LE Nordic Skis

[SunriseCedar802]

Here is my vision of the best mod ever created…

Given the cold and abundantly snowy climate of Skyrim set during a time period of limited technological development roughly analogous to the agrarian era (pre-1750) of human history, it would be logically probable if not environmentally inevitable that a preferred method of travel for many of the inhabitants of Skyrim would actually be on a pair of skis, two simple utilitarian sticks of wood. The use of skis for gliding across snowy landscapes would be a lore-friendly addition to the Elder Scrolls universe on the basis of skis in reality being used for these purposes since before recorded human history in the cold and abundantly snowy climates of Earth, most notably by ancient Vikings and indigenous people of the Scandinavian region who conveniently skied across the fjords and whatnot at least as early as 5000 BCE (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_skiing).

I propose the existence of a mod so great it could change the way we explore the snowy world of Skyrim forever—on a simple, just-enough-to-be-functional, pair of wooden Nordic skis. I want to ski the rim of Skyrim with a bow in my hand and a belly full of mead and am prepared to do whatever is necessary to make that happen. No poles needed as that would only unnecessarily complicate things (and I’m fairly certain the dual poles are an invention of modern skiing anyway, as opposed to the old way of just pushing off with pure leg strength to get going).

Obviously, this fairly simple concept is going to be a mammoth physical undertaking as it introduces a brand new gameplay element, requiring new animation sets depicting player movements that are realistic enough to pass off as skiing but not so realistic as to waste a million years trying to get it perfect, a new thumbstick control mapping that allows for player movements that make sense for a person on skis (i.e. realistic turning and stopping that doesn’t normally apply to walking actors), modifications to physics that allow for gliding across landscapes in accordance with gravity (i.e. rapid slow-down/stop when moving uphill, speed-up when moving downhill, sliding across flat landscapes), somehow getting that physics to only apply when the object (skis) are equipped (or “mounted” if that’s the only way), appropriate sounds of skiing on snow, etc.

Also, this mod would best be used on top of a good winter overhaul mod (such as “Winter in Skyrim — Landscape Overhaul” https://bethesda.net/en/mods/skyrim/mod-detail/4047092) so that the entire realm is covered in snow and there’s no need to worry about changing how the skis function on different landscapes without snow.

Here are some images and videos I’ve compiled that more immersively describe my vision of the mod to get a better idea of what skis might look like in Skyrim:

Medieval Norwegians on skis: https://i2.wp.com/thedockyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Birkebeinerne.jpg

Norseman skiing: https://i2.wp.com/thedockyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Norseman-skiing.jpg

In Norse mythology, Ullr is the god of skiing:

https://smite.gamepedia.com/File:SkinArt_Ullr_Default.jpg

http://www.whistlerpassport.com/whistler-tips/ullr-who-the-heck-is-he-and-why-should-i-pray-to-him/

https://aanubis96.deviantart.com/art/Ullr-skis-render-597409082

And Skadi is the Norse goddess of skiing:

https://i0.wp.com/thedockyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Skadi.jpg

http://historiska.se/norse-mythology/skadi-en/

https://m-katar.deviantart.com/art/Skadi-Goddess-card-illustration-541972311

http://mythdancer.blogspot.com/2015/06/skadi-frost-and-feet.html

http://dawn-of-gods.wikia.com/wiki/Skadi?file=Skadi_Summon.jpg

https://righon.deviantart.com/art/Skadi-253247753

A good example would be a clip from this movie trailer, which almost matches Skyrim’s aesthetic perfectly (skip to 0:44 in the video for skiing scenes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKbnq_3gL20

Here is a video of ski motion animation which could be used as inspiration for the mod (as well as a few other videos on this guy’s YouTube channel, seems to be an expert in ski body mechanics):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOMcNWgiT_A

So there it is, the idea for a really good skiing mod in Skyrim. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get this mod completed and as such seek help from the modding community. I would describe myself as a medium-to-low-level-experienced modder, but this is an expert-level mod for sure and by far a challenge to my capabilities, so there will be quite a bit of a learning curve before I could get anything out there myself. I am fully prepared to spend several months to a year or more building this mod if that’s the only way to make it happen, but I was wondering, does anyone know what it will take to get this completed, in detail, more than what I’ve described above? i.e. good animation tools I should use, advanced physics modding advice, re-wiring the controls to enable the motions of skiing, how best I should approach the ski object or “mount” itself. Also, the goal is to get it working on Xbox One. Any advice on this from expert modders would be great. Again, I am fine with spending half a lifetime trying to get this right.

On that note, is there anyone out there who has an idea and could complete this mod before half a lifetime, going off just what I’ve described above? If so, and I know everyone is busy, what will it take to make this mod your top priority? If there is a cost for your services, how much? A working skiing mod would completely transform the world of skyrim into something more dynamic, fast-paced, and free. It would be the top downloaded mod the day it’d come out. Imagine gliding through the forest, dodging trees all the while briskly carving through mountain snowfields, hitting a bump to get some air, with a war axe ready to take out the next bandit from behind before they even turn around to see you. The possibilities are endless and epic. The world needs this mod. It is our responsibility to bring it to them. So what’s it going to take?