). I'm not sure if this request is currently impossible without use of the CK, because I really don't know anything about modding. If the implementation I described above isn't viable for whatever reason, I wouldn't be opposed to a mod that makes such a tool available in a slightly altered form. In any case, thanks for reading, and I do hope one of you fine people out there might fulfill my request! :dance: TL:DR: An oil-powered lantern worn at the waist (not equippable in the traditional sense), so hands are free to kill baddies without an unwieldy torch in your way; however, torches will still have some benefits over lanterns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rennn Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I'd like this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeres169 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Bumping in the hopes that someone interested in such a project can help people like me and Rennn out! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GisleAune Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Candlelight is a cheap novice alteration spell I use for this purpose, but a mod like this would be useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeres169 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 I tried Candlelight for a while, but a couple of things held it back for me. Firstly, the casting is noisy, which is bad if you're a stealthy player like me. Secondly, the ball is stationary, and I would prefer a light source that moves with me. Secondly*, I like to set restrictions on my play, like no spells used ever, and Candlelight can potentially conflict with that. And finally, it doesn't allow for the player to dispel it on command, which would be useful if an enemy wanders by and you need to hide in the shadows to avoid contact. * Or thirdly, if you're keeping track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IxionInc Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 A lantern type light that turns on if you hold down TAB would be cool. Kinda like the Pip-Boy light in Fallout 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeres169 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Anybody? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricksnowy Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I miss the old "light" rings from oblivion they would be great here.. hurry up ck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner6999 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I have been working on a lantern mod and one suggestion someone made to me is exactly that, a belt wieldable lantern, and I have also considered an oil system. However I'm no master modder and only just one person so I can't do it super fast, but I'm definitely interested in taking up this challenge. THis is what i got so far, Better Wieldable Lantern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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