Re-Exploring Morrowind

[Vince]

The purpose of this post is two-fold: to provide a place where others that want to revisite Morrowind can find (hopefully) useful information, and a place where I can ask for help when I run into issues.

I've always thought Morrowind was the best of the Elder Scoll games, at least through Oblivion. Now there are a variety of powerful mods that bring Morrowind into the current age. Some of these, like the Morrowind Code Patch, may allow a more realistic exterior home than is possible with Oblivion.

INFORMATION: If you are installing Morrowind on a new system, you must install Morrowind, then Tribunal, then Bloodmoon. Other orders don't work.

INFORMATION: You may find the following links useful -

From TESA's own DeMage, see:

http://tesalliance.o...s-is-morrowind/

For other tweaks to Morrowind, see:

http://www.tweaktown...ide/index1.html

For hard to find Morrowind files (thanks Arion), see:

http://mw.modhistory.com/home

The first mod I installed was MGE, version 3.8.2. I found the instructions in the linked wiki quite straightforward. After installing MGE, then creating distant land, the graphical improvement was amazing, even using mostly default settings. I've attached screen shots for vanilla Morrowind, and with MGE--without grass. Both are looking North from Arrille's Tradehouse.

Vanilla Morrowind:

With MGE, shader 3.0,

4X AA, and no grass:

At present, I have MGE, the Morrowind Code Patch, and Real SignPosts installed. I plan to install Morrowind Patch Project Next.

I do have one minor problem right now. I believe Real Sign Posts is an essential mod. I've never played Morrowind without it. However, now, whenever I start Morrowind, I get an error message: "One or more plugins could not find the correct versions of the master files they depend on. ....". Fortunately, the message provides the option to continue anyway. I do and everything works as it should, including the sign posts. If I uncheck RealSignPosts.esp, the error goes away.

I've downloaded all the official patches for Morrowind, Tribunal, and Bloodmoon. but have not installed them. I think I heard that installing Bloodmoon patched the other files. If there is a way to determine the revision of each of these, I don't know how.

This is where I am now. If you can provide help or have Morrowind tweak information you would like to share, please do.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Vince

[Leonardo]

I've always thought Morrowind was the best of the Elder Scoll games, at least through Oblivion. Now there are a variety of powerful mods that bring Morrowind into the current age. Some of these, like the Morrowind Code Patch, may allow a more realistic exterior home than is possible with Oblivion.

INFORMATION: If you are installing Morrowind on a new system, you must install Morrowind, then Tribunal, then Bloodmoon. Other orders don't work.

At present, I have MGE, the Morrowind Code Patch, and Real SignPosts installed. I plan to install Morrowind Patch Project Next.

Still is because of the depth in-game which Oblivion doesn't have, but the graphics is much better in Oblivion than Morrowind in vanilla anyway.

Morrowind Code Patch or we in the MW-community often say MCP has only one purpose and that's to fix glitches in the game like the Alchemy name bug plus a lot of other bugs, but AFAIK MCP has nothing to do with more realistic exterior in-game unless MCP has an exterior bug to fix.

That's a correct installation order, but you don't need to install any patches if you have the GotY version.

Installation of Morrowind with all expansions (Tribunal, Bloodmoon) have exactly the same process like Oblivion, because once the installation is finished the game has been patched to the latest.

I do have one minor problem right now. I believe Real Sign Posts is an essential mod. I've never played Morrowind without it. However, now, whenever I start Morrowind, I get an error message: "One or more plugins could not find the correct versions of the master files they depend on. ....". Fortunately, the message provides the option to continue anyway. I do and everything works as it should, including the sign posts. If I uncheck RealSignPosts.esp, the error goes away.

I've downloaded all the official patches for Morrowind, Tribunal, and Bloodmoon. but have not installed them. I think I heard that installing Bloodmoon patched the other files. If there is a way to determine the revision of each of these, I don't know how.

This is where I am now. If you can provide help or have Morrowind tweak information you would like to share, please do.

That's normal and it simple means that you need to update the masterlist for the esm/esp, which you can do in two ways first load the plugin (only esp) into CS then save it or you can update the masterlist (the same thing will work in both Wrye Mash and Wrye Bash not sure about Wrye Bash for Skyrim) in Wrye Mash on the Mods tab.

Every error you get is often stored in the Warnings.txt file in the \Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind game folder. These two errors below are normal and can be ignored.

Texture "Textures\_land_default.tga" count 3.

Texture "Textures\menu_thick_border_bottom_right_corner.dds" count 2.

Personally I don't consider the Real Sign Posts mod as an essential mod, but many people have some of these listed mods in their loadorder and that reminds me to mention mlox which is an definitely essential tool for a modded game.

See above about patching of the Bloodmoon installation.

Yes you can determine what version you have by launching your game and look to your left bottom in the game menu or pressing the ESC key in-game, but MCP installed will show the MCP version.

Retail version

• Morrowind - 1.2.0722
  
• Tribunal - 1.4.1313 (you can install this patch over the 1.3.x version)
  
• Bloodmoon - 1.6.1820
  

Steam version

• Morrowind - 1.2.0722
  
• Tribunal - 1.3/1.4 (not sure if you can install the 1.4 patch over the 1.3 patch)
  
• Bloodmoon - 1.6.1820
  
• TES CS Patch (only work with Steam version of Morrowind)
  

Here some tweaks you can do by your self. Open the Morrowind.ini in Notepad and add/change these lines.

[General]

;Test TES 0=morrowind.esm

;Starting Cell=Pelagiad

;Starting Grid X=0

;Starting Grid Y=0

Show FPS=0

Max FPS=60

;-1 Use raw data, 0 Use Newer, 1 use Archive Only

TryArchiveFirst=0

YesToAll=1

SkipProgramFlows=0

DontThreadLoad=0

ThreadPriority=-1

ThreadSleepTime=4

; 0=no, 1 = XBox Maps, 2 = Exterior Cell Maps

Create Maps Enable=0

Screen Shot Enable=1

Screen Shot Base Name=J:\Bethesda Softworks\screenshot\morrowind\ScreenShot

Screen Shot Index=2

[Vince]

Leonardo, I'm glad to see your post, including the links and other useful information you've provided.

I tried loading RealSignPosts.esp in the CS and re-saving as you suggested. That did fix the problem. Thank you!

Relative to the Morrowind Code Patch, as you know, besides fixing bugs, it adds new features like enabling statics to stop rain or snow. I'm sure you can appreciate how useful this is to someone who makes exterior homes.

I've added the Morrowind Visual Pack (MVP), which with MGE enhances the cosmetics substantially without a big FPS hit. One thing, I could not successfully download MVP from either PES or FileFront. Fortunately, I did find and download it from Morrowind Mod History (the third link in my OP). Surprisingly, 'Mod History seems to be down as I write this. I hope it's back soon as it really is a lifeline to many Morrowind mods.

[donnato]

Vince...glad to see that you`re having success with this. I`m running MGSO myself .. Morrowind will always be my first love.

[Leonardo]

If you want to use MGSO with Morrowind Rebirth then you must disable the grass in the MGSO installation, because Morrowind Rebirth isn't compatible with animated grass yet plus there are other mods that might conflict.

Below can you read more about the broken links on PES and FilePlanet.

http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1372068-fileplanet-is-going-to-shut-down-hope-we-can-preserve-the-mods-somewhere/

http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1405992-planet-elder-scrolls-is-now-dead/

Relative to the Morrowind Code Patch, as you know, besides fixing bugs, it adds new features like enabling statics to stop rain or snow. I'm sure you can appreciate how useful this is to someone who makes exterior homes.

I agree it's nice to fix the rain/snow glitch with MCP, but like I said earlier MCP only fix bugs with the game engine so it isn't an exterior improvement in-game. FYI MMH is online again.

[Jac]

MGSO is almost ready for a 3.0 release and MGE XE just got an update. MGSO will be updated as soon as KP is satisfied that his new installer will work properly for the majority of people.

[Vince]

I've been playing Morrowind, concentrating on the actual game play and the game elements that work, and those that don't work so well. Elements in a game that you remember long after are rare. Two of the three that I remember most vividly are from Morrowind. My favorite hero is that tiny ball of fury, Mazzy Fentan, from BG2. The most memorable voice acting is that given by the goddess Azura-- truly extraordinary. My favorite monster name of all time is the Winged Twilight. I hope some of this analysis will give me better insight into what is fun and, eventualy, some direction toward my next major mod project

[Jac]

One thing I've always struggled with in Morrowind was the leveling system. The whole build up ten major/minor skills to increase in level didn't really appeal to me. I was as happy as a clam when I found out about GCD and the way it basically does away with leveling. Now I just go around, using my skills and training, without giving much thought as to what level I am or how close I am to progressing in my skills.