Balzu: A Gothic Horror Fantasy Total Conversion for Skyrim
Balzu is a total conversion mod currently in production for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The mod is set in a completely custom world called Durs (rhymes with 'curse'). Balzu is one of the names that the natives of Durs have given to their version of Hell. The premise of Balzu is simple: Balzu is a terrible place, and its inhabitants want out.
Unlike the plot of Oblivion, this is not a wholesale invasion, but a perpetual state of unrest. The inhabitants of Balzu are not pouring out of portals, but finding other ways to manifest: in the form of ghosts, vampires, zombies, and other sorts of demonic and undead entities. Although Durs is a fantasy setting (complete with swords and sorcery), Balzu takes its stylistic cues from the horror genre: less Lord of the Rings and more The Woman in Black, Bram Stoker's Dracula, or 28 Days Later. I am also a huge Lovecraft fan, so expect a good deal of eldritch horror and sanity-crushing game effects. The mood of the game is closer to Silent Hill than WOW. The intent of this mod is to scare you.
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Features
These are features I would like to have in Balzu. The CK is new, and the limitations of the engine (including the ability to work around bugs) is not clearly known. If everything goes according to plan, however, here's what you can expect:
- hand-crafted environments comparable to Skyrim in quality, but with a darker, moodier tone
- NPCs with real personalities and back-stories; they probably won't be voice acted (at least for a long time) but expect to have to build relationships with these people to win their trust and unlock quests
- actions with consequences: NPCs will remember what you do for them and react appropriately to you--if you wrong them, they will not be happy about it, and some of them may exact revenge; if you help them, they may provide assistance, but not always in the way that you expect
- robust faction mechanics: choosing to join a faction will entail serious commitment and consequences; expect to make enemies as quickly as you make friends
- tougher combat and scarcer resources: you won't always be able to wander into a dungeon and clean house--sometimes you will have to plan and prepare first, or seek alternate means of defeating enemies
- less hand-holding: don't expect Balzu to hand anything to you--you will get out of it what you put into it
- supernatural horror: the emphasis in Balzu is on the supernatural: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc., will play a stronger role (and may include joinable factions)
- sanity system: Balzu will mess with your mind; you will often find yourself questioning what's real
Balzu, Durs and Gameplay
The geography of Durs is inspired by the mountains and forests of Eastern Europe and will (eventually) take the form of a map comparable in size to Skyrim. The cultural setting of Durs is very similar to our own late middle ages/early Renaissance and the religion is similarly monolithic and 'gothic'. Witches get burned at the stake, so if you play a spell-caster, keep it to yourself. (Priests have a little more flexibility: divine intercessions that aid others are socially acceptable 'miracles'.)
Much of the magic and mystery of Balzu has to do with a more 'occult' orientation toward magic and supernatural beings: many beings will be too powerful to face directly; the players will be forced to investigate situations and decide on the best course of action. This may involve some research in musty old tomes and the preparation of a proper ritual, or finding the remains of a troubled ghost and putting them to rest. If you play a warrior, there will still be plenty of 'flesh-and-blood' foes to confront, so don't feel left out. I'm trying to design Balzu in such a way that, no matter what role you play, there will always be appropriate 'friendly' NPCs who can help you round out the skills you need to complete objectives.
In Balzu, I plan on moving away from more traditional 'quest-oriented' gameplay. In Balzu, you will encounter, instead, a state of affairs. You will uncover the details naturally, through conversations with NPCs and through reading and exploration. You won't be 'given' quests, per se (though NPCs may ask you to assist them); rather, it will be up to you to decide whether or not you want to investigate or interfere in a state of affairs.
It may be that an abandoned keep has been haunted for over a hundred years. It will stay that way for a hundred more unless you decide to investigate. Perhaps the Countess does seem to be unnaturally well-preserved. She will remain that way unless you decide to interfere. Game events will be triggered through investigation and interference on your part, but won't necessarily follow a 'quest' progression. There will be no 'kill the vampire at x location' quest. If you discover that there's a vampire there, it's up to you to decide what to do about it. That may mean putting a stake through its heart. Or, it might mean using that information to become a vampire yourself. Balzu will have much less 'hand-holding' than Skyrim, so be prepared to think before you act. And if you need directions, ask an NPC for assistance.
Release Date
Unknown. I just started working on it, so I expect it will take a couple of years to complete, at minimum. I plan on releasing playable demos much earlier than that, however. I'd like to have a small beta available for sometime in July or August, but we'll just have to see.
Team
Just me, atm. I expect I'll be looking for a good modeler/texture artist and scripter at some point for assistance, but I plan on doing all the world-building, level design, writing, 'quest'-design, and a good deal else myself. I know how to do a little scripting/modeling/texturing/animation already, so if push comes to shove I can do pretty much anything I need to.
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Last updated February 19, 2012
© 2009-2012 Dave Finch
