Here is a rough outline I'd like to propose for a more practical and gameplay oriented Kemel-Ze ruin.
Artifact pieces would be given to a Dwemer expert from the IAS, who would be able to assemble the pieces together into some type of key or insert for the mysterious terminal found in the ruin.
Edit: Added an alternative design, to allow for the possibility for a deeper unexplored complex, with multiple points of entry to reduce backtracking.
Edit 2: I've gotten feedback from players who want the experience of delving into an endless sprawling labyrinth to get lost in. Nothing against that in itself, but I think we should be realistic about what's involved in making that much content and also making it the quality it needs to be. Don't want to bite off more than we can chew.
Therefore
Just fleshing out the idea of the "Unexplored depths", if this area is undergoing current excavation, then we have the option of adding to it later with future releases in the form of new discoveries from the IAS.
This could even be content for the OE newspaper IE: "IAS explorers have made an amazing new discovery beneath the ruins of KZ. Archaologists are asking for any willing volunteers to help explore and map the new discovery. Bring your own weapons"
2016-01-25 21:01
44 min 10 sec ago
I like
With your standards so high
And your spirits so low
2020-10-18 21:03
6 days 4 hours ago
IMHO it should be at least 20 cells, preferably 30 and a bit more chaotic, non linear design
2018-08-13 09:52
8 hours 46 min ago
Quality>>>>>>> quantity
20-30 cells is the kind of goal that just leads to a repeat of all the current KZ's issues, espiecally how the majority of cells are either tiny or utterly generic, with one or two minor standouts. And with the current KZ as well, it has a lot of junk cells that could have just been merged due to how empty they are (lot of pointless hallway cells). Bigger and better detailed cells, is better than just trying to have a lot of them to sound big.
Even Waags design, those extra two cells between the entrance level and the IAS base are just drudgery for the player to walk through, rather than something meaningful, again judging based off the current KZ. Swapping those for optional side passages further into the complex would be more enjoyable and again that doesnt need to be more cells it could be done within others.
"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man
"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man
2016-09-18 05:23
2 years 2 months ago
Added a design variant to add a few shortcuts, and the possibility of an expanded "unexplored depths" area.
2018-08-13 09:52
8 hours 46 min ago
Shortcuts are a good idea, though from a practical perspective the uncharted level + digsites are just repeats of the quest-relevent sections, given their locked-off they are going to be uncharted by default. Plus getting into the hypotheticals of design you'd want at least one of those three to be based around a cave-in/partial cave section anyway, just for varieties sake if nothing else.
This is another case where figuring out the size/contents of all the essential cells is vital before just adding more secondary cells. I think theres maybe a false perception when doing this kind of planning that a dungeon cell is just one big room for a single purpose, so one should add a new cell for every idea. Again, one cell can be very large, espeically with dwemer which scales well with clutter refs to size without looking under-done (unlike some sets), so try to figure out whats actually being done in each. It must be repeated, old KZ kept having cells added with no rhyme or reason for their existence and it just hurt the over-all whole.
Just to provide some constructive notes that relate to the above, from the Kemel Ze book, three rooms that are essential to appear are an observatory, a large hall with murals depicting the numidium and the dwemer kings tomb, these would all be in the explored section/occupied section. The hall with the murals would probably make for a good backdrop for the revamped IAS base.
"Nomen album delenda est" - a great man
"Forum sigantures suck" - the same great man
2020-03-05 21:38
20 hours 12 min ago
Alright since we're all pitching in ideas for the redo here's mine. I'm assuming that we're still mostly following the general plan outlined by Atra here: https://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/forum/kemel-ze-rework-part-ii
I agree with Vern on the number of cells vs cell size. Trying to save the current implementation is kinda forcing us to work backwards, starting with a huge dungeon and trying to make it work. I think the best way to proceed is to take a step back and fully cement what areas Kemel-Ze needs to have and what function each should serve, with no set number of cells in mind, then flesh them out and see what we need. Only then can we think about what we can salvage from the current cells. Ideally, entering a new cell should indicate a change in the content / function of the int, unless an int is simply too big and has to be broken up.
Thankfully we have enough info from the book that gives us a pretty good idea of how the starting areas should look like: looted and excavated for the most part. Like Vern said, however, having large "empty" areas devoid of content wouldn't be much fun for the players. One way to avoid this would be to have a short entrance zone that is empty, with signs of activity (crates of supplies for the expeditions, excavated artifacts to the surface, torches and other markings showing the shortest way further in). This entrance zone then leads to the main IAS "headquarters" which acts as a hub for the rest of the dungeon. I like Vern's idea of the hall with murals being where IAS have set up. We then need two new zones, one for the tomb of the Dwemer King and one for the observatory. A few areas currently being excavated are also connected to this "hub", preferably as parts of the same cell. Having multiple IAS teams trying to figure out how to proceed in a few different excavation sites would be a great way to show research-in-the-making: a lot of unknowns, many dead ends, a bunch of people with different ideas on how to proceed and a lot of disagreements and infighting over things like funding, who calls the shots, who gets credit / takes the blame etc.
Each excavation site could have a "mini quest" in which the player helps the team make progress. These could vary from retrieving a special dwemer tool, to getting two teams to work together, or gathering rare alchemical ingredients needed to break down some obstruction. One of those excavation sites might lead to nowhere (though maybe the researchers are too stubborn to realize or accept this), another could lead to important discoveries for the IAS, but irrelevant to the player (little to no loot, but something the researchers would be interested in). Add a bunch of puzzles that need "tools" and/or cooperation from multiple excavation teams and the potential for an entire side-questline with memorable characters is right there. One excavation site eventually leads to the "depths" where the main questline in Atra's draft takes place. And there is still room for additional cells housing the tombs of Dwemer kings or anything else we may want to add.
This is the extent of the dungeon until the player sets things in motion. We could also have additional entrances to side areas that may or may not connect with the above, though depending on the size of the rest of the dungeon these might be unnecessary.
The final levels can then be designed around the "Brass King". Is it still operational? Malfunctioning? If so, can it be repaired? What reward would a player get for finding / repairing it? The answer to these questions will help us decide how to shape the depths of Kemel-Ze and the puzzles therein.
The number of cells will then be organically determined by the narrative we have set up and that will lead to a much more coherent and less confusing result.