Tes4Mod:Mod Ideas/Transportation

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This article provides Transportation ideas, as part of the Gameplay section of the Mod Ideas article.

Mark and Recall

I miss the Mark and Recall spells from Morrowind... I know, the purpose is sort of defeated by map travel and you could probably exploit it a million different ways, but Mark and Recall were really good spells (especially when getting back to the Morag Tong).

• There's already a mod out there that adds these to the game.

Multi-Mark

Allow teleportation to a limited set of markers

Carts

The game has all the needed physics to build carts. With some work they could be pulled by horses, or merely there to see them roll down long hills. Which brings up another question. Why are there no sports? All the physics are there. There could be skiing, downhill cart racing, or something like that. The physics engine is there. Just drop a shield and watch it slide down a mountain side. It could work.

• a cart could be bought which can be used as storage and attaches to your horse maybe? or even different types of carrage and sizes or carrage that need more than one horse to pull it?
• occasionally around the larger citys you could encounter carts carrying welthy travellers, giving you the option of being a highway robber.
• sports? thats actually a real good idea, especially with horses, for example there could be a version of the circus maximus just outside the imperial city were you can charriot race, i reckon a few good crashes every now and again would make it all the more exciting. Jousting is a good one but would require the entroduction of lances and the ability to weild a shield and weapon on horseback.

Ship - Viking Dragonboat

Have a fire-snorting dragon, in Niben Bay, with the same attributes as a troll. If your character kills it, your character can mount it, hollow it w/ storage & a hull, then navigate it, like a horse, between Topal Bay & Lake Rumare & go up the region's rivers.

I've always wanted something like this, first in Morrowind, and now in Oblivion (Where it could be implemented more successfully). But INSTEAD of a motorbike, why not a dwemer bicycle? It would fit in slightly better. There could be a quest to find all the necessary pieces of it, and once it's done you have an effective means of travel! (Of course, you might fall off if you do big jumps off cliffs; maybe just stick to the country lanes?) -Wunderbear

A steam engine on this one wouldn't be too unrealistic to the time of the game... You could add the possibility to chop wood / buy wood from merchants to power it, and have a (much) slower alternative where you power it yourself, just like a bicycle (and no, that's not unrealistic either - if it has a slow enough transmission you can move tons of loot without too much force, you would only need more cycles to move the same distance).

Maybe one of those "Walking Dwemer Ballistas" at some ruins on Morrowind

If a "motorcycle" were to be made, there are a few things that must happen for it to be balanced enough to be put in Oblivion. The first, it must be of Dwemer make, second, it must have a steam powered engine, third, it must be a slow contraption, at least as slow or slightly slower than the slowest horse, and last, it must be a fairly expensive item(considering it is probably an extremly rare artifact of a probably extinct race). Now, to make the "motorcycle" worth buying, it could have features such as it not running away or dieing, and maybe a compartment for storage of extra items.

Fast Travel

I think those big things from Morrowind were a good idea. Maybe not using those. But I think the fast travel should only exist from

• boats to other harbours(City ferry, Pirate ships, merchant ships, and even privately owned ships. Possibly buy your own)
• Maybe by horse or carriage(Trading caravan)Not your own horses though. Just ones placed in every city that charge money. You should have a horse but not one that fast travels
• Maybe if you're a vampire you can fast travel at night because you're a bat. Or maybe just transform and fly fast
• On certain quests where you "follow" people you can fast travel to a far away location.

In general... : The only modes of transportation in Oblivion are walking, horseback-riding, and fast-travel. It may be a fantasy world, but there are honestly so many ways to travel. Their could be steam engines or carriages or maybe even silt striders. Hell, you should even be able to hitch-hike. Any addition would be welcome, IMO.

In addition, a mod that makes Fast Travel to Frostcrag Spire put you right in front of the door (instead of way outside) would be much appreciated.

Horse stagecoach/chariot/cart/bugy

More vehicles to hitch to your horse

Boats

Own, steal and use boats

• Navigatable boat created, but there aren't many places to sail.
• Add an island chain off the coast with a dock for ship perchase and the option to hire a crew to maintain larger vessels.

Imperial Legion Airships

I figure that the Imperial Legion should have airships and stuff. I mean, can you imagine being able to go inside and airship and piloting it around? Of course, that'd be stealing because it's Imperial Legion property but still. There would be variations like scout, attack, heavy attack, and transport. The scouts would be small and slim, faster than the others, and have crossbows mounted on the sides of the cabin. The attack airship would be slightly larger, and have enchanted crossbows - fire, ice, etc, and be a bit slower. Heavy attack would be outfitted with miniature catapults, would be gigantic, and super slow. The transports have no weapons and are only for passenger and cargo transport. Imagine getting a group of bandits, hijacking a heavy attack airship, and having a massive air battle with the Imperial Legion. Ports would be outside cities, and if you flew over a city, there would be a low-poly replica of the city. If you tried to land in the city, it would say "There is not enough room to land the airship inside the city." There would also be a staircase to the top of the Imperial Palace. At the top, there would be a port for three heavy attack airships and a single transport.

• private owned and crewed airships?
• Well this would acctually suck. It would have to be steam powered. So it would go slow. Besides you would also have to add crossbows, and crossbows were slow , not accurate, but made up for it with power.

[edit] Horse realism

Horses are animals, not vehicles. They have will of their own, their own ideas, needs, fears.

Movement

Turning a horse in place is an advanced dressage trick, normally you do a small circle while riding forward. If the horse is trained right, it will keep running unless told to stop or with some other reason (obstacle, fatigue). Horses swim a bit better than currently in game, and jump way better, although they definitely can't climb very steep slopes.

Variable speed

Horses in the game as it is have two speeds: so fast you injure the horse on even mild down-slopes, and slow as dirt. Some means of making the horse move at something between a slow crawl and a mad gallop would be greatly appreciated. Maybe by turning on Sneak-mode. You could have 4 speeds, just like you have on foot. In order: 1.)Sneak+Walk, 2.)Sneak+Run, 3.)Walk, 4.)Run. On horseback, these would translate to 1.)The tedious slow speed they use now when walking, 2.)A nice trot, 3.)A brisk canter, fast, but not so fast you hurt your horse going down slopes, and 4.)The mad gallop they use now when running. Using the gallop speed should tire the horse down, even if they don't get injured falling down slopes. See endurance below. Another possibility I just thought of: Use the Block button to temporarily slow the horse down one speed-setting. That way you could run at a mad gallop and just slow down a bit for the treacherous down-slopes.

Endurance

Horses may trot or canter for pretty long time, but are capable of pretty short full gallop. They get tired swimming rather fast and then there's risk of drowning. Their total endurance depends in major part on weight (total) of the rider.

Behaviour

Horses are fearful animals, don't expect your average horse to attack or even fight back, they use their speed to escape the enemy instead (and in fear may even stop to respond to rider's orders.) They are more likely to spook just at sight of natural enemy (just like deers in game) instead. Some horses are deadly scared of entering water. By nature, horses are lazy; they choose easiest path if given a choice. They are likely to stay on road, for example. It's unlikely that a horse would remain in the same place for days - some random walking should be expected if the horse is left alone, but it shouldn't get too far if not scared.

• This would make the difference between horses more noticeable, as well. The first horse would hardly ever leave the path, enter water, etc... Meanwhile, the best horse would jump off cliffs if you so commanded him. Or perhaps their obedience should increase as you own them longer.

Load

(companion share mod in development)

Health

Horses are quite fragile animals, and even though killing a horse isn't easy, hurting it so it can't be used for riding, is. (possibly make the spell of heal companion more accessible to make horses of any real use if this is implemented).

Also, some indication of the condition of your horse that doesn't require you to dismount would be nice. Nothing like riding along at full keel and having the horse just suddenly keel over without any warning. It should start exhibiting problems long before it's injured enough to just fall over dead. Also would help so you know when it needs a rest.

Training

Teach your horse to come to you, follow you or stay where they are. You should calm it down when it fears of something.

Jousting!

Possibility of charging other riders or pedestrians while mounted, if using a lance.

Damage enemies

In real life, if you got ran over by a horse, or even your foot stepped on, it would really hut or kill you! You should be able to run into enemies and damage them instead of just pushing them out of the way like you do now.

Skill

Make horse riding a skill, with bonuses and stuff as you increase it (like being able to use weapons and spells while riding)

• The Deadly Reflex mod enables you to use weapons and spells on a horse.

Stealth Horses

I'd like a horse that can sneak. Preferably its sneak level would be the same, or based on, the player's. I think that acquiring it should not be easy, or should at least be expensive. I think it shouldn't have good health or attack so that it's more balanced. To seem more "realistic" in the game sense, the horse could be a magical creature (like a "nightmare") rather than just a sneaky horse.

• Why would you want to sneak with a horse? Not only is it unrealistic (you'd have to train the Hell out of a horse to get it to be remotely 'stealthy'. Horses aren't stealthy. They're big animals, and they have loud hooves), but most places you'd want to sneak in horses can't get to/would be a hassle in.

Breeding

Breed horses

• the purchase of your own stables with a private section for your horses and another section with the option of selling horses you've bred to NPC's. It would be also cool to breed mustang horses.

Shivering Isles Stables

Since horses don't, as far as I know, work well with different world spaces. Call Steed probably lets you transport normal ones across, but it could be cool to have some wacky-colored ones sold in mania (which are slightly faster) and some dark, dull ones sold in dementia (which are slightly stronger).

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