(Obsolete) Almalexia Discussion [Formerly M3A6 thread]

Post by **Haplo** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:48 pm

Map:

[url=http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4449/map3detailingclaim6of2.jpg][img]http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4449/map3detailingclaim6of2.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Almalexia and Othrensis

Jedak · Post by **Jedak** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:36 am

Um, im not sure if this is in my recent file but I actually did do some work on 'fake' Mournhold. I added the palace and some walls, up-scaled the plaza and statue so that it looks better amongst other things. Only for the sake of looking good on the map, of course.

You can't add the trees unless you script them to change when Mournhold has the blight. Otherwise its silly. Also, is the blight contained in Mournhold, or would some spill out to Alma? If no, is there a way for us to show the chaos inside from the outside?

- You have to sculpt and re-texture land to increase the size of the grass area of Plaza Brindisi Dorom

It is unnecessary to sculpt and re-texture the land because when you select the whole Plaza Brindisi Dorom, and then size up, everything magically stays together. No bleeding or anything. Its really weird but very useful for this.

God, I just had a look at this detailing claim and there are 63 Yilgamseh books to replace. Ouch. Sorry Jedak.

This is why there is no update this week

Gez · Post by **Gez** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:03 am

The Blight will strike everything that is in the Mournhold region.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:10 am

What's the problem with trees + Blight? Do Mournhold's change? If so, copy the scripts. If not, don't.

Gez · Post by **Gez** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:33 am

Yes. They are activators (Act_flora_tree_MH_* and Act_flora_treedead_MH_*), which use the following scripts:

Code: Select all

Begin treedeadScript

;this script removes dead trees when ashstorms not active, activates when active

short doOnce

if ( GetDisabled == 0 )
	if ( MournWeather != 7 )
		Disable
		set doOnce to 0
	endif
endif

( GetDisabled == 1 )
	if ( MournWeather == 7 )
		if ( doOnce == 0 )
			Enable
			set doOnce to 1
		endif
	endif
endif
	
End treedeadScript

Begin treeliveScript

;this script removes dead trees when ashstorms not active, activates when active

short doOnce

if ( GetDisabled == 0 )
	if ( MournWeather == 7 )
		Disable
		set doOnce to 0
	endif
endif

( GetDisabled == 1 )
	if ( MournWeather != 7 )
		if ( doOnce == 0 )
			Enable
			set doOnce to 1
		endif
	endif
endif
	
End treeliveScript

(Notice the laziness of those Bethboys who don't update their comments when copy/pasting scripts!)

MMMowSkwoz · Post by **MMMowSkwoz** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:39 am

And also missed out an 'if' in both scripts. I'm amazed they still work.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:43 pm

Regarding MowSkwoz's nice 'no jump' scripts on the Mournhold walls, I was just doing some testing, and discovered various things. First, that you can just levitate straight through it; second, that if you jump from a mild distance away from the wall, with your jump skill sufficiently haxed as to actually hit the barrier when near to the wall, you just clear it and get over the wall anyway. Extend the distance of reach, perhaps? Or just accept that haxed (or Jump spell or Icarian Flight) people are 'cheating' and let them cross the wall if they so desire?

MMMowSkwoz · Post by **MMMowSkwoz** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:56 pm

Yep, they don't work perfectly. The levitation thing shouldn't be aproblem since levitation is going to be banned in Almalexia, but the other one is. I gave up after a while thinking that if someone tries this hard to get over, they're breaking reality anyway. No-one is going to accidentally use a 100 point jump spell from a nearby building.

If you want, I can have a another look at them though.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:59 pm

Yeah, I agree. The only thing was that I found I was able to jump from not ridiculously far away, and still be able to make it. Like, from the bottom of the bridge to Mournhold.

Chin Music · Post by **Chin Music** » Fri May 08, 2009 10:47 am

I don't get it. Frankly I don't see what's wrong with the "hybrid" town.

There doesn't seem to be anything outright wrong with the rearrangement, but it's clearly lacking in detail compared to BC's screenshot there.

blackbird · Post by **blackbird** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:25 pm

I've created an Almalexia-Mournhold connection mod by myself.

quote BC: You've also removed the Mournhold barrier bowl. Put dat back! (and make sure it goes exactly where MowSkwoz had it first)
That was never merged with the claim, so I couldn't remove it. If you can upload the file, I'll merge it.

I don't have internet on my pc anymore for a while, so it will be hard to remember every comment.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:50 pm

I checked the latest MowSkwoz file I could remember, but am now slightly confused because it works differently to how the merged version does.

Currently, the bowl TR_m3_mournhold_barrier_dummy (in your file) should be placed inside the tree in the Palace of Mournhold (in the exterior).

Alternatively, it might need to be placed on an invisible activator in a similar location using this script:

Code: Select all

Begin TR_m3_Mournhold_Barrier_sc

;This script prevents the player jumping or levitating over the walls of Mournhold
;it is placed on a dummy object in the centre exterior Mournhold cell

Float zcurrent		;used to record the player's current z coord
Float xrecord
Float yrecord
Float zrecord
Short controlvar	;used to handle a progression of checks/events
Float xcheck
Float ycheck

Set zcurrent to ( player->GetPos, z )	;record player's height every frame

if ( controlvar == 0 )
	if ( zcurrent > 1850 )									;if player higher than we'd like (i.e. jumping too high)
		Set xrecord to ( player->GetPos, x )
		Set yrecord to ( player->GetPos, y )			;record player's position when they tried to jump over
		Set zrecord to zcurrent
		if ( xrecord > 192896 )
			Set xcheck to ( ( xrecord - 192896 ) / 100 )
		else
			Set xcheck to ( ( 192896 - xrecord ) / 100 )
		endif
		if ( yrecord < -224802 )
			Set ycheck to ( ( -0.01) * ( yrecord + 224802 ) )
		else
			Set ycheck to ( ( 224802 + yrecord ) / 100 )
		endif
		Set xcheck to ( xcheck * xcheck )
		Set ycheck to ( ycheck * ycheck )
		Set xcheck to ( xcheck + ycheck )
		if ( xcheck < 12544 )
			if ( yrecord > -236700 )							;this prevents problems with the buildings in Triffith Sandril Plaza
				Set controlvar to 1									;go to next stage
			endif
		endif
	endif
elseif ( controlvar == 1 )										;if player was trying to get over
	MessageBox "A mysterious barrier obstructs your path."	;give message
	ToggleCollision											;prevent existing movement from continuing
	Set controlvar to 2											;go to next stage
elseif ( controlvar == 2 )
	ToggleCollision											;let the player fall / collide again
	Set controlvar to 3											;go to next stage
elseif ( controlvar == 3 )
	player->SetPos, z, zrecord								;prevents player being warped to floor by togglecollision
	set controlvar to 4
elseif ( controlvar == 4 )
	if ( zcurrent < 1800 )		 								;until below the required height
		Set controlvar to 0
	else
		player->SetPos, x, xrecord								;prevent player from moving horizonatally
		player->SetPos, y, yrecord										;reset controlvar (so script runs again)
	endif
endif

End

found in the latest file provided by MowSkwoz in the Map 3 Internal Download thread (you can get it there for merging if you so desire, or just place the bowl with the correct script attached.

I am not sure which version of the script (but this one is longer, and perhaps thus better) is the one which was finally decided for use. I'll ask MowSkwoz.

Blackbird, if you don't have internet, but were able to make this post, couldn't you just have copied and pasted what I and Haplo said into a document or something? Oh well.

MMMowSkwoz · Post by **MMMowSkwoz** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:00 pm

Hey Blackbird,

Use this file - either merge or copy it's contents. The activator TR_m3_Mournhold_Barrier should be placed anywhere in the central Mournhold cell (the position was important in the old version, but not this one, but it must be the central cell).

Thanks.

Edit: I just saw you said you don't have the internet on your modding computer. If you can't download the file, the script is the same as the one BC just posted. Just place that script on an activator (mesh doesn't matter - I used the invisible Sound Marker one) with the name "TR_m3_Mournhold_Barrier" and place that activator in the central Mournhold cell.

blackbird · Post by **blackbird** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:22 pm

I have an active internet connection.
That file has been downloaded and merged.
I'm uploading my file of the Mournhold-Almalexia connection through the gates of Symmachus. There are also some hidden doors which should show the correct position on the world map.

edit: Should I delete the other MH flora in the wilderness?

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:37 pm

Blackbird, whilst browsing your last uploaded WIP, I couldn't help but notice the two top (if top down view) wall pieces of the Silt Strider Port (Sarethan Quarter?) be positioned lower than the others. Otherwise: stellar work on Almalexia!

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:45 am

Regarding the file you just provided Blackbird, the doors you use to link Brindisi Dorom and Triffith Sandil should have the same names they originally did, as opposed to Palace Gates. So the Triffith Sandil doors should be Gates of Symmachus, and the Brindisi Dorom ones Mournhold Gates or whatever they were (or they could become Gates of Symmachus as well).

In Brindisi Dorom, your door clips slightly with the top of the doorframe: move it back a bit.

In the various places you've put in the 'hidden doors', they need to be moved far, far away from the area they're in so that they don't show up as a door square on the mini-map. Currently a confused player would see a 'door to Mournhold Region' somewhere around the tree in the Palace Courtyard. It needs to be moved far away.

Also, your Godsreach door (at the least) appears not to be teleporting anywhere. Didn't check the others.

Finally, the file is dirty and modifies a pair of trees in cell (24, -28), as well as the original Ex_MH_city_gate Ref in Brindisi Dorom. That should be cleaned out. (The change to the city gate may require you to clean out all changes to Brindisi Dorom and do them again, because I don't know if even TESAME can clean out individual refs)

EDIT: BTW, the claim file itself appears to be horrendously dirty, affecting a huge amount of Mournhold (Tribunal) cells. That all needs to be cleaned.

Post by **Haplo** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:50 pm

blackbird wrote:
Haplo wrote:You mean map? If someone like theviking is up for making one, yeah.
Sounds cool! There is now a bookseller at the silt strider port. If someone wanted to make a city map of Almalexia, i know where I can put them.

A map could use this as a base:
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2770/almalexiamournholdsf0.jpg

Or just make a map for each of the cells.

@Blackbird: Shouldn't the connection mod... be merged with your claim file?

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:11 pm

Blackbird, your connection mod is still slightly dirty in that it will break any mod which touches the Brindisi Dorom gate, avoiding doing so being one of our objectives here.

I will quickly sort out a clean version of the file if that's okay with you?

I also very much like what you've done with the strider port.

(One thing, would it be possible to raise the terrain under the port and the ramp to it, and provide an actual floor that could be vertex shaded etc.? There's also currently a rather big seam where the ramp is)

Some of your subtler touches are very excellent, too. I love the notice board, and those banners hung between buildings, across the streets. I'd love to see more of those (without overkilling it, of course).

On that note, if we do have a capable texturer to hand, it would be nice to see some unique TR ones with Lutemoth or other excellent Dunmer artwork (such as TÃƒÂºrelio's saint trioliths) on them, as suggested by someone else recently. Only as a luxury if we can afford it, though.

blackbird · Post by **blackbird** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:52 pm

That's ok with me, but I don't get the point why my mod should break with any other mod which touches the Brindisi Dorom gate. IIRC I created an extra door or didn't I?

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:31 pm

Here's the file.

The problem with yours (aside from its other instances of less important dirt) was that the real door in PBD was modified. This means that, for example, if one of the Mournhold Expanded mods changes that door (which is highly likely), their change would be overwritten by ours.

All we want to do is put a 'second' door a tad infront of the current activator.

This way we can use the door as we wish, and any mod that alters the existing activator (by replacing it with an actual door, say) will not be flat out broken, just inconvenienced. (This way, the player could TCL through our door and still access the Mournhold Expanded content, wheras with a dirty file they'd TCL through our door and find a useless activator, and have to COC to the mod's cells. This is just a common courtesy, and a way of maintaining TR's 'no conflicts' reputation)

Sorry for the long winded explanation.

The short one is 'just trust me'.

BTW, the notice board totally has to have the anti-Temple piece of propaganda 'Rethul Nitram's 59th Precept' on it.

blackbird · Post by **blackbird** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:04 am

Haplo, your link( http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2770/almalexiamournholdsf0.jpg) shows the mountains in the southeastern part.

Post by **Haplo** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:31 am

Reviewed version. There is so much going on in this claim and claim #7 that I just might rely on internal and public error reports to really review the thing. There's just way too many statics for one or even two people to be sure they caught everything, although I did catch a bunch of major problems that appeared in Almalexia.

BC: Since we're relying on MCP now, that fixes the problem with naming these two Almalexia cells, right? I'd like to test that before this opens up for NPCs.

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:08 am

The use of the MCP does indeed fix the issue of naming Almalexia cells.

Thrignar Fraxix · Post by **Thrignar Fraxix** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:49 am

I got MASSIVE lag in the forest to the west of almalexia, particularly just to the southwest. I had figured it was the city, but walking around the actual city was fine. I had this problem in Lan Orethan too. I wonder if one or two of our trees might be unusually resource intensive.

Tyrion · Post by **Tyrion** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:09 pm

I had lag issues in the cs but not in-game.

Post by **Haplo** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:03 am

Same for me. CS lag is pretty standard for TR, even with a dual core OC'd 3GHz processor and 4GB of RAM and my new video card with 1GB of dedicated memory... the CS just isn't very efficient. But running it in game gives me no lag, city or otherwise.

Thrignar Fraxix · Post by **Thrignar Fraxix** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:56 am

I had lag in game and I believe our trees were to blame. I'd be curious how they compare to vanilla trees

Post by **Haplo** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:04 am

We don't really have any TR trees used in this claim. At all, I don't think. This claim's going up for NPCing. Woohoo, progress. Ima remove all the other files so nobody downloads the wrong one.

Tyrion · Post by **Tyrion** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:43 am

I think your issue may be with the number of activators/lights/banners or container plants? Since those are pretty dense if I recall.

Nomadic1 · Post by **Nomadic1** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:01 am

My money's on container flora making the biggest dent in FPS. There aren't going to be enough TR trees to make things that bad and IIRC even some of the GL trees have more polies.

The lag is only going to get a lot worse once creatures, NPCs and quests are added.

blackbird · Post by **blackbird** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:35 am

The dense forest was also lagging, but I thought at first it was due my old graphics card. i don't know what it could cause, but I guess it's the flora or the vanilla trees.

Post by **Haplo** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:01 pm

Containers is where it's at. There are lots of muck sponges and stuff around too.

Tyrion · Post by **Tyrion** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:50 am

I can eat them.

Don't worry.

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 6:56 pm

I've been having issues loading this one up. The weird issue with missing platforms and stuff magically turning into platforms, like happened in Dreynim Spa, is here too. It's happening in the city, including some ints such as the Alma Cathedral.

Why · Post by **Why** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:11 am

they all seem to be moved along their x-axis for about their own length O_o

Post by **Haplo** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 4:43 pm

Aeven wrote:I've been having issues loading this one up. The weird issue with missing platforms and stuff magically turning into platforms, like happened in Dreynim Spa, is here too. It's happening in the city, including some ints such as the Alma Cathedral.

Empirical and verified evidence, please

Lud · Post by **Lud** » Mon May 24, 2010 4:58 pm

I would like to claim this please. Will work on it regularly and provide weekly updates.

Current plan is to start by making a list of Almalexia ints and making sure that they all fit with their intended purposes and their intended districts, such that the various parts of Almalexia can properly be classified as poor/rich medium, etc. Will start with unimportant NPCs while waiting for clearance with various plans, etc.

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Mon May 24, 2010 7:45 pm

Nice to see this being claimed!

I recall there being an idea to have inner city travel with the rickshaws.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Mon May 24, 2010 8:29 pm

It will also be your job seeing as you're dialoguing this to work out how to integrate Mournhold (Tribunal) dialogue with this stuff. Ideally there would be at least some overlap (from Tribunal to us) where appropriate, for instance the guards at least at the entrance to Mournhold having the "Fabricants are attacking!" dialogue, and the people of the town having the same reactions to the ashstorm as in Tribunal, etc.

There's a couple of paperworky things I also wanted to get done relating to Mournhold that I never got to do because of time constraints, foremost amongst which is naming the five central Mournhold cells their appropriate names, plus a space on the end so the game accepts it (remove the names of the four 'corner cells' which contain only moat), e.g. "Mournhold, Plaza Brindisi Dorom ". Then, adding in activators to the relevant part of Mournhold (Tribunal) which does ShowMap "Mournhold, Plaza Brindisi Dorom " etc. when the player enters each section.

A few other completely random things I remember: place some of those 'bounty on the Nerevarine' notes, which get enabled at the relevant part of the MQ, on the noticeboard in town. (And remember to use that thing to start at least one quest with a note, because it's so cool) Second, change the far too blatant name of the 'seedy strip club' from 'The Dancing Racer' to something a little less silly. I thought 'The Blue Moon Cornerclub', or anything just a tad less in your face and moddy. Finally, to my memory a lot of the banners for shops around town are not hanging correctly on their poles. They need to be hung imagining the wind is not blowing, so with their tips hanging from the base of their pole, not from the side of it.

These are things I noted before being so swamped with stuff, back when I might have thought of claiming this. Sorry if it's a bit random.

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Mon May 24, 2010 8:35 pm

And still some of the ind_plat_01 issues need to be fixed. You know how, as you did so for the Alma Cathedral too.