Privateers Waystations mod


What the hell is is?

Simple really, this mod is for the scoundrel, thief, murderer or just general ba***rd who is trying to keep a low profile. It is a medium size project based around creating trading waystations and locations for anyone with a "colourful" background. It's overall goal is to create 4 main trading waystations along with an open market within the Imperial City sewers. Ewww, sewers? Well, somehow I doubt sales of skooma and countless other contradband items would be too welcomed on the streets of the various towns, hamlets and cities of normal civilisation, and thus, this is designed to cater for just the kind of person who enjoys that sort of thing.


Is there a plot or anything really unique about this or is it some idiots attempt to throw junk together and call it a mod?

Indeed there is, or atleast will be pending on how well I get to grips with quest creations. Thus far, one waystation has been almost completed bar screw ups with the AI and figuring out how to make a proper inn keeper and not just an NPC who trades goods but won't offer rooms etc, or some who just ignore the waypoints and decide ghosting and walking into/through walls is preferable. Associatted with this waystation, is a dungeon trawl also, except one a tad more darker than your standard Aylied ruin/cave/fort run. A small purchasable journal from a curio trader stuck in port has it, and included in the screenshots is an excerpt from it. Here is a brief outline of basic information regarding the five waystations;

Overall Information: The waystations are ran by a conglomerate of privateers and underhanded traders.


Bluth Waystation

A small port to the southeast of Anvil, with access to the sea and waterways. It remains under lockdown due to an Imperial Navy blockade further up towards the mouth of the sea. A Nordic longboat barely made it to the port, reporting the Legion had intercepted a sister ship and is now in the process of being boarded. With the ports full and its main trade route cut off, the crews of the docked vessels have been left with no choice but to remain anchored and weather the situation best as possible.

Many persons seeking private passage from Cyrodiil for a mix of reasons have been forced to make the best out of the situation and thus the port has a great many traders and people of skill attempt to set up a temporary home.

The port flies under the banner of the Bluth family, formerly of Bravil, were a wealthy family that fell from grace for supplying arms to insurgents based in Black Marsh. Now wanted for treason they have constructed a ram shackle port using their finances near the port town of Anvil, allowing access to greater trade route and prime pickings of any trade vessels upon the high seas.


Haesir's Rest

A small trade outpost set within the hills west of Chorrol, it is a key smugglers outpost with easy access to the borders of Hammerfell. Ran by the Guillermo Cartel, it's a key area for a mix of specialist weapon dealers and soldiers for hire.

However the outpost has been noted by the Imperial Legion and thus once in a while comes under assault, making it a risky location to venture to.


Solden's Redoubt

East of Bruma lies Solden's Redoubt, a fort repurpsed by Warlord Solden and his band of warriors. Located to the base of the mountains near Skyrim it acts as a waystation for the conglomeration and is a key staging area for any overland trade between the stations.

From this location the warriors of Solden prepare raids on local hamlets. It is also an area from which goods are smuggled in and out of Bruma and further into Cyrodiil.


Gandarels Waystation

Based near the connecting borders of Morrorwind and Black Marsh is a recovered Aylied ruin under operation by a collection of seperatists and cut throats from the nearby lands. Due to it's vicinity to two lands, it finds itself swamped by desperate refugees and deserters, all seeking to escape from both wars and the shadows of their own pasts.

A brutal place but one that is invaluable to the conglomerate due to location and access to cheap labour.


The Black Heart

Based underneath the Imperial City itself, it is a safe haven for even the most disturbed and sickening of mind. Acting as a nerve centre of sorts, it has representitves from each outlying waystation, offering all services imaginable along with some of the rarest and most sought after goods available.


Sounds like alot of work, i'd gamble it'll be one of those projects that gets started and abonded when you get bored!

Valid point, but in actually this mod has been reworked about 5 times in the past four months and this latest incarnation has actually stuck. However, to relax any fears of such a thing (if anyone is actually interested that is, no idea what public feedback to information and screenshots supplied will be yet obviously) it will be released in modules, until it is fully complete.


But will it screw with x/y/z mod?

I've taken steps to avoid conflict with the main modifications (FCOM, UL, TIE etc) so it should be fully compatible. I know if I had to choose between a massive immersive experience and a mod like this, which one I would choose.


Picz or it didn't happen

Here they are! These screenshots cover the main bit done, namely, Bluth's Waystation. Also included is a taster of the dungeon associatted with it and a page from a journal leading to it.

Port Overview
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/portoverview2.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/PortOverview.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/PortGroundlevel.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_ship_chess.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_groghole_ambient.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/ScreenShot26.jpg


The Grog Hole (Pub)
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_grog_hole_more_drink.jpg
http://s879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/?action=view¤t=Port_grog_hole.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_grog_hole_food.jpg



Blacklight Inn
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_blklight_1.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/bluth_blklight_2.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/bluth_blklight_inn2.jpg


Bluth Family Office
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_bluth_office.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_bluth_office_1.jpg


Trade Associattes Quarters
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_tradeasso_1.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_tradeasso_2.jpg
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/port_tradeasso_1.jpg



The ominous journal
http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab354/simonk1986/Book.jpg


I would really appreciatte not only feedback but ideas too! Any suggestions and general feelings are highly encouraged, and that includes criticisms as can't improve without yourselves chipping in.

sounds interesting, good luck.

You didn't happen to get the name Bluth from Arrested Development? I love that show.

It sounds like an intriguing idea. It's clearly been thought through.

Indeed the name is from Arrested Development, I was having trouble with the name so I may have artisticly borrowed it... Then perhaps decided as an easter egg to have the family present!


Anyway, initial release will be probally next couple of weeks, i'm having trouble with the path grids and some of the AI routines, once their ironed out its just a matter of polishing off some scenery and bam, module one will be ready. In the mean time I might release a video of some of the area, the pictures don't show the area very well, so expect that in a day or so.


And thanks for the positive replies so far, know it's not exactly an overhaul or anything massive but it is still something I felt Oblivion was a bit lacking. After all, all that countryside and wars in other lands and yet no proper black market presence?

i completely agree. Morrowind had the thieves guild, and camonna tong. Plus, all the random smugglers all over the island.

Also, you could have one of the factions smuggle dwemer gear into the region. It would be a nice niche market for a group of smugglers, and it could explain how dwemer gear gets into Cyrodill in the first place (since its supposed to be illegal to trade it).

Man, you're really creative. This mod looks amazing, and really expands on some areas of game lore that desperately needed it - the thieves guild and the dark brotherhood can't realistically be the only criminal organizations in the entire country, now can they? I can't wait for a release.


Interesting, does this mean that Legion soldiers occasionally attack the outpost when you visit it? Will they try to arrest the player for associating with smugglers, or do they have orders to kill?

Release of the first module (a.k.a. Bluth's Waystation) is virtually green lighted, it's just the AI buggering about with pathgrids still (A fence in my way? Hah, I can walk right through it! Oh.... Well maybe if I keep walking forward it might just go away!) and some tweaking the external area. A minor problem i've got is due to the amount of items in the area, there is some FPS lag upon arriving but it usually dissapates after 7 odd seconds but I may make a second version for lower end machines seperately after the main release.


On a side note, I hate path grids!


And in response to the Legion attacks, i've got a small basic alpha of that section with a test batch of NPCs slugging it out at varied intervals (two times a week at around mid to late evening a small Legion unit arrives and moves to engage a batch of guards) but I do really like the idea of an arrest attempt rather than plain old NPC's beating the crap out of eachother. While i'm still getting to grips with the AI generally and am still a bit out of my depth regarding dialogue and creating events, I want to give it a solid go to add some immersion to it all. If I wouldn't play a half arsed mod, I wouldn't want anyone else to either


And thank you all for your kind words, know i'm relatively new to the forum but I do enjoy playing with CS and hearing these things give me a nice wee extra boost for development!

P.S. Be back soon with that video I promised.

I'm currently in the process of wiping up the puddle of drool that resulted from the pictures of your port: it looks wonderful, mate! I'm a svcker for any interesting towns/peoples in Oblivion mods, and I'm pretty sure you just raised the bar. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this. Best of luck with completing it!

R4C