32 replies to this topic

[DaMage]

Due to the amount of feedback I'm getting in the comments for my mod, Im setting up this thread here.

The Oblivion Centaur Project
Alpha v0.1: Download - Video


Authors:
Da Mage
Koniption
PacificMorrowind

With Credit to:
Amorilia – Bug fixing Blender animation exporters
Andrew Maneri - Oblivion Mount Project Animation Warper (OMPAW)
TheTalkieToaster – Varied NPC Skeletons
Reneer – Teaching me how to add dummy bones
Drake the Dragon – Animation help
scruggsywuggsy the ferret – Creating an OBSE function for me

Bug Testers:
YX33A
nottlong
zaldir
Ysne58
Lanceor
Meo

What is The Oblivion Centaur Project:
Main Aim:
The aim of this mod is to make a playable centaur race and NPC centaurs.

Side objectives:

• Possibly creating some special centaur armours/clothing

I want help!:

• I am looking for anyone with good texturing skills to help 'merge' the horse and torso together smoothly. I have tried and failed every time.
• I need modellers to edit the horse bodies to fit those of body mods. I don't use any body mods so I only work from the vanilla models.
• Animations! To be fair, I'm not an animator, so I'm looking for anyone who can make animations to help make some of the custom attacks.

If you can help with any of these, post in the thread here or drop a PM.

History of the Mod: (Long and properly not very interesting):

Spoiler

I started this mod a long time ago, in fact I think way back in May 2008 I had my first attempt. It didn't get very far, and I never announced my intentions at the time, but it was when I started this. I call that version 1, and no, I don't want to talk about it.

It took nearly another year and a half before I finally had the knowledge to attempt it again, and so started version 2, I admit know, even then I hardly knew what I was doing, but I did make progress and eventually announced my work on the 21st September 2009. This version did not stay around long, it looked horrible and soon after showing it off and receiving feedback, I went back to basics and version 3 started.

This is where it all started coming together, I was still learning the oblivion animation system, but soon had help. I asked a lot of questions in the CS forums, and slowly learnt animations, however it wasn't until two other modders, PacificMorrowind and Koniption, joined me that I was able to make a start. On 1st October 2009, PacificMorrowind started writing some very useful PYFFI scripts for mass editing animations, scripts that I still use to this day, these eventually allowed me to join animations very quickly (human and horse) and saved the mod from ending due to the tedious work at that point. A few weeks later on the 18th, Koniption joined with me after answering a few of my animation questions in the CS forum, she has been very important to actually getting my buggy animations and skeleton to a functioning state. The mod stalled at times, but progress was made, I had found there were a heap of limitations but couldn't find a way around them, so excepted it and moved on.

On the 19th February 2010, after a break from them mod for a while, I took a look at some information Koniption had run across that I had previously ignored. There were two bits that stuck out that were pretty mind blowing, the fact that by changing the skeleton path of an NPC you could change their animation set, and that there were gamesettings that allowed you to change the player's skeleton. Soon after this TheTalkieToaster updated his information on adding scaler and transformation dummy bones to skeletons, and version 4 was born.

This mod really has been a community effort, as I blundered my way through it learning from people that actually knew about what I was trying to do.

The Alpha Release
Requires OBSE 20+

So now we have this first release alpha version of the Centaur project. This is not a complete version, it may be clunky to play with, and the install instructions to use it as playable are rather annoying. Now to what this version is about:

Features:

• Alpha Player Race. It is not perfect and you might find it rather clunky to use, but it does work.
• Majority of important animations have been completed
• Sneak mode isnt finished.
• First Person view uses Third Person animations, therefore it isnt perfect yet.
• Short guide on how to use as a resource.
• Only one colour centaur (chestnut)
• Centaurs can equip Boots/Greaves. They simply arent displayed, but you still get the effects.
• Centaurs have a "Humaniod Form" spell that allows them to take human form for 60 seconds.

What I don't want to hear about (they are on my to-fix list):

• The arms shouldn't moves when walking/running
• The strafe looks silly

Bugs & Glitches:

• Animations are still a bit clunky.
• Sneak mode isnt finished.
• Centaurs may fall apart on death. IF this happens, contact me! I need more info on this bug.
• First Person view uses Third Person animations
• There may be seams if used by a body replacer mod

This version is also intended to be used as a modders resource, however you must follow some rules when using it. You cannot merge the esm your mod, and you cannot include the centaur files within your mod's download. This has been done because this is far from the finaly version, and I dont want outdated versions floating around in other mods.


Pictures:
Promotional Image

Videos:
Alpha Preview

Downloads:
TES Alliance- This is the only place I am uploading to, while this is unfinished I don't want to upload to multiple places as it makes it harder for me to update it then.


Add-Ons
Hopefully as this becomes more popular, other modders will work on add-ons for features I dont have to the time or skill to do. If I know about these other mods, I will list them here.

Centaur Enemies
Author:
Johnn123
Details:
Adds Centaurs to the leveled lists for you to fight. There are four variations, chest nut, black, white and bay. They are leveled according to vanilla bandits and spawn alongside them.
Download:
TES Alliance
TES Nexus

[DaMage]

Some of the long feeback so far, including my responses:

I'm playing through the game with a playable centaur (and I've made it grullo rather than chestnut, thanks to NifSkope ), and I love playing as a centaur. It's so freaking awesome. But I'd like to point out a few things in case they haven't been brought to your attention:

- There are a few spelling errors at the chargen screen - competent being one of them
- While playing a centaur character, if you buy a horse, then leave the building, the game will CTD every time.
- Mounting horses is possible, but you basically stand on top of it, and there is massive clipping if you do this. Perhaps disabling the mounts while playing a centaur would be an idea. I haven't yet tested this when using the humanoid form spell.
- There is no swimming animation - you can run or walk underwater. While hilarious, this looks weird.
- Like most custom race mods, the mod is incompatible with several eye mods, and I can't find a way to fix this by playing around with the meshes in the data file.
- The first person animations are of; when running or if you have a weapon drawn, you can see part of your torso and your neck.
- With this mod enabled, there is no floor in the testinghall. The added Example Centaur will continuously fall through the floor.
- The footstep sounds are those of feet or boots and not hooves. Though this may not be fixable without changing everyone's footstep sounds or a lot of tweaking.
- With something equipped in the tail slot (I think; I've got to double check that), the entire horse body disappears.

I appreciate this is still very much under development, but I thought I should point these things out. I shall continue testing it (and inevitably try to break the game ) later on, and may be back with more feedback. An excellent mod I can't wait for the horse armour.

Thanks for the feedback!

- There are a few spelling errors at the chargen screen - competent being one of them

Didnt notice them, I'll run a spell check on it.

- While playing a centaur character, if you buy a horse, then leave the building, the game will CTD every time.

I dont think that my mod would ahve caused that, in the alpha I specifically avioded touching any of the horse mechanics until the scripts were finished and debugged.

- Mounting horses is possible, but you basically stand on top of it, and there is massive clipping if you do this. Perhaps disabling the mounts while playing a centaur would be an idea. I haven't yet tested this when using the humanoid form spell.

Already in the next update

- There is no swimming animation - you can run or walk underwater. While hilarious, this looks weird.

Its on the to-do list.

- Like most custom race mods, the mod is incompatible with several eye mods, and I can't find a way to fix this by playing around with the meshes in the data file.

Not something I can do, its a bug with every custom race, a patch mod would have to be made to add the, in, and even it would get incompataible after an update because of how the CS and esps work.


- The first person animations are of; when running or if you have a weapon drawn, you can see part of your torso and your neck.

I havent made first person animations yet. And they arent on the list for a while. Just something you'll have to get used to.

- With this mod enabled, there is no floor in the testinghall. The added Example Centaur will continuously fall through the floor.

Fixed in the next update.

- The footstep sounds are those of feet or boots and not hooves. Though this may not be fixable without changing everyone's footstep sounds or a lot of tweaking.

Fixed in the next update.

- With something equipped in the tail slot (I think; I've got to double check that), the entire horse body disappears.

Fixed in the next update. Or rather, tail items wont be able to be equipped.

if you cast your humanoid form spell while already IN humanoid form, the game will CTD.

On a related note, the spell lasts for 120 seconds, and not 60 seconds as shown by the above description.

I love this mod! I think its great, but just a few things you need to know: One my centaur does fall apart on death and I have to load about 2 to 3 saves back to fix the problem because if I load the most current save, I'll still be apart. However if I load 2 to 3 saves back and then reload to the most current, everything is fine. Two, I've also noticed when my centaur collapses from exaustion (I use Realistic Fatigue), he will also fall apart when he hits the ground but about a second later he'll be put back together and everything is fine (plays normally). I'm thinking it has to do something with the falling animation or ground collision. Third, which I'm trying to figure out, sometimes in combat, my centaur will lock up in 3rd person view but in 1st person has a moving animation but is not at all moving. Currently the only way to fix this is load a recent save. This happens in bigger battles (more than 2 enemies) more often than 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 battles. It might be another mod, but I'm still looking at. Lovely mod though! I've started a new game to fully test out the mod though. Thanks for making this though and I can't wait to see this blossom!

Hello. I am very happy that this has now been released, but I have something that I hope could be implemented. The horses in the game will rotate on the X and Y axes on hills so that they are always level with the ground, but centaurs won't do this. They always have the same X and Y axis rotations; going up hills their rear legs will be in midair, and going down hills the rear legs will be inside the ground. I don't know if there is a way to fix this problem, but could you do this?

Also, you said to give more information on the falling apart bug. My character will fall apart in third person after getting up from being paralyzed, but if I go into first person everything looks normal. Saving, exiting to the main menu, and then loading that save fixes this. It also happens when I die and reload without exiting to the main menu first. I once killed a centaur enemy (from another mod) and he fell apart too.

[Tovoklar]

First off, I love this mod! Great work!

Secondly, some things I have found:

If the player tries to use a chair or similar object the player will just sort of get instantly moved to a point right beside the chair. From then on if the player hits the 'use' key without an object that can be interacted with in front of the player, the player will get instantly moved to a point right beside the chair. Moving into another worldspace such as going from outdoors to indoors will fix this, though the player will be stuck for a short while.

The movement bugs have probably already been found, but I would like to list the ones I can remember here for people to reference.
If no weapon is drawn:
Cannot run backwards while in sneak mode.
If a melee weapon is drawn:
Cannot move backward at all in sneak mode.
Cannot strafe directly to the right or left in any mode if sword and shield is drawn.
If a bow is drawn:
Cannot move backward in sneak mode.

The human torso seems to be facing slightly to the left at least when standing still.

The human torso leans forward a bit when moving forward. Looks ok when running.

The hindquarters do not clip, it just passes through objects. Curiously though if one gets shot in the rump with an arrow, the arrow shows up in the right place, lol.

Only the neutral (standing still) power attack works. (since my strafe started working correctly the side power attacks work now too.)

When shooting arrows in first person, the arrow shoots to the left of the crosshairs. Spells cast in first person hit left of the crosshairs too, but not as far off.

Thats all I can think of right now. I will update later if I find anything else.


A couple of requests I have once you have perfected everything else: Would like the female centaur horse body to not have that suggestion of a certain male body part. Also would like to see a version of the centaur that has a full sized horse body. I know I could use the 'setscale' command to do that, but if I do the human portion of the body will get bigger too.

Edited by Tovoklar, 21 June 2011 - 02:14 AM.

[asraysheya]

Every time i start the game and click new game it crashes after it loads idk why i have the mod installed correctly. Help?

[Tovoklar]

Every time i start the game and click new game it crashes after it loads idk why i have the mod installed correctly. Help?

Since I don't know exactly how you are set up I will simply go through all basic solutions.

Check your load order and ensure TOCP - Playable Centaur.esp loads after TOCP.esm

Make sure you have a mod like Unofficial Oblivion Patch or other mod that makes custom races playable in the starting dungeon. (I suspect this might be the problem)

The author mentions OBSE in the readme. You might have to have that installed, I don't know. (Just now noticed it says OBSE required in big bold letters up top there lol.)

If none of those are the problem then you might want to post what other mods you might have installed and wait for the author to respond.

You know, I've been trying to fix a problem with the human form spell I've been having and I wonder now if I've got some things misplaced. My problem is that it doesn't seem to work. I cast the spell and nothing happens. (I have fixed this)

Edited by Tovoklar, 15 June 2011 - 03:07 AM.

[Haerzog]

I am looking forward to seeing how this develops!

Edited by WhoGuru, 08 August 2011 - 04:10 AM.
for needless advice. He can host where he likes.

[CentaurChester]

Hey Everybody. Hey DaMage..

Just wonder how your doing and if your still alive and still working on next version. I hope you have not given up on the mod yet and hope RL hasn't kept you too busy or stress out. Heh.
Can you post simple message lets us know your still alive? Take it easy..

Quick question. When Skyrim is release.. Do you think there is chance maybe this mod will hopefully continue over to it? Though It's too soon to tell. but there hope

[DaMage]

I completely forgot to check the thread here.

I have been very busy....to the point Im not doing any modding nowadays. Process on this stopped a month or so ago and I have no idea when I can pick it up again....it might not be till novemeber when my university semester finishes.


What I think i'll end up doing is just transfering over to skyrim, if skyrim stops this sort of modding then I'll come back to it.....but at this point there may only be one more release for the oblivion version....which is just a gernal bugfix and features release of what I managed to do before i didnt have the time anymore.

[CentaurChester]

[quote name='DaMage' timestamp='1315008484' post='68686']
I completely forgot to check the thread here.

(Snip)

What I think i'll end up doing is just transfering over to skyrim, if skyrim stops this sort of modding then I'll come back to it.....but at this point there may only be one more release for the oblivion version....which is just a general bugfix and features release of what I managed to do before i didnt have the time anymore.
[/quote
--------------------
I understand about being busy/RL taking over. I hope that either you do move over to Skyrim
(if they allow modding for skyrim. I really hope) Or stay with Oblivion.
I was really looking forward to your next version with Slofs horse meshes. and I hope you don't quit modding.
True with Skyrim not to far away. It's hard to say in till we get our grubby hands on it and what can/can't be added to it.
You'd think with how long Oblivion has been out, They would allow for it modding and/or made it easier. Then again they could go the other
way and make it even harder to add unofficial mods.

But in case you don't move over skyrim. I do hope you at lest release the next version, If you don't Finnish it..
Though I would really hate to see this die, Don't give up DaMage. Don't let life stress you too much.
Take it easy.

-Chester

Edited by CentaurChester, 05 September 2011 - 07:49 PM.

[Moonraker0]

A possible Skyrim version? Exciting news...I just hope it's not like Oblivion was at launch where there were a lot of technical limitations to overcome before this mod could be created.

[CentaurChester]

Lol Really? I didn't know that. but I wouldn't doubt it. As Buggy as Oblivion is. I still love it, but when I rented Fallout La Vegas for 360. That game was full of worst glitches I have every seen.. How it even made to be solid on shelf's I never know. Any who Sorry get off topic but lets hope that Skyrim isn't glitchy at launch.

Edited by CentaurChester, 06 September 2011 - 01:34 PM.

[DaMage]

Suprising enough, I only really use OBSE for the skeleton changing (which is a special gamesetting) and for item control....the rest of the mod is just using vanilla features.


What I will have to wait for is good importers/exporters for Blender to come out, which could take a few months. In that time I'll be playing skyrim and learning its tools though. With any luckthe system Im using here for Oblivion will transfer over nicely.

[Tovoklar]

There is a skin I would really like to use for my centaur, but I don't know how to go about making a new NIF file to make a centaur body with the looks of the horse nif I want it to look like. I tried simply changing the dds file but that doesnt seem to work. If you do not mind, how would I go about doing that?

EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out how to do it on my own, lol.

Edited by Tovoklar, 18 September 2011 - 11:48 PM.

[CentaurChester]

There is a skin I would really like to use for my centaur, but I don't know how to go about making a new NIF file to make a centaur body with the looks of the horse nif I want it to look like. I tried simply changing the dds file but that doesnt seem to work. If you do not mind, how would I go about doing that?

EDIT: Never mind, I figured out how to do it on my own, lol.

I do know, remember that Da Mage said he was going to use Slofs horse skins for his next version. Or at lest use a few for mod instead of using default horse mesh..Woot. heh
As I hate ugly default horse colors/skins that oblivion comes with.. That ugly Black/purple one lol and poor white and browns.
But just curious what did you do? I know I was messing with centaur mod and I found white skin included and I got it working for now..

Sorry get little off topic here, but I currently own beautiful black Morgan Gledding, With papers, He is so cute..
He prob only 14 hands high, I so wish I knew computer graphics, cuz I would Love to do centaur base from him as reference..
Have a look, here a picture, I hope nobody here mind but he's really cute black horse..His Name Legend
My horse Legend

Oh Da-Mage I was visiting my parents at farm and I took my laptop with me. I was just mesing around in oblivion and I exited out Imperial City.
You know on the long hill pass the horse stables and toward long bridge. I was just jumping up and down on my centaur chart when the front part seemed
start falling apart and or was stretched randomly for no reason. I don't know why I didn't notice this before. Glitch?
I haven't played in long time and I haven changed anything since I first installed it..
It only do it when jump up then front parts would sheer off right off the screen before you'd land then
return to normal.. Just wonder if anybody notice this too.. If somebody could check to see if does same thing
on there,. let us know. if not maybe something messing up on mine or another mod.

Though I know your not really working on and we're all really waiting for release of Skyrim, Which is looking really good.
Anybody that hasn't been to Skyrim home page.. You should go take a look.
I can't wait... http://elderscrolls.com/

[DarkWarrior]

I completely forgot to check the thread here.

I have been very busy....to the point Im not doing any modding nowadays. Process on this stopped a month or so ago and I have no idea when I can pick it up again....it might not be till novemeber when my university semester finishes.


What I think i'll end up doing is just transfering over to skyrim, if skyrim stops this sort of modding then I'll come back to it.....but at this point there may only be one more release for the oblivion version....which is just a gernal bugfix and features release of what I managed to do before i didnt have the time anymore.

DaMage, you have a very fine piece of work here, and I would hate to see it never see a version for Skyrim. I would imagine that it would be quite easy to transfer the mod over to Skyrim.

[Semtex]

I (too slowly ) continue to work on my version Centaurus ( has modified Skelton and a slighty different horse body part).
I prepared four color versions (black, bay, chestnut and gray) for Robert's male and female body (not for HGEC body for now, but this is in plan).
Centaurus can be of six types of horse saddles for the load (I assume creating a script to change the ratio of strenght : load). Saddle not collide with armor.

The character in game (inventory):
Male


Female
[Removed]

Pack Saddle


Armor


only elven armor is fully finished


Others Armor have Cuirass, some also boots or part of greaves. Not all armor are present. Not all armor have female version. But works continued






[notice='Picture Link Removed']Please be careful when posting pictures on site, always good to make sure your characters are fully clothed.[/notice]

[DaMage]

those are looking great Semtex!

[Mahlzeit]

Yes, this looks very good.

Only thing I would do is make the horse part look a little bigger (I am thinking of the proportions of the centaurs in the Chronicles of Narnia).


Quote:
"[notice='Picture Link Removed']Please be careful when posting pictures on site, always good to make sure your characters are fully clothed.[/notice]"

A fully clothed centaur ??? :-D

Most unlikely :-P

[CentaurChester]

I assume everybody has bough there Skyrim for either console and/or PC/Mac by now and/or has at lest had a chance to play some of the game..
If you have then you already have seen how bad the horses are, The problems I see already which may kill or make it even harder to continue this mod over to Skyrim from Oblivion.
I bought PC version myself. In hoping the graphics and able add mods would be better. So far graphics have been HUGE let down.

1) there no backup for work horsee
2) all horses have same set speed/life/stamina
3) All there meshs look prety ugly, but Mesh used is prety meh. Better then purple yeah. at lest they act more horse like
4) There no first person view while on the horses
5) The horse often completely disappears when you get too close to some cliffs/rocks/trees or other objects.. Very lame, You'll see yourself floating in air riding nothing lol
6) no hoof prints in ground - and i have tried switching from med to tweaked high and still no hoof/track prints on ground/snow (minor but still every game has this )
7) would workhorse mesh even work for centaurs. I'd love have 2500 pound stallion centaur char in Skyrim. but as we saw in oblivion. Bigger is not always better.
As it make horse harder getting up/down stairs, threw doorways and what not and can play havok with camara..

I wish Skyrim just had centaurs in there as NPC's and playable race. as they are part of the Lore to it. but each game relase they seem to ignore it.

Skyrim does not have that "aww" effect or the nice bloom/glow about the land when sun was shining brightly, I loved that in Oblivion, now its gone?
Yeah I know that has nothing to do with Horses/Centaur mod, but was what gave the game the fantasy feel

anywho sorry getting bit off topic, But I do love Skyrim, but I wonder if its even possible for the centaur mod be imported or made in Skyrim. With all these new issues.
It prob wont be possible unless some these issues can be fixed by the mod or Bethsoft community.
In some way I find Skyrim a bit of step down from Oblivion. feels too console ish over-all.

Can any Modder reply and give his/her thoughts on this, On if Centaur mod will continue to Skyrim, stay in Oblivion? or has been killed by skyrim?
I hope it has not been.

P.s I am enjoy the game but there many things I miss from original Oblivion.

[Tovoklar]

I agree that the horses in Skyrim do not have the best of textures. I think they were trying to make them look more shaggy to suit the colder environs, but they didnt quite get it right for me. As far as how big the horses are as to what would work for a centaur, all you would have to do is rescale the mesh. Ive noticed that when you are not riding the horse they can move differently, such as turn in place and maybe even backup but I havent observed a horse doing the latter yet. DaMage will need to change some things obviously, or worse case scenario he might have to start from scratch, but I bet he could pull it off, especially since he has all that experience now.

I've just realized that the game's intro will be a problem for centaurs. Might be forced to use the race change console command after the execution scene to use the race.

Off topic:

As far as that slightly ethereal glow (sometimes known as the nuclear dawn effect particularly in reference to the glow during sunset and sunrise) that Oblivion had that Skyrim does not. Bethesda was obviously going for a darker, colder feel for the environs and it is my opinion that they nailed that perfectly. It feels much more real to me this way than it would have if it had that glow that Oblivion had. Besides if you want that big "Wow this is gorgeous!" feeling, let me tell you that there are plenty of places that give me that feeling. I was traveling through this pass on the west side of Skyrim during the night with the moons out. There were clouds passing through the sharp peaked mountains and brushing against them and I remember thinking "Whoah this is so totaly awesome. Werewolf time!" The game does have a consolish feeling with its menus though. Main conern right now though: crushing that bloating save file bug... again.

Edited by Tovoklar, 20 November 2011 - 04:22 PM.