Hulk, A separate thread just because.. Options

[ghastley]

Since this really has nothing to do with Orc Hearthfires, I'll start a new thread for it.

Right now, I'm just exploring the option of the character being able to change into a big green muscled Hulk creature instead of into a Werewolf, or Vampire Lord. I'm still undecided whether to make it a mod that anyone can use, or just a private thing for my own use, but the discoveries I make in the process are likely to be worth sharing.

To get there, I'm playing the before and after characters as two separate games, to sort out the meshes and outfits, and check out the viability of each configuration. At some point, I'll clone the power from the base game for the transformation. I'll need a bit of back-story for how the player gets the power (probably from Malacath, since you essentially turn into a big Orc). The Orc one will also get used to test Orc Hearthfires, as that was the original intent for her!

In Oblivion, there were limits on the size range of characters beyond which they had problems. Too small, and they couldn't swim, because all characters floated at a fixed depth, and short ones had their heads under water. Too large, and they wouldn't go through doorways. You'd also see odd visual effects when sitting, as the origin of the skeleton was a point on the ground, not the seat, so short characters would sit below the seat, and tall one would hover. Skyrim seems to have fixed most of those, but I expect to find some new ones to take their place. It's not clear what side-effects size is intended to have. In OB, taller characters with longer legs ran faster, for example, and the racial bonuses for strength went along with larger size.

Although an oversized Orc could wear a variety of clothing/armor, I'd have to make that to fit, so I'm currently thinking the Hulk aspect would be a fixed outfit (like the WW and VL) with no option to change it. It would essentially be treated like a creature skin. That may be forced on me anyway when I adapt the scripts. However, I would like the base character to find herself wearing the same torn stuff when she changes back, which is different from the WW/VL scenario. She'll have everything in her inventory to change into, but the torn stuff will need special handling. It's kind of like the jail outfit in Oblivion, which is automatically equipped when the player is jailed.

The WW and VL have constraints balanced with enhancements, and it makes sense to do the same for the Hulk, probably closely matched to the werewolf ones: no spells, extra health and stamina, carrying capacity, and maybe boosted two-handed with a weapon auto-equipped to exploit it (since that is an Orc racial bonus). The weapon may be an issue, unless it's the source of the power? Like Thor's hammer in the comics - no transform unless equipped already.

I'm thinking at present that the quest that grants the power should require a character that's biased to magic, preferably with high alteration. That would make the no-magic aspect a better contrast, and add balance to the game play for a Hulker. The alteration requirement is just to help the transformation be credible.

For release as a mod, I'd need to allow both genders, and all races. Since it only requires two Hulk models, that's not a big deal, since I'm doing half of it anyway. But it would require me to put into code the restrictions that I can impose on my character without a mod.

Some questions:
Should the Hulk aspect cause an adverse reaction from the general public? Is Hulking out a crime?
What trade-offs other than spells for health/stamina should there be?
Should the transformation be controlled in both directions, or time out?

[Grits]

I don’t think it should be a crime to hulk out. I’m in favor of timing out eventually with an option to increase the hulking out period somehow (snapping necks?) the way eating hearts prolongs the werewolf rampage.

I am a huge fan of Berserker Rage. I’d be delighted with hulking out as a way to allow non-orcs to have Berserker Rage while they were in Hulk form. An increase to Health upon transforming combined with Berserker Rage could produce a race to kill ’em all before the Hulk’s health or timer runs out. That sounds fun. I also like the notion of “you’re making me angry.” Perhaps a Health threshold under which hulking out could be voluntarily triggered?

Other tradeoffs could be no talking in Hulk form, no looting since you can’t fit much into your torn-up clothes, and no weapons other than two-handed. Also I love the way draugr can use a two-handed weapon with one hand. That would be great for the Hulk!