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About this mod
This mod fixes some issues for The Island and makes a few immersive changes. The plugin is flagged as an ESL. Be sure to endorse the original mod!
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
This mod fixes some issues for The Island and makes a few immersive changes. The plugin is flagged as an ESL. Be sure to endorse the original mod!
FIXES:
NOTE: You should CLEAN the original plugin (TheIsland.esp) because it has some ITMs. In addition, the following records can be removed from the original plugin because they overwrite vanilla records and aren't really necessary (thanks to popcorn71 for reporting these; in the future I may include the original plugin with these changes since the author has given me permissions):
TWEAKS:
ARMOR AND WEAPONS: I changed all dwemer (dwarven) armor and weapons to hide and iron equivalents. This keeps the player from finding high level loot and becoming overpowered. The Island is meant to be a starting adventure (hence the Alternate Start option). Note that I only changed vanilla items--I did not touch any mod added items except one item which was particularly overpowered; I just reduced its damage, that's all.
CREATURE DIFFICULTY: I changed a couple of beginning creatures from moderate to easy, otherwise you can get killed too easily since you have no armor and only a simple weapon starting out. Also, for players with added survival mods like Wounds you can get badly injured and have little chance of surviving your first encounters.
DAWNSTAR SHIP: If you are in Skyrim and take the ship from Dawnstar to get to The Island, AND if you choose the "shipwreck" option, it will now be treated the same as if you used the Alternate Life beginning option. That is, YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOUR WEAPONS, ARMOR, GOLD, AND GEMS in the shipwreck. That means you start the adventure in "survival" mode. If you don't like that, then stow your stuff in a safe container in Skyrim before taking the ship, or just don't choose the shipwreck option and travel to the The Island's docks instead (you are given both options before boarding the ship).
QUEST REQUIREMENTS: I reduced the number and weight of items needed to complete a couple of the quests. See spoiler for details (I've been careful not to give anything away).
SHIP STORAGE: I disabled all ship storage because: 1) Users complained it caused a floating hatch door in Solitude; 2) it conflicted with the Hardcore Alternate Ending I've provided; and 3) I didn't feel like it was needed anymore given other changes I've made.
PERKS: The original mod gives you 2 perk points just for making it off The Island. I thought that was a bit OP, so I reduced the number to 1. Note that there is an additional perk point to be gained somewhere on The Island.
OPTIONAL FILES:
Chanterelle Alternate Ending: Using this option will bring you to the shores of Chanterelle (that mod is required). This is my personal preference! The story is amazing and is a perfect fit for what happens when you arrive. I'm not giving any spoilers, you must experience this yourself first-hand! Requires the main file (overwrite it). One ESL flagged ESP, one changed script, and a couple of meshes. The meshes are for the birds on the Chanterelle shore--they were so bright they glowed in the dark, so I reduced the specular multiple in the meshes to a reasonable level (this is a vanilla mesh problem, not a problem with Chanterelle which simply uses the meshes). Please note that you will lose all your armor, weapons, gems, and gold if you choose this option (similar to the Hardcore Alternate Ending described below).
Hardcore Alternate Ending: Using this option will cause you to be waylaid by pirates on your final voyage to Skyrim. It is just a change in one script; overwrite the main download with this. More info in the spoiler below.
Alternate Start Replacement ESP: This is a replacement plugin for the Alternate Start plugin of the original mod. The Alternate Start mod is required. Note that you still need the other files from the Alternate Start download in the original Island mod (i.e. the scripts) so be sure to download all of those from the original mod then overwrite the plugin from that download with the one here. These are the changes I made:
1. Corrected some typos.
2. Corrected the Quest Type for the startup quest so that it prevents the player from gaining quest experience from simply choosing the Alternate Start beginning. This applies particularly to those using Experience. See the mod No Startup Quest XP for more info.
3. Compacted the FormIDs and flagged the ESP as ESL so it doesn't take up a plugin slot.
Helps to Have a Map - The Island: This file requires Helps to Have a Map. It prevents the player from looking at the map (using 'm') unless he/she is holding a map of The Island. I've placed a few of these maps (which I call "Map of Mysterious Island") in appropriate places on The Island. You'll need to find one before pressing 'm' works. Please note that the map does not work when the player is in any internal space on The Island (e.g. inside a house or a cave) because those areas use Skyrim location records. If you try to view your map while inside, you'll get a message that you don't have a map of Skyrim. IMHO this should not be a problem because none of the internal spaces are that big. Just ignore the message. The only true fix for this is to literally change all the internal location records in this mod which I might do eventually.
The Island - Crafting Requires Tools Addon: This file requires the mod Crafting Requires Tools - Extended. It places crafting tools in appropriate places around The Island so that crafting stations (forges, smelters, workbenches, cooking pots) can be used. There are no vendors to buy these tools on The Island, so if you use Crafting Requires Tools you'll need this addon.
FAQ:
Q: Did you get permissions from the original author for these changes?
A: Yes, aaronbrown9898 graciously told me "You have permission to edit both esps and to do whatever is necessary." Please give him a kudos for the great work he's done!
Q: I have Frostfall. If I choose the Chanterelle ending, will I freeze to death?
A: No, the climate at the starting point is very reasonable, even if you get wet. There are resources available if you look for them, and you will be able to gather whatever is necessary to brave other areas.
Q: Have you actually tested these changes?
A: I've tested nearly all of them that I can, but please note I have NOT played through the entire questline. I created this mod for myself so I could enjoy it during my first complete play-through, and I just wanted to share it with all of you.
Q: How did you fix those terrain gaps?
A: I didn't "fix" them, I actually plugged them with rocks. LOL
Q: What about all the problematic LOD pop-ins? Can you fix those?
A: I tried generating LODs for the buildings, cliffs, statues, etc. but that didn't fix the issue so I gave up. This can be MOSTLY solved by using Dyndolod 3.0 anyway. But even after using Dyndolod 3.0 I found some of the areas to pop in badly because of missing LODs. Not sure what the problem is or how to fix it. I'm open to suggestions here.
Q: What is that "Navigation Mesh Info Map" node in the plugin?
A: The CK automatically adds that when it needs to coordinate changes between two plugins. It is not used in the game, so you can ignore it. You'll see the same node in hundreds of other mods. If it makes your OCD go crazy, then you can safely delete it.
Q: Why is it raining underground?
A: This happened to me once too. I think it's caused by the fact that the underground area uses Blackreach weathers, and those can include rainy weather (e.g. weather ID c8220). I'm guessing it's a vanilla issue not caused by this mod.
Q: Can you also fix the problem with...(fill in the blank)
A: I'll try, just let me know about it with as much detail as possible.
Q: How do I make The Island look better?
A: The Island uses vanilla trees, textures, meshes, grass, rocks, animals, etc. So if you make Skyrim beautiful you'll make The Island beautiful.
FIXES:
- Fixed floating trees (thanks to rbartmoss for reporting these)
- Fixed terrain gaps (thanks to rbartmoss for reporting one of these)
- Fixed boat collision
- Fixed dark face bugs (13 characters fixed)
- Added an option at the Dawnstar boat to stay in Skyrim. Previously you couldn't exit the options and had to choose to go to The Island immediately.
- Fixed some typos.
- See FAQ at the bottom of this page for the LOD problem.
NOTE: You should CLEAN the original plugin (TheIsland.esp) because it has some ITMs. In addition, the following records can be removed from the original plugin because they overwrite vanilla records and aren't really necessary (thanks to popcorn71 for reporting these; in the future I may include the original plugin with these changes since the author has given me permissions):
- Worldspace \ 00016D71 <MarkarthWorld>
- Weapon \ 00013993 <DwarvenWarAxe>
- Activator \ 0009727E <WaterPuddle>
TWEAKS:
ARMOR AND WEAPONS: I changed all dwemer (dwarven) armor and weapons to hide and iron equivalents. This keeps the player from finding high level loot and becoming overpowered. The Island is meant to be a starting adventure (hence the Alternate Start option). Note that I only changed vanilla items--I did not touch any mod added items except one item which was particularly overpowered; I just reduced its damage, that's all.
CREATURE DIFFICULTY: I changed a couple of beginning creatures from moderate to easy, otherwise you can get killed too easily since you have no armor and only a simple weapon starting out. Also, for players with added survival mods like Wounds you can get badly injured and have little chance of surviving your first encounters.
DAWNSTAR SHIP: If you are in Skyrim and take the ship from Dawnstar to get to The Island, AND if you choose the "shipwreck" option, it will now be treated the same as if you used the Alternate Life beginning option. That is, YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOUR WEAPONS, ARMOR, GOLD, AND GEMS in the shipwreck. That means you start the adventure in "survival" mode. If you don't like that, then stow your stuff in a safe container in Skyrim before taking the ship, or just don't choose the shipwreck option and travel to the The Island's docks instead (you are given both options before boarding the ship).
QUEST REQUIREMENTS: I reduced the number and weight of items needed to complete a couple of the quests. See spoiler for details (I've been careful not to give anything away).
Spoiler:
The number of items required to complete a certain quest was 20, and each item weighed 4 pounds. This required you to carry 80 POUNDS just for those items, in addition to the other items. My starting character only has 75 carry weight. To make this more doable I reduced the number of items required to 10 and reduced their weight to 2 pounds, so the total is now just 20 pounds. For another quest, I reduced the weight of an item from 40 to 30 to make it more manageable.
Show
The number of items required to complete a certain quest was 20, and each item weighed 4 pounds. This required you to carry 80 POUNDS just for those items, in addition to the other items. My starting character only has 75 carry weight. To make this more doable I reduced the number of items required to 10 and reduced their weight to 2 pounds, so the total is now just 20 pounds. For another quest, I reduced the weight of an item from 40 to 30 to make it more manageable.
SHIP STORAGE: I disabled all ship storage because: 1) Users complained it caused a floating hatch door in Solitude; 2) it conflicted with the Hardcore Alternate Ending I've provided; and 3) I didn't feel like it was needed anymore given other changes I've made.
PERKS: The original mod gives you 2 perk points just for making it off The Island. I thought that was a bit OP, so I reduced the number to 1. Note that there is an additional perk point to be gained somewhere on The Island.
OPTIONAL FILES:
Chanterelle Alternate Ending: Using this option will bring you to the shores of Chanterelle (that mod is required). This is my personal preference! The story is amazing and is a perfect fit for what happens when you arrive. I'm not giving any spoilers, you must experience this yourself first-hand! Requires the main file (overwrite it). One ESL flagged ESP, one changed script, and a couple of meshes. The meshes are for the birds on the Chanterelle shore--they were so bright they glowed in the dark, so I reduced the specular multiple in the meshes to a reasonable level (this is a vanilla mesh problem, not a problem with Chanterelle which simply uses the meshes). Please note that you will lose all your armor, weapons, gems, and gold if you choose this option (similar to the Hardcore Alternate Ending described below).
Hardcore Alternate Ending: Using this option will cause you to be waylaid by pirates on your final voyage to Skyrim. It is just a change in one script; overwrite the main download with this. More info in the spoiler below.
Spoiler:
I always thought The Island should just be a starting adventure and not a loot gathering experience. Your goal is to get off The Island not accumulate wealth and settle in. I REALLY like survivalist difficulties, so this optional file will cause you to be waylaid by pirates during your voyage off The Island. ALL YOUR ARMOR, WEAPONS, GOLD, AND GEMS WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, and you will be beaten almost to death. You arrive in Skyrim dressed in rags with almost nothing of value, and you only have 20% of your health and stamina (that's only temporary, you get it back normally). I've taken care to NOT remove any bags, food, bedrolls, tents, clutter, maps, quest items, etc. from your inventory. What you have left is your gained skills, experience, and the wonder of your adventure.
Show
I always thought The Island should just be a starting adventure and not a loot gathering experience. Your goal is to get off The Island not accumulate wealth and settle in. I REALLY like survivalist difficulties, so this optional file will cause you to be waylaid by pirates during your voyage off The Island. ALL YOUR ARMOR, WEAPONS, GOLD, AND GEMS WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, and you will be beaten almost to death. You arrive in Skyrim dressed in rags with almost nothing of value, and you only have 20% of your health and stamina (that's only temporary, you get it back normally). I've taken care to NOT remove any bags, food, bedrolls, tents, clutter, maps, quest items, etc. from your inventory. What you have left is your gained skills, experience, and the wonder of your adventure.
Alternate Start Replacement ESP: This is a replacement plugin for the Alternate Start plugin of the original mod. The Alternate Start mod is required. Note that you still need the other files from the Alternate Start download in the original Island mod (i.e. the scripts) so be sure to download all of those from the original mod then overwrite the plugin from that download with the one here. These are the changes I made:
1. Corrected some typos.
2. Corrected the Quest Type for the startup quest so that it prevents the player from gaining quest experience from simply choosing the Alternate Start beginning. This applies particularly to those using Experience. See the mod No Startup Quest XP for more info.
3. Compacted the FormIDs and flagged the ESP as ESL so it doesn't take up a plugin slot.
Helps to Have a Map - The Island: This file requires Helps to Have a Map. It prevents the player from looking at the map (using 'm') unless he/she is holding a map of The Island. I've placed a few of these maps (which I call "Map of Mysterious Island") in appropriate places on The Island. You'll need to find one before pressing 'm' works. Please note that the map does not work when the player is in any internal space on The Island (e.g. inside a house or a cave) because those areas use Skyrim location records. If you try to view your map while inside, you'll get a message that you don't have a map of Skyrim. IMHO this should not be a problem because none of the internal spaces are that big. Just ignore the message. The only true fix for this is to literally change all the internal location records in this mod which I might do eventually.
The Island - Crafting Requires Tools Addon: This file requires the mod Crafting Requires Tools - Extended. It places crafting tools in appropriate places around The Island so that crafting stations (forges, smelters, workbenches, cooking pots) can be used. There are no vendors to buy these tools on The Island, so if you use Crafting Requires Tools you'll need this addon.
FAQ:
Q: Did you get permissions from the original author for these changes?
A: Yes, aaronbrown9898 graciously told me "You have permission to edit both esps and to do whatever is necessary." Please give him a kudos for the great work he's done!
Q: I have Frostfall. If I choose the Chanterelle ending, will I freeze to death?
A: No, the climate at the starting point is very reasonable, even if you get wet. There are resources available if you look for them, and you will be able to gather whatever is necessary to brave other areas.
Q: Have you actually tested these changes?
A: I've tested nearly all of them that I can, but please note I have NOT played through the entire questline. I created this mod for myself so I could enjoy it during my first complete play-through, and I just wanted to share it with all of you.
Q: How did you fix those terrain gaps?
A: I didn't "fix" them, I actually plugged them with rocks. LOL
Q: What about all the problematic LOD pop-ins? Can you fix those?
A: I tried generating LODs for the buildings, cliffs, statues, etc. but that didn't fix the issue so I gave up. This can be MOSTLY solved by using Dyndolod 3.0 anyway. But even after using Dyndolod 3.0 I found some of the areas to pop in badly because of missing LODs. Not sure what the problem is or how to fix it. I'm open to suggestions here.
Q: What is that "Navigation Mesh Info Map" node in the plugin?
A: The CK automatically adds that when it needs to coordinate changes between two plugins. It is not used in the game, so you can ignore it. You'll see the same node in hundreds of other mods. If it makes your OCD go crazy, then you can safely delete it.
Q: Why is it raining underground?
A: This happened to me once too. I think it's caused by the fact that the underground area uses Blackreach weathers, and those can include rainy weather (e.g. weather ID c8220). I'm guessing it's a vanilla issue not caused by this mod.
Q: Can you also fix the problem with...(fill in the blank)
A: I'll try, just let me know about it with as much detail as possible.
Q: How do I make The Island look better?
A: The Island uses vanilla trees, textures, meshes, grass, rocks, animals, etc. So if you make Skyrim beautiful you'll make The Island beautiful.