Crown of Antlers

This past weekend I briefly jumped into Oblivion (and was amused to see that I had forgotten how to play, particularly when it came to controlling my companion characters). While in there I was once again struck by how much I love Korana's style when it comes to designing house mods. I'm sure you know where this is going. :)

On leaving the game I decided that I wanted to try to recreate either the Millstone or the Ascadian Rose Cottage in the Sims. Right away the project proved to be difficult because door-markers and interiors in the Elder Scrolls don't quite line up the way they appear. I always knew this, but it really became apparent when I was trying to recreate the rooms. For example, in the Ascadian Rose Cottage you are facing west when you go through the door that leads to the upper balcony, but once through the door you are facing south on the south side of the cottage. Taking note of each direction I was facing when I approached the staircase was even more peculiar as I came to the conclusion that the stairs would be jutting through the front of the cottage.

Again, I always knew this and it never spoiled immersion for me. It was never really apparent until I tried to recreate these cottages in a game where the interior is not in its own cell. My attempt to make the Millstone Cottage became a sprawling mess and I realized I would have to put the kitchen in the basement, which didn't appeal to me. Next I tried to recreate the Ascadian Rose cottage, but again, I realized that I would have to make some changes for things like the upper balcony door which would actually put you on the west side of the cottage instead of right about the back door on the south side.

In the end I decided I would make something that is inspired by Korana's cottages. The rest of the entry is cut for sceenshots: ( Read more... )