pianobadger's Showcases

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pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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4 years 3 months ago

I am interested in creating interiors and potentially doing scripting and implementing quests.

For my interior showcase I made a house that you might find in Suran, attached below.

For my quester and scripter showcases, I'd like to submit a mod called Far From Home which I created for the Morrowind May Modathon. It is a quest mod with a new tomb to explore and more and the reward is a house. There is some interesting scripting and hidden interactions. It's not that extensive, but if you feel like it is too complex to review, assuming my interior showcase gets approved, I can make a simpler scripter showcase later if necessary and take a claim for a quester showcase if there is one I want to do.

You can download Far From Home here: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/46860

Thanks,
pianobadger

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Binary Data pianobadger's Showcase.ESP14.14 KB2019-08-05 05:45
Dillonn241's picture
Dillonn241
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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I looked at the interior. Very nice! You rotated things well on the de_p furniture. I noticed a few nitpicky errors:
com_sack_02_saltrice_10 - bleed more so it looks like the bottom is flat on the ground
furn_de_rug_big_04 - bleed more so the fringe doesn't float as much, about halfway
furn_de_rug_big_09 - bleed more, same as above
misc_com_plate_07 - floating a little too much

I'll check out the quest later.

(Note that I can't give you any roles, just helping in case you want to fix the above and resubmit.)

Vern's picture
Vern
Senior DeveloperInterior Reviewer
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Hey just gave the int a once over, other than the lighting red is really only used by the Morag tong/sixth house (and a brothel, cuz red-light) and the two candles on the dining table are causeing the greenlight bug, this is looking really solid.

Interior name is "Showcase" for anyone else checking.

"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man

"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man

Dillonn241's picture
Dillonn241
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Not a very thorough review of the quest, but here's what I found. It was really well made. You can tell a lot of effort was put into it!
 

 

Aryn Ancestral Tomb
chest_tomb_large_01 - floating
de_r_chest_01_vault_01 - floating
Pathgrid incomplete?

Mirror House
furn_de_rug_big_09 (x2) - bleed more
misc_de_bowl_glass_peach_01 - bleed more so the bottom is flat

Journal
Index 10
- Lowercase for all 4 directional words
Index 15
- retreiving -> retrieving
Index 30
- Gordon The Giant -> Gordon the Giant
- on Tamriel -> in Tamriel (or on Nirn?)
Index 40
- arriving -> arrived

Dialogue

charming little house
I see, well you did do me a favor by re-killing Gordon the Giant, shall we call it 5000 gold then?
- gold -> septims (consistency with other 3 responses)
Look %PCName...
- indestructable -> indestructible

Dolmyna Aryn
(Both entries)
- Journal filter is always true

Greeting 1
Good, you made it here...
- Comma before %PCName

heirloom
Have you changed your mind... (Choice)
- to the Vvardenfell -> to Vvardenfell
Bless you %PCName!...
- Lowercase for all 4 directional words
Bless you %PCName....
- Lowercase for all 4 directional words

Scripts
- Try to avoid GetDeadCount. It should be fine in pbArynDoorScript, but the use in pbArynFloorScript and pbGordonScript is bad with it every frame. I would merge pbArynFloorScript into pbGordonScript and have a local set when OnDeath is called.
- Local variable getimBoy in pbFFHskeletonGuardianScript (and therefore setting it in pbFFHcursedChestScript) seems to be redundant, can check if enabled.
- pbGordonScript: GetPCCell check (and therefore that whole block, just test hiTimer >= 0 instead of 1) seems to be redundant because he's always in that cell. Let me know if I'm wrong, I haven't tested removing it. Also should be able to combine timer and hiTimer.

Overall, whatever my word's worth, pianobadger is ready for promotion to both interior and quest dev. The errors made are minor and the quest was implemented almost perfectly and had some memorable areas.

pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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Thank you for looking at my showcases.

I've uploaded an update of my interior showcase with the positioning issues fixed. The plates are actually fine, if you view them in game there are a stack of six. For some reason the CS doesn't like plates that close together and either deletes them on loading the mod or doesn't load them correctly (need to test which). Definitely something to keep in mind when editing or merging mods. The same issue causes the apparently floating plates in Far From Home.

I will look into fixing the bugs in Far From Home soon, but I wanted to comment on your notes on the scripts.

I used GetDeadCount in pbGordonScript and pbArynFloorScript because it was the simplest way scripting-wise for it to remain true after Gordon's death for the timer, but if it is too computationally expensive it should be fine to remove from both. (Not too worried about it in such a small cell, but more efficient is better.) However, the two scripts cannot be combined as that could cause bugs with Gordons death sound file.

The script on the trapped chest that awakens the skeletons I don't lay claim to. It is a tidied up version of one from Vanilla Morrowind. IIRC the variable you mention is used for force the skeletons to attack the player immediately.

I think you are correct that the cell check and that whole block in pbGordonScript are unnecessary. I believe that is a remnant from when the crypt was not a separate cell from the rest of the tomb. I had a distance check and changed it to a cell check rather than removing it. However, timer and hiTimer can definitely not be combined. hitimer activates when you enter, timer activates on Gordon's death and times his disappearance to match the floor.

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Binary Data pianobadger's Showcase version 1.114.42 KB2019-08-05 20:12
Why's picture
Why
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Hello pianobadger, and welcome to the forums!
Following Vern and Dillonn's recommendations, I'm going to have a look at your interior showcase. Unfortunately it's about bedtime here in Europe, so I can't get it done today anymore, but you're on my to-do list for the first thing in the morning tomorrow. At first glance, it's a very interesting little house - I like what you've done with the higher ceiling in the living room. More to follow, tomorrow!

Vern's picture
Vern
Senior DeveloperInterior Reviewer
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Hrm, I notice the lighting hasnt been fixed. Also noticed you have multiple lights in the 256 radious close together, which is overkill. 

"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man

"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man

pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
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Right, I meant to ask you about the green light bug. I can see some green light on the table from the candles, but since they are green, even though the flames aren't, I don't see the problem with a little reflected green light. I was wondering if there was more to it.

As far as having some red lighting, this is meant to be a house you could find in Suran, and aside from the fact that I don't see the problem with a little mood lighting, I like the way the lighting breaks up the different areas of the home, and I don't think anyone is likely to confuse it for a sixth house base. It would be the work of a moment to change if there is a good reason to, but at the moment I'm not sure what that would be.

MinerMan60101's picture
MinerMan60101
Exterior ReviewerInterior Reviewer
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This will likely be merged into one of the many Hlaalu towns we're making in TR, like Hlan Oek, so keep that in mind.

Vern's picture
Vern
Senior DeveloperInterior Reviewer
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The green light isnt "reflective" its a bug which occurs when too many light objects are placed near an item. (It also occurs with some meshes whose texture mapping wasnt done well and in those cases requires fiddling around with the light objects position to deal with it.) The case in-point here is how you have a lantern with a large radious directly above two candles, which is both triggering the bug and also begs logic questions as to why the person owning the house would place that many lights, not every object needs to have light on it and again here it is more detrimental than beneficial. Also I repeat: you might want to swap the lanterns near the door with ones that have a smaller radius like light_de_lantern_03_128 as again it is somewhat over-bright. (Also that area is a bit bare and dark spots do well to fill space without extraneous clutter.)

The reason to change the red light is constincy, being "a house you could find in suran" doesnt cover the red light, which is only used in the House of Earthly Delights since Red Light is synonymous with Brothels (see "Red Light District"), no other buidling in the town uses it, they all stick to the usual white and ocasional blue light. This is doubly important since that is carried over to the mainland Hlaalu cities as well. (Perhaps to a extreme degree in some cases, but still.)

"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man

"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man

pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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I've since noticed that this green light bug, aside from the barely noticeable effect on the table which is arguably an improvement, is quite badly affecting the rafters near all of the lanterns except maybe the blue one, although it's hard to tell if the blue light is just hiding it.

I've been trying to fix it, but even removing every light anywhere near one of them doesn't stop the effect from occurring in-game, although it may appear to go away in the construction set. I remember hearing about this bug before, but I can't seem to find any more information on it. Anything you know would be appreciated. Can't work on it any more tonight, need sleep.

Vern's picture
Vern
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Yeah it is a perpretually annoying bug to deal with, not helped by the aformentioned meshes which will get affected regardless of how much care you take. Again only real way of dealing with it is just to be careful with your light source placement and not putting too many in your cell.

"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man

"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man

Why's picture
Why
ModeratorSenior DeveloperInterior DeveloperQuest Reviewer
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Review time!

Clean: Yes
Northmarker: Yes
Illegal To Sleep Here: Yes
Fits Exterior: Unclear. Most Hlaalu buildings have floorplans of approximately 2x3, and this interior does not appear to match any particular Hlaalu exterior building.
Ambient lighting: Good
Pathgrid: Yes, though there is no way for a Dunmer player character to pass between desk chair and table/bench in the vanilla engine - so minor adjustment to either pathgrid or furniture placement is required.

Floaters:

  • None that I could find

Bleeders:

  • flora_bc_fern_04 bleeds into the wall ever so slightly

Other:

  • ingred_scrib_jelly_01 can be bled into the misc_de_bowl_01 it's in - it is a soft substance, so it would conform to whatever container it's placed in. I appreciate the effort you put in rotating this one, but in this case it's not necessary.
  • potion_cyro_brandy_01 is perhaps mildly out of place and expensive for a poor interior, but it's only one of them so we'll say the occupant is saving it for a special occasion.
  • There are two skill books in this int, which is on the high side. I would prefer having only one at the most, but it's not a deal breaker, more a thing to remember for future reference.
  • flora_black_anther_02 is currently placed inside a misc_de_pot_glass_peach_02. As a general rule of thumb, do not place non-movable objects such as activators, statics and containers, inside objects that can be picked up, like this misc item pot. Either place the container flower in a static flowerpot or planter, or use an ingredient version such as T_IngFlor_BlackrosePetal_01. Alternatively create another instance of the misc object with a NoPickup script on it.
  • In general, this interior contains a little too many large light sources. I would replace most of the lantens with 128 radius versions and remove one of the candles on the table. The 'green light' bug is sometimes unavoidable, but in this case I'd move the lantarns away from the walls a little by positioning the ropes and lanterns so they hang off the wooden rafters and a little away from the walls. There's no strict need for intricacy there, and it's generally alright to just bleed the end of the rope into the bottom of the wood. Lower radius lights also help mitigate lighting issues.
  • Red lanterns: like others have said in this thread, these are used rather rarely - a total of 12 times in the vanilla game, and almost all of them in Morag Tong bases. If you want colored lights, blue and green are more commonly used and more acceptable.

Misc notes (not errors):

  • Excellent execution on the rotation of items when placed on de_p furniture.
  • Good judgement on bleeding the crab meat, though I'd prefer if it weren't lying out in the open on a bookshelf but on a plate or tray. You could also consider having fewer of these items right next to each other, as it's more typical to have one, two or at most three of them in an int, judging by vanilla ints. Vanilla has a tendency of putting ingredients on little papers, which you can consider in the future. Some, like the ingred_ash_yam_01 and ingred_corkbulb_root_01, don't need this, but ingred_coprinus_01 might benefit from it.
  • I like the bread basket
  • Sacks are properly bled
  • I have absolutely no idea how there are two instances of misc_com_plate_07 stacked on top of the other in the CS (with one floating, to boot) but six of them stacked neatly once you check them out in game. A true mystery. It works, though, so that's good. I checked in TESAME and there is indeed data for six instances of the plate in this file. Phantom plates!
  • Good placement on sc_paper plain - this is a common one to get wrong, and deftly you avoided this trap.
  • Good positioning on the rugs
  • Good use of loaddoors / load doorjambs
  • Like I mentioned before, I like the verticality of the main room, and the construction here shows skill and attention to detail - good job. You didn't make it easy for yourself, but execution of this section, as far as I can see, is flawless. I commend you for taking the plunge into Tamriel_Data and using the appropriate pieces.

Conclusion:
There are very few defects in this showcase, and you've shown great attention to detail with placement and rotation. The verticality to the main room is great, and the use of Tamriel_Data pieces entirely appropriate.
The few things I mentioned in the 'others' section are mostly nitpicking on my part. All in all, there are seven or eight edits I'd make before I would call this ready-to-merge, if it were a TR interior claim, and stylistically it's great (apart from the red lanterns which have been discussed).
Considering you've already shown you respond to feedback promptly and positively, and have already updated the showcase based on Dillonn's suggestions, I'm confident you'll make a fine addition to our little community of modders.

So, I'm going to go ahead and promote you to interiors developer. Welcome to the team! Be sure to join us on Discord if you haven't already, it's where the bulk of project discussion happens these days, and you'll get some fancy badges over there to show you're a dev now.

I plan to have a look at your quest showcase at some point in the not-too-distant future as well but currently I don't have the time, apologies.

edit: uploaded reviewed file, in case we can use it in Hlaalu lands.

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Binary Data pianobadger's Showcase_reviewed.ESP14.08 KB2019-08-06 11:12
pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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4 years 3 months ago

Thanks! 

For future reference, after editing and saving the file it does actually delete the plates from the mod. Probably best to avoid stacks of plates. Not sure yet whether loading that cell in the editor is required to cause this or just loading the mod, that's something I can test when I update Far From Home.

Not putting immovable objects inside ones you can pick up is definitely a good note to keep in mind. Not that I'd be likely to pick up a random pot, but if I picked up that one I'd be racing to put it back since that would annoy me to just have the flower standing there.
 

pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
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I've believe I've fixed all the issues with my interior showcase which have been found thus far. The lighting is vastly improved, there may still be a small amount of the green light bug, but the vast majority is gone. I swapped out the very controversial red lights as well. wink I swapped out the desk chair for a stool and adjusted the bench a bit so that it's possible to walk completely around the table. The furn has been rotated to avoid bleeding into the wall. The flower pot is now a static redware pot. Finally, I didn't forget to re-stack the plates at the end lol.

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Binary Data pianobadger's Showcase version 1.214.2 KB2019-08-07 01:19
pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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I have updated Far From Home to version 1.4 to fix the bugs Dillonn241 found.

Download here:
https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/46860

pianobadger's picture
pianobadger
Interior DeveloperQuest Developer
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Would someone mind reviewing the Far From Home mod I've linked to as a scripter/quester showcase? I'm working on a claim and there might be something I'd like to script. I'm trying to figure out the best way to make molted dreugh shells that don't float.

Jani's picture
Jani
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31 min 22 sec ago

Quóting Dillonn241: "Overall, whatever my word's worth, pianobadger is ready for promotion to both interior and quest dev."

We would've liked to review the quest one more time, but as it won't be merged into TR and all quest reviewers are busy with 1908 (1909?), I'm promoting you to quest developer.

Excuses and Accusations's picture
Excuses and Acc...
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Congrats!