Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

Well... this message is to everyone that still reads this forum and that still has faith in the project.
I have been MIA for a while (school -.-), I'm sorry I didn't warn you guys... I though you could handle it.
Now this... well actually that's the problem, there is no "this", there's nothing at all. There hasn't been a post in DAYS some sub-forums even WEEKS!
How can we let this happen? It's simple: We can't. This project has so much potential.. yet we are completely wasting it.
This is a message to everyone that's still on the captain-less ship: The elder council took over after Martin... I suggest we do the same.
How can we save it?
1) We need a new forum/site. Clear structure, private dev forums. It's time that the devs concentrate on the development and not discuss things in the open. We need a place where we can discuss our ideas and creations. The others can ask questions and, if we see fit, we can answer them unless we concider the response as a spoiler.

2) We need recruitment: Bethsoft forums, PES,... I can get some modelers maybe and some music and quest-writers. We need a list of people on the team and their addresses. So that we know who's who and what he's doing and that we can discuss things on messenger for example, instead of on the forums.

3) A pre-release demo. I remember that I did the map and quests for that... Is there any big progress? Without something to show this mod won't be popular. When it's popular, we get more visitors, maybe more applicants*...

4)Applications*!: Post an application progress so that only good leaders can join the dev team instead of Tom, Dick 'n Larry. Ofc they can contribute... but imho they can't be in a leading position.

5) A structured planning: What do we have? What do we need? Models, stories, music, textures,coding,...? What are our priorities? (Right now: RECRUITMENT!)

6)People that stay and don't leave without saying shit and thus leaving the mod undead. (I'm not in a position to say this, but who gives a shamwow?)

So here's the thing: Who's here to answer? We need to do this togather people. I suggest that, if you read this Ysne, you start sending mails to everyone we can use...

What have I done in the meantime? Story writing!
I came up with 5 main quest, each much bigger than the vanilla oblivion one. I have a quest for the Empire (Attack the snakes), Tang Mo (help the Tang Mo. Sorta like what "Medcins sans frontiers" and "vredeseilanden" is doing in Africa: clean water, help refugees, defend against invaders, build a town,...), Ka Po (Infiltrate the Ka Po as an assignment from the Empire. Eventually, they will persuade you to join them...), Tsaesci (attack the humies and... something elses =) )
Now, these main quests are linked with "Flashpoints" where the player makes important choices. First there's the Part I of the Empire-quest where you get introduced to the other factions. Then you'll be assigned to the Ka Po empire as an infiltrator. You get the choice to 1) Infiltrate them (proceed with Empire quest) or 2) Join them (start the Ka Po quest), etc.
I'm not gonna spoil all details on the main quests but I'm going to reveal what I wanted to do a long time ago:
The Time area...
It's 12 years after the death of Martin Septim. The Empire has recieved countless attacks from the Tsaesci after the closing of Oblivion. The Empire assembled an army, together with the Blades (including Baurus, his descendant will play an important role). They restore the city at the river and form a colony. Launching expeditons to find a way to get further into Akavir. They fail: A great gate, overgrown with plants and tress, hidden in a deep cave blocks the route to Akavir. Baurus found a solution... but was never found again. His journal survived and was passed down from generation to generation, hoping that one day one of them would dare return to Akavir. Meanwhile, the Tsaesci are under pressure due to a Religious crisis: Their "Messiah" is preparing to arrive, as fortold by the Serpent... (Tsaesci resemble the Aztecs, so this is a referral to one of their myths. The serpent-god would arrive again at the mortal world, after having built a new one for the Aztecs/Tsaesci. In RL the "Messiah" turned out to be Cortez, but he killed all of them.).

Now it's 500 years after the reclaiming of the Great Shores of Akavir...
The empire has been severed by war with other nations. In the past hundred years they have developped gunpowder weapons. Magic has become more important in the everyday life, and a new University is found at the city of "Serpent's Gate" (WIP name for a city that is the main port-island before you arrive in Akavir. The player will do some island hopping...) The colonies sent a plea for help to the Elder Council, since the Tsaesci and Ka Po attacks have become more fierce.
The god of Might is arriving...

That's all I'm saying right now...

Would you like to become a co-leader on this mod and help shepherd it through?

I have some skills, but lack others and I am more than willing to share the job.

I do like your ideas.

The Assault Knight forums would be happy to host the private forum for the developers. I am now an administrator there so I could set the forums up myself.

http://akros.titans-server.net/forums/index.php

I'd very much like to do that. I have some leadership experience in RL-projects and have lead 2 other projects but those weren't... undead.
Back to the mod:
I'd love to see different categories of developers. I'm also working on another mod for Jedi Academy (http://www.galaxiesmod.com/) and that's how the system works there and it works perfect.

Lead writer
Factional writer chief
Factional writer
Item Modeler
Character Modeler
Creature Modeler
Architecture Modeler
Lead composer
Composer
Texturer
Coder
...
[NOTE: those are just specializations]
If allowed (you're still the boss ) I'd like to get signed up as Lead writer/ creative director...?

PS: glad to see the quick response... I was afraid it might take days -.-

[EDIT: I saw your edit =) Hmmm well that could be an option. Actually I was thinking of entirely new forums for the whole project or just the dev team. I'm willing to make a website this summer-vacation.]

I try to check these boards at least once a day. I will notify Razorwing that you are now a co-leader of the mod.

If you want to set up a private board for the work done prior to release that is fine with me. If you want to use the AK boards, that is just another option.

You will want to take a look at the development thread under the Island mod section. We can report progress here and keep this board open for discussion and recruiting and such. Idea generation is another good thing. We do occasionally get help from people working on other mods here as well.

Cathy/Ysne

Welcome to the co-leadership position.

Welcome back Shiver-Tail.


If you have not noticed, we started a small island mod named Akavir Island, hopefully with smaller project we can pull this off. Unfortunately people seem to be MIA. As for the music - I took the role of the lead composer, made three exploration and three battle tracks. Three dungeon ones need to be done (I'm having difficulty with finding free time to do those). The public section will not be covered, since we agreed we wanted to make things open like in Morrowind.

There is also game design thread, where people can give ideas and all can be edited into the first, big post. I covered the music section there.



Cheers
Mirrored

Hello all!

So,i have a talk with Shiver-Tail at yesterday.
And he want my help,and its okay for me.

So now,i can help for you guys with some(!) models or textures.
I can't be a member of this team,i just can help.
So let's do this project now.

`Senten

And with what wood and nails do you plan to build this great ship from when you're stranded on a treeless island?

Truth is, the skill department has a gaping hole in it that has never been filled up. Ra has infrequent visits and though he does help out when he can, he alone cant model everything. I'm becoming more and more bound in time as school rears up for the last term of highschool. We have no visionist to guide us through the process hence we've been blind ever since kodama disappeared.

though i admire your attempt to rally up interest again, what makes you think this is any different to all the other times? didnt we all ready send out emails to members? or advertise to see who is interested in joining? didnt i set up a concensus thread that shows the skills of members? did anything really change after all this shenanigans?

if you absolutely want change, you need to do things yourself. never depend on others until you have something to show that you've done the long yards of work.

how many major mods for oblivion were made by a group?

massive mods like midas, lost spires, MMM, OOO, Gates to Aesgaard, Nascosto isles, Deserts of Anequina. ALL of these got released because there was a central driving figure. THe community only helped polish things up when there was enough material to work with.
the BC forums are notorious for weak ideas and idle chat. so unless we have a central figure who can do heavy amounts of modding, Akavir will never see its first release.

corthian is the only figure who comes to mind who can lead things given he does have skills in modelling and has some of his own materials. but its up to him to see if he can manage such a task. otherwise, someone needs to step up to the scene and be willing to spend hours out of their own enthusiasm and not because of annoyance, to lead the team.

I have no need of your pessimism, hunter.
Post something constructive instead of complaining about how dead it is. Want to see it changed? Do something useful.
So if you want to join and help, do so.

If you need a visionist? Here I am, and Ysne too and others will join. If we don't have one, why not have a council of more? Three minds think more colorful than one. We'll just add a sniff of democracy.

If there are no trees we will simply create a ship of turtle shells and dead sea-animals to get to another Island that has trees.
A friend of mine once said:
"Believe, and you can fly."

What's the difference now? We'll simply do It better. If we couldn't do it then, that doesn't mean we can't do it now to all you fixed-mindset people out there.

And yes, if absolutely necessary, I will do it myself. I don't think that will happen though. Corthian (I haven't worked with him but he looks like a fast and good modeler. If he wants he can join the core-team too, help us with the resurrection.), Mirrored and Ysne are still here.
And yes, If you wonder, I can do a lot of modding:
3dsmax
XSI (now Softimage)
Zbrush 3.1
Google Sketchup pro
etc.
I have dozens of models,maps, resources and quests if that what you want. Yesterday I finished 3 temples, 2 swords, a house and a sacrificial stone for this mod alone (not talking about the 3 rifles and 2 vehicles for JKG) and yes, I have exams now but have no need to worry. If I have 0% on all of them I can still go to the next grade and take the classes I want.
CS is easily learned and I'm already starting the basics.
Enthusiasm? That's why I returned. I was gone because I was busy and originally I wanted to show off all my creations now (ask Senten, he can confirm that) but now it's undead and the resurrection is priority #1.

If we have 3 members that would actually try and learn to model instead of complaining that it's difficult because it isn't we would be able to to fabulous things. In JKG (another mod I work on as a modeler) we have 4 modelers that each finish about 3 models a day. Granted, they are experts... but if we would have three that produce 5 models a week we can easily create an Island mod.
What we need to do right now is recruit and use as many resources as possible. Already have I scavenged tesnexus from usable resources and have made quite a big list.
The gaping hole in the skill departement? It's simple we'll fill it up.
If they're working on our ship but disappear without a reason... they might not be there when the ship departs. Right not we need
1) a dedicated dev team
2) contributors: they can come and go as much as they want but can't make decisions.

So please, if you though I wasn't realistic: I know how hard this will be, but it isn't hopeless unless you let it be.

i am with EH here. you have tried this how many times before? its all the same people, no new blood, and based on earlier attempts there is not likely to be any. its not that simple to recruit people or make models, especially when you have no concept art or seemingly no clear vision of what exactly needs to be done. the greater community is pessimistic, and oftentimes rightfully so, based on the amount of large mods like these that promise great things but simply dont deliver. i saw some nice organizational progress going a year earlier, but that too has been abandoned.

if i were you i would release what you already have and be done with it, there is no point in kicking a dead horse again and again. there are many mods that could use your enthusiasm.

i dont call it pessimism, i call it realism

[edit] you know who Cassandra was? Ive been wearing that since the last time i did this: both my posts were deleted but i was right: highrock ended up dead, again.

I am aware of the skepticism. I do understand why you feel that way exilehunter and Lady N. I'm going to give Shiver-Tail the opportunity to see what can be done. He appears to have the qualities I lack.