Jonathan Vogt
Beyond Skyrim
Beyond Skyrim is an encompassing project dedicated to bringing every province of Tamriel into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim through a series of mods focusing on various regions. Sounds Herculean? That's because it is—and the video below will do a far better job explaining it than I. But what I can attest to is my experience. Most work here is hush-hush, but I can show off a couple of goodies.
Evermore Tailor Dialogue
The first is a sample of dialogue between the player and a tailor, Roderic, who runs a stall in the center of Evermore, a city situated on High Rock's side of The Reach—a foreboding region inhabited by barbarians with carnal and esoteric customs. Upon approach, Roderic struggles to maintain a stiff upper lip. Though reluctant, Roderic shares a tale emblematic of the frustration and heartbreak that pervades Evermore's people.
Guardians of the Grove Quest
The second piece is a diagram showcasing an original quest set in the village of Cloudmill in High Rock. A dispute between the lumber company and the Priestess of Kynareth, Goddess of the Air, belies a sinister struggle between opposed forces of nature. Of course, it's the player's responsibility to play the mediator.
This quest showcases some of my core beliefs in quest design:
Player Agency: A good quest has players talking. "How did you solve this?" "Whom did you side with?" From Oblivion's "Whodunnit?" to Elden Ring's main story— both are revered for the variety and options they provide the player.
Learning Opportunities: Not every quest needs to be a lore dump. But let the player learn something new! "Guardians of the Grove" was my opportunity to have fun with the lore around Spriggans, which were woefully undeveloped at the time.
The Tea 🍵: Quests are drama at their core. Characters should have real conflicts only the player can resolve. Even fetch quests can showcase this urgency if the task is important enough--and that's the point! Whatever NPCs task the player, it should be important to the NPC as a fully realized person.