LE Mods Wishlist: Immersion

[MoonSweets]

Hello,

 

The Creation Kit hasn't been released already and many mods are already running by, some of them being very amazing in the way they tweak the game. As a player and TES fan I surely want to improve my gaming experience with mods, like you, and so for we can't always see "what people want" and "what modders can do" meeting nicely I've thought of a wishlist.

 

Here I will first tell about the changes or improvements I'd like to see in the game but this is also a place for you to join in, tell what you'd like to see, more eagerly or not.

Rate ideas, give modders inspiration and an idea of what the community wants to see come alive ingame!

 

For the following ideas I've tried as much as possible to base them on features already present in the game, such as already existing spells or so... in hope it can ease the work of modders.

[up] The CK has been released!

 

To make the wishlist more clear I've split it into several parts (other may be added at need) with main topics that are:

 

Companions

Immersion - Graphic Enhancement

Skills - Magic

 

You may wish to submit your suggestions in the proper categories or start a more appropriate one. Then we can create some polls to get an idea of what everybody's more interested into.

 

Abreviations:

CK: Creation Kit

RS: Radiant Story

 

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IMMERSION

 

Tamriel Alive

• Calendar and festivals: Bring back the holidays and their effects on population: let people drink free ale on Harvest's End and prank and party in the steets on Jester's Day, let the Companions and other warriors show off and brawl in the streets on Warriors Festival etc.
  
• True bards: Give the bards more than 3 songs to sing. There are so many topics to sing about in Tamriel's history alone... This would require some voice actors of course but let's see it as an oportunity to make bards more unique with political opinions etc.
  
• Fans: See more people eager about some factions such as the Companions (hanging around Jorrvaskr, watching the trainings and cheering...), and add some "adoring fans" after completing the Companions/College of Winterhold/killing Mirmulnir in Whiterun. These fans see will tell you what people think of you, report anything nasty that could have been done, give new RS quests related to your faction/being Dragonborn, etc. And worship you, may it be by Azura or not!
  
• Thugs that teach a lesson: Fix this. If you've stolen for less than 1000 septims, the thugs will brawl in to teach you a lesson in spite of trying to kill you already (for stealing just a tankard by mistake)
  
• War: Skyrim is at war, let's see loads of Imperial and Stormcloak soldiers clashing on the battlefields, corpses and gore splattered on the ground... See also more "war refugees" fleeing from a Hold to the other in hope for more peace (Nords would be a minority among them) and refugees camps around cities such as Whiterun, Riften and Solitude, etc (Hold main cities with weather not too harsh) and some smaller towns.
  
• Drugs: Alcohol makes you drunk (blurry post-process, controls reversed) if you drink too much and people's disposition drops down. If you drink really too much you may collapse and black-out for few hours and awake either in your bed or in some random place.
  If you have moonsugar or skooma on you most shopkeepers shouldn't be willing to trade and guards may arrest you if you talk to them. Also eating moonsugar/drinking skooma makes you high and you may see funny stuff (silly post-process, people's meshes being replaced by random other creatures, flying cows...)
  

 

Adventurous carriages

• You have to pay for your companions (discount group price)
  
• You can choose various prices for a same destination:
  
• Usual price: you fast travel to the destination as usual
  
• Discount price: you fast travel to the destination but there are chances that troubles occur during the trip. Then you find yourself on the road, have to deal with the trouble and then you can get back on the carriage and keep on the trip in fast travel.
  
• Low cost: you're not fast traveling, you sit in the carriage and have the chance to speak with other travelers or merchants, deal with the possible troubles on the road, become everybody's hero and make new friends.
  
• Other people / merchants caravans may join in the travel
  
• You can get hired by a merchants caravan as bodyguard. The caravan will likely be raided (beasts, bandits, foresworns, dragons, etc.) but if you manage to save the day you may get discount prices or free goods according to the danger you've been through.
  

 

Natural life

• Scaled-down baby animals exist. Their scale increase as they grow over the seasons. Very small animals can be picked and grown up to become trustworthy companions. You may also sell certain of them (mmh, baby mudcrabs soup).
  
• Through the scale you can tell the age and strength of an animal. This could work for dragons too after months of ingame time (though there would be much much less chances to stumble upon a young dragon)
  
• Also add more wild life, more animals around, more birds.
  

 

Children

• Elven children. This would require more work but why shouldn't there be any?
  
• Various sizes. Fake age a little with a slight scale modification (slight since proportions can't be changed)
  
• Teach them life. Through persuasion, intimidation or brawling (never wished to teach those Whiterun kids a lesson?). Other NPCs may or may not appreciate.
  

 

Alive player

Perform actions

Play instruments, sing songs, read books, drink and cheer in taverns, brandish bits (dragon bones, head, antlers, etc) of what you've just killed as a trophy... Well, look alive.

Also brawl in more easily with people, we're in Skyrim, there's no need for a reason to brawl.

Needs

Eat, drink, sleep, because you need it. Or don't and become vulnerable to diseases, get your stamina, health and magic damaged... start seeing funny things that don't really exist and hear random voices?

Arx Fatalis cooking

Be able to create many more dishes with combinations of food and ingredients, also be able to combine already cooked dishes to create other dishes (ie: you may make some pastry then add something else to make an apple or meat pie). You may also create variations of a same dish with less or more added ingredients. Add potions too. And poisons... (poisoned apples are back!)

 

Get your own shop and dive into real business

• Trade raw materials at the Resolution of Zenithar (merchant guild) to get discount prices
  
• Pay taxes to the Hold to keep the business opened
  
• Have customers to deal with (ie: sick people to visit if you're a priest, people asking for specific enchantments or gear). This may lead you to new quests to get what you need to do the job.
  
• Hire companions as employees, teach them the job
  
• Business list
  
• Alchemist / possible link with the Kynaran Order
  
• Blacksmith / possible link with the Resolution of Zenithar
  
• Book seller / possible link with the School of Julianos
  
• Carriage/delivery service (only requires a carriage) / possible link with the Resolution of Zenithar
  
• Cook / possible link with the Resolution of Zenithar
  
• Enchanter / possible link with the Resolution of Zenithar and School of Julianos
  
• Hunter (prey creatures should respawn everyday)
  
• Museum (requires precious artifacts) / possible link with the School of Julianos
  
• Tailor / possible link with the House of Dibella
  
• Other business
  
• Bard band (doesn't require a shop, only willing companions)
  
• Rogues band (doesn't require a shop, only willing companions)
  

 

Be part of an order

Get new quests to do related to who/what you want your character to be.

NINE DIVINES

• Akatosh Chantry: Raise dragons in the love and might of Akatosh but hidden from the world who wants them dead and gone. Convert dragons still on Alduin's side. (skills: speech, fighting)
  
• Benevolence of Mara: Be a priest and heal people all over the country no matter the ordeals. Tell people about the Divines and convert the dissidents through compassion. (skills: restoration, speech)
  
• House of Dibella: Be a bard, an artist, a tailor... bring beauty to the world and help to free Talos cultist artists hold captive by the Thalmor. (skills: speech, smithing)
  
• Kynaran Order: Be a priest and heal people and animals, and bless the fields all over the country no matter the ordeals. Tell people about the Divines and convert the dissidents. (skills: restoration, speech)
  
• Order of Arkay: Be a witchhunter and bless the newborns and the dying/dead or cure young vampires. Tell people about the Divines and hunt down Necromancers. (skills: restoration, fighting)
  
• Resolution of Zenithar: Be a merchant and get in the business and haggling. Help conveying goods safely, extend your crafting skills, make sure people pay their fees and make some money. (skills: smithing, speech)
  
• School of Julianos: Be a teacher, bring or sell books to the ignorants, teach them how to do things through practice, retrieve lost knowledge. (skills: magic, speech)
  
• Talos Cult: Be an agent and help free Talos cultists from the Thalmor, fight the Thalmor physically and moraly through underground propaganda, survive rapts and assassination attempts... (skills: sneak, fighting)
  
• Vigil of Stendar: Hunt down Daedra worshippers, werewolves, vampires, necromancers... No mercy for the unholy. (skills: fighting, fighting)
  

UNDERGROUND

• Necromancers: Become a necromancer, learn to make true zombies and create black soul gems, worship the Worm God, Mannimarco and profane graveyards to spread his shadow. (skills: conjuration, enchanting)
  
• Vampires: Join a vampire clan and get privileges for feeding, become able to infect NPCs and battle other vampire clans to preserve your mortals herd like a good shepherd. (skills: sneak, fighting)
  
• Werewolves: Join a pack of werewolves and enjoy the wild life, hunt preys together, find your place in the pack, become able to infect NPCs, mark your territory, well, do werewolf suff... (skills: fighting, fighting)
  
• Witches: Learn to cure vampirism and lycanthropy, to cast funny spells, conjure Daedra princes on their summoning day, and hunt down dissident witches who aren't true to Kynareth, Jephre and other divinities of nature. (skills: magic, alchemy)
  

 

 

Faction-related

• If you wrong a member of a faction you don't belong to you're in trouble with the whole faction within 3 days. Reactions of the member to the wrong depend of the gravity of what you've done (bully in brawling, steal, kill, etc.)
  
• To repay for the wrong you did you could be forced to carry on a duty in a given period of time, less or more hard depending on the gravity of what you've done.
  
• However the Dark Brotherhood, Imperial Legion and Stormcloak rebellion may be less forgiving and more dread in their answer to the wrong you did, up to putting a bounty on your head within their faction.

 

Disguise and Troubles

• According to your outfit, pass as a member of a faction with its consequences.
  
• Dark Brotherhood armor
  
• Get arrested by the guard and Imperial Legion
  
• Scare the hell out of people: Intimidation attempts are much easier
  
• Scare the damn hell out of people: people flee in fear if you draw your weapons out
  
• Thieves armor (to be discussed)
  
• Possibly get arrested by the guard and Imperial Legion
  
• Haggling is more difficult
  
• Stormcloak armor
  
• Get arrested by the Imperial Legion on their owned territory (unless you're in the Legion)
  
• Imperial armor
  
• Get arrested by the Stormcloak Rebels on their owned territory (unless you're in the Rebellion)
  
• Thalmor robes
  
• Depending on your race (elves only) and Speech skill you may trick the Thalmor into believing you're one of them and get ownership of their items and beds as long as you wear the robes.
  
• NPCs hostile to the Thalmor won't answer you.
  
• Random "Talos cultists" may try to stab you. Stormcloak rebels try to kill you at sight.
  
• Necromancer robes
  
• Get hunted down by the priests of Arkay and Vigilants of Stendarr
  
• Be told to get out of the temple or repent your sins by other priests
  
• Guard armor
  
• Depending on your race (white humans) and Speech skill you trick guards of a hold into believing you're one of them and get ownership of their items and beds as long as you wear the armor.
  
• No outfit (naked)
  
• People don't want to talk to you/tell you you're going to freeze to death
  
• In Jarl castles guards try to arrest you
  
• Get infamy points if you try to speak to famous NPCs (Jarls, Tullius, Viarmo, Savos Aren, priests with names...) Possible achievements?
  
• Emperor clothes
  
• Big bounty on your head if a guard sees you!
  

 

 

GRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT

 

Seasons and Natural Weather

• Make actual different weather areas and seasons changing over the year. See the leaves of trees fall in autumn, the land freeze to white in winter, the nature awake in spring, the ice melt in summer... And keep the priviledge of northern lights for northern places...
  
• Add a temperature value near the date of the day in the menu (Celsius or Fahrenheit variations needed). The value changes within a certain range according to the seasons/weather and world cells. If the temperature gets too low you can get frost damages that can be avoided by wearing warmer clothes (warmer clothes surely have to be defined).
  

Edited February 20, 2012 by MoonSweets

[Cyroch]

I especially like the carriage thing. Low price without instant travel would be mine... Always wanted to see that.

[Nerdmurai]

Make it so, number one!

[MoonSweets]

And in the middle of the trip I'd love to punch the carriage guy, take his sit and still the whole carriage... =D

[DeZako]

Good... Seriously, this is an incredible idea, albeit a bit difficult to implement. It would be easier, for modders and players alike to turn this into a kind of overhaul mod, and not several mods that would potentially conflict.

 

It would be hard, but wiht a decent number of organised modders, it could be done.

Lets hope some modders are interested in this, and decided to take on it.

[minngarm]

I disagree, with strict parameters you could have a modder specialized in each section it would increase overall progress by not having one issue bog down all development, and allowing each modder full control over their area.

[MoonSweets]

Indeed, if they could work together to avoid conflicts but keep create different mods it would also allow the player to activate the mods they want and not those they don't want. Also if the mods come in variations (like a more casual one allowing fast travel, and a more hardcore one disabling it completely) you can download directly the variation of the mod you want while if there was only one big mod it would require to create many variations of it so the players can find the exact configuration they want with the variations they want... I guess it can get confusing quickly.

[DeZako]

Indeed, if they could work together to avoid conflicts but keep create different mods it would also allow the player to activate the mods they want and not those they don't want. Also if the mods come in variations (like a more casual one allowing fast travel, and a more hardcore one disabling it completely) you can download directly the variation of the mod you want while if there was only one big mod it would require to create many variations of it so the players can find the exact configuration they want with the variations they want... I guess it can get confusing quickly.

True, but I didnt mean that. Each modder would have his/her section, but they woudl work cooperatively, resolving conflict issues, and eventually releasing it in the same page, as a full mod separated in modules, where the user decides which ones he/she wants.

Edited February 14, 2012 by DeZako

[MoonSweets]

Oh, great then! =D We all share the same opinion^^

 

Now if we could actually find some modders interested in this that would be great for sure... I wish I knew more people for this. I've studied game development, I can do some 3D modeling and texturing, I'm great with plot/quests design, character design/dialogs, writing in general, I know how to optimize game assets and you seriously don't need a 2048^2 map for silly items such as bread and pillows... I have technical knowledge, I know tricks, but I'm more a creative than a technician. And most of all I can't program for I ...inverse stuff. Directions, additions, substractions, maths are just a hell for me and though I understand the logic of basic codes I just cannot write a line. Well maybe a line. Not two.

 

Like to create the Natural Life mod, for the part about baby animals growing over the time, we don't need to make the animals actually grow on their own. All we need is to tweak the spawning according to the time of the game. We define seasons and say that in spring there are mostly adults so all animals are of a quite average size. It's the breeding season. Then in summer baby animals are born so there are chances that both adult and babies will spawn (babies have a scale variation between let's say 0.5 and 0.6). In Autumn the scale variation values is changed to {0.6 ; 0.8}, and in Winter to {0.8 ; 1}. So it's just a matter of spawning to give the impression you see the same animals while they ain't the same at all. After it may be more complicated to do but I tend to think it must be doable this way.

 

Do you think it would be helpful to add lines about "how it may be doable" to the suggestions?

Edited February 14, 2012 by MoonSweets