Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

Official 'Black Marsh' Landscape Claim for Parchlands Region #11: Southern Parchlands

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Parchlands: Southern Parchlands
AVAILABILITY: Completed by Ibsen's Ghost

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NB: All the light green cells in the picture must be modded plus any other cells that have been added that use the Parchlands assets. Take note that the x co-ordinates in this region (the numbers along the top) are all minus values as well as all of the y co-ordinates (the numbers along the side). Therefore, -29,-23 is the cell in the North-Western tip of the claim and -18,-29 is the cell in the South-Eastern tip.

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Description & Details

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This area of the Black Marsh: Parchlands Region contains what used to be farmland that has now been abandoned. Due to the intensive farming of the Imperials and other invading races, this region has been left somewhat arid and starved of the sort of abundant life that populates most other regions of the Black Marsh.

However, it's threat level remains the same in some parts as creatures roam back and forth through the driest areas of the country, some of them favouring the hot sun of the area.

One of the major cities and busiest ports of Black Marsh lies on the Southern Coast in the form of Soulrest and there is likely to be a major Sotho Tren presence here, possibly involving piracy as the pirate's cove already constructed on the beach outside of Soulrest shows. Likewise, there may well be another Fort in this area besides possibly a cave. If the Midlands does not already have a cave then there should be room for another one too.

Chicken-like lizards will be found here, that perhaps can be tamed and used as mounts but there are several dangerous creatures besides.

This claim is quite well generated and most of the work involves resetting the zebra Bromeliads and corn plants whilst cutting down on the number of desert rose plants whilst creating more various versions of them. Palmetto trees should also be checked for clipping whilst some more parched soil textures can be used occasionally in combination with dead tree stumps, some of which would benefit from having logs placed nearby. Other than this, it is entirely a case of setting up locations such as the Fort and cave....and maybe adding a small pirate's island off the coast if you so desire. Finally, another coral reef somewhere along the Southern coastline near to Soulrest would be much appreciated. Ask me how best to go about this.

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At-a-glance Details

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Region: Parchlands
Cell count: 92 approx.
Exterior cell coordinates:
SW Corner = -28,-28
NW Corner = -29,-23
SE Corner = -18,-29
NE Corner = -17,-23
Claim Size & Difficulty: Medium. Quite easy but bigger than other PL claims.
Inhabitants: Mainly Argonians but perhaps some Sload.
Settlements in area: Soulrest - please do not affect the cells designed for these settlement without notifiying a core member of your actions.
General Info: Please maintain contact about your modding on this thread but, above all, keep posting updates by adding v1, v2, v3 etc. to the end of your files.Take note that any esps submitted must begin with BM followed by your modder initials. For me, this is BMIG (IG for Ibsen's Ghost). Then submit your final claim to this thread: Latest esm and esp updates .

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Modding Directions

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Download the latest bsa details here: Black Marsh Resources: Latest bsa .

Your first task is to make sure that the flora and trees are not floating above the ground or have any edges of the models showing.

You may alter the height map as you wish but please bear in mind that this may affect other cells and the positioning of flora and trees as you will need to alter these accordingly. You are welcome to delete objects and there are recommendations on what to add below but please bear in mind that doing so means that you will probably have to add or delete vertex shading and make appropriate choices for texturing using the surrounding texture palette.

Your main task, however, is to abolish clipping. Soulrest has also been modified along the coastline and contains a pirate's cove but it has yet to have the regional details merged and to have drawbridges constructed that lead to the entrance. llamaranger is presently working on drawbridge models. Please contact me with any questions on this.

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Modding Directions: What to add

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Textures - Please use the existing PL textures. When near to the borders with other claims, please make sure that there is a smooth transition. Otherwise, please keep to the sort of patterns that you see in the generated landscape. It's best to use non-grass textures around flora and rock objects to prevent grass peeping through objects!

Clutter and Flora - Much of the flora has already been added through region generation but you may decorate with the following rocks and flora: Desert Rose, Pineapple Plant, Corn Plant, Sugar Cane, Zebra Bromeliads, any coral rocks and coral flora in the sea, sea urchins (in the sea), along with a few other options as detailed here: Flora Distribution .

You will find these under the Flora\blackmarsh folder or the Static\Flora\blackmarsh folder (in the case of the Bromeliads, for example). You will also find the fossil logs under Static\Environment.

It is only recommended to make use of the large variety of Parchlands rocks under the blackmarsh\rocks\Parchlands folder.

Trees - Not much needs to be done with the trees. Just check that there are enough Hala trees in the parched areas and palm trees around the little pools. You can add small waterfalls to create an oasis, if desired.

TIP: When modding, you can use Ctrl-D when you find a model you wish to duplicate and then drag it out and position it where you see fit. Don't forget to vertex shade the bases when you do this though.

Otherwise, ask if you'd like to use any other models or textures. I'm sure you'll make sensible choices but it would be best to check that out by posting screenshots or offering a suggestion in this thread.

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Settlements and Dungeons

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The best part of landscape claims that I enjoy the most are modding the dungeons. Here, there is room for a ruined Imperial fort and one or two caves. Please try to ensure that the spacing between the dungeons and settlements is fairly even but please ask regarding anything specific if you have an idea.

All such dungeons can be decorated with appropriate clutter or you can leave this to the dungeon modder themselves. Please note that it should be your responsibility to post up dungeon claims once the landscape claim has been submitted. Please see the core about acquiring a claims template (that which is normally written in these threads) when you wish to do so.

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Important Notice and Technical Information

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If you decide to add a lot of one particular model, please notify on this thread the rough proportions of the extra models that you add so that it is easier for the next person who takes a landscape claim to work with you and maintain a degree of uniformity to the landscape. For example, tell us roughly how many of Koniption's zebra bromeliads you are using per cell.

For extra help, please take a look at sandor's excellent claims descriptions on the ST site here: SHRAC05 "Steadhelm Region Area Claim" [Claimed] , particularly in the 'Technical Info' section.

Above all, make if fun for the player and have fun with the claim yourself!

Thought I might finally put my money where my mouth is and sign up for a landscape claim. Makes a refreshing change from interiors.

I have a couple of questions, however. First, how do you tell where the cell borders are?

Second, I'm a little uneasy about the way the Parchlands turned out as they were meant to be much drier and more barren than the rest of BM, but I think they ended up looking too much like Elseweyr, which is a real break from the rest of the Marsh's feel. Would it be ok to make the land a bit less dry and a bit more bleak?

What do you think?

I'm not sure what you mean by more bleak. I know that liana created a 'badlands' set that is similar to this one. I think that's as bleak as we can make it given the inescapably pretty OB lighting system. I would say yes but with a note of caution not to make it much different from the likes of the Northern Parchlands (see the completed claim). You can achieve this to an extent by using more dessicated tree stumps and scrubland with less trees and more large rocks but you'll need to bring in some palms and more lush vegetation along the Eastern borders which rapidly become very wet and vibrant.

Your first question is dead easy. Take a look at the map in the OP. The cell references in the first pic that are tan-coloured and below the black line that separates them comprise the sum total of cells for this claim. I already finished merging the area around Soulrest but I think you'd planned to use the Easter Island statues along here...? I don't think I put them in the latest archive update. Can you check for me and let me know, please? They may be in the archive but not in the CS. In which case, just add them as you see fit.

Thanks. I'll check the Heads and see what's going on.

Actually what I meant to ask was how you find the borders of the cells you're working on in the CS.

Quote:Originally posted by Deeza
Thanks. I'll check the Heads and see what's going on.

Actually what I meant to ask was how you find the borders of the cells you're working on in the CS.

Ya know, when I tried my hand at landscaping, I had the same question.

I think the "B" key on one's keyboard, turns on the yellow grid landscape line in the render window of the CS..but it's been a while and I could be wrong.

Ibsen?

Koniption

Yes, it's B. Was that what you were asking?

Anyway, I think I misinterpreted you again but here's my earlier response before I read KP's answer above (which makes much more sense, actually):

Just use the cell window once you've navigated to the blackmarshes WS. I tend to click on the cell reference column to get them in order so that you'll have -1,-1 followed by -1,-2 and -1,-3 etc. Take a look at the numbers along the side and top to match up the area with the grid references in the map in the OP. To keep track of which cells I've completed, I tend to use the powerpoint document I've attached here. Every time I complete a cell, I change the colour of the cell I've done to something entirely different so I know it's complete. You can also plan out where you want to place your cave or Fort by colouring some cells grey.

If you're planning on adding another coral reef then feel free to copy and paste large chunks of the coral reef in the 'Garden on the Autarch' and bear in mind that I plan to add some of Senten's corals that were sent to me by Vintra eventually.

Btw, I marked this as claimed. :check:

OK. Will give it a go then.

Given that I'm now so wrapped up in finishing Stormhold and the native villages, I think it would be better for me to concentrate my efforts there. So I'm going to release this claim.

Okay. Done.

I'll take this one, unless you want a little variation in your modding, Deeza...? It will need a little work with the Easter Island statues and, eventually, the Kothringi ruins off the Southern shore. I didn't include any further dungeons in the middle-Parchlands other than the one already there - Mannatyr and the Garden of the Autarch. That means there's more room for dungeons here.