The Patron of Patrols - Scrabbulor

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Today we are talking to Scrabbulor who is most famous for his patrolling mods of the extra immersive variety: Immersive Patrols and Immersive Patrols SE.


BigBizkit: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. To start this off, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?

Scrabbulor: Thanks for the opportunity! Name's Ameer Mohamed. I'm a 28-year-old poultry farmer, born and raised on the sister islands of Trinidad and Tobago.


You are most well known for your Skyrim mod Immersive Patrols which has been downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users. How would you describe what the mod is and does in your own words?

It's a simple mod that uses the basic AI packages in the Creation Kit to create open world activity, specifically military activity.


What was your inspiration for Immersive Patrols and what made you want to create and share it on Nexus Mods?

Every town, city and village mentioned the ongoing Civil War but unless you did Civil War related quests it was hard to tell. Like most mods I create, I made it for personal use but unlike most mods I upload, I uploaded Immersive Patrols very early in its life. I could tell the mod's scope and simplicity would make updating it as it grew manageable.


Do you have a certain philosophy when it comes to creating mods? What are the things you pay attention to the most?

Simplicity and longevity, but mostly simplicity. Reaching a goal in the most self-contained manner is always my goal.


How did you first get introduced to modding and how did you go about developing the skills to pull off a mod like Immersive Patrols?

I can't quite remember where exactly I started. If a game had a map editor or any kind of tool to change it I'd spend more time there than playing. I've always been unreasonably fascinated by the technology and techniques that are involved in creating video games so the motivation was always there. Once my country had tolerable internet, I'd say around 2004, I quickly learned the basics of Animation, Rigging, 3D modelling and C++ from free online resources and started creating small mods and eventually games in UDK for fun (shoutouts to geodav).

That being said, Immersive Patrols is a very simple mod. It only took a day of tinkering with the AI Package system to make the "skeleton" for the mod.


Are there things you wish you would have been able to pull off, but which were not possible either due to engine limitations or because you simply did not know how to do it?

Not particularly. For a while I didn't know how I'd go about disabling/enabling patrols based on questline progression without scripting but while using enable/disable parents to get rid of vanilla lights and add shadowed lights to Hearthfire homes without dirty edits, it clicked that I could do the same with the objects enabled and disabled during the reconstruction of Fort Dawnguard and destruction/existence of Civil War Camps during their respective questlines.


What are some of the games you grew up with?

I played a lot, A LOT of video games as a kid but the ones that stand out are from the N64 era onward. Majora's Mask, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Shadow of The Colossus, Danganronpa 1 and Demons Souls captivated me the most without a doubt. Shadow of the Colossus, in particular, had a massive impact on me as a person. It taught a young me how to appreciate beauty in things I would otherwise take for granted.

It's hard to describe but when I try to remember Shadow of The Colossus, I don't remember a game but everything between. I see the landscapes, colossi, architecture, Wander, Agro. I can hear their footsteps and the wind. I feel a calm presence. Something dear to my heart.


Have you ever tried your hand modding other games?

I have! I've made mods for everything from Pokemon games to risque Japanese Imports, haha. As long as I start playing something or a character creator catches my eye, I'll start tinkering if I've got the time.


Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of modding and/or gaming?

I do! I practice line art, digital art, game design and natural bodybuilding.


What advice would you give people interested in becoming a mod author?

Think about something YOU want. What do YOU want in YOUR game? It doesn't matter how outlandish it is, just start reading and working towards it and you'll eventually make SOMETHING. Sure it most likely won't be what you set out to make but I guarantee you, if you're even mildly satisfied with the end result, someone out there will love it.


Is there anything else you would like to say?

This was genuinely fun. Thanks for interviewing me and thank you Nexus community for being consistently mature and inviting all these years!


A big thank you to Scrabbulor for answering our questions. As always, if there's an author or mod project you'd like to know more about, send your suggestions to BigBizkit or Pickysaurus

23 comments

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  1. mahrez7
    mahrez7
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    Thanks for covering this
  2. Niborino9409
    Niborino9409
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    It's fun and interesting to see the people behind the mods we use. Thanks for sharing!
    1. gandrew0
      gandrew0
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      yeah that's how i feel too :D
  3. EquinoxAlkemist
    EquinoxAlkemist
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    ive been using Immersive patrols in Rimsky for over 4 years! thank you Scrabbulor, game would not be the same without your work!
  4. louisianahhh
    louisianahhh
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    Oh! I never posted the link to  the Haemar's Shame conflict! It's a pretty big battle! I spend a lot of time walking the beautiful lands of Skyrim, catching all the action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZnFOI_fK9s
  5. Gurofiend24
    Gurofiend24
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    Love these interviews! Ameer sounds like a nice guy!
    1. gandrew0
      gandrew0
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      yeah that's what i think too
  6. Fardhias
    Fardhias
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    ?? mantap bro thank you
  7. louisianahhh
    louisianahhh
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    Thank you Scrabbulor for this wonderful mod. I love Immersive Patrols! My game is alive and more interesting because of it. I made a YouTube video showing Immersive Patrols In my game. I picked the the battle on the road by Haemar's Shame to make the video because it's contained by the mountains there, which made the video footage better. You breathed life into our Skyrim. Thank you for the interview Scrabbulor and thank you Nexus, BigBizkit and Pickysaurus too.
  8. Scrabbulor
    Scrabbulor
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    Thank you all for reading and leaving nice comments! Genuinely makes my day sometimes. Glad my little mods are enjoyed by so many.
  9. DfilinD
    DfilinD
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    It would be great to unite this mod with "HOP - Horses on patrol" !!!
  10. clawdius25
    clawdius25
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    My first-mod-ever in the skyrim!

    This mod makes fast travel feel empty because you never know you'll meet bandit or even imperial fighting stormcloak while you enjoy the scenery along journey.

    Thank you!
    1. Beerbeer007
      Beerbeer007
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      Then add to this mod, the Skyrim Civil War reborn mod