F&F: Creature Poll going on...

[cryonaut]

I have started a poll in the official ES forums, here: http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index...pic=264716

- This is to decide on which 2 or 3 non-reptillian new creatures will be included in the initial release of TES4:V. Kukulza and I decided we should include a few non-reptillian new creatures in the initial release to balance out the new reptiles being added (the altsasaan, krin, and rotumbo guar).

So please everyone, head on over there and cast your votes so all opinions are counted and consolidated in one spot. Thank you.

[Vrenir]

How big are the mushroom spiders you're thinking about? Are we talking fist-sized mushrooms or giant mushroom forest things, because I'm very much in favor of the littler ones for the Bitter Coast and maybe also the mushroom forests.

[cryonaut]

Not positive since they are Kukulza's invention, but I would assume they're about basketball sized. again though, i could be wrong, so we'll wait on him to confirm that one. maybe their sizes could be randomized from fist-sized to buick-sized...

[Harikari]

Basketball sized? Could that involve ragdoll physics Punting spiders

But I personally want the Wetig. It sounds so funny. Like you could punt it (whats my obsession with punting bugs?)

[Vrenir]

I tried to vote for the mushroom spiders, but the thing said that I was not allowed to vote for some non-discript reason. Oh well, just add one more to that number mentally. My reasoning for the decision is thus:

Our goal is to increase the depth of the local ecology. This implies that our wildlife will be either Vvardenfell or Morrowind specific (I think that everyone would benefit more if it was Morrowind rather than Vvardenfell only). That, as you said, leads to the focus either being on bugs or reptiles. Snakes should be minimal because they are more closely associated with Argonia which is also being modded now. A lot of bugs are also probably more Argonia-centric, so we probably want to leave a few beetle ideas for them.

So what do we need more of in Morrowind and specifically in Vvardenfell? Well, there are several different ecological systems on the island: the Ashlands, the Grazelands/Shoengrad, the Bitter Coast, the Arcadian Isles, and the Mushroom Forests. We already have a good selection of creatures for the Grazelands/Shoengrad as well as wild animals for the Ashlands. The Arcadian Isles should have fewer creatures to begin with as it is widely settled and farmed. That leaves us with the most dire need being in the Bitter Coast and the Mushroom Forests, translating to swamp and fungal-related creatures.

What then is best suited out of the list for swamps and fungal forests? Small lizards and salamanders could be good for the swamps. Bugs are always around, but probably not so much beetles (besides there's already the Shalk and we want something new). I kind of like the little penguin thing that Cryonaut came up with the other week, it actually would work best in the Arcardian Isles I think, sort of like a mole or rabbit. Back on topic, small to medium spiders seemed the best choice to me. First off, TESIII had no spiders, which is odd because you find them everywhere in the world. Second, they thrive in swamps and just seeing them on trees and logs would do a great deal to enhance the atmosphere. Third, they also thrive in forests, and I could easily see them on the moist and shaded trunks of giant mushrooms. Fourth, a spider model is one that could easily be used for multiple varieties with a retexture, sort of like the colored Nix Hounds. This would enable us to make seperate Mushroom Forest and Bitter Coast species with minimal effort. The choice of a medium-to-small spider would also be beneficial to the rest of the Morrowind Mods in ST, as it is not only an adaptable mesh for a universal animal but also a specific creature that would logically show up on the Mainland Bitter Coast as well near Legio Argonis. Perhaps even the Argonia people could use our spider retextured for their mod as well.

That's my argument, and I think it's pretty solid. Put in the spider, the Altsasaan, the new Guar, and the little burrowing penguin lizard, and I think that our mod will have a well-rounded ecosystem (perhaps we need one more Mushroom Forest distinctive animal but that'd be enough).

[cryonaut]

were you signed in on the ES forums? i don't think you can vote unless you're logged in.

[Vrenir]

Yeah I was. I just registered today so that I could vote, and they let me sign in. The bubbles showed up, I clicked the one I wanted, and then it came up with an error message saying that I couldn't vote on this poll. As I said, I don't know what's up. If you want, just make a mental note of it and add one to the spider tally.

[cryonaut]

hm very strange... i wonder if i should make an additional poll here and average the two in case more people have that problem...

[KuKulzA]

:dunce:

[cryonaut]

Okay since the ES forum is being tempermental, I have created another poll here: http://www.morrowind-mods.org/main/index.php

So feel free to vote in that, and then I will add the results together.