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About this mod
Applies magic effect shaders to arrows in flight - now your arrows will trail flames, drip poison, and more!
- Permissions and credits
- Mirrors
NOTE: Due to changes in OBSE's structure, version 1.2 of Flaming Arrows REQUIRES OBSE v18, which is currently in beta. If you don't want to use the beta of OBSE v18, you cannot use version 1.2 of this mod. Version 1.1 will remain available in the Old Versions section until OBSE v18 final release.
Flaming Arrows Readme
v1.2
by Tekuromoto
Don't miss my other mods!
SEE THE README IN THE DOWNLOAD FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS, CREDITS, ETC.
------------
Introduction
------------
Flaming Arrows applies visual effects to magical and poisoned arrows. Now you can see flames trailing behind your Arrows of Embers, sparks crackling around the arrows from your Bow of Lightning, or poison dripping from the arrow as it flies toward your target. Every type of hostile effect is represented with a unique visual effect - 21 different effects in all. Also optionally affects NPC arrows.
New for version 1.2 are meshes and textures that cause your arrow to appear to glow when nocked and ready to fire.
------------
Requirements
------------
Oblivion Script Extender v18 or greater. Get the latest version here
You MUST have OBSE, at least version 18, for this mod to work.
Flaming Arrows was developed with Oblivion 1.2.0416, OBSE v17, and over 200 mods of all sorts installed (Fran's, MMM, COBL, RBP, body replacers, All Natural, Better Cities, Unique Landscapes, quests, you name it). I haven't tested it with Shivering Isles or any DLCs (because I don't have them), but it _should_ work just fine with any setup.
------------
Installation
------------
Flaming Arrows comes packaged in omod-ready format. If you use OBMM, simply select "create" to make a new omod, "add archive" and select the .zip file you downloaded, import the included omod conversion data, and hit "create omod". Once it's finished, double-click the new omod in your list.
If you prefer to install manually, simply unzip the contents of the archive to your Oblivion\data\ directory. You can delete the "omod conversion data" folder, but it won't hurt anything if you leave it alone.
If you installed manually, you will have to activate the mod using either the Oblivion Launcher or Wrye Bash. OBMM/omod installation automatically activates the .esp file when you activate the .omod.
Load order should not matter: everything in the mod is new (or renamed, in the case of the LAME-based shaders), and no vanilla items are changed.
Once the files are in place and the .esp is activated, simply fire up Oblivion.
Updating
--------
No special steps are required when you update from an earlier version to v1.2. However, note that there is a new ini file with a couple of new options. If you've made changes to the ini from the previous version, you'll need to change the new file too.
----------
The Basics
----------
Every time an arrow is shot it is checked for any magical effects it may be carrying towards your target. These effects can come from an enchantment on the arrow, an enchantment on the bow, or a poison on the bow. The type of effect is determined and an appropriate "magical effect shader" is applied to the arrow - flames for fire enchantments/poisons, icy vapours for frost effects, sparks for shock damage, etc.
There is nothing special that you need to do to get these effects to show up - just get out there and start shooting magic and poisoned arrows.
The mod also enhances the appearance of enchanted arrows before you fire them - fire-enchanted arrows glow like hot coals, while soul trapping arrows have an eerie indigo sheen. This is done by using a new model and texture with a coloured glow on the ends of the arrow. All of the vanilla arrows have been adapted and add-on packs for popular mods such as Armamentarium are (or will be) available where you found this mod.
In order to update enchanted arrows to use the glowing textures, you need to enter inventory and then re-equip your arrows to force the game to use the new meshes. This is not normally an issue while playing, but you'll notice it if you load a game with enchanted arrows equipped and just start firing because they will not be using the enchanced meshes and textures.
To fully appreciate the wonder of magic effect shaders, I highly recommend bg2408's excellent Less Annoying Magic Experience (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20371), or if you don't want the full LAME experience, at the very least you should use his Enchantment and Hit Shaders mod (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22147). Either one will greatly enhance the magic visuals in your game.
I also recommend Glumblepunk's Arrow Replacement Pack (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9051), which makes arrows longer and more realistic looking. All of the enhanced glowing arrows are based off of Grumblepunk's meshes. PacificMorrowind has released add-on packs based on the longer meshes (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25335) for popular mods that add arrows, such as OOO, Armamentarium, Mart's Monster Mod, etc. These are for vanilla, unenchanted arrows. He will also be producing Flaming Arrows add-on packs with the glowing textures. Check where you downloaded this mod.
-------------
Customization
-------------
Flaming Arrows features a number of customization options that can be changed in the included config file, "DS Flaming Arrows.ini". This file is located in \Oblivion\data\, but if you prefer to tidy your Data directory the mod will also look in \Oblivion\data\ini\ for it. The mod will play fine right out-of-the-box, but your tastes may be different than mine. If so, simply open the file in Notepad or something similar and adjust the settings to your liking.
By default only one shader effect is applied to an arrow at a time; if you would rather have every applicable effect stacked onto the arrow, set StackShaders to 1. This allows you to have three different shaders playing on a fire-enchanted arrow shot from a frost-enchanted bow that's poisoned with a drain health potion. You'll also get multiple shaders applied if, for example, you have a bow that's enchanted with more than one hostile effect. I personally don't like the "muddy" look of the stacked shaders, but the option is there for people who want it.
If you do not use stacked shaders, you can control the precedence given to each potential source of magic effects - arrow, bow, and poison. By default the mod checks for enchantments on the arrow, enchantments on the bow, and poisons on the bow (in that order) and as soon as an appropriate effect is found the shader is applied and no more checks are made. By changing the Format setting in the ini file you can change the order that the sources are checked in. See the ini file for a list of settings. Note that if StackShaders is not set to 0, the Format setting will have no effect - all three sources will be checked and all applicable shaders will be applied. NPC arrows will always be checked in the default sequence, and shaders are never stacked on their arrows.
When applying a shader for a poison-based effect, the visual effect is appropriate to the effect: flames for a fire-damage poison, etc. If you would prefer a single "dripping poison" visual effect for all poisons, regardless of their magical effect, set PoisonShader to 1. NPCs always use the poison shader.
If you find that you're getting a visual effect when you're not using any enchanted items or poisons, it may be because another mod is applying a scripted magic effect to the arrow. Setting ScriptShader to 0 should remedy the problem. Using this will also prevent enhanced glowing textures from being used with scripted arrows.
If you do not want NPC arrows to have shaders applied, set NPCArrows to 0.
You can adjust the intensity of the shader effect by adjusting Intensity. The short answer is boost this setting if you want "more flames". The long answer is a little convoluted: every frame, the arrow is checked to see if it has been around for Intensity seconds or less - if it has, the appropriate shader is (or shaders are) applied. If you increase this number, the arrow will be tested for magic effects for a longer time and the shader layered on more times, resulting in a more intense visual effect. This is especially helpful if your framerates are low because it forces the script to layer shaders on for more frames. I don't suggest setting this too high (maybe 0.75 or 1.0 max) or you will flood the arrow with shader effects and it will simply appear to glow on both ends instead of subtly flaming or sparkling or dripping.
If you want the shader to stop after a certain amount of time, set Duration to a value in seconds that you want the shader to run for. Setting Duration to 0 will let the shader run indefinitely. If this value is not 0, it must be at least 1 second longer than the Intensity setting. Setting a duration for the shader doesn't make it vanish instantly when the duration expires; rather, that shader will start to fade out at that point and it takes a second or two to fully fade out. Also, the higher you have the Intensity value set, the longer it will take for the shader to fade out (the more times the shader is applied, the more times the stop command must be performed).
The Glow setting controls whether or not the arrow art for enchanted arrows is updated. Setting this to 0 disables the enhanced glow texture that is applied to enchanted arrows that are nocked and ready to fire.
-------------------------------
Known Bugs and Incompatibilites
-------------------------------
No known bugs.
Flaming Arrows should be compatible with any and all vanilla and mod-added bows and arrows. If you get shader effects when you don't think you should, try setting ScriptShader to 0 in the ini file, as discussed above. If this doesn't work, please report it in the RELz thread (link is below).
The glowing textures for enchanted arrows are assigned when you open your inventory. If you have enchanted arrows readied when you load a saved game and nock one before opening your inventory you will see the vanilla art. Also, due to the way the game handles graphics, the art for an equipped item is not updated in the gameworld until you unequip and re-equip it. So if you're not seeing the enhanced graphics for an enchanted arrow, go into your inventory and refresh the graphics by unequipping and then re-equipping the arrows.
If you have mod-added enchanted arrows that do not have new and improved glowing textures, check the Flaming Arrows download link (below) for an add-on pack. Pacific Morrowind will be releasing add-on packs (as he makes them, which is a time consuming process!) for popular mods such as OOO, MMM, Armamentarium, etc. If the one you're seeking is not posted with the main Flaming Arrows download, feel free to ask about it in the RELz thread.
---------
Changelog
---------
1.2 - Added option to have shaders fade out after a set time.
- Added improved textures for enchanted arrows, including the option to disable such.
- 12 Aug 09
1.1 - Added effects for NPC arrows, and the option to disable them.
- Added setting to change the intensity of the shaders.
- Changed (and I hope improved) the arrow finding code, which facilitated easy implementation of NPC arrow effects. Thanks Reneer!
- Reactivated the flame effect that I disabled for testing and forgot to reenable. *blush*
- 19 Jun 09
1.0 - Initial release
- 18 Jun 09
Flaming Arrows Readme
v1.2
by Tekuromoto
Don't miss my other mods!
SEE THE README IN THE DOWNLOAD FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS, CREDITS, ETC.
------------
Introduction
------------
Flaming Arrows applies visual effects to magical and poisoned arrows. Now you can see flames trailing behind your Arrows of Embers, sparks crackling around the arrows from your Bow of Lightning, or poison dripping from the arrow as it flies toward your target. Every type of hostile effect is represented with a unique visual effect - 21 different effects in all. Also optionally affects NPC arrows.
New for version 1.2 are meshes and textures that cause your arrow to appear to glow when nocked and ready to fire.
------------
Requirements
------------
Oblivion Script Extender v18 or greater. Get the latest version here
You MUST have OBSE, at least version 18, for this mod to work.
Flaming Arrows was developed with Oblivion 1.2.0416, OBSE v17, and over 200 mods of all sorts installed (Fran's, MMM, COBL, RBP, body replacers, All Natural, Better Cities, Unique Landscapes, quests, you name it). I haven't tested it with Shivering Isles or any DLCs (because I don't have them), but it _should_ work just fine with any setup.
------------
Installation
------------
Flaming Arrows comes packaged in omod-ready format. If you use OBMM, simply select "create" to make a new omod, "add archive" and select the .zip file you downloaded, import the included omod conversion data, and hit "create omod". Once it's finished, double-click the new omod in your list.
If you prefer to install manually, simply unzip the contents of the archive to your Oblivion\data\ directory. You can delete the "omod conversion data" folder, but it won't hurt anything if you leave it alone.
If you installed manually, you will have to activate the mod using either the Oblivion Launcher or Wrye Bash. OBMM/omod installation automatically activates the .esp file when you activate the .omod.
Load order should not matter: everything in the mod is new (or renamed, in the case of the LAME-based shaders), and no vanilla items are changed.
Once the files are in place and the .esp is activated, simply fire up Oblivion.
Updating
--------
No special steps are required when you update from an earlier version to v1.2. However, note that there is a new ini file with a couple of new options. If you've made changes to the ini from the previous version, you'll need to change the new file too.
----------
The Basics
----------
Every time an arrow is shot it is checked for any magical effects it may be carrying towards your target. These effects can come from an enchantment on the arrow, an enchantment on the bow, or a poison on the bow. The type of effect is determined and an appropriate "magical effect shader" is applied to the arrow - flames for fire enchantments/poisons, icy vapours for frost effects, sparks for shock damage, etc.
There is nothing special that you need to do to get these effects to show up - just get out there and start shooting magic and poisoned arrows.
The mod also enhances the appearance of enchanted arrows before you fire them - fire-enchanted arrows glow like hot coals, while soul trapping arrows have an eerie indigo sheen. This is done by using a new model and texture with a coloured glow on the ends of the arrow. All of the vanilla arrows have been adapted and add-on packs for popular mods such as Armamentarium are (or will be) available where you found this mod.
In order to update enchanted arrows to use the glowing textures, you need to enter inventory and then re-equip your arrows to force the game to use the new meshes. This is not normally an issue while playing, but you'll notice it if you load a game with enchanted arrows equipped and just start firing because they will not be using the enchanced meshes and textures.
To fully appreciate the wonder of magic effect shaders, I highly recommend bg2408's excellent Less Annoying Magic Experience (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20371), or if you don't want the full LAME experience, at the very least you should use his Enchantment and Hit Shaders mod (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22147). Either one will greatly enhance the magic visuals in your game.
I also recommend Glumblepunk's Arrow Replacement Pack (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9051), which makes arrows longer and more realistic looking. All of the enhanced glowing arrows are based off of Grumblepunk's meshes. PacificMorrowind has released add-on packs based on the longer meshes (http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25335) for popular mods that add arrows, such as OOO, Armamentarium, Mart's Monster Mod, etc. These are for vanilla, unenchanted arrows. He will also be producing Flaming Arrows add-on packs with the glowing textures. Check where you downloaded this mod.
-------------
Customization
-------------
Flaming Arrows features a number of customization options that can be changed in the included config file, "DS Flaming Arrows.ini". This file is located in \Oblivion\data\, but if you prefer to tidy your Data directory the mod will also look in \Oblivion\data\ini\ for it. The mod will play fine right out-of-the-box, but your tastes may be different than mine. If so, simply open the file in Notepad or something similar and adjust the settings to your liking.
By default only one shader effect is applied to an arrow at a time; if you would rather have every applicable effect stacked onto the arrow, set StackShaders to 1. This allows you to have three different shaders playing on a fire-enchanted arrow shot from a frost-enchanted bow that's poisoned with a drain health potion. You'll also get multiple shaders applied if, for example, you have a bow that's enchanted with more than one hostile effect. I personally don't like the "muddy" look of the stacked shaders, but the option is there for people who want it.
If you do not use stacked shaders, you can control the precedence given to each potential source of magic effects - arrow, bow, and poison. By default the mod checks for enchantments on the arrow, enchantments on the bow, and poisons on the bow (in that order) and as soon as an appropriate effect is found the shader is applied and no more checks are made. By changing the Format setting in the ini file you can change the order that the sources are checked in. See the ini file for a list of settings. Note that if StackShaders is not set to 0, the Format setting will have no effect - all three sources will be checked and all applicable shaders will be applied. NPC arrows will always be checked in the default sequence, and shaders are never stacked on their arrows.
When applying a shader for a poison-based effect, the visual effect is appropriate to the effect: flames for a fire-damage poison, etc. If you would prefer a single "dripping poison" visual effect for all poisons, regardless of their magical effect, set PoisonShader to 1. NPCs always use the poison shader.
If you find that you're getting a visual effect when you're not using any enchanted items or poisons, it may be because another mod is applying a scripted magic effect to the arrow. Setting ScriptShader to 0 should remedy the problem. Using this will also prevent enhanced glowing textures from being used with scripted arrows.
If you do not want NPC arrows to have shaders applied, set NPCArrows to 0.
You can adjust the intensity of the shader effect by adjusting Intensity. The short answer is boost this setting if you want "more flames". The long answer is a little convoluted: every frame, the arrow is checked to see if it has been around for Intensity seconds or less - if it has, the appropriate shader is (or shaders are) applied. If you increase this number, the arrow will be tested for magic effects for a longer time and the shader layered on more times, resulting in a more intense visual effect. This is especially helpful if your framerates are low because it forces the script to layer shaders on for more frames. I don't suggest setting this too high (maybe 0.75 or 1.0 max) or you will flood the arrow with shader effects and it will simply appear to glow on both ends instead of subtly flaming or sparkling or dripping.
If you want the shader to stop after a certain amount of time, set Duration to a value in seconds that you want the shader to run for. Setting Duration to 0 will let the shader run indefinitely. If this value is not 0, it must be at least 1 second longer than the Intensity setting. Setting a duration for the shader doesn't make it vanish instantly when the duration expires; rather, that shader will start to fade out at that point and it takes a second or two to fully fade out. Also, the higher you have the Intensity value set, the longer it will take for the shader to fade out (the more times the shader is applied, the more times the stop command must be performed).
The Glow setting controls whether or not the arrow art for enchanted arrows is updated. Setting this to 0 disables the enhanced glow texture that is applied to enchanted arrows that are nocked and ready to fire.
-------------------------------
Known Bugs and Incompatibilites
-------------------------------
No known bugs.
Flaming Arrows should be compatible with any and all vanilla and mod-added bows and arrows. If you get shader effects when you don't think you should, try setting ScriptShader to 0 in the ini file, as discussed above. If this doesn't work, please report it in the RELz thread (link is below).
The glowing textures for enchanted arrows are assigned when you open your inventory. If you have enchanted arrows readied when you load a saved game and nock one before opening your inventory you will see the vanilla art. Also, due to the way the game handles graphics, the art for an equipped item is not updated in the gameworld until you unequip and re-equip it. So if you're not seeing the enhanced graphics for an enchanted arrow, go into your inventory and refresh the graphics by unequipping and then re-equipping the arrows.
If you have mod-added enchanted arrows that do not have new and improved glowing textures, check the Flaming Arrows download link (below) for an add-on pack. Pacific Morrowind will be releasing add-on packs (as he makes them, which is a time consuming process!) for popular mods such as OOO, MMM, Armamentarium, etc. If the one you're seeking is not posted with the main Flaming Arrows download, feel free to ask about it in the RELz thread.
---------
Changelog
---------
1.2 - Added option to have shaders fade out after a set time.
- Added improved textures for enchanted arrows, including the option to disable such.
- 12 Aug 09
1.1 - Added effects for NPC arrows, and the option to disable them.
- Added setting to change the intensity of the shaders.
- Changed (and I hope improved) the arrow finding code, which facilitated easy implementation of NPC arrow effects. Thanks Reneer!
- Reactivated the flame effect that I disabled for testing and forgot to reenable. *blush*
- 19 Jun 09
1.0 - Initial release
- 18 Jun 09