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Morrowind lives on with a major new OpenMW release out

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Morrowind is a much loved RPG classic and thanks to open source it continues living on modern platforms with OpenMW. The team behind OpenMW just release version 0.46 and it's one of the biggest updates ever.

We've been waiting on this one for what feels like forever, especially as it finally brings in real-time shadows making it look a whole lot better. There's plenty of other changes both big and small and it continues be a very impressive game engine recreation. Modding even got improvements to the point that some previously unplayable mods should now work.

Check out the release video:

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Major new features:

  • Improved navigation mesh-based AI pathfinding system
  • Native weapon and shield sheathing support
  • Support for NiPalette, NiRollController, NiTriStrips and NiSwitchNode NIF records
  • Native seamless container open/close animations support
  • Real-time shadows
  • Support for loading the compressed BSA format from Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and 2011 Skyrim games
  • Native graphic herbalism support
  • Support for custom attachment bones for different weapon types and custom bones in general
  • Support for unique animations for different weapon types
  • Environment-mapped bump-mapping support

Masses of improvements elsewhere too. Gamepad input should feel better and it by default matches the Xbox version of Morrowind, sensible default config values to get going quicker, multiple projectiles can be enchanted at once, you can invert the X axis if needed now, tons of UI improvements, enchanted arrows correctly glow now, distant terrain settings and much more.

As you do need the Morrowind data files to play it, you do need a copy. You can pick up a copy of Morrowind easily from GOG.com.

For OpenMW itself you can grab it from the official site.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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11 comments
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skinnyraf Jun 15, 2020
The best TES game for me. I might revisit it just because of the new OpenMW version.
mcphail Jun 15, 2020
Brilliant! I've been checking their site on a weekly basis waiting for this release. It is a spectacular piece of work.
crt0mega Jun 15, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweSupport for loading the compressed BSA format from Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and 2011 Skyrim games



Last edited by crt0mega on 15 June 2020 at 2:28 pm UTC
Shmerl Jun 15, 2020
So shadows are finally out! Was it the last missing feature? I guess it's time to test it now.
ssj17vegeta Jun 15, 2020
Another release for the best RPG of all times ? Sweet !
Nezchan Jun 15, 2020
So I'm curious, as someone who's not really familiar with the OpenMW project. Is the goal here to make an engine that recreates the original Morrowind, or one that's actually an improvement on it in a kind of "Morrowind, but better" sense?
Shmerl Jun 15, 2020
Quoting: NezchanSo I'm curious, as someone who's not really familiar with the OpenMW project. Is the goal here to make an engine that recreates the original Morrowind, or one that's actually an improvement on it in a kind of "Morrowind, but better" sense?

It's both from what I understand. They recreate it, but also try to improve things.
nate Jun 16, 2020
Congratulations to the OpenMW team! Awesome work. Another massive step forward for the project. Hopefully OpenMW can become to the RPG modding community what GZDoom is for retro FPS modders.
slapin Jun 16, 2020
  • Supporter Plus
Have they made it easier to build, like docker container or script to get dependencies?
They depend on very fresh versions of some stuff...
razing32 Jun 17, 2020
Quoting: crt0mega
Quoting: Liam DaweSupport for loading the compressed BSA format from Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and 2011 Skyrim games

I think even before this i saw a video of them loading a Fallout 3 map and walking their MW character in the capitol ruins.
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