» Sat May 28, 2011 11:20 am Previous thread is http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1014642
WARNING: This is an advlt modification made for an advlt audience. This mod and its accompanying endorsemant materials will contain advlt content in the form of intense violence and gore, coarse language, horror scenarios, drug use, brief nudity and advlt situations.
What is it?
The Deep in an epic quest mod that consists mainly of a MASSIVE dungeon, along with a village and a few small structures above it. It will have many quests. Most of the quests will be stand-alone quests while others will tie into other quests within The Deep. It's also worth noting that there will be NO over-arcing quest line, no MAIN quest line. In other words there is no END or FINISH to The Deep. I'm designing it so it will go on even if you never visit the place. As a matter of fact, I'm planning on experimenting with other AI-controlled adventuring parties actually completing some of the quests if you either can't or wait too long to do them.
Breakdown:
1. Tons of new quests.
2. New armors and clothing.
3. New and unique weapons.
4. Lots of boss battles.
5. A massive 14 level dungeon (with each level containing multiple cells).
6. Fully voiced (I "hope").
7. SHOULD be compatible with all other mods (as long as they do not encroach upon the areas above the dungeon, see further down in this post for the exact location in the Cyrodiil landmass).
I've decided to put all the links for screen-shots and videos right at the top as newcomers really want to see those before deciding if they might be interested in following any game or mod. NOTE: All future updates will be at the END of this original post.
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Videos
NOTE: All videos are available at both the Nexus ( http://www.tesnexus.com ) and also on YouTube and most are also on Viddler, except for the first Weapons video which was a bit too long for YouTube or Viddler to accept. All of the videos but one are passable (watchable) on YouTube and Viddler, but their quality suffers greatly. The Battles video is almost un-watchable on YouTube, as it takes place within the darkened tunnels of The Deep, and on YouTube, well, you really cannot even tell what is going on. So I implore you, if you DO want to watch the Battles video, do yourself a favor and just download the high quality version from the Nexus. ;)
So, here is the link for ALL of the current videos on the Nexus in high-quality?
( http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18895 )
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Battles
Showcasing what you can expect the battles to be like in The Deep.
Battles 01
Battle on The Iron Ore Road & a Battle in a Deep Oc Slave Pit.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28658
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2gstNsMXpg&fmt=18
Battles 02
Battle between the Northern Imperial Legion and a Frost Giant.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=46171
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/1/
Battles 03
Testing out combat with the Wolfen.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=39249
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvyQPOzrzo&fmt=18
NOTE: There is also a combination Battles/Exploration video in the Exploration Videos section below, the Ahazu Marta one.
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Exploration
Some videos for the flavor of exploration in The Deep.
Explore 01 - General
The Dungeons & the Snow Elves
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28661
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY1kzLZKISc&fmt=18
Explore 02 - Ahazu Marta
Please excuse the few rough cuts/edits towards the beginning; I was in a rush putting together the video. This video shows me adventuring alongside a party of other adventurers while we go to plunder the treasure hoard of Nervureem, The Dark Lady. Not only do we encounter resistance, but other parties interested in the treasure too!
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53247
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGo6YpOY_IM&fmt=18
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/3/
Explore 03 ? The Vulgar Unicorn
Welcome to The Vulgar Unicorn! Any fans of Deadwood might notice a certain familiar character in the pub. ;)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=47374
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/2/
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Weapons, Armor & Clothing
Videos to showcase various new weapons, armor & clothing.
Weapons 01 ? Whisper & Scream
May I present Whisper & Scream. They are a very unique set of weapons that only manifest their latent powers when they are paired.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=42505
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9aw7hezgc&fmt=18
Weapons 02 ? General
General video showing off several weapons during the testing stages. Only available at the Nexus.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28660
Weapons 03 ? Tumarill
The famous magical bow called Tumarill.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53316
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/4/
Weapons 04 ? The Flaming Fists
A pair of magical gauntlets called The Flaming Fists. Wearing these gauntlets makes their owner such a powerhouse that they no longer need any weapons besides their fists. The Fists operate on a limited amount of charges that replenish slowly over the course of several days, once depleted. The Flaming Fists are basically "damage amplifiers". They take your current strength and multiply it (I'm currently experimenting with a dynamic numbers system for the multiplier) and apply the result to the damage you do. Thus, the stronger you are, the more the Fists will multiply and add more damage, plus if the number gets big enough, you'll start knocking your enemies through the air. The higher your strength, the further they will fly. The Fists also set enemies on fire, hence the name, Flaming Fists.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53386
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II4gF_SXoUI&fmt=18
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/5/
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Screenshots
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/StormHold_01.jpg
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http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/NurvureemPrieview.jpg
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Introduction
The Deep started out as a personal mod for myself in which I wanted to bring my own version of the vast dungeon system of Undermountain (from the Forgotten Realms setting) to Oblivion. Somewhere along the line it got to a point to where I was having so much fun with what I had created that I decided that others might like it and have fun with it too. So I decided that I would try to release the mod to the public. Because I had started the mod utilizing so much content from other mods, I needed to obtain permissions from the authors of all of that other content. That went well and I got all the permissions I needed, then I began to work hard on finishing up what I had started (I had come a long way at that point).
Somewhere along the line I lost all of my work (I won't bore you with the details, you can search through the original thread to get the specifics) and had to start over. Currently I am at a point to where I have all of the file structures set up for all of the custom content and have all of the custom creatures, architecture, armor and weapons brought into the mod's esp file (although they don't ALL have their scripting done). I've taken GREAT pains to ensure there will be no conflicts (or at least as little as possible) when running this mod alongside other mods, and a unique file structure and naming system was paramount to that. So, I've come a long way on the re-work, but I'm still not at the point where I was before my loss. But I AM getting there. I've started work on the village of Charm and the other structures that lie ABOVE the caverns and dungeons of The Deep. As of today (July 13th, 2009) I have completed work on the exterior of the village of Charm and the Leaning Tower and have started on the Snow Elf village. Once those three exteriors are done I will start work on the interiors of those areas and then, finally, work will begin on the layout of the dungeons of The Deep itself. The final tasks will be the setup of all of the creatures, NPCs, quests and dialogue (yes, The Deep will have full dialogue).
I had a lot of things in mind that I wanted to see happen in the The Deep. I wanted a truly memorable dungeon, the deepest dungeon in Cyrodiil. I wanted adventures that were made with companions in mind, a dungeon that was simply too tough to tackle solo. I wanted truly epic battles! Memorable bosses and mini-bosses. Great side characters. I wanted a dungeon that felt alive and that would go on even if I weren't there. I wanted grand weapons that did more than just add extra damage doled out. I wanted the special weapons that had lore behind them and that truly did special things and imparted the abilities upon the wielders like the weapons I had read about in fantasy novels. I wanted enemies who would support each other in battle, such as casting healing spells on their comrades when low on health. I wanted the enemy spell casters to cast some of the great spells I've seen in mods like Midas Magic and Telekinetic Mastery.
LOCATION
I call attention to this so other modders who might be working in the same area will know what areas of Cyrodiil that I am using for this mod. I had previously sent a call out to the community (to those who bothered to read it) asking if any other mod was using the area. The overwhelming response was that no other mod was using that exact area, although several mods came CLOSE to the area (OOO's northern bandit tribes being the closest).
The village of Charm and the surrounding areas that comprise The Deep are here? http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/CharmAreaShot.jpg
Now, while this mod IS primarily a massive dungeon crawler, there will be areas above the dungeon that serve in the purposes of the dungeon and its story and history. But again, the main focus is on The Deep itself.
The Deep is heavily influenced by, and indeed I borrow heavily from various source materials from older D&D adventures (obviously, including Undermountain) and also many fantasy novels (such as Thieves' World) and authors (Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Glen Cook, etc.). So you're likely to see references and homages, and even situations and adventures based around many from my favorite novels and stories. But, while incorporating these, I'll be making a lot of changes to make everything as lore-friendly to Tamriel as possible. Although in some cases I might have to interject new lore to cover gaps.
So, on with the show...
Welcome to The Deep. A great place to have fun, the most famous battlefield to earn a reputation as a veteran adventurer ? and the largest known mass grave in Tamriel. The Deep is a vast and dark dungeon complex of over a dozen levels (all levels will contain numerous Cells, so each level will be larger than even that largest dungeon in Vanilla Oblivion). It is an entire realm beneath Cyrodiil.
No one knows the history of The Deep in its entirety. It is thought to have started as a series of natural caverns that extended several levels below the Jerall Mountains, and the current layout seems to lend merit to this, as indeed the upper levels are (for the most part) natural caverns. Sometime in ages past, decades of work were put in to expand the caverns ever further downward. At length, the tunnels broke into the ancient Dwemer delvings called The Underhalls, once home to the long-vanished Numidium clan (only a fading memory, even then).
The Underhalls were large and grand, a small city deep underground. The Underhalls guarded two ancient mithril mines that extended far beneath the Jerall Mountains. The Dwemer who oversaw the construction of the Underhalls and was ultimately the ruler of the citadel perished in a battle lost to the myths of time. His descendants became the clan Numidium, or the Followers of Numidium. In the end, the clan members all died or were scattered by Deep Orcs and Deep Elves from the caverns further below. The Underhalls became the lairs for the Deep Orcs and Deep Elves, in residence until slaves worked out most of the mithril. No one in the area of the Northern Jeralls today is positive if the Deep Orcs and Deep Elves have entirely left the citadel. Many who venture deep enough report they still maintain patrols and garrisons in the area.
As time progressed, settlements were built above the entrances to The Deep. They rose and fell over more time, until; today, the village of Charm and the old ruins of the Leaning Tower are the main entrances to the immense dungeon system. With the founding of Charm, the tales and legends of the lairs "underneath" grew. The Deep became known as a place of horrors, the labyrinthine lair of many terrible monsters. In recent times, the Imperial Legion of Cyrodiil formed a special military branch called the Northern Legion and built a fortress called Storm Watch to guard the Northern Watch road, protect the citizens of Charm and keep an eye on any problems that might arise from The Deep (say an invading army of Deep elves or Deep Orcs). Many also whisper, though never in public, that the Northern Watch is there to keep an eye on neighboring Skyrim.
In recent times, it has become a habit of the Northern Watch to force serious criminals down into the largely unexplored passages of The Deep. And this has, in large part, led to The Deeps infamy across Tamriel, and its (probably false) title as "the deepest dungeon of them all."
Adventurers who return from the depths speak of riches and dangers, both in large measure, and of the vast size of the underways. Many others, for whatever reasons of their own ? perhaps they became bored or desperate for riches, adventured on bets or were hiding from foes or authorities ? have ventured into the depths as well.
Criminals once lived in the depths willingly; the Thieves' Guild once had an outpost located on one of the upper levels of the dungeons, thick with traps, guardians, secret passages and peep-holes, the Guild managed to secure their outpost from the roaming monsters that also made The Deep their home. For its time, this trap-filled area was known as the Outpost of the Bloody Hand. The Imperial Legion later drove out the Guild when construction on the fortress of Storm Watch began. It is not known whether the outpost was destroyed or if it simply lays deserted.
Late at night, when the lamps are flickering low and the wine is running out, the two taverns in Charm resound with wild tales of how this mage or that rogue or somesuch band of adventurers went down into The Deep, and what befell of them there. Nearly everyone has a story about "what happened to the great Company of the Grey Ogre" or "how my great-uncle Jareth barely escaped a large patrol of Deep Elves" within The Deep.
The best tales, of course, are those that end with the safe return of adventurers laden with gems, gold coins, magical swords and grand suits of armor. Rarely the stories tell of more magnificent things like the giant, silvery mud crab ridden around by the Company of the Cleaver. Many adventuring bands emerge relatively unscathed from the depths. More common by far are the harrowing tales of those who go in and never come out, those who are found dead, or the poor lost souls driven mad in the depths. A silent toast is often raised in memory of the less fortunate: the High Elves of The Merry Banner, the Imperials of The Red and Black Axes, The Company of the Brown Bear and the Brotherhood of the Bloodcoursers.
Pray to your gods, brave adventurers, that you not end up among them?
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The Area of Charm
Charm's origins are relatively recent, at least as a home for passing adventurers. The area was once controlled by the deep elves that make the depths below, The Deep, their home. The tunnels and caverns of these deep elves came close to the surface in the region and made an excellent marshaling ground and jumping-off point for raids on the surface. The deep elves took control of the Keep Without a Name as a fortification to protect the major underground highways. The Keep, now broken down and called the Leaning Tower, remains the oldest structure in the area. With the Keep as a base of operations, the deep elves maintained a large surface occupation. They were fully driven back underground only within living memory of the human races.
Charm
The village of Charm is nothing more than a handful of buildings clustered along the main road. Here are found the local inn and boardinghouse, the trader and armorer, as well as a smattering of tradespeople who balance their clientele between locals and the many people who come to the area for access to The Deeps. Charm's biggest draw is the Vulgar Unicorn (another nod to a fantasy book series), a rowdy tavern that serves as the most public of entrances to The Deep.
The Snow Elf Camp
The snow elves are believed to be a splinter group of the Falmer and this group has only made its presence known within the past hundred years or so, and most outside of the area of Charm still do not know of the reemergence of this race. This group of snow elves are small in number and are a very guarded society who make their home in a camp near the Leaning Tower. No one knows why the elves have reappeared here and they have tended to keep to themselves, so their presence is a mystery to the residents of Charm.
The Leaning Tower
Part of a larger keep in the days when the deep elves controlled the area, this lone tower and few destroyed outbuildings now sit in disrepair. It is also an entrance to The Deep. This bastion was once a deep elf outpost in the dark days before the founding of Charm. In those olden times, the deep elves took control of the Leaning Tower as a fortification to protect the major underground highways. With the Tower as a base of operations, the deep elves maintained a large surface occupation. They were fully driven back underground only within living memory of the human races. The Tower itself has been mentioned in texts and literature as far back as the end of the First Era, but never has there been a mention of whom built it or why. The Keep was stormed and set fire during the battle that drove the deep elves back into the depths, leaving only the Tower and a few outbuildings. The area around the Leaning Tower has returned to briar and tangled undergrowth.
The Leaning Tower remains the oldest structure in the area, and it is guarded steadfastly by the snow elves that have a camp nearby.
Storm Watch
The Northern Watch Road that lies just beyond the northern reaches of the Jerall Mountains, on the border separating Cyrodill from Skyrim. Nearly in the middle of the Northern Watch Road, and a bit west of the village of Charm, lies Storm Watch. Storm Watch is the fortress-home of the Northern Imperial Legion. Only the best soldiers from the Imperial Legion are posted into positions in the Northern Legion. Most soldiers consider it an honor.
But life in the Northern Legion is harsh, and not only from the temperatures, which range from "Cold" to "Damn it's Cold!" The Northern Legion also has to deal with frequent surface raids by the Deep Elves and Deep Orcs from the many caverns of The Deep that lie intertwined below the mountains, roaming bands of Wolfen and Ogres and the many powerful, and often dangerously unruly, adventurers that come to the village of Charm from all across Cyrodill to make preparations for entrance into The Deep. The Northern Legion are the toughest of the tough and are tasked with a monumental task; keeping the northern passes free of danger.
Over the years they have developed into sort of a Knightly Order. They even have their own mandate or oath:
"We are here on the fringes as protectors and guardians. When we fight, we fight to preserve, not to destroy. And always, always, it is the safety of those around us and under our protection which is of primary concern. Any of our rank would willingly give their own lives to save the life of an innocent."
That being said, the Northern Legion WILL bust heads if necessary. As long as visitors to the area do not cause trouble, they will have no problems. But for those whom do, they will find that the Northern Legion will not hesitate to kill to protect. When powerful adventurers cause trouble, the Legion will tend to kill first, ask questions later. They will use "speak with the dead" spells to discover the true disposition of matters afterwards. Innocent parties slain by the Northern Legion are provided with resurrection spells as is possible.
Captain Darshall leads the soldiers of the Northern Legion and is somewhat of a legend in the area. He has single-handedly transformed the Northern Legion into what it is today: a guardian force of good in the area, but also a force to be reckoned with.
Captain Darshall sees the world in black and white, right and wrong. Although he has many faults, he is still the consummate leader, able to weigh with equal disposition, complicated battle strategies and moral value judgments. Ironic then, that his comrades and soldiers always look to him for guidance and stability in all situations while he himself is the one least confident in his own abilities.
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Places of Interest Within the Village of Charm
The Vulgar Unicorn
The Vulgar Unicorn has gained most of its renown for being the primary open route to the The Deep. It is the only widely-known entrance to the depths below easily accessible to the general public. Rather it is the only known entrance accessible to those elements of the general public desperate or deranged enough to attempt entry into the underways.
The Vulgar Unicorn is a rambling, dingy building of smoothly carved wooden pillars and paneling. It stands one door down from Strongheart's Tavern on the west side of Charm. A signboard that simply reads "Vulgar Unicorn", announces the entry to the tavern. The clientele consists mostly of adventurers, plunderers and vagabonds eager to enter the depths of The Deep. It is a wild and unruly tavern and fights are a constant problem, although the Tavern's owner, Dolan, himself a retired adventurer, and his bouncers are usually quick to lock down problems before they get too far out of hand.
The Entry Well, measuring about 60 feet in diameter and descending 20 feet to a sub-basemant that provides access to The Deep, dominates the main room. It is situated well away from the main bar and is surrounded by many tables and chairs. It is not really a "well" but an open-topped entry into what used to the basemant of the Vulgar Unicorn. The upper portion of this "well" is surrounded by a waist-high wooden railing which stops errant patrons from making unintentional visits to the dungeon.
Those who dare traverse The Deep arrive garbed and equipped as they will, and can simply jump down into the well. The adventurers are usually watched, bet upon, or toasted by the patrons. Although the main room of the tavern is lit above, adventurers must have their own light sources to see by once they are at the bottom of the "well".
The lower "well" is a large ramshackle room that once served as a basemant. A large oaken door is the only exit from the room and it leads down a long passage that takes adventurers downward to the first level of caverns that are The Deep. The walls and floor are decorated with many old, rusted and brittle shields and swords. These are useless in any fight, but are very handy as noisemakers when banged upon. This is generally done to alert folk in the taproom above that someone is alive down below and wants to be drawn up (which costs 10 gold per body).
I really want the Vulgar Unicorn to be a special, rowdy, unique tavern. There was a mod out for Morrowind that gave the most amazing LIFE to taverns ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUa-71Mp7ko ), and I HOPE to give the same atmosphere to the Vulgar Unicorn through scripting, new music, new sounds and custom animations. Umpa has released a ton of custom dancing animations as a resource, so that will go a long way in helping me achieve this. Scripting it all will be another matter entirely, UGH! But I certainly plan to try, so wish me luck.
Strongheart's Inn & Tavern
Strongheart's is Charm's other tavern, serving as an Inn as well and is more respected and less rowdy than the Vulgar Unicorn. It is a cozy place and most of its patrons are adventurers (many high level).
Krak's Armory
Krak's Armory sells quality armor and weapons. The blacksmith, Krak, a huge Orc, takes pride in his craft and gives fair deals. Trade-ins are accepted.
Abel's Supplies
Abel's is Charm's general supply store, catering to its clientele with all of the items adventurers might need when venturing into the bowels of The Deep.
Adventurers' Hall
Adventurers' Hall serves as both the base of Charm's Fighters' Guild and also a general gathering place for the many adventurers arriving in Charm, this building offers many services:
1 - Offers all Fighters' Guild services to Fighters' Guild members.
2 - Henchmen can be hired here.
3 - Rumors can be heard and information traded.
4 - Quests can be taken and Commissions can be approved and granted.
5 - Sage advice can be sought.
6 - A board displays current contracts, recent news, newly established adventuring groups and mercenary bands, etc.
7 - Occasional weapons & magical item sales.
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Questions & Answers
Now some final notes to hopefully answer questions that I know will come up.
Companions
As far as companions go, they won't necessarily be a requirement, but I AM designing this with companions in mind. Some of the battles you simply won't be able to survive alone. You could always sneak past big battles or groups if you wanted. But yes, companions are going to be almost necessary. Sorry if that's not your cup of tea, but that's how this thing is set up. It was one of my main goals when I started it. Of course I've never actually TRIED going through it solo, so I guess it's possible. Just not probable. That said, there WILL be situations where you can accompany or convince other groups of characters within the dungeon to battle through certain areas with or with you. But, there are also random encounters scattered throughout all locations within most areas that might catch you in deep doo-doo in you are all alone. Many companions will be included within the mod.
Companions in The Deep will be more than mere meat-shields. They will have thoughts, ideas, desires and agendas of their own. Some of them will not like each other, and if they are with you at the same time, they will bicker with each other, and possibly even come to blows or spells if the situation gets out of hand. You might have to end up playing referee. But companions will also, sometimes benefit you in many unique ways. For example; Zanben below. He knows the highways and byways of The Deep VERY well, so if you have him along he will make comments on certain areas and might even show you secret doors or alternate routes around trouble spots. Or, another example, if you have a thief or rogue-type character with you, they have a chance of spotting traps and warning you before you set them off. Healer characters will heal you and any of your other current partners as well. I'll be supporting CM Partners as well through factions, so CM partners will be healed as well.
Q: Now that I've seen all your videos I have some more questions, in your The Deep - Battles are those drow and deep orcs? Are those hunters in The Deep - Explore worshipers of Hircine? And is your mod going to be a master file, player file, or mixture of both?
A: Yeah, the Drow inspired me. But again, I'm going to try to make this thing lore-friendly, so they'll probably end up being a newly discovered race of the Dark Elves. I'm sure I'll end up calling them Deep Elves. And Deep Ocs too. Regarding Hircine, yes, there will be a unique race of elves guarding the entrance to The Deep, and they will worship Hircine. And I don't know at this point if the mod will be distributed as a master file or not.
Q: How big exactly are we looking at for the whole scope of the dungeons? They seem to be very, VERY open areas and they look amazing, but will there be smaller, tighter hallways and such leading between them?
A: Yes, there are a lot of big, open caverns, but there are also a lot of smaller, tighter places as well.
Q: Will any other mods be required to play The Deep?
A: Yes. So far, the REQUIRED mods you'll need to play are: Oblivion Script Extender, Akatosh Mount By Saiden Storm, Midas Magic, Telekinetic Mastery, Any of the many Custom Race Fix mods, Robert's Male Body Replacer, Female EyeCandy Body Replacer (or any of its variants like HGEC) and a Cyrodiil Border Remover (or the removal of the border region yourself by way of editing the .ini file.
The RECOMMENDED mods (but not REQUIRED) are: Any partner mod (I myself recommend CM Partners and I will be supporting this one in The Deep's scripting system), Visually Enchanted Weapons, Dungeon Actors Have Torches, Enchantment Restore Over Time, No Psychic Guards or Reneers Guard Overhaul, Realistic Ragdolls and Force v3, Stealth Overhaul and Any LOD replacement for Border Regions.
Q: Can you talk about any other locations, NPCs or items of interest that will be in The Deep?
A: I've got the story written for the quests (although there will be no grand over-arcing storyline), but I'm hesitant to reveal too much. You all have to have SOMETHING to discover on your own. ;) But I CAN tell you there will be a lot of scary scenarios. In near-future videos I hope to show you a bit of the Mad Wizard, called the Toy Maker by residents of The Deep. The Toy Maker has been kidnapping children from the township of Mossy Shores for decades for nefarious purposes (dark magiks are involved, muuu-haaaaaa). Mossy Shores is situated on the shores of a vast underground lake on the middle levels of The Deep. A quest line will involve you seeking out the Toy Maker at his tower on an island in the middle of the lake. Just getting to the island will be an adventure in itself as the waters are deep and dark, and full of various water beasts.
And I'm still debating on whether or not to show off the Dragon's Lair. Nurvureem, "The Dark Lady", is famous throughout The Deep, but finding and reaching her lair will be impossible without the aid of a party. Not to mention trying get to her treasure hoard.
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Videos
NOTE: All videos are available at both the Nexus ( http://www.tesnexus.com ) and also on YouTube and most are also on Viddler, except for the first Weapons video which was a bit too long for YouTube or Viddler to accept. All of the videos but one are passable (watchable) on YouTube and Viddler, but their quality suffers greatly. The Battles video is almost un-watchable on YouTube, as it takes place within the darkened tunnels of The Deep, and on YouTube, well, you really cannot even tell what is going on. So I implore you, if you DO want to watch the Battles video, do yourself a favor and just download the high quality version from the Nexus. ;)
So, here is the link for ALL of the current videos on the Nexus in high-quality?
( http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18895 )
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Battles
Showcasing what you can expect the battles to be like in The Deep. NOTE: There is also a combination Battles/Exploration video in the Exploration Videos section below, the Ahazu Marta one.
Battles 01
Battle on The Iron Ore Road & a Battle in a Deep Oc Slave Pit.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28658
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2gstNsMXpg&fmt=18
Battles 02
Frost Giants.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=46171
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/1/
The following video showcases a quest you will undertake with your fellow legionnaires once you've joined up. A battalion of Northern Legion soldiers has been dispatched to a main trade-lane along the Northern Watch Road. A frost giant has been reported in the area and your captain has led his battalion to take care of the problem and you are a part of his battalion.
The captain has set up an ambush for the giant, with scouts out running the perimeter areas to try to lead the giant into the ambush. Without the aid of magic and more soldiers, the captain figured the ambush was his best option. The Northern Legion war wizards were off fighting alongside the snow elves to put down a surface-break of deep orcs just outside Charm, so there were none to spare for the battle with the frost giant.
As a side note, if you wonder why I'm not being batted around like the other soldiers during the battle, well, I was wearing a great little magical item called a Ring of Grounding. A very rare item that keeps the wearer from being knocked off his feet.
Battles 03
The Wolfen.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=39249
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvyQPOzrzo&fmt=18
The Wolfen. Towering mountains of muscle, fangs, claws and fur. The Wolfen are similar to the werewolves and Lycans that most are familiar with, with one most unique difference. The Wolfen can change between their humanoid and Wolfen forms anytime and remain in that form for as long as they desire. This makes them dangerous because you just never know if that NPC you've just encountered, or perhaps are adventuring with (remember I said there will be lots of possible companions in this mod) is a Wolfen. And because they can change anytime they want, it doesn't have to be at night during a full moon in which they might turn on you. So be very careful whom you trust in The Deep, and more importantly, what companions you choose to adventure with.
I plan a quest line involving the Wolfen, so I'm trying to get their basic behavior set up early on. I've always been a HUGE werewolf fan. I love them even more than Vampires. What I love about werewolves is that they are these agile, brutal engines of death. So many campy movies over the years have made them into sort of a joke of a monster, or if nothing else, they've made them NOT scary. So I'll be setting up situations involving the Wolfen that I hope will scare you sh!tless.
And more importantly, I want them to be such formidable combatants that you'll only want to fight them as a last resort. So I've been spending a lot of time and effort in setting them up to be all I hope they can be. As you watch the video you'll see them doing a lot of things that I hope will help establish this. Currently they are using a lot of custom attack animations and their combat scripting has gotten pretty insane.
First off, obviously they are close-up fighters. I've always found that quick-moving enemies that get right up on me to be very pulse quickening. What I've done with the Wolfen is that if a battle goes on long enough, scripting will switch their combat style to an even more aggressive style to where they will get up on you and STAY up on you as much as possible. The second combat style that they switch to also makes them strafe a LOT. I've tweaked and tested the heck out of that 2nd combat style and it's turned out pretty good in combination with their scripting. Once the second combat style kicks in, you'll suddenly find them strafing around you SO quickly that often they will end up off to your side or even behind you before you even realize it. I think right about the time that the music changes in the video is when the Wolfen switches to its secondary combat style and you'll notice that it stays a lot more "in-my-face"; that it's using its special combat moves more often, that it's really starting to strafe me and that it is jumping a lot more often. Like I said, the Wolfen tend to jump a lot, and will quite often jump REALLY high into the air and land off to your side or sometimes right behind your back.
So, watch the video and see how often I manage to lose the Wolfen as it either strafes around me so quickly or it jumps right over my head. It should also be noted that the Wolfen regenerate health at an amazing rate. During this fight, I was wearing a high-level ring of regeneration, which made us pretty much evenly matched. We were ripping the heck out of each other and healing almost as fast as the wounds were made. The battle ended up lasting for over six minutes with just the Wolfen and myself in the mix and with me finally killing it in the end. More often than not, I end up dying. The character I'm currently using for testing is not incredibly high-level yet.
And that brings up another point, when The Deep is finally released and you play it, if you happen to see a lone Wolfen, unless you are a high-level character, you might want to think twice about attracting its attention, unless you happen to have some companions along. And if you see a group of Wolfen, the suggested course of action is to RUN.
I'm also working on making the fights with the Wolfen more and more gory and bloody as a fight goes on through custom shaders and blood splatters. Fights with these bad boys are going to be BLOODY!
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Exploration
Some videos for the flavor of exploration in The Deep.
Explore 01 - General
The Dungeons & the Snow Elves
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28661
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY1kzLZKISc&fmt=18
Explore 02 - Ahazu Marta
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53247
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGo6YpOY_IM&fmt=18
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/3/
Please excuse the few rough cuts/edits towards the beginning; I was in a rush putting together the video. This video shows me adventuring alongside a party of other adventurers while we go to plunder the treasure hoard of Nervureem, The Dark Lady. Not only do we encounter resistance, but other parties interested in the treasure too! Ahazu Marta was an Ayleid city, that, like so many other Ayleid settlements during the First Era, fell under the Alessian Order and was destroyed. Early in the Second Era an outpost was built upon the old ruins of Ahazu Marta by the newly formed Knightly Order of The Lamp. From here, the history gets hazy. Some older texts refer to a great, magical explosion or "out-flux" which destroyed the outpost and sank it into the earth.
Explore 03 ? The Vulgar Unicorn
Welcome to The Vulgar Unicorn! Any fans of Deadwood might notice a certain familiar character in the pub. ;)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=47374
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/2/
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Weapons, Armor & Clothing
Videos to showcase various new weapons, armor & clothing.
Weapons 01 ? Whisper & Scream
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=42505
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9aw7hezgc&fmt=18
May I present Whisper & Scream. They are a very unique set of weapons that only manifest their latent powers when they are paired.
Whisper & Scream (not their given names) are first known to have existed in Tamriel's First Age, during the reign of King Vrage. The stories of their making are many and colorful, though their true origins are unknown ? and curiously, never mentioned in any folklore ? but they seem to have always been around in the hands of someone or other. Whisper and Scream are sentient, but only become "awake" when brought within close proximity of each other and paired to a single wielder.
They communicate by speech and often in the wielder's mind, and Whisper can read languages and magical writing. The blades themselves evade questions as to their origins and there are no markings or definitive touches of workmanship that identify Whisper & Scream as the work of anyone in particular. Although many scholars who have studied the blades suggest Ayleid origins.
Scream is currently held by the Deep elf, Zanben Dawntracker. Whisper's current whereabouts are unknown.
Whisper is a "soul eater", consuming the personalities of all the beings that Scream and itself have slain. Whisper is believed to be possessed of hundreds of souls, all suffering in a limbo of sorts within the dagger itself. You as the Player, if you are lucky, or UNlucky enough to become the wielder of the paired blades will often be spoken to by MANY different voices. These are the voices of all of the souls, each with their own wants and desires. And while no soul is in complete control of Whisper, there IS one soul within, whom is much stronger and more domineering than all of the others. This soul is believed to be the soul of the very first being that Whisper consumed.
When paired together, Whisper and Scream offer their wielder great powers. A few of the things to look forward to as the wielder of the blades are the following:
Whisper and Scream NEVER run out of charge. They siphon off a small part of the soul of each enemy that the weapons dispatch, and Whisper takes the personality of the soul completely. And they use a small part of each soul to recharge themselves.
Whisper and Scream will NEVER break. They cannot be broken by normal means. Thus you need never worry about carrying repair hammers for them.
Whisper has several powers such as reflect damage and more. But Whisper will also recharge your soul gems AND when you are in combat, Whisper will try to keep you protected by never allowing enemies TOO close to you. Whisper will often quite literally PUSH your foes away with great force.
Scream becomes quicker and does more damage when paired with Whisper. Scream also possesses a very special ability to occasionally RIP souls from enemies in a most spectacular fashion. Scream will also grant its wielder the power of regeneration.
All of these abilities, and more that I'm not covering here, get MORE powerful as the blades consume more souls. YES, they actually LEVEL UP as they consume souls. And as they level up, their powers and the abilities they grant upon their wielder become stronger.
BUT, there is a down-side. Once you chose to pair Whisper and Scream for the first time, you are choosing to bind your destiny to theirs, for once a wielder pairs them, it will be incredibly painful to part with them and they will, at almost every opportunity, guide the wielder to fulfill that destiny. If the wielder decides to use any other weapons, to UN-pair the blades once they have been joined, the wielder will soon start to suffer "withdraw" symptoms. This will range from a loss of health and fatigue to blurred vision and even an eventual death if the blades are not brought back together. Or, if it appears to the blades that their wielder has no intention of fulfilling their destiny, then they might totally "nullify" their powers at the worst possible time, and may refuse to work again until the wielder convinces them that they are of like-minds. In other words, the wielder had better get back on course to that "destiny" thing or else.
Also, Whisper will actively "seek out" any possible candidates who might be more powerful or capable than the current wielder, often drawing VERY powerful enemies to the current wielder, in hopes of landing in the hands of a more fitting vessel of delivery towards the blades' destiny.
Also, going back to the subject of the many souls that Whisper contains, often the voices of these different souls will speak to the wielder, pleading that wielder embark upon a journey to right some wrong, to find someone long thought lost, to find some forgotten treasure, etc. Thus, new quests will become available to the wielder of Whisper and Scream. There is even a very poignant tale of two young lovers who were slain by Scream and whose souls were consumed by Whisper, and their story could possibly lead the Player on a grand and heart-wrenching quest.
Weapons 02 ? General
General video showing off several weapons during the testing stages. Only available at the Nexus.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=28660
Weapons 03 ? Tumarill
The famous magical bow called Tumarill.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53316
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/4/
Weapons 04 ? The Flaming Fists
A pair of magical gauntlets called The Flaming Fists. Wearing these gauntlets makes their owner such a powerhouse that they no longer need any weapons besides their fists. The Fists operate on a limited amount of charges that replenish slowly over the course of several days, once depleted. The Flaming Fists are basically "damage amplifiers". They take your current strength and multiply it (I'm currently experimenting with a dynamic numbers system for the multiplier) and apply the result to the damage you do. Thus, the stronger you are, the more the Fists will multiply and add more damage, plus if the number gets big enough, you'll start knocking your enemies through the air. The higher your strength, the further they will fly. The Fists also set enemies on fire, hence the name, Flaming Fists.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/download.php?id=53386
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II4gF_SXoUI&fmt=18
http://www.viddler.com/explore/StratonAce/videos/5/
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Screenshots
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Next up, let's cover two possible companions that you might adventure with.
First we have Zanben Dawntracker, known locally as "The Rising Hawk." Zanben is an outcast Deep Elf. He is sort of my own version of Drizzt Do'Urden, only if Drizzt were haughty, cocky and arrogant. Zanben is a BladeMaster (a custom class in The Deep), versed in all forms of bladed weaponry. He considers himself a "rogue" adventurer often traveling the cavern systems of The Deep for months at a time? ALONE! The Deep is NOT a safe place to be without a party in tow. Zanben is on good terms with the residents of Charm and also with the Northern Legion, for whom he often serves as a tracker.
Zanben's clothing, what I call the "Northern Dandy," was created for me by the lovely and talented AlienSlof. She is creating some custom clothing and armor for The Deep.
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Zanben_01.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Zanben_02.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Zanben_03.jpg
Winger is what many in the area call a "thug-for-hire". She is tall and attractive, though strong and built like an Amazonian. She's sort of like an ogre, but with better teeth and long blonde hair. Winger has a tendency to act before she thinks, and she has a penchant for schemes that get her and everyone around her into hot water. Her taste in clothing is atrocious, and she is something of a kleptomaniac. She has about as much of a conscience as a thief in a jewelry store.
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Winger_01.jpg
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The Snow Elves
Believed to be descendants of the Falmer, the Snow Elves are a tribe of elves from the frozen mountains of the north. The Snow Elves tend to be cold and blunt even compared to High Elves. They are hunters and, above all, warriors. Most of them care neither for the past nor for the future. They scorn magic - especially healing magic, since knowing that a healer is around makes a warrior 'soft'. These Snow Elves are known for their stag mounts which the tribe herds. Only the biggest and strongest stags will become mounts. The deer are broken to the saddle and the rider's will holds sway -- or ELSE. A dead mount is easily replaced from the pens and can easily become food in a pinch, or even if the stag is simply too headstrong to obey a rider. With their stag mounts, the Snow Elves patrol the Jerall Mountain Range keeping the roads and passes clear and safe. They fight off the worst the northern mountains spit out, from Deep Elves to Deep Orcs to Ogre tribes to the Wolfen to Frost Giants.
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A Matter of Trust
Yes, they have no direct problems with surface Orcs or the Dunmer, but they DO have a long-standing feud and hatred for the Deep Orcs and Deep Elves. That said, they are a very close-knit and guarded tribe. Psychologically, the Snow Elves are very different from other elves. Secretiveness is a trait all elves share to some extent in regards to other races, but the snow elves extend it to cover all NON snow elves. There are several reasons for this attitude, one of them being the primitive social structure of the snow elves. They divide all beings into into "frana" - an "in group" that is trusted implicitly, and "malza" - an "out group" of potential enemies. This has parallels in deep elven society, and as well in many primitive human societies. For almost all snow elves, the "in group" is their own tribe; less often, it includes members from outside the tribe.
The relative poverty of the snow elves is another reason for their distrust of outsiders. They dislike and fear wealthier beings, since the snow elves themselves have so little that they can afford to lose. Many snow elf terms for outsiders could be loosely translated as "city slickers" or "rich spoiled brats," although the intensely disparaging overtones could not be translated so easy. Snow elves feel, with some reason, that wealthier beings might either take advantage of them or, through sheer irresponsibility or ignorance, endanger their tribe.
The last major factor in snow elves' mistrustfulness is their relative isolation from other intelligent races. The harsh country of the Jerall Mountains are seldom visited by others without strong motivation. Being so isolated, they have no easy way to differentiate between, for example, the noble scion of a royal family and a similar appearing outlawed confidence trickster. Therefore, all outsiders are treated more or less as being on probation when visiting the snow elves, at least until the visitors can satisfy the elves of their good intentions (if any).
Home Sweet Tribe
Snow elven societies hold value in many archaic features not found in other elven cultures.
Young snow elves do not get the leisurely growing-up time other elven children receive. As soon as they are capable, they are pressed into community service, helping out any way they can. This early exposure to the hard, harsh world makes snow elves easily the hardiest and hardest workers of all elves. As the other elven races have achieved prosperity, they have been able to allow their youngsters a more leisurely childhood. The snow elves see this as effete. The snow elf leaders who assign tasks are not particular about the manner in which those tasks are accomplished, so long as the tribe benefits.
The basic unit of snow elven society is the tribe. Any settlement of of snow elves, usually averaging 30 individuals, is considered a tribe. Although individual snow elves can move from one tribe to another, usually by marrying an individual from another tribe, tribal identity is usually quite solid, centered around a symbolic totem-animal for which a tribe is named. These tribes are loosely run, allowing the individual a great deal of independence. The usual from of tribal government is a primitive democracy, and is primarily female-centric, as female snow elves are usually bigger and stronger than the males of the race. Unlike the deep elven races, however, males are not treated as wretched scum and are actually as valued in the tribe as any female.
Most tribes have a simple and clear ethical code, which can be summed up as follows:
- Help your fellow tribe members first, members from other snow elven tribes second, and everyone else last, if at all.
- Never kill unless it is necessary, and never hesitate when it is necessary to kill.
- Treat your fellow tribal members as you wish to be treated.
- Never trust outsiders, except possibly for druids.
Blatant failure to observe this code will provoke banishment, if other punishments have failed. Snow elves do not execute other snow elves for any crimes, though NON snow elves are not so lucky.
Frost Giants
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Giant_01_Fe.jpg
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Adventuring among the ruins of Ahazu Marta!
Ahazu Marta was an Ayleid city, that, like so many other Ayleid settlements during the First Era, fell under the Alessian Order and was destroyed. Early in the Second Era an outpost was built upon the old ruins of Ahazu Marta by the newly formed Knightly Order of The Lamp. From here, the history gets hazy. Some older texts refer to a great, magical explosion or "out-flux" which destroyed the outpost and sank it into the earth.
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http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Ruins_of_Ahazu_Marta_03.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Ruins_of_Ahazu_Marta_04.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/Ruins_of_Ahazu_Marta_05.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/GatewayAhazuMarta_01.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/GatewayAhazuMarta_02.jpg
http://evolution.paynereactor.com/temporary/GatewayAhazuMarta_03.jpg
Looks good, though! 
