Ki’Zar- A Total Conversion Mod

Mod Information:
Mod Name: Ki’Zar
Mod Type: Total Conversion
Version: None- super pre-alpha at the moment
Author: The Ascended Sleeper
Requirements: As of right now, just the Oblivion game
This mod is not yet completed.


Your vision is blurred as you awaken to a bright light flooding your eyes. Far off sounds assail you, distant and distorted in your ears. The world itself seems to shake and throb, as if an earthquake is slowly tearing the land asunder at a monotonous rate. A figure can be seen- at first just a dark blob standing amidst the bright light, but you quickly see that it is a man, his features still hazy and indistinct.

“He’s awake! He’s awake!” you hear a voice cry out. More sounds you cannot interpret, probably speaking. The world continued to shake and bob.

“Eh? Get outta’ the way!” a larger figure comes into your field of view, knocking the smaller, obviously thinner one out of the way. Your vision has cleared by now, and you can make out the details on the portly man’s face. A greasy and unkempt beard clings to his face, which itself is smeared with dirt, or something worse. His eyes glitter beneath the turban he wears upon his head, bright and enthusiastic as emeralds sparkling in the sun.

“Eh! He is indeed coming to!” bellows the fat man. “Akari! Bring ‘em some water. Hurry now!”

The other figure, just a young lad in his teens, rushes over with a skin. You move your hand out instinctively to accept the offering, and drink in deep. Once your thirst has been quenched, your vision clears up entirely, and you find yourself looking straight up into the sky, the fat man and his servant hovering above you.

“Don’t drink too much, eh! Might hurt yourself!”

You shrug off the fat man’s warning as you hand the skin, and slowly begin to push yourself up. “Been about a thrice-day since we pulled you outta that ship-wreck” the portly man blathered on. You notice that his skin is dark, as if he has spent his whole life working out in the sun. “Didn’t think you were going ta’ make it m’self, but it seems you’ve proven me wrong, eh?”

“Where am I?” you ask.

“Where are you? Why you’re in Ki’Zar, the Land of the Warrior!” he announces, sweeping his arm off to the left.

Your eyes follow his motion. The first thing, and perhaps the strangest thing, you notice is that you are atop a massive beast, its four legs thicker than the mightiest oaks you’ve ever seen, its furry hooves crashing down into the sand with every step, sending tremors through the cabin.

The sand. It was everywhere, stretching almost as far as you could see, in all directions. It almost gleamed in the hot sun, the dunes catching and reflecting the yellow light. Tall spires of what seemed to be junk or scrap metal jut out of the vast desert, standing desolate and abandoned as the breeze gently lashes it with clouds of sand.

Small bird-like creatures scuttle about near the giant, elephant-like creature you ride on, playfully assaulting one another, squawking in delight as they have their fun in the shadow of your steed. Your stomach growls, and you wonder if the birds would make good eating.

Far off into the distance, you spot a chain of mountains, standing tall on the horizon. You think you spot some structures atop one of the peaks, but you cannot tell from this distance. Is that where we’re headed?

“Where is… what is Ki’Zar?” you ask, at a loss for words.

The fat man merely laughs at you.


Summary:

Ki’Zar is a Total Conversion mod being made for the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game engine. The mod is not an “add-on” or “expansion”, but a game that is completely separate from Elder Scrolls titles, lore, and themes. The world of Ki’Zar is one of complete fiction, created by yours truly over the past several years through several forms of writing and other artistic mediums.

This mod will bring the world to life in the engine of one of my favorite games of all time, and hopefully provide hours upon hours of entertainment to those who play it. Keeping with the flavor of every Elder Scrolls game, Ki’Zar encourages the player to be who they want to be, and have fun doing it. You want to pick flowers and mushrooms? There are going to be plenty there for you. Want to become an infamous assassin? You can do so. Maybe a Holy Warrior who purifies the land of heretics, sorcerers, and all manners of foul magic? By all means, go ahead.

Featuring a total of ten joinable factions, one “main questline”, and ten cities to explore, Ki’Zar is a vast place, one that I hope to give a very strange and outlandish atmosphere to. It is a place of dark secrets, and even darker practices, a place of danger and excitement. Okay, that’s enough blathering about the setting. If anyone really gives a damn, I’ll update the thread with tidbits of lore.

Long story short- we want to make an awesome game and have fun doing it. Feel free to post comments, questions, and whatever else here in the thread.


New Features to be Added:
-Myriad travel system, similar to that of Morrowind’s. Boats can take you to coastal and river settlements, while Sand Whales can take the player to inland cities.
-A perk system reminiscent to that of Fallout’s. Every few levels, the player has the ability to select a perk from a designated list to further customize their character, if they so choose.
-A dynamic system of questlines which allows you to take multiple paths, and choose between multiple outcomes.
-The ability to craft throwable “splash” potions.
-Killable children.
-New exotic weapons, armor, and potions.
-A plethora of unique regions and landscapes, ranging from barren canyons, vast deserts, murky swamps, rainy highlands, and deadly jungles.
-New dungeons and cityscapes to explore and wreak havoc in.

Concept Art:
http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/Dagoth_Gojira/media/Mod%20Pictures/Forge_Ex_zps61785de0.jpg.html?sort=3&o=9- These ruins are all that is left of the long dead and technologically advanced race known as The Forgers. Considered to be the ancestors of modern day humans, The Forgers went extinct thousands of years ago, leaving nothing but these salvage filled ruins behind.
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Forge_Int_zps6e70ca27.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Forge_Int2_zps2d0844dd.jpg- Featuring doors, special chambers, and lighting fixtures.
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Sikhara_zps29e541ad.jpg- One of the ten cities in Ki’Zar, Sikhara is a grotesque conglomeration of mutated flesh and scrap metal, towering high into the air. Known as “The Great Melding”, Sikhara is truly the strangest city in the game.
http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/Dagoth_Gojira/media/Mod%20Pictures/GodComplex_zps9c4fdb78.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10- I’m not elaborating on this at the moment.
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/MessiahComplex_zpsdb56dce3.jpg- This is “heaven” for the Saints, Prophets, and High Priests of Ki’Zar.
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Tomb_ex_zpsf10bda36.jpg- Just the exterior of one of the many tombs scattered throughout Ki’Zar.

Hierarchy of Work:
Step 1: Concept Art needs completed before the modeler(s) can get to work creating the new interiors, exteriors, clothing, weapons, monsters, and everything else. We are going to be using a lot of custom made items, and shy away from the Oblivion assets as much as possible. Meanwhile, the quest designers will be plotting out quest arcs for the main questline, as well as that of the ten joinable factions. Our main objective right now is to recruit people to the project. Deadline: August 2013.
Step 2: Once the textures and models are complete, we will render the landmass, and begin the process of building the world.
Step 3: Once the world is built, the cities up and running, we will insert the quests of all the questlines the designers and I have been working hard on. Lots of testing, testing, and more testing to make sure everything works right.
Step 4: Insert the misc quests and other random dungeons which will have little to do with the main quest.
Step 5: Hope that everything is going to be as easy as I just made it out to be.

Current to-do List:
-Work on Concept Art
-Work on questlines plots
-Recruit new team-members

Current Team:
-The Ascended Sleeper (That’s a-me! Quest Designer, writer, interior/exterior designer)
-Maps (Not a forum local; Writer, Quest Designer)
-Kent Brockman (Not a forum local; Interior/exterior designer, lord of the miscellaneous quests)

Interested in Helping Out?
I really hope you are, because the three of us truly cannot do this on our own. Yes, I know this is going to be difficult, and I know it’s going to take a long time, you don’t need to tell me. If you have any interest in helping out, feel free to PM me, or even post in the thread. As I have said, help is direly needed, as I myself know very little outside of the design of Dungeons and how to make basic quests, though I am a good designer, writer, and thinker. Maps is in the same boat as me, though KB is currently learning everything about the CS at an alarming rate, which is quite nice.

We currently need Modelers, designers, writers, artists, and anyone who knows how to use the Construction Set. So pretty much anyone who knows stuff. We are currently not working on a strict timetable, though the work can be, as you can imagine, demanding at times. Any help you can provide, whether it be encouraging comments, commitment to our team, or constructive criticism is much appreciated.

Hi! Sounds like a fun and ambitious project. I would certainly give it a whirl.

Two suggestions from me:

1. Use Skyrim. - seriously, why Oblivion? the engine is older, doesn't run as well as Skyrim's, and it lacks some nice features that Skyrim has. Plus, Skyrim is the hot new young thing. Why not Skyrim?

2. "We are currently not working on a strict timetable, and the work is not at all super professional or demanding." This will kill your project. These big projects fail, and it's not because they take too long or because they're hard - it's because they are not managed well. You need a project manager - one who sets timetables, even for concept art. One who draws you a roadmap to success. A timetable for recruitment, a man-hours estimate, an understanding of building in a buffer for the unexpected... Etc., etc., etc.

Best of luck!

Hello! Thanks for the reply, 'tis greatly appreciated.

1. Originally, we were going to use Morrowind, because we thought that Skyrim was too action/combat orientated, and had less focus on the RPG elements of older titles. We wanted to make a game that was, while action packed, had a strong role playing backbone with all of those skills and stats and other fun things. We decided to use oblivion because it has a physics engine, and a wonderful AI system that Oblivion didnt fully utilize. Consider it a look backwards for bethesda fans, a retro experience, if you will. We have discussed using Skyrim or other next gen games for future projects, though.

2. Not saying that we don't have any timetables or deadlines at all, they just are not strict. You have a point, however, and I will take this into consideration. Into such consideration that i'll probably bump up the timetables and work habits asap.

Thanks again! I'd hug you, if this accursed internet was not in the way.

Sounds like you've thought through your game engine choice. And Oblivion worked for Nehrim, so, I guess go for it.

Management is tough. I don't mean managers should be tough. I mean it's a tough job. Good managers don't just lay on the whip until things get done. Good managers understand reality, including time available, how to recruit, what to pour resources into, what to let slide, etc. If you're not already a good manager, find someone who is, and then allow them to manage you, too, even if you are the creator.

Again, and I mean it, best of luck on your project. It does sound like a lot of fun!

Cheers.

I know what you mean there. I'm a low level manager at work, and have experienced the pleasures and woes (or maybe just woes) of managing employees. I'd imagine that managing a team of creative people via the internet would be a lot different than managing dish washers, while being fundamentally the same.

Thanks again! May the Gods watch over your battles, friend.

Just uploaded some concept art to the OP, like the city of http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Sikhara_zps29e541ad.jpg, which is a massive spire crafted from pulsing, mutated flesh and scrap metal. Also put up some rough concept art for the Forge Ruin dungeons and what I am calling "The God Complex" (see OP for more details).

We have also agreed that August of this year is when we want all of the concept art and basic story plots done, and have added said deadline to the Hierarchy. In addition, we have also wrote a few in game books, ranging from some informative stuff to crazy religious ramblings. Not much else has been accomplished yet.

Time for another update, yaaaaaaaaaay. Uploaded some new concept art, such as this here http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Tomb_ex_zpsf10bda36.jpg, and some more http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc405/Dagoth_Gojira/Mod%20Pictures/Forge_Int2_zps2d0844dd.jpg on the Forge Ruins, as well as the Messiah Complex (see OP for details n stuff). Of course, it took 30 minutes to upload these three poorly drawn images and format the thread, thanks to this forum's amazing editing system that likes to blend edited posts into a nice mixture of gibberish and html.

On other fronts, Maps and I are hard at work pumping out questlines, as well as some other information regarding the humanoid enemies and dungeons featured in the game. Won't be posting any of that (at least for a while, anyways). Still looking for new folks to welcome to the team.

In other news, my computer is having some sort of a mental breakdown from hell (or perhaps a very subtle virus?), so what I can do as far as work goes is a bit limited until I can fix the issue. Anyways, that's about it.

I like the concept art, very different from what we are used to. Keep up the good work!

Why thank ya! I quite dislike my art skills, but I think they work well enough for the concept art. Wish I had more than concept art to upload. Hoping to get a "demo" video out by late summer this year.