Doubts on Morrowind

[marek0712]

Hey, people, this is my first post here in the forum, I think, compared to you guys, I'm very new to ES world (started playing Oblivion two years ago). I've been annoying Emma in Vilja's threat hehehe, now I decided to register me here. I wish to play Morrowind, since I've been a lot curious to understand the lore in ES, at least, finish the main quest in TES III, since every time I play I stop at Balmora and that.

I picked a couple of mods that I thought would be interesting to play the game with some cool changes but without changing everything, like, "Morrowind Patch v1.6.5 BETA", "Better Bodies v 2.2", some companions from Emma's site and one apartment in Balmora (hehehe). I also picked Wrye Mash to manage the mods. But I have some doubts:

I want to use one of Emma's Breton faces, but where can I find the hairs in the screenshots?

I read in Better Bodies that they changed how modders could deal with clothes. I don't remember reading this, but when installing their program, would the default clothes be updated to be used with their bodies or would I need to download anything else?

Is there any other Must-Have mod that I should add here?

Ah, are companions essential? Or will they get dead eventually? I don't remember reading about this on this forum or in the documentation of the companions.

And is there a way to make my character walk/run faster? One thing that made me sick is that my character walks like a slowpoke, I wish he could walk in a more normal speed, specially because Morrowind doesn't have the Fast Travel mechanics.

I think that's all. Hehehe thank you.

[blockhead]

At a low level your character is slow ... and weak, and short on Magicka. It's normal. Run as often as you can and then on level up, assign some of your points to speed.

For a first play-through, you might want to consider running unmodded, or with only the basic/subtle mods (like that patch you mentioned and the better bodies). Playing unmodded will later allow you to better realize what mods you actually want for your style of play.

Oh, and I see you have wrye bash. That's essential. Sorts out mod conflicts and even you don't have mods it's a good thing becuase it can be used to fix corrupted character saves.

p.s. Oh: and never ever ever ever use quicksave and quickload. To quote from Ghostbusters, "that would be bad."

[Emma]

Well, I'm sure you will at least use Better Bodies and an alternate face, as the original Morrowind faces weren't that great, really.

The hairs in my screenshots are often from the Better Heads mod, but they are available in most head replacers.

You should go here[/quote] to learn more about the basics for using Morrowind mods. This site includes a section for newbees and also the legendary Telesphorus list of mods, where you can find a thorough list of mods, including links to Better Bodies and the Better Clothes clothing replacer that will optimize the looks of better bodies.

In Morrowind, companions are generally not essential. If they die, they die and you reload. which is a major difference to Oblivion. Personally, I like the non-essential companions better for roleplay reasons - I have to care about them! That's why also Vilja for Oblivion is set to non-essential by default, although you can make her essential through her options book.

Your character will walk/run faster very soon. You can set the speed through the console (player->modspeed 50) but then you won't get the easy bonus for level up speed when you level up, so it's not a good idea.

For fast travelling there are a number of mods. (and of course you can use the silt striders and boats for quick travelling). Anyway, my VTA Travel Agency is one of the mods that actually also caters for companions - you'll find it on my site.

Agreed on quicksave and quickload, Blockhead. But, really, it's asking for problem also when you use it in Oblivion.

Morrowind is a wonderful game, in many aspects better than Oblivion. The main quest is better, the environment is more unique. With graphics mods you can reach almost the same graphic looks as in Oblivion. Still, one has to admit that the npcs are more static, and that this shows. The pros are still so many that it outweights the possible frustrations. Oblivion is a lovely game, but Morrowind is an outstanding game. IMO, of course .

[marek0712]

Thank you both!
Morrowind Mythic Mods is very nice indeed, I was reading the stuff there right now. I'll stick with Better Heads and the patch for now and once I get into the game, I'll add the companions and the houses. Thanks for the tip about quicksave/load, heard it's bad for Oblivion, but sometimes I do......

I was concerned with the speed running because I was playing with a really slow breton, I thought that I got an issue with my computer. My brother played with a dark-elf and he said that he wasn't so slow.

Talking about the companions, isn't there another way to resurrect them without console commands? Besides, I recall somewhere that resurrecting them isn't advised...

[loriel]

One method I usually use to increase my speed in Morrowind is to acquire the Boots of Blinding Speed - which boost your speed by 200 when you wear them. Unfortunately they also blind you, but if you are playing a Breton then the blinding effect is much reduced by your magic-resistant nature.

To acquire them you need to find a trader called Pemenie, to the west side of Caldera/Ald'Ruhn, and escort her to Gnaar Mok.

Loriel

[marek0712]

Cool hint too!
I picked the Nightblade class and The Steed, I think they boosted my speed in a reasonable way. hehehe XD

Also, I'm impressed with Better Heads! I showed to my bro and we both were shocked on how everybody looks much much better!

[Emma]

You will find there are so many head replacers and head mods around that you'll probably end up using some kind of mix. There are local replacers, race replacers etc etc so you can make modular choices for head replacers. I don't know them all from the top of my head, but I know there is a replacing faces and hairs on the npcs in Balmora on an individual basis, and then I have done local head replacers for Dagon Fel, Tel Mora and Khuul. For modular race replacers, I think searching for Westly will give you many choices (and he is such a wonderful facemodder, too). Another wonderful facemodder is Illuminiel, but I'm not sure to which extent her faces are included in replacers.

I think it probably works OK to resurrect companions with the console if the companions are 'meat-shield'-ones. But, if you resurrect a companion with a story attached to him/her, there is a VERY high risk that you have broken the dialog completely. I know this is true for all of my companions. There is a very good precaution to having to resurrect ones companions. It's the "save-frequently-reload-when-needed"-strategy, and I've found it very useful also in Oblivion .

(We who played Morrowind before Oblivion were so used to this that I think people did save game a lot more)

[jgf]

If you don't want to worry about keeping your companion alive right now, try Hilda; your basic "pack mule with sword" companion with no quests and little specialized dialog, but she will auto-resurrect when killed (not realistic, but allows you to concentrate on keeping yourself alive). I've used companions for so long, usually Constance or Laura, that the game feels positively lonely without them.

[Emma]

Oct 17, 2010 6:53:47 GMT jgf said:

If you don't want to worry about keeping your companion alive right now, try Hilda; your basic "pack mule with sword" companion with no quests and little specialized dialog, but she will auto-resurrect when killed (not realistic, but allows you to concentrate on keeping yourself alive). I've used companions for so long, usually Constance or Laura, that the game feels positively lonely without them.

Packmule Hilda alas also has a serious bug - the author has used the global command stopcombat when she is supposed to stay out of fight. This literally means that no-one fights when Hilda is around. Not even guards will kill off cliff-racers, and Hilda and the enemies will try to 'kill' each other with verbal insults instead of using weapons.

I've written to the author about this but to my knowledge it has never been cured.

More reasonable fighters are for instance any of Grumpy's companions - Beryl, Hurd etc. (They can be downloaded in the downloads section here or on my website)

[loriel]

Oct 17, 2010 9:30:55 GMT Emma said:

Oct 17, 2010 6:53:47 GMT jgf said:

If you don't want to worry about keeping your companion alive right now, try Hilda; your basic "pack mule with sword" companion with no quests and little specialized dialog, but she will auto-resurrect when killed (not realistic, but allows you to concentrate on keeping yourself alive). I've used companions for so long, usually Constance or Laura, that the game feels positively lonely without them.

Packmule Hilda alas also has a serious bug - the author has used the global command stopcombat when she is supposed to stay out of fight. This literally means that no-one fights when Hilda is around. Not even guards will kill off cliff-racers, and Hilda and the enemies will try to 'kill' each other with verbal insults instead of using weapons.

I've written to the author about this but to my knowledge it has never been cured.

More reasonable fighters are for instance any of Grumpy's companions - Beryl, Hurd etc. (They can be downloaded in the downloads section here or on my website)

Another possibility that might suit you is Emma's Morganna (Witchgirl). She's rather unbalanced (in more ways than one), but I'm currently using her in non-quest mode which seems to work well.
Unfortunately she seems to be rather forgetful, and even when asked not to use magic she frequently summons storm atronachs or tosses around fireballs, which are a bit lethal to most low-level players. However I play a Breton with atronach birthsign and often manage to absorb the magicka and to survive the encounter...

Personally I find that the method of levelling used in Beryl doesn't suit my usual method of play - Beryl's attributes copy the player's from about level seven, which means that instead of being a tough fighter she suddenly becomes a wimpy mage (with no spells...).

Loriel

[Emma]

LOL, Morgana is for sure 'unbalanced in more than one way'
And can be quite a nuisance when using her spells.

However, I have an explanation to when she 'forgets' that she is not supposed to use her spells. When you are travelling with siltstrider or boat, she will regain magicka meanwhile, and therefore start using spells again. Same goes if you reload the game - she will then have a full reserve of magicka. So, after travelling or reloading you have to repeat the instructions.

(Later on, with Laura, this was handled in another, safer, way (adding and removing spells instead of adding and removing magicka), but Morgana is from 2003 and one of the oldest companions around).

Loriel, you are partially wrong about Beryl. I know that Grumpy used to copy the player's skills on the companions, and he and I were constantly discussing this (because I didn't like it). With Beryl, he had actually reconsidered (or couldn't endure my nagging any more ), and her skills are set up for a warrior. However, her attributes are still matching the players, so she might be a warrior with high intelligence but not much strength. Her weapon and armor skills are great, though:

if ( p_diseased == 0 )
set p_strength to ( ( Player->GetStrength ) * 0.85 )
set p_willpower to ( Player->GetWillpower )
set p_intelligence to ( Player->GetIntelligence )
set p_agility to ( Player->GetAgility )
set p_endurance to ( Player->GetEndurance )
set p_personality to ( Player->GetPersonality )
set p_luck to ( Player->GetLuck )

set p_longblade to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 35 )
set p_bluntweapon to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 35 )
set p_shortblade to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 35 )
set p_spear to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 35 )
set p_axe to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 35 )

set p_heavyarmor to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 45 )
set p_mediumarmor to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 45 )
set p_lightarmor to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 45 )
set p_unarmored to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 44 )
set p_block to ( ( Player->GetLevel ) + 45 )

[loriel]

Oct 17, 2010 11:40:08 GMT Emma said:

Loriel, you are partially wrong about Beryl. I know that Grumpy used to copy the player's skills on the companions, and he and I were constantly discussing this (because I didn't like it). With Beryl, he had actually reconsidered (or couldn't endure my nagging any more ), and her skills are set up for a warrior. However, her attributes are still matching the players, so she might be a warrior with high intelligence but not much strength. Her weapon and armor skills are great, though:

Agreed - she retains her high fighting skills. But with low strength (thus can't use heavy armour) and low endurance (thus low hitpoints) she's no longer such a good "meatshield", more of a "sniper" (for which I prefer Constance). I have found Beryl to be useful in healing most of Morrowind's nasty diseases without a trip to a shrine, and serving as meatshield for the first few levels, before being retired (or switched to sniper duties).

Loriel

[jromate]

marek0712
Another way to travel faster is, once you can soul trap a golden saint or asended sleeper is to get an exquiste amulet or ring, or any other piece of equipment that has a high enchant value, go to an enchanter, or do it yourself, and enchant levitate on that item.. you can walk around a lot faster that way.

[jromate]

marek0712
I forgot to mention you should enchant it Constant effect...

[candesco]

In case of companions i also would recommend Jasmine, the companion mod from Jac.
Jasmine is a redguard scout, capable in melee and bow. Levels with you. Just like alot of companions from Emma this companion comes also with her own questline and will respond on your progress in the mainquest and when you join the legion. This particular companion mod starts in Seyda Neen. Talk to Elone to get the companion. 1 little warning: you have to visit the famous cave Addamasartus just outside Seyda Neen.
Kendra, the mage companion made by Baratheon79, is also a nice addition, although a bit overpowered. Especially if you start to upgrade your intelligence and willpower. Kendra can summon a daedra to help in the fight. She will start with a scamp, but at higher levels this can be a flame atronach and even a dremora. You can also give the order not to summon, but just rely on attack. From that point she will cast fireballs.

And yep, i can confirm that Beryl doesn't turn into a wimpy mage. Have used Beryl a couple of times and as soon as you hit level 7 she just start to level with you. Beryl is set as a fighter and not as mage. She only has some curing spells as far as i know. She can cure you if you're diseased, but can't cure herself. But Beryl doesn't have a low strenght. It depends of what you choose. If you upgrade your strenght, then Beryl shall do that also. Same goes with endurance. At a certain point i've ended up having beryl a strenght of 80, thus had an encumbrance of 400. Beryl is a pretty strong companion, if you play the cards right.