Decoration ideas for a rocky landscape

[Razorwing]

As some of you know the region north of Soluthis is a rocky landscape with nothing but rocks, rocks, rocks, and now and then a plant growing on a mossy patch of rock. And naturally plenty of moldcaves, Velothi tombs and other fun locations for players. The theme I was going for is kinda like the later scenes of the last Lord of the Rings movies except it doesn't have any evil overtones. But it might get a bit tedious if you can only work with rocks on your claimed section when we start customizing the region.

So for inspiration I'd like to open up a discussion on what kind of wholly new stuff modders can place in this kind of region. It can't be plants or trees since the ground is rocky, it shouldn't be ordinary rocks since we already have them, and it probably shouldn't be man-made since the theme is a desolate wasteland (with plenty of adventure to be had). Any ideas?

One idea that floated by in my head was crystals, just because they are intrinsically logical. They can grow, but they are not alive, so it doesn't matter that the ground is infertile rockface. But crystals feel more like high fantasy while this should feel more like a hard, menacing, gritty region.

Volcanoes & geysers maybe? Holes in the ground that billow smoke?

(On a sidenote this discussion would not affect the generation, it would just give modders more tools to work with when customizing cells)

[Seniosh]

well is the region volcanically active? Cause then you've just got to imitate the areas around red mountain, with lava, boiling mudpots, rocks, ect.

but i don't know that Silgrad Tower is volcanically active, at least anymore. Smokeholes prehaps... but i'd say that if you can make the rocks interesting not much else is needed. and by interesting, i mean giant ridges, small caves, ravines, ect ect.

I'd especially like to see some creature dens without doors on them, that are just made of boulders. Only question is what creatures live in desolate wasteland?

And i agree, large fields of crystals do feel more fantasy than TES is.

I don't suppose you could have any ruins?

OO! *raises hand* What if we got a model for the dead shells of silt-striders, and other things that chitin come from??? This can be the barren wasteland where large chitinous animals come to die. (For those of you who have seen the lion king, it's like the elephant graveyard) (those of you who haven't seen the lion king were deprived as children)

It answers the question of where redoran houses come from, AND looks really really cool!

[IAMTHEEMPEROR]

what did the region look like in TES3? Then we can just adapt it to be something more realistic looking.

[blackbird]

It's just a rocky area. The northwest is region of RP is a region like the Valus and Jerall Mountains.
You can see a TES3 compilated map at this site.
http://www.silgrad.com/oblivion/images/m...medium.htm

[bob196045]

[Seniosh]

that looks a lot like minas morgul...

just ignore the giant green beam of energy in the screenshot.
and yes, i know i'm an LOTR geek

aside from that, there isn't too much you can do with JUST rocks. Dave_91's working on a siltstrider, so we could steal the shell from that if you guys like the idea of having dead siltstriders

[IAMTHEEMPEROR]

How about something similar to the Jerrals? It would make sense, as both the Jeralls and that region are on the border of Skyrim

[TheImperialDragon]

Snow and Brimstone... Interesting idea.

I have a small idea, maybe crystal caverns? Not necessarily on the surface, but deeper down. I don't think it's too fantasy when you consider the stuff you went through doing the SI main quest, this is a lot more realistic than Sheogorath's realm too.

[IAMTHEEMPEROR]

The Crystal should be saved for Telvanni. That's where the crystals in Morrowind are supposed to be

[TheImperialDragon]

Originally posted by IAMTHEEMPEROR
The Crystal should be saved for Telvanni. That's where the crystals in Morrowind are supposed to be

I don't know where you got that information, there are crystals all across Vvardenfell in caves, and glass is a crystal too, which is found all over Morrowind. There's no reason crystals couldn't be found in a volcanic area like this.