Denina's Morrowind Forums

[Denina]

This mod adds an armorer to Seyda Neen. But it does a little bit more as well. Randar offers a quest. It's a small quest, nothing that will revolutionize Morrowind modding, but I have never designed a quest before and this was very good practice. There is also some unique dialogue that is specific to Seyda Neen. You don't have to talk to all the NPCs in town but some of them will have something specific to say, and it hopefully adds a little local flavor.

The smithy is also Morrowind Crafting-friendly for those who use it and will work just fine for those who do not without a separate .esp file. Thanks to Toccatta for taking the time and effort to fix it that way.

DOWNLOAD Randar's Smithy mod

Since this is my first attempt at making a real quest, I would appreciate reviews of this. Thanks!

[BoardGuest808888]

Well, first I have to say that this is my first review of Morrowind mod and English is neither my first nor native language.

Thus if some flaw in the review was found or someone feels the urge to flame....I can understand.

OK, ahem....(clear throat)

A Brief Intro :
We used mods for every different cause. Some we used as sweet eye candies, some as kind of hobby, some for our gaming experience improvement, and yet there are some we used for those little help that make life in Vvanderfell more worth living.

Randar's Smithy falls in the last category.

It is a blacksmith set up in Seyda Neen, owned and operated by a friendly-to-outsider Randar the Nord. And if I might add, this is the only friendly smithy you'd find arround Bitter Coast.

Bitter Coast is one of my favored region for adventure. Not only for its mild climate and exotic nature, but also for its abundance of smugglers' cave, tombs and other hidden treasure. Especially on lower level when my PC's strength is far less than a baby kagouti, repair skill is near nill and mud crabs are in every corners, a smithy of some kind is always welcome. There weapons can be repaired (without having to go to Pelagiad or Balmora), some excess ones can be sold and a good one can be purchased. All in a good manner without having to deal with slithing someone's throat.

To add some atmosphere, Randar's Smithy offered not just ordinary service (barter, repair) but also quest (suitable for any levels of adventurer with low to mid level difficulty) and new gossip in Seyda Neen. Having this around, one can get a more than generic feeling of the town.



Edited to take out my description that you repeated here. With a mod that's already been posted, you don't have to repeat author's description. FYI - Denina

[BoardGuest808888]

Randar's Smithy

I've used this mod for 20 levels now (that would be around 3 Morrowind months I guess).

In order to gain the full advantage of a smithy in Bitter Coast, I made a new PC to play with (surely, if your PC already has dozens of level around his/her belt, bazillion of money and top of the era gear, a smithy in anywhere wouldn't be an issue anymore).

Concept : Excellent

A smithy near to any player's starting place is just what everyone needs. Especially with Morrowind combat system, skill system and repairing tools are never around whenever you need them most. It provide not only services to a starter, but also some oversight about the smithing in-game. And giving the game a lifelier atmosphere over the generic dialog is always a nice addition.

Lore Accuracy : Good

In a town busy with coast guards cracking down smuggling operations, self-declared adventurers, tomb raiders, hunters and messianic outlanders, arms and armor would crack faster than you can say "cliff racer". A right person with the right skill could have fat purse in to time just by providing a service everyone needs.

Design : Very Good

The mod succeeded in doing what it is supposed to do. In a good way. No over-complicated things. Especially in designing the interior of Randar's smithy, the place is spacious yet representative enough. Everything I'd want to see and feel in a smithy are there, neatly placed and positioned.

Dividing the quest into several smaller ones (like collecting items one type each time) can be done. This would make completing the quest not so troublesome (remember Ajira).

Attention to Detail : Good

One highlight here is the smithy itself, as this mod made it s a new building in Seyda Neen. So far as interior, it is flawless and blend well with the Imperial design. In exterior, I see a weed growing in the smithy's porch. Um...it seems Randar need someone to prune it more often. Without this mod, there are like three weeds growing in the area where the smithy is. One of them apparently refuses to stop growing.

Conflict :

This mod adds a building in Seyda Neen. If you have something else around this part, have a careful look first.

Overall :

This is a good mod that give some additional point of view as well as little help for starter players. In its release, it is generally flawless and has potential to be expanded further (though it won't really necessary given the original intention of the mod). For its small size and simplicity, it is something worth playing.

[Denina]

[BoardGuest808888]

Thanks for the added explanation on the things, Denina. Indeed they can also be that way.