Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

I just aquired permission to use Scruggsywuggsy the ferret's lock bashing mod, for silgrad tower, and i am trying to incorperate the scripting into the mining. Unfortunately, because i am a beginner i do not understand enough about scripting to be able to dismantle the script and reassemble it fit for mining.

The hard part is that the entire script uses assets in the lock-bashing mod, but not in Silgrad Tower. I cannot use the script as-is, but i have not the knowlege to modify it to the extent i would need to.

My questionn is this - should i merge the lock bashing mod with mine, and if i do so, should i attempt to disable all parts of the mod that i do not use for mining? Or can i leave it intact, enabling lock bashing throughout Silgrad?

(i'm kind of impatient to see this work, so i'll probably merge it and disable most of it, keeping a backup of my work, but still someone advise me on this.)

It shouldn't be a problem if you added a script. Dialogue on the other hand are where most dangers of contamination lie, at least in my experience, and I'm by no means innocent of that.

We have a general policy of not affecting gameplay, or affecting the main game world more than needed to let the player reach our area. No matter how popular a gameplay-altering mod is, there'll always be people who don't like it, and it's good to let everyone have a choice whether their gameplay should be affected or not.

Just to give more background on the mod, The lock bashing mod is exactly that - no dialogue, but it adds a script to every door and chest in the game, allowing it to be bashed open, in addition to being picked. People who do not care for door or chest bashing do not need to participate. The fact that this is something that the player is not in any way forced into is what made me think I could incorperate this as a whole into Silgrad.

Some more background, i can't just add the script, because it calls elements that (i think) are vital to the functionality, and are only found in the mod as a whole.

I could make the changes to gameplay negligable, but that would require me to go through every single last door model, and uncheck use of the script. That's why i asked first.

So do you think it would be ok to leave the mod intact, allowing things to be bashed open? (also, another thing to consider is that locked doors cannot be bashed, and that new models, such as those added by ST, are not effected, though if you want me to i can easily add them in)

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
I could make the changes to gameplay negligable, but that would require me to go through every single last door model, and uncheck use of the script. That's why I asked first.

Unfortunately due to technical issues you can't change anything at all that stems from Oblivion.esm. It's because esm's can't change what is in other esm's, so once your mine would be merged to the main esm the changed Oblivion.esm would cause severe bugs. So we can't for instance open a data sheet for a big Cheydinhal rock and set it to be visible when distant and add a _far model for it, only esp's can do that (without causing problems). If you reference an entry from Oblivion.esm in a script... hmm... I don't know actually, it could work since the script is not from Oblivion.esm, but I wouldn't dare to say for certain.

Other than that, if it doesn't force a change in gameplay, there's no problem

Ok, then, i set it up while waiting for a reply, and now we have fully functional mining (using a pickaxe). I'm not sure if you can still bash locks, but i'm pretty sure nothing broke.

Thanks for the advice then. I'm very very glad mining gets to be in the mod. One thing though. The script i modified will have to be attatched to all mineable rock models. I can do that for the glass rocks. Which, by the way, are awesome, but i cannot do it for models yet to be created, so that's just something that'll have to be done as it pops up.

Also, would you like me to attatch this to Silver and Gold rocks? or should i leave them alone, seeing as they are not Silgrad-created content?

*is bursting with happiness, mining is finally done*

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
Ok, then, I set it up while waiting for a reply, and now we have fully functional mining (using a pickaxe). I'm not sure if you can still bash locks, but i'm pretty sure nothing broke.

Thanks for the advice then. I'm very very glad mining gets to be in the mod. One thing though. The script I modified will have to be attatched to all mineable rock models. I can do that for the glass rocks. Which, by the way, are awesome, but I cannot do it for models yet to be created, so that's just something that'll have to be done as it pops up.

Cool.

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
Also, would you like me to attatch this to Silver and Gold rocks? or should I leave them alone, seeing as they are not Silgrad-created content?

No no don't do that. But if you want to use a Bethesda model in a new way please create a new entry in the Construction Set, same way as when you want to decide what goes into a container.

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
*is bursting with happiness, mining is finally done*

I bet players will love it too :goodjob:

Just another question, who tests this when i'm done, and how do i submit it? This is basically... the only dungeon in Silgrad i think. So i don't think there's much of an example to follow.

Also, how is this going to be hooked up... Silgrad Tower itself is incomplete, and Deepen Meadows isn't being worked on (last i heard, FLESH had stopped work on it) That means that the NPC i require to start the quest is... currently not in existance, for lack of a better phrase. For simplification, i did take Razorwing's idea of making my NPC Kashi's [the redoran councillor] Secretary, just so that i could set everything up. Unfortunately, that means that i have a half-done NPC running around the mines. Once she's placed in Kashi's mansion, someone's going to have to do the AI.

So is there any option besides putting the mine next to the (currently nonexistant) Silgrad City? Just for simplicity's sake, because i don't want this to slip through the cracks after sitting on a shelf waiting for Silgrad City to be made. In my opinion, if we are willing to break a bit from the old mod, it could just as easily be hooked up next to the (much more done, and very excellently so, good job guys) Reich Parkeep. It's already an imperial-controlled mine, and the guys in it have Redoran names.

Just wanna know the opinion of Razorwing or Sandor on this one.

Another option, i could wait for Silgrad City, and meanwhile work on the Nord mine. If it's ok, i'd also like to make the Nord mine on the same ESP, so that i can use the mining scripts and pickaxe, and also meaning no conflicts if i decide to modify pickaxe/mining in any way.

[EDIT] Just a note for razorwing, the glassrocks01 model is much more transparent than the others. You can see through it, whereas the other crystals are much more solid. I personally like the solid version, but let me know if this was intended, or you fixed it, or it there's an easy fix that i myself could accomplish.

Info.

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
Unfortunately, that means that I have a half-done NPC running around the mines. Once she's placed in Kashi's mansion, someone's going to have to do the AI.

I could mod the house for the secretary and finish the AI.

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
Another option, I could wait for Silgrad City, and meanwhile work on the Nord mine.

That would be the best solution.

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
If it's ok, i'd also like to make the Nord mine on the same ESP

This isn't a good idea as this will cause errors (sooner or later).
I could merge the esp (after it was play tested) to the esm and you'll have the scripts etc. available for modding.

Ok then, thanks. who do i submit it to for testing? it is almost ready to be tested, and it does not have any real problems. I just need to set up more miners and do their AI

Quote:Originally posted by Seniosh
Ok then, thanks. who do I submit it to for testing? it is almost ready to be tested, and it does not have any real problems. I just need to set up more miners and do their AI

I am willing to test the mine but it has to wait until March 17th.
Perhaps someone else could do the testing.