Bethesda and the future of the Elder Scrolls franchise are at the focus of the gaming industry's attention this week. Microsoft's recent acquisition of Bethesda quite possibly means The Elder Scrolls 6 will not be coming to PlayStation platforms, which has understandably triggered quite a reaction. But all of the attention on The Elder Scrolls also makes it quite the opportunity. The modding community behind the Skyblivion project are taking advantage, dropping the first developer diary for the fan remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.
Skyblivion, like other modding projects, is being worked on by a team entirely made up of volunteers. They have a rather straightforward goal compared to most modding teams. That being to take all of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and rebuild it in its entirety in the engine of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. That includes all of Oblivion's quests, locations, and characters. As such, Skyblivion will also require players own both Oblivion and Skyrim and their respective DLCs, but will otherwise be made available for free.
But Skyblivion isn't being made just to be a monument to itself. Having all of Oblivion in the Skyrim engine would allow for a massive amount of improvements to be made to the open-world RPG that its own engine couldn't. As such, the Skyblivion team is developing several modules. These include Landscape Overhaul, Interior Overhaul, City Overhaul, Weapon/Armor Overhaul, and so on. Each module would, as their name implies, upgrade the quality of their module. Users would be able to turn these modules off as they please.
The developer diary breaks down much of the work that's gone into Skyblivion so far. It starts with the initial efforts, done by a single developer, that began in 2012. The team grew in those first four years, leading to the massive project it is now. It's said multiple times that the team aspires to a AAA product by its completion.
Up to now, the team has completed its "first pass" at Skyblivion's overworld. For internal environments, inside buildings and caves and such, development has only just begun. Since the vast majority of assets in Skyblivion are being remade for the updated engine, that means there's plenty of work left to complete. That's especially true for items like armor, which also need to be reworked since graphics allow for major improvements compared to Oblivion's original release.
The Skyblivion Development Diary also has one other major purpose. It's to try and recruit new modders to help with the project, with a particular need for 3D artists. The team isn't ready to share any plans for finishing Skyblivion, but says that the team now sees the end of the road. Expect continued updates from the Skyblivion modding team in the months, and potentially years, ahead.
Skyblivion is in development for PC now.
Source: Skyblivion Volunteers