Howdy folks! Casey here with, hopefully, one last blog update for my Skyrim Mod, The Hidden Tomb of Hircine! I’m very happy to announce that I am 99% sure that I’ve completed ALL work (besides packaging the mod up) on my most recent mod project. I still need to do more Playtesting and, again, I need to package it up and release it, but I’ve completed all levels and implemented both the character and the quest itself.
I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve created for more than one reason. First off, this is a project that I’ve had in my head for YEARS! Not a lot of people know, but I actually thought of the idea and even started working on this project probably about 6 or 7 years ago, not long after the Skyrim Special Edition released. However, when upgrading my PC, I lost all progress on the project. Unfortunately, this broke me down and caused me to really lose motivation in Game Design. I’m proud that I was able to make a comeback to it.
Secondly, I’m also not very good at finishing projects. I have all these great ideas and, many times, I start on them and they get really good foundations. Unfortunately, I’ve had trouble in the past following through on these projects. After I finished Harrenholme, I decided I was going to start again and complete The Hidden Tomb of Hircine just to prove to myself that I can overcome that hump and actually finish a project. For that, I’m very proud of myself.
Lastly, I’m proud of the fact that I was able to include the voiceover work of a good friend of mine, Alex Stoley, who just graduated college recently in theater and acting. I know work is sparse, especially right out of college, so I wanted to give him something to include on his resumé. He’s a great voice actor and an even better person, for that I am grateful. And, again, I am very proud to have a friend work with me on the project.
I can’t wait to release it into the wild. I know it isn’t much. It’s not a big level and it’s not a super long quest, or even a quest line, but it’s still something I’m proud to start off with since I knew very little about Skyrim’s Creation Kit. It was a good learning project. If you’re reading this and you’ve played the mod, let me know what you think about it on my Twitter (or X…whatever) @NuclearSwords!
Thanks again for all your support, everyone. Once I play Starfield for a while and truly enjoy “Spooky” season, I’ll get back to modding! This time? In Fallout 4! If you follow my Twitter (or X…again, whatever) then you’ve already gotten a hint as to what I want my next project to be. Super exciting! I’ll post one last time once I release the mod then I’ll be on hiatus for a little while. Hopefully, on November 1st, we’ll get back to it!
Howdy folks! Casey here with another blog update for you. I’m happy to announce that I’ve officially finished everything needed for the second level of my upcoming Skyrim Quest, “The Hidden Tomb of Hircine”. I ran through the level last night on my live-stream and while I have some minor things, like enemy health, to tweak, it all runs and feels really good! This means we’re one step closer to having the mod ready for release, which SHOULD be August 31st!
The plan is to have everything finished, including playthrough testing, before Starfield releases. I’m planning on getting a new graphics card along with the Premium Edition for Starfield so, that means, I’ll need the mod completed and released by the 31st to meet that goal. That way, I can focus solely on playing the hell out of Starfield! But, even though we’re very close now, I still have a little ways to go in terms of getting it ready in time.
The first thing I need to do is finish the final level, Hircine’s Sanctum. This will be a one room level that’ll have the sarcophagus of Hircine along with a Shrine to him. Players will interact with the shrine and will be given a choice when asked “What is it that makes a hunter great?”. Depending on the player’s answer, one of three different enemies will appear and, upon victory, the quest will be completed.
The second thing I need to do is create the Quest-Giving Character. I have a friend who’s a voice-actor doing lines for me and, once I get them, I will implement the lines for the character and get him in the game. The name of the character will be “Roland Broadmoore”.
The third thing is implementng the quest itself. This includes Quest Markers, Objectives and Items. This may go hand-in-hand with the creation of Roland Broadmoore to make things go quicker and smoother.
The final thing I need to do is test EVERYTHING! And I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! QA is very important and I want to release this quest with as little bugs as possible. This will go all the way up until the 30th of August. The 31st will be focused solely on getting all the required files together and releasing it into the wild! I’ll be submitting it to Nexus and, hopefully, Bethesda’s Mod page so console players can enjoy it too.
WE’RE ALMOST THERE, FOLKS! I’m so excited to give you all the opportunity to play what I’ve been working on. It should be a pretty fun quest and I hope you enjoy it. Once it’s released, I’ll post one final blog update for it with links and everything! Then, I’ll be pretty silent for a little bit until I’ve put many hours into Starfield! So, until then, Godspeed!
Here’s some pics of the Ruins of Mortrag to help get you hyped:
Howdy folks! It’s been a while since my last blog update, a little over two months in fact! A lot has happened since my previous blog update so I want to give you all the details on where I am in my life and in my current modding project, “The Hidden Tomb of Hircine”. Let’s start off with how the rest of May and June went.
May and June were primarily spent doing two things: Creating the base structure of the second level in the mod, the Ruins of Mortrag, and working toward moving across the state. I had indeed finished the overall structure of the level and started cluttering before I moved. On top of that, I found a new job, an apartment, and spent a majority of my time transitioning to moving from Grand Rapids all the way to Detroit. We moved because we wanted to escape an instance where we would’ve been stuck in the same financial situation getting no closer to our goals. My significant other’s goals are to become a Dental Hygienist and the waiting period for schooling out west is just too long compared to here in the east. On top of that, the fact that I found a new and better paying job relieves a lot of that stress too. So, in terms of modding the level, I didn’t get as much done as I wanted but I did get a lot done.
After moving, however, we immediately had a trip to Paris that we scheduled last year to take. We spent over a week there with family and had a very special experience in more ways than one. I’ve included pictures at the bottom of this post! The vibes of Paris, the food we ate, and the overall beauty of the city provided us an amazing experience. On top of that, I took my next big step to obtain and secure the future that I want…I got engaged! Marissa said yes to my proposal on our Dinner cruise in Paris on July 4th! It was the perfect night. The lights, the music, and the beauty of the city helped set me up for the perfect proposal and I couldn’t be happier that she said yes.
It was so sad when we had to say goodbye to Paris, but I was more excited than ever to get back and get that much closer to achieving my absolute dream: To be a Game Designer at Bethesda Game Studios. On top of cluttering the Ruins of Mortrag level, I’ve taken steps to put myself out there by following Bethesda’s Design Director, Emil Pagliarulo, on Twitter. Hopefully, someday, my work will stand out to him and will help get my foot in the door.
Overall, a lot of time has passed since my last update but I don’t have a lot of new information to give right now compared to my last update. But, once I’ve finished the Ruins of Mortrag level, I’ll give you all another update with some pictures and new information regarding the quest and voiceover! Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with me on this journey. I can’t wait to continue pursuing my goals.
Howdy folks! Casey again, back with another update! I just wanted to let you know I have returned from my vacation to London and am continuing my work on The Hidden Tomb of Hircine mod I’m making for Skyrim. A few weeks back, I completed the first level of the mod, Golgan’s Lair, and started planning what the next level is going to look like. Today’s the day I start placing it out concretely into the Creation Kit! Stay tuned to my Twitch and YouTube channels to follow along as I build the next level, The Ruins of Mortrag!
However, I thought I’d tell you guys about my trip and show off some cool photos! (Shown at the bottom of this post) London truly is a magnificent city and the vacation was one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. From the extremely friendly locals to the popular and loaded pubs, London does an amazing job at bringing in and catering to tourists. In total, I spent about four days in London and there was never a dull moment.
First things first, it is so easy to travel around London. We mostly used the Underground Train system but, in reality, that’s all you really need to get around (that is, if you don’t run into any delays or cancellations). When we had an issue with the Underground, we had options from Ubers to Taxis which all take contactless card payments. Even getting onto the train was easy. No buying metro cards or tickets, you can just tap your credit card and walk through. I’m very thankful with how easy it was to get around London.
On Thursday, we landed at the airport around 12:00 PM which, yes, is technically halfway through the day, but we did so much after we arrived to try and make up for it. After settling into the AirBnB, we took the train over to Westminster and took in all the touristy sights. We saw The Clock Tower (i.e. Big Ben), the Eye of London, Parliament, and even the outside of Westminster Abbey. We couldn’t go inside because, coincidentally, the coronation of King Charles III was taking place just a couple days later. While we were taking in the sights, we stopped at The Red Lion and Sherlock Holmes pubs in Westminster and really took in the local culture and the ales. Once we finished walking around, we boarded a small ship on the River Thames for a very nice dinner cruise. Going along the river, eating dinner, and listening to good music really settled and helped us decompress for the rest of our trip.
On Friday, we hopped back onto the train and headed over to Richmond, which was probably made most popular from the Apple TV Series, “Ted Lasso”. I’ll be honest, if I were English and were rich, I would live in Richmond. Not only is it insanely beautiful with all of the botanical gardens and parks, but the cute shops and pubs make it feel cozy. Not only that, but it’s where I had the best Fish & Chips of my life. We even got to see the area from Ted Lasso right outside his apartment where Ted and Coach sit and chat on the park bench. After Richmond, we took a small walk through the beautiful Kew Gardens. We saw so many different plants and trees from around the world as well as adorable wildlife. After Kew Gardens, we took a cab back to Westminster where we met up with our awesome Pub Tour Guide, Tom! After meeting with Tom, he took us to five pubs, all with different styles and crafts, and gave us a very detailed tour with fun facts about each location. This was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. After the tour, we capped off the night with dinner at The Golden Dragon in Chinatown.
On Saturday, we stayed in for a couple hours and watched the coronation on TV, which was happening just a few miles away from us! Afterwards, we took the train over to Tottenham and watched the Tottenham Hotspurs beat Crystal Palace in football (or soccer in the U.S.) one to zero. It was such a cool environment to be a part of. The stadium was very clean, up-to-date, and very lively as we got to watch the home team win. After the game, we had dinner at a pub near Kensington then got some dessert to take back to the AirBnB where we could unwind.
Sunday, which was our last full day in London, started off with Brunch at The Shard which is by the London Bridge. It was a very fancy brunch with deliciously soft pancakes and roast that was cooked to perfection. After brunch, we took a long walk across London Bridge, along the River Thames and got a guided tour of the Tower of London. I was very impressed by the history and preservation taken to show off the near-thousand year history of the structure. Once we finished at the Tower of London, we crossed the iconic Tower Bridge and took “The Queen’s Walk” on the other side of the River back to the London Bridge. Once we returned, we rested up at a local pub and made our way back onto the train to head over to The O2 Center where we got to be a part of Mamma Mia The Party at Nikos’ Taverna. Having a three course dinner alongside singing and dancing to Mamma Mia was quite the experience and I loved every second, even if it was mostly to indulge my significant other’s desires. After the party, we capped off the night with a cheers and drinks to a wonderful trip at one last pub in The O2.
London was a trip I’ll never forget and have already decided to return one day. The food, the people, and the environment are all very welcoming and amazing. Coming back, I feel refreshed and re-motivated to get back to pursuing my dream of being a Game Designer at Bethesda Game Studios! May and June will be very busy, packed full of streaming days where I’m building the level but also preparing for my grand move out of Grand Rapids! Capping off June will be another (hopefully) unforgettable trip to Paris, France where I will once again refresh and recharge to come back better than ever to finish The Hidden Tomb of Hircine by the time Starfield releases.
Again, don’t forget to stay tuned to my Twitch and YouTube to know when I go live with more modding! I’m excited to get back to it and I’ll see you all there!
Greetings, folks! I just thought I’d give you a little “End of the Month” Update in terms of The Tomb of Hircine Mod I’m making for Skyrim! Back in my last post, I had just started creating the first level (or cell) in the mod. The level, known as “Golgan’s Lair” is now complete! I’ve got the entire level along with NavMesh, Clutter, Optimization, lighting, you name it, all done!
This means I can move onto the second (and maybe last?) level in the mod which will be known as “The Ruins of Mortrag”. It’ll be a Nordic Dungeon/Tomb crawling with Draugr and some other unique surprises that’ll fit the story. I’ll provide another update toward the end of May but this next level, along with Quest Implementation and whatnot, will take the rest of the project to complete. All-in-all, I want the entire mod completed before Starfield comes out on September 6th, 2023. That gives me a good four months!
I love writing these blogs, giving updates and creating awesome content for my favorite games. It motivates me THAT much more to achieve my dreams of being a designer at Bethesda Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland. I want to provide monthly updates for you so you can stay up-to-date on my progress! Once I’ve finished this mod and played quite a bit of Starfield, I’ll start on my next mod idea which will be in Fallout 4.
Below, I’ve included some screenshots from Golgan’s Lair! Enjoy! And I can’t wait for you to play it!
Nuclear Swords 