sean
Just Arrived
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Post by sean on Mar 14, 2013 13:03:42 GMT
Emma,
I'm a middle aged fellow. Relevance? Well, I am not a "gamer."
I purchased Skyrim on a whim and decided to try my hand at it. Many hours of learning and fun ensued. Great time. Then I encountered the mods that allowed me to open up and really have a blast.
By FAR.. Vilja is the most amazing mod I've encountered. I avoid the mods that are clearly by-and-for adolescent males, so the thing that sold me on trying it was that the relationship established between the players character and Vilja as a companion was accurate. This turned out to be quite true... and I have been married over 20 years to prove it!
Thank you for this amazing work. Thank you for following what is clearly a passion for you and bringing this work from your (and your teams) imagination into everyone else's.
I really can't say enough good things, so please let that simple thank you suffice. I actually created this account simply to track you down and let you know how much it is appreciated.
PLEASE: do not be swayed negatively by poor comments on your voice work. I was, in my late 20's, a trained voice-over and voice actor and you are doing just wonderfully. Your timbre fits well and is appropriate, your accent is perfect and your dialect patterns fit the relationship very well. Ignore the nay-sayers. The only critique they have that is accurate is the recording quality, which considering they are getting the mod free of charge means they should zip it!
Well done.
As a matter of self-indulgence, there are a few things I looked for but didn't see that surprised me.
First, she never asked if I would hold her hand as we walked. Not sure how that would work, but it was surprising and I suspected she would.
Second, I'm surprised that my purchasing her a house in Solitude wasn't a bigger deal to her: I purposely bought that house so that she could join the Bard's College since it was her dream! Any thought to putting that storyline in there? I mean... that place wasn't cheap...
Third, she wanders off to bed around 11:30. I'm still waiting for her to invite me to join her. If you do add that line... please keep it tame, its part of the charm.
Thanks again, very well done. You should be extremely proud of your work.
Sincerely,
Sean
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Post by Emma on Mar 15, 2013 17:08:43 GMT
Thank you so much I'm so glad that you enjoy her company. Oh, one could wish that it would be possible to actually "hold hand" in game, but no such animation exists and that's the major problem. Even if it did exist, it probably would be very hard to accomplish to combine with a walking animation. Adding in something to acknowledge that the player has just bought a new house wouldn't be that hard, though - I recently looked through the vanilla quests to see what variables governs the dialog filter for house purchase. I could surely look into this for the next version. With the sleep package, there is no chatter enabled, because then she would be sleeptalking, too . But I could add in some lines when you romance her so that she might sometimes randomly say something during the last hour before she goes to bed. Also something to put on my to-do list for the next version. Have to agree with Vilja: "So many things to do... so little time" . Again thank you, Emma
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Post by blockhead on Mar 15, 2013 21:50:10 GMT
I'm going to go off topic briefly. Sorry. With the sleep package, there is no chatter enabled, because then she would be sleeptalking, too . This is is interesting, because in Fallout 3 (same engine as Skyrim, but tweaked) the NPCs make sleep noises: they mumble as if talking in their sleep. It's cute. I had assumed that Skyrim had this also. Might it be possible to filter dialog based on some means of detecting the sleep state of the NPC, and then play the mumbling (or snoring, lol) "chatter"?
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Post by Emma on Mar 15, 2013 22:02:02 GMT
Yes, that could actually be done.
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Post by winterlove on Mar 15, 2013 22:06:18 GMT
Hee. it would be funny if the mumbles suggested she was dreaming about sweetrolls
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Post by dusktreader on Apr 10, 2013 23:12:05 GMT
Dear Emma and mod team, I would echo the many praises you have received for Valja! You are wonderfully creative and talented and I have enjoyed Valja very much! I had previously played through Skyrim and after taking a break for a few months, then meticulously playing through all the side and random quests and encounters... when I discovered Valja! She has breathed new life into Skyrim - more enjoyable than ever! The whole mod has worked wonderfully, the programming is nothing short of emmaculate. As many others, I now have an insatiable appetite for Valja and eagerly await any new developments! Thank you for your many hours of work and dedication to making Valja the most delightful companion! Dusktreader
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kaleuo
Just Arrived
Paladin extrodinare and all around righter of wrongs.
Posts: 19
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Post by kaleuo on Apr 12, 2013 17:58:51 GMT
Emma, I'm a middle aged fellow. Relevance? Well, I am not a "gamer." I purchased Skyrim on a whim and decided to try my hand at it. Many hours of learning and fun ensued. Great time. Then I encountered the mods that allowed me to open up and really have a blast. By FAR.. Vilja is the most amazing mod I've encountered. I avoid the mods that are clearly by-and-for adolescent males, so the thing that sold me on trying it was that the relationship established between the players character and Vilja as a companion was accurate. This turned out to be quite true... and I have been married over 20 years to prove it! Thank you for this amazing work. Thank you for following what is clearly a passion for you and bringing this work from your (and your teams) imagination into everyone else's. I really can't say enough good things, so please let that simple thank you suffice. I actually created this account simply to track you down and let you know how much it is appreciated. PLEASE: do not be swayed negatively by poor comments on your voice work. I was, in my late 20's, a trained voice-over and voice actor and you are doing just wonderfully. Your timbre fits well and is appropriate, your accent is perfect and your dialect patterns fit the relationship very well. Ignore the nay-sayers. The only critique they have that is accurate is the recording quality, which considering they are getting the mod free of charge means they should zip it! Well done. I agree wholeheartedly. With the sleep thing you could have her ask before she heads to bed for the PC to come to bed and cuddle with her. It would be (in my opinion) a nice sign of the deepening bond between her and the PC that doesn't break character for her and keeps it "tame"
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Elwyn
Just Arrived
Posts: 12
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Post by Elwyn on May 5, 2013 15:33:16 GMT
I would like to join in thanking you, Emma, for all the hours of hard work you have put into Vilja. I and so many others have benefited with hour after hour of enjoyable gameplay. And, I love your accent! Your voicing of Vilja seems so professional to me. She truly has her own personality and your voice really fits with that. Thanks !! E
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Post by snowmoon on May 6, 2013 8:42:29 GMT
I would just like to echo what others have said here. Vilja is a remarkable achievement and, it must be said, the ultimate labour of love. Much kudos to you, Emma (and your noble assistants!), for all the hours and hours it has taken you over the years to design, implement and expand this masterful creation. I'd also like to say that I couldn't imagine Vilja's accent being any other way - she looks like she ought to have the accent that she does and no-one can reasonably have any complaints about it in my view. There are 3 things that I would like to ask about. I have searched for previous answers to similar questions, but haven't found what I'm looking for, unfortunately. 1) Vilja has a very unfortunate habit of attacking and killing my other mage followers, presumably because she's been hit by their "friendy fire". She's killed both Illia and Aranea, so I've had to reload and set whichever one I'm out and about with to Essential so that I can break up the fight without anyone dying (I can't bring myself to have Vilja set to anything other than Essential!). Is there any way that I can prevent her from turning on other followers like this? It's certainly not in her character to do this! 2) I know that her finding ingredients that she's searching for is scripted, rather than depending on her being in a certain place, but can you tell me please: a) Is she only going to find ingredients when she's leading the way? b) Will she still find them when running? I've found all the ingredients that are on her list, but she's still looking for those on her own (secret) list. I'm hoping she finds them soon, as she hasn't found any for some time now. 3) She used to wear her nightgown when she went to bed, but these days she puts her armour on at bed time! Can this be reset in any way? When she gets up, she puts her nightgown on very briefly and then immediately switches back to her normal dress (1 of the 3 Grace Darkling dresses that Vilja has the choice of). I've installed the very latest version of Vilja, but this strange behavour persists. Just to thank you again for creating such a wonderful game-enhancing experience! If the project is still ongoing, I look forward to the enhanced interaction with Cerwiden and, dare I say, the completion of the marriage sub-project!
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Post by snowmoon on May 13, 2013 5:49:17 GMT
In addition to the things mentioned above, since upgrading Vilja to V1.5, I've been experiencing much more frequent CTDs when underground with her. Previously, it seemed to be just Dwemer labyrinths where I got CTDs with Vilja, but it's now reached the stage where I pretty much can't take Vilja underground any time where fighting will be involved. The CTDs typically happen just after a fight has ended.
I know the issue does relate to Vilja, as the CTDs stop if I leave her outside. I also know that this is not what others experience when travelling with Vilja, so that suspect it must be due to some kind of clash with another mod, although I'm struggling to figure out which one it is. I do typically have 4 or 5 other followers with me at the same time as Vilja, such as Cerwiden, Mjoll, Aranea, Lydia/Jordis and, more recently, Aela. Might the number of followers be a factor?
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a list of active mods from out of a file somewhere please, rather than having to type them all in manually?
Ultimately, I don't want Vilja to be left stood outside - I want her to be sharing all of my Skyrim experiences.
Does anyone have any advice and/or suggestions please?
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Post by loriel on May 13, 2013 8:53:02 GMT
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a list of active mods from out of a file somewhere please, rather than having to type them all in manually? I believe Wrye Bash has that ability - to export your mod list. Alternatively the mod list can be found in a text file called "plugins.txt". Its location probably varies with operating system but typically it will be something like C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Skyrim\plugins.txt. Probably in a hidden folder, so you may need to "view hidden files" to find it. Loriel
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Post by Emma on May 13, 2013 13:45:06 GMT
I would just like to echo what others have said here. Vilja is a remarkable achievement and, it must be said, the ultimate labour of love. Much kudos to you, Emma (and your noble assistants!), for all the hours and hours it has taken you over the years to design, implement and expand this masterful creation. I'd also like to say that I couldn't imagine Vilja's accent being any other way - she looks like she ought to have the accent that she does and no-one can reasonably have any complaints about it in my view. Thank you for your kind words I'm so glad you enjoy her. You can cast the "Vilja stop fighting and follow me"-spell and she will stop fighting and you can run away from the fight. Or you can just activate her to stop her from fighting. In the next version, she will auto-stop fighting other companions, and they will auto-stop fighting her. We were in fact not aware of that this happened; now that we know, we have attended to it, but I'm in the middle of adding in the romance-track so it would be difficult to upload an update. She doesn't have to lead. She can find them also when you are running. But you have to be in a Tamriel worldspace, i.e. she won't find any in Whiterun city or in Solstheim. Maybe you have switched house for her without telling her it is her new home? She only dress in nightgown if you have told her a place is her home. The project is very much ongoing . As said above, I'm writing on the romance-track.
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Post by Emma on May 13, 2013 13:51:12 GMT
In addition to the things mentioned above, since upgrading Vilja to V1.5, I've been experiencing much more frequent CTDs when underground with her. Previously, it seemed to be just Dwemer labyrinths where I got CTDs with Vilja, but it's now reached the stage where I pretty much can't take Vilja underground any time where fighting will be involved. The CTDs typically happen just after a fight has ended. I know the issue does relate to Vilja, as the CTDs stop if I leave her outside. I also know that this is not what others experience when travelling with Vilja, so that suspect it must be due to some kind of clash with another mod, although I'm struggling to figure out which one it is. I do typically have 4 or 5 other followers with me at the same time as Vilja, such as Cerwiden, Mjoll, Aranea, Lydia/Jordis and, more recently, Aela. Might the number of followers be a factor? Does anyone know if it's possible to get a list of active mods from out of a file somewhere please, rather than having to type them all in manually? Ultimately, I don't want Vilja to be left stood outside - I want her to be sharing all of my Skyrim experiences. Does anyone have any advice and/or suggestions please? Your problem is probably an overload of scripts running at the same time, and then Vilja is what put the extra strain on it. It could also be related to if you have given her a high-poly modder-made armor which puts extra strain on your computer. But, most likely it's just the amount of scripts running at the same time. With so many followers, you are obviously using an overhaul, and then you have two companions with unique AI, Vilja and Cerwiden. 4-5 followers, two of them with unique scripted AI (and I wouldn't say that Vilja's AI is more scripted than Cerwiden's, as she is a mage who is suppose to use her AI to choose spells), sounds like a bit much in a game where you are supposed to only be allowed to have one follower at a time. If you go into the dungeons with Vilja only, do you still experience any crashes? If not, do you have crashes if you have Vilja + the others but not Cerwiden? I can't think of anything we have changed with her for ver 1.5 that should change anything at all in relation to this, so it could also be that your load-order has changed.
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Post by snowmoon on May 14, 2013 13:35:40 GMT
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a list of active mods from out of a file somewhere please, rather than having to type them all in manually? Alternatively the mod list can be found in a text file called "plugins.txt". Its location probably varies with operating system but typically it will be something like C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Skyrim\plugins.txt. Probably in a hidden folder, so you may need to "view hidden files" to find it. Many thanks Loriel, I've located the file for future reference.
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Post by snowmoon on May 14, 2013 13:51:38 GMT
Thank you for your kind words I'm so glad you enjoy her. You deserve all the praise that's going for creating something so immense and, on top of that, then voicing it yourself, which is wonderful in its own right! I have something that stops everyone from fighting, so it's easy enough to put an end to it, but it does mean I have to have the mages set to Essential, otherwise the first I'd know about it is seeing I was missing a follower and then finding a body! Excellent - thank you. I'm sure there are many fans out there looking forward to the romance element! Thanks for confirming. I guess I'll just have to be patient! Is there a console command or anything like that to be able to find out how many ingredients she still needs to find? She knows it's her home, as she makes comments about it. She doesn't wear all her armour in bed though - she does take her boots off at least! ;D I was actually referring to the plan to improve Vilja's interaction with Cerwiden, but maybe that's what you meant too! I must admit the thought hadn't occurred to me that I might be overloading the game. The worsened CTD problem coincided not only with the Vilja V1.5 upgrade, but also Aela joining our merry throng. I'm now trying going underground with fewer followers and, for the first couple of attempts, there were no CTDs. Thank you for the suggestion. Many thanks for taking the time out to reply regarding my queries. Just to finish by sharing an amazing sight that I noticed briefly last night (it was too brief for me to get a screenshot of it). I saw Vilja sat astride the neck of a dragon pummelling it with her sword! I'm not sure what would have happened if it had flown off, but I wasn't aware that you could climb onto dragons during combat. Maybe you can't, but Vilja obviously found a way!
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