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Notes and Stuff

Kris Takahashi Other 2 Comments

2014-01-17_00002

Here’s some news, notes, and other things I want to mention while I have the chance:

Maligree is the latest wiki editor to join the ranks, but unlike all the previous folks I’ve brought on, she’s managed to finish a quest page, which you can view here. In contrast to the lazily written pages I put together, she’s added detailed summaries, nice screenies, and even filled out the tables. To put it in perspective, not even the legendary Blauwvis, who did maybe fifty or so character pages, dared try her hand at this overwhelmingly exhaustive task.

In short, Maligree is a true hero of our times and anyone who says otherwise is dead to me.

The second thing I want to address is the ongoing overhaul of old NPCs. Often times, when I approach actors about refurbishing their lines, they aren’t having it, and I completely understand why. Given how expansive the dialogue is, it can be a lot of extra work for little to no gratitude. That’s why I’m thankful to those who are willing to do it. Lila Paws has not only be working hard on Anum-La, but also found time to re-take Morviah. The difference I think is staggering, and should really help this NPC shine. Take a listen to Morviah before and after:

Lastly, I want to once again thank those who have donated their hard earned money as well as those who have removed AdBlock to help support the mod. After all, I like money. It is a relationship I think is going places. But in all seriousness, the extra bit of scratch does help pay for upkeep as well as better resources for actors, composers, and the like. I think outside of that bathtub vodka experiment, for the most part I’ve spent the money in ways that will improve the overall experience for you.

Character Profile – Yseld, Ynvar, and Thendrick

Kris Takahashi Character Profiles 13 Comments

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The Reachmen say his human heart was too big for his chest, so he traded it in for a smaller model. 

Unlike most NPCs, Thendrick doesn’t have an actor. He doesn’t have a single line of dialogue. His story is one told through his companions, Yseld and Ynvar. Nevertheless, I find him no less compelling.

This isn’t to say the trio are incomplete. Yseld has her quirks – she’s forgetful, indifferent, and at times aloof. She can turn a phrase, and maybe even turn a few heads. This is in sharp contrast to her sister Ynvar – who’s the kind of rough, unforgiving woman who eats scorpions and uses tarantulas to brush her hair. You might say she’s as hard as the very rocks that cover the Reach. And yet, while the two have depth both as individuals and as sisters, it’s their relationship with Thendrick that truly gives them character.

When I visit Ynvar and Thendrick, I’m reminded of those summer days as a kid. Maybe you met someone off at camp, and you were both a little bit shy, and a little bit excited, because it was so fresh and innocent and real. And when you go back to school in the fall and back to the real world, those summer days are like special little secrets you keep between the two of you, moments frozen in time.

I also think about how much of that innocence was lost as she grew older. As the war sharpened her edges, it left her angry, jaded, and mean. But Thendrick always believed that girl was still there. Sure, she never showed it, but that’s because it was something they shared between the two of them. He always remembered those words by the river, and the smile that came with it. It was their little secret.

And now, it’s a secret he takes to his grave.

When Thendrick transformed, you might say he lost more than his heart. He lost his innocence. Ynvar’s refusal to stop him is proof she had done the same. And yet while the story of Ynvar and Thendrick is inherently tragic, their secret still lives on through their hopes for Yseld. After all, she has her sister’s smile. Here’s hoping she never loses it.

Notes and Stuff

Kris Takahashi Other 7 Comments

2014-01-11_00010Here are some thoughts while I chomp on this burrito and Vex teaches me about the nuances of infiltration:

• README – The new quests and the big update slowed things down with the wiki, but the NPC portion is still caught up, as it includes even unreleased folks like Cassius and Geel-Jah. I feel like if I force myself to make the wiki pages as I make the NPCs, I should be fine. The quest pages though, they can take all day to complete, and I’m sure you’d prefer I focus on new content.

• DONATIONS – I saw a donate button on Kayla Marquez’s Tumblr, and I immediately thought to myself, why don’t I have one of those? Do I hate money? Anyone who knows me would probably say yes. In any case, as long as you remove AdBlock, I think the advertising revenue will be enough to sustain the blog and my lavish yachting lifestyle. For that reason, donations are not necessary, but if you are so inclined, I will hold you in high esteem.

• UPDATES – I still feel like the weekly update is the way to go, so we’re still on track to drop 3.04.1 on Monday. If you’ve noticed the casting call section, I’ve filled the part of Duraz, and the best part is the voice is even better than the last one. I just hope we can make it to the finish line. She’s also going to be marriable, which I feel like should be a word. Anyhow, the voice, yes the voice is pretty amazing. It makes me happy. It has just the right amount of gravel without sounding raspy or whispered. Take a listen:

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• OTHER PROJECTS – I’ve batted around a few ideas for the Evermoor Island mod that has been made available as a resource, and even wrote up a few characters to open with. It would all take place outside of the Elder Scrolls universe, as tying yourself to that world would basically limit the stories you could tell. The biggest deterrent would probably be the fact that the navmeshes aren’t done.

It’s a pretty stupid thing to quibble about given the dude made an entire island, but on the other hand, adding the navmeshes is probably the most tedious thing you could ever spend your day on. Even with clutter you’re still sort of decorating. But it’s just incredibly hard to motivate yourself to connect a bunch of triangles together. The villages and towns are one thing, but the open world is another. Maybe I’ll start with one small area and see if I can maintain my sanity.