» Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:55 am Welcome to Armantha! One of the largest if not the largest world space mods ever to grace a TES game. This worldspace has been in production for almost two years. It had been in the works off and on sitting as an idle esp file for a long time. Finally I got back into working with it and it grew larger and larger until we have the behemoth we have now. Armantha is a prototype of something I want to create as a game, but also to add to my portfolio and also test my skills as game level designer. I am in college to achieve this and do not have many semesters left. Now onto Armantha itself.
Armantha is for lack of better words a very large worldspace. Consisting of two continents and two large islands and a subcontinent the land itself is massive. Every bit of land will be traversable, meaning no worried for boundaries. You'll have miles of ocean to swim if you wish to get lost. There is so much to see it is hard to imagine, that one could see everything. You can, just expect hours and hours and hours of travel. But let's start with each of the regions.
Haven:
In this lush little valley hidden from the rest of the world, Haven is nestled within the heart of the Dragon Tail Mountains. With only one easy entrance in it's a wondrous little forest hidden in the middle of mountains. It has trails which go high up into the range all the ways to a couple of it's highest peaks.(over 30k units high). The entrance of Haven brings you out into Armantha Forest which is where the full open world engulfs all.
Dragon Tail Mountain:
These are the mountains of the southern half of Armantha and serve as a narrow band of land which diminish the power of weather, if it were not for these mountains much of the southern land would be far more lush than what it is now. These mountains have many little trails over them, one leading towards the aerie a small sight seeing location to enjoy. Even at it's highest peaks life flourishes It truly makes one wonder, where else the beauty lies.
Armantha Forest:
The great Armanthan Forest stretches over much of the northern parts of the southern continent. Stretching around the dragon tail mountains it leads from them to the ocean itself on the west. It then follows the gorge river valley and to the delta itself. Branches of the forest can be seen on the outskirts of the northern continent around Moon Serpent mountains and the Dragon's Eye mountains which surrounds Rhone in the cold embrace of rocky terrain.
The swamps:
The southern region of the Armantha Forest is more wet land and filled with a lot of marshes and swamps. Hidden in this is one of the few Savage Gardens in the world. These graveyards as hidden in lush beautiful landscapes, why were they left there is anyone's guess. Overgrown from the years it's a beautiful place for the peace and serenity that the dead now enjoy.
Moon Serpent Mountains:
Some could call it the Ouroboros Mountains, This ring of mountains hides the shiverpoint forest region. More high peaks and being more north has given the region a cold climate. From the peaks themselves down to the forest and northern tundra the land is a vast terrain where it's bitter coldness is matched to it's own beauty. Again a Savage Garden is located here in a frozen marsh, isolated and alone, these places are a place for reflection but also a means to pay tribute to the deceased. The mountains is also home to a unique set of caverns, these icy caverns are perhaps formed from glaciers, or a unique feature in the northlands where tunnels of ice are in the mountains and the lowlands themselves. Perhaps one of these tunnels could bring you to the world's greatest secret.
Shiverpoint:
This cold region is filled with a forest leading into colder less friendly lands. The further north one goes the colder it gets. Is there a haven in here? Yes there is, in the far north part around a small bit of mountains is a valley of sorts. It is perhaps the warmest part of the region. The question is if nature here is so cold, then what magic or outside forces could make this area seem more welcoming and warm
Eden and Sunset Islands
Eden, a paradise hidden away from the world is a fairly large island with small islands nearby, they serve as a small passage way of sorts before the long trip to Eden itself. Whether you swim or take one of the boats is up to you. The islands and the main island are not too different than Paradise. It'll be a comfortable place to really enjoy what the small island has to offer.
Sunrise Island
To the far east is sunrise island, this large island is just across the canol which came from the desert. It is greatly protected from the harsh arid sands as the weather favors it here better. What secrets are on the island is anyone's guess. But rest assured it'll be worth the trip.
The Arid Regions(names pending)
The arid regions are a dry inhospitable place, the badlands and savannah are the most lush one could expect from such little rain and precipitation. When the rain comes life flourishes, when it goes life becomes harsh once more. Created from Iliana's Arid region generator, I've given the land a greater variety of landscapes and a place to enjoy. The Desert holds a few secrets, perhaps an oasis or an establishment, the question remains, who would live out here and why?
Gorge and valley system
This area between the two halves is lush from the water that runs through it. Carving its way between the two mountains chains, down into the valley and to the delta the Gorge is a sight seeing place if anything, perhaps even home to a couple little outposts for the player to enjoy.
Promontory
This is a small special area that overlooks the western half of the world. The sunsets must be spectacular!
Rhone
This perhaps aside from Haven could very well be my pride and joy. The Subcontinent of Rhone surrounded by the Dragon's Eye Mountain is home to the treasure of the whole realm. There is one area in specifics that is to be the sight of the grand palace and city. Whether one arrives here first or not who knows. It'll feature it's own version of the Hanging Gardens, but also a very large palace with unique set up with so much space even the most seasoned adventurer may have a hard time finding a means to fill it completely. Should one manage to fill everything above ground, upon closer inspection they'll realize below ground there's a whole network of passageways and fanes.
Misc:
Here's some Miscenalious things to know about Armantha itself.
There'll be several Ayleid structures and ruins.
Statues and such will be placed in different locations.
There is a good chance a small village of sorts may be on a rock bridge.
There will be cliffs and rock bridges here and there mostly in the Gorge region
Armantha was a realm created to enjoy a quiet serene stroll and explore without any 'stress' of adventuring. Or so the pamphlet says.
There will be a lot of locations specifically made for screen shots though ideally the whole place is to be a screens hot heaven.
And more...
There is a story behind the land's creation within the mod itself, whether it'll be implemented or not I have not decided.
Screenies:
http://tesalliance.org/forums/uploads/1311904434/gallery_1450_113_301193.jpg
http://tesalliance.org/forums/uploads/1308899245/gallery_1450_113_113520.jpg
http://tesalliance.org/forums/uploads/1308899245/gallery_1450_113_104364.jpg An example of the trees also in Haven, these trees are much thicker in some places than others.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/uploads/1308899245/gallery_1450_113_182898.jpg
These are the first images from the Alpha Version of Haven's generation. More screenies will come in time.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/uploads/1312135624/gallery_1450_113_7874.jpg
Release date:
Because the mod is so massive there are many little roadbumps and canyons to and craters to cross before this is completed. However in terms of the mod itself, all that is left is the following
Region Generation(exploded the esm size considerably and made merging difficult)
LOD generation(this comes after and should not take too long ideally)
Artistic- This will take the longest and be the most enjoyable but also hopefully the least amount of work and file sizes. These include hand placing architecture, road/path painting, landscaping, and placement of land bridges and cliffs to make things look better.
Ideally I'd want this to have been released before Skyrim. However if this is not the case, be prepared to see a release post Skyrim and post holiday rush.
Note: Depending on the tools given to us by Bethesda for Skyrim there'll be an even nicer worldspace coming from me for Skyrim. As well as several other projects. Stay tuned!
