OpenMW: Porting Morrowind to an open source engine

[Clockwork Knight]

* Fixed a missing French character

wat

Nothing is random in Morrowind. It's one of the things I love about the game.

they call me the dreamcrusher

Morrowind uses randomized lists throughout the game to both randomize items and encounters and to scale the game to your character's level of competence. These leveled lists are defined in the mod files as leveled item lists and leveled creature lists. Each item (creature) list is simply a list of items (creatures) and/or other item (creature) lists, along with a specification at what player character level each item (creature) may appear.

 

[IDtenT]

 

[Bahamut]

* Fixed a missing French character

wat

Nothing is random in Morrowind. It's one of the things I love about the game.

they call me the dreamcrusher

Morrowind uses randomized lists throughout the game to both randomize items and encounters and to scale the game to your character's level of competence. These leveled lists are defined in the mod files as leveled item lists and leveled creature lists. Each item (creature) list is simply a list of items (creatures) and/or other item (creature) lists, along with a specification at what player character level each item (creature) may appear.

Yea, Morrowind has level scaling but its nowhere as fucked up as in Oblivious/Skyrim,

Only downside of MW's hand placed stuff is that, you know where the good stuff is placed on the next playtrough,
It would be nice if loot location was randomly generated once at new game

 

[throwaway]

I encourage everyone to start testing OpenMW if they have the data files. Some of the bugs that were fixed in 0.32.0 were reported by yours truly.

It's playable enough that I've almost completed the main quest - currently I'm finishing the Telvanni Horator questline, and then it's off to Vivec.

How's performance?

 

[QuestionMan]

Is the developer of the engine present in here? If so, I'd like to ask how legal the project is. On the website it is said the source is all written by him, but what about the artworks, the music, the models, the icons? They are clearly not from him. But he simply writes on the website "that he doesn't own the rights to the game and those who have no legal copy of Morrowind are not allowed to download OpenMW" - bam! - is that all to make it legal? Sounds ridiculous.

Actually I'm planning to make a port of an old dungeon crawler to another game engine and probably as a collaborative project on github. Now I'm asking myself the same questions. Am I even allowed to do that? Lots of the original artwork would have to be uploaded, and made publicly available - only the source code would be completely written from scratch. Now could I simply claim the same as the guy from the OpenMW project to make it legal?

 

[LESS T_T]

Yeah, OpenMW itself doesn't contain the assets of Morrowind, it just using the assets on the user's end.

You may want to google "game engine recreation."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_engine_recreation

Or look into this comprehensive list of open source recreation projects:

http://osgameclones.com/

 

[QuestionMan]

Aaaah... OK, that means the collaborative online repository only consist of the source code and their own artwork, but never the original art assets. Therefore it requires everyone working on the same project to possess a legal copy of the original game, where he then should locally extract the specific files from the original version to some specific folders used in the project (using some tutorial or so). These art assets must never be uploaded to the online repository though. Now it makes sense.

Thanks guys, this helped me a lot in matters of legal terms. Seems like the only tricky thing is to make these assets to be imported at runtime, when the final build is released. Well I guess engines should be able to do this, but considering how tightly/closed some Game engines pack their final executable, it's definitely something that should be considered.

PS: wow, a huge list of osgameclones... will crawl through the list in brief.

 

[throwaway]

https://openmw.org/2014/openmw-0-33-0-released/

Known Issues:

• Switching from fullscreen to windowed mode on Windows 7 or 8.1 while using the D3D9 renderer causes a crash

Changelog:

• Implemented font colors importing from fallback settings
• Implemented Death and LevelUp music
• Implemented console targetting on player
• Implemented red pain effect when hit
• Implemented spellcasting for non-biped creatures
• Implemented the RA (Reset Actors) console command
• Fixed extraneous characters from keypresses showing in console when console is bound to a character key
• Fixed issues with book and scroll content display
• Fixed NPCs reacting from too far away
• Fixed PC spawning on top of followers when going through doors
• Fixed tall PCs getting stuck in staircases
• Fixed how the spawn point is determined for certain problematic doors and areas
• Fixed executable icon in Windows
• Fixed third person Eeyore rain effect
• Fixed thunder and lightning still playing while the game is paused
• Fixed jump behavior to better match vanilla
• Fixed being able to rest on water while water walking
• Fixed Cancel button consistency issues
• Fixed compile error in Less Generic Nerevarine mod
• Fixed unhandled ffmpeg sample formats
• Fixed resizing the map not staying centered
• Fixed attacking NPCs already in combat being reported as a crime
• Fixed a crash on load with Morrowind Acoustic Overhaul
• Fixed knocked out actors still colliding and speaking
• Fixed soul trap success sound not playing
• Fixed missing sound effect for enchanted items with an empty charge
• Fixed handling the “MagicItems” vendor category
• Fixed Launcher not starting if a file listed in launcher.cfg has the wrong case
• Fixed goblins killed while knocked down remaining in the knocked down pose
• Fixed CellChanged events triggering when crossing an exterior cell border
• Fixed Spriggans being killed instantly if hit while regenerating
• Fixed Magic Menu text not dimming when going from a spell to item as the active magic
• Fixed unlit torches procuding a burning sound
• Fixed being able to type text into the price field in the barter window
• Fixed equipped items not emitting sounds
• Fixed Draugr Lord Aesliip remaining non-hostile when attacking
• Fixed bounty and crime not resetting immediately when going to jail
• Fixed getdistance behavior for targets in an inactive cell
• Fixed potential infinite recursion when an area effect spell is reflected
• Fixed bound gear equipping behavior
• Fixed followers on the Establish The Mine quest
• Fixed exceptions with adding local scripts
• Fixed a crash caused by teleportation spells
• Fixed bound item checks not using GMSTs
• Fixed NPCs moving load doors
• Fixed Attacked flag being set when the actor is already in combat with the attacker
• Fixed AiTravel accepting destinations further than 7168 units away, to match vanilla
• Fixed world map arrow not adjusting to interior player facing
• Fixed Ulyne Henim disappearing when game is loaded inside Vas
• Fixed alchemy not correctly handling effects with zero magnitude/duration
• Fixed levitation permissions not being saved in save games
• Fixed NPCs not using magic
• Fixed named cells that overlap with Morrowind.esm not showing, for Tamriel Rebuilt
• Fixed magic effects not being overwritten by mods that change magic effects
• Fixed stacks of items being worth more when sold individually
• Fixed Launcher not listing addon files if the base game file is renamed to a different case
• Fixed incorrect reading of global map state in some cases when the map size changed
• Fixed Mercantile skill gain
• Fixed OnPcHitMe triggering for friendly hits
• Fixed considering actors as followers if they are also in combat with the follow target
• Fixed Journal scrolling indefinitely with the mouse wheel
• Fixed followers not leaving the party when a quest ends
• Fixed unbound input action behavior
• Fixed spell merchants selling racial bonus spells
• Fixed a segfault when loading saves
• Fixed jump sound to be controlled by footstep volume slider
• Fixed player suffering silently when taking damage from lava
• Fixed Dwarven Sceptre collision area not being removed after being killed
• Fixed indirect followers not being teleported when using a door
• Fixed East Empire Company faction rank after completing the questline
• Fixed zero strength causing the player to be permanently overencumbered, even with no weight
• Fixed shrine blessings in Maar Gan
• Fixed enchanted items not recharging
• Fixed Dagoth Ur dying from Ash Vampire deaths
• Fixed a dialog loop in The Code Book quest for the Fighter’s Guild
• Fixed “root bone” to be treated as the animation root if it exists
• Fixed number of Alchemy ingredients not removing from potion window
• Fixed mouse-over text not showing for spells the player can’t afford
• Fixed crash when entering Ruinous Keep, Great Hall in Tamriel Rebuilt
• Fixed extra string arguments to ShowMap breaking script compilation
• OpenCS: Implemented a special case for top-level windows with a single sub-window
• OpenCS: Implemented sub-windows reusing settings
• OpenCS: Implemented opening sub-views in a new top-level window
• OpenCS: Implemented magic effect table
• OpenCS: Implemented path grid table
• OpenCS: Implemented sound gen table
• OpenCS: Implemented requesting UniversalId editing from table columns
• OpenCS: Implemented terrain rendering
• OpenCS: Implemented CellRef global variable column
• OpenCS: Implemented using ESM::Cell’s RefNum counter
• OpenCS: Implemented running OpenMW with the currently edited content list
• OpenCS: Fixed subviews being deleted on shutdown instead of when they are closed
• OpenCS: Fixed ReferenceableID behavior when dragging to references record filter
• OpenCS: Fixed content files being able to be opened multiple times from the same dialog
• OpenCS: Fixed “Edit Record” context menu button not opening subview for journal infos
• OpenCS: Fixed record edits resulting in duplicate entries
• OpenCS: Fixed some characters not being able to be used in addon names
• OpenCS: Fixed preferences window appearing off screen
• OpenCS: Fixed record filter title position
• OpenCS: Fixed region field for cell record in dialogue subview not working
• OpenCS: Fixed label “Musics” to be “Music”
• OpenCS: Fixed status bar not updating when record filter is changed
• OpenCS: Fixed documents not being removed when closing the last view
• OpenCS: Fixed File->Exit only checking the document it was issued from
• OpenCS: Fixed script compiler member variable access

The list of implemented features is much less impressive so I assume they're close to release state. Possible release within the first half of 2015?

Also apprently there are attempts to port the project to Ogre 2.0 http://scrawl.bplaced.net/blog/ The tangible benefits to end-users are a bit hard to discern.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

•Fixed potential infinite recursion when an area effect spell is reflected

Whoa...

 

[Bahamut]

https://openmw.org/2014/openmw-0-33-0-released/

Known Issues:

• Switching from fullscreen to windowed mode on Windows 7 or 8.1 while using the D3D9 renderer causes a crash

Changelog:

• Implemented font colors importing from fallback settings
• Implemented Death and LevelUp music
• Implemented console targetting on player
• Implemented red pain effect when hit
• Implemented spellcasting for non-biped creatures
• Implemented the RA (Reset Actors) console command
• Fixed extraneous characters from keypresses showing in console when console is bound to a character key
• Fixed issues with book and scroll content display
• Fixed NPCs reacting from too far away
• Fixed PC spawning on top of followers when going through doors
• Fixed tall PCs getting stuck in staircases
• Fixed how the spawn point is determined for certain problematic doors and areas
• Fixed executable icon in Windows
• Fixed third person Eeyore rain effect
• Fixed thunder and lightning still playing while the game is paused
• Fixed jump behavior to better match vanilla
• Fixed being able to rest on water while water walking
• Fixed Cancel button consistency issues
• Fixed compile error in Less Generic Nerevarine mod
• Fixed unhandled ffmpeg sample formats
• Fixed resizing the map not staying centered
• Fixed attacking NPCs already in combat being reported as a crime
• Fixed a crash on load with Morrowind Acoustic Overhaul
• Fixed knocked out actors still colliding and speaking
• Fixed soul trap success sound not playing
• Fixed missing sound effect for enchanted items with an empty charge
• Fixed handling the “MagicItems” vendor category
• Fixed Launcher not starting if a file listed in launcher.cfg has the wrong case
• Fixed goblins killed while knocked down remaining in the knocked down pose
• Fixed CellChanged events triggering when crossing an exterior cell border
• Fixed Spriggans being killed instantly if hit while regenerating
• Fixed Magic Menu text not dimming when going from a spell to item as the active magic
• Fixed unlit torches procuding a burning sound
• Fixed being able to type text into the price field in the barter window
• Fixed equipped items not emitting sounds
• Fixed Draugr Lord Aesliip remaining non-hostile when attacking
• Fixed bounty and crime not resetting immediately when going to jail
• Fixed getdistance behavior for targets in an inactive cell
• Fixed potential infinite recursion when an area effect spell is reflected
• Fixed bound gear equipping behavior
• Fixed followers on the Establish The Mine quest
• Fixed exceptions with adding local scripts
• Fixed a crash caused by teleportation spells
• Fixed bound item checks not using GMSTs
• Fixed NPCs moving load doors
• Fixed Attacked flag being set when the actor is already in combat with the attacker
• Fixed AiTravel accepting destinations further than 7168 units away, to match vanilla
• Fixed world map arrow not adjusting to interior player facing
• Fixed Ulyne Henim disappearing when game is loaded inside Vas
• Fixed alchemy not correctly handling effects with zero magnitude/duration
• Fixed levitation permissions not being saved in save games
• Fixed NPCs not using magic
• Fixed named cells that overlap with Morrowind.esm not showing, for Tamriel Rebuilt
• Fixed magic effects not being overwritten by mods that change magic effects
• Fixed stacks of items being worth more when sold individually
• Fixed Launcher not listing addon files if the base game file is renamed to a different case
• Fixed incorrect reading of global map state in some cases when the map size changed
• Fixed Mercantile skill gain
• Fixed OnPcHitMe triggering for friendly hits
• Fixed considering actors as followers if they are also in combat with the follow target
• Fixed Journal scrolling indefinitely with the mouse wheel
• Fixed followers not leaving the party when a quest ends
• Fixed unbound input action behavior
• Fixed spell merchants selling racial bonus spells
• Fixed a segfault when loading saves
• Fixed jump sound to be controlled by footstep volume slider
• Fixed player suffering silently when taking damage from lava
• Fixed Dwarven Sceptre collision area not being removed after being killed
• Fixed indirect followers not being teleported when using a door
• Fixed East Empire Company faction rank after completing the questline
• Fixed zero strength causing the player to be permanently overencumbered, even with no weight
• Fixed shrine blessings in Maar Gan
• Fixed enchanted items not recharging
• Fixed Dagoth Ur dying from Ash Vampire deaths
• Fixed a dialog loop in The Code Book quest for the Fighter’s Guild
• Fixed “root bone” to be treated as the animation root if it exists
• Fixed number of Alchemy ingredients not removing from potion window
• Fixed mouse-over text not showing for spells the player can’t afford
• Fixed crash when entering Ruinous Keep, Great Hall in Tamriel Rebuilt
• Fixed extra string arguments to ShowMap breaking script compilation
• OpenCS: Implemented a special case for top-level windows with a single sub-window
• OpenCS: Implemented sub-windows reusing settings
• OpenCS: Implemented opening sub-views in a new top-level window
• OpenCS: Implemented magic effect table
• OpenCS: Implemented path grid table
• OpenCS: Implemented sound gen table
• OpenCS: Implemented requesting UniversalId editing from table columns
• OpenCS: Implemented terrain rendering
• OpenCS: Implemented CellRef global variable column
• OpenCS: Implemented using ESM::Cell’s RefNum counter
• OpenCS: Implemented running OpenMW with the currently edited content list
• OpenCS: Fixed subviews being deleted on shutdown instead of when they are closed
• OpenCS: Fixed ReferenceableID behavior when dragging to references record filter
• OpenCS: Fixed content files being able to be opened multiple times from the same dialog
• OpenCS: Fixed “Edit Record” context menu button not opening subview for journal infos
• OpenCS: Fixed record edits resulting in duplicate entries
• OpenCS: Fixed some characters not being able to be used in addon names
• OpenCS: Fixed preferences window appearing off screen
• OpenCS: Fixed record filter title position
• OpenCS: Fixed region field for cell record in dialogue subview not working
• OpenCS: Fixed label “Musics” to be “Music”
• OpenCS: Fixed status bar not updating when record filter is changed
• OpenCS: Fixed documents not being removed when closing the last view
• OpenCS: Fixed File->Exit only checking the document it was issued from
• OpenCS: Fixed script compiler member variable access

The list of implemented features is much less impressive so I assume they're close to release state. Possible release within the first half of 2015?

There are really only few things missing atm, and the progress on the game itself slowed down though as they want to catch with the editor abit

 

[granit]

What is the point of this project compared to running the actual Morrowind again?

 

[Drax]

Fucking your mom in the ass
Providing an Open source engine for morrowind game files.

 

[Greatness]

Morrowind has some great content (Lore/World/Art/Sound) but it's plagued by the horrible engine (Character/Combat/NPC systems). If OpenMW allows modders to replace the latter with 'd versions (and if they actually do it), whilst expanding the world with things such as Tamriel Rebuilt, then the sheer amount of content will make it into the closest we can get of how TES would've been if Todd Howard/the decline never happened.

 

[throwaway]

Apart from giving a breath of probably permanent new life to Morrowing I wonder if it'd be possible to build on OpenMW's work to reach OpenTESIV and OpenSkyrim.

 

[Drax]

Well, that'd be pretty much the same path Bethesda took with their engine, so I don't see why it wouldn't be possible...

 

[IDtenT]

I still can't believe they didn't go for a BSD license.

 

[DraQ]

Apart from giving a breath of probably permanent new life to Morrowing I wonder if it'd be possible to build on OpenMW's work to reach OpenTESIV and OpenSkyrim.

I don't see much point in OpenTESIV, unlike other games Ob has no content to be salvaged, it would be much better to use any of the two remaining titles to implement proper Oblivion as mod, based on same basic premises, but with actual content (just Rumare, IC and planes of Oblivion but not scaled down so insultingly, maybe Kvatch as separate cell) and none of the retardation.

 

[DraQ]

What is the point of this project compared to running the actual Morrowind again?

At some point that might become problematic.

Besides, there are many things that MW needs fixed that are beyond mods' reach. Take AI, for instance - wouldn't MW be better if AI could jump, navigate properly, and use skills, spells and items rationally?

 

[Drax]

It's a win-win, people that care more about game mechanics can fix problems in that area, people that care more about graphics can implement better shaders, better ways to render the scene and, even more, having access to the source code means you can modify the way 3d models and skeletons are handled so you can replace the derpiness in the way people walk, you can make heads that don't look like a poligon, etc...
Basically once the engine is feature complete in relation to vanilla MW, there's nothing that can't be done, even making an entire new game using all the open-world mechanics already in place.

 

[IDtenT]

New release is out.

It looks pretty good for a 2015 release. Will have to wait and see if it will gain any traction thereafter.

 

[throwaway]

Wonder what happened to their video-making guy. Is it cause these latest releases are very much x.x.1s?

 

[Turisas]

and they dont resolve any bug reports unless you harass the coders in person.

That's how it always works with coders, unless you bug (lolpun) them about it, it just goes to the bottom of the pile.

 

[Gord]

Wonder what happened to their video-making guy. Is it cause these latest releases are very much x.x.1s?

I think I read in one of their blog posts that he had some real-life issues preventing him from making them.
However, someone else seems to have helped him out a bit or something and you can find vids for 0.32 and 0.33 if you look on their youtube channel.

 

[deuxhero]

I didn't have to harass any coders to get my reported bugs fixed (and the rain bug WAS fixed).

 

[ERYFKRAD]

So, how playable is this?