Today's enhanced Oblivion screenshot installment shows my avatar and Vilja on Talos Bridge. The non-doctored image is okay, but nothing special.

<link> My avatar and Vilja on Talos Bridge, a nighttime second-playthrough image <link>

Here's what I told Gemini:
"Transform this torch-lit nighttime outdoor Elder Scrolls Oblivion screenshot into a photorealistic image. Do not alter the characters' attire, faces, or hairstyles; just make them photorealistic."

<link> Here's what Gemini makes of it <link>
Gemini, as usual, didn't follow my instructions to the letter, but I've no real complaints and much to praise, despite Gemini continuing to find Vilja's hairstyle incomprehensible. (To be fair, it comes closer to getting it right here than it often does.)

What confuses me has nothing to do with image enhancement but rather why Vilja is seen in civilian attire while my avatar is armored. Under every circumstance I can envision, they should both be either in civies or armored. Yes, there were situations when this wasn't true, but not with them being where they are when they are. It is almost certainly a mystery without solution.

Gemini did a nice job with the night sky.

Yes it did. Also, the play of light on the bridge floor paving stones.

Yes, Gemini did do a nice rendition on the bridge scene. I really like the paving stones. I can see what you mean about Vilja's hair. It's the color that confuses me.

Today's Gemini-enhanced Oblivion screenshot is a scenic image of my avatar, as Crusader of the Nine, poised outside an Oblivion Gate near Anvil, just prior to entry.

<link> Oblivion Gate outsde Anvil, a Gemini-enhanced second-playthrough image <link>

I always considered this as an acceptably composed image, if a bit blasé, marred by subpar graphics. Gemini does it proud. Even my avatar's attire looks quite reasonably accurate, something of a miracle considering his distance from the camera. Having a mind of its own, Gemini, knowing which game this is, adds an Oblivion Gate sign seen just outside the Gate. I asked Gemini to remove the sign but change nothing else. It removed both the sign and my avatar. That being how it is, I now surmise that the sign signifies that a Private Equity firm has acquired rights to the Oblivion Realms and now leases access to them to would-be heroes and down-on-their-luck Daedric Lords.

Nicely done. Oh we need that sign! How else on Nirn would we know what that giant flaming portal is?

OMG, a fireball in the sky! The whole scene is just so threatening.

Today's Gemini-enhanced Oblivion screenshot has significance for me in that it captures a scenic view that my decrepit avatar, in both his manifestations, was quite fond of. This view is seen while standing at a certain location just off a mod-added road that connects the Gold Road slightly west of Kvatch to the Black Road west of Chorrol. Originally stand-alone, it was eventually merged into Arthmoor's Roads of Cyrodiil, at my suggestion. Arthmoor made some changes to the road's connection locations and pathing that I am not thrilled with. This image represents a viewing location off the original stand-alone mod.

As to the image itself, we see my first-playthrough avatar, dressed in Castle Seaview armor, dismounted, holding Arrowspeed's reins, looking northwest into the foothills of the Colovian Heights. Gemini didn't do much with the distant landscape and next to nothing with the sky. Nor did it need to. The close-up landscape on which my avatar and his mount stand is nicely improved.

<link> Scenic View looking toward the Colovian Heights foothills, a Gemini-enhanced first playthrough capture <link>

Wow, it really did do a nice job with the up close flora.

I now have around 90 Gemini-enhanced TES Oblivion images to unleash upon the unsuspecting masses, minus, of course, those already posted here. Gemini and I did not get along well today. None of the four screenshot enhancements it created are port-worthy. No great loss. None of them is nostalgically important or in any way significant to their playthrough.

All this weeding of screenshots reveals something of no importance that I have long forgotten: much of my first and second Oblivion playthroughs were seen on a 19-inch 1280x1024 monitor. A ViewSonic VP-19-1b, to be exact, with a blazing fast 8ms response time. Oddly enough, both my current monitors are ViewSonics: one IPS, one TN. Strange as it may seem, the TN monitor is connected to my primary computer. Despite sporting an older screen technology, it's in every other way a better gaming monitor.

Today's Gemini-enhanced TES:Oblivion screenshot has nostalgic significance, in that it documents one facet of the day-to-day interactions between my decrepit avatar and his ward, a nostalgia that was not triggered until Gemini worked its magic. We are in Benirus Manor, Anvil, reasonably early in the morning. Vilja rests abed, with my avatar standing at bedside just prior to rousing her to begin that day's adventures, almost certainly a return to the Imperial City following a successful patrol of the Gold. It is likely that, once appropriately dressed, they broke their fast at one of Anvil's two dining establishments and then began the ride home, with a possible package delivery en route. While this is the most likely scenario, my avatar sometimes let his ward sleep late and dined by himself.

The original screenshot is decidedly lackluster. I passed it by without batting an eye, during numerous directory sweeps in search of enhancement-worthy captures, before hesitantly deciding to see what Gemini might make of it. Here is the unvarnished image:

<link> Vilja abed in Benirus Manor, a second-playthrough screenshot. <link>

Here is what I told Gemini to do:
"Transform this Elder Scrolls Oblivion indoor screenshot into a photorealistic image. Do not alter the characters' attire or faces; just render them photorealistically. Make it so that morning sunlight streams in through the window."

Here is the result:

<link> Vilja abed in Benirus Manor, a Gemini-enhanced second-playthrough image. <link>

I think it's quite the transformation! In the enhancement, Vilja is seen with her eyes open. Gemini would have closed them had I asked. I almost did so. But it came to me that, on this particular occasion, Villja might well have woken prior to my avatar's arrival and decided to laze abed, luxurating in pleasant thoughts, until summoned. You might also notice her long hair, in both the original and its enhancement. The mod is sophisticated enough to allow automatic switching between hairstyles in this circumstance. I merely needed to install a wig mod, select a long-hair wig of the appropriate color, and place the wig in a certain inventory location. Voilà!

Wonderful job with that one indeed!

Today's Gemini-enhanced Oblivion screenshot installment is a multi-image documentation of Martin Septim's journey from Weynon Priory to Cloud Ruler Temple near the beginning of the Crisis. As such, it forms the first half of what I currently call "The Martin Septim Octet."

Image 1 shows Martin, escorted by my avatar and Jauffre, departing Weynon Priory on horseback. This is one of the first, if not the first, images in which I asked Gemini to give all horses leg animations so that they are seen to be trotting (or walking) forward along the road. It does so with varying degrees of success. The horses are, of course, given reins.

<link> Martin Septim Octet, part one, image one <link >

The sky is now overcast. This is my favorite among the first three images.

<link> Martin Septem Octet, part one, image two <link>

A slight mist has arisen. We are likely not far from Bruma.

<link> Martin Septem Octet, part one, image three <link>

Approaching Cloud Ruler Temple. This enhancement turned out far better than anticipated. Indeed, I initially wrote off the original as unsalvageable. As it turns out, the only real niggle I have with the enhancement is that Martin and Jauffre's horses are seen a bit off the road. I asked Gemini to correct this. Havoc ensued. Thankfully, Gemini saves each step of an image's transformation, so no unrecoverable harm was done.

<link> Approaching Cloud Ruler Temple, a view from on high <link>

I told Gemini to "add a dusting of snow atop the structure nearest the camera." This was done with aplomb. To give Gemini its due, it might well have added the snow without my input. Then again...

Again nice set of images, Decrepit. Photo realism is perhaps debatable but if anything they do kinda look Skyrimesque to my eyes.

Yeah. I consider these four Martin Septim images as "enhanced screenshots" rather than photorealistic or artwork. Their worth is largely in what they document. Gemini's enhancements, especially with image four, simply make them easier on the eyes.

Today's Gemini-enhanced screenshot captures road combat between the gang and an ogre, in which Arrowspeed joins in the fun. I do not recall where it was captured. I suspect it might be somewhere along the Red Ring Road's northeast section, which the gang seldom traversed. Gemini does a bang-up job here, in my opinion, its only sin being to transform my avatar's sword into a mace. I could, of course, have asked Gemini to correct this, but decided it doesn't matter.

<link> "The bigger they are..." The gang battles an ogre along what is possibly Red Ring Road, a first playthrough image. <link>

Really nice shot! I like how it captured Arrowspeed in mid-rear and also like the simple display of practical tack on Neeshka's horse.

Today's Gemini-enhanced Oblivion screenshot, of my avatar and Neeshka surrounding a chest, is neither photorealistic nor artwork. It barely qualifies as an "enhanced screenshot." As such, I had no intention of showing it to the public. So matters rested for some time, until it came to me that, if I couldn't improve upon the image's visual quality, I might at least make its contents more interesting. An obvious solution was to make the chest be seen with its lid open and treasure inside; in this case the chest was to be filled with scrolls. Gemini did exactly as asked. But something more was needed. It came to me that it would be nice to have my avatar hold one of those scrolls in his right hand. Gemini instead put it in his left hand, extending that arm closer to the chest in the process. I immediately saw that Gemini had the right of it. But the torch previously held in my avatar's left hand was now seen floating in place behind that arm. I saw no easy fix for this. Then, yesterday evening, it dawned on me that I could jettison the torch and replace it with a lit lantern resting atop a wooden post seen just behind my avatar's left hand. I worried that this might be a bit complex for Gemini to handle. My distrust proved unwarranted. The result is seen below:

<link> Cavern treasure chest perusal, a first playthrough Gemini-manipulated screenshot. <link>

I'm fairly certain that this scene is quest-related and that the chest held a needed quest item.

ADDENDUM: After posting this image, I notice that AI is up to its usual tricks, in that it gave my avatar's left hand an extra finger. I will attempt to remedy this later today, once back from my exercise-walk.

Today's Gemini-enhanced TES:Oblivion screenshot sees my decrepit avatar, sans either of his companions, in an Elsweyr outdoor market. The original's visual quality is rather lackluster. Gemini transforms it into a quite striking image.

<link> My decrepit avatar in an Elsweyr outdoor market, a second-playthrough unenhanced screenshot. <link>
<link> My decrepit avatar in an Elsweyr outdoor market, a second-playthrough Gemini-enhanced image. <link>

I've no recollection of why Vilja is not seen in this image. He certainly did, on occasion, travel companionless. Then again, maybe Vilja is simply out of frame. I lean toward the former, but either is possible.

Oh, Gemini really did do a great job with that one! Loads of wonderful little touches - the ground, the NPC in the foreground and especially Hamfat's robe!

Agree with above poster; very nice details overall in this one. Although Hamfat does look a bit grumpier...

I've considered enhancing this scenic image of a sleepy Weye Village, with the Imperial City seen in the distance, numerous times since beginning my Oblivion screenshot enhancement project. My avatar and Vilja are present, if vaguely seen, mounted, emerging from the Weye Manor stable. A decent capture, but nothing overly special.

<link> Sleepy Weye Village seen during daylight, an unenhanced TES Oblivion screenshot. <link>

But something always kept me from pulling the trigger—until yesterday afternoon. It then came to me that this was an ideal image with which to attempt a proof-of-concept manipulation I'd been mulling over for some time. I then launched Gemini, dropped the screenshot into it, issued a long list of highly detailed commands, pressed ENTER, waited a surprisingly short time for Gemini to do its thing, and voila...

<link> A column of Legion Halberdiers, marching to the Siege of Kvatch, passes through Weye Village; an early-Crisis Gemini-enhanced TES Oblivion second-playthrough image. <link>

Though Gemini, as usual, didn't follow every instruction to the letter, much seen here is spot-on, and nothing is far off the mark. In other words, I'm ecstatically satisfied.

Hamfat and Vilja are nowhere to be seen. How can they be? At the time depicted here, my avatar had but recently escaped from the Imperial Prison. Quite some time will pass ere he meets her ward or gains possession of Weye Manor.

I remember Weye manor, I even have a screenshot saved from many years back when you posted it, Decrepit


What's with the golden dragon, btw? I know it come alive at the end of the crisis but this is not the time, right?

As to the "Golden Dragon," which is Martin Septim transformed into the avatar of Akatosh, you are correct; the dragon's battle with Mehrunes Dagon brings a close to the Crisis. I have a Gemini-manipulated image of that confrontation, based on one of my second-playthrough screenshots, in the can. I'm waiting for the right time to thrust it upon the unwathed masses.

Found the Weye manor pic I mentioned

Oho! That's an image I've considered for Gemini enhancement, but thus far have rejected. Happy to see that you like it enough to hang on to it, and after all these years remember that you have it.