Project Rhodara

Rhodara is a project created with love from the heart. A project heavily inspired by Classic WoW and a desire to create a world to share with friends. Playing WoW, among other RPG games left me with a lingering desire to create my own world. It all started 5 years ago, I would dabble with other software like Unity, Unreal, etc to try my hand at this creative expression. Then one day, I found Noggit. I had no idea before that it was possible to make my own WoW world and even create content on a private server, it blew my mind. So I made many different projects with it, and one day I discovered how to use alpha mapping techniques and I began creating this massive project.

I was 16 years old when I started. now I'm 21. I actually was working on it for a while back then, and stopped. I literally decided to become and monk, so I sold my PC, car, everything and joined an ashram\monastery to go deep into my spiritual practice of Bhakti Yoga. But recently, within the last year, I started integrating my nerd life with my spiritual life\and material needs and became a little more balanced in my life style. And I found this project on an old external HDD and became re-inspired all over again.

 

My goal was not to make a unique game or art assets for the project but my inspiration was fueled by Warcraft's art style and lore so I just slapped everything together essentially, but it was some of the most fun I've had in my life. Every step of the way I was dreaming of what quests, or items or creatures I would populate a given area with. It was my own little realm to create and imagine.


Rhodaran was once a peaceful land, one of the most rich and diverse provinces of the South in this imaginary world. Though one day something changed, in the west lay the great city of Rhoda, and the road to the west from the eastern Valley of Rhifeld became blocked by a tremendous meteor which fell from the sky. In this valley there are many human settlements that relied on incoming trade from the west. A tremendous uproar began in the local town societies and the military began to mobilize to the location leaving everyone wondering what was happening. Then, hordes of undead began attacking the city of Rhoda, rising from their graves in the great crypts, many a dead man became animated mysteriously.  Complete chaos ensued, and refugees began migrating East to find sanctuary in the settlements of Wayfarer's Rest and Pass Wall.

So obviously this first zone, Rhifeld Valley (seen above) is heavily inspired by Arathi Highlands. I began working on this, after playing on the Nostalrius server, leveling there. I loved the atmosphere and I really felt it was an ideal art style for a medieval fantasy RPG. Those mountains behind the keep there above, is the ADT I worked on in this project first. Where it all started.. I just copied the alpha maps from Azeroth's coast line.

Rhifeld Valley is a massive expanse of land, surrounded by mountains, foot hills and adventure.

To the south lay the noble forest of Lakegyrd, a beautiful lake side forest region, home to many royal families and citizens of Rhodaran, dispersed in their manors and farm homes. Though because the military is busy containing the crisis in the north, bandit criminal activity has been on the rise. There are also mysterious elven ruins, the land is known for it's rich elven history of the past kingdom. Then as you continue south, you reach the coast line. Gotta love the Elwynn Trees.

 

And, the farther south east you go, you will reach the Low Lands. Here nature becomes treacherous, the swampy land is unexplored and veiled in dangers. Rumors of great beasts and dragons emerge from the region. Barbarians living in the swamps attack local settlements to the North frequently, leaving the guard constantly on watch. 

 

Though the western province lay shrouded in a curse. Undead plague the forest and fields and their numbers grow each day. The City of Rhoda was lost, and the players have been sent from the kingdom of the north to investigate the source of this plague and defeat any adversary in their path.

 

SO! That's my project. I've finally finished the world building and I have been working on content. I'm in a dilemma though.

No matter how much fun it is to make this project, I really value other's input. I want others to get a hand in this project. If any one would like to contribute in helping me bring this project to life, contact me! I also just need help. I'm not sure if I really want to keep working on it, I mean. It's illegal to make private servers so why am I putting in so much effort for nothing? Please give me your feedback.