Castle Almgard V2.4 (by Mr Siika & Centurion)
*********************************************

A plugin for "The Elder Scrolls IV, Oblivion"
Created with US-version 1.2.0416 ("Shivering Isles" required!)  

This plugin adds a buyable Castle southwest of Anvil which can be bought by the player.
Talk to "Surilus Plator" (a man with a blue dress) to buy it (he can be found in the castle courtyard of Castle Almgard from 08:00 am - 06:00 pm and 07:00 pm - 11:00 pm).


Compatibility:
**************
V2.4 is compatible with "Better Cities" (tested up to version 3.2.0a), "OOO"/"FCOM" and "Sousmarine" (as long as you keep "Castle Almard" loaded after "Sousmarine") 

Changes in V2.4 (compared to V2.3b)
***********************************
-added "Griffin Armor" for the guards (also buyable by the smith)
-added 3 helmets and a shild out of Phitts "Knightly Armory" for the guards (also buyable by the smith) 
-added an altar of spellmaking and an altar of enchanting including "hel bornes" "bookshelf" and "alchemy wall chart"   (down in the "Underground" (secret area))
-added the weapons out of "Divine Knight's Weapons v1.0" (by VagabondAngel) (with stats for "MOBS" (Medieval Oblivion (Equipment)) - ebony weapons; they can be bought by the smith)
-added "Iron Maidens" to the dungeon
-moved the "Cyrodiil 3d-map" from the "Living Quarters" down into the "Underground" for fps-improvement inside the "Living Quarters"
-included following alternative versions (all based on V2.4):
	+FPS-improved version (can be found in the sub-directory "Alternative-Version-24b-for-fps-improvement"), which offers an improved framerate in some areas of the castle compared to the genuine version (this alternative file has the courtyard in its own interior cell and a splitted interior cell for best achieveable framerate; there had also two balconies to be removed - otherwise it shows the very same details as the genuine version by offering a framerate which may be in some areas (especially inside the courtyard and the Living Area) twice or even three times as good as the one of the genuine file. So if you are suffering from a bad framerate with the genuine version, you should consider using this one instead of the genuine one)
	+"Unique Landscape, Beaches of Cyrodiil, Lost Coast" compatible version (can be found in the sub-directory "Alternative-Version-24c-UL-compatible") - for compatibility with UL, this file has a relocated "Summerresidence" (only a few steps more to the west) and different DistantLOD-files compared to the genuine version   
	+German Version (DV) (can be found in the sub-directory "Alternative-Version-24d-German-Version")

Changes in V2.3b (compared to V2.2):
************************************
-added a scroll to the "Lord Quarter" (laying on the desk there) which teaches the player a spell teleporting him back to the castle (with big thanks to AntaresArboretum who teached me how to overcome the "Shivering-Isles"-problem for that spell)
-added Mr_Siikas "Siege Engines" to Castle Almgard
-added Valitys "3d-maps" (Vvardenfell, Cyrodiil, Shivering Isles)
-added one of Meos globes into the library
-improved courtyard
-added balcony for the kitchen and the Lords Quarter
-small enlargement of the forrest on Cyrodiils coast (with updated DistantLOD-files)

Changes in V2.2 (compared to V2.0):
***********************************
-replaced "Static Water mesh" inside the inner courtyard with "Real Water Mesh"
-added a "Summerresidence" (wich will be also obtained by the player after having bought Castle Almgard - no respawning containers inside that manor, so your storage will be save there too) with a lighthouse (the interior cell for that "Summerresidence" was taken out of "Castle Highrock")
-created an high detailed Cyrodiil-coast-line around Castle Almgard to improve the look of the surrounding area
-added "abandoned camp" on a small island (can be used as a players home until you can afford the castle itself - no respawning containers around the tent, so your storage will be save there) 
-added labeled chests (heavy armor, light armor, etc.) to the smith and to the weaponry (inside the barracks)
-added some gold veins into the mine
-additional "DistantLOD"- files

Changes in V2 (compared to the genuine version of Castle Almgard):
******************************************************************
-relocated island to the southwest of Anvil for compatibility with "Oscuros Oblivion Overhaul" ("OOO")
-enlarged island with a small settlement, harbour and mine
-both courtyards are now placed into the exterior (no more door-teleportation to enter these areas)
-some united interior cells ("Living Quarters"/"Library", "Main Tower"/"Guest Quarter")
-changed the location of the kitchen with the one of the stairway leading down to the cellar and overworked them both
-added some additional balconies
-added "Empty Room" - its up to the user himself to decorate this room (may be doing it by using the "Construction Set" or even ingame incommon with "foreign" plugins like "Imperial Furniture")
 

Features / usage of that plugin:
********************************
-Full furnished Castle on its own island built out of Mr Siikas castle-meshes containing all rooms and NPCs you would expect to see in a castle (including several secret areas). 
-All needed "DistantLOD"-files included to show up the castle in far distance
-ships docked nearby the castle
-small settlement
-small harbour
-small mine
-Summerresidence with Lighthouse (also owned by the player)

What else to know?

-The dialogue "Castle Almgard" of the NPC "Surilus Plator" uses "silent" mp3-files (there is no voice-acting!)
-All your storage should be save inside the walls of Castle Almgard (no respawning containers beside the ones marked with a foreign ownership ("Castle Almgard Servant Food Cupboard" is used to "feed" the servants)
-There are two ingredient sorters inside the alchemy lab (can be found inside "Castle Almgard, Underground" (secret area)); the left one sorts all ingredienst out of "vanilla Oblivion" and the right one will handle the ingredients out of "Shivering Isles". The sorter can be activated by touching one of the crystalballs standing on the left (Oblivion-sorter) or right (Shivering Isles sorter) side of the stone table; the ingredients will be sorted into the shelves above the stone table. There is also one addition ingredient shelf for "foreign" ingredients (ingredients out of any plugins); but there is no sorter for it, you will have to put the ingredients in it by doing it yourself.
-static (master) alchemy apparati (can be found inside "Castle Almgard, Underground" (secret area)) of the castle; the activator apparati act just like the spellmaking and enchanting altars. Simply activate them. A set of master apparati will be added to your inventory and you will be informed that an alchemical experiment has begun as the alchemy window appears. Closing the alchemy window removes the apparati from the players inventory until he reactivates the static apparati.)
-merchant selling his goods from 08:00 am - 06:00 pm inside the ship "Flying Merchant"
-alchemist selling her goods goods from 08:00 am - 06:00 pm inside the "Castle Almgard, Mainkeep Cellar"
-smith selling his goods goods from 08:00 am - 06:00 pm inside "Castle Almgard, Smith" (south bastion)
-priest selling some spells and offering Restoration-training from 08:00 am - 06:00 pm inside the chapel (west bastion) 

Installation:
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-Unzip "Castle_Almgard-V24.7z" anywhere you wish,
-copy all unzipped files out of "Castle_Almgard-V24.7z"  ("Castle_Almgard-V2.esp" plus all directories!) into your "Oblivion\Data\" directory.
-When you run Oblivion, click on Data Files, then check off "Castle_Almgard-V2.esp" and run the game.
+if you decide to use one of the alternative versions install the genuine version first as described above and then you must copy your choosen version ("Castle_Almgard-V2.esp") out of its subdirectory into your "Oblivion\Data\" directory by replacing the genuine esp-file (and if you chose to use the Unique Landscape compatible version, you must also copy the directories "DistantLOD", "Meshes" and "Textures" out of its subdirectory into your "Oblivion\Data\" directory (by replacing the already existing ones)). 

Hint regarding load order if you chose to use the UL-compatible version:
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Load-order of the esp-files is essential to get Castle Almgard V2 working correct in common with UL!
So, keep always "Castle_Almgard-V2.esp" loaded after "xulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.esp" (V1.6 of "xulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.esp" is the latest one known to me).
If you are using "Sousmarine" (optional), keep "Castle_Almgard-V2.esp" loaded after it too. 

Uninstallation (all versions):
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First step:
When you run Oblivion, click on Data Files, then uncheck "Castle_Almgard-V2.esp"

Second step:
Due the LOD-files you must also delet following files in following directories (or the distant land/castle out of "Castle Almgard" will stay visible in the game):

Directory: "...Oblivion\Data\DistantLOD\"
Files: 
"Tamriel_-50_-8.lod", "Tamriel_-50_-9.lod", 
"Tamriel_-51_-8.lod", "Tamriel_-51_-9.lod", "Tamriel_-51_-10.lod", "Tamriel_-51_-11.lod", 
"Tamriel_-52_-8.lod", "Tamriel_-52_-9.lod", "Tamriel_-52_-10.lod", "Tamriel_-52_-11.lod", 
"Tamriel_-53_-8.lod", "Tamriel_-53_-9.lod", "Tamriel_-53_-10.lod", "Tamriel_-53_-11.lod", 
"Tamriel_-54_-9.lod", "Tamriel_-54_-10.lod", "Tamriel_-54_-11.lod", "Tamriel_-54_-12.lod", 
"Tamriel_-55_-11.lod", 

Directory: "...Oblivion\Data\Meshes\Landscape\LOD\"
File: "60.-64.-32.32.NIF"

Directory: "...Oblivion\Data\Textures\landscapelod\generated\"
File: "60.-64.-32.32.dds"


Known problems:
***************
If you are using the plugin "Unofficial Oblivion Patch" you should delete following 2 meshes which come with that plugin:
"ANCastleCourtPillarEnd01.NIF" and "ANCastleCourtPillarEnd02.NIF"
These meshes can be found in "Oblivion\data\meshes\architecture\castle\anvil\"
These meshes were altered by "Unofficial Oblivion Patch" and the changes will cause missing columns in Castle Almgard (by the "Summerresidence"). So you should realy delete them if you are using Castle Almgard V2.2 incommon with "Unofficial Oblivion Patch". 



Credits:
********
I added a directory to the files called "used_plugins_in_Castle-Almgard-V2" which contains all readmes of the used models/mods in "Castle Almgard" (if available). If you wish to use some of the models in your own plug-in you should have a look into it. In no special order I used the work of the following authors in "Castle Almgard": 

Mr Siika
-Mr_Siikas Better Ports (and of course the meshes for the castle!)
-Mr_Siikas Siege Engines
(and of course the meshes for the castle out of "Griffin Fortress!)

PS33:
-scripts for the the ingredient sorter

Wormheart:
-"Working Gates"

Phoenix:
-"2 fireplaces"
-2 shelves out of "Ingredient Storage Shelves"

Shawn Dworshak a.k.a. Academician Nwahs
-"Oblivion Static Alchemy Mod"

Xiamara:
-"Sofa and Chair Set 1"
-Full Wine Racks

Xiamara/Barabus:
-BarabusCooking Range

Loth:
-Loth's Better Weapon Racks (V2.0)

Garak:
-"Garaks Booksets"

Antistar:
-bathtube out of "Bathing Mod"

Andysaurus:
-"AndysaurusDungeon Resource Set"

Phitt:
-"Fishtanks"
-3 helmets and a shield out of "Knightly Armory" (with permission by Phitt)
-"Griffin Armor" (with bugfix for female armor by Apexmuffin)

Texian
-Static Water Meshes

Hel Borne
-Hel Borne's alchemist sink resource
-Hel Bornebookshelf resource
-Hel Bornes empire altar resource
-Hel Bornes alchemy wall chart resource

throttlekitty/Da Mage
-Real water mesh

Meo:
-"Globes"

Vality:
-3d maps of Cyrodiil, Shivering Isles and Vvardenfell

VagabondAngel
-"Divine Knight's Weapons" (bow, arrow, 2 swords)





If you find any bugs or having problems with this plugin "pm" me at the elderscrolls-forum or send me an e-mail (UdoSpringalla@AOL.com) so that I can try to fix them.




Secret Area Spoiler:
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Castle Almgard has two independent secret areas. 
The first one is leading from the weaponry inside the "Barracks" to "Castle Almgard Cellar" (through a wine barrel) and to "Castle Almgard Mausoleom" and through "Shack Cellar" outside of the castles westside (look out for "Strange Candles" and "Movable Pillars" to open the secret doors).
The second one leads from "Castle Almgard Cellar" (from the side-room of the alchemy-shop there) to "Castle Almgard Underground" with an exit leading out of the castle; inside "Castle Almgard Underground" can also be found the treasury and the alchemy laboratory (with ingredient sorters and a static alchemy set).
