Going the total conversion route, need advice.

[chronicvagrant]

I used to be pretty good with the Morrowind Construction Set. Several years ago, I made myself a small city with shopkeepers, districts, and hireable companions. I got came close to finishing it too, as I recall all I had left to do was the interior of the port authority. I don't really expect that I would finish a total conversion by myself, but it's something I've always been interested in and if nothing else I think I could learn a lot from it. I've played around with Oblivion and Skyrim's respective editors, and while they're capable of producing much more detailed games, I think Morrowind's is straight forward enough that I have a better chance at success.

 

So anyway! I downloaded both the blank .esm AND the .esp from Thepal's site: http://www.paulcarr.com.au/elderscrolls/, and here the questions begin because in the event I do finish it years from now, I want to be sure I got started the right way!

 

1.) I checked both .esm and .esp in-game and in the editor, both seem to be cleaned out versions of Morrowind.esm (NPCs and landmass removed), even blank.esp will run by itself with no dependence on Morrowind.esm. Would it be better to just go ahead and start editing the blank esp (what I'm considering doing), or start my work as a new esp that depends on the blank esm?

 

2. ) If I do the latter, can I combine the new TC esp with the blank esm when the time comes? Will the construction set allow that or do I need to use a specialized utility?

 

3.) I understand Wrye Mash can convert esp's to esm's, if I wanted to do that when I'm finished, is that the best way to go about it?

 

4.) So far I'm looking to make my TC using only Morrowind, and not the expansions. Aside from the additional art assets, is there anything the expansions brought to the table that would significantly improve my project? And wouldn't it also make it dependent on their respective esms?

 

Those are the most pressing issues I can think of, dunno how often this board gets used anymore but hopefully someone will see this. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes time to read through all of it.

[RubberMan01]

Bloodmoon and Tribunal are a MUST.

 

They add new script commands and other tweaks including bug fixes from the original code.

[Tchos]

I would think that the blank ESP is there for you to begin editing directly, as your new mod, with the dependence on the blank ESM already in place. There is no other reason I can think of for including a blank ESP.

[chronicvagrant]

Bloodmoon and Tribunal are a MUST.

 

They add new script commands and other tweaks including bug fixes from the original code.

I thought I remembered hearing this before, but what little research I did on it made no mention of it. Anyway, that's helpful to know. Any scripting changes they add will be part of the game's executable, correct? So my TC won't require their esm's at all? (By the way, I saw some of the modders' resources you made, excellent work!)

 

I would think that the blank ESP is there for you to begin editing directly, as your new mod, with the dependence on the blank ESM already in place. There is no other reason I can think of for including a blank ESP.

That's exactly what I was thinking too, I thought it was a bit odd that he would have even included the esm but maybe it met someone's specific needs.

[Tchos]

I'm sure some bugfixes are in the executable, but scripts are outside of that, and there are probably some fixed or extended versions of scripts in the expansions. I can't say for sure, but that's how it works in other games.