Morrowind Cinematic Combat (WIP)

REQUIREMENTS:


- MGE 3.8.2 rev178 (not MGE-XE!): be sure to check 'Correct aspect ratio while zooming', 'Hardware shaders', initial zoom 3. I didn't try it with 3.8.0 yet.

- MCP last BETA (2.3): be sure to check the script fixes (you'll get an error without them).

CREDITS:


- http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/37977/? by Wolvman, for ideas, weapon sound effects and relative script.

- http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1513002-rel-oblivion-like-combat-tweaks-part-of-men-project/ by Logitech, for ideas, magicka regeneration formula, sneaking penalties and probably something else.

- http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12588/? by brucevayne, for the player attack soundsets.

CURRENT VERSION DOWNLOAD:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76802069/MCC%200.20.7z

This is my attempt to overhaul Morrowind combat system. The mods I've taken as base and inspiration for my project are Gratuitous Violence and MEN Combat, and Duke Patrick's combat mod for Oblivion. My goal with this project is to incorporate all of the features of those mods, expanded where I feel they need to be, adapted to my own vision of the combat system, all in a package that tries to be as well optimized as possible, to have the least impact on framerate (currently it's about 2-3 frames/s on my PC, if you find it too high you can tweak the timer duration in configuration screen).


This mod requires MGE, not MGE-XE. It's not compatible with MGE-XE, and it will not be unless its curator won't import MGE specific functions (upon which this mod is based) in MGE-XE.


I'll import shortly as many as possible of the remaining features from GV and MEN, plus add new ones (I'm open to suggestions). Probably I won't integrate Protective Guards or Pursuing Enhanced, unless I have a reason to do it (bugs/incompatibilities with those mods).


For the time being, remember this is a WIP: even if there's a configuration menu, it will be hard to balance everything without some feedback, so I heartedly hope for some, hoping you'll enjoy the mod. You can also configure the mod to behave like vanilla Morrowind (no attack timer, vanilla blocking (NOT YET) etc) but with the adjustments you like (to attack and defend bonus, fatigue and magicka regeneration rates, sprinting etc).


I've tested it on Morrowind Goty with no other esps active, so I can't be sure how it will interact with other mods. It will surely conflict with mods that alter fatigue/magicka management. There are no changes to items, creatures, global settings or areas, everything is handled in scripts. Some of vanilla sounds have been replaced (weapon sounds, hand to hand) so this could be an issue with sound mods, or mods that rely on sound detection. I could make a patch for MAO (Morrowind Acoustic Overhaul), I don't use it personally, but it should be easy to make them work together.


To start the mod, start the game, access the inventory and wait a couple of seconds, the menu will appear. To bring back the configuration screen, press Alt+M+C while in the inventory screen.


Here is a temporary list of the features (all of them are configurable). I'll be brief for now, if somebody has questions I'll answer.


- timed attacks: many combat mods solve the (for some) irritating low chance to hit by increasing the attack bonus, so that you always hit. In MCC instead I introduced a controls timer. Every time you attack, you won't be able again for a lapse of time, that depends on many factors (weapon type, attributes and weapon skills, fatigue ratio, difficulty settings etc).


- visual effects: they depend on the attack timer. If this is long (over 3 seconds) a camera shake effect will kick in, to simulate loss of balance. This can happen especially with heavy weapons if you're not skilled with them. For faster timers there is a radial blur effect, coupled with zoom.


- manual blocking: works similarly as in GV/MEN.


- sprinting: with configurable key; while sprinting you can't slide, only move forward. There are 5 sprint levels based on your athletics speed. Sprint fatigue burn can be decreased to 50% with 100 athletics.


- reworked combat bonus system: attack and defend bonuses determine your chance to hit and to be hit. I've made this system much more dynamic. Some special attacks have a higher cth, some a lower one, different conditions can affect them too.


- different kinds of attacks, expanded power attack system. If you activate the option 'feedback messages in combat' you'll be notified when these occurs, or if you maxed your power attack, etc.


- adrenaline: if your health falls under 20%, you'll receive a bonus for about 30s to your cth and controls timer (you'll be able to swing more often); after that, 15s during which you'll have a mild penalty to your attack and defend bonus, followed by 15s with very heavy penalties (worn out condition), when you'd better not having any hostile around.


- configuration menu: you open it by clicking Alt+M+C while in the inventory screen. You'll be able to configure your Morrowind experience almost from the ground up.


From GV/MEN Combat:


- charge/air attack (totally reworked)

- sneaking penalties for time of day and heavy armor

- magicka regeneration

- sound enhancements: sound replacements and randomizing for different kinds of weapon. Also 2 PC soundsets (male and female) for attack battlecries (borrowed from an Oblivion mod). Player sounds play with every attack when your skill is low and timer is high, less often when your skill increases.

Some features in more detail:


- manual blocking: you press a configurable block key and you'll enter 'active block mode' receiving a big bonus to block. This will last for a short time, that depends on your base block skill (about 0.4-1s). After this short time, 'passive blocking' follows if you keep pressed the block key, where you still receive a bonus that rapidly decreases until you're left with your base block skill. All this at the cost of a stamina drain (depends on block skill, strength, etc). If you don't have a shield, you will receive a sanctuary effect based on your block skill and weapon type, to simulate parrying. While pressing the block key you can't attack (LMB will be disabled).


- combat stances: if you're not pressing the block button, you have an offensive stance and your block skill is drained down to 0. While you attack (you are pressing the LMB) you are more vulnerable (weakness to normal weapons 50%). After you attack, in the second half of your combat timer you'll enter a phase named 'reflexive blocking': you can't attack because the LMB is disabled, but your block skill isn't 0 (there is a 50 skill penalty), so you can still block attacks reflexively if your skill is high enough.


- power attacks: different charging levels depending on your strength and weapon type, with different bonuses also depending on weapon type. Power attacks come with a cth penalty, that increases with the charging level. They also increase the attack timer (you'll need to wait more to recover after the strike).


- "snake bite" strike (performed by moving shortly in any direction and pressing briefly the LMB) that has a higher cth but gives you a strength penalty and also cuts down the timer for the next attack.


- critical strikes (with short blades only, big strength bonus, they always hit, chance depends on sneak skill), skilful strikes (always hit, light strength bonus, chance depends on weapon skill). Snake bite, critical strike and skilful strike are mutually exclusive. A snake bite can't be critical or skilful, and a critical will exclude skilful strike.


- charge: strength bonus on charge with high speed, especially while sprinting; sliding or stopping nullifies the bonus. They also cause a cth penalty, that increases with the length of the charge. The charge bonus is influenced by: charge time (ideal around 2s, if too long the strength bonus will be reduced, but the cth penalty will increase further), base speed and sprint level (based on athletics). See the table below to understand which kind of bonus you can expect at a certain value of these elements.

For each series, columns are: Time, Speed, Sprint, final Charge level

1    0    0    0        2    0    0    0        3    0    0    0

1    0    1    1        2    0    1    1        3    0    1    2

1    0    2    1        2    0    2    2        3    0    2    3

1    0    3    2        2    0    3    3        3    0    3    4

1    0    4    2        2    0    4    4        3    0    4    5

1    0    5    3        2    0    5    5        3    0    5    7

1    1    0    1        2    1    0    1        3    1    0    1

1    1    1    1        2    1    1    2        3    1    1    2

1    1    2    2        2    1    2    3        3    1    2    4

1    1    3    2        2    1    3    3        3    1    3    5

1    1    4    2        2    1    4    4        3    1    4    6

1    1    5    3        2    1    5    5        3    1    5    7

1    2    0    1        2    2    0    1        3    2    0    2

1    2    1    1        2    2    1    2        3    2    1    3

1    2    2    2        2    2    2    3        3    2    2    4

1    2    3    2        2    2    3    4        3    2    3    5

1    2    4    3        2    2    4    5        3    2    4    7

1    2    5    3        2    2    5    5        3    2    5    8

1    3    0    1        2    3    0    2        3    3    0    2

1    3    1    2        2    3    1    3        3    3    1    4

1    3    2    2        2    3    2    3        3    3    2    5

1    3    3    2        2    3    3    4        3    3    3    6

1    3    4    3        2    3    4    5        3    3    4    7

1    3    5    3        2    3    5    6        3    3    5    8

1    4    0    1        2    4    0    2        3    4    0    3

1    4    1    2        2    4    1    3        3    4    1    4

1    4    2    2        2    4    2    4        3    4    2    5

1    4    3    3        2    4    3    5        3    4    3    7

1    4    4    3        2    4    4    5        3    4    4    8

1    4    5    3        2    4    5    6        3    4    5    9

1    5    0    2        2    5    0    3        3    5    0    4

1    5    1    2        2    5    1    3        3    5    1    5

1    5    2    2        2    5    2    4        3    5    2    6

1    5    3    3        2    5    3    5        3    5    3    7

1    5    4    3        2    5    4    6        3    5    4    8

1    5    5    4        2    5    5    7        3    5    5    10

- warrior birthsign bonus: those born under the sign of the warrior will receive additional benefits: one more effective power attack/charge/air attack level, a slightly improved attack timer (-0.2s)


Planned: bows/crossbows aren't covered yet. More special attacks, with extra key. Armor penetration, different for each weapon type, and for attacks whose bonus exceeds 150 strength. Assassination from MEN Combat. Shield bash or similar attack when pressing the block key together with the attack button.