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    •  Downloads offline

    •  Downloads: 826

    •  File Size: 23425721

    •  Version: 02.10
    •  Author: Quartz

Tired of those drafty dark ruins they call castles ? Where all you'll ever get is damp clothing and a bad case of rheumatism? Then you might be interested in this mod, which allows the player - after a rather elaborate quest - to possess one of the finest monuments in Tamriel, serviced by a staff of 18 NPC's.

Quest 1: Glenvar Castle is an abandoned stronghold located on the Green Road, south of the Imperial City, near the Charcoal and Horn caves. Find the Inn of Ill Omen, where a merchant named Vilandor will get you started on a great and dangerous adventure.

Glenvar Castle is not for sale, it has to be earned. Once you have offed the bad guys, you'll better start earning some money to repair the castle and hire the necessary servants.

Quest 2: A few days after you become the owner of the castle (countdown starts the first time you fasttravel to Glenvar), one of your guards will offer you the possibility to go out on a second quest. No rest for the hero I'm afraid, this second quest will probably be as challenging if not more than the first one. But then again, the spoils of war are tempting: full custom armor, longsword, claymore and dagger, bow and arrows (specs same as Daedric, but only 2/3 the weight for heavy and same as Elven, only a fraction lighter for light).

General note: I suppose the people who played the previous version are familiar with the fact that I remove the handicon on those activators that are supposed to be secret. For those of you who are new ... well, be warned. No little fist to indicate where and when you have to click. Use your brain to figure things out. If you don't have one, at least use your eyes and pretend you're clever.

New in version 02.00: the second quest, of course, lots of eyecandy for the castle, the player and the staff, improved scripts and a surprise at the end.

Update to version 02.10

reviewed NPC packages
- collision boxes placed around items used to start quest 2
- cook and scullery maid will provide food and drink in the kitchen and the dining area
- NPC Garrol will offer you a gift after finishing quest 2

NEW: voice acting now available

Aug 2008
As the result of an outstanding job done by Euther a new add-on is now available, bringing voice acting to all Glenvar characters. I highly recommend this add-on, the voice-overs being of superior quality both technically and emotionally and adding to Glenvar's immersive play.

You'll find all the instructions needed to install the file on that page also. Just don't forget to install Glenvar first and then the voice file. And to give Euther the credit and support he rightly deserves.

Installing the mod

- GlenvarCastle_V02_01.7z: complete archive, including all meshes/textures/soundfiles

Glenvar_V02_01_EspOnly: only the esp-file
Glenvar_V02_01_UpdateOnly: all files needed to update from ver. 02.00 to ver. 02.10, needs old complete version 02.00 to be installed

Let WinZip (or any other archive program you might use) extract this zipfile using the folder names included in the archive. All the files will then be extracted to their appropriate location and subfolders will be created if necessary.

The file- and folder structure is as follows:

- the GlenvarCastle.esp file in the Oblivion/Data folder
- the *.nif files (meshes)in the Oblivion/Data/Meshes/Glenvar folder (with subfolders)
- the *.dds files (textures) in the Oblivion/Data/Textures/Glenvar folder (with subfolders)
- the soundfiles (mp3) in the Oblivion/Data/Sound/Voice/GlenvarCastle.esp folder (with subfolders)

If you have a previous version of Glenvar Castle installed, allow WinZip to overwrite the older files of this mod. Glenvar Castle uses custom files which will not overwrite or replace the Bethesda original files.

If you have extracted this archive to a temporary folder you will have to manually copy the files to the Oblivion game folder, taking care to respect the folder structure as detailed above.

To play the mod, start Oblivion, click on Data Files in the opening menu, click on GlenvarCastle.esp in the list of available modfiles, confirm with OK and then click on Play in the opening menu again.


Glenvar Castle includes

- Great hall (here you'll find some merchants and trainers)

- Dining hall (rather busy when all get hungry)
- Master bedroom and bathroom (including personal servant to help you with those difficult-to-reach spots)
- Private balcony with view on garden
- Private study with library (all books available, and then some)
- Kitchen and winecellar (you'll probably find me there)
- Servant quarters and Guest quarters (including thermae for swimming and relaxation)
- Sanctum with treasury and altar
- Armoury and smithy (have your gear repared and stored, 26 display cases)
- Secret Vault with user defined variable lighting and 34 pedestals (and poss. to place much more mannequins ...)
- Treasury chest to hold your goldcoins
- Three training halls, two with live targets (earn money while improving your skills)
- Arcane Tower (stations for spell- and enchantment making, static alchemy equipment, automatic ingredients sorter)
- Barracks and Guard Wing with dormitory
- Interior botany and exterior botanical garden to collect ingredients
- Exterior stables
- All roofs and battlements are accessible (3 archers on guard)
- Exterior lighting on night/day regime
- Great views, waterfalls ...
- Nine levels of tunneling system, including one with lava stream, luxurious underground retreat (convenient for vampire character)
- Secret passages and rooms for you to discover
- Customized armors and weapons (hence the size of the download ...)

Glenvar Castle as well as the underground retreat have more than enough storing space (all containers marked nR are non respawning and safe to use). All enemies are leveled (main bad guys have minimum level of 20, not maxed out).


Known bugs and issues

None that I'm aware of, otherwise it wouldn't be released. The mod was designed and playtested with Bethesda's latest patch installed. Since it is impossible to test for compatibility with each one of the thousands of mods in circulation, this release comes as it is, without guarantee nor liability. All meshes and textures are either vanilla Oblivion or were created as to not interfere with the original game.

To avoid loss of stored items when activating a new mod (deleted/renamed containers etc.), it is always best to save and backup your old game first and/or to move your items to a safe location outside the area covered by the new mod.

IMPORTANT: I have not deleted nor renamed any safe containers, so updating from a previous version should not put your items at risk. However, don't be a lazy bum and just save the game before you install the new mod. Do it.

IMPORTANT: if you already have completed the Glenvar quest, you will not have to redo it (although it's not forbidden), all updates for guards etc. and the eyecandy for the castle proper will come in effect the first time you fire up the new esp.

UPDATES

To allow easier updating and avoid that the user has to DL the whole archive including textures etc. each time a change is made to the esp only, a separate upload of the esp file is also put on the server as 'GlenvarCastle_EspOnly'. Users who DL the archive before Dec 30th, 2007 may want to DL the Esp_Only file, since minor changes have been made (see forum for detail).


Thanks and credits

To Bethesda of course. This game still rocks.

Special thanks to Nicoroshi, who kindly allowed me to use the meshes and basetextures from his Talon of Akatosh for the player's longsword and claymore. All credit for this - what I consider - work of art goes to him.

Very special thanks also to GameMaster79 and NoyaLilith, who betatested the pre-release version. Thanks a bunch, your help and input were priceless.

Glenvar Castle

Item Image

 Downloads offline


Tired of those drafty dark ruins they call castles ? Where all you'll ever get is damp clothing and a bad case of rheumatism? Then you might be interested in this mod, which allows the player - after a rather elaborate quest - to possess one of the finest monuments in Tamriel, serviced by a staff of 18 NPC's.

Quest 1: Glenvar Castle is an abandoned stronghold located on the Green Road, south of the Imperial City, near the Charcoal and Horn caves. Find the Inn of Ill Omen, where a merchant named Vilandor will get you started on a great and dangerous adventure.

Glenvar Castle is not for sale, it has to be earned. Once you have offed the bad guys, you'll better start earning some money to repair the castle and hire the necessary servants.

Quest 2: A few days after you become the owner of the castle (countdown starts the first time you fasttravel to Glenvar), one of your guards will offer you the possibility to go out on a second quest. No rest for the hero I'm afraid, this second quest will probably be as challenging if not more than the first one. But then again, the spoils of war are tempting: full custom armor, longsword, claymore and dagger, bow and arrows (specs same as Daedric, but only 2/3 the weight for heavy and same as Elven, only a fraction lighter for light).

General note: I suppose the people who played the previous version are familiar with the fact that I remove the handicon on those activators that are supposed to be secret. For those of you who are new ... well, be warned. No little fist to indicate where and when you have to click. Use your brain to figure things out. If you don't have one, at least use your eyes and pretend you're clever.

New in version 02.00: the second quest, of course, lots of eyecandy for the castle, the player and the staff, improved scripts and a surprise at the end.

Update to version 02.10

reviewed NPC packages
- collision boxes placed around items used to start quest 2
- cook and scullery maid will provide food and drink in the kitchen and the dining area
- NPC Garrol will offer you a gift after finishing quest 2

NEW: voice acting now available

Aug 2008
As the result of an outstanding job done by Euther a new add-on is now available, bringing voice acting to all Glenvar characters. I highly recommend this add-on, the voice-overs being of superior quality both technically and emotionally and adding to Glenvar's immersive play.

You'll find all the instructions needed to install the file on that page also. Just don't forget to install Glenvar first and then the voice file. And to give Euther the credit and support he rightly deserves.

Installing the mod

- GlenvarCastle_V02_01.7z: complete archive, including all meshes/textures/soundfiles

Glenvar_V02_01_EspOnly: only the esp-file
Glenvar_V02_01_UpdateOnly: all files needed to update from ver. 02.00 to ver. 02.10, needs old complete version 02.00 to be installed

Let WinZip (or any other archive program you might use) extract this zipfile using the folder names included in the archive. All the files will then be extracted to their appropriate location and subfolders will be created if necessary.

The file- and folder structure is as follows:

- the GlenvarCastle.esp file in the Oblivion/Data folder
- the *.nif files (meshes)in the Oblivion/Data/Meshes/Glenvar folder (with subfolders)
- the *.dds files (textures) in the Oblivion/Data/Textures/Glenvar folder (with subfolders)
- the soundfiles (mp3) in the Oblivion/Data/Sound/Voice/GlenvarCastle.esp folder (with subfolders)

If you have a previous version of Glenvar Castle installed, allow WinZip to overwrite the older files of this mod. Glenvar Castle uses custom files which will not overwrite or replace the Bethesda original files.

If you have extracted this archive to a temporary folder you will have to manually copy the files to the Oblivion game folder, taking care to respect the folder structure as detailed above.

To play the mod, start Oblivion, click on Data Files in the opening menu, click on GlenvarCastle.esp in the list of available modfiles, confirm with OK and then click on Play in the opening menu again.


Glenvar Castle includes

- Great hall (here you'll find some merchants and trainers)

- Dining hall (rather busy when all get hungry)
- Master bedroom and bathroom (including personal servant to help you with those difficult-to-reach spots)
- Private balcony with view on garden
- Private study with library (all books available, and then some)
- Kitchen and winecellar (you'll probably find me there)
- Servant quarters and Guest quarters (including thermae for swimming and relaxation)
- Sanctum with treasury and altar
- Armoury and smithy (have your gear repared and stored, 26 display cases)
- Secret Vault with user defined variable lighting and 34 pedestals (and poss. to place much more mannequins ...)
- Treasury chest to hold your goldcoins
- Three training halls, two with live targets (earn money while improving your skills)
- Arcane Tower (stations for spell- and enchantment making, static alchemy equipment, automatic ingredients sorter)
- Barracks and Guard Wing with dormitory
- Interior botany and exterior botanical garden to collect ingredients
- Exterior stables
- All roofs and battlements are accessible (3 archers on guard)
- Exterior lighting on night/day regime
- Great views, waterfalls ...
- Nine levels of tunneling system, including one with lava stream, luxurious underground retreat (convenient for vampire character)
- Secret passages and rooms for you to discover
- Customized armors and weapons (hence the size of the download ...)

Glenvar Castle as well as the underground retreat have more than enough storing space (all containers marked nR are non respawning and safe to use). All enemies are leveled (main bad guys have minimum level of 20, not maxed out).


Known bugs and issues

None that I'm aware of, otherwise it wouldn't be released. The mod was designed and playtested with Bethesda's latest patch installed. Since it is impossible to test for compatibility with each one of the thousands of mods in circulation, this release comes as it is, without guarantee nor liability. All meshes and textures are either vanilla Oblivion or were created as to not interfere with the original game.

To avoid loss of stored items when activating a new mod (deleted/renamed containers etc.), it is always best to save and backup your old game first and/or to move your items to a safe location outside the area covered by the new mod.

IMPORTANT: I have not deleted nor renamed any safe containers, so updating from a previous version should not put your items at risk. However, don't be a lazy bum and just save the game before you install the new mod. Do it.

IMPORTANT: if you already have completed the Glenvar quest, you will not have to redo it (although it's not forbidden), all updates for guards etc. and the eyecandy for the castle proper will come in effect the first time you fire up the new esp.

UPDATES

To allow easier updating and avoid that the user has to DL the whole archive including textures etc. each time a change is made to the esp only, a separate upload of the esp file is also put on the server as 'GlenvarCastle_EspOnly'. Users who DL the archive before Dec 30th, 2007 may want to DL the Esp_Only file, since minor changes have been made (see forum for detail).


Thanks and credits

To Bethesda of course. This game still rocks.

Special thanks to Nicoroshi, who kindly allowed me to use the meshes and basetextures from his Talon of Akatosh for the player's longsword and claymore. All credit for this - what I consider - work of art goes to him.

Very special thanks also to GameMaster79 and NoyaLilith, who betatested the pre-release version. Thanks a bunch, your help and input were priceless.


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