The Elder Scrolls Online Inspiration

[Rattfink333]

like the banners up a couple of posts. (kinda sorta back)

[Gorgle]

Hey guys, just a lurker here.

I decided yesterday to snap some screenshots of the Elsweyr starting island for you guys. (can't be bothered actually playing the game though).

http://imgur.com/a/vhk0D

I hope it's useful.

[Le Grimacier]

Thank you, Gorgle. That's very interesting. Lot of details are visible. I'm sure we'll make good use of them.
From what I found, Thunderbugs seem to be specific to Elsweyr but they look more like some sort of egyptian scarab robot made of gold and lapis lazuli than a living being. And harpies are so... un-original. I always thought that Hagravens were the TES-equivalent of harpies. And Monkeys!!! They are cool and give an indian feeling to the scene but I think Alfiq could fit the role as well.

[SGMonkey]

un-original.

TES:O in a nutshell.

Could also use uninspired.

[pROvAK]

I have to agree with SG.

[Gorgle]

The design on the monsters are very different that's for sure. They all look very shiny and sterile compared to the orignal series. For example the new kwama designs: http://d1vr6n66ssr06c.cloudfront.net/wp ... -kwama.jpg

If you include the Thunderbugs for your mod I think you should design them so they feel right in place in the TES3 universe. Grittier and not as colorful? Maybe make them more scarab-like? Compare the redesigned Morrowind monsters to the originals and take a conclusion on how Thunderbugs would look in that context?

[Le Grimacier]

Using the claim map from SGMonkey and this map of Tamriel (from ESO)

and this map of Kenarthi's Roost (in-game map)

I come with this:

I made Kenarthi's Roost approximately the same size as the main isle of Sheoggorad. That probably not definitive but it gives a good idea of what it could look like.
Concerning a lore explanation about its absence on maps, I thought it could be because "Elsweyr is a mysterious country": Imperial scholar who made maps in third era didn't know if the island really existed as it is at the extreme south of Tamriel, at the other side of Elsweyr and Khajiit don't speak easily of their province.

[SGMonkey]

Looking at the in game map I'd put it at most about 6 cells wide. Although, saying that, I probably wouldn't bother including it anyway.

But that's just me I'm not interested in taking too much inspiration from ESO

[Ryu Hayabusa]

I'm a fan of the coastal island idea. If we decide not to take the Kenarthi's Roost route, we shouldn't abandon the entire concept. Perhaps later in development it would become more relevant as a topic, though. Time will tell.

[SGMonkey]

I think it's safe to say that the only thing worth taking reference from in TESO is some of the architectural styles. I wouldnt try to copy stuff bit for bit. Having said that though, the modelling you've done so far Le Grimacier is badass. Keep it up!

[Le Grimacier]

My stuff was badass? Look at now! I've spend some time to learn some texturing skills and improved my models (remade from scratch in fact) by looking at videos of TESO.
Probably some tweaking is needed to give it the "Morrowind feeling" but it looks nice.

I agree with you, SGMonkey, Khajiit architecture is the most interesting part and I don't think we should just copy-past all the other stuff. On the old forum, we've planned to add some kind of birdmen so we could also take inspiration from the harpies (I like the native look they had in the first pictures) and expand (a lot) their lore but we'll forget about the boring landscape, flora and other creatures (Alit in Elsweyr? Tigers who pretend to be Khajiits? ).
I understand why you're reluctant to add Khenarti's Roost. It forces you to modify the heightmap you already did and it's a bit of lore out of nowhere added to satisfy the MMO gameplay (and this is the part that bothers me the most as Head of lore ). But, from a modding point of view, it's interesting because it's the only well-defined area of Elsweyr. It gives us a limit to what we can do. Like I said previously, we're mostly new at modding and the island could be use as a "sandbox" to test stuff and skills and present our work to players before starting the main continent, but it won't be the same as TESO.

[SGMonkey]

Tbh. It doesnt force me to edit the heightmap at all. Could easily just import a new one and merge the plugins.

[Le Grimacier]

Update time! This time this is the "clean" version of a temple. I will use it as base to make one more old and ruined.

I also discovered PyFFI optimization function. It resized by half this model (593 Ko instead of 1,14 Mo) making it smaller than the previous one even if it has much more polygons!

[pROvAK]

Awesome, I'm really liking the new look of your models. Glad to see you managed to keep file size low.

[Le Grimacier]

Found some loadscreens from TESO:

Some Khajiiti ruins in the forest.

Five fingers dance. Cool landscape but I couldn't find anything about it.

The Village of the Lost. It's a dungeon in Coldharbour. A part of it is a Khajiiti village snapped out of Tamriel.

The Plane of Jode. It seems to be on one of the Moons and it's where portals could open through space and time. It's logical if you consider moons are where Akatosh's (Time) and Lorkhan's (Space) dominion start/end.

The Den of Lorkhaj. From what I could find, it seems to be a place on the third moon. The third moon being the body of the dead Lhorkaj instead of Jone and Jode. Cool ambiance but disappointing lore.

Spoiler: show

I also found that the Mane is just a regular Khajiit (and a warrior one!) with an unique helm with dreadlocks (and short ones!). Far from the spiritual leader who can't move by himself because of his mane and speak all the day about peace, love, sex and moon sugar. And his successor (a regular khajiit too) have just to pass a trial to become the new one. It's not as if the Ja-Kha'Jay is for something in his choice. Anybody with a weapon big enough and a priest to consecrate him could pretend to be the new Mane.

And the Dro-m'Athra (the dark spirits of Elsweyr) are sort of possessed Khajiit with a dark and ghostly look. No Khajiit is immune to this possession even the Mane himself. Not original, as ever. I prefer the idea that the 16 regular breed of Khajiit have their own daedric equivalent who try to swap their place with them. Each of them connected with a Daedric Prince.

[Le Grimacier]

I've been busy lately but I managed to progress a little with the temple set. The big circle at the bottom is a pool of water and I have some other models in mind. Textures are still not finals. They're still too big and a little too dark and saturated to blend with the rest of Morrowind. I was worried by the file size of the broken temple but in fact it's like it's made with others elements so you don't have to place each of them each time.

I'll try to make platforms and more ruined elements like collapsed walls, boulders, statues, etc... I'll probably also make corresponding flora for Pellitine like roots and vines so we'll be able to make "lost temples" in the jungle.

[Le Grimacier]

Not dead yet...
I developed models independently and, If they have the same style, I now realized they didn't match together: different heights, different use of textures, different vertex painting, etc... It makes it difficult to have a homogeneous landscape. It not something as serious as I have to redo all from scratch but I had to tweak most of them and the textures have been distorted. Replace them correctly is time-consuming but I have good hope to finish them soon.
And I forgotten collisions. When I tested them in game I realized my character was shaking when using stairs and can pass through some walls. I have now to compromise between a fast-rendered and low-poly collision box and a detailed but CPU-consuming one. And I don't want to make the models bigger too.
There is also a bug with the new lighting system of MGEXE. Some models have strange shadows. But it something I'll have to discuss with the developer.

I learn with each mistake and I'm going faster each time but I'm still a beginner and progress is still too slow for me. But keep hope because at the end, I'll win!

[pROvAK]

Sorry to hear that you gotta redo those models, that's a huge pain.
On a side note, I do believe MGE has been completely abandoned after XE.

[Le Grimacier]

I finished the first models of the Temple set and put the archive in the shared folder in "Waiting for review" folder. No esp included, only files. They're generic and can be used as template for now. Some could be replaced later by modified ones to bring a little variation.
You'll find 3 types of doors:
meshes/d/x_temple_door_01.nif is the bottom door for the temple. I hesitate to use the corresponding placement with the Temple so you could have just to copy/paste coordinates to place the door correctly but it make it difficult to move in the TESC with the door rotating far from its axis. For now they are at the good height, you just have to place them in the right position.
meshes/d/x_temple_door_02.nif is the upper door.
meshes/f/d_temple_door_01.nif is an indoor/separative door and will be a activator. It will be scripted because the door had to open by going upward instead of rotating. Or maybe I'll animate it later. It will be used with meshes I'm still working on.
Don't mind about textures. They are not final so they are huge and maybe a little too dark and saturated for Morrowind. I want to make more of them so I can have a more homogeneous aspect.

[Le Grimacier]

ELSWEYR LIVES!
I haven't been very active recently but I'm still working on it, mainly the Khajiit set (houses, bridges, etc). I've got problems with my computer so progress is VERY slow.
I'm waiting to know what I will have to do but I'll probably have to reinstall Windows. Don't worry about the stuff, I make regular saves on an external disc. Maybe one week or two and it will be fixed and I will be able to mod again.