First of all, this will (hopefully) be my first ever released Mod, so have patience with me.

As an experienced Morrowind player, who have peeked inside the CS frequently and have read a few tutorials, I think it's time for me to take the next step and try making a Mod of my own. Since I believe that my strenght and interest lays in making quests and dialogue rather than creating new houses and weapons, my ambition is making a questmod, and the idea is this: "The dwemer society", maybe my ambitions are a little too big, but I at least have plenty of ideas written down for this, so now it's time to realize them.
Here is what I want to do:

The dwemer society aims to explore dwemer history and collect artifacts from the dwemer civilisation, they live in a dwemer ruin close to Balmora. The society keeps a low profile due to the fact, that the imperials has outlawed trading with dwemer items.
In this headquarter of the society, you can find a few people, who can use your help for the good of the society, these includes:

The person in charge of security in the headquarter. He is looking for dwemer constructs to patrol the ruin. You must assist him in creating them, collecting parts for them and clean up, when they don't behave as expected (all quests described).

The scholar responsible for the artifact collection, who wants you to collect new items for the collection. First ordinary items, but later you need to find more powerful items in more hostile environments (all quests described).

The historian of the society, who are looking for knowledge of the dwemer secrets, which will be obtained from books, people with dwemer knowledge, extracted from dwemer spectres and maybe from a revived dwe emer.

The master of the society, who wants to solve the dwemer puzzle (I'm not sure, what this is yet).

The archeologist, who is excavating an unknown dwemer ruin (I plan on this to be excavated in stages, where your help is needed in each stage for some difficult assignment).

In the ruin there is also a magician, who can aid you in some of the quests and maybe give you some of his own (not decided).

The smith who buys armor and weapons, who buys dwemer armor and weapons for a very good price. Me can eventually also help you upgrading your dwemer armor.

You will raise in rank when doing the quests, but I haven't decided on wether you actually will replace the master.

In the dwemer ruins, you will encounter dwemer scholars (mostly peaceful and maybe with some good informations) and ruin robbers (levelled like the DBH and definately not peaceful).


As I'm just starting this Mod my first task will be creating the dwemer ruin, where the society lives, then adding the persons there and then make the quests. The biggest challenge be creating the excavated ruin.

My reason for making this thread now is to get on my way and to have a thread to ask for help and advice when needed (which I probably will a lot).

Perhaps include an expansion of the Mages Guild Dwemer quest which to be truthful is rather disappointing.

sieboldii

Cool idea good luck!

Sounds gd

Maybe instead of reviving a dwemer u cd have a dwemer liche instead? I have thought it abit strange that bagram the only living deep elf and there were only ever dwarven spectre's

well, I like the idea

I'd make the society a legal society and since they study the dwemer ruins/artifact, they wouuldn't live in a dwemer ruins.

They could have a museum like headquarter, and hire people to find dwemer artifacts that will then be exposed in the museum.
If they are scholars, they wouldn't sell ancient items, but they would only buy them from you to expose them.

some features:
- Then, little by little, after you have found some artifacts, in the museum you'll find more visitors.
- there are some Npcs that work for the museum, but they have their evil projects. They don't want to protect and preserve the dwemer culture, but they want to discover its secrets to acquire power

I hadn't thought about that, but since I have some vague idea about 'The dwemer puzzle', that the master wants you to solve, then that could relate to that ( I guess you means Trebonius 'Dissapearence of the dwarves').


Thanks


The idea with the revived dwemer is, that you encounter a 'dead' but preserved dwarf in the ruins you excavate, and then with the help of the alchymist manage to ressurect him, and he has some interesting things to say


Some interesting ideas, and since I'm early in the devolopment, some might be useful, but so far, my thoughts have been:
I don't see the society as deeply criminal, but I remember the lore topic about selling dwemer items being criminel (but not enforced) and thought they shouldn't too exposed to the public.

I have made a drawing on paper of the ruin, where I expect them to live, which has a museum part (although it's a rather private museum), and thought living in a dwemer environment would be fitting, so they have found a completely buried dwemer ruin with it's entrance hidden within a house just outside Balmora.
They do hire a person to find dwemer artifacts... you . I haven't thought about other people collecting artifacts for them, but maybe you could have a rival, who wants to beat you to the artifacts (That may be interesting, but i don't know how to inporporate that).

The artifact collection will increase, but I haven't thought about people outside the faction visiting it.
With regards to Npc's within the factions having their own agendas, plotting against the master of the society or you or doing something else not in the societys interests, I have thought about it, and I would like to include somethings like that, but I haven't had any good ideas yet.

Yeh, like how to use kagneracs tools on the heart to become a god!!

Wow, You guys really think big thoughts B) It sounds interesting, but as I haven't looked closer into any subplots yet, you are way ahead of me. But so far I have mostly looked at the simple quest-series related to the artifact-collection and the serurity/dwemer constructs, so there may still be room for big thoughts yet.
But I have to keep in mind, that I have to do something, which I can actually finish.

By the way, what should be the favored attributes in the dwemer society. I'm thinking about speechcraft and heavy armor (since they obviously have a preference for dwemer armor), but what else would seem fitting.

Im sure you'l have lots of help if u pursue it
how were u thinkin of makin the dwemer? Was it gonna b an npc or creature type?

I haven't thought about how to make a living dwemer. I guess he should look like a dwarven spectre, and it might be easiest to make him a creature based on a dwarven spectre, make him non-transparent and add some dialogue to him like to creeper. But hasn't anybody made living dwemers?

I dont know, the spectre would look odd because of the lack of feet - u can use nifskope 2 attach the dwemer parts to say a lich frame?

I never noticed, that the specters have no feet
To be honest, I don't know anything about retexturing, so I would have to learn that before undertaking a task like you suggest, but I probably have to learn that anyway, unless I can find a working dwemer NPC.
But it will take a while before I get to the dwemer in my mod, so I have no haste in deciding him.

But I do have a few new items in mind for the mod, that I need to find somewhere or make:
a new set of dwemer armor needed for an 'upgraded' set,
a set of ruin robber armor a la DBH armor (if can't find anything else, I can probably use DBH armor),
I would also like a dwemer schmitar and a dwemer dagger.
These are small items, that I already know, I would like to have in my mod and I hoping to find in some modders resource

My work is progressing on this Mod. So far I have made the dwemer ruin to be the base for the faction. It might not be the most spectacular of all time, but considering that the only interior, which I've made before is the 'My room'-tuturial I'm satisfied with my work (I should add some furniture at some time though).
So Now I can do some more interesting things like creating my faction, my NPC's, some levelled bandits in the ruins and the quests. I have a lot of the NPC's and quests written down, so progress should be made.

But what I would hope to be the most interesting part of this Mod is the excavation of a new ruin, and here I'm looking for ideas. I envision it being excavated in sections, wher each section involves a quest for the PC. But how should the ruin be buried/sealed:
Is it frozen (frozen dwemer parts would be a big challenge for me)
Is it buried with rocks to be removed (known in Morrowind, and probably the easiest to do for me).
Are the doors magically locked, so a lock specialist spends a lot of time unlocking them before you can finish them.
Or is it sealed for some other reasons.
Good ideas are appreciated, provided that I can create them.

I might also have to take a crash course in nif-scope, if I wants to include my costum creations (dwemer, two new sets of armor, a dwemer schmitar and a dwemer dagger), unless, I can find something useful already existing.

Great mod concept, Zarnatheron, and good new quest mods are few and far enough between.
You may find some useful ideas in a previous WIP, now defunct, that had a similar basic concept - http://www.mwmythicmods.com/Archives/Mods/%5bWIP%5dDwemer%20Archaeology%20-%20a%20thinking%20man%27s%20mod.htm, archived at Mythic Mods.


A couple of approaches might work well together?
- using explosives to clear rubble (already modded) - behind which is a tunnel or a door that requires a special key or code [puzzles?]
- quest lines get you:
1. information as to where to search for entry points and more excavations (maps, books, NPCs with info/legends etc)
2. source of explosives
3. location of keys or specialist locksmith or mage
4. clues to solve a puzzle

[For puzzles see - http://www.mwmythicmods.com/Archives/Mods/%5bREL%5d%20AZ%20Interface%20-%20scripted%20text%20interface%20-%20choose%20any%20letters%20(BETA).htm. Download link there does not work. Edit: at ElricM.com http://www.elricm.com/nuke/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=getit&lid=333.]

Thanks for the links Ronin. It gives me a little more to think about.

About the puzzle interface, then I have just downloaded it but not looked at it.
I am a little curious to as why I have never heard about it. It is considered a major breakthrough in the thread, but I don't recall ever seeing it being used in a mod. Is it beacuse it was simply forgotten again, or is there a problem using it, which wasn't mentioned in the thread.

From your other link, it sounds like a dwemer faction has been planned severel times, since a few projects is mentioned in the thread besides DA itself, but I haven't heard about any dwemerfaction-mod ever being released. If that's the case, then I can still be the first to do it
My ambition is nowhere as big as DA. I will not make a new language, and I haven't planned any dwemer exterior, since I expect to mostly focus on quests, dialogue and scripting and keep the worldbuilding to a minimum, but the thread has still given me plenty to think about:

Should I tone the fighting down, to make this a thinking man's Mod (I haven't planned to focus on fighting, but there will be some fighting involved, with dwemer robbers, dwemer automations and I so far made strenght a major attribute along with intellingence).
I should probably start thinking about a story or purpose for the advanced quests, so you do them for a reason.
Should I worry about Lore: I'm not that keen on lore, but things should obviously make sense.
Where can I read about (the known) dwemer history.

Your inputs have also given me a few ideas on how to excavate the dwemer ruin.

Dwemer History:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind%3a%44wemer

sieboldii

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=1818

There is also a better bodies update for this race http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=5347. Could be used as an optional add-on...

ohh did see that one

Thanks for the links, I have favourited the dwemer history site and will read it soon.

A shame the dwemer race Mod didn't have any screenshot, but I have downloaded them both to look at for inspiration, and if allowed maybe as models.

There should be a gif image with T-Bones files.

sieboldii

I read you about dwemer history on your link, and it seems not a lot is known about them, so I probably don't have to gear the lore-police. I also saw the dwemerpicture .
But I didn't find any screenshots from the two Mods.

Since my last post, I have been headhunted to MikeyValentines site, where I have gotten my own development hall, with the possibility of getting a team, so I gathered some expectations now... that is scary.
If anyone would like to make a dwemer ruin (only your imaginations and quest requirements from my would be the limit for your creativity), it would be much appreciated Otherwise I will have to do my best creating one myself.

I just read my last post, that's really awful grammar and spelling :wacko: No wonder, that nobody responded.

Work is progressing:
I have created a levelled list with ruin robbers (The badguys you encounter in the ruins) and sandman is looking at making my last weapons for them.
My first two quests are finished, and I have written my first ever book (it seems, that i ought to write a few more).
I also has half a deal with someone to make a dwemer ruin for me.

But everythin I make something, I realize how much, I haven't done yet.

At the moment I'm reading dwemer books, to learn more about them, but it seems that the only thing know about them is that almost nothing is known.

If someone knows about new dwemer constructs, I would be interested.

I have downloaded the dwemer race mod, and tried playing it briefly. It seems, that it's the answer to my dwemer problem, so they will be NPC's.

I'm almost done with my fourth quest, and have planned a lot of dialogue for the NPC's to hopefully make them seem more alive, also there will be some development among the NPC's in the society, where some are promoted, and another new member of the society keeps annoying you by findeing better tiem than you, try to steal your quests and maybe frame you for something.

The dwemer ruins aren't as peaceful anymore, since they are populated by levelled ruin robbers (I should later check for ballance, as I think they might be too powerful to fit in this mod).

RedEye has volunteered to build the interior of the ruin to be excavated, where we have exchanged ideas, and it will hopefully be quite spectacular with some interesting encounters, and it should be something worth of screenshots.

The biggest challenge for me, is that everytime I do somefind, I get two new ideas to implement, so this will especially contain a lot of dialogue.



I had a thread somewhere else about a dwemer scimitar, which I would like, so if someone can help here (I'm not sure if Sandman gave up because of baked textures in the scimitar we found).

Also if anyone knows of any new dwemer constructs that are available, I would be interested.

you can also donate dwemer artifacts for the mod, if you like.

Progress has been going well on this with steady work and something done every day. So far I have 6 quests done (and about 30 planned), 139 dialogueentries and about 25 new NPC's so far. I have tested ingame a few of piratelord's dwemer constructs ingame, and also found a playable dwemer race to use for my NPC's.

But progress has slowed somewhat for the last few days, since I'm at the point, where I need more than just dialogue and quests. I need items and my new dwemer ruin. For the items, I have looked at items already created and haven't really found what I'm looking for, so have have downloaded NifScope to be apple to make some modifications to current items and retexture weapons to look dwemer, but that's a learning process for me, and creating items is not really my favourite part, so that will take some time for me.

For the ruin, I have all kinds of ideas for what to include, with dwemers, constructs, new armor, s puzzle, a mine and severel quests and other stuff, but it need a lot of interiorbuilding. I hope Red Eye can make it for me, but I haven't heard from him recently... hopefully I didn't scare him off, with all my ideas.

I have made some screenshots, but imageshack appearently only want to show them as thumbnails, and before the new ruin is on it's way, there will not be anything spectacular.

But it seems, that I would help myself by learning more than just scripting and dialogue, if I want to meet my own expectations.