It has been a while since the last entry.  My head has been deep into the development of the mod, and I have finished all of the in-game book writing.  There are ~100 in-game books for the mod now after this writing stint.   I have started working on finishing up the quests and implementing features. 

My todo list:

-Finish the main quest

-Implement and finish the quest's epilogue

-Implement room furniture swap for one particular room

-Implement Spouse Move system

-Implement the quest to unlock the Spouse Move system

-Finish work on new companions

-Tweak/add dialogue for Didoneric before finishing recordings

-Implement necromancer features

-Integrate a computer voice system (why would I add this in Skyrim!? ... have to play the mod once released to find out)

-Voice work for recording devices, and various other items

-Bug fixes/tweaks for existing work

Current release estimate:

Late 2018 or sometime in 2019

Below I will highlight the few systems I have worked on the last few weeks:

Portal System:

Pneuma Manor has a portal system to move between portions of the original mod, Skyrim, and the new home sections.  This system will automatically close out existing portals at the desired destination and will be accompanied by voice to inform about your selection.  This feature will be locked to completion of the mod's main quest.

Here are a few development screenshots for this feature:

Puzzles:

The main quest for this mod introduced a few puzzles for the player to solve in order to free the former inhabitants of torment, or tracking soul gems in order to unlock other features.  The new area also has numerous puzzles and will encourage you to explore every nook.  The last puzzle I needed to implement was for causing a door lever to appear for a hidden section of the home, and I wanted to make it a lever puzzle.  Back when I started on this update 3.5 years ago I wanted to use 5 levers, but I ended up reducing it to 3 and introducing a clue mechanic based off of tactics used in previously encounter puzzles.  Here are a few screenshots of this without spoiling anything:

I have compiled the stories that I have come up with, and they are in a serious tone.

My first is the alternate name of the Skyrim Civil War - The Nord Supremacy Wars.  I decided to give a historical perspective for these events, with notable dialogue shown at critical points in an 11 volume set:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ARHmzK6VYD_-Z6mgZWFFSiygtdRKRf9O/view?usp=sharing

The next set I did was based on a Nexus follower Clara Goldspirit.  I worked with the author on the scripting and follower logic, and she gave me permission to work on an alternate version of her character. This set is 7 volumes:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u6lpm3nVlyIrfIEFBnnf2nvrT3vXrbeH/view?usp=sharing

The last one regarding these events in particular touches on a point in the Clara Goldspirit series, but was omitted from the historical perspective:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dMcQNTFMARfkt7qehFAS4-Xl-gGdGqw7/view?usp=sharing

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On the other hand, I need to expand on the disturbed side of the previous owner, as well as a new entity.  Here are a few examples of the writing for those characters:

Rabbit Mancy - Evocation of Rabbit Bounce:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_TC_ZHvqH_SQzRmNXRvVXdJWWs/view?usp=sharing

Necromancer Analysis: The Truth about Death :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PRtENISA3G9RA1_j5mBxhfeT2h6MCay6/view?usp=sharing

Contemplating Sanity:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_TC_ZHvqH_SRVgxSUpLZlB6SDg/view?usp=sharing

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There is other writing that will be touching on topics set forth in several of these books and unrevealed topics.  I am covering states of affairs, philosophical and religious aspects of this other society, what is happening with the Dwemer and Falmer, what are the Daedra like in this realm compared to what the Nine Divines are like in this realm, and more.  My biggest challenge has been working on the more dark aspects without going completely deep end dark, especially since some of the in development writing touches on actions the previous owner took with his family concerning disturbing magicka experiments.

Once I finished the required writing, the work goes to finishing up the ending sequence for the main quest and creating the epilogue.  I am voicing both the ending antagonist, as well as one of the characters involved with the epilogue.  Voice work wise I need to finish receiving recorded lines for Didoneric Guerd, the new caretaker you will meet in the new section.  Touching upon other features, and determining if the Dwemer Centurion Sphere companion will still be involved in the final vision of this rework.

I am going to end this blog entry with older preview that showcases Didoneric Guerd and his role within Pneuma Manor, as well as a few of the other items within Pneuma Manor.  Most of the functionality from this trailer is still the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4HXTAioUB8

As the first entry on this blog, I need to explain the current state of the mod.  I have fully mapped out all of the new areas and touched up the original content.   This house has a Mage's Guild origin, due to the origins coming from an alternate universe.  I had some media in the third release which explained bits and pieces, but did not give the end user/gamer a proper grounding in what this other universe is like, and what the general beliefs or developments have happened in this other universe.  In order to do this, I decided to add another area that functions as an additional player home in addition to the story purpose for the location.  Another reason for adding player home functionality to this other section is to allow users weirded out by having souls within the master bedroom of the main house to own a section where the player or your family can enjoy the home.  I also dig deeper into some of the plot points from the quests in the main home.

Original House Improvements

I have done several things to improve upon the original house:

-Added Mage's Guild themed banners or rugs at various points

-Created unique object containers for varied displayables (Soul Gems, Potions, Plates, Food on Cutting Board, Baskets, Instruments, etc)

-Populated Balcony Area

-Section for a Dwemer Centurion Companion (name not finalized) obtained through a new quest

I need to provide the gamer with a feeling that this home has a rich story behind it, and integrating visuals from the Mage's Guild augments the story told in the various journals or books found within the Manor.  It will help generate mystery on the origins of the home, given that throughout Skyrim we learn that the Mage's Guild does not exist anymore since the war with the Aldmeri Dominion.  Here are a few of the screenshots showing off this content:

Another goal was to push myself on what I could do with a player home, so I decided that allowing for other placable items throughout the house might enrich the gamer's experience.  Each of these containers come from either unused existing Bethesda object containers, or reverese-engineered Bethesda logic to create a customer object container.  I have used this feature in the new research areas, but I started experimenting with the main home and came up with these items:

Placable Potion Rack:

Placable Soul Gems:

Placable Plates/Bowls:

I needed to address the balcony area, as the original version was void of anything homely or anything that would explain any presence on the roof.   I also wanted to provide an explanation for the existence of occupants within the house that would make sense for the player.  Soul Gem-esque construct barriers are placed on the roof in the various corners in order to achieve this:

Early Image of Rework:

The final item I am integrating is various areas where you can construct Dwemer constructs to guard the research facility and guard areas of the home.   To give a surprise ending for the quest to create guardians, I wanted to integrate a Dwemer Centurion Sphere that becomes sentient upon activation and is quite confused as a result.  I thought it would be interesting to have a companion created where you can have some unique interactions within the Pneuma Manor narrative with this companion, where it is learning what it means to be alive.  I haven't developed too much on this feature, so I am unsure if it will survive the initial overhaul.

Research Areas

I reveal the purpose of Pneuma Manor when the player stumbles upon an interesting hidden passage within the original house.  They will encounter a new character, Didoneric Guerd, a living caretaker for the research facility.  It is divided into a farming area, living quarters for the caretaker, a locked off section containing vital facility functions, an office of sorts for Didoneric, and the main research area.  The main area is divided into the entry floor, the research basement, and a library/living quarters region.  Here are a few choice images of these areas:

The player will go through a guided tour, and will be left to explore the research area at the end.   There is a lot of ground to cover, and it is easy to overlook items as they proceed through the main quest content of the research area.  Quest Markers were not really prevalent in the original release, and it will be about the same in the new content, requiring player exploration and reasoning over the information presented to them. 

One of the features of this new section will become immediately apparent, usable light switches tied into a power mechanic.  Some of the displayable item features are carried over into this new area.  Here is one that I believe is cool, as I haven't really seen this from other mods:

The research section of the home will have a few spells hidden amongst the materials, and will have a new feature for the would-be enchanter:

In the farm area, it will have various fauna and flora that will yield ingredients, animal parts, or food on occasion as Didoneric goes about his normal routines.  You will also find Soul Husks in the flora bundles on occasion.  The unique feature is supporting the growth of any input ingredient into a yield, with a written text on how to use the system with required irrigation of the potential yield.

There are other mechanics in place, but for the sake of the story, I will not divulge the content.  Some of this content will seem half-realized, as development reality kicks in for the features due to Creation Kit limitations.  I might have been able to flesh them out if I delved into the Scripting Extender, but I want to keep the scripting to vanilla Bethesda scripting objects to allow for a wider audience coupled with transitioning to Special Edition for Xbox One and PC users.

The challenge is to expand on the alternate universe hinted in the previous release by the previous owner's wife in a text found within the last original quest.  It makes sense to add another text from the previous owner's perspective on realizing the truth of the player's realm.  I proceeded to write in books about alternate events within the Cyrodil Empire, alternate fates for the Falmer and Dwemer, rejection of the Nine Divines in favor of Daedric Deities, and the utopian atmosphere of their current era.   There is a time difference, as well as a technological difference between Vanilla Skyrim's Fourth Era, and the Alternate Universe's Era.  I am also placing content to show struggles within their universe and gave an alternate version of the Skyrim Civil War.  The books will also touch on some serious topics that might hit close to reality, but I feel expressing the ideas through the alternate universe is important and necessary.  I also expand on the dark past, as well as dark figures surrounding the previous owner.

What is Left

-Finishing the Research Area Main Quest

-Finish Voice Acting

-Add Main Quest Epilogue

-Integrate Relationship Mechanics into Library Area

-Integrate Additional Functionality to Didoneric

-Fix AI Behavior in Farm Area

-Tweak Existing Scripts

-Add-In End Main Quest Rewards

-Integrate Portal Mechanics Between Research Area and Outside Areas

-Finish Book Writing For Various Empty Shelves

-Fix Research Main Quest Mechanic #1

-Hide Certain Mechanics Until Appropriate Points

Thanks for reading this if you have, and I will post additional updates as I progress in development.