The Kingdom, A new world to explore (not hiring yet) Options

[AP Erebus]

Hi. My first post here cause I was getting sick of the Official Forums.

I'm currently designing a completely new world in which political intrigue and feudalism dominate the political landscape.

I'm not considering this as a Total Conversion becuase I have no experience in game programming. I'm more looking to create a complete world that uses many of already made models, textures and weapons. This is not to say that I'm not considering creating more weapons, building and stuff but to minimise this becuase it takes lots of time. And I can't draw for peanuts to give modellers idea...

Anyway...

The Kingdom

Goals for the Mod

The goals of The Kingdom mod are as follows:

* To design a fully realised world in which the player feels a part of a vibrant, living world. This includes terrain, fully developed history and political environment.

* To have a developed economy that makes sense and is realised with area specific traders.

* To create the world using the TES Construction Set (CS).

* To write, design, and create fully developted plotlines for all the major and minor factions and people in The Kingdom.

* To create custom buildings, items, and weapons using 3D Studio Max.

* To design numerous dungeons, caverns, cities, towns, villages, camps, caves and other places for the player to explore.

I have designed 3 Duchy's that have contending and completely different feels and looks. These three duchy's are always attempting to gain favour in the eye of the king and the king's court.

I have also draw maps to flesh out the world...

There are 3 more maps at the wiki. Just click the map link in the sidebar.

I have created a wiki using PBWiki where I am keeping all the information at the minute. If this ever gets further off the ground I will probably attempt to host some sort of web-page here.
The Kingdom Wiki

I'm not "hiring" at the minute, more looking to flesh out my ideas and see if people are interested. This is possibly too big an idea but big ideas can be made smaller. If people like the idea I definately need a web designer and someone who can write fiction and stories. But that's if people are interested...

Well there it is. Not really the official launch yet. Just testing and sounding the waters...

Thanks for the support and thoughts.
Alastair

This post has been edited by AP Erebus: Feb 15 2006, 01:28 PM

[MadHatter]

I like the idea. Perhaps it could also include having political borders change throughout the game, like real feudal life, with different lords trying to rise in power.

[Dantrag]

I'll help out with writing history/plots and such. Or any writing that's needed for that matter.

[AP Erebus]

Well the mod has been progressing at a fast rate lately. The History has been finished, along with other random peices of info...

Check out the wiki, at the link in the first post.

Quite happy with the progress so far. i will be making an official launch sometime just before the OB release...

[jchamber]

Sounds like a good idea, I would have to be done with the original bethsoft game content before I would download it probably. I think I should meantion that I am not too sure how much you will be able to build/effect the economy background stats b/c they are part of the games background....like the physics are not alterable, I don't know how much/if/to what extent we will have over this particular part of the game. On a side note if you walk into this kingdom from the main game, where will you put your entryway? I always thought that entering through a closet to a pocket realm was a sweet idea...thanks C.S. Lewis.
As far as my personal interest in helping out goes I am willing to do something but I don't have a computer until april that can run the CS, and I don't have 3D studio max or anything similar, at least as of yet. I have visual basic 6.0 and C++ 6.0, but I am still figuring out how to use them.....Also I suck at art stuff in general.

but I am sure there should be SOMETHING left that I can do...for now you have my moral support at least.

[AP Erebus]

LOL, I'm thinking of having an artifact of some description as my teleporter. Inside a cupboard is a little cheesy for my liking.

When the player exits into The Kingdom, from the tamriel world, I'm looking to have a really awesome view...

[jchamber]

do you, or anyone for that matter, know if it is possible to make a mod that requires a new character to be made just for that mod? or can any character walk from all mods to all other mods? I would like to see some of these "seperate" worlds require a new character so that the modder could control what spells are available and things like that.....

[AP Erebus]

i haven't heard or read anything. were you thinking something like Neverwinter Nights, with it's seperate modules you could load a new character into?

It would be awesome cause then I could remove the magic all together, atm, i'm trying top work out a way for magic to be just part of the world...

[jchamber]

yea I want to make it so that you have to make a character that can only be in one mod, that way I can keep other magic/weapons out. I think if I put the door right beside the spawn point after character creation that it might prevent people from bringing in other stuff, of course I won't know until I see the layout of the game...which I haven't

[AP Erebus]

I think the character creation is hardcoded into the game... Which makes it a little harder to get around this kind of thing...

Don't worry JC, about not being able to do anything. I wasn't seriously considering starting the actual modding until april, even may...

This isn't going to be a quick release mod..

I'm looking to get this done right, completely and wholy... not just a a half-arsed attempt...

I'm looking to develop a large plotline that takes the player through all the duchy's and around The Kingdom in general...

[jchamber]

what do youy mean magic being part of the world? like being able to cast any spell for nothing? or .... well specualtion takes more time than explainantion. I am also thinking about my mod on the character specific mod, I really want to have complete controll over what arms and magic gets in, b/c the immesion in a ninja setting is kinda messed up when someone brings in a broadsword or a spell that overpowers the system in that part of the world. I was wondering if autonomaous areas (houses etc.), for mod purposes, could not be taking up processor while you are in another area, for instance..If I make up a new world can I make it completely seperate in that while I play the original game it will not process the status of the people and events in the one I made and vice versa?...hope so...

P.s. I am looking at trying to delete all the additional landscape from my pc version game to make room for mods, and buying a xbox and xbox version to play through the original storyline. I am hoping that way I won't have to get a new computer, which would be at least 700 dollars, plus I still couldn't get xbox 360 games. I will have to wait til release to know if it will work I guess.

[AP Erebus]

With the magic being part of the world, i mean magic is explained in the lore or history of The Kingdom somehow... not just passed off as magic, end of story... I want magic to be something that is explainable, not just "it's magic, what else do you need to know?"

I'm trying to create logical and realistic reasons for things in The Kingdom. Magic is one of them, politics is another...

I'm not sure whats happening with the automomous areas and processor power... I'm hoping this isn't going to be an issue, cause people are going to make heaps of mods with heaps of new NPC's and this could really massacre you CPU if thats the case...

What do you mean by delete the additional landscape??? Do you mean the stuff thats around the edges of the invisible wall so it doesn't look cheesy?? I'm not sure how this would help you reduce CPU usage as there is no NPC's there...

[Proof]

A great sounding Project you have going there I hope to see it realised in the future. I would love to help in any way i could

[jchamber]

What do you mean by delete the additional landscape??? Do you mean the stuff thats around the edges of the invisible wall so it doesn't look cheesy?? I'm not sure how this would help you reduce CPU usage as there is no NPC's there...

No I mean I intend to cut out the 7 or 8 additional towns as well as some 10 square miles of acctual "landscape" ie. woods. so that my processor can have room for my modding project(s) or even running the game may be impossible in the first place as I do not meet the "requirements" i say that in "" because most game will run with lower specs than given on games....it's just that they will not run the way they are meant to...ie. lag, missing graphics....and other stuff.

I like the integration and explaination of magic the way you described, I was kinda thinking along the same lines, but without that wording in my head for it.

[AP Erebus]

No I mean I intend to cut out the 7 or 8 additional towns as well as some 10 square miles of acctual "landscape" ie. woods.  so that my processor can have room for my modding project(s) or even running the game may be impossible in the first place as I do not meet the "requirements" i say that in "" because most game will run with lower specs than given on games....it's just that they will not run the way they are meant to...ie. lag, missing graphics....and other stuff.

I like the integration and explaination of magic the way you described, I was kinda thinking along the same lines, but without that wording in my head for it.

Oh yeah, I'm with you... Just get rid of stuff so that you can test your mods without having the computer die...

It all depends on how the NPC/terrain/objects in Autonomous regions are handled. If they drag on the processor then the size of mods will become limiting very quickly... expecially for people who don't have the uber machines...

[jchamber]

ok now we are on the same page. That is why I was asking about auronomous areas before. I keep waiting to find where new dev quotes go b/c it's a really big issue to all serious modders and mod creators. Also I have a thread in OB about long-game issues that I thought might be a problem after like....three years in game etc.

[AP Erebus]

UPDATE 20-2-06:

I have been working on the maps, religion, and geography lately. The maps are a huge improvement on the old ones...
I have also uploaded a little concept art (ish, it's pretty crap, I admit)

Click the image in my sig to go to the wiki...

Religion in The Kingdom

When someone of The Kingdom is born, they are dedicated to a god. This dedication gives no special influence, nor does it grant social access. It merely determines which god they pray to at home.

Kingdomites are afraid of death becuase of the great unknown that is poses. The Chyrome (which isn't finished) stops while discussing the God of Death, as if the writer died mid-sentence. Most Kingdomites see this as symbolic of deaths finality.

This was done on 3D Studio Max and will probably adorne Churches above the doors...

getting closer to the end of the lore and basic setting up writing... Soon i'll be looking and contacting some people about writing, concept art and just being on the team in general... Stay tuned...

[Agent Griff]

This mod seems great. You have my moral suport on evrything you do. I would love to help on other things though. Like writing and lore and such. I have some basic CS knowledge but don't rely on it. Just basic stuff. I'm also good at drawing but i don't know how that can help. I'm ready and able if you want my help. And btw, the Kingdom sigs images you've made look great. Kudos to you!

[jchamber]

I think that AP said he has the religion stuff done take a look at the link in our sigs (on his click the photo, i been having trouble getting the image to come up but there is a link to it. Also, how do you have basic knowledge on a CS that hasn't come out to the public yet? I'm confused.....

Anyway, AP Erebus you need to give me something to work on or I am going to get burnt out on this topic before I even get started rofl...seriously though I want to get something started so I have a 'work' reason why I can't do my homework for school, da** slaving organization is what it is. work that you have to do after you are done with them for the day...everyday....arrgggg....

[Agent Griff]

I meant to say that i have basic CS knowledge with the Morrowind Cs. Can it be that different? Anyway. I've already read everything there is to read in your wiki. The political situation, maps, cartography and everything else. I gues i'm in a "We'll call you" situation right?