The Aldaril Project, this is an ambitious project that starts as a Total Conversion for Oblivion and ends as a retail product. The Aldaril project is something I have been working on for over a year now, ever since the Tales of Mora project for Morrowind ended. It is a project that will start with us making a name for ourselves in the community, attracting the attention of larger organisations. The people we are looking for should be interested in the industry and willing to use this Total Conversion as a step towards bigger things. Now let me describe what I have been doing in preparation for these new development studios.

I am doing a bachelor in interactive entertainment, majoring in Animation. I have been building websites, earning money, studying legal issues so that when the time comes for the studio's launch next year we will be a step above the rest. The website is complete, the money in the bank and legal issues so that we are never tricked or manipulated by larger organisations. The website will launch once we have a team organised. I hope to eventually see Spectre Studios go retail, this is a goal I have set and aim to accomplish.

Now lets move on to what the project is...

The Aldaril Project
A dream of mine, set in a world on the verge of an industrial revolution, this allows us to introduce abstract design features and primitive machinery. Aldaril is the name of the continent which this project is set within. The landscape (my forte) is planned to be larger than anything ever created, although this sounds overly ambitious, it is reachable. Wastelands, Grasslands, Forest, Tropical Coastline, Winter Forests, Gothic Forests all feature.

I have a folder, 120 pages, filled with lore, character summaries, chapter descriptions etc. The world I have created is still undergoing changes, I think people will enjoy the physical (as apposed to overly magical) world we have created. Religious ideas and alternate approaches on real world ideas will ensure that players feel somewhat connected to the world. For example, "The Temple" has complete control over everything, but there are numerous cults and sects that will attempt to overthrow The Temple throughout the story.

The world the player interacts with is expansive, much larger than anything seen in most modern games. This is a lot of work that will hopefully be made easier with the new terrain generation tools, this allows to create kilometres of terrain in the same amount of time it would take to build a small forest in Morrowind. There will be no noticeable lapses in detail either. Focus areas will no doubt contain more detail than other areas. Focus points are areas where the player will most likely visit, this includes roads, mountains, villages, towns, cities etc. We are not just creating a single province, we are attempting to create an entire continent and the surrounding islands. There are 10 provinces in total.

I bet you are now expecting art, maps etc. But all I could give you is writing, information on the five races, locale descriptions and scribbled art from my notepad. I have completed town names and descriptions, character summaries, detailed report on a projectile (alternate flintlock) system I have devised, Faction details and descriptions of important landmarks. I don't have time to post all this up unless enough interest is shown. Now here comes the important part, hiring people.

I am looking for people at/over the age of 17 interested in the industry, this project could be a good step towards your goals if it is done correctly. I will be doing landscapes, story, lore, texturing, web design and animation. Generally you will need basic English skills, the ability to work in a team, communicate and meet deadlines. I am looking for those of you with brilliant creative minds. We need people to fill the following positions:

2 Concept Artists
- Skilled sketch artists.
- Able to follow written guidelines.
- Experience with photoshop or equivalent.

2 2D Artists
- Able to follow written or sketched guidelines
- Able to create high quality textures.

4 3D Artists
- Able to follow written or sketched guidelines
- Skilled with 3DS MAX or MAYA.
- Able to model and animate to a fairly high standard.

2 Interior Artists (1 dungeons, caves etc... 1 towns, villages etc...)
- Able to follow written or sketched guidelines.
- Able to create interiors to a very high standard.
- Able to devise logical layouts.
- Able to debug their interiors.

2 Programmers
- Able to follow written guidelines.
- Able to Program to a high standard.
- Able to assess the abilities of the SDK and game engine.
- Able to push the game's capabilities to the edge.
- Able to work together to devise new features.

1 PR Staff/Compiler
- Able to combine all game material into plugin files.
- Able to debug complied plugin files.
- Able to deal with the public.
- Able to manage website and forums.
- Able to handle and withhold sensitive information.

If you believe you can fill any of the above positions, please pm me your details including your Age, sex, primary language and location along with an example of your work. Examples can come in the form of screenshots or other media, links to previous work or a reachable reference.

If enough interest is shown I will post story, world and lore information pertaining to the project.

EDIT: Please feel free to ask for more information and I will provide it when I next visit these boards.

Cheers
Brood

This sounds like quite the undertaking. I admire your ambition and I hope it turns out well.

Err.. While I do believe your interest is there I also do believe that perhaps you might need to check your spelling before you post such a proposition...

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like an boat.

However I wish you the best of luck.

bah, one word misspelled. Think of the majority of North Carolinians who would misspell most of the words in that proposition.

anyway, I'm confused as to how it could become a retail product; is making it a total conversion merely like a testing?

I was posting this at 11pm so please give me some slack.

To answer the retail question.

In 2007 there will be another 'Make Something Unreal Contest.' 1 Million US Dollars and the latest unreal engine are given to the development studios that create the greatest modification. This is only one of the many ways you could 'go to the shelves.' There are many competitions very similar to this, we may not go retail, but I hope that a project as ambitious as the one I have devised will attract attention from larger companies. In doing this, many of the developers on the team may have an opportunity to break into the industry. When you are looking for a job, being able to present a well known modification project really does help.

I am very serious about this project, more so than I have been with any previous projects. Tales of Mora I was fairly engrossed in, providing the community with some fantastic landscapes. Unfortunately it did not get released due to a handful of developers (people who lied about age and experience). I did landscapes for that modification, around 500+ completed exterior cells, also pioneering new ideas and exploiting the engine to get the most out of it. I released over 50+ screens from towns, forests, deserts, mountains, lakes. Here is a sample of what I was able to achieve on the Morrowind game engine.

Screen 1
Screen 2
Screen 3
Forest 1
Forest 2
Forest 3
Community Award Winning Screen
Flooded Cave

I always encourage pushing an engine to its very limits, I intend to follow this trend with the new Oblivion game engine. This next project will contain a lot more new content than what was present in "Tales of Mora." I have matured much since that project and have realised that to create something truly spectacular you must build the Total Conversion from the ground up. Otherwise, it really isn't a Total Conversion...

Features for "Project Aldaril" (Sample 4th October)
These are features that have been deemed possible for the new engine...
- Ships, Airships etc. we hope to eliminate fast travel and have the player wait at docks, stations or hail transport rather than just appear at any city or town. Then live out the journey as the transport moves, rather than just reappear at your destination.
- Stealth Features, there is already a great system in place in Oblivion, but we hope to expand on this. Scaling walls and stealth kills (one hit kills) have already been planned and tested on the Morrowind game engine.
- Business, open shop or run your own plantation in the later stages of the story.
- Smuggling, take to the seas, enlist a crew and roam the shipping lanes.
- Participate in the Wasteland's shady underground, assassinate clan leaders, take part in large scale battles, smuggle goods in from the coast, run your own junkyard (hinting at the mechanical aspects of the world).

The 80+ feature list is undecided, it will depend on what comes standard in the Oblivion game.

Cheers
Brood

And just when I thought this project couldn't sound any more amazing. Looking at your screens from Tales of Mora really gives me the confidence this is going to work. If I were actually good enough I would certainly join up, but I'm not.... so I won't....

Sweet.
If you get the right people to work with this mod will take off and, though it may take a couple years to complete, will probably be a huge success. I for one will follow its development. You seem to be an exceptionally experienced or intelligent leader (you really know your stuff in mod development) and judging by your earlier work accomplishing this huge continent shan't be too difficult for you!

Again sorry for sounding like an boat

But those shots were amazing. Those forests were jaw dropping to say the least. You've much talent in the mind of yours.

I'll be on the look out for the people you need to help you. I wish I could but I'm still 16.

A boat?

lol I was wondering about that myself...

Brood, have you found anyone to recruit yet? If you are posting around on lots of different forums then make sure you post on mwsource (i remember you from there I think)...lots of smart people there.

Looking at the reaction I get here first, then I will ask at other places including MWsource.

Wow don't post on the TES official forums!!!
I posted about Project: Middle Earth and within 5 minutes the thread was locked because it turned into a flame war about copyright issues. holy crap. lol.

This certainly looks promising, I wish you the best of luck with the project!

Ok, I will piece together a possible feature list, as well as a story brief. After I have posted those in here, I will begin searching other TES communities.

Cheers
Brood

Channler, you can spell organization ad organisation as long as you libe in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, or Canada. Organize, however, is also organize, I think.

Yeah it's in the british version of harry potter.

Anyway, I'd like to be a part of the project but I have no modding skills (well a few, I made a maze and a fort, basic stuff)

I'm hoping to raise my skills, further more I'm apt at compiling lore and stuff like that.

Yeah, I'm sad to say this, but the only thing I can help with is probably Story Developement [I don't think I spelt that right.] But I can be quite creative, but it's not what you're looking for so yeah..

Would it be based on Morrowind's graphics or Oblivion's?

Sadly, I don't fit to any of those terms.

Anyway, best of luck for you.

...
I find you annoying.

Hey guys, should have some story up by the end of the week, a lot going on in my real life at the moment.

I see. Well I hope these "real life" (whatever that is) issues pan out. I'd love to see this mod come out as fast as it can after the game releases.

I'm pursuing numerous careers, juggling them is quite difficult. In addition, my co-writer and I have decided to mix things up and lean a little more towards horror. We just have to re-write a bit of lore and I am going through the story and chaning many things as well.

P.S. sorry bout grammer or spelling I've been in front of this damn thing all day!

Cheers
Brood

Looks very very interesting what you have here Brood - A lot of work too that I hope will go well...

Aint much that I can offer tho, I'm 15 - Have some... good knowledge about Photoshop and stuff like that, but dont know if I have time for such a project. But I'm willing to offer some aid if needed, even tho it might not be first class

Forge your own story...

We have taken a completely new route in the development of the story within Project Aldaril. You are given numerous scenarios divided into chapters, for instance, the first chapter "Baytown Blues" set primarily in the slums of Talas' capitol city, you will be faced with the task of eliminating local murderers. You are witness to a murder and almost become a victim yourself, these scum have been responsible for numerous murders and are becoming a threat to the governing figures of Talas.

You are found at the scene of the murder of an important local figure by the Talas Guard. You are then given a choice, be executed for the murder yourself, or track down and eliminate the men responsible. The Corrupt Guard know you are innocent, but will use you to do what they have so far been unable to do. How you track down and eliminate these men is entirely up to you, keep your eyes and ears open and be careful about how you go about these assassinations.

The first chapter will be a lengthy one, you search will eventually take you out of the slums and into the surrounding countryside and eventually all the way into the Isles off the opposite coast. This gives you an idea as to how epic the story will be, you will forge it yourself, with the help of Radiant AI and clever writing we will create something truly spectacular. Information can be obtained by spying on NPCs, questioning NPCs and looking for visual clues. Some clues will be very subtle, such as small engraved emblems and shady exchanges in hidden alleys. As the player goes about the business of eliminating these men and women, more information will start to circulate, rumours will become more frequent and specific as your assassinations become more public.

We hope that you will approve of this decision, if you don not please post and let us know. Changes can always be made, mistakes can always be fixed. We are making this Total Conversion for the public, so we wish to have as much public input as possible. Keep in mind Role Players, we hope to include a journal for you to store your activities, you may write in yourself. The game will not update like it did in Morrowind, you must do it manually.

Cheers
Brood

Ahh great story. Looks like 'm in for some skullduggery. I like this idea very much. I think I might put down a few ideas for the story and see how you like them, I can't code but I'll at least try to be minorly involved.

We would love to hear any ideas the community have to offer!

Well I've been busy doing concept landscape renders...

Here is a sample, probably the most you will get out of me, I can be a tease...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v371/Bad...darilBanner.jpg

Cheers
Brood

You never fail to impress.

I was advised to begin work on PR material, so I did some renders with some simple filters and text. It's really just a test, but here is a taste...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v371/Bad...Welcome2005.jpg
Still looks a bit odd, but quality will increase as the renders do, anyone who has done these kind of renders knows how hard it is to get something truly brilliant.

EDIT: Just completed the website, expecting it to be up with the new year, eagerly awaiting the release of Oblivion...

Cheers
Brood

This is bloody amazing. Be sure to make a good forum for me to join!

im good with ideas and suggestions...not developing... damn
nvm its not so bad...ill never get a job anyway...im 14 years old

Been a while since I updated ya'll .



Welcome to the Mid-Eastern wastes , home of the most expansive prison complex in Aldaril. You will get to visit it in the second chapter of the game.

Cheers
Brood

Cool..

You know as a suggestion I think this would be very cool to add to the game..

Sort of a middle eastern culture... The whole idea of 1001 nights and stuff like that have really excited my lust for some fictional experience of such a place.

So a ingame version of the middle east I guess.. or maybe more so a culture similiar too.

The native Night Elf race that dwell in the desert are inspired by middle eastern culture. Only difference being that they are the most advanced race in the game in the way of technology.

Technological elves, eh? I hope you can pull it off ^ ^

I've seen crazier things...

Technology being primitive.

Ie. explosive devices and primitive front loading rifles.

We may introduce primitive steam driven machinery, but it all comes down to how it all fits together. If something seems out of place it will be explained or removed.

I'm interested. I'll send you a PM if you're still active here. I still have a lot of looking around to do, and Obviously I'm not sure my work is the calibur to impress you, but I'm really interested in finding a tesIV mod to work on.

this mod sounds interesting. the whole primitive technolofy and steam engines make it sound kinda like a jules verne thing. cool.

sounds cool to me

i'll try to post some ideas here, but i don't know all what you have already, so maybe my ideas aren't very helpful.

PS: can you download Tales of Mora yet somewhere? From what I've seen it looks great ! I would really like to play that

so let me know plz

Sounds good and I hope you succeed, but I also question the ethics of using modding tools, something inherently free of charge, to make a profit. As long as you have all the necessary permission there is of course no problem (and who am I to say anyway). I hope I haven't missed something.

Sorry for the negativity. Best of luck regardless.

What the?

EDIT: Ilsamir Lord something tells me you missed the point...

Retail will be made on our own engine.

Sorry! My mistake.

2:30 in the Morning, I will post more in the morning, but hopefully some teaser renders will get this thread rolling again...





EDIT: Oh, the first is a test banner for the website from a concept of the Lakes surrounding the capitol of Varahem. The second is a concept of the Talas Plains. We have a member aboard aswell, sorry for the lack of contact, many real life worries at the moment.

Welcome aboard ohnomelon, with any luck I we should see him heading up the static modelling team.

Cheers
Brood

wow brood I'm very interrested in the mod it sounds like a realy nice idea and I want to compete but to bad I don't have the time anymore to be part of a project like this no matter how much I would like to. I just want to say good luck and I hope that it will be released !

I'm excited, the game is due for March but there's a lot to be done even before that!

Just a quick question. How is this an oblivion mod if you are creating your own engine? I don't quite get the connection but I'm sure that I am missing something...

It will be a mod, granted it is popular enough it will be expanded upon and sold on shelves or through programs such as steam.

I am having troubles with my computer at the moment, it is really frustrating me, everytime I create something it renders pixelated.

So basically your aim is to get people from the community to work on a mod for you, one that isn't even fantasy-related, which you'll later turn into a product and milk cash from. And to recruit people you post photoshopped landscape photos.

I hope no one is stupid enough to think they'll ever see a cut of the earnings from the work they put into the "studio", i.e., that one guy and his greed.

You need to run away and hide somewhere...

EDIT:

I shouldn't have even mentioned retail, ok here it goes.

Truth be told, THIS project will most likely never go retail, I am working on another project known simply as "Era." It will be created by myself and a team of local developers consisting of skilled artists and multimedia students.

This project contains some of the ideas behind Era, Aldaril will be a test of these ideas. Now you say that this isn't fantasy? Dear lord boy, I am scared of the world you must be living in...

Thank you for claiming that these are photoshopped landscape photos, my ability is obviously phenomenal if you believe those are pictures. Those are heightmaps, rendered and textured in a commercial program known as Terragen, by me. Heightmaps that can be directly imported into high-end game engines.

I believed that somone who worked on such a respected project as Silgrad Tower would remember C_Mireneye? Now working on his own retail project, after working on a Total Conversion for Morrowind. Please people, before any further remarks are made about retail, be sure to read this post in its entirety.

hm, A friendly reminder here, as per the words of Bethesda themselves;

it's illlegal to charge money for mods made for one of their games.


That is the case for modders anyway

I give up...

EDIT: Is it really so hard to understand?

- "Aldaril," mod for oblivion using some of the base ideas behind "Era."
- "Era," game developed on its own engine.