development stages

[sasquatch2o]

I'd like to suggest a radical idea. While it may not recieve much support, I think it would be a good step to reducing workload and making forward progress. The amount of work left to complete the mainland is daunting. Interiors alone there are probably another 800-1k to go, at least.

I estimate that five people completing the equivalent of four interiors a month for five years would complete all interiors to the final stage. That allows extra time for larger, more unique interiors and assumes 10 hours for the average interior. The estimate does not include the review process or NPC ing. Completing interiors within this timeframe might also require a reduction of clutter and/or relaxing review standards, but it is possible provided we have enough people doing interiors consistently. It also assumes no work redone or wasted, but by only fully completing essential interiors that would be slightly less unlikely.

my proposal:

1. Define essential and non essential interiors.

Essential: obviously unique and very important, will be frequently visited, close to release.

Nonessential: unlikely to be frequently visited not unique from the outside, further from release, no quest immediately planned.

2. Create standard layout and detailed interior to be used as place holders for all non-essentials. This includes; caves, shipwrecks, dwermer daedric and Nordic ruins, tombs, all standard, non essential buildings, etc.

3. NPC all non essential interiors.

4. As quests are planned added necessary items; loot chests, books, and character inventory, detail and dialogue necessary for testing. Nonessential interiors should not require path grids until placeholder interiors are phased out. Nothing added or removed at this stage other than necessary details listed.

5. Complete nonessential interiors based on urgency and importance. Is the a quest here? Will it be included in next release? Will it be frequently visited? Placeholder interior is replaced. NPC and quest items associated with interior are transfered.

I could see releasing beta version with placeholder interiors still in the file for testing. Many nonessential interiors are unlikely to even be visited anyway. This also allows NPC ing and questing to done done in advance so interiors can be made with the quests and NPCs in mind. Completing TR in stages like this would reduce the amount of time for a playable, testable release by many years AND has the added benefit of allowing design choices and planning to be much more fluid until a later date. This save a lot of valuable time and result in a better end product.

[Terrifying Daedric Foe]

2. Create standard layout and detailed interior to be used as place holders for all non-essentials. This includes; caves, shipwrecks, dwermer daedric and Nordic ruins, tombs, all standard, non essential buildings, etc.

I don't agree with this for anything other houses. Oblivion caves all felt very similar and you could clearly see repeated patterns where the developers had dragged in the standard features and combined them in slightly different ways. I think all dungeons should be made by hand.

The rest of the idea sounds like it might work though.

[Bero]

I also disagree with standard interiors. We can relax review standards with non essential ints but they have to be unique.