PCG Article Morrowind Rebirth Mod 6.0

[mainer]

11 years after release, massive mod Morrowind Rebirth hits 6.0 | PC Gamer

(Note: I'm going to be posting mod related subjects/articles in the appropriate forum section (hopefully), such as RPG or General Gaming, as I don't think that we have enough forum regulars to support a dedicated mod section (as in my post/poll in General Gaming). Maybe they'll be relevant posts, or not, but I think at present that it's the best way to start)

I have sincere admiration for this modder, Johan Rosen, who's worked for 11 years on a single mod. If he started when he was 20 years old, he's now 31 years old, and still working on the same mod. Imagine all the real-life changes he's gone through in those 11 years, yet still dedicates some of his time creating this mod all by himself. To me, that's just amazing, not many people have that kind of dedication to anything (especially me). The Morrowind 6.0 release trailer:

View: https://youtu.be/_j0zVCqMY2A


Watching the trailer, you can easily tell that Morrowind is still and old game with the stiffer combat animations, but the graphic detail and lighting is much improved. I'm tempted, as I've been wanting to replay both Morrowind & Oblivion. But I'll probably hold out a bit longer in hopes that maybe, maybe, Skywind will eventually be released.
TESR Skywind - Home

View: https://youtu.be/s_K7Kpt7X84


I'm curious if @Sarafan is using this mod, since I know he is replaying the entire Elder Scrolls series from Daggerfall onward.

 

[Sarafan]

I am currently replaying Morrowind! I stick to the original experience though with the exception of MGE XE for widescreen support, higher range of view and modern pixel shaders on the water, and Morrowind Code Patch for some standard minor gameplay improvements. Morrowind is a game from my teenage era, so I don't need any further upgrades. Rebirth interferes heavily in the original game. If it was only graphical improvement, I'd consider it.

If someone is starting his Morrowind adventure in 2022 for the first time, it might be a very good idea to use the mod. The game is great! I'm considering right now which one is the best in the series: Morrowind or Skyrim and I'm having a hard time deciding!

Remember that Skywind will be a different experience. The dialogue system will be Skyrim-like and so will be the skills. Morrowind progression system is quite different that the one from Skyrim, although both rely on "improve by use".

 

[mainer]

Remember that Skywind will be a different experience. The dialogue system will be Skyrim-like and so will be the skills. Morrowind progression system is quite different that the one from Skyrim, although both rely on "improve by use".

That's very true, and while it seems like the Skywind team is doing it's best to retain the "Morrowind experience", many systems are changing (as you said) mainly because they apparently can't be recreated in the Skyrim SE engine. Plus, the expansions Tribunal & Bloodmoon won't be included (at least on release).

Dialogue, like in Skyrim, will be fully voiced. Skill system & leveling up will be a blend of both games. I've always loved the detailed skill system of Morrowind the best out of the ES games. The combat & magic systems will also change. No more spell creation, which is a shame, I used to love trying to create different spells.

So, yeah, a lot of changes. We'll see how well all those changes works if Skywind actually ever releases. I've got to say I'm intrigued by experiencing those Morrowind landscapes that are rendered in greater detail & lighting.

 

[Sarafan]

Plus, the expansions Tribunal & Bloodmoon won't be included (at least on release).

I didn't know about that. It's a big downside...

So, yeah, a lot of changes. We'll see how well all those changes works if Skywind actually ever releases. I've got to say I'm intrigued by experiencing those Morrowind landscapes that are rendered in greater detail & lighting.

I'm quite optimistic when it comes to release. From what I've read seems that there's not much work left, so I'd expect the mod to be released before TES VI. The graphics upgrade is one of the best features of the mod in comparison to the original game.

 

[Sarafan]

I won't make a separate thread just to say it, but today I finished Morrowind after almost 60 hours of gameplay. The side quests just kept flowing, so there's a potential for 200 hours there. At some point I decided to focus on main story.

The game is wonderful. It has a unique atmosphere, probably the best in the whole The Elder Scrolls series. I loved the three different architecture areas on Vvardenfell and Balmora (my favorite town) feels amazing when it rains. There are still two add-ons left to finish, but I can already say that it's two down, three to go. After I finish the add-ons, I'm going straight to Oblivion. I never actually finished TES IV, so this might be interesting.

At this point I'm pretty confident that I'll finish every game in the series (including Arena!) before TES VI comes out. Shouldn't be a problem. I'm reserving 200 hours for Skyrim though. It might come in handy, if I decide to play in survival mode.

The best thing in playing the series in a short period of time, is that you can easily compare all of the games and be the witness of their evolution. I'll gladly prepare some longer text that will compare them after I finish Skyrim once again (or maybe Arena, because I'm planning to get through it at the very end).

 

[mainer]

The side quests just kept flowing, so there's a potential for 200 hours there. At some point I decided to focus on main story.

That's always been my problem, as well as my passion, in all the ES games. I get caught up in exploring and doing side quests while generally pushing aside the main quest line. Those games would be virtually never ending if the player didn't at some point decide to focus on the main quest. It will be interesting to hear your personal view of the series after you play them all back-to-back like you're doing.

It's been a long, long time since I've played Morrowind, but I remember it having the best RPG mechanics when it comes to character creation, skills, and the leveling up system. I also have a memory of Cliff Racers being a huge pain when I traveled the northern areas. But they're old memories, as I haven't played Morrowind since I installed it from the boxed version (though I do own the GOY version on Steam).

 

[Sarafan]

It's been a long, long time since I've played Morrowind, but I remember it having the best RPG mechanics when it comes to character creation, skills, and the leveling up system.

That's not so obvious. For example Daggerfall has a lot more skills than Morrowind (some of them are useless, but they're present). Morrowind has less skills, but keeps the attribute leveling system. Skyrim on the other hand has a lot less skills and doesn't have attributes, but introduces skill branches which have a huge potential. There's no easy answer which game has the best character leveling system. Morrowind has a more classical approach to leveling. Skyrim is less traditional when it comes to this, but I wouldn't declare that it's much worse (if it's worse in the first place).

 

[Alm]

I'm just watching the nvidia 4080 & 4090 showcase and they mentioned an AI created Morrowind graphics mod that would be released shortly after the cards launch. Looks pretty good. I know preorders are around 12th October but not sure when cards actually ship.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I'm just watching the nvidia 4080 & 4090 showcase and they mentioned an AI created Morrowind graphics mod that would be released shortly after the cards launch. Looks pretty good. I know preorders are around 12th October but not sure when cards actually ship.

I just heard the 4090 can do 8k at 60fps on most modern games. That's insane.

 

[Sarafan]

I'm just watching the nvidia 4080 & 4090 showcase and they mentioned an AI created Morrowind graphics mod that would be released shortly after the cards launch.

Are you sure that wasn't just a showcase? It looks incredible, but I missed the part where they said that it'll be released as a complete mod. Anyway given the tools provided by Nvidia modders will release it sooner or later.

 

[Alm]

I think it should be available on nVidia’s RTX Remix platform. The PC Gamer article here says that mods created on RTX Remix can be shared online to other gamers: https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-rtx-remix/

I thought he said in the video that the Morrowind mod would be available shortly after release but I haven’t found the exact bit yet.

 

[Sarafan]

Morrowind with ray tracing, that will be something! I'm starting to regret that I didn't wait with my comeback, but I didn't know that something like this is being cooked...

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I'm playing Skyrim with some good graphical overhaul mods on my new QLED TV (not as good as OLED, but much better than standard LED). I've never seen Skyrim look so good. I would really love to play Morrowind looking that good.

 

[Sarafan]

Meanwhile I jumped into Oblivion. The ending of Morrowind Bloodmoon expansion pack was insane (never finished this add-on before). It's hard to admit, but I surrendered. I had some serious problems because my character didn't specialize in Alchemy nor Armorer skills. I can't imagine finishing the expansion with at least one of these skills. I had a feeling that the developers laughed in my face. I had a Redguard specializing in Long Blades and Heavy Armor and it was simply not enough.

Armies of high tier enemies and no place to rest was too much. Even lowering the difficulty level didn't make a noticeable change. I'll probably get back to Morrowind once the RTX mod is released though and I'll prepare myself better this time.

 

[mainer]

Meanwhile I jumped into Oblivion. The ending of Morrowind Bloodmoon expansion pack was insane (never finished this add-on before). It's hard to admit, but I surrendered. I had some serious problems because my character didn't specialize in Alchemy nor Armorer skills. I can't imagine finishing the expansion with at least one of these skills. I had a feeling that the developers laughed in my face. I had a Redguard specializing in Long Blades and Heavy Armor and it was simply not enough.

I have spotty memories from my time in Morrowind because it was so long ago, but I do remember that I didn't finish Bloodmoon either because it was brutally difficult compared to the rest of the game. I left it, planning to go back and finish it, but I never did. I can't remember exactly what my specializations were the last time I played, but I think I was a Dark Elf Spellsword (Long Blades & Magic), one of the few times that I've played a spellcaster.

My time in Oblivion I remember a bit clearer, and there were a couple of good expansions in that game as well: Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles.