This is a very well made mod. It is beautiful. It is complex without being confusing. It is unique, I have never seen anything like it. It is naturalistic, and well thought out. There is great use of vertical space. There are claustrophobic corners, but there are also comfortable areas where you could see yourself setting up a base.10 out of 10, this is a great effort.
Kudos to BigOleHappyMonkey, and endorsed.
-mrnexu, Nexus user
UPDATE
-Adjusted a couple plants that were floating.
-Fixed issue where player could see into the void in an area.
-Added two objects to exterior entrance.
-Swapped some of the Ebony Ore veins for other ores to balance the loot.
-I have removed the map marker from the map when first installing the mod. Its location is now discoverable by normal means (like vanilla dungeons). I also added a note that may be found by the player when leaving Falkreath and travelling the road. The note is at a Y intersection between the bandit camp (with the bridge over the road with falling rock traps) and Falkreath. Reading this note marks the dungeon on the player's map.
GOALS
Detailed. Unique. Immersive.
Black Gold Mine is a dungeon designed for the meticulous player. Every torch, chest, and cobweb was placed with purpose and care. This dungeon takes advantage of Skyrim's many creation tools and carefully considers the player's space--horizontally and vertically.My aim is to provide a rewarding experience with unique environments for the player to later reminisce, without feeling out of place. Its design sets it apart from other vanilla dungeons; yet, a new player could easily come to the conclusion that Black Gold Mine has been part of Skyrim since 11-11-11.
FEATURES
It is a dungeon inspired by Oblivion's moody caves, and utilizes the sensory-rich environment Skyrim offers. There is no official quest related to this new location, however, its environment offers a narrative that is nonetheless prolific. Descend into the abyss of an abandoned quarry and discover the secrets concealed within its misty depths.
Black Gold Mine is the result of over 300 hours of work, with every effort to preserve immersion and provide potential hours of enjoyment. Players may simply kill, plunder, and return to town with loot aplenty; or...savor the scenery, drop onto every ledge, look high and low in every dark corner--and be rewarded! Furthermore, returning (after the six interior cells reset: 30 days if cleared; 10 days if not cleared) yields new experiences.
Players will find the dungeon entrance within Falkreath Hold, not far from Helgen's prison exit. In addition, this dungeon was designed to be used as a potential radiant quest within this hold. However, do not expect to stride-in without preparation. Players be warned, Black Gold Mine's minimum level is 13. Although, the cautious, stealthy player may find themselves at an advantage...
Some SPOILERS below:
Players will discover Black Gold Mine is more than a common quarry. Beneath its ore veins live the long-forgotten undead, thought only to be found within Cyrodiil. But, for the seasoned adventurer,destroying these undead sentries should not be too difficult. However, do not expect the murky tunnels to remain empty for long, for there are many creatures in search of a new hole to call their home.
DEPENDENCIES
Skyrim Special Edition
ccbgssse001-fish.esm (Fishing)
ccbgssse037-curios.esl (Rare Curios)
ccbgssse040-advobgobs.esl (Goblins)
ccbgssse067-daedinv.esm (The Cause)
or Skyrim Anniversary Edition
LOAD ORDER & COMPATABILITY
I have only tested it by itself on PC, and both at the bottom and near the top of the load order on PS5.
Black Gold Mine uses its own Lighting Template, and may not be affected by mods that affect default interior lighting templates. However, the lighting has been tuned to fit the intended theme, and should not disappoint. In addition, many containers are custom and their content will only be affected by mods adjusting leveled lists. Texture mods should work for this dungeon. This dungeon has been made to be compatible with followers; however, I have not tested it with multiple followers and I would not recommend more than one when entering this dungeon.
This mod uses many native scripts (as do all dungeons), but none that should run endlessly and become a problem.
The mine's exterior cells are located at (-1, -20) and (-2, -22). See photos for world map locations. I am told this conflicts with one of "Forgotten Dungeons" locations, so be aware of that.
COC LOCATIONS
Sometimes a player may want to check to see if the mod is working before wasting their time exploring the overworld for the entrance. So, I have provided the coc IDs for the player's benefit:
- Exterior Cells:
BlackGoldMineExteriorEntrance
AmadaTarnRuinsExit
- Interior Cells:
BlackGoldMineDungeon01
BlackGoldMineDungeon02
BlackGoldMineDungeon03
BlackGoldMineDungeon04
BlackGoldMineDungeonChief
BlackGoldMineDungeonProper
KNOWN ISSUES
An alchemy table occasionally turns invisible, and I am unable to discover a permanent fix.
When first testing this mod on PS5, I experienced latency when I approached the exterior entrance cell, and when first leaving through the exit to Skyrim, but have not experienced it on PC or on PS5 since.
CLOSING COMMENTS
This is my first created dungeon, and although I have extensively tested it, there may be better ways to implement certain elements and I am open to constructive criticism.
Contact me on discord @bighappymonkey, or my Discordif you have any concerns. Alternatively, you may find my mods (BigOleHappyMonkey) on Nexus and leave a comment there. I recently created a Buy Me A Coffee, if you enjoy my mods and want to support my work.
This mod has been cleaned with SSEEdit.
