» Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:49 am "This is a translation of Bananasplit's awesome Better Cities mod, which aims at making all the cities in the game more beautiful.
All credit goes to Bananasplit for the creation of his mod, I merely translated some names and the new Guide to Skingrad."
SATU
As you know we took over the job started by Satu with Skingrad and Bravil. The following cities from Bananasplit's Better Cities were also translated:
- Imperial City Market
- Chorrol
- Anvil
- Leyawiin
Then we added Reckless' Better City Cheydinhal, Wolfslady's Better City Bruma & Better Arboretum, SilentResident's ImpeREAL, jf2ln Anvil Bay and Bravil Dock and finally OnWard Softworks (aka TheXanadu & TheLastVoice) 's Leyawiin Port.
All these files are in the same pack in http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16513.
Expect new Patches/Fixes/Enhancements every Now and Then
Find the http://www.scharesoft.de/joomla/forum/showthread.php?t=18464.
Find the http://tesall.ru/files/oblivion/betcities/.
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Technical Features:
Unique range of formID for each City/district:
Allow the merging of the esp while using TES4Gecko to never change any formID and thus banishing forever the need of clean saves between different version (started on version 4.3.0). This step was needed because of the Modularity of the mod. [Tool used: TES4Edit]
Modularity:
Each city and each IC District is offered in two ways: as a separate ESP on its own, or as part of two merged Full ESPs. This allows users to pick and choose which cities/Districts to use, so if they don't like one they can choose not to use it, or if a city or District conflicts with another mod they use, they can choose not to use it. Yet if you do want to use all cities, there's a single ESP for all, and if you want all IC Districts, there's a single ESP for all, which helps reduce the number of active ESPs in your load order if you do want every city and every District. We expand this concept into the City Defences ESPs - separate ESPs for each city, or a single Full ESP for all of them. And then again with the FPS patch ESPs as well! [Tool used: Brains!!!]
Unique worldspace in the Imperial City:
Allow to have a separate Map for the Imperial City and also to banish any conflict with any mod dealing with the Imperial Isle (Unique Landscape Imperial Isle and others) as the districts do not share their landscape edition with the Imperial Isle anymore. The drawback is that the Better Imperial City needs to be loaded last (or so) in your load order to ensure that no mod is resetting the IC to its initial worldspace. You also can't fast travel outside the city (Speed is Limited!) but you need to get out of the IC to be able to fast travel to other places outside the IC. [Tool used: TES4Edit]
Way of dealing with Doors:
We replace the doors by BC version of the same doors when we have to move them from their vanilla position. The vanilla doors are disabled and made non persistent so that their state wont be kept in your saved game and if you remove Better Cities, the vanilla doors will automatically be back at their right place without any issue. [Tool used: Brains!!!]
Customization:
Nearly each city/district has its own customization based on the users preferences on gore, FPS issue and compatibility with other mods. The customization comes in 2 different way: In Game Menu for those who use OBSE (which is recommended also to use Streamline and lower the FPS hit of Better Cities) and Manual where the user needs to enter some console commands to achieve the customization desired. [Tool used: OBSE and Brains]
BAIN & Scripted Installation:
The installation which comes in 3 archives (Mains files with the esp/esm, Main resources with the bsa archives and Update to the Resources if and when needed) is all scripted to facilitate an omod installation with Oblivion Mod Manager. In the same way, the archives are packaged to allow an easy BAIN Installation when Using Wrye Bash. [Tool Used: OBMM and Wrye Bash]
Cleaned ESP:
All our plugins are cleaned with TES4Edit to limit the conflicts with Oblivion Vanilla and Other mods. Of course this doesn't mean that others mods wont conflict with Better Cities but just that we took extreme precautions to limit those conflict as much as we could. Before reporting any conflict, make sure that Better Cities is loaded after the mod you think is conflicting. [Tool used: TES4Edit]
PiFFYed Meshes:
All our meshes are PyFFIed and further stripped of useless data to ensure an optimum performance in game. [Tool used: PyFFI]
BSA Archives:
All the main resources are then packaged into BSA archives (when this is possible) to allow an easy install/uninstall. The BSA are separated into different categories for customization purposes (B&M or vanilla Bravil textures for instance) and translation purposes (English Names on Textures and English Dialogs which can be replaced by their translated version for any other language). [OBMM BSA Creator]
An ESM (A Master):
Early on we found that some new resources were being used by more than one city. Without an ESM, this means duplication of base objects in each ESP - not very tidy! So we adopted a single ESM to contain base records for all cities and Districts to reference as needed. Dialogue also goes into the ESM, as some of our dialogue is voiced, but voice files are stored in the Data folder based upon the ESM or ESP they are used by - since BC is modular, this gets messy as the same dialogue used by Better Cities - Chorrol.esp is needed by Better Cities Full.esp. So to avoid duplication of MP3s, the dialogue was moved into the ESM, allowing the MP3s to be stored once for use by the ESM only. Also (!) we store ALL interiors in the ESM instead of in each city or District ESP which makes creation of AI packages simpler as they can safely reference interiors from multiple cities or Districts. At the same time, this allows for the possibility of other ESPs to use the BC interiors without needing to be dependent on the BC ESPs. This means more to modders than mod users of course! [Tools used: TES4Edit and Brains!!!]
Built-in compatibility with other popular mods:
(Where possible)
Better Cities is specially tweaked in some locations to enable compatibility with other conflicting mods, without the need for patches. Examples include Bravil for Lost Spires, Bruma for Heart of the Dead, and the Arboretum for Let the People Drink. Lost Spires moved the city walls and raised some land up beside the Chapel to place a new building. Better Cities also moves the city walls to match Lost Spires, and raises the land height, so that Lost Spires' new building fits in perfectly. Yet this area is NOT left empty if you don't use Lost Spires. Without Lost Spires, you'll find a burnt out house ruin on the same spot, so you won't realize the area is reserved for Lost Spires. We do this for other mods as well! [Tool used: Brains!!!]
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Requirements
Official Oblivion Patched with http://static.gamesas.com/Oblivion/Oblivion_v1.2.0416English.exe (or whichever version you need for your language.
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Video Preview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Iu5Mu22sQ by mrcrusty. Thanks!!!
You can also http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14584 to get a better quality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ajw0xdSCOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdz3nwPw7S8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSz3WoNrYTw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh4wwpDXVjM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8DQkT2TPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zBpGMyIEnw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41ryK572TkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMarn0-gblQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FlqGNQbsIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGGmbXUbwIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzCHYT1tR7E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNlqwF41bX4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNORqG7V-I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrFgnwf7ems
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Compatibility Patches & Fixes
Textures mods: No textures is altered by these mods so any mod changing the textures is compatible.
Unofficial Oblivion Patch: Install this mod before Better Cities and also load it before Better Cities. Better Cities contains meshes enhanced for the cities and that you will need to have everything working correctly. This is why you must overwrite the meshes from UOP with those of BBC.
Already Compatible
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11495 OK (Arrival at Leyawiin Harbour possible by Robert Evrae. This requires OBSE v14+)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19039 OK (created compatible by RGM)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12016: OK (special version of Bravil)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9858: OK (source Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12249 (aka MMM, OOO, Fran & Warcry): OK (source Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7825: OK (source Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9724: OK (source Lyre)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13692: OK (version 1.3+)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15617: OK (source Greenwarden & IceMan80)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14829: OK (source SheerShaw)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7902: OK (source Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11249: OK (source Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6895 OK (Compatible esp created by Geniel)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17201 OK (Compatible esp created by Lametrie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14425: OK (source Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17644 OK (created compatible via quest by AlexKnight1978)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16316 OK (created compatible by Ervvyn with OBSE v0014a+ detection)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6846: OK (source Bluepie)
http://www.lostspires.com: OK
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9655: OK (source Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19628 OK (by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13303: OK integrated in Better Cities IC Market and Temple Districts.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19589: OK Integrated in Better Cities.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10256: OK Integrated in Better Cities IC.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14957: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Market District.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3868: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Talos Plaza.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3771: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Palace.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4620: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Temple District.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4650: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Temple District.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4651: OK Integrated into Better Cities IC Temple District.
http://kvatch.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=887: OK (Source BBC Team)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22226: OK (Source Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6779: OK (Source Vorians)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11999: OK (Source Vorians)
http://theelderscrolls.info/?go=dlfile&fileid=349: OK (BG2408)
Minor Issues
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=oblivionmods.detail&id=991: OK except for few floating signs (source Whitestrake)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14853: OK need to disable a wine barrel with the console (source Vorians)
Incompatible
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3849: NO with Cheydinhal only (source TUPPSY & wmj)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14442: NO but Better Cities have their own City Defenses now.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11333: NO with IC Market only (source 2Cold Scorpio-RGc1)
http://www.leiawen.net/ceedee/BabSite/html/addons.html: NO with IC Market only (source wmj)
Artifacts of the Ancestors with Blood & Mud and thus with Blood & Mud Editions of Better Cities.
Users Fixes and Patches
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4954: OK (Fix by StarLion) http://rapidshare.com/files/77526935/IWR-Windows.esp.html.
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11027: OK (fix by Trader01) http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14490.
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=oblivionmods.detail&id=4513 http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17454: OK (Patch by Roxas116)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18203 OK (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19263)
Patches & Fixes included in the Extras
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14601: OK (BBC must be loaded after VHB to ensure highest compatibility) (Patch by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3172: OK (Fix by Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11778 OK (fix by Vorians)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14939 OK (patch by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13692: OK (fix by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19228 OK (patch by Vorians)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10223 OK since version 2.4
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9450: OK (source Vorians and Blupie fixes)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19058 OK (made compatible by Ismelda)
http://www.stephanewuttunee.net/tnr_tie.html: OK (by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3027: OK (Patch by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7155: OK (Fix by Ismelda)
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=581: OK (fix by Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11598: OK (Patch by BluePie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7663: OK (fix by Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8714: OK (Patch by Bluepie)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9357: OK (by Ismelda)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11189: OK (Patch by Vorians - get all Vorians http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13834).
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5156: OK (Patch by Vorians) Load Better Cities after Thievery in the Imperial City and the patch after Better Cities.
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FPS Tips:
Use http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=795779
You can alter your Oblivion.ini file (After a Backup) to change these settings (http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=794126&st=129#)
fLODFadeOutActorMultCity: Default value is 1. Change it to lower the distance you see NPCs in the city. Suggestion 0.4 - 0.8
fLODFadeOutItemMultCity: Default value is 1. Change it to lower the distance you see items in the city. Suggestion 0.4 - 0.8
fLODFadeOutObjectMultCity: Default value is 1. Change it to lower the distance you see objects in the city. Suggestion 0.4 - 0.8
(I use it at 0.8 for the 3 of them).
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Possible Issues
You might encounter some items that are really out of place when you update your Better Cities.
I don't have any explanantion on why this happens but the only way to fix it is:
- Uncheck the Better Cities plugins (cities, fixes, patchs at additions).
- Save your game.
- Re-enable the better cities plugins and load the game.
All should be back to normal. As Better Cities are not a quest mod, you will loose nothing.
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Bug Reports
Read the http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=449239 pinned in this forum.
- Try to make Beta Comments (Tracking Down Problems With Specific Mods in the Oblivion Mods FAQ)
- Post a picture of the issue if possible (we spent more time modding than actually playing. We test the stuff we just created but we are humans and still can't miss things).
- When taking a screenshot, open your console and type in
- SDT 33 (then enter)
- TDT (then enter and close the console)
This will bring to the screen coordinates, cell name and so on which helps to locate where you are and where your bug was found.
Open the console and type TDT again to remove all the info from your screen.
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Projects of Interest about Cities:
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=796509
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=817511
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Alternative Mods:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19589 by SilentResident
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Free Doors and Used Free Doors:
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_ICMarketWestMap.jpg
Door 3 is reserved for the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19058.
Door 4 is reserved for the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3172.
Door 5 has an interior included in the ICMarket.
Door 6 is reserved for http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8714.
Doors 1 & 2 are free.
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_ICMarketEastMap.jpg
Door 10 is reserved for the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14957.
Door 11 is reserved for the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7155.
Door 13 is reserved for the http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13692.
Door 14 is reserved for the http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13303.
Doors 7, 8, 9 & 15 are free.
http://bettercities.free.fr/2009/02/BBCMarketUpperLevelMap.jpg
Doors 16 & 19 are free.
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_AnvilMap.jpg - http://bettercities.free.fr/Maps/BC_Anvil_Map.jpg
Door 5 has an interior included in Anvil.
Doors 1, 2, 3 & 4 are free.
http://bettercities.free.fr/Maps/BC_Bravil_B&M_Map.jpg
No Free Doors
http://bettercities.free.fr/2008/11/FD_BravilNorth.jpg
No Free Doors
http://bettercities.free.fr/2008/11/FD_BravilSouth.jpg
No Free Doors
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_LeyawiinMap.jpg
Door 4 is reserved for http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8520
No Free Doors
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_LeyawiinDockMap.jpg
Doors 6 & 9 have interiors included in Leyawiin.
Doors 7 & 8 are free.
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_BrumaMap.jpg
No Free Doors
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_CheydinhalNorthMap.jpg
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_CheydinhalSouthMap.jpg
No Free Doors.
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_ChorrolMap.jpg
No Free Doors
Door 3 is reserved for http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7925 and http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8699
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_SkingradNorthMap.jpg
Door 4 is reserved for http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14601
Door 1 is reserved for http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8520
Doors 3, 5, 6, 11 & 12 have an interior included in Skingrad.
Door 2 is free.
http://ismeldalasombra.free.fr/2008/Oblivion/01/FD_SkingradSouthMap.jpg
No Free Doors.
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Injected Records
Bananasplit's Better Cities Team will use a range of Injected ID into Oblivion.ESM which is from
0000FB00 to 0000FBFF
It is a range of 256 records which are free in Oblivion.ESM that we will use for toggle items to ensure compatibility with other mods without having to make patches or dependent files.
Please do not use any ID from this range in your own mods.
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For Translators:
My psd files of the shop signs are http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LCL06VKL
