NPC Companion

I set about to make Oblivion the perfect game (in my opinion), by adding an NPC companion (only one at this point in time) who is more than just a henchman. He has a history (which his quest revolves around), he has questions for you -mostly along the lines of moral, philosophical and theraputical-, he has flaws and can be a nuisence, yet he is still a loyal companion. He will respond to the things you say to him, and they in turn will shape his persona and eventually his status as a companion class. He is FLAWED, and that is what makes him a true character, and a story-driven companion.

When I began working on this, I knew what I wanted. I wanted to create an NPC companion with the depth and individuality of Solaufein in Westly Weimers SolaRomance mod for BG2:SoA (http://weidu.org/). I wanted an NPC who players could genuinely like, and I wanted one who did not need you to make his choices for him, but rather simply asked for the players advice. To some extent, the player was to be his conscience, providing moral suggestions without giving specific commands. Westly Weimer captures this perfectly in Solaufein, and used poetry, philosophical references and parabols to develop the character into a companion that you genuinely feel for. He is UNIQUE, and DEEP, and will not be forgotten in my gaming history.

Thus we have Ruined Tail (or Ruin for short.) Somewhat typically he has a dark past that he is tormented by, yet rather than come out and speak to the player directly he will ask subtle questions that tie together to form a coherant background. Your choices will make or break him (eventually) and whether or not you want to play a valiant Crusader, or a manipulative acolyte, Ruin will be YOUR companion, and no one elses.

The Demon that we fail to see is the Demon that lurks inside.

Here are some key features of "Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Your Personal Museum":

The Companion:
· *NPC Companion "Ruined Tail" (Argonian Battlemage) who will follow you, fight, sneak, loot corpses and everything else you have come to expect from your Oblivion MOD companions. (Thanks to Blocky and Aridale for direct inspiration in this regard.)
· *Using Reznod's companion share MOD Ruin is now also able to have his equipment upgraded and to serve as a "pack mule" for the player. Previously there were ssues with armour-checking not taking place, this has since been fixed and Ruin operates in all ways like another player.
The Story:
· *Detailed character conversations/storyline. What the player says will directly affect Ruin's development as a character and an NPC, and determine the eventual outcome of his quest.
· *Quest relating to the NPC - As Ruined Tail's tale progresses, he will become involved in a quest. The player can choose to take part in this (and develop the character further) or disregard it and use him as a "meatshield" NPC.
· *New encounters/fights - Using some "different" encounter techniques that I've always wanted to try in Oblivion I've incorporated a new fight that I hope can be considered "strategic." Previous players of this MOD will find this fight in the new section of Ruin's Quest.