[WIP] Unique Taverns : V - Skyrim

» Sun May 27, 2012 3:18 pm

idea for a song
'a pint of mead a pint of mead, everythings better with a pint of mead' LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjAflu2aWO4
skip to 34, change the wording around, it will be a hit in the taverns

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:08 am

However...for Skyrim, I am going to head out and grab every good voice actor I can lay my hands on. I want the dialog voiced.

i would very much like to voice overs sometime, but i do not think many would get use out of what i can do

cannot think of too many reasons anyone would need someone who sounds similar to sandy squirrel from spongebob (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j1Bh4Sm4y8&feature=related) wack-job type or very low/whispery monotone wisewoman type (kind of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm7eBcT9pro)

» Sun May 27, 2012 7:03 pm

I'd be all for this if it doesn't add strange and awkward NPC dances.

lol i really liked those dancers... highland dancing FTW :dmc:

@Meek One thing you must add. DOORS ! my innocent female mage gets quite disturbed to wake up and find a druken nord warrior sitting in a chair opposite her bed.

Ideally it would be great if these newly added inn rooms doors locked when they were not rented to prevent the situation where said drunken nord is already in your room when you arrive.

In regards to adding npcs and fps. In skyrim there are a large number of town guards vs everyday citizens. Perhaps one of the patrolling town guards could be co-opted to sit in a chair at in the inn instead (drinking of course!). One of the inn patrons could take the guards place in the streets (that way fps is not affected). The inn patron could be stumbling around outside the inn or sitting on the inn porch etc...

Not sure how comfortable you are touching vanilla content but it bothers me and im sure others that towns are so heavily populated by guards. (especially when your average skyrim citizen is toting a war hammer or axe anyway)

» Sun May 27, 2012 7:53 pm

Mm I dunno if its been requested yet, but there's not enough "music" in taverns, even when the Bard is singing.
Like it feels kind of empty in there. I think that can be addressed by adding more band members.

Also, when people start dancing to the Bard, it seems a bit awkward. Most of the songs aren't really "jovial" they're
usually just simple songs without much rhythm for dancing. It'd be cool if sometimes people would just sit down and
watch the bard when they play slow songs like "Age of Aggression", then clap in their chairs when the song is done.

Another issue related to this is that there are these very weird gaps in all of the Bard's songs. Like in-between verses,
there's always a small pause. If that pause was removed, I think the songs could be more interesting.

Also, I think Bards shouldn't appear ALL day. Mostly during the night(could also be when the taverns are most likely
to have a lot of patrons). In the morning it should be a little slow...and then at night the tavern would be more alive.

Final idea! There's a drum, lute, and flute I think? Also, the NPC's voice. I think you could get songs to line up with those instruments'
animations and maybe have some bands in taverns. Hell maybe even a traveling band(s)...or a legendary traveling band
that plays some intense songs to fill the mead halls if you're lucky enough to find them.

There's a lot of potential in this idea of yours, it would be really nice to see it realized! Good luck!

Edit: P.S. I guess I'm also subliminally suggesting that there be more jovial songs for dancing to, also people should
shout in happiness when jovial songs are finished playing(like cheering and clapping).

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:18 am

Excellent concept for modding, and glad to see you have the chops to make it happen! Will be following this one closely. :thumbsup:

Once you've got quality musicians and singers lined up to deliver lore-laden lyrics and soul-stirring sounds, why not also put out a call for "bad singers"? I'm willing to bet that a number of people, myself included, have graduated from the Berklee School of Bathroom Ballads. So why not utilize this untapped pool of no talent? If some bawdy bard gets The Banded Mare filled with energy, you just know some drunk alpha Nord is going to start bellowing his rendition of the song's best lines, and then everyone who's had more than a sip to drink is going to join in. Memorable night ensues.

Seriously, I think there is a place for raucous merriment in Skyrim. Not a big place. I'm the foremost defender of immersion and lore-preservation, so I don't advocate NPCs launching into a round of "Get Me to the Church on Time" every time I walk into a bar. Not all taverns would have this sort of chorus-style behavior, and what with the tribulations in Skyrim these past few years, Divines know there's little to celebrate. But Nordic culture is a little frisky (crisp air and the smell of pine) and its very bold (FUS RO DAH!). These people sing their troubles away, and when one sings, people join in. Organic community-building at its finest. Also, smart bards may actually want this to happen, particularly later in the evening, as it might make for a memorable climix, more gold in his pocket, and a chance to rest his voice. In short, Grendel attacked Heorot because of those damnable Danes and their singing. I want to find a tavern in Skyrim where the culture is so warm that woods demons come to shut us up.

And before I leave off the concept of sounds. I have an inkling for how burdensome it must be to get loads of new sounds into this game, but don't neglect background sound. Ambient noise is the first thing I notice when I walk into a restaurant or bar (maybe I'm weird like that, but I bet I'm not alone). It does wonders to reveal the culture of the establishment, and give clues as to what's acceptable and not acceptable. I would love to sit down at a table and catch snippets of conversation, laughter (and ... crying?), the clink of tankards, dogs growling over scraps, a barmaid coughing on the smoke from the mage's pipe she wagered she could handle, the splosh of split brew, and on and on. Labor intensive, I know. But it makes all the difference in the world.

More thoughts in the future. Also, DreamKing's suggestions are excellent on all accounts. If some of the things mentioned therein are included in the mod, I'll be one happy modee.

At this whole post.

Some brilliant ideas here, I shall put out a call for all forum members overage to get drunk and record a few lines of a bawdy tavern song. :rofl:

lol i really liked those dancers... highland dancing FTW :dmc:

@Meek One thing you must add. DOORS ! my innocent female mage gets quite disturbed to wake up and find a druken nord warrior sitting in a chair opposite her bed.

Definately. My innocent Breton feels unsafe too.

Mm I dunno if its been requested yet, but there's not enough "music" in taverns, even when the Bard is singing.
Like it feels kind of empty in there. I think that can be addressed by adding more band members.

Also, when people start dancing to the Bard, it seems a bit awkward. Most of the songs aren't really "jovial" they're
usually just simple songs without much rhythm for dancing. It'd be cool if sometimes people would just sit down and
watch the bard when they play slow songs like "Age of Aggression", then clap in their chairs when the song is done.

Another issue related to this is that there are these very weird gaps in all of the Bard's songs. Like in-between verses,
there's always a small pause. If that pause was removed, I think the songs could be more interesting.

Final idea! There's a drum, lute, and flute I think? Also, the NPC's voice. I think you could get songs to line up with those instruments'
animations and maybe have some bands in taverns. Hell maybe even a traveling band(s)...or a legendary traveling band
that plays some intense songs to fill the mead halls if you're lucky enough to find them.

There's a lot of potential in this idea of yours, it would be really nice to see it realized! Good luck!

Edit: P.S. I guess I'm also subliminally suggesting that there be more jovial songs for dancing to, also people should
shout in happiness when jovial songs are finished playing(like cheering and clapping).

I agree with all the points you have brought up here. Especially that we need jovial songs. I think we need sad songs, love songs, stories and all out bawdy songs. I am going to see what Sounds of Cyrodiil comes up with for atmospheric sounds.

The number one problem with the music and songs situation is finding non copywrite suitable music that will fit into the lore and atmosphere of Skyrim. I really hoped to gather some good singers and actually compose our own songs, and get some musicians to play a few pieces. Maybe I will be successful in that, maybe not.

I actually composed a song this morning, I have never composed anything in my life so go easy on me, this is just a silly little song and some of the lyrics need adjustment. Now my voice isn't quite right to sing it, we need a more appropriate singer (I sing opera etc, I have never sung anything like this before) and quite frankly at that point I actually had voice strain from singing it over and over, and it shows. I can't play a musical instrument so cannot back it with music. But basically when I go into a tavern I want to hear stories like this one....

http://www.4shared.com/audio/rDIjMk1A/RolftheBrave.html

My point in putting it out like this is to encourage any lyric writers, singers and musicians to contribute. I think this song can be made to fit in rather well and at least that would bring our bard new song count up to one.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:10 am

I actually composed a song this morning, I have never composed anything in my life so go easy on me, this is just a silly little song and some of the lyrics need adjustment.

Whoa, that is extremely impressive for a morning's work! Very well done. Even some of the elements where, because of your training, you say it needs work, actually feel to me like they fit the game world. I mean, those bards are in the taverns singing most of the day, they're probably going to get voice strain sometimes, too. And the Nord style for many songs seems to be almost sung poetry, with minimal musical accompaniment, just as you've done here. I can almost imagine Nords raising thier voices to join the chorus of this, drunkenly swaying in time and raising their tankards of ale... :foodndrink:

» Mon May 28, 2012 7:54 am

Things I'd love to see:

- More "realistic" taverns; we are supposed to be in a dirty-medieval land... wonder why most taverns look so clean and "respectable".
- Some really wealthy-looking tavern. Just a few, one or two (one in Solitude?) Whith games/gambling/contests, etc...
- A real den of iniquity, some place where almost every patron looks threatening. A place where you could hire some thieves, or maybe a thug to assassinate someone. Dangerous places.
- But most of all, I really want to have a real reason to go inside; I haven't feel the need of going in there nor in Morrowind or Oblivion, neither in Skyrim, but for a few quests. They should be, at least, a real social focus, and the origin of several quests, not just the "meeting point".

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:33 am

This is becoming one of my most anticipated mods never expected that lol.

I think it will be a lot of fun to do and there's some great ideas flying around.

Btw I like your song :thumbsup:

.

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:16 am

Whoa, that is extremely impressive for a morning's work! Very well done. Even some of the elements where, because of your training, you say it needs work, actually feel to me like they fit the game world. I mean, those bards are in the taverns singing most of the day, they're probably going to get voice strain sometimes, too. And the Nord style for many songs seems to be almost sung poetry, with minimal musical accompaniment, just as you've done here. I can almost imagine Nords raising thier voices to join the chorus of this, drunkenly swaying in time and raising their tankards of ale... :foodndrink:

Hey this just gave me an idea, something that anyone can contribute to. Why not have random people sing the songs that you put out? It can be members of the forum, doesn't really matter who.
They dont have to be good singers either(as I'm sure most Nords wouldn't have been back then). Then you can place those voices on your handplaced NPCs to sing that song in unison with the bard.
So when the bard gets a "sing" package, so does everyone else in the tavern, and then the volunteer voices would sing in unison with the song. It would give out a feel like everyone is singing the song
out in their hearts. What do you think?

» Sun May 27, 2012 7:25 pm

I actually really dig the song you did there, Meek.

Also, I'd be up for badly singing some music for this mod.

» Mon May 28, 2012 12:28 am

Hey this just gave me an idea, something that anyone can contribute to. Why not have random people sing the songs that you put out? It can be members of the forum, doesn't really matter who.
They dont have to be good singers either(as I'm sure most Nords wouldn't have been back then). Then you can place those voices on your handplaced NPCs to sing that song in unison with the bard.
So when the bard gets a "sing" package, so does everyone else in the tavern, and then the volunteer voices would sing in unison with the song. It would give out a feel like everyone is singing the song
out in their hearts. What do you think?

A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

I actually really dig the song you did there, Meek.

Also, I'd be up for badly singing some music for this mod.

+1 Even when I'm not english speaker (spanish) I'd more than gladly would help badly singing

» Mon May 28, 2012 7:55 am

very low/whispery monotone wisewoman type (kind of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm7eBcT9pro)

Actually that would be good.

Whoa, that is extremely impressive for a morning's work! Very well done. Even some of the elements where, because of your training, you say it needs work, actually feel to me like they fit the game world. I mean, those bards are in the taverns singing most of the day, they're probably going to get voice strain sometimes, too. And the Nord style for many songs seems to be almost sung poetry, with minimal musical accompaniment, just as you've done here. I can almost imagine Nords raising thier voices to join the chorus of this, drunkenly swaying in time and raising their tankards of ale... :foodndrink:

Thank you so much! I agree that the Nord style is like sung poetry, skalds and ballads. Now that you mention it I can really see the Nords joining in on the chorus too. Rolf the Brave can be an old time favorite known by most Nords and sung in taverns and mead halls across the length of Skyrim.

Things I'd love to see:

- More "realistic" taverns; we are supposed to be in a dirty-medieval land... wonder why most taverns look so clean and "respectable".
- Some really wealthy-looking tavern. Just a few, one or two (one in Solitude?) Whith games/gambling/conquests, etc...
- A real den of iniquity, some place where almost every patron looks threatening. A place where you could hire some thieves, or maybe a thug to assassinate someone. Dangerous places.
- But most of all, I really want to have a real reason to inside; I haven't feel the need of going in there nor in Morrowind or Oblivion, neither in Skyrim, but for a few quests. They should be, at least, a real social focus, and the origin of several quests, not just the "meeting point".

I think what will make the player want to enter a tavern is if it is truley unique from any other. I want to go crazy with masses of dialog, so that when you go into the same tavern multiple times you get a different conversation each time. That was something I attempted to pull off in my Oblivion Lakewood Village mod, every NPC in the town had between 5 and 10 different random conversations, so you experienced a different conversation almost everytime you talked to the NPC. But once again things are limited with voiced dialog. Nevertheless I will see if I can do something like that.

At the start the quests given by NPCs in taverns will be interesting but short. I will say that I am not a fan of 'fetch this, fetch that' quests. I like quests with meaning and story and that are original. Once we have at the least, the main taverns overhauled, then we can look at making bigger quests and opening the mod up to other modders who want ot use our taverns in their quests or make quests.

Btw I like your song :thumbsup:

.

Thanks!

Hey this just gave me an idea, something that anyone can contribute to. Why not have random people sing the songs that you put out? It can be members of the forum, doesn't really matter who.
They dont have to be good singers either(as I'm sure most Nords wouldn't have been back then). Then you can place those voices on your handplaced NPCs to sing that song in unison with the bard.
So when the bard gets a "sing" package, so does everyone else in the tavern, and then the volunteer voices would sing in unison with the song. It would give out a feel like everyone is singing the song
out in their hearts. What do you think?

I think if we can do it then it would be brilliant! We can have a raucous party going and the wierd swaying moves that NPCs make when bards sing would actually make sense and look more natural if the NPCs were actually joining in.

I actually really dig the song you did there, Meek.

Also, I'd be up for badly singing some music for this mod.

Thanks!

Signed you up as one of our singers!

I am going to try and write some more songs and invite everyone else to have a go too. My dream would be to have different bards in each tavern with different songs. Only a few 'favorites' being repeated in all taverns. What I do think would be good is a song about each of the following:

Tha Dark Brotherhood or the Dark Mother (aka the Night Mother)
Agmundr the Idiot (Or any other name)
The Cliffs of Solitude
The Lost Lovers of Windhelm
Sigmund and the Great Horn
The Draugars March (this should be accompanied by drums, that would be cool)

Anyway, just some ideas and plans. ^_^

» Sun May 27, 2012 4:37 pm

I have one other singer on my own forum. A younger singer though, but no reason why bards can't be young.

Meanwhile I have written a raucous drinking song and The March of the Draugar. Not yet ready to be shown though.

I actually sang Dragonborn comes in the vanilla style, to see what it counds like without the gaps and my first attempt at this genre of music, but apparently everyone and their dog is making a cover of that song and I am not interested in being compared to people with professional recording equipment and backing music. We need raw, vanilla voices for this project, to add realism to our bards, so that is how we need to sing. So that vocal will stay only my forum for now and we will leave that song for now, although we will eventually need different versions for our different bards.

Still looking for people who can play guitar, drums, or flute and for more people to sing. :foodndrink:

We need covers of The Age of Agression.

Edit: Tell you what, I will attempt to compose songs, put them here and then maybe some folks might like to have a go at singing them or playing them on an instrument.

Btw...I am going to needs you raucous bad singing nords for this drinking song. :tongue:

» Mon May 28, 2012 2:09 am

Meek/Shezrie

Just stumbled upon this thread. It sounds like a great idea. I love your work in Oblivion (with one exception-see below) andI'd like to offer my services as a voice actor. I don't have a great vocal range, but I am 50 years old, which I suspect is a fair bit older than most potential voice actors, and I'm English. my natural accent is vaguely northen English (25 years living in Yorkshire followed by 25 years living in and around London) I did some bits and pieces of voice acting for Oblivion.

Edit. I'm male by the way /Edit.

One idea (may have been mentioned before) - storytellers. An old Nord recites a story for the entertainment of the tavern, maybe lift them straight from some of the more entertaining books in the ES lore.

Anyway, PM me if you are interested in me voice acting for you. I'm happy to do an audition.

My one dislike- flushing toilets/gift shop in the museum in Pells Gate. Please-no flushing toilets in Skyrim. Favorite place- Woodland Village, I loved that place.

» Sun May 27, 2012 8:07 pm

Looking forward to a mod that uses the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8EaL1Zm6w.

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:59 pm

I didn't get to say it before but I think your singing was really great! Also, the song truly fits the theme of Skyrim, great work!

» Sun May 27, 2012 6:12 pm

Meek/Shezrie

Just stumbled upon this thread. It sounds like a great idea. I love your work in Oblivion (with one exception-see below) andI'd like to offer my services as a voice actor. I don't have a great vocal range, but I am 50 years old, which I suspect is a fair bit older than most potential voice actors, and I'm English. my natural accent is vaguely northen English (25 years living in Yorkshire followed by 25 years living in and around London) I did some bits and pieces of voice acting for Oblivion.

Edit. I'm male by the way /Edit.

One idea (may have been mentioned before) - storytellers. An old Nord recites a story for the entertainment of the tavern, maybe lift them straight from some of the more entertaining books in the ES lore.

Anyway, PM me if you are interested in me voice acting for you. I'm happy to do an audition.

My one dislike- flushing toilets/gift shop in the museum in Pells Gate. Please-no flushing toilets in Skyrim. Favorite place- Woodland Village, I loved that place.

Thanks! I

Okay, no flushing toilets except in my own own private houses that I make for my own game.

However I do remember that Meo made a mesh for a medieval toilet, basically a chair with a hole in the middle, I believe I used it for the Elm Street apartment in Pell's Gate. Something like that would follow lore. We should have somewhere for patrons to relieve themselves, however public toilets were usually outside in a building of their own.

Thanks for the offer of voice acting, you actually sound perfect and what we need, a more mature male voice. I would love to hear a sample when you have time, especially as it will help me build a character around your voice, once I get working in the CK. Voice acting is going to be crucial to making this mod and making it blend in flawlessly.

I think having some storytellers is a brilliant idea. Perhaps, unlike the bards you actually have to approach and engage such storytellers in conversation in order to get them telling a story. Afterwards you can tip them.

I didn't get to say it before but I think your singing was really great! Also, the song truly fits the theme of Skyrim, great work!

Thank you!

I took down the recording as I am going to do another one without voice strain and with the correct lyrics. I can't believe that I got my own lyrics wrong and I called Riverwood...Riverhold! :facepalm:

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:30 am

Please make the music setting appropriate, you could even expand the bard idea and have bands of minstrels that would allow for more than one instrument tracks. I think each tavern needs a unique setting or a reason to pick that tavern over say, an outside camp, house or guild hall. Some should have that extra level of service and quality whereas a wilderness tavern is filled with shady travelers and more drunken scoundrel vibe.

This can NOT be emphasized enough. Your Oblivion taverns are great, in Cyrodil (medieval England'ish setting). However, in Skyrim, things look and sound very different. Please make sure you stick with the setting up here. More simple/harsh/unrefined/scandinavian/viking themed than down there in wuzzy Cyrodil. I think the taverns in Skyrim are absolutely fantastic as far as the overall feel and atmosphere goes. They nailed it spot on! Still lots of room
for improvements though along your lines. with more people etc. Different interior design and so on.

» Mon May 28, 2012 5:50 am

I do agree, which is why I wrote and sang that very Nordic song, 'Rolf the Brave'. All songs should be along those lines, in terms of lore, and music needs to be basic and rustic.

I haven't mentioned before, but I know quite a lot about and have a lot of love for Norse culture and legend, all stemming from my growing up on books written by Elizabeth Boyer. While they were fantasy, they taught a lot about the traditions and legends of the Norse. So I am particularily concerned with ensuring that the lore is followed, and I would love to actually go further into that Nord culture then the game does. By means of song, story telling and general dialog.

» Mon May 28, 2012 7:21 am

I am going to try and write some more songs and invite everyone else to have a go too.

Well, you asked for it. I have no experience whatsoever, but this came to me last night (as I was trying to fall asleep--very annoying). I was thinking it would be both lore-friendly and a nice nod to players of past Elder Scrolls games to have songs that recapped the events of those games. This one is very much designed for increasing numbers of singers to join in on the chorus sections:

"Down to Our Last Septim"

Now hear me tell, of gates of hell
To Oblivion, to fire
The realm of Mehrunes Dagon
The monstrous Daedra liar

His assassins came, King Uriel was slain
The clannfears did run wild
While the dragonfires sputtered
For want of a Septim child

We were down to our last Septim
Hidden from evil eyes
Down to our last Septim
'Twas Martin, the wise

First at Kvatch, Dagon met his match
A Champion and a priest
With an ancient blade, who gave them aid
To thwart the dreadful beast

We were down to our last Septim
In the temple of the cloud
Down to our last Septim
'Twas Martin, devout

Gate after gate, they were set straight
The work of the Champion
While Martin made ready
To do what must be done

We were down to our last Septim
In the tower of white gold
Down to our last Septim
'Twas Martin, the bold

And then reborn, in dragon form
Martin did take flight
And banished Mehrunes Dagon
To the cold darkness of the night

We were down to our last Septim
And then, he was gone
Down to our last Septim
And so we sing this song

Yes we were down to our last Septim
We drink to him this night
Down to our last Septim
We'll be broke before first light

Use it or not as you wish; at best, it could probably use refinements and additions--please feel free to use or modify it according to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

That would be a fairly contemporary tune. It strikes me that songs based on older events could be used in one of two ways. By default, they could simply be additions to the repertoire of the bards, as you've talked about here. But I could also imagine the songs being used in some sort of Bard's College mod--where you'd have to find songbooks in various Nordic barrows, and deliver them to the head of the Bards College, before the newly-discovered "ancient" songs could be unlocked and played by bards in the taverns.

» Sun May 27, 2012 11:07 pm

Excellent! Just as you are falling asleep is often a time of great inspiration.

There are some beautiful, really soulful lyrics there and I would love to see if I can put a tune to it. Unless you want to sing some and pass it along to me in pm, if you have a tune already set out for it.

This is just what we need, well done! :foodndrink:

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:40 am

Excellent! Just as you are falling asleep is often a time of great inspiration.

There are some beautiful, really soulful lyrics there and I would love to see if I can put a tune to it. Unless you want to sing some and pass it along to me in pm, if you have a tune already set out for it.

I have a voice made for text, but I can warble a bit into my laptop's microphone and see if the result is worth PMing you about. However if you have ideas for a tune that you want to pursue, by all means go ahead, I'd be honored--you have infinitely more musical training than I do, so I imagine your results will be better.

On that note, I found myself whistling the chorus from"Rolf the Brave" last night while walking home from work...

» Sun May 27, 2012 7:17 pm

On that note, I found myself whistling the chorus from"Rolf the Brave" last night while walking home from work...

I can't get that fricken song out of my head! :rofl:

» Sun May 27, 2012 6:07 pm

The house mod in your original post is awesome! Wish I had that when I was playing Oblivion!

What I liked the most in the taverns in Skyrim is the singing bards. I would like more with more high quality songs. Also perhaps they could tell stories, tell news in other regions, gossip, and even tell jokes.

Expand the brawling would be nice too

:Also there could be mini games in the taverns too

» Mon May 28, 2012 7:30 am

Somehow I don't think a dragon would fit nicely inside a tavern. Someone on my forum was talking about whether we can make the dragon model smaller and have a pet dragon.

I would love to expand on the dragons and retexture them, set up clans of dragons with baby dragons and eggs. Making the eggs an extremely valuable commodity in Skyrim and worth raiding a den of dragons to get one. If we had golden/blue/green/red dragon and their temperment and value of their eggs would vary. Gold being priceless and incredibly rare.

Dragons do not reproduce. They do not mate, they don't lay eggs, they do not have kids. They just are.