TESTING Blended Roads (by T4gtr34um3r)

[z929669]

Based upon the OP screens, I'm not sure why we're not using the REALly Blended option. I don't see specific mention of this in the topic, although it's alluded in Jakolanten's post.

[Mousetick]

1 hour ago, DoubleYou said:

This definitely doesn't look that way to me.

You're comparing different variants of CL and BR. Both come in two variants, selected in their FOMOD: regular and Really Blended. You need to compare apples to apples:

As you can see, the regular variant of both CL and BR plugins are identical, and the Really Blended variant of both CL and BR plugins are identical.

The CL 3.0.2 update with correct GRAS bounds that was published last March appears to be the regular variant. The MA didn't bother to specify which one it is in the description, and RBR users are SOL I guess.

[DoubleYou]

So long story short, Really Blended users have to keep the plugin enabled and loaded after Cathedral Landscapes.esp (which is how LOOT has it sorted currently for me).

[z929669]

3 hours ago, Mousetick said:

You're comparing different variants of CL and BR. Both come in two variants, selected in their FOMOD: regular and Really Blended. You need to compare apples to apples:

As you can see, the regular variant of both CL and BR plugins are identical, and the Really Blended variant of both CL and BR plugins are identical.

The CL 3.0.2 update with correct GRAS bounds that was published last March appears to be the regular variant. The MA didn't bother to specify which one it is in the description, and RBR users are SOL I guess.

I can change that, as I uploaded the 3.0.2 version.

41 minutes ago, DoubleYou said:

So long story short, Really Blended users have to keep the plugin enabled and loaded after Cathedral Landscapes.esp (which is how LOOT has it sorted currently for me).

Do you recall why we aren't using the REALly Bleded Roads option? Based on the OP screens, I think we should be.

[DoubleYou]

2 minutes ago, z929669 said:

I can change that, as I uploaded the 3.0.2 version.

Do you recall why we aren't using the REALly Bleded Roads option? Based on the OP screens, I think we should be.

My recollection was that @TechAngel85 didn't like that version due to some small lighting differences.

[Mousetick]

1 hour ago, z929669 said:

I can change that, as I uploaded the 3.0.2 version.

What a mess... If you can post updates to CL, why don't you post a complete package, updated with the latest fixed Blended Roads bridge meshes and the GRAS bounds in the plugins. Since the original MA of both mods can't be arsed to do it.

There won't be any more need to install Blended Roads on top of it, or for mods like Cathedral Landscapes - Fixed Bridge Meshes. CL is supposed to include Blended Roads. That would be nice and clear for users.

[TechAngel85]

3 hours ago, DoubleYou said:

My recollection was that @TechAngel85 didn't like that version due to some small lighting differences.

It's been far too long for me to remember, but I thought Really Blended Roads was more of a parallax type of thing?

1 hour ago, Mousetick said:

What a mess... If you can post updates to CL, why don't you post a complete package, updated with the latest fixed Blended Roads bridge meshes and the GRAS bounds in the plugins. Since the original MA of both mods can't be arsed to do it.

There won't be any more need to install Blended Roads on top of it, or for mods like Cathedral Landscapes - Fixed Bridge Meshes. CL is supposed to include Blended Roads. That would be nice and clear for users.

We don't have access to any of the Cathedral mods. @Soulmancer might as I thought he was one of the authors uploading the update file.

[z929669]

1 hour ago, TechAngel85 said:

It's been far too long for me to remember, but I thought Really Blended Roads was more of a parallax type of thing?

We don't have access to any of the Cathedral mods. @Soulmancer might as I thought he was one of the authors uploading the update file.

I do have access since I asked for it to upload the grass bounds fix moons ago.

2 hours ago, Mousetick said:

What a mess... If you can post updates to CL, why don't you post a complete package, updated with the latest fixed Blended Roads bridge meshes and the GRAS bounds in the plugins. Since the original MA of both mods can't be arsed to do it.

There won't be any more need to install Blended Roads on top of it, or for mods like Cathedral Landscapes - Fixed Bridge Meshes. CL is supposed to include Blended Roads. That would be nice and clear for users.

Because I was being respectful in only providing an update file for the bounds. It turns out that I should have provided two update files or one with a FOMOD for the two options.

Providing a comprehensive package is possible, but I specifically didn't and won't do that without explicit "go ahead" to do so from T4 and DrJacopo, because it steps on the Blended Roads mod and changes the CL mod. It is Cathedral, but I don't like making changes to the Main File on mods that I don't originally publish without explicit buy-in from the original MAs. Trying to play nicely in another's sandbox, so to speak.

What I can do is provide a complete package and ask those guys if they are okay with it before uploading.

[z929669]

And now we have the new runtime and plugin-update paradigm, so I'm inclined to wait to see what the standard will be for updating plugins ... and time for me is very limited through the new year.

If you have a package or want to construct one, it would be a boost.

[TechAngel85]

So, not parallax, but Really Blended option has the stones popped out like a real stone. I don't think I was ever convinced they look 'real', as that is totally subjective. My logically mind can see two sides of a coin here. One side says that erosion could cause the dirt around the stones to look like that. So I can see the argument for it.

The other side of that coin says that it wouldn't make a very good road. Such a road would likely constantly break the cart wheels that travel upon them, cause an extremely bumpy ride, and that no empire would keep such a road as it would affect travel. What affects travel affects commerce and trade. Along these lines I want to say I remember them being just that when testing...bumpy and terrible to run on. It's been far too long since testing, though, so I can not be certain. If that is still the case, a collision pane over the top would fix all that for gameplay purposes; however, a collision pane may also affect decals (aka blood splatters).

[Mousetick]

11 hours ago, z929669 said:

If you have a package or want to construct one, it would be a boost.

I'm working on it.

While scrutinizing the CL 3.0.1 vs. BR 1.7 bridge meshes differences, it turns out this mod is a complete placebo and does absolutely nothing in the STEP guide with its current selection of options. LOL. The newer BR meshes in 1.7 (which are actually older compared to CL as T4 simply reverted to an older copy) exist in the REALly Blended option only. Everything else is identical.

[z929669]

22 hours ago, TechAngel85 said:

So, not parallax, but Really Blended option has the stones popped out like a real stone. I don't think I was ever convinced they look 'real', as that is totally subjective. My logically mind can see two sides of a coin here. One side says that erosion could cause the dirt around the stones to look like that. So I can see the argument for it.

The other side of that coin says that it wouldn't make a very good road. Such a road would likely constantly break the cart wheels that travel upon them, cause an extremely bumpy ride, and that no empire would keep such a road as it would affect travel. What affects travel affects commerce and trade. Along these lines I want to say I remember them being just that when testing...bumpy and terrible to run on. It's been far too long since testing, though, so I can not be certain. If that is still the case, a collision pane over the top would fix all that for gameplay purposes; however, a collision pane may also affect decals (aka blood splatters).

I'll take a closer and more comprehensive look next week when I get a day off.

13 hours ago, Mousetick said:

I'm working on it.

While scrutinizing the CL 3.0.1 vs. BR 1.7 bridge meshes differences, it turns out this mod is a complete placebo and does absolutely nothing in the STEP guide with its current selection of options. LOL. The newer BR meshes in 1.7 (which are actually older compared to CL as T4 simply reverted to an older copy) exist in the REALly Blended option only. Everything else is identical.

I'm only vaguely familiar with the history of these files and the Cathedral politics among the MAs providing them, but I'm not surprised. My guess is that T4 wanted his mountains and roads partitioned from CL, but maybe I'll learn something more when I ping the MAs.