This post will contain the links to future updates.
IMPORTANT
The Read-Me is in this post.
PLEASE READ IT BEFORE YOU PLAY WAC! READ it while WAC download..this is going to take time anyway, and the Read Me will explain things as they are now. So if you have a bug and it's a known one you won't (try to) report it. I don't have the time to answer the same question over and over, spare me this and read the text.
Note: As explained in the latest post (up this one), here's the last WAC. The Read-Me on this page isn't really adequate anymore (although some stuff are still true), I will update the page in January as I explained elsewhere...
WAC v1 beta (580mb)
To dowload the WAC files, please head over to TESA at
DOWNLOAD WAC AT TESA
WAC screenshots taken by many users
A video of WAC made by WizardOfAtlantis
Read-Me
WAC Alpha v0.5b
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Install:
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To install the mod I made all into a big .bsa archive. So nothing to think about, you drop the items into your data folder, you check the esps and the master in your load order (esp(s) preferably loaded last). And play.
For now it should be easier this way, and it does make something utterly clean compared to the original set-up of the files of WAC. As I'm using several things that come directly from the game itself, I tried not to replicate stuff, and so I placed my new things in the same folders as the original files. This help not having to load the same file more than one time by the game engine as many creatures use the same resources, However, due to the volume of monstrosities I made, the folders are kind of full. BSA to the rescue!
Last Thing First:
WAC.bsa is a big file. After you install that in your data folder, defragment your drive (HDD). This will make it go a lot smoother if it wasn't defragmented at all, or since a while (or for some more like 'never'!). Defragment, it's always worth it. And when you install something new that is mandatory, more so if it's a huge file or application.
RealSwords material and much more than what's in the preview modules are included in WAC. You don't need any of the older RealSwords mods with WAC. ANY. It will interfere with WAC and the way it handle the weapons. FCOM RealSwords shouldn't be used either while using WAC- TCOS.esp, The Chronicles of Steel. WAC RealSwords integration (TCOS) contain a lot of new material not available in FCOM version or in my own releases, as well as upgrades to some stuff.
The next version of WAC (v0.05c) is going to bring balance to the weapons as well as new material. WAC v0.05c contain what I consider as RealSwords v2, on which the remaining RS mods will be based upon (Dunmer, Altmer, Imperial)..and then a final v3 should bring this weapon thing to a close, with models enhancement/upgrade and a final texture check-up for everything.
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The files:
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Legend: Red= mandatory. Yellow= Optional files
If you want WAC to run, those files need to load:
- WAC.bsa contain all the files (textures, meshes, and sounds).
- Waalx Animals & Creatures.esm The master file, contain the data for (almost) everything. Must be loaded for anything else in the overhaul to work.
- WAC.esp Mandatory if you want WAC.bsa to load. This esp places new spawn points in the world. It also change some small parts of the world around the camps (goblins). Other than the landscape editing around the camps, WAC.esp is made so it shouldn't conflict with other things, or mostly not. Even with other overhauls as this esp only place new spawn points.
The other files in the archives are optional:
- WAC - Overspawn.esp This esp rework the vanilla creature lists, this one also add the goblins of WAC that aren't touched by the WAC.esp at all. Overspawn make a big difference and you will not see some stuff without it, for example, the new horses of WAC are managed here. This will conflict with anything else that modify Leveled lists (FCOM, MMM, FRAN, OOO, TIE, etc...). WAC Goblins, WAC zombies, skeletons, horses, and some others stuff are controlled here.
- WAC - TCOS.esp TCOS stand for The Chronicles of Steel. The sum of RealSwords, this esp is the thing in the overhaul that does NPC changes. Weapons, Mages Robes, Armors, Beards, clothes (later). This will conflict with anything that modify vanilla NPC. Yet it's one big part of WAC. TCOS is a very big part of WAC.
- WAC - TCOS Shops.esp This esp place the merchants of RealSwords in the world as in the RealSwords module. Khajiit have been updated to a Forge-Tower alike the one I made for RealSwords Nord. The Khajiit tower is still in Borderwatch. Started by dev_akm and destroyed by waalx. May ultimately be merge diretly to the TCOS.esp.
- WAC - Dead Knights.esp The base for the Dead Knights quest. For now all you can do is fight them in 7 differents forts around the map. Fort Chalman, Fort Wariel, Fort Facian, Fort Rayles, Fort Cedrian, Dasek Moor, Fort Horunn. Killing a dead lord and taking his sword make you a Lord, and while the sword is equiped the Dead will not attack you (this is temporary as the swords and Dead Knights are tied to a more complex plot that shall unravel later.).
- WAC - BlackBoot Dungeon.esp Extend the BlackBoot Dungeon to unknown areas. Made by StarX.
- WAC - Magic.esp Add new spells to some select creatures. Made by StarX.
- WAC - Player Summons.esp Add different merchants that can sell you different selections of spells to summon some of WAC creatures. Some are stationary, some are always on the move. Find them. Made By StarX.
- WAC Crowded Roads Revisited.esp waalx revisit the revisited and WACify the thing. WCRR spawn rate is very low here, and I made this primarly so the folks that walk the roads wear lots of my new gears and robes (and weapons). I will continnue to 'revisit' this as I create more clothes and armors.
- WAC - 8th Gate.esp the esp that add the hircine place to the random oblivion planes. It's unfinished, here for testing purpose only. Later-on, while you enter a random Oblivion gate and enter The Hunt plane, you will have to prove your worth to be able to get out. As of now The Hunt plane is already in the Random oblivion gates lists, however, you can close the gate without having to do The Hunt. That will change later so that each time you randomly enter The Hunt you will have to win your exit back to Tamriel.
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About it....
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If you are a user that can't technically help fixing what's wrong with a solution, all you have to do is to install this and play. Your opinion about it, that's what is important (to me).
WAC v0.5 Alpha isn't the final version, so using this mod with an important ongoing game is not recommended at this point(although it should work fine too). Start a new game, or a duplicate save game that was made before. As the mod replace a lot of stuff, for the purpose of this test run, all the esp should load last in your load order so you see what they do.
The rule here is that this is still greatly a WIP, so don't start an official new campaign with it or your computer may implode your face behind your bellybutton and you'd be stuck to feel your intestine at work on your inside-out scalp while dying from suffocation. Not good.
A few points to help you along:
- WAC is going to make a few locations appear automatically on your map. Most of those are the new goblins camps and the bandits camps I changed so far. Later they won't appear automatically, but for the time being it's easier for testing.
- Some items are scattered in front of the sewer exit. Again, this is only for (my) testing purpose. Among those are the 7 Leagues Boots, something invaluable for me to run around fast and see stuff quickly. It's a magical item that will be a unique thing in the final version, for now they are my testing shoes. Beside that there are two chests on both side of the Sewer exit that contain the last items I tested.
- RealSwords here is different from the modules. I always said RealSwords mods are previews, and this start to be more like I want it. A bonus for you is that some weapons appear here that weren't in the originals mods, and some other are new ones never released. Some Dunmer, some Imperial, a Khajiit bow/arrows, a couple of Arena weapons. Many more Old weapons here compared to what I made for FCOM.
- Many creatures use the creatures decision script by tag!. So it's possible that a predator will flee from you, you can meet a jaguar that will flee you for example. Temporary thing that should get it's own new AI later-on (when somebody that can do it, do it.)
- Special note on the White Lions and Imperial Man-Eaters that appear near the shrines across the map. The Man-Eaters are evil, the Whites are good. White Lions will not attack you unless you hurt them, they will also defend you or anyone near them if there is danger around (bring them a monster and have them help you if the location is adequate). Sometimes both Whites and Man-Eaters can spawn at the same shrine, in that case..enjoy the fight! Smile (Whites will most of the time win the fight as the Man-Eaters are vicious but coward so they flee). The shrines Lions will later-on be the first and main 'tamable creatures'. If your infamy is low you will be able to tame a White Lion/Lioness, if you are infamous Man eaters will like you and may even become 'brave' for you (something nice from them usual cowards). (taming of beasties is not yet done!).
- Greenies, pesky little magicians, can spawn almost anywhere, but they always are around the Doomstones (birth sign stones).
- Horses are freshly made so some stuff may not be quite final here.
- Some armors are still missing their icons (bandits in particular). That's because I'm not over with the armors yet.
- I made a good amount of new races to accommodate the beard styles. If you want to play a character using one of those bearded races (even a bearded gal!) you will need a mod that fix custom races like Custom Race Fix - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1815. I think the Unnoficial Patch take care of this as well. Unfortunately, when I created the races I made the mistake to delete all hairs and eyes for those race. Work fine for NPC as it unlock everything there is for everybody, for players however it unlock nothing. So you will have weird eyes, or stuff until I fix the master and add hairstyles back to the races.
- There's a chance that this mod can melt your computer, but hey..you want to live forever?
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Usage & Resources
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WAC is made as a creature overhaul at the base, and became the sum of my modding work for Oblivion. That mean 4 things:
1 - You cannot redistribute the content of this mod unless you comply with #2 & #3.
2 - This is an overhaul and as such it's content will not be brought to other overhauls that add the same kind of things. That mean for example that WAC creatures won't go into MMM. Bridges can be made to have WAC work better with other overhauls. That mean that any requests to re-release large part of WAC under another name is forbidden.
And...WAC or RealSwords isn't made to 'flesh-out' mods that are just started or empty either. If you are starting on your Big-new-world mod WAC could help fill-out your empty new-world, but in that case it's #4.
3 - Mod creators need to contact me if they want to take things out (of WAC.bsa) into their own release. (You don't need to contact me to extract the BSA for personal usage..of course.)
That is because I don't want somebody to release something consisting only of renamed stuff, changed numbers/stats and published as a new mod. That's not going to be OK with me. I don't want to see "Bozo Oblivion Horse Pack" that would in fact only be WAC horses, or 'Polux Mages Robes Deluxe' that would only use my mage stuff. I have my own plan to split WAC in parts when the time is right. That means don't try to serve WAC crap as your own crap.
If your project don't fit this type of mods, contact me. Like, if you want to make a sabertooth companion, it's going to be ok.
4 - Waalx Animals & Creatures.esm can act as a library that you can use to build your own esp. This way you DON'T need to ask me about it, but the player must have activated both WAC.bsa and Waalx Animals & Creatures.esm from a download of my original files. Those two files can do nothing without an esp to tell them to do something, so as long as the user have those 'library' installed, even if they don't run the other esp included with WAC it will still work with whatever you can cook on top of the WAC master file. This solution is the easiest, and also the one I prefer as if I change something (for the better), the changes will be reflected automatically as long as the user update WAC.
I'm open to add interesting esp you can do into the WAC release if you want as well. In that case contacting me before you do something could be good, but hey it's an option more you would add. Smile So go crazy with number 4.
TEXTURING:
And finally... if you'd like to do some texturing stuff using my textures as a base I strongly suggest you contact me before. The reason is simple, each time you re-save a file in .dds format, it loose quality. That mean that any file you re-open will loose quality once you save your change. If that is done over a file that has already been 're-saved', the result will melt your computer screen, and somebody will die somewhere because of you.
If you contact me, nobody will die. I can place a file for you on my server and you can get a better result. Nice.
BSA Extraction:
I don't recommend extracting the files of WAC.bsa directly in your data folder for two reasons:
- When I update, you'll have a easier time just trashing the old bsa and replacing it with the new one.
- And WAC is all over the place in many folders. It make some folders really fat on the files side, so if you want to peek at the files, extract WAC.bsa in another directory, and play the game with the .bsa.
Actually the compression of the .bsa will not hinder your game play more than if all the files were loose in the Data folder. In my play tests it played the exact same.
If you have questions about all this, contact me.
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This need Help
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The following are things that need to be done in the mod. Not in order of importance.
1- The Xivilai troops
I have started to add to the Oblivion plane, (and not only with the 8Th). The xivilai are not placed anywhere yet though I have to figure something. So in Oblivion only the new scamps, hell hound, and a couple of other lesser creature may appear at this point. Since I made something quite considerable with the xivilai (blue, red, and black), something cool need to be done with them.
4 - Animal Taming
or 'Is there a way that the animal could be temporarily tamed'. not all of them of course, but many of them could be activated as a temporary companion. I'm not looking for something deep here. I'm thinking about maybe just a script that activate a follow package if the character has the requisite and he click on the beast (and the beast is in passive state). A bit of a druidic power of some sort that could use maybe personality as a base. I don't know..something simple anyway, just one script we could paste on some critters, or a package. since WAC spawn lions near shrines, these are on the top of my list for this idea. You should be able to go and 'hire' yourself a white lion/lioness at a shrine if you want, or if they are there and not some Man-Eater instead... What I'm thinking here is only temporary companions. ones that can actually die, and you have to go for another one if he's defeated.
5 - Almost each species should have a territory inside their region territory. What this mean is that in one place on the map, for each species there's a spot of their own, hand placed and not related to chance where they will always spawns no matter what. That is something fun to think about while testing the mod in-game. if you walk and find yourself somewhere it can feel like 'hey this is their spot'. Normally for predators these should go near the border or in far away locations. For passive beasts it can be anywhere. I have placed some of them already. many are still left to place. Some can spawn at many places too if needed.
6 - Poison makers. The armless and lizards that you can find mostly on river banks give a venom bottle. This venom have a higher poison counterpart in the master that isn't yet used. I need a quest ala nirnroot where given certain ingredients, a poisoner can distill a true poison for you.
7 - Butchers. Each prey that is technically edible in WAC have a meat carcass that should fetch a very high price at butchers shops. One butcher is in Sweetwater Camp, but this functionnality need help.
8 - The 8Th Gate.The hircine plane is supposed to be a contest of how many beast you can get. And then Hircine will judge how many Bone Token you have collected in the Hunt, and then either offer you to go hunt for more, or face him in single combat to get the key leading back home (if the player have a sufficient number of token Hircine will offer the key without a fight, however the player will not know, never know, how many he has to get in total. Ideally it should be a floating amount. Sometimes less sometimes more.
9 - The archers up in the camp Towers. If they go down they can't travel back up sometimes and get stuck in 'The Loop' (they get stuck in a loop). In the same thing, I have that bug that if I come to sweetwater by foot from the east (by the Imperial Bridge), all 3 archers don't get up their towers and suffer 'The Loop'!. Or if they go down to fight or something they can't get back up, or sometimes they do. very weird.
10- The sharks at the moment used a modified version of the script of the fish in Alive Waters, to at least make them move around. Yet having shark swimming close to the top with they dorsal fin out would be awesome. If anyone know how to, lets do it!
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So here we are with the release of WAC Alpha v0.05. I've gone a long way since all I wanted at first was to add a couple of beasts to hunt for a suit of armor that isn't even in the mod now.... turned out differently.
Thank you all for your help and support, without that you wouldn't be here actually!
I hope that we can bring this to something better, and in fact I'm sure we will.
Now, lets my see what is it ye have ter say...
waalx
Just had a quick runthrough and I had to stop myself from saying "WOW!" everytime I came across one of the new creatures. The fauna is awesome: wonderfull meshes with Waalx quality yextures to match. Really, the screenshots are nice, but actually seeing them run around in the game is a whole different thing! 
