The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
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Name: Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling
Version: 1.0
Date: 01/23/2010
Category: Immersion
Requirements: Oblivion Patch 1.2.0.214, Shivering Isles
Author(s): Durham1984, CathyM, Metallicow, Storm Raven
Source: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=29481
Forums: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index


CONTENTS:
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1. Credits
2. Description
3. Mod Installation Directions
4. Installing the plug-in
5. Uninstalling the plug-in
6. Upgrading/Switching versions
7. Incompatibility/Known Issues or Bugs
8. Details
9. History
10. Legal Stuff/Disclaimer
11. Tools Used
12. Version History/Changelog
13. Want to contribute? Submit an Epitaph?

1. Credits
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Before starting with the in-depth information about the mod, I will start with the credits.
The people listed have greatly contributed for this mod and it is because of their contributions that the mod stands out from the rest and really comes alive!

Thanks very much everybody.

TOMBSTONE EPITAPHS by Durham1984

A Big Thanks to http://www.silgrad.com/oblivion/rangen/index.html

A Special thanks to the some People
Who Thought Up some of the epitaphs.
They are credited as follows:

Alani, AlienSlof, AMERICA MAN, AndyPrime, Argomirr, BahamutsWrath666, Bben46, Blade Of Mercy, Buddah, CathyM, Cheesemcbutter, Cordwainer, Cremdogz, Dans4s, Durham1984, elraccoon, Exanimis, ghastley, gorzil, HeX_0ff, Ihateregisteringeverywhere, Jexsam, LHammonds, MadCat221, Metallicow, MichaeL, Myrmaad, nachtefuchs, Nosisab, Omegacy, Piers Arkan, richardrocket009, shadowblood.3288, SickleYield, Socksftw, Ssenkrad, SumDude, TongKhan, Tonyv123, Triforce1, wiley586, wiseman303, Xanolderson, xDarkAngel89x, zprospero

***Note***
If we forgot someone from the original mod we apologize.
Please post in one of our release threads or drop a line and we will be sure to include you.

This is all about the community. (We Will add more as they come in.)

CathyM, Metallicow, & Storm Raven

THE STORM RAVEN LIBRARY TEAM MEMBERS
================================================================================
CathyM
Metallicow
Storm Raven

With Special Thanks to:
THE STORM RAVEN LIBRARY STAFF
For Their Technical Assistance
Ben
Buddah
Wanderer

Thanks to all of you, for supporting this mod.
Thanks to Bethesda for creating Oblivion.
Thanks to TESNexus.com for the a one-stop-shop resource for authors and players.
Thanks to The Storm Raven Library.
Thanks to God for creating us all.

2. Description
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Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling 1.0
This mod seeks to bring more detail and life into the game by adding unique epitaphs to each of the tombstones found in Oblivion.


3. Mod Installation Directions
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In the interest of making "Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling" playable by users of many configurations.
We have designed several versions of the mod. In total, upon release, there will be four entirely complete versions.

So the first decision you need to make is which file to install.

If you are using Oblivion Mod Manager (OBMM), then you should download the .omod file. This is the recommended method due to its versatility and ease. The .omod file contains all four versions and provides a scripted installation with comparison pictures and descriptions. If you mouse over the .esp in your load order it will display which version you have installed.

If you do not use OBMM, then you will need to read through the following descriptions and choose which .esp file to use from the archive.

All of the .esps are named Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling.esp, so that future versions will be compatable/safe to upgrade/switch while playing/not playing with other mods as well.

The 4 different versions described below will appear in BLUE. The .esp names will appear in RED.

The four versions are as follows:
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1. Original - Script Version (default)

Choose this version if you are not using any sort of interface mod (i.e. you are using the vanilla user interface). This version is the same as durham1984's original mod where the player must activate the tombstones with the space bar to read the epitaphs. When the tombstones are activated, the epitaphs are displayed in a messagebox. Unfortunately, some of the longer epitaphs (a few) will not display completely/correctly.

2. Original - Name Version
You can choose this version if you are using DarNified UI (or a variant thereof).

This version allows the player to just mouse over a tombstone, and instead of it saying "Tombstone", it will read the epitaph for that stone. This version is different because it does not use scripts to display the epitaphs in the standard messagebox. This allows the longer epitaphs to display correctly. It also saves you the time it takes to activate the stone and then press the 'Done' button. Users of this version should NOT get into the habit of not activating a stone, as there are plans for quests/events triggered by scripts in the future, which if the player chooses not to activate the stone, pretty much you're missing out on all the the upcoming extra goodies. Shhhhhhhh

................................................................................
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-Bananasplit's Better Cities Compatible Versions-
NOTE: All versions can be loaded before Better Imperial City.esp without crashing now,but the preferred load order for the BBC versions is after Better Imperial City.esp, but is not required. These two versions rely on Better Imperial City.esp and moves the affected IC districts into the Tamriel2 worldspace, so it will not screw up the special BBC IC maps that everyone loves so much.
................................................................................
...........................

3. Bananasplit's Better Cities (BBC) Compatible - Script Version
Choose this version if you use BBC but are not using any sort of interface mod. This version requires Better Cities Resources.esm. It is the same as Version 1, except that anything conflicting with objects in BBC have been moved so that everything looks nice and accessible. You can choose this version if you use BBC and you are using DarNified UI (or a variant thereof).

4. Bananasplit's Better Cities (BBC) Compatible - Name Version
You can choose this version if you use BBC and you are using DarNified UI (or a variant thereof). This version requires Better Cities Resources.esm. It is the same as Version 2, except that anything conflicting with objects in BBC have been moved so that everything looks nice and accessible.

4. Installing the plug-in
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Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling 1.0
1. Simply drop the attached .esp file(s) into your Oblivion\Data Folder.
2. Start Oblivion Launcher, click 'Data Files', place a checkmark beside the .esp file.
3. Run the game.

OR

1. Drop the OMOD into your Oblivion/obmm/mods folder and activate in OBMM.
Easy scripted installation of the version you want!


5. Uninstalling the plug-in
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Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling 1.0
Simply Delete the Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling.esp file in your Oblivion\Data folder

OR

Simply Delete the Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling 1.0 OMOD in you Oblivion/obmm/mods folder. Like a PRO:)


6. Upgrading/Switch Versions while not Playing
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Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling 1.0
Manual- Simply Replace your Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling.esp with the correct version if there are changes in your game relating to BBC or UI Mods.

OR

Unactivate and reactivate OMOD and install the correct version if there are changes in your game relating to BBC or UI Mods.

If using BAIN, Uncheck one version esp and check the appropriate version esp if there are changes in your game relating to BBC or UI Mods. Then anneal.


7. Incompatibility/Known Issues or Bugs
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No Known Incompatibility issues at this time. If you find any please let us know.
Still have not been able to get all obelisks in the game to be readable
Piers Arkans Stone does not display the full Epitaph only the last section only in the script versions
(Sorry Piers! Get DarNified UI and check out the name versions!)

8. Details
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The short description pretty much says it all so far.
However many of the epitaphs were written by the most excellent community members right here at tesnexus.com, and from teseyecandy.com and it really eased the whole process greatly.

***OTHER NOTES***
Durham1984 originally deleted alot of the vanilla tombstones which was the cause of crashes if loaded before Better Imperial City.esp, because of the nature of their mod. That problem is now fixed, thank the Nine(&TES4EDIT). Also the short stone walls in 1/6 of green emporer way and some rocks/etc have been re-added and initially disabled in the all versions for extra room for user submitted epitaphs/etc and compatability. I would like to ask players when they first install this mod to put it in the very first and very last load order and if either crashes the game upon startup, PLEASE send us your load order, so we can help correct/figure out the rest of the problem stones.

Also there is a stone in the mod The Dungeons of Ivellon that is supposedly used as a clue.
If you know of any other mods that change/add stones as clues or whatever, please let us know and we might make a optional esp/patch.

This mod requires Shivering Isles resources for two stones currently in IC green emporer way.
They were changed because they have Shivering Isles related epitaphs. If you do not have Shivering Isles, you can choose to change ACUSTOMTombstone006 & 189 back to a vanilla ICTombstone mesh in the construction set and this will cure the problem of the "WTF. I'm A Missing Mesh!" popping up where those two stones are located.
Sheogorath Says: Shame on you for not buying DLCShiveringIsles.


9. History
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Sometimes there is a story behind the story that is almost as interesting as the story itself. Such is the case in the history of this mod. Durham1984 showed up at the front door of The Storm Raven Library and introduced himself, never mentioning the mod he was working on at the time: "Tombstone Epitaphs". As with everyone who takes the time to introduce themselves, we welcomed him warmly. It was some time before we realized that he was the creator of this mod. When this information came out, he was immediately invited to join the ranks of the Master Scholars.

Master Scholars at The Storm Raven Library, are individuals dedicated not only to the pursuit of modding, but to the pursuit of creating tutorials for others who might follow in their footsteps. We have reserved a special area for them where they work together, sharing information and experience, and providing for each other the kind of feedback that only a member of your peer group can provide. The Storm Raven Library also provides space for another group of individuals who have shown a capacity to help others understand the technical aspects of computers, and to help them resolve issues related to gaming software. Together they create a formidable group of knowledge, experience and support for those who enter The Storm Raven Library in search of answers.

Durham1984 released the first version of his mod "Tombstone Epitaphs" in April of 2009. He had many plans for the future of this mod, including cemetery caretakers, the cemetery records of each cemetery in Cyrodill and many other plans for later versions. He discussed many of these ideas and future plans in the forums of the Master Scholars. Life is often stranger than fiction, with many unexpected twists and turns. For personal reasons, he was forced to abandon his plans for this mod. Before he left the community of Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls, he sent me a personal PM asking me to help anyone willing to follow in his footsteps.

He left similar pleas at the end of at least two topics on The Nexus related to his mod. I carefully watched these topics to see if anyone would show an interest, and finally asked the question directly, if anyone else had received a PM from him before his unexpected departure. It became quite apparent at that time, that no one had. There was one individual, however, who was interested in pursuing the mod. So I invited him to join The Storm Raven Library, because Durham1984 had left behind a considerable body of information related to his mod in the Master Scholar forums.

I was pleasantly surprised when Metallicow came through the doors of The Storm Raven Library and introduced himself and his interest in pursuing Durham1984's mod. There are requirements for attainment of the rank of Master Scholar, so before he was allowed to join their company we needed to ascertain his abilities. In the meantime, a team of staff and Master Scholars looked the mod over very carefully. It was checked quite thoroughly for unintentional references, also known as dirty fingerprints, as well as for its compatibility with other mods available at the time. Ben, who is a global moderator on The Nexus, and my partner in The Storm Raven Library, and The Wanderer a Master Scholar carefully checked and cleared the mod for further development.

It was at this time that Metallicow was given permission to access Durham1984's records and files in the Master Scholar forums. He was also given the version of the mod itself cleared by The Storm Raven Library. Metallicow, took it upon himself to meet one of the requirements for becoming a Master Scholar and created a very good tutorial on the making of personalized book jackets for Oblivion. So he was now given the rank of Master Scholar and went to work on "Tombstone Epitaphs." Metallicow has turned out to be a man of many talents. In fact we are still in the process of occasionally being surprised by his knowledge of modding. He has worked very hard with other members of The Storm Raven Library to complete his work on this mod.

Metallicow now has many plans for the future of this mod, and is now asking the community for help in seeing these things through. It is our hope that by bringing this Work in Progress to your attention, many of you will take an interest in helping him. Please do not count yourself out as a potential member of this team because you feel you lack certain skills or abilities. There are many jobs that must be done in order to complete a mod like this that require absolutely no knowledge of the construction set.

Storm Raven


10. Licensing/Legal
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You may NOT alter or re-release any part of this mod without the written consent of the team members.
Thank You

11. Tools Used
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http://www.fraps.com/
http://www.7-zip.org/
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23680
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11536
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8665
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16704
http://www.logitech.com/


12. Version History / Changelog
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Version 1.0
[RELz] This version starts off where Durham1984's original 2.5 version stopped.
Making it compatible with BBC, adding multiple versions, new stones and user submitted epitaphs.
Not to mention a heck of a lot of renaming, organizing, editing, cleaning, and playtesting.

Version 1.1 [Not Yet Released]
[WIPz] Stay Tuned! Submit an epitaph @ one of our release threads to be included in the upcoming versions!

13. Want to contribute? Submit an Epitaph? / Contact Info
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http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=178327

or

http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index
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END

Tombstome headstones with description of who is buried there cool..

You will find some that you know there, slof's will make your roll with laughter. She wrote it herself.

We would like to thank you all on behalf of:

The Storm Raven Library,

For downloading this file, and adding your comments.

The Storm Raven Team - Durham1984 & CathyM & Metallicow & Storm Raven

B)

So this includes all tombstones, including in small settlements?

After a loooong time, it's finally here. Updated.

So guess what that means folks.....

WE NEED MORE EPITAPHS

Please stick with lore-friendly epitaphs, but here are a few examples to start off.

Ex.1 Lore friendly
"Thy soul shall find itself alone
'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tombstone;
Not one, of all the crowd, to pry
Into thine hour of secrecy." - Someone?

Ex.2 Questionable
"The cake is a lie!" - Portal joke

Ex.3 Not likely
Mooo LOL 3e378342

Metallicow

Downloading now... this is great!
The Green Emperor Way is actually interesting now that I have loads of tombstones to read.

Thank you very much to the team and thanks buddah for sharing it!

:goodjob:

I guess It should be noted that I did the actual modding updates and created the three extra versions and OMOD script, etc.

So if there is a technical question hopefully someone else can answer it, but if not I will get to it eventually :read: .

We are also seeking help with Ideas, Quests, whatever. Spill your guts people.
Another arena combatant died today...Mwahahaha

EDIT: and the date in the read-me should be the 23rd, Buddah.

Metallicow

This is awesome, it's finally here.
I'll go and think up some taglines over breakfast.
Are poetry quotes allowed?

If I may provide one: Etana - "Life was sweet and death was brief, unnatached and void of grief".
Anyhow, downloaded and tried it ingame. The epitaths on Green Emperor way worked fine (and I like being able to read them without entering a menu) and read well, but then I travelled to Cheydinhal to check and see if they worked in an open city and they did not seem changed. Tried Bravil (regular, not B&M), also an open city, and the gravestones nearby the chapel were vanilla. Might I humbly request a compatibility patch or version for Open Cities?
A wonderful mod idea by the way. Little things like reading a tombstone make a world of difference in the ambience of the game. :thumbsup:

If using a famous quote, usually we don't but they aren't too hard to rephrase.
But feel free to post them, just don't forget who said it, after all this is Oblivion: Fantasy Game, Not Fallout 3: sort of real life plot.


Added+ Etana

I knew this was coming, Open Cities. I have yet to "really use them myself" Haven't looked at it at all. If anyone has a bit of knowledge about them, I might be interested in helping someone make an esp/patch, but will not do it myself(I vowed).
I have plenty of other projects at the moment, but would be willing to help anyone wanting to make a version. It shouldn't be too hard, I would think, but then again, there is about a thousand ways this mod could go...

I do have a .ESU Gecko patch for Better Cities Anvil/AnvilFull, but am going to have to talk to them about that first. Also people will want Better Open Cities compatible versions.
HA. Do I look like I have a lot of spare time LOL... Encouragements welcome. I have Ideas for more content, which means converting everything myself will be a stepping stone for the rest of my ideas.

If anyone would like to help out, contact either the library or PM me.

This sounds very cool. The next time I have time to set up Oblivion it will definitely be in the list!

Although after reading the history I have to ask... is Durham1984 okay? It wouldn't be the first time we've lost a modder to tragic ends.

Cute idea. I look forward to dropping off an epitaph at some future point when you're adding them.

Great to see this mod is finally here If I ever have time to actually play again, it'll be in my LO.



A small note. I'd recommend strongly against this. Most people consider it to be a portal joke. It's not. Its connotations are far older and from a very unpleasant side of the internet. It was in poor taste when portal used it, and that remains the case. I'm not going to link to the etymology. If you want to know, then google/wikipedia is your friend.

I'm curious if Limericks are allowed. I recently found out I like making them.
In the off chance that they are allowed...

There once was a Khajiit from Elsweyr,
Who seemed to be going nowhere,
Then with a flick of the wrist,
They gave him quite a twist,
And now he lies right here.
Ma' Jovassa

I just searched it up, and by god thats horrible. Why couldn't Valve thought of something else?

I have added a link to the suggestion thread at the Nexus, to the OP.

Here it is for those who are interested:


http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=178327

Let us hear from you ! ! ! !

"I told you I wasn't feeling well..."

I believe so. We have also included the tombstones in Underpall. There are also tombstones, involved in the vanilla Quest's that we have left alone.

@ artfact, Despite what Metallicow has said, about the use of poetry, we have actually been quite successful in creating original quote's and epitaphs based off of some rather well known ones. A good example of that, is the way we rewrote an original version of the famous quote above the grave of the unknown soldier, for L. Hammonds. If the poetry is written by the individual who submits the epitaph, then of course there will be no copyright issues to worry about. We cannot however use copyrighted material.

@ Bodevanlot, Etana - "Life was sweet and death was brief, unnatached and void of grief." We will make sure to include your epitaph in the next version.

@ MagicNakor, Durham1984, is alive and well. It's just that circumstances of his life, no longer allow him to mod. He did drop by The Storm Raven Library, last fall and did send me a PM thanking us for continuing on with his work. My understanding from him was that things were going well in his life. He originally sent me a PM at The Storm Raven Library,asking for my help to keep his mod alive. He had achieved the rank of Master Scholar, at the library, and had laid out many of his plans and ideas, in several topics in an area reserved for the use of Master Scholars.

Just in case anyone's wondering, I do have written permissions from him to me asking for my help, and thanking me for continuing this work forward. Many individuals have worked very hard, to see Durham1984's dream continue, many of them members of The Storm Raven Library staff. However only those who put extraordinary work into the final project are mentioned as members of "The Storm Raven Library Team."

The truth is in addition to CathyM, Metallicow, and myself (Storm Raven), at least a half dozen other people have had input into this mod. All of that input has occurred, at The Storm Raven Library, so from my perspective no single individual has been more important to the project, than the combined effort of all. A team after all is a group of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal.

@ YX33A, I do not see any reason why limericks cannot be used as epitaphs. Therefore we will be adding the following epitaph for the character, "Ma' Jovassa.":
There once was a Khajiit from Elsweyr,
Who seemed to be going nowhere,
Then with a flick of the wrist,
They gave him quite a twist,
And now he lies right here.

@ Urge, you threw me there for a minute, I couldn't remember you telling me you were sick. And then I realized it was an epithet.

I will be continuing on a regular basis to update the epitaphs suggested in this topic, in case the authors would like to make any changes.

Thank you,

Storm Raven

The Storm Raven Library

Aha! Found the topic! Got the mod off of TESN, thought I should stop by the release thread with my support. I will be trying it out tonight. Epitaphs are one of the things that I checked for the first time I saw a tombstone and boy was I sorely disappointed that there weren't any. Thanks to all who contributed to this project, I'm sure I will like it. One of my characters is smiling in the back of my mind right now too. It will make his regular walks through the graveyards much more interesting. If I ever think of an epitaph to add, I'll be sure to post it.

Marking mortal privation, when firmly in place.
An enduring summation, inscribed in your face.
What am I?

I am the ruler of shovels.

Closed per op request.