The Elder Scrolls III MORROWIND: Silt Striders 

VERSION HISTORY:

1.13
- slightly reduced stuttering while riding over rocky terrain
- better compatibility with Mills of Morrowind mod
- better compatibility with Seyda Neen Transport mod

1.12
- changed for compatibility with Tamriel Rebuilt v1.5
- completed scenic routes to Akamora, Sailen, Tel Muthada and Bosmora.
Note that to make this possible, some trees/rocks have been moved/resized, so it is
important you use correct Tamriel Rebuilt version and regenerate distant land
- striders should now swim instead of dive in very deep water
- fixed possible restoring of some magicka after traveling when player sign is Atronach
- tweaked code to reduce spawning of new scenic striders andtest for possible
collision when player is on another approaching strider
- added optional collision-fixed Vurt's tree meshes, so they cause no more stuttering
collision problems. If you are using Morrowind Graphics Overhaul 3 with Vurt's west gash
lite flora replacer option (or the same original Vurt's replacer), I suggest you copy
the collision-fixed tree meshes from 
Data Files\extras\Meshes\f\
to 
Data Files\Meshes\f\
and (if you are using Morrowind Graphics Overhaul) to
MGSOO\Options\T_WG_B\Data Files\Meshes\f\

1.11
- compatibility with Tamriel Rebuilt Sacred East 1.2
- fixed a missing "Never mind" choice from Ald-Ruhn caravaner dialog

1.10
- compatibility with TR_Mainland.esm
- new routes for Necrom, Sailen
- sounds revision

1.9
- added (configurable) topic to access configuration menu also from dialog
- fixed missing strider walking sound
- fixed a missing Seyda Neen dialog for Suran caravaner
- dialog reorganized
- animation scripting improved
 
1.8
- fixed a (very rare) potential crashing bug
- fixed a sound filter bug causing other creatures to use strider sounds

1.7
- fixed possible unneeded collision disabling
- fixed possible glitch on extra trips availability

1.6b
- fixed a caravaner mesh helmet position

1.6
- prices should be better aligned with level 1 player
- added disposition >= 20 check like standard trips
- fixed a caravaner comment randomization glitch
- improved Helnim/Ranyon-ruhn route
- changed configuration menu sound
- changed fMaxHeadTrackDistance GMST value to 8
- changed magic_hit_Levitate.nif to be invisible

1.5
- fixed another possible skipping of scenic travel
- less aggressive change to fMaxHeadTrackDistance
- added in the extras folders a version that does not set fMaxHeadTrackDistance GMST 
pros: NPCS will turn and look at you as usual
cons: player will look at his feet in 3rd person view when travelling by strider

1.4
- fixed possible skipping of scenic travel (note for scripters:
it seems player->OnKnockOut can be true even when it should not)
- changed spawned strider route near Seyda Neen a little for 
better compatibility with Firemoth/Silgrad Tower boat

1.3
- moved caravaner dark elf BB texture reference in meshes to a 
subfolder to avoid replacing BB dark elf texture in use
- fixed a scenic spawning route point near Gnisis
- added configuration option to allow/disallow strider trellis
- added more caravaner comments by Athirena

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, 
before version 1.10: TR_Map1.esm, TR_Map2.esm
since version 1.10: TR_Mainland.esm

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! 

As usual, I tried to be as compatible as possible, so routes are not so 
straight but landscape/trees are nearly unchanged (except some landscape 
under a boulder on top of a mountain, I think that spot should not 
conflict with anything). 

KNOWN GLITCHES: A noticeable stuttering in 1st person view when riding 
at great speed over rocky terrain. 

When enabling back collision there is a 1 frame stutter due to player 
being warped on the ground by the engine for one frame, no matter what 
magic effect/scripting command is used. I have found no remedy for this 
engine quirk so far. 

To avoid hostile attacks when traveling, player by default is set 
invisible by script (a ...invisible invisibility effect). Don't use a 
constant invisibility item while riding, you don't need it and probably 
you will have to wait the end of the trip before the invisibility 
transparency of your spell is reset unequipping the enchanted item. 


To avoid player head going up/down tracking creatures whe traveling on strider,
I lowered the fMaxHeadTrackDistance game setting.
Some users reported this causing NPCS to not turn and face player for dialog.
If you have this problem a version that does not set fMaxHeadTrackDistance GMST
is present inside
Data Files\noGMSTchange folder,
just copy
Data Files\noGMSTchange\abotSiltStriders.esp
Data Files\noGMSTchange\abotSiltStridersTR.esp
over
Data Files\abotSiltStriders.esp
Data Files\abotSiltStridersTR.esp

pros: NPCS will turn and look at you as usual
cons: player will look at his feet in 3rd person view when traveling


Care has been taken trying to be compatible with other mods, but being 
so many mods around obviously this can not be guaranteed. 


COMPATIBILITY NOTES 

- Living Cities of Vvardenfell (NPC LCV Schedules 03.esp) There is 
probably a typo in the scheduling of the Khuul caravaner Seldus Nerendus 
that makes him disappear for half a day. If you are able to edit and 
compile scripts, you can fix this replacing "seldus 
nerendus"->positionCell -65939 13552 975 4218 "Khuul" in the script 
SC_Khuul_1 with "seldus nerendus"->positionCell -65939 135552 975 4218 
"Khuul" and replacing "seldus nerendus"->positionCell -65939 13552 975 
4218 "Khuul" "seldus nerendus"->aiTravel -65939 13552 975 with "seldus 
nerendus"->positionCell -65939 135552 975 4218 "Khuul" "seldus 
nerendus"->aiTravel -65939 135552 975 in the script SC_Khuul_2. 

If you are not familiar with TESCS, you can use 
ab01NPCLCVSchedulesFix.esp, load it after NPC LCV Schedules 03.esp. 

Some of Vurt's BC trees have low leaves with collision still enabled, 
which can cause stuttering when colliding with the strider. Hopefully 
this will be fixed in next BC trees releases. 

I changed the waypoints near Gnisis strider port to avoid colliding with 
the imperial bridge added by Morrowind Rebirth mod. There are still 
problems with a tree placed right in front of Balmora strider port and a 
scenic rock arc over the Odai river. 


TECH NOTES:

speed change selected using the configuration menu is 
effective when next waypoint with different scheduled speed is reached. 


TESTING ONLY:
set ab01debug to 25 will enable some debugging messages. 


CREDITS

I started working on this for myself, inspired by a mod on 
development by Fliggerty for the last 4 years, because I really wanted 
real, scenic striders so badly. 

I have offered my help/work in this mod to try and finish that mod in a 
faster way, but after a while I decided to keep on my own, I think I am 
using a different approach to routing (setpos instead of AI). 

This mod is a tribute to everyone contributing to MGE, MGE XE, MCP, to 
scenery/trees modders, to Tamriel Rebuilt team for giving us more and 
better world to stride. 

The great original Silt Strider animation is by Lingarn, I have 
NIFskoped it a lot to suit mod needs. 
http://www.mediafire.com/file/6546hje6e7q658a/ID3266-2-20-Silt+Striders+v1.0-20040322.zip 

The caravaner's plastic pose is from Phaedrus' slaughterfish hunters 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=7579 
, his head and hair are from Better Heads (head retexture by 
Petethegoat) 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=8912 

his loincloth is by Dereko from Better Clothes
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=8737 

, his shirt is from Plangkye's More Better Clothes (sorry for the late
 credit Plangkye, I just realized it was not from the original BB) 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=8931

, see through helmet is original in game mesh tweaked by 
Deamon2000/Hollow_Fang in Helms Of Sight 2.0 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=6933 

One passenger lady is a reworked sitting lady by Lady Eternity from 
Dragons Breech resources, with a head retexture by Emma based on a mesh 
by Rhedd and Allerleirauh, hair by Ren, book retexture from Better Books 
by William The Taffer. 
http://modhistory.fliggerty.com/index.php?dlid=3896 
http://lovkullen.net/Emma/faces.htm 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=4187 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=mods.detail&id=2332 

The other lady is from Lidicus'URM creatures (seducer) dressed with 
Korana's flemish dress from Clothiers of VVardenfell 
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=7400 
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27167 

Other cargo items and levitation magic effect are reworked standard game 
meshes. 

Some caravaner's comments come from 
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Tes3Mod:Tamriel_Rebuilt and some from 
Beth Forums users (special thanks to Athirena and Dragon32).

I've hidden levitation magic effect so it should usually be not visible 
when traveling. If for any reason you want to restore the original effect, 
you can delete the Data Files\Meshes\e\magic_hit_Levitate.nif 

As usual, feel free to use anything done by me, just give credit when 
credit is due and be sure to be compatible with this mod (that usually 
means: always use different ids, not super-easy but if you are a modder 
capable to tackle with the code you should know how to do it). Be 
prepared though, the real hard work is creating the routes! 

Anyway, I really love this mod, maybe you'll like it too. 

-abot 


