[RELZ] SIlt Striders v1.0/beta : III

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:12 pm

The Elder Scrolls III MORROWIND: Silt Striders

VERSION HISTORY:

1.2
- more caravaner comments galore (big thanks to Athirena!)
- better compatibility with Vivec Expansion and Morrowind Rebirth
- re-added missing Data Files\Meshes\e\magic_hit_Levitate.nif to the archive
- fixed a bug in triptime calculation in abotSiltStriders.esp
- some code and meshes optimization
- changed fMaxHeadTrackDistance value

1.1
- added Tamriel Rebuilt silt striders
- moved some waypoints for better compatibility
- fixed scenic strider spawning in Gnisis
- removed %PCRank references in dialog
- tweaked strider meshes, added strider passenger, blinking eyes
- changed/added caravaner comments
- added health regeneration during travel

1.0/beta - first release

USAGE: abotSiltStriders.esp: Tribunal or Bloodmoon scripting engine required Tribunal and/or Bloodmoon.esm loading not required

abotSiltStridersTR.esp: Tribunal,esm, Bloodmoon.esm, TR_Data.esm, TR_Mao1.esm, TR_Map2.esm loading required

IF YOU HAVE TAMRIEL REBUILT INSTALLED, LOAD ONLY abotSiltStridersTR.esp,
ELSE LOAD abotSiltStriders.esp

INFO: I wanted to travel Morrowind on top of a real Silt Strider so strongly, and after years waiting for some similar mod to be completed, I decided to try myself.

To avoid the need of thousands of waypoints for the routes, I used geometry and positioning instead of AI, and creature collision to detect and go past minor obstacles/slopes, disabling collision only when needed.

To enjoy the scenic trips use the caravaner "- scenic travel" dialog topic.

To dismount from the strider or reach destination immediately activate the strider while riding. From the same menu you can also configure the mod.

To fully enjoy the mod as intended, you should have last MGE/MGE XE distant land, some MGE macro keys set to move the 3rd person view camera, and last MCP (Morrowind Code Patch) Vanity camera lock option checked. This will allow you to pan the camera and enjoy a more stable and much more scenic experience during silt striders trips.

Oh, and your preferred tree replacers/landscape enhancers of course!

http://youtu.be/PRUadDc1onc
http://youtu.be/PhFKhuSXTdk
http://abot.atwebpages.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/abotSiltStriders.txt

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=9122

:dance:
[EDIT]updated to version 1.2

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:46 am

Fabulous! DLing right now.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:22 pm

Excellent work! Will install tonight for sure.

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:57 am

Just installed it and gave it a quick ride from Balmora to Seyda Neen. All I can say is: Abot, you have outdone yourself. This is wonderful.

It's a bit jumpy in a few places but not enough to bother me too much and maybe you'll be able to smooth it out a little later. No matter, though, I'm keeping it.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:30 pm

Wow that is pretty neat, I don't see myself taking the trip more than once or twice but still neat.

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:00 am

http://youtu.be/PRUadDc1onc

this.
is.
epic.

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:03 am

awesome work abot

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:41 pm

Incredible job Abot

A must have!

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:31 pm

That is fantastic, Abot. I love how you have the Dunmer driver dressed with no shirt on. He looks very native to the humid swamps of Vvardenfell.

Would you be able to animate his arms so that he is moving the switches, like in the one that Fliggerty made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgUavgw5Z-Y&feature=channel_video_title? It would be great to see the driver moving the switches as the creature is moving and turning.

And it'd be cool to actually be able to access the containers and sacks and stuff that are on top of the strider and also be able to talk to the driver.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:31 pm

http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae224/mwscreen/MGEScreenshot9.png
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae224/mwscreen/MGEScreenshot15.png
http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae224/mwscreen/MGEScreenshot10-1.png

:twirl:

I want to translate it for the Germans! May I?

The texture seems to be odd... I had Masoxx one... I think it is changed...?

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:44 am

Thanks. Another great contribution to the scene of Morrowind.

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:24 am

Thanks to everybody for the nice comments.

That is fantastic, Abot. I love how you have the Dunmer driver dressed with no shirt on. He looks very native to the humid swamps of Vvardenfell.

He, I had suggestion to give him at least a shirt last time! So, he will put his shirt on when out of the swamps

Would you be able to animate his arms so that he is moving the switches, like in the one that Fliggerty made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgUavgw5Z-Y&feature=channel_video_title? It would be great to see the driver moving the switches as the creature is moving and turning.

Me? Nah, I'm not a animator, I am barely able to cut/paste in NIFskope. I think Arcimaestro Antares could easily import Phaedrus' pose I used for the caravaner and animate the arms like he did for Fliggerrty's caravaner, but animating the movement to be in sync with strider turning would be more complicated, the only complete new animations of this kind I have seen so far are by Lidicus.
Well, if someone will do the animations, I could certainly try to use them.

And it'd be cool to actually be able to access the containers and sacks and stuff that are on top of the strider and also be able to talk to the driver.

It could have been possible to talk to the strider/caravaner the usual way, but I tried a comment system depending on situation/location this time.
IAlso, it would technically be possible to access the strider inventory (not every single cosmetic cargo item, they are and will remain scenic only, scripting is too slow for moving them in sync with the strider fast enough), but would carrying things between two strider ports be really so useful?

I want to translate it for the Germans! May I?

Sure, but maybe you'd better wait for a more stable version, in case some text fix/addition would be needed.

IThe texture seems to be odd... I had Masoxx one... I think it is changed...?

The strider models should be using your existing TX_Siltstrider*.dds textures.
[EDIT]typos

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:11 am

Haha, great! :lol:

Seen that vid the other day.

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:04 am

:woot:

this places you among the others who made possible in Morrowind what was supposed to be impossible...
I must admit that, the first time I played the game, I expected to be able to travel real time on a silt strider and I was disappointed when I realised that I couldn't...
Now I finally had a few real time travels along Vvardenfell, and enjoied it very much,

I noticed how the clothes change, according to the region. A closed helmet in the ashlands, a shirt in other area.
Moreover, you may notice the helmet somewhere next the caravaner when it is not in use.

About the animation, I can animate the caravaner, but he cannot move his arm according to the turning of the strider. So, his movement can only be continous.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:25 pm

This is epic! What would you say about releasing a patch for those that use All Silt Strider Ports?

Anyways, DLing now!

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:29 am

I've been waiting so long to see one of these mods released, great to have; thank you abot and AntaresThe abruptness is rather immersion breaking. But I understand the mechanics which go behind what you did here and therefore the difficulty to get rid of that. Awesome work!

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:55 pm

Absolutely brilliant! I've been riding around Vvardenfell and am now full of glee!! I think I will be choosing the scenic route each time. Thank you so much for this wonderful mod. :trophy:

I experimented with the various options and put the speed down to 30, which is the minimum I believe. This was plenty fast enough but was a smoother ride, particularly over mountains. At one point, we passed another silt strider going in the opposite direction (!!) and each time I arrived at a destination I rushed to see the silt strider setting off again (is this the "silt striders go away" option?)

Am I the only one who was tempted to try hunting? I called up loads of throwing darts but it's pretty much impossible. On my final leg from Gnisis to Seyda Neen at the lowest speed, I spotted a netch and that turned out to be too big not to miss. I got the message "you have killed a breeding netch"!! :lol:

(When I'm rich and head of a Great House I'm going to charter one of these silt striders to take me hunting across the Grazelands!)

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:02 am

I just gave it a try and I'm in love. Actually travelling in realtime, I never thought it would be possible. Great job!

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:31 am

Absolutely fantastic work, Abot! You truly are a master modder! Thank you for making the impossible possible. Another mod I'll never play without.

KF

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:55 pm

This must have taken an enormous amount of work! Well done.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:20 pm

Congratulations on achieving the dream - why walk when you can ride indeed - looking forward to trying it out in game

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:19 am

Holy crap I can hardly believe what im seeing. Fantastic work abot.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:34 pm

This amazing! Any chance of a TR version in the future?

» Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:21 am

This is really, really cool. Thanks for another great mod.

» Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:20 pm

About the animation, I can animate the caravaner, but he cannot move his arm according to the turning of the strider. So, his movement can only be continuous.

Yes, I thought it was like this looking at Flig's video. I don't know, I like the arms animation, but it feels a little repetitive after a while. But I have other ideas that would need your help, :hubbahubba: expect a PM soon!

This is epic! What would you say about releasing a patch for those that use All Silt Strider Ports?

Nah, it would be very difficult to cover everything without landscape/trees replacers conflicts, and I need curing from waypoint placing intoxication for a while, but you can dismount from the strider along the road, so in practice west coast and Caldera are covered already.

I've been waiting so long to see one of these mods released, great to have; thank you abot and AntaresThe abruptness is rather immersion breaking. But I understand the mechanics which go behind what you did here and therefore the difficulty to get rid of that. Awesome work!

Yes, the best way to ride at the moment (at least in rocky areas) is using 3rd person view with MGE camera movement commands (I usually assign them to the arrow keys), with MGE XE you can even have 2 distinct 3rd person view settings, one with TAB touch , one with longer TAB press.

I experimented with the various options and put the speed down to 30, which is the minimum I believe. This was plenty fast enough but was a smoother ride, particularly over mountains.

Ok, I will try lowering min speed a little in next update. At present, you can try lowering it clicking the strider and typing in the game console for instance
set ab01ssSpeed to 20

At one point, we passed another silt strider going in the opposite direction (!!)

This is the "scenic silt striders spawning" option

and each time I arrived at a destination I rushed to see the silt strider setting off again (is this the "silt striders go away" option?)

Yes, when the option is active, the strider will go back, this is quite scenic and actual fun if you manage to follow the strider. Did you try taking the next strider back to where you came after a few moments?

Am I the only one who was tempted to try hunting? I called up loads of throwing darts but it's pretty much impossible. On my final leg from Gnisis to Seyda Neen at the lowest speed, I spotted a netch and that turned out to be too big not to miss. I got the message "you have killed a breeding netch"!! :lol:

Maybe with a lowered minimimum speed this will be easier (but, probably you'd better jump down from the strider near Gnaar Mok and take the breeding netch quest before!). Also, if you turn the "disable hostiles while travelling" option off, you will probably be hunted by some cliffracer on the Maar Gan-Khuul/Gnisis-Seyda Neen route, it should be possible to kill them even with a spear.

(When I'm rich and head of a Great House I'm going to charter one of these silt striders to take me hunting across the Grazelands!)

He, sorry, no strider routes there. A personal mountable strider someday? Never say never, but it would probably better be a different mod.

This amazing! Any chance of a TR version in the future?

This is something I'd like to do sooner or later... but making/testing routes is very time consuming so don't expect it in a short time.
[EDIT]typos