(WIP) Balmora 2.0 | Morroblivion

After a bit of a haitus on progress with the city of Balmora, I thought it would help to make a new thread to organize progress for Balmora 2.0. This is a new approach to the city that will utilize the new Hlaalu tileset being developed. To start things off, here's the new skooma tunnels:

Inspired by the Balmora Underworld mod, the tunnels will be represent Balmora's darker side, where smugglers move Balmora Blue, moon sugar, and all kinds of other smuggled goods, from books banned by the temple to perhaps Ebony or Dwemeri artifacts. To find the skooma den, one needs to follow the blue lanterns (parts that branch from the path will have different color ones). In the tunnels, the player may also come across some of the oldest buildings in Balmora, carved into the rock in a Velothi style. This represents the Balmora described in the Last Year of the First Era book. Old Balmora would be sort of an equivalent to the Old Mournhold ruins in the Mournhold sewers.

Last edited by iceflame542 on 3 Apr 2015 - 22:05.

Here's my newest take on what

Here's my newest take on what is now known as the Old Bazaar:

From here, there will be plenty of paths into the Skooma Tunnels, including the blue lantern-lit alley seen here. The area on the right by the Alchemy banner may end up being for a Balmora Blue merchant. Balmora Blue, based on the lore I can find on it, seems to be a type of wine which is commonly used as a front for the moon sugar trade. Balmora Blue is sometimes brewed with the moon sugar inside, creating a skooma-like substance out of the wine. Balmora Blue moonsugar leaves a blue tinted smoke when smoked with a skooma pipe, similar to how Redwater Skooma smoke seems to have a red tint to it.

Note that these are placeholder textures for presentation purposes, so that the screenshot isn't all purple. The final build will use the new assets that are on the way.

Very cozy :)

Is it interior or exterior?

Super nice !

Super nice !
I though it would be interesting not to forget to add smoke-like effect in the tunnel.
For more "atmosphere", the tunnel seems for me too linear. What I mean is, it lacks of "no logical" organization.
Well done anyway :)

Kinda reminds me of that huge

Kinda reminds me of that huge tunnel that modders made for Oblivion for the Imperial city. You can take a boat there too.

Looks intriguing, it would be

Looks intriguing, it would be pretty cool if there was a hidden back enterance/exit to some of the buildings lining the Skooma tunnels that would be used for smuggling as well as quick escapes. I would also imagine the tunnels would play host to a variety of thieves, miscreants, and addicts so it could be a interesting way of portraying that aspect of life that would probably exist even in the Elder Scrolls universe, but usually isn't portrayed.

Some broken urns and a collapsed awning could add some dinge to the scene, and perhaps a run off trench or a storm drain.

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some nice stuff here but

some nice stuff here but school boy error with the flat carpets in boats, only used rolled ones.

It's on a flat surface, being

It's on a flat surface, being used as more of a mat in this case. But I can still change it if it doesn't look right.

Not sure if you're already

Not sure if you're already planning this or anything, but you could have some doorways in the dock wall, which then have small tunnels running underneath merchants houses, and some connections to the new Old Balmora / the Skooma Tunnels.

Lore-wise, this makes sense, as it's easier to move cargo through tunnels and then just use a pulley to get them to the shop, rather then haul them up the steps and through the front door. It also explains how smuggling can occur in a dockyard that is so open to the city.

Gameplay wise, this adds a new element to burglaries, as the player can choose to just break into the shop's basement, an approach that relies more on stealth (avoiding guards and smugglers in a maze of dark tunnels) rather than simple lockpicking skills. You could even script it so the player cannot climb the rope of the pulley unless their acrobatics/agility is high enough.

Anyway, the screenshots look great, and I can't wait to explore it for myself.

Carpets outdoor isn't great

Carpets outdoor isn't great idea at all. They were just too expensive to be exposed to elements (ash included).
Except this Balmora Canalworks looks great. Doors on this level, that goes to catacombs/stocks would be great thing.

I am with Alysander on this,

I am with Alysander on this, having carpets outside makes no sense. especially in somewhere as damp as balmora.

When it comes to secret

When it comes to secret passages it would be nice add sth connecting South Wall Cornerclub and Odai river.

About the carpets, they look

About the carpets, they look perfectly fine to me. If everything that made "no sense" was removed from Morrowind we'd have another Oblivion. I believe you should think the other way around: if there are rugs (and not carpets) outside in Morrowind, in a damp location, then probably they are not made the same way real life ones are, being instead impervious to dampness and dust. Does that kind of odd sight add to the exotic atmosphere of Morrowind? That should be the question.

I can imagine synthetic

I can imagine synthetic impervious fibers carpet made by dwemers, but not by dunmers&Co.
By the way would be nice to make carpets pickable. Sometimes that was most expensive property in home of thief's client.

Synthetic fibers? No, just

Synthetic fibers? No, just Dreugh nose hairs and Draggle-Tail fibers.

I'm not so against outdoor

I'm not so against outdoor rugs, if they stay primitive enough. Bleak and colorless like simple cheap doormat... Maybe only with exception for merchant tents "interiors". There always could be added script that they hide out them at night.

> dreugh hairs

> dreugh hairs
Talking about use of (semi-) intelligent races as source of materials, i expect more rugs and skins from dead slaves (beast races, this could look really dark and lore-friendly) than mass use of dreughs. Also if there is need to place some rugs outside - landscapers can hang them drying on ropes.

All organic (non-synthetic) fibers decomposes really fast in damp environment. That's why we have'nt layers of fibers' sediments in earth's crust as coal or amber (but sure, that would be really cool).