Storm Raven

The only correction I have to what CathyM has said above, is that we still have the ability to add epitaphs to the current version the one that will be coming out. So if you have an epitaph that you would like added, please post it in this topic. Thank you, Storm Raven 8)

Thank you, Metallicow, I think I got it that the mod will be no larger than 5 MB. Also that it will be programmed for easy installation. That's probably all I need to know. Metallicow, is a Master Scholar at The Storm Raven Library, and often forgets he is not speaking to other Master Scholars, some of whom would understand what he was talking about, and others who would smile and nod their heads in complete ignorance of his explanations. He loves to speak in riddles, and I have spent hours trying to ponder the meaning of his words. He can be a lot of fun, but keep that in mind. Neither The Storm Raven Library, or myself, would release a project that was not as simple as it could possibly be to install. We have gone to great lengths to make sure there will be little or no compatibility issues. I can assure you that we know how difficult some mods are to install and play. Keep in mind that Ben (bBen46), is our Master Librarian, a man who creates easy to understand tutorials, that explain everything from what a mod is, to detailed instructions on cleaning computers. He would be horrified, if there was anything that needed to be explained as a result of confusing conditions concerning the installation of this mod. CathyM, has spent most of her professional career as a technical writer. She knows how to keep things simple and will do so in regards to this mod. She likes to write creatively now, but she is often the final judge, as to how we say, what we say, when we are in the process of creating official documentation. So if you know what Metallicow is talking about, we congratulate you, but we would ask you to keep it to yourself, and not confuse the rest of us. We tend to avoid those things we do not understand. *the old man laughs out loud* I have been married for 25 years, and can tell you that the greatest obstacle to long-term relationships, is the misunderstanding between two individuals. We cannot read each others minds, so we must work hard at our communication, in order to coordinate our efforts. I have yet to meet an individual who can read minds, and my wife will most certainly be the first to assure you that I cannot. It is a human condition, to assume that because we ourselves know or understand something, others will also. It is also the single largest creator of confusion when they do not. A great deal of comedy is based upon misunderstandings between two characters attempting to communicate. The reader, or listener, will clearly understand both of the characters, and what they are saying. The comedy results from the misunderstanding and sometimes mistaken actions the characters carry out, as a result of the misunderstanding. Buddah, will be the first one to tell you, how easy it is to be misunderstood, in a medium where there are no visual or auditory cues as to to help explain what we are saying. Especially on an international site where for many English is not their native language. Surprisingly many of our international guests and members, communicate in English better than many of those for whom English is their native language. I do apologize, for getting a bit off topic, but I do want you to know that even though the mod is quite comprehensive in its changes to the graveyards of Cyrodill, it will not be difficult to install. Now for something a little different. As it seems we have done such a good job in our presentation, that there seems to be no one asking questions, or requesting their own epitaphs, or even modders anxious to add clues on gravestones to their own qwest's, there is something I would desperately like to know. It was a matter of a great deal of scholarly debate at The Storm Raven Library, and I can assure you we will be interested in your answers. Which of the two mod posters, the one that begins the topic, and the one that ends the preamble to the topic, do you like the most, and why? Myself and others will be anxiously awaiting your judgments, and do not doubt but that it is a matter of great concern to us. Well, ok, mostly it is a concern of mine, because that poster was my first completed work of art with a new tool called Inkscape. But please do not hesitate to add any comments at all, regarding any of the artwork in this topic. In fact don't hesitate at any thoughts ideas comments or questions to what's going on in this topic. It is, after all for you. Thank you, Storm Raven 8)

Buddah, I expect we will be releasing it, in less than 10 days. It should be fully playable upon release, we've gone to a lot of trouble to try and keep it compatible. The mod has been rebuilt from the ground up as we ran into a number of conflicts with other mods during testing. Inevitably, there will be bugs to work out, but were hoping there won't be many of them. We've even taken into account and will be releasing a mod that should configure itself to your system to a certain degree on the basis of your input. As I said in my preamble this mod was rather dropped in our laps, but it has been such a good experience, we may take others on in the future. Even though this mod is practically a wrap, we still have plenty of room for new epitaphs, so if you're reading this and would like your own gravestone epitaph please let us know. There are many stones left unmarked. We're also looking for quality, and like-minded modders, for the next version of this and other mods. The Master Scholar program at The Storm Raven Library, is not only for those who have already shown their skill. It is also for those who would like to learn more about modding, and about teaching others how to mod. We also work to sharpen the skills of those who would already consider themselves modders. Also, we seek to help others find answers, to those most difficult modding questions. We have found that as a group, we are better able to seek out the answers, than as individuals. @DagonTheranis, in an age where a single emoticon, can pass for a post on many sites, I am constantly harassed about the length of my posts. So as a habit I have learned to break them up for others. Even my friends give me trouble on a regular basis, about the length of my posts, or short novels as they are sometimes called. Even the great Master L. Hammonds, has given me grief about the length of my posts, they make his eyes hurt he says. So I will plead guilty to walls of text. I am a bit more old school, where if you have nothing to say, say nothing, and if you have something to say, say something that adds value to the topic. Times have changed though obviously, so I no longer ask others, nor do I always hold myself to that rule. However, as a webmaster, I have found that pages load more smoothly, if you limit yourself to one large image per post. It has to do with the timing that the images are called by the website, from the image host. But that was probably more than you wanted to know. Generally I am more concerned with the relevancy of what I have to say, then the number of posts I make. *the old man smiles warmly* As for the multiple posts, I was unaware that in a WIP topic, there were any constraints. I thought the point was to get as much information out there about the work in progress. It is after all an informational topic, as opposed to a social one. Many people contributed to the information that you read above, I was just the one responsible for posting it. I deeply apologize if I have offended anyone. It was not my intention. Storm Raven 8)

Artwork by Metallicow http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTEG.png

Credits: TOMBSTONE EPITAPHS Durham1984 TOMBSTONE EPITAPHS -I- THE UNVEILING CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS: CathyM Metallicow Storm Raven With Special Thanks to: THE STORM RAVEN LIBRARY STAFF For Their Technical Assistance Ben Buddah Wanderer _____________________________________________________ CREDITS: A Special Thanks to the Many People Who Contributed Epitaphs, They Are Credited As Follows: Alani AlienSlof AMERICA MAN AndyPrime Argomirr BahamutsWrath666 Bben46 Blade Of Mercy Buddah CathyM Cheesemcbutter Cordwainer Cremdogz Dans4s elraccoon Exanimis ghastley gorzil HeX_0ff Ihateregisteringeverywhere Jexsam LHammonds MadCat221 Metallicow MichaeL Myrmaad nachtefuchs Nosisab Omegacy Piers Arkan richardrocket009 SickleYield Socksftw Ssenkrad SumDude Tonyv123 Triforce1 wiley586 wiseman303 XanAlderson xDarkAngel89x ***Note*** If I forgot someone from the original mod we apologize. Please post in this topic or drop a line and we will include you. This is all about the community. (We will add more as they come in.) CathyM, Metallicow, & Storm Raven The Storm Raven Library: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index/ 8)

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTEF.png

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http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTED.jpg

In the interest of making "Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling" playable by users of many configurations, we have designed several versions of the mod. In total, upon release, there will be four entirely complete versions. So the first decision you need to make is which file to download. If you are using Oblivion Mod Manager (OBMM), then you should download the .omod file. This is the recommended method due to its versatility and ease. The .omod file contains all four versions and provides a scripted installation with comparison pictures and descriptions. If you mouse over the .esp in your load order it will display which version you have installed. If you do not use OBMM, then you will need to read through the following descriptions and choose which .esp file to download. All of the .esps are named Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling.esp, so that future versions will be compatable/safe to upgrade/switch while playing/not playing with other mods as well. The four versions are as follows: 1. Original - Script Version (default) Choose this version if you are not using any sort of interface mod (i.e. you are using the vanilla user interface). This version is the same as durham1984's original mod where the player must activate the tombstones with the space bar to read the epitaphs. When the tombstones are activated, the epitaphs are displayed in a messagebox. Unfortunately, some of the longer epitaphs (a few) will not display completely/correctly. 2. Original - Name Version Choose this version if you are using DarNified UI (or a variant thereof). This version allows the player to just mouse over a tombstone, and instead of it saying "Tombstone", it will read the epitaph for that stone. This allows the longer epitaphs to display correctly. It also saves you the time it takes to activate the stone and then press the 'Done' button. Users of this version should NOT get into the habit of not activating a stone, as there are plans for quests/events triggered by scripts in the future, which if the player chooses not to activate the stone, pretty much you're missing out on all the upcoming extra goodies. Shhhhhhhh 3. Bananasplit's Better Cities (BBC) Compatible - Script Version Choose this version if you use BBC but are not using any sort of interface mod. This version requires Better Cities Resources.esm. It is the same as Version 1, except that anything conflicting with objects in BBC have been moved so that everything looks nice and accessible. More details on the appropriate load order will be available in the readme upon release. 4. Bananasplit's Better Cities (BBC) Compatible - Name Version Choose this version if you use BBC and you are using DarNified UI (or a variant thereof). This version requires Better Cities Resources.esm. It is the same as Version 2, except that anything conflicting with objects in BBC have been moved so that everything looks nice and accessible. More details on the appropriate load order will be available in the readme upon release. Storm Raven The Storm Raven Library: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index/ 8)

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTEC.png

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTEB.png

What follows is first a plate of images from Durham1984's original mod, "Tombstone Epitaphs". After that is a plate of images from our updated version, "Tombstone Epitaphs - The Unveiling". These were created for this project, by Metallicow. Storm Raven The Storm Raven Library: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index/ 8)

Sometimes there is a story behind the story that is almost as interesting as the story itself. Such is the case in the history of this mod. Durham1984 showed up at the front door of The Storm Raven Library and introduced himself, never mentioning the mod he was working on at the time: "Tombstone Epitaphs". As with everyone who takes the time to introduce themselves, we welcomed him warmly. It was some time before we realized that he was the creator of this mod. When this information came out, he was immediately invited to join the ranks of the Master Scholars. Master Scholars at The Storm Raven Library, are individuals dedicated not only to the pursuit of modding, but to the pursuit of creating tutorials for others who might follow in their footsteps. We have reserved a special area for them where they work together, sharing information and experience, and providing for each other the kind of feedback that only a member of your peer group can provide. The Storm Raven Library also provides space for another group of individuals who have shown a capacity to help others understand the technical aspects of computers, and to help them resolve issues related to gaming software. Together they create a formidable group of knowledge, experience and support for those who enter The Storm Raven Library in search of answers. Durham1984 released the first version of his mod "Tombstone Epitaphs" in April of 2009. He had many plans for the future of this mod, including cemetery caretakers, the cemetery records of each cemetery in Cyrodill and many other plans for later versions. He discussed many of these ideas and future plans in the forums of the Master Scholars. Life is often stranger than fiction, with many unexpected twists and turns. For personal reasons, he was forced to abandon his plans for this mod. Before he left the community of Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls, he sent me a personal PM asking me to help anyone willing to follow in his footsteps. He left similar pleas at the end of at least two topics on The Nexus related to his mod. I carefully watched these topics to see if anyone would show an interest, and finally asked the question directly, if anyone else had received a PM from him before his unexpected departure. It became quite apparent at that time, that no one had. There was one individual, however, who was interested in pursuing the mod. So I invited him to join The Storm Raven Library, because Durham1984 had left behind a considerable body of information related to his mod in the Master Scholar forums. I was pleasantly surprised when Metallicow came through the doors of The Storm Raven Library and introduced himself and his interest in pursuing Durham1984's mod. There are requirements for attainment of the rank of Master Scholar, so before he was allowed to join their company we needed to ascertain his abilities. In the meantime, a team of staff and Master Scholars looked the mod over very carefully. It was checked quite thoroughly for unintentional references, also known as dirty fingerprints, as well as for its compatibility with other mods available at the time. Ben, who is a global moderator on The Nexus, and my partner in The Storm Raven Library, and The Wanderer a Master Scholar carefully checked and cleared the mod for further development. It was at this time that Metallicow was given permission to access Durham1984's records and files in the Master Scholar forums. He was also given the version of the mod itself cleared by The Storm Raven Library. Metallicow, took it upon himself to meet one of the requirements for becoming a Master Scholar and created a very good tutorial on the making of personalized book jackets for Oblivion. So he was now given the rank of Master Scholar and went to work on "Tombstone Epitaphs." Metallicow has turned out to be a man of many talents. In fact we are still in the process of occasionally being surprised by his knowledge of modding. He has worked very hard with other members of The Storm Raven Library to complete his work on this mod. Metallicow now has many plans for the future of this mod, and is now asking the community for help in seeing these things through. It is our hope that by bringing this Work in Progress to your attention, many of you will take an interest in helping him. Please do not count yourself out as a potential member of this team because you feel you lack certain skills or abilities. There are many jobs that must be done in order to complete a mod like this that require absolutely no knowledge of the construction set. So if you are interested in helping, please either reply here or send a PM to Storm Raven here or drop by The Storm Raven Library and introduce yourself, you will be warmly welcomed. Storm Raven The Storm Raven Library: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/index/ 8)

Artwork by Storm Raven http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/Storm_Raven58/MTE/MTEA.png

I'm going to ask bBen46, to help you out. Simply because he will get to the answers much quicker. I'm pretty sure there must be some files left over from the map mod installation. Possibly XML files or changes in them, which is worse. Map mods usually get integrated into the menu system, and that's where these files would be. If he doesn't step in relatively soon, I will help you take the mod apart to find out what it put where, to see if we can reverse the process. Storm Raven 8)

It would help to know the name of the mod that created the problem. I had a map mod problem that used resources from Shivering Isles, but didn't bother to tell me that. It fouled things up pretty good. You will probably need to go back to a saved game, prior to installing that mod. Storm Raven. 8)

Consider gravity for a moment, just because you can't see gravity, doesn't mean that 10 pound sledgehammer, falling from the construction site above you, can't hurt you... After all, to kill, and yet remain unseen is the assassins way. Just because you can see that truck barreling down the road at 90 miles an hour, doesn't mean the collision will be any less painful. So careful what you say about the fair folk. LOL *the old man laughs out loud*. Storm Raven 8)

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE: CONGRATULATIONS When were we going to be told... I'd heard rumors, that certain people had been added to the staff... but it wasn't until I went to this page that I discovered the truth of the matter: http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?act=St...mp;CODE=leaders Clearly, a celebration is due, the membership. As these poor souls have accepted the responsibility to look after the rest of us. Many of us perceive moderators, the way many of us perceive the cops, but this would be unfair and untrue in this case. These individuals, have taken on the responsibility to sort out the problems that invariably come up from time to time on our peaceful website. Well, actually, it's the Dark0ne's website, but all of us who are members of the forums and post here on a regular or irregular basis, feel a certain affinity to its homelike atmosphere, as an asylum from the real and sometimes problematic lives we lead. Here we can find acceptance and appreciation for our perspectives and views on almost anything. I always have and always will consider this my birthplace in the elder scrolls community. As I am sure that many of you feel the same way, this is an opportunity to celebrate those individuals, the Dark0ne has seen fit to look after us. Congratulations to Myrmaad, and Vagrant0 on their ascension to the rank of global moderators! In preparation for this event, I have here an almost endless supply of champagne and cake, so please partake. And don't forget to toast Myrmaad and Vagrant0 for giving us a reason to have another party. Let's get this party started. Myrmaad, congratulations to one with whom I have found many similar perspectives on some of the odder topics on these forums, including the appropriate application of Boolean search terms. Vagrant0, congratulations to one, whose immense knowledge of modding has assisted so many in his detailed explanations of the game and how to mod it. Thank you both for taking on the immense responsibility of looking over these forums. May your additions be long and peaceful. Well, if not peaceful. At least long. LOL.. At least but not last, Thank You Dark0ne, for taking the time to do the research necessary, to pick out the individuals most qualified for the job. (I am truly happy for you both, and should anyone perceive anything said above, as anything but true and honest praise for you, feel free to moderate them). *the old man smiles at the new moderators.*. :biggrin: Storm Raven. 8)

Amazingly enough, the site bot is not a social animal however. I did run into him one time, and he did speak to me in what appeared to be, machine language. I believe it was upset about something. I was so flabbergasted at the time, that I failed to ask it the most important question on my mind, which was how it had managed to accumulate so many kudos... and as of course you can see, I was unable to learn his secrets. :ermm: :wallbash: Storm Raven 8)

In the interests of protecting this sites good name, I think it is important to point out, that vampires and werewolves are superstitions, and so some of the comments above clearly should not be taken seriously. This is not to say that times certain human beings act very much like creatures of mythology, however acting in such a manner does not make them, those creatures. :smile: Most people understand this, but we cannot have certain rumors running around rampant, about the good and honorable staff of this most epic website. We all know how innocent and humorous comments can be turned into vicious stories to scare children and new members. Again please believe me when I say, there is no truth to these comments made in humor, whatsoever, the staff is just having a little fun. :wink: *Storm Raven looks around to see that no one is watching, hands Buddah , a large piece of meat, and leaves a gallon of fresh blood on the table.* :ninja: *the old man laughs out loud* Storm Raven 8)

It's going to take a little time to straighten this topic out. Please accept my apologies.

:thanks: May we never forget. Storm Raven 8)