[Dale Johnson]

Elsweyr, the Deserts of Anequina

Download at TES Nexus
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25023

Previous forum thread:-- http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1061217

From Leyawiin to Bravil a broad range of mountains divides the verdant valleys of the Niben valley from dry plateau of central Elsweyr. Step across the border and explore a new desert land!

This mod transforms the unused across-the-border Elsweyr region into a brand new playable area with a variety of distinct landscapes, settlements, monster spawns, and NPCs. The ring of hills keep the deserts self-contained, invisible from the green of Cyrodiil.

The mod has its roots in TES lore. Anequina is the name of the northern region of Elsweyr province, and its cities Corinthe, Riverhold, Orcrest, Dune all appear on TES maps of the land. The minor place names are also taken from the TES Arena map.
You can read more about the province on the TES wiki :-- http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Tamriel:Elsweyr

Reference, Tamriel worldspace vanilla cells edited by mod (but not including new cells added to the missing quad)--
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/3836/anequinagridmapelsweyr.jpg

================
[WIP] TOWN OF DUNE, REVAMPED ORCREST & OTHER ITEMS BY MR SIIKA
================

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cup8PORiSNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHAZnIOfHkk

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z133/mr_siika/Elsweyr/duneRunner.jpg

================
LATEST RELEASE NOVEMBER
================

* The November add-on pack includes an expansion of the town of Orcrest, some new creatures and a revamp of the alchemical ingredients.
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3999/anqorcrestalleys2.jpg
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1645/anqorcrestalleys1.jpg
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/883/anqorcrestwitch.jpg

* The September add-on pack includes a few new quests, a coral reef, and the main keeps of two Imperial forts.
* Silent mp3 files to slow down the dialogue.

===============
VIDEO PREVIEW
===============

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F9vkRE6Qac

===============
RELATED PROJECTS
===============

Elsweyr's Kingdom of Rimmen, a town founded by Akaviri refugees near the Cyrodiil border
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1062821

===============
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
===============

A special thanks to the modders who have created all of the wonderful resources I've used in the making of this mod :

ARCHITECTURE
DarknessEternal (Desert Architecture), TheKarithian (Desert Architecture), IronicEcho (Tents), SevenRavens (Tribal Hut), Siegfried (Obelisks)

LANDSCAPE & FLORA
Addiktive (Desert Textures), Koniption (Trees, Plants, Ingredients), Texian (Water Rapids & Coastal Waves), Siegfried (Palmetto Trees), DeathlessAphrodite (Cacti & Baobab trees), DarkRider (Sandstorms), Mr Siika (Seagulls & Vultures), Arthmoor (WaterLOD), Sachiel (Rock Formations)

RACES
AlienSlof (Khajiit retextures "Cathay & Suthay"), Luchaire ("Ohmes"), Veld (Khajiit "Tojay"), Corthian (Tsaesci)

ARMOR
Trollf (Desert Chain, Leather, Mithril Pit, Chain, Elven & Daedric Armors, Daedric Collar & Skirt), Ghogiel (Bonemold Armor), Koniption (Maomer Armor), Frank (Tribal Shields), Frankpants (Lamellar Armor), Uglulyx (Retexs of Lamellar & Pit Armor, and Hide Cuirasses), Ayhan (Ottoman & Archer Helms), AlienSlof's Orc (Tribal Fur Armor), Exanimis (Elephant Shield), Corthian (Scale armor)

WEAPONS
Trollf (Peasants' Weapons), Exanimis (Tribal Weapons), Waalx (Khajiit blades), Hel Borne (Broad Spear, Trident), Koniption (Meat Cleaver)

CLOTHES
Trolff (Misc Robes & Clothing), KrimsynKane & Kikaimegami (Scarves), Waalx (Fat clothes), Pale Rider (Straw Hat)

CLUTTER
Koniption (Ingredients, Canoes,Nets, & Misc Clutter), Hel Borne (Orc Skulls), Senten (Road/Shop Signs & Tree fix), Lazarus (Tall baskets), Meo3000 (Moon globes, Open books), McMuffin (Skooma Pipe), Der Kriger (Mounted Heads), DavidWhitefang (Foods), Phaedra (Vomit, Urine), Khugan (Gold & Silver Bars), LiquidGraph (Magic Lamp), Trolff (Portable lamps & candles), MrMuh & RPG-BlackDragon (Havoked crates, barrels, sacks) Mr Siika (Animal skull), Chigga (Brazier), DominickCryomonde (Khajiit Skulls)

CREATURES
InsanitySorrow (Brown Troll), Cryonaut (Red Wolf), Mr Siika, Divine Avenger & Yarharhar (Elephants, Elephant Mount), Mr Siika, Corepc & Jdfan (Durzogs) Francesco (Goats, Cats), Cyronaut, Malo, Elveon & AlienSlof (Spiders), AlienSlof (Tiger), Skingrad24 (Zebra), Corepc (Red & Black Boars, Fat Bellied Minotaurs), Cryonaut, Xmarksthespot & Grimdeath (Pahmer & Crocodilion), Argentsol (Skavens "Desert Goblins"), DeathlessAphrodite (Red Sand Crabs), Sharks & Fish (Sjors Boomschors, Toru Miyazawa), Hel Borne (Orc Zombies), b3w4r3 (White Deer), Prometheus & Xilver (Lizard, Glyptodon, Ape, Sandcrawler), CGChaos & Infiniti (Sea Lamia, Spore Cat, Marine Abominations)

LOADSCREENS
DavidWolf, Watadarkstar (Custom loadscreens)

BODY ADJUSTMENTS
DaemonDarque & Sen-Chan (Roberts Male Body Adjustments)

And a special thanks to Mr Siika, PacificMorrowind, Arthmoor, Wakadarkstar, Siegfried, Uglulyx, Senten, Rentner and Worm82075 who have helped me out with things in the mod. And also RichardRocket, Zuperbuu and others for Beta testing.

[Janine Rose]

@Iliana
You should definitely put them in oasis areas, it would make the areas so much more interesting and stand out.
I finished up the golden orc armor sorry for the wait:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PB7RXYP8
Still looking for a modeler for my other clothing project.
BTW Iliana would you like me to make a changelog video for the upcoming update? Would be an informational video showing and talking about all the changes to Elsweyr.
Edited this 3 times: Were can I find the Rimmen team I have a panda bear that I created, that they might want to use for the surrounding landscape of Rimmen.
Edited AGAIN: Iliana do you need an arena poster for the Orcrest arena?
-watadarkstar

A new video would be very nice when the next version is all ready.
Thanks for the extra armor. Do you have a screenshot of it?
There is a separate thread for Rimmen, so you could check out that. Its usually in the top few pages on the forum, and there is a link in my OP.
I'm not sure about an Arena poster, since I haven't thought at all about turning it into a working Arena. The poster would depend on the type of fights of course, so that would have to come after all that is decided.

[Robert Garcia]

Will there be a January release of new updates?

[Miguel]

Well, I've been testing it out. I cant figure it out I only get random CTD in this area of Tamriel. I've literally been testing it for hours. I can and have rode via Horseback from Open Cities Leyawiin rebuilt by horseback all the way to open cities Anvil Green road to Gold Road. Then from Anvil via Gold road over to Chorrol via Black Road then over to Bruma via the Orange Road down to Cheydenhal via blue road back down past the imperial city all the way back to Leyawiin via the yellow road through Leyawiin and complete the circuit again. I'm serious, I did that all day yesterday and not once did it CTD from 8 in the morning real time to midnight last night that lap just would not CTD.

But if I incorporate Elsweyr into the circuit. IE Leave Leyawiin out the south west gate, up the hill to the beautiful vistas of Elsweyr down into the valley heading toward Orc rest. Then through Orc Rest over the large sand dune behind Orc Rest as soon as the cell change occurs where that little Kings Rest place is? CTD. I don't remember the name sorry. It's a square building with open area in the middle couple of elephants and a dinning area on one side. So, yea, it happens there occasionally.

Anyway, I've looked around the CS in that area, {besides the spiders which don't give me any issues now, thanks guys!} there are spawns for other critters that have odd nifs. Like um the durzog which CS likes to complain about. Something about not having animation links for a dog. And the funny little sand crab thingy it seems to have issues because it used to be a mud crab. Or the Silver Minitor which doesn't have a lot of stuff actually and I can only see its horns and nose ring. I don't know? I give up on trying to figure it out, and I know Arthmoor is going to thump my head and like Dennis Nedry from Jurassic Park go "unh-unh-uh, those Nif's don't cause crashes, I've used/seen them like a bajillion times in game" But its literally the only thing that is loaded in that area.

I've only got landscape mods installed. No creature mods, nothing to add strange and complex scripting or anything of that nature. Its maddening really and honestly more then a little frustrating. I love this area in the game yet it doesn't love me.
I stood on a peak on the rim of the valley over looking the whole of Elsweyr facing the west and just watched the sunset turn red slowly fading into the night time fog on the other rim. It was incredible? yet I know in the back of my mind that if I walk down in there, if I try and explore that area, I'll get eat'n not by a leopard but by a CTD eventually. It WILL happen.

I don't expect a fix; guess this is more of a report of my findings, a shot in the dark to close out my posts in these threads? It's obviously just me or someone else would have mentioned it? guess that's the saddest part.

Anywho? All I can say is this is a wonderful mod! an insane amount of creativity and work for one person, so much so it blows my mind. But still, if I go through CS with the preview window open and scroll through all the ANQ creatures and if CS goes UHHH nope then my game would probably go, UH.. CTD. I don't know? Man that saddle chafes ? lol

{edit}
Is there a way to force a Sand Storm... Like fw (some hex #) just following a hunch.

{edit2}
Never mind, managed to go there during a sand storm didnt CTD. I cant get it to do it consistantly. In fact it hasnt dont it at all today. I dont know what random series of events could cause it. eh, what ever, I'll just live with it, price ya got to pay some times huh. Move along nothing to see here

[Jennifer Rose]

Or the Silver Minitor which doesn't have a lot of stuff actually and I can only see its horns and nose ring. I don't know? I give up on trying to figure it out, and I know Arthmoor is going to thump my head and like Dennis Nedry from Jurassic Park go "unh-unh-uh, those Nif's don't cause crashes, I've used/seen them like a bajillion times in game" But its literally the only thing that is loaded in that area.

Well, they don't crash for me

Sounds like more mipmap issues need to be investigated. You aren't by chance playing on medium or low detail are you?

[Robert Jackson]

Well, they don't crash for me

Sounds like more mipmap issues need to be investigated. You aren't by chance playing on medium or low detail are you?

:) yea thats what I said, they dont crash for you lol

As far as settings, no I'm running this baby full bore. I'm sitting on a Core2Duo E8400 2GB ddr2 800 couple rapters in a striped raid and Dual 8800GTX's SLI on a 24inch monitor. Nope its pretty much maxed out 1920x1200 with solid fps the whole way. Could be the SLI bitting me in the butt wouldnt be the first time. But why just with this mod. I dont know, some times Oblivion just does what it wants to. Beats me. It actually hasnt crashed for me today. And the only thing thats changed is its not yesterday... thats really all. So, I'm continuing on with my move to add my other mods and continue CTD testing, if its isolated to just Elswyre then so be it. I'll just take that risk. Its if the CTD's start migrating to the other parts of Tamriel that I'm tooth and nail trying to prevent. I wont have another wednesday occure like last wednesday. Lost a character I've been working with for over 1 year. Nope I'm determined this time :toughninja:

[Wane Peters]

@arcwolf: check also your Texture Size setting - see it is on Large. Other sizes may cause trouble with custom textures and I believe the bugger defaults on Medium whenever you change something in the hardware... I run this mod just fine, also in full settings and haven't had a single CTD so far...

[clelia vega]

Is there a map available that matches the default map?

[darnell waddington]

@arcwolf: check also your Texture Size setting - see it is on Large. Other sizes may cause trouble with custom textures and I believe the bugger defaults on Medium whenever you change something in the hardware... I run this mod just fine, also in full settings and haven't had a single CTD so far...

Nope, thats set for Large. Like I said, I maxed it out. Really when I installed it I just went in there and set everything to the highest settings accept the buggy interior shadows and self shadows. Its all maxed. Thanks for the idea though.

Is there a map available that matches the default map?

Check this one out http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26329

I use it, the stirk one might be buggy on some resolutions but the others seem fine.

[Lucky Boy]

http://www.4shared.com/file/194472990/75355d20/AnequinaCreatureTextureFixes.html

Went through the creatures folder and fixed all the texture files I found there that were missing mipmaps or in the wrong compression format.

[Reanan-Marie Olsen]

Here's a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whczJswEER4 of some of the new things for Elsweyr; the furnace of Rimmen can be seen as well.

[Add Me]

http://www.4shared.com/file/194472990/75355d20/AnequinaCreatureTextureFixes.html

Went through the creatures folder and fixed all the texture files I found there that were missing mipmaps or in the wrong compression format.

Awesome, I'll be checking that out... 11,988 KB?! gasp choak ... ohhh, I got the dialup blues :mellow:

Think I might need to borrow some wifi for a second... Time to bust out my cantenna... heh

{edit}

So far so good, thanks a bunch Arthmoor.

{edit2}

For what its worth, this is the first time I've seen a Black Durzog in Elsweyr.

[Amanda Leis]

http://www.4shared.com/file/194472990/75355d20/AnequinaCreatureTextureFixes.html

Went through the creatures folder and fixed all the texture files I found there that were missing mipmaps or in the wrong compression format.

Hey Arthmoor!

I might have found a discrepancy with your directory structure. When checking out the new texture fix I notice that one path is /textures/creatures/clanfear. My Oblivion folder, however, has /textures/creatures/clannfear. Either clanfear or clannfear is incorrect (I assume the fix), or yours is for a different creature than the original?

-Decrepit

[Angela]

Absolutely brilliant work,

I recently downloaded this and I was amazed. Truly good work.

[Nicole Coucopoulos]

There's a few things that I have which need fixing.

This seat needs to be invisible. Its a sit point to be placed on top of other seats--
Meshes/Anequina/Furniture/SitPoint.nif

The textures for this oven need normal maps--
Meshes/Anequina/Furniture/AdobeOven.nif
Textures/Anequina/Furniture/AdobeWall.dds
Textures/Anequina/Furniture/DirtAlpha.dds

These menu icons appear pixelated in medium texture settings--
Textures/Menus/Icons/Anequina/TradeBarGoldIcon.dds
Textures/Menus/Icons/Anequina/TradeBarGoldIcon.dds

The desert troll needs a normal map. There are two files--
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LPB4D3J0
Using the vanilla troll's normal file turns the creatures black.

Here's a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whczJswEER4 of some of the new things for Elsweyr; the furnace of Rimmen can be seen as well.

Its looking very nice. I still haven't had time to incorporate everything though.

There are two texture files I'm missing--

One of the textures needed for the Noria--
textures/landscape/anequina/pavedstones01_trans.dds

And this one (I do have a file but its blank white)--
Textures/Anequina/Architecture/Dune/Palace/lod/palacelod02.dds

http://www.4shared.com/file/194472990/75355d20/AnequinaCreatureTextureFixes.html
Went through the creatures folder and fixed all the texture files I found there that were missing mipmaps or in the wrong compression format.

I probably shouldn't include the ones that share file addresses with MMM. A few of the creatures I included over a year ago don't have unique file names.

I'm curious, what was the issue with the existing files? I've never had reports of any problems with those creatures.

[Jonathan Montero]

Check this one out http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26329

I use it, the stirk one might be buggy on some resolutions but the others seem fine.

Thanks, but was hoping for a non-coloured one.

[Catherine Harte]

I probably shouldn't include the ones that share file addresses with MMM. A few of the creatures I included over a year ago don't have unique file names.

I'm curious, what was the issue with the existing files? I've never had reports of any problems with those creatures.

I don't know which files are which since I don't use MMM

Most of the files had missing mipmaps, especially on normal maps. That can cause creatures and such to turn invisible when they shouldn't be. Or cause the CS to crash when you try to look at the creature.

The rest were files that were saved in the wrong format. Files using DXT3 or DXT5 when they had no alpha channel. It causes unnecessary VRAM usage but otherwise won't be an issue.

Also took a look, all of the UL desert files in Textures\landscape\Anequina have the same issue. Wrong compression format on the color files, lack of mipmaps on the normal map files. With terrain textures a lack of mipmaps on either the color files or the normal maps can lead to the "rainbow scramble" effect.

There's a whole lot of texture files, and I see plenty on a quick look through that could use fixing up. I don't know if it would amount to a significant savings on VRAM, but every bit helps, and if it's enough it can improve performance on low-mid range machines.

[Cesar Gomez]

Here's a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whczJswEER4 of some of the new things for Elsweyr; the furnace of Rimmen can be seen as well.

Rimmen: wow, nice and exotic!!

Orcrest: wow, primitive and brutal!

Conclusion: You rock ^^

[Floor Punch]

Rimmen: wow, nice and exotic!!

Orcrest: wow, primitive and brutal!

Conclusion: You rock ^^

I`ll second that :nod:

[Andres Lechuga]

EDIT: Nevermind, I'm blind.

[Everardo Montano]

Will there be a January release of new updates?

Yes, I should be able to upload this month's update in a day or two.

Well, I've been testing it out. I cant figure it out I only get random CTD in this area of Tamriel.

I can't tell you much about ctds because my graphics card is dying so my game crashes constantly because of that.
Those cs animation messages for the creatures are meaningless. It just means a creature base which uses two meshes is only using one and some of the animations can't be used. Creatures like this are used throughout mods like the ULs and MMM also without a problem.
You won't actually find any silver minotaurs in the mod. Its just a form I created in the CS but never used.

Thanks, but was hoping for a non-coloured one.

No one ever made a vanilla style map for Elsweyr. You could just do without, since you still have all the mapmarkers everywhere to identify locations.

I don't know which files are which since I don't use MMM
Most of the files had missing mipmaps, especially on normal maps. That can cause creatures and such to turn invisible when they shouldn't be. Or cause the CS to crash when you try to look at the creature.
The rest were files that were saved in the wrong format. Files using DXT3 or DXT5 when they had no alpha channel. It causes unnecessary VRAM usage but otherwise won't be an issue.
Also took a look, all of the UL desert files in Textures\landscape\Anequina have the same issue. Wrong compression format on the color files, lack of mipmaps on the normal map files. With terrain textures a lack of mipmaps on either the color files or the normal maps can lead to the "rainbow scramble" effect.
There's a whole lot of texture files, and I see plenty on a quick look through that could use fixing up. I don't know if it would amount to a significant savings on VRAM, but every bit helps, and if it's enough it can improve performance on low-mid range machines.

I know the durzogs are the MMM files and a couple of others. I think most of my creatures have unique file names now, but there's still a few leftovers from way back.

Yes, I know that rainbow scramble effect. I used to have that problem with the sandstorm sky.
The only thing that is still giving me that effect is the menu icon for the silver and gold trade bars. It seems to be a common problem for menu icons, I've seen that happen in lots of other mods I've played.

[maddison]

...
Those cs animation messages for the creatures are meaningless. It just means a creature base which uses two meshes is only using one and some of the animations can't be used. Creatures like this are used throughout mods like the ULs and MMM also without a problem....

Question fo Mr. Siika:

I'm interested, is there any reason that you haven't separated the meshes in two parts (body and head, like vanilla)? Wouldn't it be just a matter of cutting off the heads or would there be some problems?

[cheryl wright]

I can't tell you much about ctds because my graphics card is dying so my game crashes constantly because of that.
Those cs animation messages for the creatures are meaningless. It just means a creature base which uses two meshes is only using one and some of the animations can't be used. Creatures like this are used throughout mods like the ULs and MMM also without a problem.
You won't actually find any silver minotaurs in the mod. Its just a form I created in the CS but never used.

Yep, I've had graphics cards die on me before too. Actually melted one once, turned the center of the chip to white ash. Stunk! wew, heh, good times. Not this time though Graphics cards are a'ok, fans working good, heatsink hasnt fallen off, temps normal.

By the way Elsweyr hasnt crashed on me once since Arthmoor has been fussing with the textures. So I dont know maybe my graphics cards are picky when it comes to textures. If it aint just right they just wont have it and throw a fit but who knows.

I look forward to the update!

[Nina Mccormick]

Here's a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whczJswEER4 of some of the new things for Elsweyr; the furnace of Rimmen can be seen as well.

OoooOOohhh! Mmmhmmm. Nice work as always. I like the smoke from the chimney, reminds me of the good old Morrowind days. Nice choice of music too! :goodjob:

[Terry]

Question fo Mr. Siika:

I'm interested, is there any reason that you haven't separated the meshes in two parts (body and head, like vanilla)? Wouldn't it be just a matter of cutting off the heads or would there be some problems?

No, it would not be a problem. But it would not make any sense (at least for me). The reason why the head mesh is seperated from the body mesh (in some vanilla creatures) is that the head mesh is animated (look at the wolf, for example).
I can't do that. That's why I don't cut the mesh in two.