 Oblivion: Blacklight |
Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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I've been given a lot of thought to this lately since being asked of my
plans for the next game. So here is the initial proposal for the new
mod:
1 - The original borders will be recreated North of Silgrad Tower and
Reich Parkeep per the original game of Arena. The whole Northern area
will be recreated up to the Skyrim city of Windhelm. There are only
three of the Arena cities in the area:
Blacklight (in Common and Imperial)
Cormaris View (recreated in Redoran)
Windhelm (in Nordic)
Azhag and the fishing villages will be there but possibly moved to accommodate the vastness of the enlarged region
2 - Perfect compatibility with Silgrad and the new Verachen mountains
3 - Open exterior modding for anyone interested in designing wilderness
areas and city modding when we have new Redoran and Nord models to work
with. Also, open ideas to where placement of dungeons, ruins and
anything else that will make it more interesting.
4 - If you are going to be working on the new Silgrad, make that a
priority over Blacklight, I don't want to be splitting any loyalities
between the two mods even though they will be unitied when complete.
5 - That the new Blacklight continues to be a part of the Silgrad forums when Oblivion comes out.
And the new city:
It will be enlarged heavily with a massive new palace to be built and
an enlarged port to be constructed as well. Dependencies with Silgrad
will be a given. Blacklight won't work without the new Silgrad.
Azhag may become a renegade area depending on how far the new
construction set goes. It may prey on Cormaris and the fishing villages
on terms that will be discussed.
Demonic infulence will probably take a hold of Blacklight in terms of questing.
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23.09.2005 17:07 |
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Quentin Fortune
The Fourth Horseman
Registration Date: 12.11.2002
Posts: 3,573
Location: Silgrad Tower, Upper Chambers 2
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Hi Rodan,
I'm very glad to hear of your plans and to know that we will continue
our fruitful cooperation. It's a good idea to 'move' Blacklight back to
its original spot ... and man am I looking forward to the palace.
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4 - If you are going to be working on the new Silgrad, make that a
priority over Blacklight, I don't want to be splitting any loyalities
between the two mods even though they will be unitied when complete.
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I don't think that our cooperation will divide any loyalties, we're
going to help each other out in any possible way ... just like we ever
did.
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5 - That the new Blacklight continues to be a part of the Silgrad forums when Oblivion comes out.
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This place has been, is and ever will be your home, my friend. 
It's so great that you decided to get along with us.
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24.09.2005 14:50 |
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Razorwing
Administrator
Registration Date: 24.03.2004
Posts: 10,142
Location: Sweden
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I'm really glad to hear you've chosen to take Blacklight to Oblivion, and I like your ideas 
I don't think there'll be any problems with modders moving inbetween
the projects. I mean I'm sure you'll have your own threads on ESF and
an informational website that draws in modders to your area
independently of us, and if modders can move inbetween the areas I
think that'll benefit both mods.
Btw about your nr 2, you probably mean Velothi Mountains when you say
Verarchen Mountains. There's a town called "Verarchen Hall", which is
what you might have thought of, though Ben has said he wants to call
the town "Veranis Hall".
Personally I'll never forget the problems surrounding the G'Aedra
project, which was fused with ST early on, causing the modder who
controlled it (The Black Knight) a lot of headaches regarding doubling
bugs and similar. Going through the old discussions I got the
impression he spent half the time in the later stages just sorting out
the compatibility problems instead of doing fun stuff. So, I think
there's a lot to be said for keeping the mods as separate files for
quite some time.
But apart from that there shouldn't be a problem in, as you say, making
a TES4 esp dependant on the main ST esp, for example if our main
archive carries the bulk of the new Dunmer buildings and you want to
use them without bloating your download. And I'm sure the separate mods
(including Velothi Mountains and possibly Samhain Isles) could be
combined to a large, single mod when we want to release our Beta's, so
our combined world can be played together. So I think it will work out.
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24.09.2005 19:19 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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I've been keeping the two confused on Velothi and Verarchen by accident.
The only thing that will bother me when Oblivion comes out is
coordinates for the cells on the moved areas. Cyrodiil may be 0,0 in
the new game (that I'm not certain of) so I guess we have to wait until
it comes out before we plan the first step.
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27.09.2005 02:43 |
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Razorwing
Administrator
Registration Date: 24.03.2004
Posts: 10,142
Location: Sweden
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Rodan:
I'm not sure I understand how you mean. The sizes of exterior cells
will surely have changed since TES III, but I bet they're keeping
roughly the same borders for Cyrodiil as it has traditionally had in
previous games and maps. If so, it should just be a matter of adjusting
the grid on your concept map to get a workprint that roughly follows
the scale and coastlines our parts of Tamriel are meant to have. Then
one would just punch in the new numbers around the four sides of the
concept map and one would basically be set, unless I've misunderstood
something.
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27.09.2005 03:24 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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Razor, you probably misunderstood but I probably wasn't too clear
anyway. In Morrowind, Pelegiad had the 0,0 coords when the exterior
cells were arrainged so Blacklight had the original -19, 12 area.
(before Solstheim of course)
But you were right that we just have to figure out the new coords for
Silgrad and Blacklight from the new 0,0 in Oblivion whether that will
be in Imperial City or another part of the new map. So our areas will
probably now have positive coordinates instead of negative in terms of
east west.
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27.09.2005 14:29 |
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Yacoby
Warder
Registration Date: 11.06.2005
Posts: 34
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Looks good
__________________
:y: :a: :c: :o: :b: :y:
Aparantly I have a website, it is suposidly Here
Thanks to silgrad
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29.09.2005 23:28 |
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Razorwing
Administrator
Registration Date: 24.03.2004
Posts: 10,142
Location: Sweden
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Rodan: Well, if all our cell coordinates are positive this time around that would make things slightly easier in the long run I think.
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30.09.2005 03:01 |
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Astarsis
Protector
Registration Date: 12.10.2005
Posts: 26
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About the style to use for Black Light Oblivion. They are totally changed. There is no more common/imperial/nord/Skaal
However
Skyrim style:
Bruma - look just like Skaal
Sutch - Look somewhat Nordic, similar to the wooden house in DF, with stone base
*Imperial style*
the closest thing are
Choroll : very classic, similar to Setda Neen
Cheydinhall: different roof and other thing,
but very similar too
Skingrad is bg stone buildings
Bravil is wooden building
and may be used for shaks
so far I haven't seen shack, huts or similar things
however we saw 2 farm, and both are brand new styles, and there is a new city we have not seen (Leyewiin)
Also I suspect the 12+ villages may each have a special style
you can check my city thread on the main site. there are pictures for all cities except 2
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14.10.2005 07:28 |
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Astarsis
Protector
Registration Date: 12.10.2005
Posts: 26
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Or you can plan it as autonomous region and save you the trouble.
it work as your personal Morrowind map, in a way
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Originally posted by Rodan
I've been keeping the two confused on Velothi and Verarchen by accident.
The only thing that will bother me when Oblivion comes out is
coordinates for the cells on the moved areas. Cyrodiil may be 0,0 in
the new game (that I'm not certain of) so I guess we have to wait until
it comes out before we plan the first step. |
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14.10.2005 07:30 |
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raggidman
Prince
Registration Date: 06.01.2006
Posts: 2,620
Location: where my heart is
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Rodan
| quote: |
1
- The original borders will be recreated North of Silgrad Tower and
Reich Parkeep per the original game of Arena. The whole Northern area
will be recreated up to the Skyrim city of Windhelm. There are only
three of the Arena cities in the area:
Blacklight (in Common and Imperial)
Cormaris View (recreated in Redoran)
Windhelm (in Nordic) |
Just wondering if 
you intend any of your cities to be totally ruined by the invasion?
Seems that would create room for a gigantic rebuild quest...rebuilding
a whole city might even satisfy some of those who desire more than just
building a stronghold...?
__________________
Because loyalty is not to be
spoken of and honour is to be endured. Whilst courage is to be
survived. These virtues belong to silence.
Steven Erikson.
But, if one man does nothing can he be said to be good? raggidman
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25.01.2006 12:33 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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It's a good idea. But until Oblivion comes out I'd like to keep the
main quest idea on the backburner so I can see what we can and can't
do. I have a few ideas for the main quest but I do like the idea of
rebuilding a city. The hidden city for the Morrowind version of
Blacklight is still being formulated.
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25.01.2006 13:45 |
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KuKulzA
King
Registration Date: 07.09.2005
Posts: 7,152
Location: USA / Taiwan
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2 separate questions:
(1) are the rural fishing villages and hamlets governed by local Redoran hetmen? (mer?)
(2) is Azhag's Orc Camp an outlaw camp? will the orcs attack you on sight? is it a family, a tribe, or just a small band?
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25.01.2006 20:59 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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On 1)
The Redoran will have control over the villages
On 2)
No, Blacklight will be recruiting soldiers from there so it will be
independant but dependant on Blacklight for most of its income. (Kind
of strange when you put world politics on it 
)
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25.01.2006 21:16 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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Thanks, LN, it's good to hear from you.
The main quest idea I've been always working from Morrowind is that
Blacklight was going to rejoin the empire in the end. The city will
greatly benefit from the increased trade and become larger from the
increased population;.
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25.01.2006 21:49 |
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KuKulzA
King
Registration Date: 07.09.2005
Posts: 7,152
Location: USA / Taiwan
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so are the Azhag tribe a sort of mercenary group? like the Orcs moved
there and got a living from being Blacklight's soldiers? |
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26.01.2006 01:26 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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You can say that the orcs have been there and the city is recruiting
them when the legion leaves and needs a new way of defense. So the city
will hire from the best around.
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26.01.2006 10:46 |
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KuKulzA
King
Registration Date: 07.09.2005
Posts: 7,152
Location: USA / Taiwan
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Blacklight 
personally I don't like the picture but that's just me
I think it is evident which section is redoran and which is imperial... as well as the northeastern lighthouse
KuKulzA has attached this image (downsized version):
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21.03.2006 01:56 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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I actually want to see what I can do with the new CS before I make a
basic design of the city. The city is going to be huge but the only
Redoran in the city will probably be ruined walls inside parks. It's
also going to be tiered since it will be going up the hills surronding
the city.
For the Redoran, they will have the gateway village on the other side of those hills. I just don't have a name for it yet.
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21.03.2006 07:37 |
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KuKulzA
King
Registration Date: 07.09.2005
Posts: 7,152
Location: USA / Taiwan
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how about name the tiny village Bar-Citha which is "over hills"
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27.03.2006 03:41 |
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raggidman
Prince
Registration Date: 06.01.2006
Posts: 2,620
Location: where my heart is
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The idea of a 'hilly' city offers the prospect of a genuine reason for
creating cramped areas. I saw some pics from another mod that had
created a cramped city with runways from building to building and
although the modelling quality looke dto be very high I was very
uncomfortable with what I felt to be artificially imposed restriction.
If you compare the different shapes of towns and villages created by
different terrain from an airoplane window you will note for example
that fields and town blocks in agricultural UK areas tend to be made of
rounded squares, ovals and other broad shapes, but in the Skandinavian
mountains fields are long and thin and cramped together as are city
blocks, all competing to survive in narrow valleys...
So if your city design follows the landscape and is cramped in the
poorer areas (those that were never rich) you will achieve a more
natural feel to it. On the other hand the rich areas will use the
landscape in a different in that instead of solely being dictated to by
it they will both mould to and mould the landscape in design as well as
shape.
Hope that's clear and useful?
__________________
Because
loyalty is not to be spoken of and honour is to be endured. Whilst
courage is to be survived. These virtues belong to silence.
Steven Erikson.
But, if one man does nothing can he be said to be good? raggidman
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27.03.2006 11:33 |
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Rodan
Spellbinder of Blacklight
Registration Date: 02.03.2003
Posts: 1,085
Location: City of Blacklight
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I like that name, Bar-Citha. Thanks Kukulza!
The ideas are very useful, Raggidman. I haven't yet set up a basic
design since I haven't played much Oblivion yet (work and doctor
appointments getting in the way 
). On my next day off I'm going to put a few hours in the game getting ideas.
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27.03.2006 14:34 |
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