Soluthis' Rocky Region: Area Claim #20 [Old disc.]

[sandor]

Originally posted by Sam324
Yes, I'll finalize the caves. I think I'll be able to increase the facecount that much for the exterior. I'll give it a try.:goodjob:

Great!

[Sam324]

How much do I need to increase the caves' facecount?

[Razorwing]

As good as all of our models have been optimized in the asset updates used by ST Modders and core members, so the facecount is much less when we view a cell than when a modder with the public version of the mod does. To avoid confusion over different facecounts being reported I sent you (Sam) an archive with the optimized west gash rocks.

It's ok if the facecount is between 50k and 100k with the optimized rocks. If it was 100k before you extract the nifs it'll probably by 50k-75k afterwards though. The choices for modding cells in the rocky region is basically limited to west gash rocks. It might feel repetetive to only use rocks, but at the same time I think rocks are very versatile and can be used for so many different things. For instance one can make it more entertaining by modding corridors, i.e. a path with rocks on either side, which I think is a particularly good idea for setting up entrances to caves.

[sandor]

Originally posted by Sam324
How much do I need to increase the caves' facecount?

To avoid confusion I'll use the object count instead.

SoluthisLoc20Lvl1 --> Add 100 - 120 objects.
SoluthisLoc20Lvl2 --> Add 70 - 80 objects.

Add many more rocks e.g. StRwMoldcaveRock30 (use different types).

Further you could add: Cobwebs, Drogo (mushroom), StStaticFloraBcVine05, dead creatures, Dunmer barrels and chests etc.

Please, only use Silgrad Tower assets.

Don't make it too easy for the player to steal the loot.
You could hide valuable items or make it difficult to open the chests, lock it with a key which is in the inventory of the bandit.

Add a pathgrid.

For the creatures use leveled lists e.g. StRwCreaturelistCaveSpider01.

Add music e.g. AMBDungeon2DLP08.

Guide the player through the cave using the ambient type of lights e.g. CaveDustyAmb350. The path that the player has to follow is brighter than the other parts of the cave. Reduce the light settings for the cell.

Check the SoluthisLoc001lvl1 and SoluthisLoc002lvl1 for inspiration.

[Sam324]

Okay, I have it finished. I put a little pond oasis in there just for the heck of it, but if you don't want one that's fine.

[Razorwing]

Originally posted by Sam324
Okay, I have it finished. I put a little pond oasis in there just for the heck of it, but if you don't want one that's fine.

An oasis is wrong, but a mountain lake would be ok as long as looks like the opposite of fertile and pleasant. Kreshweed, roobrush and chokeweed - the staplefood of flora in the Soluthis region - would work well as flora. And naturally saltrice and marshmerrow, Morrowind's answer to cattails and other weeds that grow rooted under water, can grow there. You can put our kollop containers on the seafloor too (Container > ST > Natural > StRwKollop...). Their ID's say they're for ocean use only, but that was before I resized them, since the originals were man-sized. (They're from an old Morrowind mod). Also, please only use land textures that start with StRPRegion, like for instance StRPRegionDirt for the seafloor.

Slough ferns, ampoule pods and draggle-tail grow in the Bitter Coast area, as their ID's imply, so they are not appropriate for the Soluthis region. Willow oak trees aren't found here either, only Silgrad oaks. Muckspunges only grow in the Ashunor Valley region.

-20,45 and -20,44 have ok facecounts, 42 624 and 55 586 respectively. -21,45 needs more than the current 23 332 and -21,44 needs a lot more, as it only has 8 842. Try using some of the big rocks to suck up empty space.

It's better to use levelled monster lists for the custom creatures than placing them directly, for no other reason than that they give an error when loaded in the CS. They work fine, there's just something technically imperfect about them that causes the CS to produce an error.

Looking forward to the next version.

[Sam324]

I have it finished. I updated the cave with the newly-found wooden platforms I was looking for before. I also filled up the cell with 20,000s facecount to the brim with rocks, but was still unable to raise the facecount to a desired level.

[TheImperialDragon]

Hi there Sam, I looked at your cave.

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black[/hr]GENERAL
- Try to rotate objects more often.
- You need to add a lot more rocks to the cave. Right now, it's looking very plain, particularly around the entrance.

FIRST LEVEL

- Add some more rocks and harvest-able fungi to the entrance passage.
- The ship wreckage is out of place because this cave is far from any sailing paths. Maybe instead you could add another layer to the platforms and fill the bottom of the chamber with water? Also, make sure it's possible to get back up in case the player falls.
- The steps aren't positioned quite right (screenshot 1). Raise the platform steps a little bit.
- The open sides of the stakes are showing underneath the platforms (screenshot 2). Raise them so that those parts aren't visible.
- Try to put the Hypha Facia on its side (screenshot 3). If you use the havok simulation, don't press the F-key to put it on the table surface. Instead, drag it down with the mouse while holding the Z-key.
- Both tables are floating a small bit.
- The bedroll on the upper platform is floating. See the fourth screenshot (I moved one of the stakes out of the way so you could see it)
- Moving into the next room, reposition the firelogs so that none of the individual logs are floating.
- The mushroom cap at an angle (StFloraBiCoLuminousRussola08) looks out of place in screenshot 5.
- When you're placing furniture and containers, it might be worthwhile to use a platform floor so things don't float or look like they're floating. See the sixth screenshot for a good example of where you might want to consider using them.
- Move the boss chest deeper into the dungeon (they are usually in the final room).
- That pit in StRwMoldcaveRoomSingle21 doesn't look like it has a way out. Add a set of stairs to either side so it's possible to escape.
- There are too many enemies in the pit.
- Look over the objects in the pit for floating and fix the problems you find.
- Sink StRwMoldcaveRock30 so the gap isn't obvious or visible from any area in the room.
- The entrances to that room which you blocked off look like good places for barrels and other loot containers (not too many though).
- The barrel on the far side of the room is floating.
- Sink the DUNCrate02Pile at the end of the first level because it looks like it's floating
- Sometimes a transparent model such as HangCrud can prevent the player from being able to activate anything behind it. Make sure that isn't the case here. If it is, then remove it.

SECOND LEVEL

- The fog is too bright in this cell.
- Add some rocks to cover the underside of the wood seen in screenshot 7.
- Add a ramp that leads out of the water so it's easier to get out.
- It looks like there should be something more behind the cobweb with the dead rat.
- There's a spiderweb covering the exit from the room. If you use that particular web, resize it to cover the whole entrance.
- A small suggestion: Add more webs to the ceiling of StRwMoldcaveRoomSingle06 so there's a small clue that spiders live up there.
- Add more rocks and clutter to the passage leading to StRwMoldcaveRoomSingle04
- Add a light at the entrance to StRwMoldcaveRoomSingle04
- I don't understand why there's a living horse so deep in the cave.
- Some of the enemies need to be raised a bit because they are partly below the floor.
- Add more rocks and webs on the walls
- Add some more loot to the room
- Could you raise the water level just a bit? There's an area on the floor that looks too sharp with that water level (screenshot 8)
- Absolutely do NOT use good armour like Daedric, Ebony, Dwemer, or Elven in un-leveled dungeon loot. It's too much of a reward and can upset gameplay balance if a low-level character finds it.
- If the player can't climb out of the last chamber, you need to add either wooden stairs or a rock ramp.
- Some of the mushrooms might need to be scaled down.

PATHGRIDS

- On the first platform level, there's a path that goes right through the table. Make the path go around the table instead.
- After you make changes to the pit area, change the pathgrid.
- Finish the first level.
- Once you add ramps to the first room of the second level, change the pathgrid so that it uses them.
- The pathgrid should also cover the opposite side of the room.
- You should divide that long path in the tenth screenshot with another pathgrid point.
- After you add a ramp or stairs to the final room, change the pathgrid so that it uses the addition.
- Expand the pathgrid more in the final room.

NPCS

- Do not use the VampireRace
EDIT: - Actually, just switch all of your NPCs over the the Vanilla (default) OB Races for the time being. Don't use any of the St races because we need to remove some of them due to conflicts with the StGeneric dialogue Quest.
- Since these guys are bandit villains, they shouldn't sleep for too long. The maximum amount of time each bandit spends sleeping should be around 2-4 hours.
- Don't give any non-boss bandits enchanted weapons.
- The bandits should all have clothes (even if they already have armour)
- Don't use JailShoes, use LowerShoes05 instead.
- Give each bandit a default explore package.
- Make sure that each bandit's Aggression and Confidence values are at 100
- The fifth bandit should not have a level offset of 5
- The dead bandit should be a quest item so she doesn't disappear after a while

You are responsible for playtesting your dungeon. Please do so before posting your next version.

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[Sam324]

I think I need to relinquish this claim. I just can't find the inspiration and the time between school and the schedule I have.

I HEREBY RELEASE THEE

[Razorwing]

Originally posted by Sam324
I think I need to relinquish this claim. I just can't find the inspiration and the time between school and the schedule I have.

I HEREBY RELEASE THEE

Damn, and after such a thorough review too