Review Guide

When performing a review of a cell, you are allowed to make changes you deem necessary to bring it up to the standards we have set; small things like clutter arrangement, fixing bugs, etc. can be done at your discretion. Some changes that also fit under this category could be removal of water features from tombs for example (they were used everywhere to try to make a place interesting, instead they became trite, things of that nature should be more sparse).

For larger scale changes like extensive room layout changes or just general gripes with the overall cell, send your leads (nic(k) or UCM) a message on discord. We will take a look and see if it does need changes or not. At this point we will contact the original designer to say what we think is an issue and propose a change. You can either do this change yourself or you can hand the cell back over to the original designer to complete. If the original designer is no longer on the project, then it is your judgement.

The aim of this is to raise the quality level of all cells in the game. Your review will be one of the last set of eyes that will see the cell before release. Use your judgement to decide if the cell is release ready. 

On Clickup the review process is divided into three columns. 

1. Incoming LD Review - once a cell has gone through navmesh and optimisation, it will be placed in this column. Don't grab anything in this column, however.

2. Awaiting LD Review - after nav/opt changes have been merged in, the card will be moved to this column. At this point it is free to be claimed for review. Please do NOT review a cell that you previously developed.

3. LD Review - anything in this column is being actively reviewed. Once completed, move the card to "Incoming QA For Next Build"

While not part of the main review pipeline, two other cells are important to keep in mind

1. Review Blocked - if something is preventing a review (missing assets or scripts, for example), put it in this column. It's just a placeholder until whatever blocker exists has been fixed.

2. Review Returned - if changes need to be made to pass review that you, the reviewer, do not want to do, place it in this column with a comment on what needs to be fixed. The original creator or someone will claim it at some point in the future to fix.

• First, look over the cell. Does it match the exterior? Does the layout match general descriptions of dialogue? Does it play well? Does it have the correct loot placement? Things of this general nature. Check these things against the wiki (Morrowind:Morrowind - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP)) and search the dialogue sheet for any descriptions (message me on discord if you don't have this sheet). For interior reviews, dialogue checking is probably only required for quest locations and more important settlements/locations such as forts.

• Then, you’ll need to check that the cell is indeed final. It’s quite common that designers will push interiors to navmesh without doing a thorough check of the finalization list found here.

• Most items in the cell will have been moved from the original layout. All of these items have ‘dont havok settle’ enabled on their references, you will want to uncheck this box for every item that can havok settle. Only certain items should have ‘dont havok settle’ enabled (or the script that does it). For example, a knife sticking into a table, an item that is positioned intentionally. This can either be done manually by clicking on the item and unchecking the ‘don't havok settle’ box from its reference window or you can do it by batch via xEdit.

• Update the navmesh where needed after you have done changes.

• Over cluttering and under cluttering can be an issue, as well as the type of clutter used. Feel free to remove or add more clutter if you deem it necessary.

• If the cell has a skyhole, add a trigger box for vampire sun damage (_dun_int_Vamp_SunSpot) where the light shines in. Do not add this for windows (assuming windows protect vampires from UV light?).

• Most interiors were made before we had working weapon racks and mannequins, so be sure to replace any non-functional weapon racks you come across (prefabs found in zGWpnRacks)

• Try to keep furniture quality together. For example, upper class furniture probably wouldn't be paired with lower class furniture in the same room realistically. Also check that the correct furniture types are being used in the correct locations (wet textured furniture shouldn't be in well built homes, only shacks… Imperial furniture should only be used in imperial forts/settlements, etc.)

• (As of now, may 2023, we are missing some furniture. Upper class for example does not have a desk model, so you should use a different quality desk instead while you review. Make a note on the card that the desk needs changing to the upper class version when we get it)

• Lights should be kept to 2 (3 if fire is present (cooking stones, fireplaces, etc.)) sources, for example, candles and lanterns. Different colour variations between sources is fine.

• Replace hammock beds if any NPC is scheduled to sleep in this cell, we don't have animations for these and likely won't get them.

• Set emittance for windows based on the region (this can also be applied to shacks). Can also add a dust beam with the same emittance to make light beams. Shacks have windows that can be seen through, to be sure to enable sky and add and foliage/architecture that may be seen from the window (highly unlikely but something to keep in mind).

• Add trigger boxes for vampire sun damage where there are skyholes/natural sunlight that isn't coming through a window.

• Look into who the home belongs to, perhaps look into adding visual storytelling for their backstory if you want to add something to the cell.

• Add sound markers where appropriate, for example, dock creaking in shack interiors.

• Layout changes are permitted where needed, for example, lower class homes in Vivec City (canal level) should be small and cramped, not duplexes. Just be sure to update the navmesh when you make changes.

• Lower class home furnishing and clutter should also reflect their class. Furniture for lower class should use the lower class stuff, beds should use the more rough looking beds, should use redware items instead of silverware, etc.

• Remove items that are illegal/contraband where necessary. Ordinary folk should not have moon dust, skooma, dwemer items, ebony, limeware, etc.

• Older cells may contain copious amounts of tapestry. Although it can be fine for higher class homes, lower class homes should not have a ton of tapestries. Also try to limit tapestry variants to a minimum of 2 or 3. Same for cushions and such.

• Homes should contain the basic things: food, clothing, a bedroom, a kitchen/eating area, etc. lower class homes may use cooking stones rather than fireplaces, or no cooking instrument at all, etc. Basically, does the home or cell function as intended?

• Add or remove idle markers where needed. 

• Add or remove FX markers where needed.

• Set north marker to face north if not done so already.

• For the sake of consistency, once the majority of residential cells are complete and underway, we will move on to dungeons. Location specific review processes for dungeons will be updated here when the time comes.