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Maigrets Gnoll Archer

Posted: November 29th, 2013
by Maigrets
Back in Oblivion and the CS. This is my first attempt and I had to use my own tutorial more than once but it works. :)

Long Readme in spoiler tags.
spoiler:
I've just come back to Oblivion after becoming disenchanted with Skyrim and this is something I had intended to do but never actually got around to it.

I'm primarily doing this for myself so there won't be a quest and I won't be taking requests so please don't ask. I will of course fix anything that needs fixing if it's actually a bug and not to add content, unless it's something I want for myself.

I've been away from the CS and the game for several years except for a very brief time a few months ago so I'm a bit rusty and I had to consult my own tutorial more than a few times to do this.

Links to my Simple Creature Companion Tutorial are at the bottom of this page.

Please note:
In case you're new to Oblivion and don't know my companion system, I don't do menus for my creature companions because I don't like them, not because I can't. There are other mods that do this if that's what you prefer.

My companions will do what they need to do via their script and packages. They will sneak, use their idle animations when not in combat, and protect you.


Please read the following text in it's entirety. It should answer any questions you may have.

MOD NAME:
Maigrets Gnoll Archer Companion

VERSION:
One

DESCRIPTION:

Bonesplitter is a Gnoll Archer and can be found at Weynon Priory in the yard adjacent to the Priory itself, where the Dark Elf lives. He will start to wander as soon as you enter the cell so he may even open the gate and be on the road. He shouldn't go far.

Bonesplitter was exiled by his tribe for attempting to assassinate the Chieftan. Having some status and power of his own he tried to garner the support of several others in the tribe, and promises were made, but when the time came he found himself alone and was overpowered by the Chieftan's guards.

The Chieftan was not known for his merciful nature, but on this occasion he decided that a more fitting punishment would be to banish Bonesplitter, which in itself turned out to be harsher than a quick and savage death. Even though Gnolls are not very intelligent, perhaps on par with Goblins, the members of this Gnoll tribe valued status above all and were always plotting and jealously scheming against one another.

To be thrown out like yesterday's gnawed bones without his armour and only basic weapons was almost more than Bonesplitter could bear. He roamed Cyrodiil for a few lonely months, never finding more of his own kind, always getting into trouble and being hunted away from settlements.

He tried begging for scraps at some of the smaller villages, but the folk were frightened of him and hid inside their houses until he went away. He once tried to steal a sheep which almost ended in disaster when the beast led the chase into a passing guard patrol. He still has trouble sitting down and a terrible phobia of clanking armour.

Starving and thoroughly demoralized, he hides in a little farmyard where he can hear the bleating of the succulent, fat sheep behind the Priory, but that Dark Elf always seems to be watching. What will happen next...? Will someone take pity on this poor creature?

NOTE: Unless you use Waalx Animals and Creatures (WAC) he will of course be the only one of his kind.


AND NOW TO THE IMPORTANT PART:

Activate to Follow or to Wait. He will do what's necessary without further intervention. A Summon spell will be given to you on first activating so if he gets stuck, (which may happen on high staircases because creatures can't jump), you can call him to you. It's a Lesser Power.

He's modelled on the Goblin so will have the same animations but has his own sounds. He has his own personal bow, poisons that vanilla goblin archers use and enough arrows that he should never run out. I gave him a dagger in case he has to melee in close quarters but he seems to prefer his fists which he is quite proficient with.

However if I leave him with the dagger he often doesn't want to use the bow so I have removed the dagger at the moment because I want him to primarily be an archer and it works very well like that.
He can have it back if necessary but I'll probably change it to a short sword but I don't know if he'll use it either in preference to fists and claws.

Note that in the screenshots I'm not helping him at all so the enemy gets close and focuses on him, whereas if I do help he will stay back and always use the bow. I made his follow distance quite a bit longer compared to my other companions since he is an archer. Finding something for him to practise on in vanilla and then get a decent screenshot isn't easy.


I am currently using Maskar's Overhaul and WAC, and it is entirely possible that Bonesplitter can be knocked out when you really need him. For that reason he has his own Healing Power to help him recover a little faster. I've also given him Resist Magic 50% and Poison 100% (poison is more important) because I've found certain enchantments and poisons, particulary from other mods, can have permanent bad effects on companions and since he is Essential it would require a clean save and restart of the mod to fix it. It's happened to me before. This can be seen with NPC companions, for example if they are falling down and getting up all the time it's usually because of damaged fatigue or other ill effects.

As stated he is Essential so he can't die and also levels with the player. That can be changed in the Construction Set (CS) if preferred, but I'm not going to do it. I have an attachment to my companions and prefer them not to die. He shouldn't be overpowered as his stats are basically the same as the default Goblin Skirmisher Archer, but since testing in a vanilla game I have lowered his stats a bit.

He is big and quite strong so he should be expected be somewhat powerful in melee. I only test my mods with the default game so I may have to adjust his stats again for my modded game. You can alter them further in the Construction Set if preferred.

He's player owned so he won't attack you or friends if you hit him which also avoids you getting a bounty since you are the owner. He also has the sneak component in his script as my other companions do. NOTE: Sneaking is dependent on YOUR sneak skill. If YOUR skill is low or YOU are detected for any other reason he will enter combat as normal.

Bonesplitter also has a high intelligence (the same as the goblin) so he can follow through load doors and will open gates and normal doors because of this. There are some Main Quest areas he will not follow through as is the case with most companions as far as I know, so just summon as necessary.

I don't do the Main Quest any more and haven't tested Oblivion Gates, so if you're going into a Gate, make him wait before going in and then call him. Do the same upon exiting just to be sure. There shouldn't be a problem as it usually (or used to) affects companions with inventories that can be accessed by the player and he doesn't have one. However, I don't use NPC companions so I don't know if this is still true.

New world spaces are fine as I use my other companions successfully by using the same method which also means Shivering Isles.

You can change his name if you want in the CS or open the console in game, click on him and type -
setactorfullname "New Name" - The name must be in quotes if more than one word. Close the console and save the game. However, his given name will remain the same in on screen messages and his Summon Spell. That can only be changed in his script.

I did have a couple of reports regarding one of my other companions where they would be attacked if they came into the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary with you. I have no idea why this should happen and the details given were sketchy, but if in doubt leave him outside. It's obviously a faction issue but I'm not making new factions to suit the DB.


REQUIREMENTS:
I have Shivering Isles installed but no assets from SI were used.
Oblivion must be patched to 1.2 however as I used this version of the CS to create my mod and it will not work otherwise.

INSTALL:
Extract the 7Zip file to a temporary directory for best results. Move the meshes, textures and sound folders, plus the esp to your data folder. Check the esp in your data files menu or use your desired method eg OBMM and start your game.

UNINSTALL:
Examine the folder structure in the file you downloaded. Remove the esp, meshes, textures and sounds from your Data folder. Your saves won't be affected. Just answer yes to the message regarding missing content next time you start your game.

COMPATIBILITY:
There should be no incompatibility with any other mods as far as I'm aware unless that farmyard is changed in some way. I try to place my companions in areas that shouldn't conflict with quests so any other incompatibility is not my problem I'm afraid.

CREDITS and THANKS:
Waalx for support and permission to use his Gnoll files.
Bethesda for creating Oblivion and the CS in the first place for us to use.
The CS Wiki and Bethsoft CS forum for various useful bits of information.

My Simple Creature Companion Tutorial can be found here:
Waalx Realswords Forum:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=347

My blog:
http://maigretsheadspace.blogspot.com.a ... 0Tutorials

It's also at TES Alliance but the above two links have the most up to date versions. There's not much different except some edits for clarification.


CONTACT INFORMATION:

Waalx RealSwords Forum: Registrations were closed for a time but are now open.
index.php

PM at Tesnexus

Email: maigrets55@yahoo.com.au

PERMISSIONS:
This mod must not be uploaded anywhere else for any reason whatsoever. If I want it elsewhere I will upload it myself. No alterations except for personal use are permitted.


Translations are fine as long as I'm contacted first. Most of my companions have already been translated to other languages. I'd just like to know about it beforehand for my own interest.

The resource files in this mod are not to be used at all without permission from Waalx.
DOWNLOAD LINK:


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Headshot
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Re: Maigrets Gnoll Archer

Posted: November 29th, 2013
by Fessels
LoL just back in Oblivion and already made a new companion mod, and the screenshot "Headshot"...LoL Bonesplitter must be a crack shot. :grin:

Re: Maigrets Gnoll Archer

Posted: November 30th, 2013
by Maigrets
Fessels wrote:LoL just back in Oblivion and already made a new companion mod, and the screenshot "Headshot"...LoL Bonesplitter must be a crack shot. :grin:
I'm enjoying the game a lot. With the Unique Landscape mods it's like a new environment altogether and I've been lost a few times. Maskard's Overhaul makes it very challenging as well.

The headshot pic show the arrow about to split the guy's skull and he is a crack shot. Unlike me, at level one, he hardly ever misses and I pick up his arrows of the bodies.

Re: Maigrets Gnoll Archer

Posted: November 30th, 2013
by Fessels
Maigrets wrote: I'm enjoying the game a lot. With the Unique Landscape mods it's like a new environment altogether and I've been lost a few times. Maskard's Overhaul makes it very challenging as well.

The headshot pic show the arrow about to split the guy's skull and he is a crack shot. Unlike me, at level one, he hardly ever misses and I pick up his arrows of the bodies.
LoL :grin:


Any way, when i was on Oblivion Nexus i saw that your Mod has become a hot file already. :) ( With a whopping 1 endorsement. )

Re: Maigrets Gnoll Archer

Posted: December 1st, 2013
by Maigrets

LoL :grin:


Any way, when i was on Oblivion Nexus i saw that your Mod has become a hot file already. :) ( With a whopping 1 endorsement. )
That's one more than I was expecting... lol But I was surprised that some people I know and some I don't welcomed me back to Oblivion. It also seems several known modders are returning to the game so things might get interesting soon.