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 for the brilliant testing! Let me know of any mistakes in the future, such as Daggerfall being spelled as Daggerfell and Vvardenfell as Vaardenfall as on the map I started out with. A brilliant map but some of the labels had to be redone... Which meant all of the labels because I could not match the original font. Oh, and yes, Atmora being relocated South... This is all easy to fix when you have the source files, as I do.

A word on how the map works. There are two independent things: the background image and the map markers. The images live in Data\Textures\menus\DynamicMap. The image is what I've changed, the markers however come from the mods you are using (respectively, vanilla markers come from Oblivion.esm). A marker has its coordinates in a particular cell, and the idea is that the background image provides the correct picture for that cell. So the map does not do anything at all to the markers - if they existed on your previous map, they will exist also on the new one. (I have all map markers revealed, whether I discovered them or not. Useful for testing the map. And generally a cheat. Or is it? When I buy a map in a shop, it normally has towns and villages marked on it already.)

When it comes to mods that add new lands far outside of Cyrodiil, they often do that in a separate worldspace that is not anchored in Tamriel, that is they don't have any coordinates in the Tamriel worldspace. So you don't see any of the Shivering Isles map markers in Tamriel - that would be weird. Whether or not a worldspace is anchored in Tamriel is determined by the mod you are using, not by the map.

So with TR Stirk, they have obviously anchored their worldspace in Tamriel and the map provided a drawing of an island in the right spot. So when you travel there, you can zoom into the map and see whether the shape of the island under your feet corresponds to the drawing on the map - or does it appear that you are walking on water. It is probably fine with TR Stirk, but generally this is what we need to check.

With Valenwood Islands there is a confusion - there are two versions of them... I have markers on the Valenwood Islands on my map, and I think they come from Valenwood Improved. Reading through Valenwood Island mod, the author says they are located in a separate worldspace, and I think she means that it isn't anchored in Tamriel. Which means that when you eventually travel all the way South in Valenwood, you will discover another set of Valenwood Islands... Clearly, when Martin shattered the Amulet of Kings, it wasn't just Kvatch that got duplicated... I have Valenwood Islands mod loaded, but there are no villages in sight - they should be floating in the ocean to the South, if they had been anchored in Tamriel, but they are not there.

Valenwood Improved + Elsweyr Anequina + Senchal the Sea Side City

Zoomed in Southern part

Alternative lay of the land: Elsweyr Anequina + Elsweyr Pelletine. The arrow shows the location of Valenwood Islands with this land layout, but there are no map markers on them, which means that the mod is not anchored in Tamriel.

I shall change the description on the mod page to reflect these new findings! This means you can load Valenwood Islands either with Valenwood Improved or with Elsweyr Pelletine. Since they don't show up on the general map anyway. Oh well.

There will be a map update after some time - I noticed a few things myself that need changing. But it seems to be useable as it is! Glad you like it and many thanks again for testing!!

PS. If anyone is wondering, this map is available as a mod on Nexus: Tamriel HD module for Dynamic Map.