» Wed May 08, 2013 11:57 am
Since I wasn't able to work on the mod the past few days while the 1.6 update problems were resolved, I thought I'd at least type up a progress report and show some screenshots of what I had been working on.
I have several goals with this mod, several annoyances with the vanilla game that I'm trying to use the mod to fill in. Most directly, of course, is how dull the followers are--they lack personality, and don't ever respond to the player's actions and situations. I hope to fix that for Aela, at least. But more than that, the vanilla game itself often doesn't respond to player actions. And the game never really does anything with some of its more interesting situations; it doesn't even give voice to them.
To pick one small example, it seemed odd to me that if you help the Imperials win the Civil War, nothing happens with the Temple of Talos in Windhelm. It's still there, open for worshippers. So I'm adding a conversation with Aela where, if you go into the Temple after the Civil War is over and the Imperials have won:
1) She will comment that she is surprised but pleased that the Temple is still open for worship.
2) She will speculate with you on why.
3) There are some roleplay options for the player to indicate how they feel about the Temple still being open, with some different options depending on the player's race.
4) You can question Aela on her own beliefs: how she and other Nords balance Talos/Ysmir and Ysgramor, and how she personally fits Hircine into the mix.
5) You can flirt with her a bit.
6) You can ask her the thorny question of how the Stormcloaks could feel justified saying that "Skyrim is for the Nords" when the Mer were there first.
Here are a few screenshots from early in that conversation:
http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/596973544040418420/4911714BB7C2D06ED4C7501EB015F12C758AA6CB/
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/596973544040423126/992CEB2565A72B32D020B84A888008F1963A27A2/
http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/596973544040571412/A3A40A6D0D038EB62364E3C951CA08E09E630A53/
(In the screenshots my character is a Nord: an elven character would have an additional dialogue choice raising more of a fuss about the Temple still being open.)
If the Stormcloaks have won the Civil War then some of the above will be the same--Aela's discussion of Nord beliefs, and her own--but there will also be some different dialogue:
1) Aela will open by talking about how nice it is to visit this symbol of what you fought for, and you can talk with Aela about being able to worship Talos openly.
2) You'll be able to ask her the thorny question of whether breaking away from the Empire, as the Stormcloaks did, doesn't dishonor Talos--who founded the Empire and was deified for doing so.
The answers Aela gives to some of these questions aren't necessarily "the" answers, but they're answers consistent with her character. And I find that just being given the opportunity to ask the questions in-game, as a result of the player's choices, adds a lot more depth and resonance to the quests and locations.
So I guess in Oblivion terms, Aela is becoming something of a cross between Vilja (lots of custom, character-driven functionality) and Ruined Tail (philosophical musing, although more connected to the vanilla game than Ruin seemed). Something for...well, not everyone, but it's a mix that I am enjoying, at least.
Now back to work...