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The Hunt for Blackmane (WIP)


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http://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/promo/HfBMLogo800.png
This mod is an early work in progress

It's time to hunt Blackmane, a mythical beast that's been terrorizing Falkreath Hold for years. But all is not as it seems.
A greater threat dwells in the tunnels beyond the beast's den.

The hunter becomes the prey.

About me & my vision for the mod

My first piece with the Creation Kit since 2006. Its taking a while to scrape the rust off, but a little project like this is a good way to pull it off. I've got some great ideas for this questline. Once I make good progress, I'll start looking for voice talent. :smile: The questline will include new enemies, a new themed armor set and weapons, and a permanent perk reward.

I always found Skyrim's dungeons were too linear. There was one clear path through, mostly involved fighting and a few basic puzzles, and a shortcut back to the entrance. I aim to work a little differently, with less hand holding. I will devise a dungeon with more branches, more exploration and a path less obvious. In the screenshots below, you will see the vertical height one area, which will include jumping, climbing and fighting to reach the top. There are 5 entrances/exits in this area alone, leading to various other rooms and levels. The will be hints, but you will have to think about what you discover. The quest text will reflect this and not constantly point you the exact way to the quest marker.

The same goes for the questline. I intend to include player choice and interaction, to have different rewards and events play out depending on the choices you make as you delve into Mornhaven.

 

 

Screenshots

http://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/03-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/05-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/06-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/08-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/09-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/10-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/11-BMD.jpghttp://jep.sorrowind.net/blackmane/tb/12-BMD.jpg


More Screenshots

Into the den | Blackmane is on the hunt | Witch's Fall from above | Bjornir Thrall (WIP by Frankdema) | Map Sneak Peak (Updated Feb 19th)

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Sound REALLY nice.

 

I really like the screenshots, looks amazing.

Agreed with the "Linear" dungeons, it's kinda weird that there's ALWAYS shortcut back to the entrance. (I'd appreciate "Shaemar's way- like dungeons more, where the exit takes you somewhere else.)

 

Also, are you going to keep "Blackmane's" Appearance as a secret? Like, is he wolf, bear, troll or Werewolf? :biggrin:

For some reason it sounds like Were-beast.

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Sound REALLY nice.

 

I really like the screenshots, looks amazing.

Agreed with the "Linear" dungeons, it's kinda weird that there's ALWAYS shortcut back to the entrance. (I'd appreciate "Shaemar's way- like dungeons more, where the exit takes you somewhere else.)

 

Also, are you going to keep "Blackmane's" Appearance as a secret? Like, is he wolf, bear, troll or Werewolf? :biggrin:

For some reason it sounds like Were-beast.

 

I'm actually on the fence about how to handle Blackmane right now. I've already decided what it is exactly, and other characters have seen him, including your main partner in this quest. My original plan, so far is that during an earlier stage of the questline, when you're investigating an abandoned homestead in the woods, when you exit a specific building back into Skyrim, you spot Blackmane from across the homestead, and he saunters off into the forest, prompting you to track him. The problem is that I'm unsure how well this game type can handle that. I have one idea, but it'll need testing. If a player with good reflexes can just pelt him with arrows before I have him disappear, it's going to be a big problem. :P

 

And thank you the feedback, that's an encouraging response!

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Mm..

 

Well, there's couple of ways to handle that.

Either make two "variants" of Blackmane, one is especially for this scenario where you see him.

And this variant would be invincible, not aggroable, strictly controlled.

It's fairly much used technique by Bethesda. (Alduin, anyone? I think there's more than three variants for him, for different quests)

 

And then the real variant, killable and so on.

 

Or you could learn some scripting and learn how to switch it "on-the-fly".

(I can't help you there, as I've got 0% experience with scripting.)

 

I really like the idea of spotting him before actually tracking him down.

Like.. Luring you inside the caverns. :devil:

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Mm..

 

Well, there's couple of ways to handle that.

Either make two "variants" of Blackmane, one is especially for this scenario where you see him.

And this variant would be invincible, not aggroable, strictly controlled.

It's fairly much used technique by Bethesda. (Alduin, anyone? I think there's more than three variants for him, for different quests)

 

And then the real variant, killable and so on.

 

Or you could learn some scripting and learn how to switch it "on-the-fly".

(I can't help you there, as I've got 0% experience with scripting.)

 

I really like the idea of spotting him before actually tracking him down.

Like.. Luring you inside the caverns. :devil:

 

The first option is what I've been planning to do, but I'll have to see how the engine handles it in action. I remember the engine used to give me nightmarish issues with the simplest AI commands back in the days of Oblivion. Here's to hoping I'll have an easier time of it this time around!

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  • 2 weeks later...

A new update. Better lighting in the shaft, new areas, the dungeon is getting incredibly big and detailed. Been in talks with a few individuals who will help me develop new enemies, weaponry and armor.

 

- You are not alone

- Gloomy Passage

- Witch's Falls at night

- Witch's Falls by day

- From on high

- Into the Falls

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