To have better understanding what exactly Skywind is and what it takes to create it, here is TESRenewal FAQ for Skywind:
1. Q: What IS Skywind exactly?
A: It is a non-commercial, fan made modification for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that seeks to merge the amazing world of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind with the enhanced graphics and capabilities of Skyrim's engine.
While ownership of both games is required to play, the player only actually plays Skywind using the Skyrim game, and not the older Morrowind game. This means that the user interface, combat, graphics, and system requirements for the Skywind mod are all those of Skyrim, and NOT Morrowind.
2. Q: What will I need to run Skywind?
A:Currently, Skywind is not available for public download due to its alpha state. When it is released you will need the following:
- TES III: Morrowind, including the Bloodmoon and Tribunal expansions installed correctly on your system.
- TES V: Skyrim + Dragonborn and Dawnguard expansions (not hearthfire)
YOU NEED LEGITIMATE COPIES OF BOTH GAMES - even if you defeat the copy protection somehow, pirated copies of the games DO NOT WORK RIGHT with Skywind and you WILL have problems. Also, please do not post "help me" threads about pirated games; you will be banned from the site.
3. Q: Why is Skywind not available for public download anymore?
A: The team here at TESrenewal.com is putting our heart into making Skywind the best product it can be and we want to make sure that our fans get to experience our vision as it is meant to be. Due to the alpha stage of the project we have decided to keep our work internal and update you via our various youtube channels listed at the top of the FAQ. We will open Skywind to a beta testing in the future when we have reached a point where feedback will be constructive to polishing up Skywind. Currently, many aspects of the game are still a work in progress and it would be hard for anyone not directly involved in the project to know what is or what is not a bug or simply unfinished at this stage. We greatly appreciate the interest our fans have in the project and understand how much you want to play it and we’re working hard to make it what it is destined to be. If you are interested in volunteering your skills to help speed up the project please check out our volunteer forum here (new volunteer hub)
4. Q: Will Skywind be complete with quests, or will it only feature the Morrowind landscape?
A:Skywind aims to have full functionality upon release equivalent to recent Elder Scrolls titles, as well as to expand by reintroducing critical elements from Morrowind that did not make it into Skyrim. We cannot make any promises at this time about what will and will not make it into the final release but rest assured some are already implemented and others are being worked on.
5. Q: But Morrowind had very outdated graphics, especially in the mesh and texture areas!
A:All textures and meshes are being redone to give the game an updated appearance. The level of quality upon release should rival or surpass the average Skyrim mesh or texture.
6. Q: Will there be an Oblivion conversion?
A:Yes, there will be an Oblivion conversion called Skyblivion. A small, but dedicated team is working on it, however most of the team is focusing on Skywind at the moment. Skywind and Skyblivion will be separate mods. Since Skyblivion is not undergoing the same total overhaul that Skywind is, there is less work, relatively speaking, to be completed. We will update you about a public release in the future.
7. Q: Will I be able to take advantage of the new Skyrim systems while in Morrowind? Things such as smithing and crafting.
A: Yes you will! This is in the process of being implemented. In the future you will be able to craft many of the objects from Morrowind using local materials. That means real mining and Morrowind style crafting stations too. These recipes will be balanced so as not to interfere with a Morrowind style of gameplay. Smithing will also be overhauled as to not overshadow the value and rarity of particular found items and to balance the game so that players do not feel like they need to smith or lose out on the best armor. The skill will still be incredibly useful and will work differently than it did in Skyrim. New crafting fields unique to Skywind will be introduced, bringing further functionality to previously static objects such as the loom and kiln. These professions are based on those the Temple saints are patrons of, valued by Dunmeri culture. Minor tier crafting professions will tie into major ones, but are not exclusive to a skill. These include cooking, dyemaking, and pottery.
8. Q: But what about fast-travel and quest markers? They could ruin a true Morrowind experience.
A:You will be able to use fast-travel and quest markers because they come with the Skyrim engine. However it will still be quite possible to play through the entire game without them. There are several .ini tweaks that are especially helpful for this, and they only take a few minutes to look up and add to your .ini files. Note: Always make a backup copy of your .ini files before attempting to tweak them so you can revert back if something goes wrong.
9. Q: I have heard that the armor system will be similar to the one in Morrowind, is this true?
A:Over the course of development our modelers have explored the possibility and found it to be prone to major clipping issues. At this point, we will be using the system found in Skyrim as it gives us greater room to create interesting armor designs without having to worry about major modeling issues between pairing different armor types. In the future we may revisit introducing morrowind style elements that are less prone to clipping issues such as left and right gloves, and separating out pauldrons, but for now creating the armor sets and getting them into game is a higher priority. As in skyrim, clothing and armor will not be able to be worn at the same time. This is due to clipping issues as well as some of the hardcoded elements of the game.
10. Q: Is there any estimate for a release date?
A:Currently there is no solid release date. With a community project such as this, progress often comes at an irregular rate and is hard to predict. Currently we have been experiencing a steady level of activity in several key sectors that has benefited the project immensely. When we have a release date in mind we will undoubtedly notify our fans via our youtube page here. If you would like to help with the development of Skywind we would love to have any qualified volunteers come on board! Please see our volunteer forum here if you believe you have the passion and aptitude to learn and help.
11. Q: In Skyrim, there is a really nice perk system with 18 separate skills. In Morrowind there are 27 different skills, with a class and attribute system. How do you plan on reconciling these differences?
A:We are currently exploring the possibility of a skill tree overhaul specific for Skywind. The goal of the overhaul would be to create a skill tree system that brings back elements from morrowind as well as restructuring the perk system altogether. It is too early to say if we will be able to achieve everything that we are planning but we want you to know that we making a serious attempt at redefining this system. Modders with experience in this area have offered to lend their help in this endeavor but anyone interested in this aspect and has experience in this area is welcome to contact the game mechanics department lead if they would like to volunteer!
