Just wondering how much co-operation you are getting from the devs re release of essential info that you will need to fit your designs into the new landscape generation system.
Guess you might add in RAI too, though I suppose that the environment comes first.
Hi 1999, and welcome to Silgrad Tower!
:wave:
Bethesda has been very kind to answer the two or three direct questions we've asked over the past year, which revolve around definitions of copyright. Other than that I'm happy with the public information that's surfaced, and I think we have a pretty good general idea of how modding for Oblivion will be.
For example we know that the landscape generation involves deciding which models (plants, rocks etc) will be in an area and how often they show up, which tells us that something like the setup around the bittergreen plant in TES3 - with one bulb model and a collection of individual tentacle models that have to be arranged manually for each instance of the plant - won't work for Oblivion. We need fixed models (if they are to be generated), which means more modelling work to pull off that kind of variety, but makes actual modding easier. Things like that are good to know.
One thing to note is that, from my understanding, landscaping can still be 100% hand placed if desired. Not that we would want to, but we should have the option of tweaking whatever we need to of the design.
RW: Do you know if the land itself will be generated as well? Or does that only apply to the flora? It would help tremendously if that land is not randomly generated also.
-NR
I bet a modder can control precisely what he wants to generate, theoretically ticking a number of boxes that would control everything from soil errosion and topography variations to ninja monkeys, and then making settings for each as is applicable. I.e. what ninja monkey levelled list to use and such.
Here's how I picture the first stages will be, from my own highly personal point of view.
First I'll paint a huge, barren canvas of flat, empty land that stretches out as far as I figure the Reich Parkeep area would stretch, and then upload the esp and provide coordinates and other info, and get feedback from other main file admins as well as everyone else on how it's shaping up.
Once we've settled and coordinated the overall scale I can get down to generating the soil for the area, which I imagine will provide a wobbly, smooth landscape that looks natural. From there on I can start drawing the outline of Ashunor, the delta of Ebbedin and other important landscape features. But that's it for the 2/3 of the area east-most of the town of Reich Parkeep, which will stay barren until it can be given more attention by me or preferrably someone else.
In the third step I would generate the forests and other forms of nature in the western part, and touch down to make alterations where necessary or wanted. I imagine I and others will repeat the process many times as new plant models and such becomes available or old ones are updated, but this early on I'll probably stick to what Oblivion can provide in that department and move on to setting up the town(s).
I think there's a lot to be said for handcrafting nature and I believe we should encourage that, for instance by letting modders claim exterior cells that have already been generated and having them add more interesting nature scenes than the generator can provide. Personally I would love to mod a part of Ashunor as it goes into the mountain range in the west, and the cliffs around it rise ever higher and higher, with a bridge crossing it hundreds of feet in the air... the way that scene looks in my head is spectacular
...man, I can't wait!
Wow, you just implanted an amazing image in my head as well, and it will look much much better on this engine because of the draw distance. What a view!
I'm also imagining building a lodge on the side of a mountain, looking over more forest and mountains. It's also in mid winter with snow everywhere. Wow! :banana:
Your three-step plan sounds good enough for me.
Your idea sounds cool too
Would it maybe be in Windhelm? Or Jarnhald maybe, if that region returns?
I was thinking probably Jarnhald, though I didn't think much on it. Far out in the middle of nowhere is basically what I had in mind.
Kk. It conjures up images in my head of trampling through thick snow in no-mans land with a roaring blizzard all around you, thinking you'll freeze to death, then suddenly... a faint glow from a lodge in the distance... hehe. Yeah this game is gonna rock
Now I'm cold... X(
It'll be great.
Here's a pic of something I had in mind. Not quite though. No snow... it needs to be covered in it...
Quote:Originally posted by noremorse
Now I'm cold... X(
It'll be great. Here's a pic of something I had in mind. Not quite though. No snow... it needs to be covered in it...
No no. You have warm socks X(
hehe
