[WIPCONCEPT] Mountainous Morrowind : III - Morrowind

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:01 am

This look incredible! Very very nice job!

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:52 am

Amazing work on this so far PirateLord. :goodjob:

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:03 pm

5 cells left to sort out, then double check all the ghost fence, then eagerly await updated barrier fence models from chainy, and it's ready for first full official release. wohoo!

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:56 am

The screens look gorgeous. :goodjob:

I have a suggestion. Instead of replacing the four original rocks you listed in all the game world, wouldn't it be better to "hand replace" the rocks only on Red Mountain and other places where you're sure you want them? This way you will be sure to avoid conflicts and problems like having pointed rocks ending up in places where they may not fit.

Edit: Also, are you sure you don't want bump map on them? I can easily add it to the pointed rocks.

» Tue May 08, 2012 7:26 am

I think from testing and screenshots, replacing those 4 rocks is the better deal. Gives a nice new feel to the environment. If it's a big deal to some people, I could do an alternative version that only uses those new models in the cells I've changed. I think it might be a bit odd though.

Tell you what, add the bump map to those 4 new meshes, and let me have a look at them in game. I'm sure I'll end up putting the bump map versions back anyway

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:50 am

I agree with _Taddeus_ for the hand replace rocks instead of your currently method ^^

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:13 am

I'm with you on this one, Piratelord. I think replacing those few rocks adds a new dimension to the island's environment. I have been playing with them installed, like I said, and I haven't found one that looks out of place, even in TR.

Btw, I contacted Darknut and he's going to try and find http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/TheDarknut/DU01.jpg for the version 2 of DNGDR he never ended up getting done with for me to use with this patch. Mite b cool

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:10 pm

I'll release it as it stands, then later look at a version which doesn't affect the rest of the world.
Apart from the fence, I believe it's all finished. Also tweaked the pylon mist/smoke effect and increased the fence light radius.

I didn't in the end make a dwemer rope bridge. I feel it would be too corny/crude to adapt an existing mesh.

» Tue May 08, 2012 9:14 am

I didn't in the end make a dwemer rope bridge. I feel it would be too corny/crude to adapt an existing mesh.

I'm actually glad to hear that. A rope bridge made of metal didn't seem entirely plausible, and it's not really consistent with dwemer design we've seen thus far. A solid metal bridge seemed more likely.

» Tue May 08, 2012 10:43 am

https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/46396473/1/MRM?h=608190

Discovered a few floating meshes when flying around the mountain, thought I got them all!

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:00 pm

I'm not sure if you got it or not, so I figure I may as well mention, the last beta version you released, the lava waterfall still left some of the seam exposed.

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:18 am

That lava fall was a royal pain. Those meshes are really akward to rotate. I did try to hide the worse parts, but no doubt there are more.

» Tue May 08, 2012 3:13 am

https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/46396473/1/MRM?h=608190

Those are amazing!

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:35 am

Those are amazing! :smile:

Second that.
I love it! Really. Keep going!
? ? ?

» Tue May 08, 2012 7:54 am

That lava fall was a royal pain. Those meshes are really akward to rotate. I did try to hide the worse parts, but no doubt there are more.

yup, right at the top:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23627856/rm1.jpg

just some tips.
the ground is extremely stretched, i mean, don't ever let scamp see this... he'd kill you.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23627856/rm2.jpg
this really needs covering up - it'll look alot better, especially with distant land
here's what i did in 2 minutes:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23627856/rm3.jpg (only did the right side)

also, the Redmountain has alot of little... lumps, which are easily spotable. you've mostly placed rocks around the sides and in small grooves in the land.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23627856/rm4.jpg
seeing as the rocks make things look mountainy i'd try to place the rocks on this small hills, like so:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23627856/rm5.jpg
no more ugly round Morrowind hills, and alot prettier distant land.

» Tue May 08, 2012 10:38 am

Those lumps are the original heightmap, just more "lumpy". Meshes are also in their original locations. I was trying to avoid adding lots of meshes outside of the ghostfence, so that the original landscape "blends" to the new mountain, didn't want to mesh overload the lower land, but I'll work around the base and chuck some more rocks in.

I have no idea who scamp is (apart from being annoying lesser daedra), but I'll see about hiding more of the stretched areas under meshes. Hmm, really need a new mesh that is pretty flat, but with some rock detail moulded onto it, to plate the stretched surfaces. I think I have some sitting somewhere that would do the job.

» Tue May 08, 2012 9:07 am

I have no idea who scamp is

Just a damn good exterior modder who does work for TR and Province: Cyrodiil.

» Tue May 08, 2012 3:58 am

Ah, I see

Anyway, found a perfect mesh, which I'm using to infill the extremely stretched areas - http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/CS_Shot_4.jpg

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:43 am

I always wanted to see what Vvardenfell would be like if Red Mountain was less of a hill, and more of a mountain.

So, using TESannwyn and learning about engine height limits, I discovered that the red mountain could be 1.6 times higher then it currently is.
Mutiplying the landscape height by 1.6 everywhere results in these images:

Bamora Before: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20A2.jpg
Balmora After: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20A.jpg
Caldera Before: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20B2.jpg
Caldera After: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20B.jpg
Looking south Before: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20D2.jpg
Looking south After: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20D.jpg

There are some problems.

1) The main one is everything is now sunk into the ground. This could be globally "fixed" by a tool that will make a patch esp to move everything up by adjusting the z co-ords. Would need to find someone with knowledge on how to write that, and the tool will need to use the same movement rules as the landscape.

2) At 1.6 times increase, it's now impossible to walk up red mountain from ghost gate. Just too steep. Would need to test different multipliers to see what is the maximum.

3) Mod conflicts. Since it's changing the entire landscape, almost every mod will conflict in some way. Again, if a tool could be written that could patch mods that would help. Although every patch file would need checking as some things will still be out of position and need fine tuning.

Instead of a flat mulitplier across the entire landscape, I'm thinking about gradually increasing the multiplier based on altitude. So sea level, no change, 50 meters up, 1.05 increase, 100 meters up, 1.10 increase, etc, etc So the lowlands will stay flat and gentle gradients, while the big bumps will be bigger, resulting in more dramatic pictures then the ones above.

What do you guys think? Worth doing? All depends on finding someone to write a tool though, otherwise it's a major job to manually move every item in game to it's new position.

Love the idea. I always wellcome increase in scale in Elder scrolls games. I wonder, Howe much larger does the landmass become with the 1.6 times hight increase?
Anyway to scale up houses/towns a bit?

» Tue May 08, 2012 11:20 am

It's only an increase in scale in height, and since the original post, only the red mountain region, and neighbouring ashland cells. Everything else is as is.

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:59 pm

Those lumps are the original heightmap, just more "lumpy". Meshes are also in their original locations. I was trying to avoid adding lots of meshes outside of the ghostfence, so that the original landscape "blends" to the new mountain, didn't want to mesh overload the lower land, but I'll work around the base and chuck some more rocks in.

I have no idea who scamp is (apart from being annoying lesser daedra), but I'll see about hiding more of the stretched areas under meshes. Hmm, really need a new mesh that is pretty flat, but with some rock detail moulded onto it, to plate the stretched surfaces. I think I have some sitting somewhere that would do the job.

mmmhmm, i'd disagree- it'd be better to make all the RM attached hills and mountains the same, although they could get small and small in size the further away from RM it is. but it wouldn't make much sense if the RM is a giant hedgehog while directly outside it's all rolling hills.

look around other peoples threads somemore

or here: http://scamp.blogspot.com/

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:19 pm

In game, it does not look particularly unatural, at least to my eyes. It actually reminds me of the Throat of the World in Skyrim, which also did not look particularly unatural.

In the real world, there are http://www.toursnicaragua.com/images/4a-Ometepe_Island-Concepcion_Volcano.jpg of Volcanic Islands that are dominated by their one mountain and are not really part of a larger range. What looked unatural to me was the way Red Mountain looked before this. :turned:

Not to say that a bit of landscaping outside of RM would hurt. It was said earlier that Ald-Ruhn seems to want to be on a plateu but it's not really as things are.

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:36 pm

Don't worry, I'll add extra meshes around outside the ghost fence, focusing mainly on the stretched areas and knobs/bumps that are begging for a detail rock, especially at the rear of the mountain, as the ghost fence actually climbs the mountain, while at the front, it's placed a cell or more away.

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:19 am

Update - Should have a release this weekend. Just awaiting those modified ghost fence pieces from Chainy.

Added in over 150 extra meshes to help hide/break up overstretched areas, or more barren areas.

Also found a screenshot from years back of red mountain, so I tried to position myself in the same place, to take a http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20008.jpg and http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46396473/MGE%20Screenshot%20080.jpg shot

» Tue May 08, 2012 1:13 am

Mother of... That looks amazing! I love how you've also increased the height of the Ghost Fence - that must look so monolithic from up close now.

Also loving the new dagger-like rock effect (whether intentional or not) of Red Mountain, especially on the far right of that screenshot. I'll bet that works really well with that spiky foyada trees mod to create the perfect hostile environment atmosphere.