TLM - Ambient Light + Fog Update

Every location in the game has a modified Ambient Light level, Ambient Fog level, and Sunlight level.

All levels have been reduced by a consistent amount, then a modifier applied to reduce colored fog effects and incorporate any coloring effects back into the ambient light setting.

Generally the effects stay as close as possible to the designer's original work, though some locations will be a little more colorful (if darker).

TLM - Light Sources (Clearer Lighting)

This is the module that contains all the new lighting data. Every torch, lantern, fireplace, brazier, light source of every type, in fact, has been modified.

Primarily, the changes increase the radius of effect. Colors have been modified so that there is less green artefact (a common problem with previous attempts to extend light source ranges). This required a reduction in the use of orange light (which is the most common cause of green lighting in MW's graphic engine).

Candles, and candle-based lighting (e.g. lanterns, chandeliers), burn using a much whiter light, though conversely their ranges have not been increased as much as other (naturally redder) flame-based sources (such as torches, and fireplaces).

Invisible lighting which is used commonly to provide atmospheric effects and/or to highlight objects within the game world (tapestries being a commonly highlighted item) have been modified, but at a considerably smaller radius level - so that the highlighting exists but subtly as opposed to visible light sources, which will (and should) dominate an area.

Of further note is that contained light sources (such as paper lanterns, coloured glass lanterns, etc.) where the original light source was a standard flame orange but the container was coloured, will now radiate a slightly coloured output. For example, a purple lampshade will give a purple tinge to the light source.

Similarly, coloured candlesticks will give a very subtle alteration to the radiated light, so that a green candlestick will display a very slight green tinge on all surfaces that are lit by it. Because of the reflective nature of silver as a material (at least as opposed to iron), candlelight from a silver container will be marginally brighter (and a touch whiter).

You may also notice other subtle colouration effects based on the type of various light sources. (It must be pointed out though, that varying hardware - both graphics card AND monitor - as well as the gamma levels that you use within the game, will have a major effect on how you personally experience the game world.)

TLM - Light Sources (Natural Water)

A common light source is used to provide the light underwater. However, due to the inability to use torches or lanterns underwater, these sections of the adventure can become impossibly difficult when reducing or eliminating invisible lights.

Therefore, changes to underwater lighting have been kept separate, allowing an easier disabling of their effects for those that really can't stand underwater situations being any more difficult than they already are.

Having said which, In its current state, this module only reduces the ambient light by a (relatively) small amount. And should be acceptable to most people.

TLM - Light Sources (Lanterns)

This is a major module and makes significant changes to the usefulness of torches and lanterns.

Lanterns and torches are now an essential item when travelling in to dark locations. When wielded these items now light everything around the character (through use of a Night Eye spell effect).

Various qualities of torches and lanterns exist. The quality effects the amount of light and the duration of the light source. Slowly they will burn out providing ever reducing amounts of light. Lanterns are (generally) better than torches but both can be designated either Bright, Normal, or Dim. Bright Lanterns are the best non-magical light source available, whilst Dim Torches are the worst.

You will get varying messages upon wielding a light source, and as time goes by while you are holding one, informing you of the current status of it.

Remember though, you cannot wield a burning light source underwater. MW automatically DESTROYS any held light source taken underwater. Nothing I can do about that, it is hard coded into the game. Be careful around water - you have been warned!

TLM - External Lights Ownership

In the original game just about every light source outside of people's homes and shops was the property of no-one. What this meant was that a character could just wander around a town and take any light that they wanted without any repercussions.

As this is neither realistic, nor conducive to interesting gameplay - lanterns and torches should be a valuable resource - this module makes every lantern and torch in towns the property of the town or the individual owning the property it is on.

Feel free to steal them, just don't be surprised now if any nearby citizens or guards take offense at your actions!

TLM - NPC Light Sources

A final necessity is that those that workers in naturally dark locations are a little bit better prepared to deal with their lot! This little module gives miners in the game, and a few others, torches to work with - and informs them what they are supposed to do with them.

TLM - Sneak Modifiers (Code)

The initial purpose of this module was to provide Sneak bonuses in darker locations, and penalties in bright locations, in a consistent and CPU friendly method. After all what is the point of having all this lovely atmosphere if it doesn't effect the gameplay in any significant way.

As time went by, and incompatibilities with other important mods within the community became apparent, it grew to be a much more comprehensive suite of situational Sneak modifications.

In this released version TLM - Sneak Modifiers incorporates a sweeping range of penalties and bonuses based upon:

• The current location of the character (dark dungeons give bonuses, bright shops give penalties)
• The amount and type of Armor and/or Shield worn
• Weather Conditions
• Whether a light source is being held or not

Therefore, you will find it easier to sneak outside if it is foggy or at night, and similarly inside dark dungeons it is comparatively easy to sneak. Conversely bright sunny days, or well lit locations will provide penalties to your standard sneak level.

Carrying a light source pretty much eliminates your ability to sneak - you are, after all, rather obvious crouching in the shadows whilst wielding a bright lantern!

 

A Bonus For Thieves: (Sneak Eye)

So, you might be thinking, what if I'm a thief sneaking through a dark dungeon? So far TLM has pretty much made dungeons black as can be, and wiped out the ability to sneak whilst carrying any useful light source. How on earth am I going to see what is going on?

You will now find that a theifly character is well trained at operating in dark locations. Your character's eyes will adjust to the darkness as long as you hold the Sneak key down. The effect (and bonus) is minor at low levels of Sneak, but can become significant for master Thieves. Also, it can take a little longer for any effect whatsoever to occur at low skill levels.

You will need a minimum Sneak skill of 20 to gain anything from Sneak Eye, you must be in a location that is naturally dark (i.e. a location where a sneak bonus exists), and not carrying a torch or lantern.

 

Some important considerations: ('TLM Reset Sneak' & Experience)

One of the largest challenges when coding modifications that effect stats or skills is the threat that the game engine from time-to-time forgets what penalties have been applied and makes any temporary changes permanent (sort of). This mod incorporates a self-checking and correcting mechanism that tries at all times to eliminate this phenomenon.

This means that when you first start a game with this mod in place, or after certain situations occur where the game, and/or other mods, inflict skill changes on the character, you will spot a 'magical effect' called TLM Reset Sneak, flick on and off every 5 - 15 seconds for up to a minute, or so. This is the mod's attempt to trace what the true current values of modified skills should be. All this is done automatically, but it can be initially a little disconcerting to see the current spell effects panel continuously changing.

By the way, you may never see this TLM Reset Sneak thing - it will only come in to effect when there is a chance that values could get skewed by the game engine. Generally in my experience, this is reasonably often, but hey you might be blessed with a Luck stat of 100 and never see such things, who am I to say?

Note also, that the system used keeps your base Sneak skill intact as regards experience gains. At all times when you are sneaking (in bright or dark locations) and your sneak skill is being modified - the experience gained is based on your true Sneak skill. Otherwise, if you did manage to make your sneak check whilst holding a torch (and thus having an effective skill of 0), you could suddenly find your Sneak skill increased by 3 or 4, at which point the whole game system breaks down.

The game will still tell you that your Sneak skill has increased TO a value that seems wrong, but rest assured the mod will make the necessary changes to bring the skill experience back in to line once the bonus or penalty affects from the current conditions have subsided.

TLM - Sneak Modifiers (Locations)

This mod contains the data for adjusting Sneak based on location. It basically contains every location in the game and stores a location bonus/penalty for it.

TLM - Adjust - ...

These items (of which there are currently two) specifically alter the lighting in the locations specified; usually by moving or adding lights (lanterns, or invisibles).

Throughout the writing of this project I wanted to interfere as little as possible with the actual design of locations within the game but there was one location that I found intolerably dark and (for my characters, at least) was a common enough stop that I felt a few scenic alterations would improve things a little bit. (The location specifically is Ald-Ruhn's The Rat In The Pot).

One other location was so incredibly dull that I felt a little creative lighting may spice things up a little (Vivec's Arena) - this was more of a test of some techniques than anything else. Certainly with this one, it is a matter of taste as to whether the changes improve things or not. Your choice!

TLM - AdjMod - ...

Probably more important that the former item, TLM - AdjMod's contain the relevant light settings for some 3rd Party mod's. (I was planning a much larger selection of these but circumstances have prevented me from spending any extra time on the project - see The Future, below, for details)

What this means is that if you play with one of these specific mods the lighting of any new locations will be adjusted in tune with the rest of the modifications in TLM.

• Bank 2.2 by Indestructible (+ Kir) (though all versions should be okay including the later ones)
• Gladiator 5 by Endrek
• Siege At Firemoth by the Official Morrowind Team
• Spuzzam's Interior Daylight 1.0 by (funnily enough) Spuzzam

Of specific note here is the last one, Interior Daylight. The settings included in the AdjMod file actually make sweeping changes to the level of his new interior daylight lighting - and I highly recommend you getting hold of Spuzzam's mod if you can. I have made the daylight settings considerably stronger, as well as making some alterations to the colouring to be in line with the exterior values I used in the INI file changes. Now, therefore, during the daytime in the affected locations (those with windows) you will now find that rooms are bathed in sunlight. The effects can be stunning and kudos to Spuzzam for his excellent work in the original coding.

I was going to include my own version of window-based daylight effects when his mod appeared on the scene. Basically, he did it so well that I thought it pointless to duplicate the effort.