Kohdi

Hey all, I've recently been having issues with certain game scripts, both vanilla and mod-added, taking a very long time to start or failing completely, as well as apparently random CTDs. The scripts range from city carriages to absorbing dragon souls to flying the Dev Aveza airship, yet curiously scripts used in questlines do not seem to be affected. CTDs only seem to occur in outdoor areas or when transitioning between an indoor/city to the Tamriel worldspace. As far as I know my mod list is clean and up-to-date, but just in case there's an issue I've overlooked, here it is - Skyrim.esm Update.esm JSwords.esm KohdiReachwindEyrie-Vera.esm RaceCompatibility.esm ApachiiHair.esm Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp SkyUI.esp SkyrimURWL.esp WATER.esp Better Dynamic Snow.esp ShootingStars.esp mintylightningmod.esp Supreme Storms.esp Chesko_LoreBasedLoadingScreens.esp RaceMenu.esp Brawl Bugs CE.esp Bardfix.esp Auto Unequip Arrows.esp No Helmets Required.esp FA Guard Helmet.esp Headtracking.esp Footprints.esp BFSEffects.esp dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp UnlimitedBookshelves.esp FollowerWander2.esp KohdiNoBowsFollowers.esp Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp Convenient Horses.esp Legendary Gauldur Amulet.esp KohdiReducedFalmerWeapons.esp DaedricShieldHiResFix.esp Tamriel Compendium.esp KohdiAkaviriArmaments.esp WeaponsOf3E.esp ThalmorStandalone.esp JSwordsDistributionBalancePlugin.esp Andragorn's Armoury.esp Andragorn_Weapons.esp isilnarsil.esp Cloaks.esp Insanity's Sorrow.esp Insanity's Pale Blade.esp ScoutArmor.esp KohdiDibellasGift.esp Evil MasterMind Armor.esp KohdiPants.esp ApotheusLightArmor_by_GuitunScarfin.esp DK_Armor_By_Hothtrooper44.esp KohdiRelicsOfAntajhor.esp Skyrim Flora Overhaul.esp Shrine of Azura LOD Fix.esp StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp WhiteRunExpInt.esp KohdiRoadsideRuins.esp KohdiReachwindEyrie.esp DA_Skyship.esp EnhancedLightsandFX.esp dagi_raht_race.esp ActionPoser.esp FNISspells.esp PinupsMen.esp Pupetteer Master.esp WetandCold.esp skyBirds - Airborne Perching Birds.esp Automatic Variants.esp As you can see these are all fairly well-known mods, and I can be sure that the ones under my own prefix are as clean as whistles. I also run ENB v0.113, a bit old but the only version supported by my favorite obsolete config. This has run fine for a very long time, though, so I doubt it has anything to do with this. Now, as for what I've changed recently which could provoke such a hiccup, I am having difficulties locating the cause. I haven't installed any overhaul-type mods for a long time, but I did recently clean out my data/scripts folder of old, unused scripts from past mods which I feared may have been plugging up my savegame (I should mention that I'm a fully-manual installer). I made very sure that none of the removed scripts were those needed by my current mods. Another new thing I've done is setting up a Windows backup, which originally contained my savegame folder in its list. I thought the Windows indexing might be introducing errors into the files as they were written, but removing the folder from my backup list has had only minimal success. Also, there was an odd glitch with the NMM which I had open, and after I had deactivated a few mods I deleted their files from my data folder without closing NMM. This made the game crash on startup, but putting back the deleted .esp files, even when deactivated, seemed to fix this. I know these are very different problems, but I'm just trying to figure out what I did recently which might have any effect on the game. Sorry to ramble, but I'm at a loss as for what to do. It's very frustrating to have crashes which happen spontaneously and without any documentation, leaving me grasping in the dark to find what really caused it. I greatly appreciate any replies to this (especially the helpful ones), and I sincerely hope someone can find a bit of insight which has passed me by.

The bridge looks amazing spanning the fjord. I opened the picture while listening to the Hobbit soundtrack, it was a perfect fit. Glad you decided on the larger island size!

So glad I decided to browse the forums tonight, I've been seeing your pictures on the Nexus and just read through all 50 pages here, this is awesome stuff. You've got a great unique style going with the architecture, armor, weapons, and even creatures, and I am very excited for this mod's first release. Just seeing those green fields outside of Varheimgard gives me shivers (the good kind). Keep it up, I'll have a close eye on this in the future!

That's essentially what I did, and after some frustrated script finagling and tweaking to visual effects, the amulet is working beautifully. Thanks for your help! Now I just need to write the owner's journal...

Thanks for the suggestions, I think what I'll try to do is make the inactive amulet run the script to check the player's health, then if the percentage is reached it will switch to the active, glowing amulet which will have the actual magic effects, which can switch itself back out when it's done working. The reason I was trying to keep the same amulet equipped was because the script runs out of an enchantment, and if the amulet is unequipped, the enchantment-script will no longer run. The enchantment itself is a modified version of the Kohnariik mask, without the dragon priest summoning and with a magic drain applied to the player (this works pretty well).

Hey all, I've got yet another scripting question for you. I'm trying to make an amulet which, by its enchantment, senses when the player gets below a certain health percentage, then activates a few beneficial effects. I'd like the amulet to change its appearance during this time to an identical model with a glow map, but the amulet needs to remain the same object or the enchantment-script will be interrupted. The only workaround I can think of is if there is a way to modify an armor object's ArmorAddon properties via script, which would allow me to take out or switch the non-glowing with the glowing (I'm not going to sweat the inventory model). Any suggestions?

Okay, problem solved! I worked with the script I posted some more, and after removing the PlayerREF check and PerformActionXXOn(self), the wheel is turning and my chain of objects is disabled then re-enabled nicely. Thanks again for the nudge in the right direction Sjogga, I wouldn't have even considered the ObjectReference method if not for you.

The above post got weird with the script, here's another try - ScriptName KohdiWaterfallValveScript Extends ObjectReference Actor Property PlayerREF Auto Bool Property Bidirectional = True Auto Bool Flip = True Event OnActivate(ObjectReference akActionRef) If akActionRef == PlayerREF Self.BlockActivation(True) If (Flip) PlayAnimation("Trigger01") PerformAction01On(Self) ObjectReference TempRef = GetLinkedRef() while (TempRef && TempRef != Self) PerformAction01On(TempRef) TempRef = TempRef.GetLinkedRef() endwhile Else PlayAnimation("Trigger02") PerformAction02On(Self) ObjectReference TempRef = GetLinkedRef() while (TempRef && TempRef != Self) PerformAction02On(TempRef) TempRef = TempRef.GetLinkedRef() endwhile EndIf Flip = !Flip Self.BlockActivation(False) EndIf EndEvent Function PerformAction01On(ObjectReference Target) If Target.IsEnabled() Target.Disable(True) Else Target.Enable(True) EndIf EndFunction Function PerformAction02On(ObjectReference Target) If Target.IsDisabled() Target.Enable(True) Else Target.Disable(True) EndIf EndFunction

Thanks for the suggestion, I've modified the script to fit the new style but the objects are still refusing to disable, and now the valve won't turn either. Here's what I've got - (see next post) I made a LinkedRef chain with some of the biggest objects (just for easy testing), but they aren't affected by the script as-is. Again, I'm not sure what some of the meatier bits are doing, I'm just retrofitting the obvious parts from the pertinent examples on the wiki. Any ideas?

Alright, here's an update - I've tried merging the Valve script above with one designed to enable/disable the items in a FormList on command, fond on the CK wiki. This is what that looks like - Scriptname KohdiWaterfallValveScript extends ObjectReference bool property bidirectional = True Auto bool flip = True Int iIndex ObjectReference Reference FormList Property KohdiWaterfallList Auto Event OnActivate(ObjectReference TriggerRef) Self.BlockActivation(true) If (flip) PlayAnimationAndWait("Trigger01" , "Trans01") iIndex = KohdiWaterfallList.GetSize() While(iIndex > 0) iIndex -= 1 Reference = KohdiWaterfallList.GetAt(iIndex) as ObjectReference If Reference.IsEnabled() Reference.Disable(true) Else Reference.Enable(true) EndIf EndWhile Else PlayAnimationAndWait("Trigger02" , "Trans02") iIndex = KohdiWaterfallList.GetSize() While(iIndex > 0) iIndex -= 1 Reference = KohdiWaterfallList.GetAt(iIndex) as ObjectReference If Reference.IsEnabled() Reference.Disable(true) Else Reference.Enable(true) EndIf EndWhile EndIf Flip = !flip Self.BlockActivation(false) EndEvent This compiles fine, but when the valve is turned (and it does turn) the objects are not disabled, since their starting state is enabled. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the ("Trigger01" , "Trans01") bits or the iIndex -= 1 part, though they appear to be necessary. If anyone can spot where I've gone wrong I would be grateful.

Hey all, Recently I've been working on an area which includes a Dwemer valve that, when turned, shuts off a waterfall and its associated splashes, water dynamics, and sounds. When turned again all this would become active again. I'm having a good deal of trouble with the script, though, and I was wondering if anyone would mind giving me a hand. Here's the default valve script, for starters - Scriptname KohdiWaterfallValveScript extends ObjectReference bool property bidirectional = True Auto bool flip = True Auto STATE Waiting EVENT onActivate (objectReference triggerRef) self.BlockActivation(true) if (flip) playAnimationandWait("trigger02","Trans02") Else playAnimationandWait("trigger01","Trans01") EndIf flip = !flip self.BlockActivation(false) endEVENT endState Now what I'm thinking is that I need to have this script either enable or disable an arbitrary object, then link up all the water effects to follow its enabled state. It would also be nice to have a fade-in/out time for the transition. If anyone thinks they can help, please don't hesitate. Thanks for any and all replies!

Okay, resurrecting an old topic here but my problem is still pretty similar. I've decided to scrap the script above because it was only treating the symptom, not the root problem. I needed a script to check the actor for armor/clothes when the cell is loaded, then equip those items in the usual fashion (greater rating/cost before lesser). I realized that the mannequins in player homes already do this, and so with (a lot) of modification I've trimmed down what I think are the relevant events and functions. Sadly, my npc is still loading naked even with a full set of armor and some clothes in his inventory. Here's what I've got (apologies for the length, be glad I didn't take it to all 50-some armor slots) - Scriptname KohdiVeraAutoEquipScript extends Actor Import Utility Form Property ArmorSlot01 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot02 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot03 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot04 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot05 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot06 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot07 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot08 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot09 auto hidden Form Property ArmorSlot10 auto hidden Form Property EmptySlot auto hidden EVENT OnCellLoad() Wait(0.25) EquipCurrentArmor() EndEVENT Event OnItemAdded(Form akBaseItem, int aiItemCount, ObjectReference akItemReference, ObjectReference akSourceContainer) if (akBaseItem as Armor) AddToArmorSlot(akBaseItem) self.EquipItem(akBaseItem) endif EndEvent Event OnObjectUnequipped(Form akBaseObject, ObjectReference akReference) if (akBaseObject as Armor) RemoveFromArmorSlot(akBaseObject) endif endEvent Function EquipCurrentArmor() if (ArmorSlot01 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot01) endif if (ArmorSlot02 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot02) endif if (ArmorSlot03 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot03) endif if (ArmorSlot04 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot04) endif if (ArmorSlot05 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot05) endif if (ArmorSlot06 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot06) endif if (ArmorSlot07 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot07) endif if (ArmorSlot08 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot08) endif if (ArmorSlot09 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot09) endif if (ArmorSlot10 != EmptySlot) self.EquipItem(ArmorSlot10) endif endFunction Function AddToArmorSlot(Form akBaseItem) bool FoundEmptySlot = FALSE if (ArmorSlot01 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot01 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot02 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot02 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot03 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot03 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot04 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot04 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot05 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot05 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot06 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot06 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot07 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot07 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot08 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot08 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot09 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot09 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot10 == EmptySlot) && (FoundEmptySlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot10 = akBaseItem FoundEmptySlot = TRUE endif FoundEmptySlot = FALSE endFunction Function RemoveFromArmorSlot(Form akBaseItem) bool FoundMatchingSlot = FALSE if (ArmorSlot01 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot01 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot02 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot02 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot03 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot03 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot04 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot04 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot05 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot05 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot06 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot06 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot07 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot07 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot08 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot08 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot09 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot09 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif if (ArmorSlot10 == akBaseItem) && (FoundMatchingSlot == FALSE) ArmorSlot10 = EmptySlot FoundMatchingSlot = TRUE endif endFunction I realize it may look redundant or garbled, but keep in mind that I'm not entirely sure what some of it is doing. From what I can tell, the problem is arising from all the ArmorSlotXX properties not being defined, either well enough or at all. I've modeled this after the script on the mannequins with the applicable property applied, an INT called MannSlot (no chuckles) which I can't make heads or tails of, unless it's supposed to contain all the information for the armor slots. If someone can educate me on what I'm missing, what parts of that script are still relevant, or anything else, I'd be extremely grateful. This particular script has been biting my heels for far too long.

Thanks for that, I guess the script is no good if I don't give it the right conditions. ;) I think I've figured out my "nakedness" problem as well, though not the solution. I haven't set that actor with a default outfit (nor do I want to), but Skyrim's backwards system won't auto-equip whatever armor/clothes are in the actor's inventory, it needs to be "told" to do it. I don't know who thought this was a necessary change to make over Oblivion, it's just a redundant complication. Anyway, is there a way to make a general "auto equip" script that would work like Oblivion's system, in that it would check the actor's inventory for the best gear of each type (weapon, armor, gauntlets, boots, etc.) and equip it on loading (like my script above) without referencing a specific item? I think if this could be done it would both fix my problem and remove the need for the script I posted here. Again, thanks for any help!

Hey all, I'm working with a supposedly-simple script which would run every time an actor loads, checks if he has certain items in his inventory, and if so, equips those items. Here's what I've got - Scriptname KohdiVeraEquipScript extends Actor Armor Property VeraArmorProperty Auto Armor Property VeraBootsProperty Auto Armor Property VeraGauntletsProperty Auto Bool Property silent Auto Event OnLoad() if (!Self.IsDead() && !Self.IsDisabled()) if (VeraArmorProperty != none) Self.EquipItem(VeraArmorProperty, silent) EndIf if(VeraGauntletsProperty != none) Self.EquipItem(VeraGauntletsProperty, silent) EndIf if(VeraBootsProperty != none) Self.EquipItem(VeraBootsProperty, silent) EndIf EndIf EndEvent (The armor properties are linked up to their respective unique items) (I have also tried setting the conditions to "== true" with no luck) This works well enough when the items are in the actor's inventory, but if the items are not (as you can tell from the script, the items are pieces of armor), the actor ends up naked even if there are suitable replacements in his inventory. It is of note that this only happens when the actor, a follower, has been dismissed and spends time away from the player, but on normal interior-to-exterior cell changes everything works fine. This is more of an aesthetic thing but I would appreciate any pointers you may have, as this is one of the last things I need to do before updating one of my mods. Thanks for any and all replies!

I'll just throw this idea out, as it is something I'd love to see but making it is above my paygrade. I've always found it odd (since Oblivion, in fact) that the player has a magical radar-compass which can detect the distance and type of locations within a large radius. I think it breaks immersion quite a bit, leading to a kind of "false exploration". How cool would it be to stumble on a place like the Eldergleam Sanctuary simply by seeing a mysterious cave entrance, and not because you were lead there by the tell-tale marker on your HUD? I don't think removing map markers all the way is right, though, since I would still like to see the locations I've visited or been pointed towards on my map. Just removing those on the compass would give the world that extra feeling of openness which Skyrim is already so good at. If someone can make this be sure to let me know, as I will be one of your first downloaders!

Thanks all for the tips, it turns out this is some kind of strange bug that only affects certain players. Thankfully there is a fix for it (I can confirm that it works), recommended to me by a friend. Here's the link I was given - http://frontierskyrim.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/floating-grass-in-primby/ And by extension, the BethSoft forum thread - http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1351548-a-fix-floating-grass/ I hope this can help other people with the same problem!

The grass does persist in the game, despite my best efforts. Even after coating the whole area with a "nograss" texture nothing seems to change. The place I'm editing is too small to justify replacing all land textures in the cell with their grassless versions (not to mention it's in the Falkreath forest and would likely be very noticeable), but with the way things are going I doubt it would help anyway. I may need to resort to using a land-textured static to simulate the ground, but I don't know if even that would help because the grass just floats in midair where the old landscape used to be. You'd think the system would work more or less like it did in Oblivion, but maybe the necessary bit of code was "forgotten" somewhere...

Thanks for the tip, I didn't see that before. I'm still having an issue, though, but it's one I've encountered before - The grass refuses to re-format itself to the new textures and new landscape shape. Everything is set just right, but it's like I'm missing a "regenerate grass" button or something. Any ideas?

Hello all! I'm working on a small house in the forest near Falkreath, and I'm finding myself in need of a lawnmower. I need to remove a patch of landscape grass from an area without changing the ground texture (I'd still like it to be mossy and green, just without the grass). Does anyone know how Skyrim's grass system works? I can't seem to find any documentation on it, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've been thinking about this and doing a little research of my own that gives rise to two thoughts. 1. How sure are you that the Towers/Stones "uphold reality"? It seems to me that reality was established by the Adamantine Tower with the Zero Stone, and reality was stable as long as the Aedra were in residence. They then created the Red Tower with the Heart of Lorkhan as its Stone, which allowed Mundus to continue after they returned to Aetherius. These two Towers alone were sufficient to uphold reality, as the other Towers did not yet exist, so the others can hardly be necessary props. As I understand it, the Aldmer began the construction of the other Towers for their own purposes, in imitation of the original two. Since each Tower was built by a group having a more-or-less divergent viewpoint from the others, this was the point at which the Aldmer subdivided into Ayleid, Altmer, Chimer, Bosmer, etc. Would destroying these Towers actually bring down reality, or would it result in the associated splinter groups merging back together to recreate the original root stock? I.e., might the purpose of the Thalmor be to re-unite all of the branches of their race to recreate the Aldmer? Pulling down the Adamantine Tower might free their souls, but only if they are first made whole again. 2. The "unknown" Stone of the Snow Tower: The Eye of Magnus? The parallel of the name with the name of another Stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, seems suggestive, given that Magnus was the architect of the mortal plane. This would explain so much. If the Falmer were the splinter group that created the Snow Tower using the Eye, then they would surely have been upset when those Atmoran colonists just happened to stumble on the Stone while building Saarthal, leading to the Night of Tears as the Falmer tried desperately to reclaim it. This would also mean that Ancano's grab for the Eye may have been more than simple power lust, assuming that he knew what it was. We may have had a very narrow escape, with the Thalmor coming within a whisker of controlling the Snow Tower, whether this was Ancano's intention or not! The whole incident may have a much deeper significance than we realized, lending new weight to the ominious warnings of the Psijics. Will they be able to keep it safe, and can they be trusted with it? You make good points there, but my madness still has its reasons. ;) The towers do not individually hold up reality, that is the duty of the Adamantine Tower, but as each successive Tower was created it became a kind of support, or more like a wall, which needs to be torn down before attacking the Spike of Creation itself (Uncoiling the Dragon, as it's been said). As a side note, Talos himself also serves this function from his position as a divine, hence the Thalmor's need to end his worship. The Thalmor, from what I understand, started as a kind of religious minority (more of a cult) on Summerset Isle, where the majority of the Aldmer did not agree with their ideas or plans. This can be seen in the numerous groups around Skyrim (notably the Dunmer and Bosmer) being uninterested or downright hostile toward the Thalmor. This also explains why the Thalmor are tearing down towers, whereas the Aldmeri people have built them in the past. The defining moment for the Thalmor was their apparent "saving" of Summerset from the Oblivion Crisis, which won them more respect and political power than they should have been trusted with. As for the Eye of Magnus being the Stone of Snow Tower, it is a good (and persistent) theory but I have some lingering doubts, mostly due to this short passage written a little before the game was released - http://www.imperial-library.info/content/kinmune . The story is unofficial, but Michael Kirkbride's texts make some very interesting and sometimes enlightening reading. This story in particular is a fairly difficult read, but it seems to suggest that the Eye of Magnus is the "shell" of a 9th-era mining intelligence that was shot back through time under the place where Saarthal would be built. The intelligence acted as a kind of oracle to the native peoples (including the Falmer, as you mentioned) until it escaped its shell (all we have now) around the time of the emperor Cuhlecain. Again, this is highly subject to doubt and could be just a fun, confusing thing to read, but that's where my misgivings stem from. If it is the stone, I would be confident in trusting the Psiijics with its protection. Like I said, the Thalmor are just a crazy group of radicals gone too far, there may yet be significant resistance even on Summerset Isle. Apologies for hijacking this thread, I'll shut up now if nobody wants a metaphysics discussion. ;)

These are all good points, but I'll draw attention back to two things in my previous post - Banning the worship of Talos is nearly as dangerous as letting the Thalmor take control of Skyrim and the Snow Tower. While Talos is not a complete Tower in himself, without him there would be no direct connection between the gods and men. He may yet have some influence over the mortal plane which has not manifested yet (or has, and we can't see it), but regardless, the Thalmor ban on his worship (which the Imperials follow, willingly or not) has very dangerous consequences. Second, it is important to remember that the Imperials were nearly eradicated in the Great War. They have so little strength left that they betrayed Hammerfell (which still continues the fight) and lost the only two provinces worth keeping, Valenwood and Elsweyr (Morrowind, Argonia, and High Rock are essentially unimportant right now). Giving them control of Skyrim, the last strong province, is trusting that in their weakened state they can protect both Cyrodiil and Skyrim. However, the Stormcloaks are a rising factor, and the majority of Skyrim's people (at least after completing that side of the war quest) sympathize with their causes. The Stormcloaks work to re-establish Talos worship and drive the Thalmor out of Skyrim. I side with them because they have a reason to fight, they have the strength to fight the Dominion, they know the land and its people, and they understand (perhaps better than anyone) the historical consequences of getting too comfortable with a powerful society of Elves (recall the Night of Tears and the Fall of the Snow Prince). True, Ulfric himself might not be the perfect candidate for High King, but he's a whole lot better than living under the combined thumb of the Imperials and Thalmor.

I've been having a problem for a little while now that is becoming just plain annoying. When in first person mode, just a little while after drawing a weapon (any weapon, modded or vanilla), the weapon, my arms, and sometimes my shield will disappear, though I can still hit things and shoot my bow. Does anyone know the cause of this problem, or a way to fix it? Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Like the others have said, the quests are nearly identical, but there are political issues at play which influenced my choice heavily. If you love Skyrim and wish to save all men from destruction, I'd go Stormcloaks. True, a united Empire may be better for everyone, but the Empire is still weak and caters to the whim of the Aldmeri Dominion. The Stormcloaks, on the other hand, are young, strong, and may be just what Skyrim needs to avert the inevitable attacks of the Thalmor. Why is there so much Thalmor interest in Skyrim anyway, you ask? Warning - heavy stuff to follow. After much research for a project I am a part of, I have discovered bits of "hidden lore" which outline the greater political machinations of the Thalmor. They began as a minority on Summerset Isle, but after the Oblivion Crisis they took credit for banishing the daedra and so gained the respect of the Aldmer. A key point of their advance was the destruction of the Crystal Tower, which may have been orchestrated by the Thalmor using the daedra attack. After a while they invaded Valenwood, which fell without much resistance, thus gaining them control of the Tree Sap Tower, which is mobile but undescribed. Skip ahead to the Void Nights, the two years in which the moons disappeared. When the moons finally returned the Thalmor took credit for this again, thus gaining the respect of the Khajiit people. With their allegiance the Thalmor gained control of the Khajiit Tower, which is thought to be the combination of the people themselves and the moons. From their seat of power all along the southern border of Cyrodiil, the Thalmor sent an emissary to the Imperial City with a cart full of the heads of all Blades agents in Summerset Isle and Valenwood. The emissary demanded surrender, taxes, and a large part of southern Hammerfell. The Emperor refused, starting the war between the Empire and the Thalmor. Eventually the Thalmor gain control of the Imperial City, and with it the White Gold Tower. The Empire then surrenders and agrees to the terms of the White Gold Concordat, which were essentially the same as the emissary's demands. Now, the important part - The Thalmor have gained control of Tree Sap Tower, Khajiit Tower, and the White Gold Tower. The Crystal Tower in Summerset Isle is destroyed, along with Orichalc Tower which sank with Yokuda, Red Tower which was Vvardenfell before the Red Year, and the Brass Tower, Numidium, which was cast out of reality. One tower remains, the Snow Tower, which is the Throat of the World in Skyrim. Now, what does this all mean? The Eight Towers served as supports which uphold reality, each powered by a Stone, and together they comprised what the Aldmer called the Doom Drum, from which Lorkhan gets his name. With the destruction or control of each Tower the Thalmor come closer to pulling down the fabric of reality, after which they can unravel Time by destroying the Adamantine Tower (Akatosh's spike of creation, located on the island of Balfiera in the Iliac Bay). This series of acts will serve to free the souls of the Aldmer, who were creations of the Divines but were tricked out of immortality by Lorkhan's creation of Mundus, the world. The importance all of this has to Skyrim is twofold - First, the Thalmor outlawed the worship of Talos, who took part of Lorkhan's place as an Earthbone, in hopes that this would weaken his supplementary support of reality, making it that much easier to pull the world down. Second, the last standing Tower, essentially the one pillar holding everything up, is the Throat of the World in Skyrim. If the Thalmor gain control of the Tower or its (unknown) Stone, all mortals will be lost in the ensuing metaphysical chaos. So, I chose the side of the Stormcloaks because they have the best chance of defending their homeland, as well as Talos, from the onslaught of the Thalmor. Without a strong hand keeping the Aldmeri Dominion away from the Throat of the World, everything could be lost forever beyond any hope of redemption. Of course, if you side with the Thalmor this might be exactly what you want, in which case you'd better start killing the Blades again because their Prophecy outlined this whole kit and kaboodle from the start. Hopefully this helps your decision, or it might confuse you so much that the decision becomes meaningless. Regardless, it's always helpful to see the whole picture before deciding which side to take.

Please, there must be someone out there who knows how this works!

Hello all, My mod Reachwind Eyrie makes a few minimal changes to the landscape mesh in the area, which has worked fine, but the generated grass on the landscape has not conformed to the new heights of the landscape. As a result, in some places the grass floats above the ground, and in others it generates below the ground. I do not know how to fix this, so if anyone has any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated.