[WIP] Red Mountain Landscaping

Hey,

I've been assigned to landscape red mountain. Since the whole area was redone to fit the lore better (it was said to be the highest region of tamriel before it's second eruption before the oblivion-crisis) there is alot of work to do.

Keep in mind that there are no meshes for ash storms yet and no fitting weather is available. So if these areas make it into the final game the lighting will be completely different. Though this could be like what red mountain looks like after the main quest, with all ash storms being gone.

My plan is to build down from the top, beginning with the main dwemer castle. Being the main venue of the last battle between chimer, nords and dwemer ages ago I always missed to see some defence structures or any epic stuff in general back in TES3. Just another basic ruin was awaiting me, with the exact same structures like everywhere else. I want to change that.

Update 09.12.2015

I'm back with some new screens:

First of all I have a concept of another dwemer ruin: Bthanchend. It's gonna be a underground vault with alot of hidden treasures inside, without the knowledge of how to get in almost impossible to access. What could be better for that purpose than a location inside a crevasse? (lava isent done yet so these models purpose is just to give an idea of how it might look like in the end)

Old Version

text

Yassu Mine

Mauser Caverns

Salvel Tomb

Foyada Mamaeda, the dried lava stream that Ghostgate was build on. After the second erruption of the mountain it took alot of dwemer stuff down with it, some rubble still can be seen nowadays.

And finally some impressions of the main part of the mountain, small walkways, splintery rocks, lava caves and ash, ash and more ash.

Endusal concept

Dagoth Ur, Citadel

Some first screens (taken in CK):

This is my idea for the main crater. Taking over some structures from the original build, with a completely new entrance the player would have to make his way through the ruins at the side to reach Mr. Ur. Alot of 6th house banners/insignia can be found along the path. Destruction from the eruption can be seen everywhere, the entrance to the inner crater is actually a hole where the outer mountain shell was torn apart.

I plan to structure the inner crater as the main city/energy plant, with most exterior buildings, while the outer area helds most of the the defensive stuff, like weapons walls etc. build to once fight off any invaders.

Tureynulal

Cooled lava covers many areas, such as what's left of kagrenacs library. I would love to have some active streams though, flowing through the bridge as in this image I used for inspiration: http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/068/6/6/morrowind_s_red_year_by_jedi_art_trick-d5xcrol.jpg

Ordosal

Preview of Odrosal, dwemer training academy:

Anyways, that's it for now. Feel free to criticize.

Last edited by Gothic_Freak on 9 Dec 2015 - 10:41.

Really like the direction you

Really like the direction you're proposing. Don't be afraid to make Dagoth Ur into a bit of defensive hell-hole to get inside. This will be where the last battle takes place and we can really make it a struggle for the nerevarine with some well placed NPCs and defensive traps (triggered lava flows using the same triggers as used in the sunken dwemer ruins in Dragonborn+damage effect reverse engineered from apocrypha's water, old war on the first council ballistas (dwemer ballistas), etc. whatever we have to make it interesting). I know SoM already has some retextured waterfalls done lava style (no damage though as of yet) which we may be able to get if we ask...

Looks neat so far! Though, be

Looks neat so far! Though, be sure to remember the player! It looks very inaccessible in that second screen shots. I know the new RM had some very defined roads and such you should take advantage of.

There has been lots of talk about what to do with Red Mountain and we haven't really implemented any of the ideas yet, so a lot of what you are doing is subject to change as we get new assets. For now though, keep it up, it looks menacing as it is. I'd love to get a hold of the esp once you've made more progress so I can look it over. Keep it up :)

well this is promising.

well this is promising.

You seem to be very good at actual landscaping and planning, now all u need are the proper assets, we will have to keep u busy with a relatively non destructive work flow pun pun until the assets are done.

The next area I'm doing for assets if MA/RM so i will talk to u lots about what u feel u need to pull this off.

Here you have concepts which

Here you have concepts which I've gathered from this site, they could be interesting for you:

Pics

From H7Z

[External image]

And from me:

[External image]

Wow, those concepts are

Wow, those concepts are beautiful Lukkar!

Thank you guys for all the

Thank you guys for all the positive feedback.

taerkalith...with some well placed NPCs and defensive traps (triggered lava flows using the same triggers as used in the sunken dwemer ruins in Dragonborn+damage effect reverse engineered from apocrypha's water, old war on the first council ballistas (dwemer ballistas), etc. whatever we have to make it interesting). I know SoM already has some retextured waterfalls done lava style (no damage though as of yet) which we may be able to get if we ask...

Yeah, though lava traps inside of the crater would only make sense if there were pumping systems for the lava, so I'd say we use them more on the outer gates or the interior cells. I already used some ballistas, only having that one weapon gets a bit repetitive though so I hope when the interior assets get finished I can create a few new siege weapons from scratch.

I'm experimenting with combinations of skyrim and MW asses to create some walls/gates at the moment, but the skyrim assets definetly need to be recolored/textured before they can be used for that.

I saw the SoM assets, it'd be great to have them ingame. But that's for the project leaders and not for me to decide.

SquallyDaBeanzThough, be sure to remember the player! It looks very inaccessible in that second screen shots. I know the new RM had some very defined roads and such you should take advantage of.

It probably looks worse than it is, the dwemer block in the foreground covers most of the walkway in the second picture. Also if the pathing doesn't work out ingame it can still be widened later.

SquallyDaBeanz For now though, keep it up, it looks menacing as it is. I'd love to get a hold of the esp once you've made more progress so I can look it over.

Yeah, I can do that. Just let me progress a bit further first haha.

Ravanna
The next area I'm doing for assets is MA/RM so i will talk to u lots about what u feel u need to pull this off.

That's great to hear. Take all the time you need to finish west gash assets properly though :) The rock meshes of skyrim work pretty well for the region, I just hope someone fixes the shading problems I was talking about in my first post. But what I think is mainly needed are lava, ash tree and dwemer assets (I absolutely love the statue you made).

lukkar
Here you have concepts which I've gathered from this site, they could be interesting for you:

Pics

From H7Z

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

And from me:

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

Thank you very much, I already found some of these on the site but having them all together is a great help. I had the same idea with the bridge parts moving up from the lava, I just don't know if it looks good with the standard bridge assets. Your idea with the overhang walkways is great, I already started on implementing these.

Btw.

This topic could help a bit Sorry this one is only for devs.

Some my ideas.

So, each stronghold could have own specific surrounding for reason which you see in this topic.

1. Bthanchend, Really deep canyon (foyada), sun almost don't reach here. it could be placed in fault in cavity. And above it could be solidified lava. Maybe sth like this wall type I don't know how to call it.

2. Tureynulal, just like you did. Maybe a one or two higher towers, to get magic academy "feel"

3. Edusal, sth on small plateau, citadel placed in front of great cliff, surrounded a bit from left and right (by cliff. I think it should look like a great stronghold. Maybe with some levels that you are going upright. Sth like Minas Tirith. Of course NOT IN THAT scale.

4. Odrosal could be placed on some peak, just like DM-peak in UT99. It is dwemer training academy, so it's suits

5. Vemynal, stronghold divided on several pieces, suspended on several peaks, connected by bridges. Of course on the cliff.

6. Dagoth Ur, I don't want to force my idea, but it deserves for some kind of oobservation tower. Just prize when sky will be cleared up after main quest.

-------------

You can do it of course different, but I think each one should have own unique style.

And of course try to remember about foyadas. They are in lore, so they should be here.

-------------

I can't wait for effects :)

Not sure if there should be

Not sure if there should be lava in the crater. I'd make it a veeeeery deep hole with smoke coming out of it, so that you can't see what's down there (and if you jump down you die from heat). Akulakhan's chamber is basically the bottom of Red Mountain's crater, and the lava level in that is much lower. I'd be cool with lava fall streams leaking down there though, if we ever get these assets.

i'm working out how to make

i'm working out how to make these right now, clam yo tits viking.

Might as well open up the

Might as well open up the tower as a claim for a newbie, i see no reason not to. Either they will fail or we have something a little unique.

[External image]

Odrosal, Dwemer training

Odrosal, Dwemer training academy:

lukkar
Btw.

This topic could help a bit Sorry this one is only for devs.

Some my ideas.

So, each stronghold could have own specific surrounding for reason which you see in this topic.

1. Bthanchend, Really deep canyon (foyada), sun almost don't reach here. it could be placed in fault in cavity. And above it could be solidified lava. Maybe sth like this wall type I don't know how to call it.

2. Tureynulal, just like you did. Maybe a one or two higher towers, to get magic academy "feel"

3. Edusal, sth on small plateau, citadel placed in front of great cliff, surrounded a bit from left and right (by cliff. I think it should look like a great stronghold. Maybe with some levels that you are going upright. Sth like Minas Tirith. Of course NOT IN THAT scale.

4. Odrosal could be placed on some peak, just like DM-peak in UT99. It is dwemer training academy, so it's suits

5. Vemynal, stronghold divided on several pieces, suspended on several peaks, connected by bridges. Of course on the cliff.

6. Dagoth Ur, I don't want to force my idea, but it deserves for some kind of oobservation tower. Just prize when sky will be cleared up after main quest.

-------------

You can do it of course different, but I think each one should have own unique style.

And of course try to remember about foyadas. They are in lore, so they should be here.

-------------

I can't wait for effects :)

Thank you very much for your input, I'll definitely use that as a reference. Infact I already did for Odrosal. Though I wanted to do something with more stairs and bridges, but for now I lack of assets haha.

Dragomir
Not sure if there should be lava in the crater. I'd make it a veeeeery deep hole with smoke coming out of it, so that you can't see what's down there (and if you jump down you die from heat). Akulakhan's chamber is basically the bottom of Red Mountain's crater, and the lava level in that is much lower. I'd be cool with lava fall streams leaking down there though, if we ever get these assets.

I tried it. I like it :D When I start finishing the inner area it will be a valid option.

Oh my, this is really

Oh my, this is really starting to come together nicely now. Will there be lava tube caves and stuff poking into the side of the mountian?

how about trying a fusion

how about trying a fusion dunmer stronghold dwemer look for the fortifications, and have the red blight effect concentrated here, to the point that it is hard to see

[External image]

It looks like the inside of

It looks like the inside of Oblivion.

Btw.

I know that this is not this stage but adding some clouds like in Throat of the world example will give impression that this is higher than in reality.

So, since dwemer, daedra, ash

So, since dwemer, daedra, ash vegetation and lava assets are all WIP or not yet implemented the whole region is basically on hold till I know what I got to work with. In between I started covering most of the mountain slopes with cliffs etc, so when I have the assets I just need to do the detail work around the walkways.

ErikChristensen
Oh my, this is really starting to come together nicely now. Will there be lava tube caves and stuff poking into the side of the mountain?

Yup, when the assets are done. I already implemented spaces for lava flows.

lukkar
Btw.

I know that this is not this stage but adding some clouds like in Throat of the world example will give impression that this is higher than in reality.

As it is now, red mountain won't have any clouds. Remember about this thing down here? (-; After the mainquest though, they are a valid addition.

lukkar wrote:

lukkar
Here you have concepts which I've gathered from this site, they could be interesting for you:

Pics

From H7Z

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

And from me:

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

[External image]

I love the atmospheric concept, it would really give the player a sense of finality when they emerge from the clouds, and see all of vvardenfell before them. Considering the rest of the world is more or less flat, they would not have that perspective anywhere else and it would be a treat before the dual with dagoth ur. I suppose also considering how much taller the red mountain is, then it would feel momentous having seen it everywhere and now having reached the summit.

Imagine the Nereverine standing at the rim of the caldera, looking over the land they had spent so much time exploring... knowing that just a short while away is the greatest challenge the island will pose for them; and if they fail, then all life in Morrowind, all life in Tamriel will never be the same again. f***ing A man.

@Gothic_Freak

Yeah, of course.

@TheDjango

It gives me one idea. Blight storm cold be a bit lower then top of Red Mountain. You can reach this level but due to clouds beneath you, you will not see anything spectacular. In that case you have feel that you are 2km above island, becouse you don't have any reference. The only problem will be fumes from top. In that case it could look a bit bizzare. I'm not sure how it can be done. Now we have situation that red mountain is accelerating storm.

lukkar wrote:

lukkar
@TheDjango

It gives me one idea. Blight storm cold be a bit lower then top of Red Mountain. You can reach this level but due to clouds beneath you, you will not see anything spectacular. In that case you have feel that you are 2km above island, becouse you don't have any reference. The only problem will be fumes from top. In that case it could look a bit bizzare. I'm not sure how it can be done. Now we have situation that red mountain is accelerating storm.

The way I see it would work, the blight itself could swoop over the rim of the mountain at about waist level to the player, and then snowball as it cascades down the mountain, forming the storms all around the island. So, the player could stand and look at the storm rolling over the ashlands, whilst the rest of the island would be clearly visible. Perhaps this would even add a certain aspect of symbolism to the scene, since the player would see it advancing on the green areas of the landscape.

At this point I'm still

At this point I'm still waiting for the dwemer assets to get released. Though I won't continue working on skywind after the 15th of July, as agreed with grumpy from the day I joined the project. As soon as I get a place at uni, I probably come back ;) That would be October this year. Still I got some WIPs to show:

Overview of southern RM side (the top isen't rendered in)

I was trying to create walls using existing models. Im trying to stay as close as possible to dragomir/lukkars concept of a raidable stronghold.

I love these new assets <3 All hail king rav! Keep up the good work ;)

[WIP] Red Mountain Landscaping

Really like the direction you

Looks neat so far! Though, be

well this is promising.

Here you have concepts which

Wow, those concepts are

Thank you guys for all the

Btw.

Not sure if there should be

i'm working out how to make

Might as well open up the

Odrosal, Dwemer training

Oh my, this is really

how about trying a fusion

It looks like the inside of

Btw.

So, since dwemer, daedra, ash

lukkar wrote:

@Gothic_Freak

lukkar wrote:

At this point I'm still

Helllll yeah! That's looking

Updated the first post with

someone kidnap him and bring

Updated again