Wolf Mods, Skyrim (and more!) for Oblivion Options

[Lena Wolf]

I mentioned this in a couple of other threads already, it started as a small "let me change this tree" idea, and has now grown into a proper project of mine. So I am starting this thread to share with you what I've been doing in the hope to get feedback and ideas well before the mod is in any shape or form ready for release.

First of all, this is an add-on for TWMP Skyrim Improved which is a part of the TWMP project that very ambitiously wants to bring the entire Tamriel into Oblivion. They've got pretty much everything covered, too! And I fully intend to load it all up and see what happens, but I started with Skyrim, and that needed some tweaks... or so I thought.

To install existing TWMP mods, start with TWMP Locations and follow the dependencies mentioned in the description. Then install High Detail Dynamic Map TWMP which gives you a proper map to use with Dynamic Map. Also recommended TWMP Skyrim Guard Armours and Shields. Then go play.

If you wanted to try installing the whole of Tamriel, including Elsweyr, Valenwood, Somerset Isle and Morrowind (Morroblivion), you are not alone - it is apparently possible! People have done it! With success! I'm not there yet, but here is a post explaining in which order you need to install the mods for it to work: How to bring all of Tamriel to Oblivion.

But back to Skyrim.

There are three roads from Cyrodiil into Skyrim:
- Eastern route: North from the Temple of the Ancestor Moths.
- Central route: North from the Cloud Ruler Temple.
- Western route: somewhere North West of the Shrine of Hermaeus Mora.

It may also be worth while talking to Agata at the Mages Guild in Leyawiin. Just saying.

I was impressed with TWMP Skyrim, but I wanted it to be more similar to Skyrim The Game. I have been exploring South East so far, so that's where I started - in what was supposed to be The Rift.

But it's not The Rift if it's filled with snow-covered white pines, it's got to have birches and aspens in autumnal colours. So I did that. Added grid paths to the land too, so that the roads are now recognised by the AI as well as by the player. Then I extended Riverwood and populated it with familiar characters - just pop in to The Sleeping Giant Inn.

Next on the list is Riften. There isn't a city there, and there needs to be one - because I say so. I've got a plan, now the fun of building can begin.

Some pictures to start with, I've got more, will add them shortly. This is already in my game, so it actually works, most of the times.

Map of Southern Skyrim

Trees in The Rift

Stairs to Riften Watch

Riften Watch. In the original TWMP Skyrim Improved this is actually Riften, but I decided to build a new Riften next to it. So then this area is a perfect spot to house some guards. Well, it was a perfect spot to house some guards...

Riften Watch after the Oblivion gate is closed

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Oct 11 2021, 03:53 PM

[Lena Wolf]

Macole - thanks again for the testing!

Yes, the path grid going into the chasm is the reason why the bandits get trapped there. It appears that OOO spawns them near the camp but not exactly on the markers, so some end up in the chasm. The solution must be to move the camp further away. You don't need TWMP to test this because TWMP does not alter the landscape in this area (yet). I am adding roads to Falkreath in my mod, so here comes the change, and then I'll really really need a patch for OOO.

What about your load order though? The Chasm mod itself has correct pathing around the chasm, but you must have something else loaded after it because your path grid goes right through. With landscape and pathing, it's the last loaded mod that edits anywhere in that cell overwrites the entire cell. But again, don't fret too much - I shall be making a new patch anyway.

Another fun command is TPL. Click an actor, then issue TPL and exit console. You will briefly see a pink line from that actor to wherever he/she is going. This is the path the AI intends to take. Sometimes they are awfully crazy. Nothing you can do about that, it's just for fun. It can be useful in debugging path grids, but since NPC AI is free to ignore path grids, it isn't much of an indicator. The AI learns over time however, and I observed many times that just as you introduce new obstacles, the NPCs at first try walking into them, but then they remember most of it, and after some time their AI becomes a lot more sensible in that area. There must be a cache somewhere, something being stored in the save file, it can't be all down to luck. Of course then they go to an inn, get drunk and forget everything they've learned... *sigh*

Regarding the new location for the bandit camp - I think it definitely needs to be in a different cell, a good stretch away, so indeed either one cell North or one cell West. But didn't you have a MOO random watch tower in the West?

Missing items: some items are persistent across saves whereas others come exclusively from the mod. Typically any items that can be picked up, will not be moved by a mod - their locations are stored in the save the first time you enter the cell they are in. Because this patch relocates the items rather than respawns them, such items won't be moved (the same ID). But if indeed some items go missing because of that, the solution might be to change their IDs so that they do get respawned in the new location. Let me make another patch first, then check for those items again.

Note that this is not the same as ticking "Persistent" flag on an object placed in a cell. For example, markers and doors are always persistent, but they do get moved by the mod. Your map marker should have moved too, my only thinking is that it didn't move far enough. You don't get teleported exactly on the spot of the marker but only near it - the more reason to move the camp further away, I think it will work much better when the new reference is in a different cell.

Interesting about not being able to enter the tent. There should be no difference, it's the same tent, and it didn't have a door in the original, at least not in the version I was using. I think it will be better to start with version 1.4 so that we could eliminate this sort of inconsistency. The camp may look the same in the game, but it could well be different under the hood.

I've been doing portable camping equipment this weekend. Yes, Lena still didn't get to the Imperial City even, instead she's gone back to Skyrim to test the new mountain pass from Riverwood to the Rift... "What did I tell you?" was sitting next to me all day! But hey, we need camping equipment! Borba is raving about it!