Raven Rock is quite possibly the most unique town in the entirety of TES III, and as such, special care must be taken to both properly implement it and take advantage of Skyrim's engine through it.
What makes it so unique? For starters...
- When you first arrive, it is indistinguishable from the wilderness of Solstheim.
- When you "finish", it is a walled and well guarded town.
- You as the player are responsible for helping the town grow in various ways,
---> You personally escort some of its people to come live there.
---> Your progress through the East Empire Company questline helps the town be built.
---> You make a couple choices that impact everyone (Economy/Guards/etc).
- etc.
...
The purpose of this topic is to create a reference guide and instruction list for implementing the best Raven Rock possible. Thus, when the time comes to work on it, there will be much less work involved. The following is a list of things that should be worked on or considered when implementing Raven Rock into Skywind...
- Detailed timeline of town's construction broken into "stages" for easy reference. (handled by me)
- Suggested Daily Routine & Schedules for all NPCs. (handled by me)
- Possible events and additional quests post-construction. (post your ideas)
- World Building? (Specifically related to Raven Rock)
- Anything that I may be missing.
... this is just a preliminary list, so more may be added, but I plan to handle the bulk of the planning. As I lack the skills to implement most of this, it will serve as a guide for those who do know how, lol. Regardless, if I'm forgetting anything, or if there is anything I should take note of, please let me know. I will be posting updates of my progress as I get stuff done.
This is primarily up to Jethro right now as he's working on Solstheim. A lot of what you're talking about will come down to whoever is programming the AI packages and the RavenRock quest which is already set up to some extent. It'll be very complicated especially with the AI packages so a lot of this will come down to the quester/scripters figuring out what is possible as they work on it.
Not sure how useful it would be to have people posts "what ifs" when it comes down to someone else doing it in the CK and we're also not actively focusing on the expansion content yet until Vvardenfell is working. May be better to revisit a year from now.
I'm not saying no one can post, just don't expect it to be more than fantasizing at this point.
Would be nice to implement in this settlement any fitting ideas from Hearthfire that is possible:
- Many stages of construction
- Resources and building components
- Hiring of NPC/Followers
- Farming (even in that primitive variant)
and so on.
- Maybe it can suit some primitive strategic balance of incoming resources from different workers (need many scripting thou).
The addition of a Redguard named Hillod and a Dunmer named Dranas Llethro. Both of them were Imperial City NPCs in Oblivion, who claim to have arrived from Raven Rock.
Hilod (In Oblivion, he is known as Hilod the Outlaw, but his run-in with the law is implied to have happened some point after construction):
"I helped build Raven Rock. Had a bad run-in with the law, so here I am. Pretty soon I'll head out for the Imperial Reserve, try my luck there."
Maybe there could even be a sidequest to help him get off Solstheim after whatever he did.
Dranas Llethro:
"I signed on for the Raven Rock colony. Went there as a builder. Hung around afterwards, but the money ran out."
Most of the quests for Raven Rock are done. The ones which trigger construction still need the scripts and Xmarkers implemented. I left that alone at the time due to graphics design work being done which may have caused a conflict between us. From what I can tell, we have lots of buildings but not many people in them. Room for expansion ideas I guess.
@taerkalith - That's fair, though I figure I might as well do this now while I'm still active with it, you know instead of not being motivated to do something I already did a while back again, lol. Regardless, we'll go ahead and do this for now, and we'll see what can come out of it later. ^_^
@alysander - Not sure how well the "hearthfire stages of construction" would work with Raven Rock, but the rest of it looks like great additions to the town, farming especially. You could have people literally farming crops & such, but you could also have people actually mining for materials down in the mines. I've considered "Baro Egnatius" as someone to bring supplies & such, perhaps he can act as someone to bring money to the people? One last thing relating to Hearthfire could be adding stuff to the Factor's House (like alchemy labs, smithing stuff, etc.). Great suggestion, plenty of possibilities!
@iceflame542 - This is the sort of thing that most people would have missed. These two would make great additions! It would show how the colony is growing and how some people might have come and gone. Love it!
@SBB64 - I see, this is good to know. Perhaps my findings can at least help a little in this. :D
~ STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION ~
Please note that each "Stage" is separated by a few days of rest as prompted by the quest giver of the East Empire Company.
[STAGE 0] Notes - Area is completely forested and indistinguishable from the rest of Solstheim. There are some ebony deposits on rocks, but nothing else of note aside from a pair of torches marking where the docks will eventually be. Falco can be found simply standing in place roughly in the middle of town, and whenever you start the East Empire Questline, you bring the following NPCs to the colony.
- Sabinus Oranius
- Gamin Girith
- Gidar Verothan
[STAGE 1] Notes - Trees have become less dense and area has been cleared up a bit. Mine has been built, and the foundations for (a few of the) other buildings have been put in place.
[STAGE 2] Notes - Most of the trees have been cleared now, and several new buildings have been completed.
- South Storehouse
- South East Storehouse
- Sabinus Oranius' House
- Gidar Verothan's House
- Uryn Maren's House
- The Mining Tower
- Veresa Alvar's Ship "Rowboat"
In addition to the new buildings/structures added, the following NPCs show up during this stage as well.
- Uryn Marn (Automatic)
- Veresa Alver (Automatic)
- Apronia Alfena (Player brings her to colony)
[STAGE 3] Notes - Either a Smith's Store, or a Tradehouse will have been added (as per the desicion made), and a dock for the boat will have been added. To summarize...
- One Building for either the Trader OR Smith.
- Boat dock has been constructed.
In addition, the following NPCs have been added.
- Sathyn Andrano (Trader) or Sabrina Vitellia (Smith)
- Aldam Berendus (Shows up during the "To Catch a Theif" or "Aiding and Abetting" quest)
- Gratian Caerellius (shows up upon completion of the above quest).
[STAGE 4] Notes - More buildings have been completed, they are the following.
- Sados Retholan's House (Character does not exist in game)
- Seler Favelnim's House
- North Storehouse
- The Bar
In addition, the following NPCs have been added.
- Dralora Favelnim
- Seler Favelnim
- Alcedonia Amnis
- Athellor
- Afer Flaccus
- Unel Lloran (Shows up during the "Razing the Forest" quest)
- Garnas Uvalen (shows up during the "Hiring of the Guards" quest)
[STAGE 5] Notes - This one is weird because the town will begin to construct itself at seemingly random (just oddly scripted) spurts. Regardless, here are the construction updates.
- Garnas Uvalen's House
- Afer Flaccus' House
- Gratian Cartellus' House
- Vacant House
- Colony Wall has started construction.
- Colony Wall has been further constructed. (middle of Skall Attack Quest)
- Colony Wall has been completed. (after Skall Attack Quest)
- Guard Tower has been constructed (same time as wall completion)
- Factor Estate Torches have been scattered (same time as wall completion).
[STAGE 6] Raven Rock is complete with the addition of the Factor's Estate. New buildings include...
- Factor's Estate (Whichever location chosen by Player)
~ RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ~
Please note that the following is information regarding Raven Rock as it is in Bloodmoon, no speculation, no suggestions. It is a list of all (non-hostile) NPCs who come to Raven Rock as Denizens or Vistors, put in order by appearance.
Name - Falco Galenus
Sex/Race - Male/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 0
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - (All East Empire Quests)
Notes - The East Empire Company's Second-in-Command, and responsible for Raven Rock's future. Also, he never technically "arrives" as he is located at Raven Rock from the start of the game.
Name - Sabinus Oranius
Sex/Race - Male/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 0
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Establish the Mine"
Notes - Player brings NPC to Raven Rock.
Name - Gamin Girith
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 0
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Establish the Mine"
Notes - Player brings NPC to Raven Rock.
Name - Gidar Verothan
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 0
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Establish the Mine"
Notes - Player brings NPC to Raven Rock.
Name - Hroldar the Strange
Sex/Race - Male/Nord
Arrival - Stage 1
Residency - (Just Visiting)
Quests - "A Blocked Door", "Stop the Messenger"
Notes - Secretly working for Carnius Magius.
Name - Uryn Maren
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 2
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "To catch a Thief", "Aiding and Abetting"
Notes - Is killed during "To catch a Thief".
Name - Veresa Alver
Sex/Race - Female/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 2
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - N/A
Notes - Shipmaster.
Name - Apronia Alfena
Sex/Race - Female/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 2
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Missing Supply Ship", "Supply Route Problems"
Notes - Player brings NPC to Raven Rock.
Name - Baro Egnatius
Sex/Race - Male/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 3
Residency - (Just Visiting)
Quests - "Supply Route Problems"
Notes - Brings Supplies.
Name - Sathyn Andrano
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 3
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Setting up Shop"
Notes - The Trader. Will not appear if "Smith" is chosen during "Setting up Shop".
Name - Sabrina Vitellia
Sex/Race - Female/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 3
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Setting up Shop"
Notes - The Smith. Will not appear if "Trader" is chosen during "Setting up Shop".
Name - Aldam Berendus
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 3
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Aiding and Abetting", "The Factor's Estate"
Notes - Placed in charge of construction.
Name - Gratian Caerellius
Sex/Race - Male/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 3
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Hiring Guards"
Notes - Can become a guard.
Name - Dralora Favelnim
Sex/Race - Female/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Bar Brawl"
Notes - Is an old lady. Married to Seler Favelnim.
Name - Seler Favelnim
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Bar Brawl"
Notes - Is an old man. Drinks his worries away. Married to Dralora.
Name - Alcedonia Amnis
Sex/Race - Female/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - N/A
Notes - Runs the Bar/Inn.
Name - Athellor
Sex/Race - Male/Altmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - "Resident", without home.
Quests - "In Search of the Falmer"
Notes - Not Affiliated with the East Empire Company.
Name - Afer Flaccus
Sex/Race - Male/Imperial
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Hiring Guards"
Notes - Can become a guard.
Name - Tirvel Balen
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - (Just Visiting)
Quests - "Stop the Messenger"
Notes - Does not appear if player chose Falco during "Making a choice".
Name - Unel Lloran
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, without home.
Quests - "Razing the Forest"
Notes - N/A
Name - Garnas Uvalen
Sex/Race - Male/Dunmer
Arrival - Stage 4
Residency - Resident, with home.
Quests - "Hiring Guards"
Notes - Can become a guard.
...
In total, Raven Rock has 21 (non-hostile) NPCs, 18 of which are residents. If you took notice, 10 of the 18 residents have no home, but between the empty buildings and Skywind transfer, we could find something for each of them. Each of these residents will receive proposed occupations/schedules as well as proposed housing. Will update as I go.
(The "Residents and Visitor's" post has been updated, as seen above.)
Okay, so as an update, here are the things I'm looking at for Raven Rock's transfer into Skywind...
- Assigning Occupations/Schedules to NPCs
- Finding homes for everyone, perhaps expanding the Bar/Inn to include more rooms as well?
- Additional events/quests to tie in newer lore.
- Possible Daily/weekly events, such as Baro delivering new supplies.
- etc.
Again, I'll update as I go. If anyone has any suggestions please post them! ^_^
I never understood how Falco can stay alive there. No tent, food, campfire, etc. Just saying...
SBB64 wrote:
I'll give him a box
:P
SBB64 wrote:
Yeah... This is one of those things that I meant (lack of housing), which is especially odd considering how he's probably the most important person there. I'd say that he should at least have a tent, maybe a mini camp area with a little fire and a cooking pot.
Perhaps as the colony gets more and more developed, he could move into one of the houses, or perhaps just stick to his tent? A few others might need tents too, at least until the Bar/Inn is built. If it has enough rooms, the "homeless" residents of Raven Rock could all stay there. Of course, some of the "Homeless" members have unofficial homes, the shopkeepers could live in their shops, there could be a hammock or two pitched up in the mines, or a bunch of other things really.
Jethro wrote:
O.o
Maybe he could have a "Supplies" box to go along with his tent? lol
You know what never made sense to me? Fort Frostmoth. It's very existence. Why? Why is there a large fort there at all? Defending what? From what? Would have made sense to have none of that fort nonsense and just have some legionnaires joining the Ravenrock settlement as it builds up.
Fort Frostmoth is there to protect the shipping lanes from skyrim into morrowind. From windhelm to blacklight. Without it the route would be open to pirate raids. No-one built anything else before that because they didn't know of the mineral value. Plus that island is pretty brutal with the rieklings everywhere.