Just had a serious facepalm moment when I realized the Tower and Mines version does not include the Tunnels as that is a seperate download, this after I spent 3 hours trying to find that silly trap door. DOH. good mod though keep up the good work.
Dang, I'm sorry, but if you have any questions in the future feel free to send me a message. You can also leave a post here, but it may take a while for me to notice and respond. Glad you you didn't give up though.
Fun mod this makes 3 homes with skipping distance of River wood including Rylek? Cave and Arvels home across from the Sleeping Giant inn. Amazed its working so well ATM have it inside a Merge patch with 13+ followers, weapon mod, and this home. Not to difficult to obtain for a starter home. The sliding screens to harvest the planters was a nice touch.
Thanks for the comments. Glad you like it and it works well for you. Yeah it seems there are enough Riverwood mods that you could make an entire town that goes from Riverwood to Whiterun. Might be fun to try that someday. I didn't want it to be too difficult since many characters spend parts of their early careers in the area.
Just noticed that one of the arches that holds up the ceiling in the cistern kind of just....ends at nothing near the forge and the alchemy lab. Like...you can see clear into the mesh.
Dang, you're right. That big arch piece is not back far enough. I've been in there many times and never noticed that since the brick textures blend fairly well. Let me ask you something....is this the kind or thing you would download a fix for if I made one, or would you just not bother and use it the way it is?If you are fine the way it is, what would amount of changes, additions, upgrades would it take for you to upload a newer version? Just curious.
I'd easily download a fix for it...because I liked what the mod added to Riverwood.
If anything else though... I like it if:
1. The cistern only had the basics and I needed to add other things either by purchasing upgrades from a merchant OR by building them via a Hearthfires Workbench.
2. Getting the "house" itself was a greater challenge.
Basically I loved the look of it. I just felt it was a bit too easy to get. And since it comes with "the works" it was kind of a huge freebie.
Building upgrades is definitely a cool way to get stuff, but I haven't figured it out how to mod that yet. That's why you had to kill the bandits to get the building and all their furnishings.
Okay, I'll give serious consideration to an upgrade although it may be while due to some traveling. If I do I will leave most everything as it except for the few cosmetic and play fixes.But I might include something more substantial, although I'm not sure what. Perhaps a small dungeon or something. Open to ideas.
1. A dungeon of some sort could work, with a small quest and a boss to gain access to the key to the hideout. I imagine this would be something like White River Watch (which is right down the hill near Whiterun) where the dungeon has a small story going on that you'd discover by reading notes and overhearing bandit conversation.
2. Of course the "easiest" route without simply giving the full package away would be adding a door to the tower and locking it and the tunnels with a key. Then, you could place that key on a bandit or somewhere in one of the main bandit themed areas around Riverwood. (i.e. The tower on the way up to Bleak Falls, On one of the Bleak Falls Barrow bandits, At the small bandit camp up the hill south of Riverwood, White River Watch, etc.) Then it's a simple as pinning a note to the tower or leaving a note around the area that hints at where the key holder has gone.
3. The coolest version, in my opinion, would be one in which you utilize the upgrading by adding some evidence of a caravan raid somewhere along the road outside Riverwood. Then add a captive merchant who's being held hostage by the bandits in the cistern. Upon killing the bandits and freeing the merchant, he could offer to sell your upgrades to improve the cistern/tower. I'd be more than willing to do a bit of voice acting for the merchant and any bandit dialogue that would be required.
As for "general improvements"....um.... perhaps make the trap doors into an object that isn't just a door on the ground. Like...a boarded up old well...or a small tunnel entrance down near the bank. Also...consider adding something topside to signify where the cistern is getting that stream of water. Like a small grate near the tiny stream coming off the mountain or something.
Either way I think the mod fits right in to my current playthrough. The follower adventure "Rigmor of Bruma" adds a trio of thugs who attempt to mug you as you enter Riverwood, but they didn't come from anywhere in particular. Adding in the Bandit Tower and Tunnels really helped the RP for that. Made it seem like they were just part of the crew living there. Especially since the tower part is empty.
BTW, that Barrel Bath using the smelter as a heat source is brilliant.
Thanks for the feedback. Always nice to know what works for people and what interests them. It's frustrating to spend a lot of time making or fixing a mod that few have an interest in.
By-the-way there is a well cap just in the river near the lumber mill where the waterfall in the tunnels presumably comes from. You can't go in that way cause it's all boarded up, but it's there.
Also, I assume you read the bandit journal in the Tower (close to the bed). It has some background story.
A couple of other mods that work with this to add realism are Bathing in Skyrim (actually works with the outdoor shower) and Realistic Boat Travel which puts a boat right by the hot tub.
Thanks for the suggestions, and I'll try to work on some ideas over the next few weeks.
There was some clipping when sitting in the hottub, but I forget from what, been a while since I tested this. And there was some kind of ore vein outside that I couldn't mine but NPC's did nothing but mine it. Still planning on updates?
That's a malachite vein so I'm not surprised they mine it often. I just tried it out myself and had no trouble mining it. Not sure why you are having trouble. The clipping I think you are referring to is when the steps in the tub clip your legs underwater. That's because it's hard to have steps that are tall enough to get you out of the tub without them filling up most of the tub.If I had some major changes in mind I might update, but mostly I've been doing other mods (click on my name to see those). Did you have some change you were hoping for with this mod?
Really just nitpicky stuff. I tried it again, this time leaving out the tunnels, and mining the ore worked fine. It was probably a conflict with something else though as I'm not running the exact same install as then anymore. I seemed to remember it being a little too cramped up top, but not really. Location is really ideal for Riverwood, works well with the atmosphere and surroundings, but as I don't use fast travel and haven't gotten around to installing one of those carriage mods - it's a little time consuming whenever you want to just drop off some loot in containers. And speaking of containers; leaving out the tunnels add-on, there really aren't all that many for a permanent base - as personally I didn't think the cistern architectural style really worked thematically as a Riverwood underground location.
Anyway. There's a sliding door in the sleeping area that has two books on the window pane, and when the slider is shut usually those books go flying. The shower could be higher, and with a bigger volume of water. Also the hottub is really in my opinion the nicest feature but the view of the river is quite dull, and maybe having it angled towards the village would work better. And yes, the clipping was the stairs. I don't suppose it's possible to have the stairs double as seating without script usage? Maybe the lowest step could otherwise be one of those wide dwemer seats, or something wooden of a similar shape that I can't remember if there are any vanilla assets of. Either way, the chair seems a little strange and maybe could atleast be replaced by a chair without the backrest. Alternatively to fix the clipping, though ruining the nice round shape of the hottub - maybe enlarge it into an oval shape or something.
Thanks for the ideas and input. I'll keep them in mind if I decide to do a newer version of this mod.
The lack of containers close to the tower is the biggest flaw in my opinion. In fact in my own version of the towers I added a couple of barrels near the steps to the tub. I also did some changes to my version of the Leaf Rest mod so that it and my mod would work together. Which they can do pretty well.
I don't get to this location too often either unless I'm hauling stuff out Bleakwood Falls. It's nice to have the smelter there since I have a mod which allows me to melt down the weapons and stuff I find.
The step/seat idea is not bad. The creation kit has a thing called an "invisible chair" which you can place on stumps or walls or whatever to allow NPCs to sit during their idle moments. I have one on the steps inside the skooma den from my Whiterun mod. In one of the pictures you can see Lydia sitting on the steps. You would need a follower mod like UFO or Vilja to allow the follower to roam around using the idles in a random fashion. These are best done in interior locations so your follower doesn't wander off too far. As far as I know your character can not use those and if you want to force your follower or character to sit somewhere on command you really need a regular piece of furniture. I suppose it might be possible to slip a bench under the stairs to be a seat without it being to noticeable. If the tub is made bigger then all kinds of things would need to be adjusted also like the platform it's on, the smelter below it, the trellis above it, etc. Sometimes changing one thing can lead to having to mess with all kinds of other stuff. Even dropping a simple storage barrel requires adjusting the navmesh (the stuff that tells NPCs where they can walk) so that NPCs don't walk into it.
Thanks again for the suggestions. I really like getting feedback. I hope you don't think me dismissive if I don't use them right away. Unless something in my mod is broken, I want consider carefully what to add to an updated version in order to save my effort and that of people who already have the mod and have to decide if it's worth cleaning out, uninstalling it and installing the new one.
A mod like My Home is Your Home is supposed to work even with a player created home mod. I would probably assign the home while in the tunnels just to be safe. Also once you do that then take the follower out of the tunnels and tell them to head for home and see if they head there. I do that to sort of check. If you do that they will interact with the many idle markers. If you don't care about that you can just say "wait here" and they will just stand there for days until you ask them to follow again.
I'll try downloading Leaf Rest soon and see what might be done to have them work together. My building seems to be right where the approach decking is for the other mod. Moving my building with all it has in it would be a challenge to say the least. Adjusting the decking on Leaf Rest might be the least painful solution. Have you ever worked with the creation kit? Doing your own alterations might be easiest way to go. Otherwise one would need permission from the author to publish a variation of the mod.
They actually function together just fine although not elegantly. Since the decks from the two mods are similar and at the same level, if one removed a rail from my deck and added a piece of decking (to either mod) between the two decks to connect them they would be integrated. Only other thing would be to remove the front deck stairs and first deck section and the flowers and vases from Leaf Rest since they poke through my stairs (although my stairs and trap door are still useable without removing any decking.) I haven't looked at the navmesh to see what it would need.
Creation Kit is not too hard to use. All I had to do to integrate these two mods was to delete two steps and a railing and then turn and shift one deck piece and the flowers and vases. Most of that was part of the Leaf Rest mod so I wouldn't feel quite right uploading my changes. I redid some navmesh, but it could be better since I don't know how to join navmesh from two different mods. Even without changes both mods are functional and one can jump across the stream to and from the lower deck.
Thanks a lot. I'm busy working on another home mod in a different part of Skyrim. It should be done soon and provide folk with another comfortable place to hang their helms. Keep an eye out for it.
45 comments
If anything else though... I like it if:
1. The cistern only had the basics and I needed to add other things either by purchasing upgrades from a merchant OR by building them via a Hearthfires Workbench.
2. Getting the "house" itself was a greater challenge.
Basically I loved the look of it. I just felt it was a bit too easy to get. And since it comes with "the works" it was kind of a huge freebie.
Okay, I'll give serious consideration to an upgrade although it may be while due to some traveling. If I do I will leave most everything as it except for the few cosmetic and play fixes.But I might include something more substantial, although I'm not sure what. Perhaps a small dungeon or something. Open to ideas.
1. A dungeon of some sort could work, with a small quest and a boss to gain access to the key to the hideout. I imagine this would be something like White River Watch (which is right down the hill near Whiterun) where the dungeon has a small story going on that you'd discover by reading notes and overhearing bandit conversation.
2. Of course the "easiest" route without simply giving the full package away would be adding a door to the tower and locking it and the tunnels with a key. Then, you could place that key on a bandit or somewhere in one of the main bandit themed areas around Riverwood. (i.e. The tower on the way up to Bleak Falls, On one of the Bleak Falls Barrow bandits, At the small bandit camp up the hill south of Riverwood, White River Watch, etc.) Then it's a simple as pinning a note to the tower or leaving a note around the area that hints at where the key holder has gone.
3. The coolest version, in my opinion, would be one in which you utilize the upgrading by adding some evidence of a caravan raid somewhere along the road outside Riverwood. Then add a captive merchant who's being held hostage by the bandits in the cistern. Upon killing the bandits and freeing the merchant, he could offer to sell your upgrades to improve the cistern/tower. I'd be more than willing to do a bit of voice acting for the merchant and any bandit dialogue that would be required.
As for "general improvements"....um.... perhaps make the trap doors into an object that isn't just a door on the ground. Like...a boarded up old well...or a small tunnel entrance down near the bank. Also...consider adding something topside to signify where the cistern is getting that stream of water. Like a small grate near the tiny stream coming off the mountain or something.
Either way I think the mod fits right in to my current playthrough. The follower adventure "Rigmor of Bruma" adds a trio of thugs who attempt to mug you as you enter Riverwood, but they didn't come from anywhere in particular. Adding in the Bandit Tower and Tunnels really helped the RP for that. Made it seem like they were just part of the crew living there. Especially since the tower part is empty.
BTW, that Barrel Bath using the smelter as a heat source is brilliant.
By-the-way there is a well cap just in the river near the lumber mill where the waterfall in the tunnels presumably comes from. You can't go in that way cause it's all boarded up, but it's there.
Also, I assume you read the bandit journal in the Tower (close to the bed). It has some background story.
A couple of other mods that work with this to add realism are Bathing in Skyrim (actually works with the outdoor shower) and Realistic Boat Travel which puts a boat right by the hot tub.
Thanks for the suggestions, and I'll try to work on some ideas over the next few weeks.
Yeah I use both Bathing in Skyrim and Boat Travel. Both work perfect with this mod.
Anyway. There's a sliding door in the sleeping area that has two books on the window pane, and when the slider is shut usually those books go flying. The shower could be higher, and with a bigger volume of water. Also the hottub is really in my opinion the nicest feature but the view of the river is quite dull, and maybe having it angled towards the village would work better. And yes, the clipping was the stairs. I don't suppose it's possible to have the stairs double as seating without script usage? Maybe the lowest step could otherwise be one of those wide dwemer seats, or something wooden of a similar shape that I can't remember if there are any vanilla assets of. Either way, the chair seems a little strange and maybe could atleast be replaced by a chair without the backrest. Alternatively to fix the clipping, though ruining the nice round shape of the hottub - maybe enlarge it into an oval shape or something.
The lack of containers close to the tower is the biggest flaw in my opinion. In fact in my own version of the towers I added a couple of barrels near the steps to the tub. I also did some changes to my version of the Leaf Rest mod so that it and my mod would work together. Which they can do pretty well.
I don't get to this location too often either unless I'm hauling stuff out Bleakwood Falls. It's nice to have the smelter there since I have a mod which allows me to melt down the weapons and stuff I find.
The step/seat idea is not bad. The creation kit has a thing called an "invisible chair" which you can place on stumps or walls or whatever to allow NPCs to sit during their idle moments. I have one on the steps inside the skooma den from my Whiterun mod. In one of the pictures you can see Lydia sitting on the steps. You would need a follower mod like UFO or Vilja to allow the follower to roam around using the idles in a random fashion. These are best done in interior locations so your follower doesn't wander off too far. As far as I know your character can not use those and if you want to force your follower or character to sit somewhere on command you really need a regular piece of furniture. I suppose it might be possible to slip a bench under the stairs to be a seat without it being to noticeable. If the tub is made bigger then all kinds of things would need to be adjusted also like the platform it's on, the smelter below it, the trellis above it, etc. Sometimes changing one thing can lead to having to mess with all kinds of other stuff. Even dropping a simple storage barrel requires adjusting the navmesh (the stuff that tells NPCs where they can walk) so that NPCs don't walk into it.
Thanks again for the suggestions. I really like getting feedback. I hope you don't think me dismissive if I don't use them right away. Unless something in my mod is broken, I want consider carefully what to add to an updated version in order to save my effort and that of people who already have the mod and have to decide if it's worth cleaning out, uninstalling it and installing the new one.
I have not had a chance to try modding yet.