Morrowind graphics guide
Contents
- 1 Part 1: The basics
- 2 Part 2: Further enhancements
- 2.1 Immersion
- 2.1.1 [Mines and Caverns]
- 2.1.2 [The Publicans]
- 2.1.3 [Half11's misc mods]
- 2.1.4 [Subtle Magic Glow]
- 2.1.5 [Yet Another Guard Diversity]
- 2.1.6 [Caldera Mine Expanded]
- 2.1.7 [Spear-staff fix]
- 2.1.8 [Diverse Blood]
- 2.1.9 [Distinct Bound Stuff]
- 2.1.10 [A strange plant]
- 2.1.11 [Idle talk]
- 2.1.12 [Seven graces shrines enhanced]
- 2.1.13 [Djangos dialogue]
- 2.1.14 [glow in the Dahrk]
- 2.2 Architecture
- 2.2.1 [Aesthesia Hlaalu textures]
- 2.2.2 [Apel's Lighthouse Retexture]
- 2.2.3 [Imperial Houses and Forts Retexture - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
- 2.2.4 [Vanilla-Friendly Retexture without any bump-maps]
- 2.2.5 [Shacks Docks and Ships - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
- 2.2.6 [Telvanni Bump Maps]
- 2.2.7 [Velothi Retexture]
- 2.2.8 [Aesthesia - Stronghold textures]
- 2.2.9 [Redoran - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
- 2.2.10 [Full Dwemer Retexture]
- 2.2.11 [Ashlander textures]
- 2.2.12 [Articus Mournhold 2K Retexture]
- 2.2.13 [Articus Old Mournhold and Sewers Retexture 2K]
- 2.2.14 [Articus Clockwork City of Sotha Sil 2K]
- 2.2.15 [Lazys Grand Solstheim]
- 2.2.16 [Raven Rock HD]
- 2.2.17 [Guar Skin Banners]
- 2.2.18 [Daedric Intervention - 2K retexture]
- 2.3 Clutter
- 2.3.1 [Dunmer Lanterns Replacer]
- 2.3.2 [Ultimate Textures - Wood and Metal]
- 2.3.3 [HD Clutter]
- 2.3.4 [Septim Gold and Dwemer Dumac]
- 2.3.5 [Long live the limeware]
- 2.3.6 [Long live the plates]
- 2.3.7 [Ket's potions and beverages retexture]
- 2.3.8 [Ket's Swirlwood Furniture Retextrue]
- 2.3.9 [Ket's Paper Lanterns retexture]
- 2.3.10 [HQ Bug Shells]
- 2.3.11 [Soulgem Replacer]
- 2.3.12 [Dunmeri Urns - Aestetika of Vvardenfell]
- 2.3.13 [Better Crates]
- 2.3.14 [Skiff boat texture replacer]
- 2.3.15 [FM - Unique items compilation]
- 2.4 Enviroment
- 2.4.1 [Vanilla Land]
- 2.4.2 [Epic Plants]
- 2.4.3 [Pherim's Fire Fern]
- 2.4.4 [Hackle-lo Fixed]
- 2.4.5 [Comberry Bush and Ingredient Replacer]
- 2.4.6 [Scum Retexture]
- 2.4.7 [Bitter Coast Sounds]
- 2.4.8 [Scummy Scum]
- 2.4.9 [Lily Pad Replacer]
- 2.4.10 [Apel's Asura Coast and Sheogorath replacer]
- 2.4.11 [Apel's Rain Replacer]
- 2.4.12 [Vurt's Solstheim Tree Replacer II]
- 2.5 Creatures
- 2.5.1 [Guars Replacers - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
- 2.5.2 [Kagouti Replacer - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
- 2.5.3 [Alit Replacer - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
- 2.5.4 [Cliffracer Replacer]
- 2.5.5 [Nix-hound Replacer]
- 2.5.6 [Clannfear Replacer]
- 2.5.7 [Correct UV Mudcrab]
- 2.5.8 [Netch Bump Mapped]
- 2.5.9 [Spriggan Bump Mapped]
- 2.5.10 [Kwama forager bump mapped]
- 2.5.11 [Divine Dagoths]
- 2.5.12 [Pluginless Rat Replacer]
- 2.5.13 [Repleyser Silt-striderov]
- 2.6 Armor
- 2.6.1 [Hires armors-native styles patched]
- 2.6.2 [Daedric Lord Armor Morrowind Edition]
- 2.6.3 [Armors Retexture - Outlander Styles]
- 2.6.4 [Dwemer Armoury textured and updated]
- 2.6.5 [More Realisitc Dwemer Armor]
- 2.6.6 [Orcish Retexture v1.2]
- 2.6.7 [Royalguard better armor]
- 2.6.8 [Bonemold Armor Replacer]
- 2.6.9 [Improved Nordic Iron Helm Mesh]
- 2.6.10 [Nordic Trollbone Helm Replacer]
- 2.6.11 [Redoran Watchman's Helm Replacer]
- 2.6.12 [Bear Armor Replacer]
- 2.6.13 [Glass Glowset]
- 2.7 Weapons
- 2.1 Immersion
Part 1: The basics
The Morrowind Graphics Guide (MGG for short) is all about improving the game's visuals while still maintainting the vanilla game's aesthetics. In this first part you will find a list of mods that enhance the graphics with the least amount of effort. There are also necessary engine refinements and bug fixes included. Using a mod manager, such as Mod Organizer, is recommended for speeding up the process. Mods are listed in the best order of installation, mods overwriting each other is by design. Should you have any questions, then you're welcome to join the discord channel found here!
Some common questions:
Question: Why isn't there detailed instructions for all the mods?
Answer: While some of the mods require some extra step, most mods are installed the default way, which is covered by all mod managers.
If a mod have optionals and they're not mentioned here, then you are free to choose yourself.
Question: Where can I learn more about installing mods?
Answer: Youtuber Gopher has an excellent video series about modding with MO which is a good place to start.
Question: Why isn't mod X included in the guide?
Answer: MGG strives to be vanilla-friendly, and that means a replacer straying too far from the original might not make it into the guide.
In other cases more testing or even tweaks needs to be done before a mod can be added. There's also a wide array of mods that have been made
redundant by MET. Better clothes is an example of this.
Question: Is MGG compatible with Rebirth or Tamriel rebuilt? Answer: You can play with TR without any compatibility issues, Rebirth will require removing Patch for purists and .esps from this guide.
Question: OpenMW?
Answer: There's no major issues using OpenMW instead of the engine upgrades listed here.
You have to pick the non-bump mapped versions of mods and use a OpenMW-compatible grass mod.
MO will require an extra plugin to use it though.
Question: How does this look different from vanilla?
Answer: You can check out these comparison shots:
Engine upgrades
As these modify the Morrowind engine, it's advised that you install these without a mod manager according to each mods' instructions.
[MGE XE]
Description: Graphics and engine extender for Morrowind.
[Morrowind Code Patch]
Description: Patches bugs in the Morrowind engine, which cannot otherwise be fixed by editing scripts or data files.
Mesh and texture replacements
Mesh and texture replacers are usually quite safe and easy to install. The only thing to be careful with is the packing of the mod. Sometimes there's an extra layer or two of folders. That means that you can't auto-install them, you have to use the "set data folder" feature of mod organizer to get many of these mods installed right. Mods that can't be downloaded via Mod Organizer should still be installed with it by dragging the archive to the "downloads" tab. Luckily this doesn't take much time. You can see how it's done here.
[Morrowind Optimization Patch]
Description: Greatly improves performance and fixes some mesh errors.
[Patch for Purists]
Description: Patch for Purists strives to be an all-in-one patcher for everything in Morrowind that is considerd a bug.
[Animation compilation]
Description: Combines the Almalexia casting animations with Dirnae's running animations and fixes the errors.
[Morrowind Enhanced Overhaul]
Description: Contain most of the basic replacers and settings needed
[Remiros' Ascadian Isles Trees 2]
Description: This mod replaces all of the trees in the Ascadian Isles region with much more detailed, relatively vanilla-friendly ones.
[Vanilla-friendly West Gash Tree Replacer]
Description: Both a model and texture replacer for the West Gash trees.
[Westly's Pluginless Head and Hair Replacer]
Description: Replaces the meshes for the original head and hair meshes for the NPCs of Morrowind, Tribunal and Bloodmoon
[Robert's bodies]
Description: This plugin replaces meshes of the bodies of the eight humanoid races and khajiits. You only need the main file.
Part 2: Further enhancements
It's strongly suggested you play a bit with part one before starting on this part, as that can be enough of an improvement for many players.
Immersion
[Mines and Caverns]
Description: This mod improves several vanilla dungeons aesthetically and/or expands them.
[The Publicans]
Description: Fixes several places in the vanilla game that are set up like inns, but in which Bethesda for some reason has forgotten to add the option to rent a room to.
[Half11's misc mods]
Description: Various fixes and improvements. Every mod here is recommended
[Subtle Magic Glow]
Description: Replaces the 'plastic wrap' around in-game magic items (those equipped by characters or on the ground) with less-obtrusive versions.
[Yet Another Guard Diversity]
Description: This mod replaces the generic, copy-pasted guards of Morrowind with different variations.
[Caldera Mine Expanded]
Description: This mod expands Caldera Mine in every way possible.
[Spear-staff fix]
Description: This changes the position where Spears/Staffs are held, they are held closer to the end.
[Diverse Blood]
Description: 8 new blood textures for NPCs and creatures. 1k quality.
Special Instructions:
INI edits are optional
[Distinct Bound Stuff]
Description: Conjured matter made transparent
[A strange plant]
Description: Nirnroot added to the game
[Idle talk]
Description: Adds over 100 new voice entries for male Dunmer, mostly using edited original voice files, split across greetings and idles.
[Seven graces shrines enhanced]
Description: Redesigns the shrines associated with the Seven Graces pilgrimage, making them look more important and like actual pilgrimage sites.
[Djangos dialogue]
Description: Hundreds of new lines of text dialogue for all NPCs, which helps to remedy the repetition and dialogue fatigue that came with the original game.
[glow in the Dahrk]
Description: A modern, pluginless replacement of the old Windows Glow mods.
If you want to browse more immersive mods, then MorrowindNostalgia's list is highly recommended.
Architecture
[Aesthesia Hlaalu textures]
Description: This texture pack remakes all textures related to Hlaalu with base resolution 2048x2048. It is also atlased.
[Apel's Lighthouse Retexture]
Description: Texture and mesh replacer for the exterior and interior of imperial lighthouse in Seyda Neen.
[Imperial Houses and Forts Retexture - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
Description: Full HQ and vanilla style retexture for houses and castles of imperial colonists in Vvardenfell.
Special Instructions:
HQ version recommended
[Vanilla-Friendly Retexture without any bump-maps]
Description: Full HQ and vanilla style retexture for houses, but more dirty
Special Instructions:
Only the optional file is needed
[Shacks Docks and Ships - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
Description: ontains new textures for wooden shacks, docks and ships.
[Telvanni Bump Maps]
Description: Replaces the Telvanni exteriors and interiors with high-quality textures and bump maps.
[Velothi Retexture]
Description: Retexture the Velothi architecture with 2k and 1K textures.
Special Instructions:
1K version recommended
[Aesthesia - Stronghold textures]
Description: Vanilla friendly textures for strongholds. 2k resolution, handmade, friendly to game aesthetics.
[Redoran - Arkitektora of Vvardenfell]
Description: Retexture of the Redoran Architecture.
Special Instructions:
Download this patch too
[Full Dwemer Retexture]
Description: Full retexture of dwemeri set - architecture, armor and weapon, robots, in a lore-friendly vanilla-like style.
[Ashlander textures]
Description: This is simple texture replacer for Ashlanders camps.
[Articus Mournhold 2K Retexture]
Description: This mod adds High Quality (2048) textures for City of Mournhold.
[Articus Old Mournhold and Sewers Retexture 2K]
Description: This mod adds High Quality (2048) textures for Old Mournhold buildings and Sewers.
[Articus Clockwork City of Sotha Sil 2K]
Description: This mod adds High Quality (2048) textures for Clockwork City.
[Lazys Grand Solstheim]
Description: Raven Rock and Skaal texture in High quality (2048).
[Raven Rock HD]
Description: Completely retextures Raven Rock with vanilla-friendly textures.
[Guar Skin Banners]
Description: This texture pack replaces almost all the guar skin banners thrughout Vvardenfell.
Special Instructions:
Pick the non-normal mapped version
[Daedric Intervention - 2K retexture]
Description: This big pluginless compilation adds High Quality (2048) textures for Daedric architecture, creatures, armor and weapons.
Special Instructions:
Download each separate submod intead of the main file.
Clutter
[Dunmer Lanterns Replacer]
Description: This mod replaces all of the Dunmer lanterns from the original game with smoother, more detailed versions.
[Ultimate Textures - Wood and Metal]
Description: Retextures wood types not touched by other replacers.
[HD Clutter]
Description: Replaces clutter in high resolution.
[Septim Gold and Dwemer Dumac]
Description: Replaces the gold coins in Morrowind with Textures based on actual photos of collectors edition coins.
[Long live the limeware]
Description: HD Retexture for the Limeware of Morrowind.
[Long live the plates]
Description: 1024px Retexture of the 8 standard plates of Morrowind.
[Ket's potions and beverages retexture]
Description: Vanilla-style texture replacer for potions and beverages.
[Ket's Swirlwood Furniture Retextrue]
Description: Retexture for the fine dunmer furniture. Vanilla-friendly.
[Ket's Paper Lanterns retexture]
Description: Retexture for dunmer paper lanterns
[HQ Bug Shells]
Description: HQ meshes and textures for the Ashlander bug shells
[Soulgem Replacer]
Description: This is a mesh and texture replacer for the soulgems.
[Dunmeri Urns - Aestetika of Vvardenfell]
Description: Retexture of urn.
Special Instructions:
Pick the bump-mapped version
[Better Crates]
Description: Simple enhancement of the crate textures
[Skiff boat texture replacer]
Description: A texture replacer for the small skiff boats.
Special Instructions:
.
[FM - Unique items compilation]
Description: A compilation of mods that add unique looks to unique items that previously lacked them.
Enviroment
[Vanilla Land]
Description: Upgrades every terrain texture in the game to a higher resolution.
[Epic Plants]
Description: Replaces textures and models of various flora with HQ quality.
[Pherim's Fire Fern]
Description: A mesh and textures replacer for the Fire Fern plant and the Fire Petal ingredient.
[Hackle-lo Fixed]
Description: A replacer for the hackle-lo plant with corrected meshes and improved textures
[Comberry Bush and Ingredient Replacer]
Description: Replacer for the comberry bush with real 3D branches and berries.
[Scum Retexture]
Description: Retexture of the scum in the Bitter coast.
Special Instructions:
Download alternative 2
[Bitter Coast Sounds]
Description: Adds dragonflies around the scum ponds.
[Scummy Scum]
Description: Makes the scum green
[Lily Pad Replacer]
Description: With this lily pads uses a model instead of texture
[Apel's Asura Coast and Sheogorath replacer]
Description: This mode is retexture and mesh replacer for Asura Coast & Sheogorath Regions.
Special Instructions:
Needs to be placed before Vanilla Land in the load order. Disable "meshes\f\Terrain_rock_AC_06.nif"
[Apel's Rain Replacer]
Description: Replaces rain with more a heavy look.
[Vurt's Solstheim Tree Replacer II]
Description: Pluginless tree replacer for the Solstheim region.
Special Instructions:
Also install the collision fix and this patch.
Creatures
[Guars Replacers - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
Description: Texture replacer of all Guars.
[Kagouti Replacer - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
Description: Does what is says on the tin.
[Alit Replacer - Aendemika of Vvardenfell]
Description: New mesh and textures for Alit
[Cliffracer Replacer]
Description: This is a mesh and texture replacer for the Cliffracer creature.
[Nix-hound Replacer]
Description: This is a mesh and texture replacer for the Nix-Hound creature.
[Clannfear Replacer]
Description: Remake of the Clannfear.
[Correct UV Mudcrab]
Description: A fixed Mudcrab mesh, reducing distortion and other UV errors.
Special Instructions:
Non-smoothed version recommended
[Netch Bump Mapped]
Description: Retexture with bump map of the Netch.
Special Instructions:
Download the alternative texture too.
[Spriggan Bump Mapped]
Description: Retexture with bump map of the Spriggan.
[Kwama forager bump mapped]
Description: Kwma forager redone.
[Divine Dagoths]
Description: Pluginless replacer for Dagoth Ur and his brothers.
[Pluginless Rat Replacer]
Description: Pluginless replacer for rats.
[Repleyser Silt-striderov]
Description: Pluginless replacer for Silt Striders.
Armor
[Hires armors-native styles patched]
Description: Upgrades native armor types on Vvardenfell. Patched version
[Daedric Lord Armor Morrowind Edition]
Description: This mod replaces the daedric cuirass with new high-res textures and models.
[Armors Retexture - Outlander Styles]
Description: High quality and detailed retexture for armors used by n'wah.
[Dwemer Armoury textured and updated]
Description: Replacer for dwemer armors and weapons.
[More Realisitc Dwemer Armor]
Description: Metallic retexture of dwemer armor.
[Orcish Retexture v1.2]
Description: A retexture for the Orcish Helmet Armor and tower shield.
[Royalguard better armor]
Description: This is simple armor replacer for Royal Guards
[Bonemold Armor Replacer]
Description: Bonemold Armor Replacer. And also adds bone gloves to the guards of Redoran.
Special Instructions:
Disable the included esp file and download the english esp instead
[Improved Nordic Iron Helm Mesh]
Description: Improved Nordic Iron Helm Mesh.
[Nordic Trollbone Helm Replacer]
Description: Replaces the Nordic Trollbone Helm.
[Redoran Watchman's Helm Replacer]
Description: Replaces the Redoran Watchman's Helm.
[Bear Armor Replacer]
Description: Replacer Bear armor from Bloodmoon addon.
[Glass Glowset]
Description: Glowing glass armor, weapons and ore.
Special Instructions:
The optional file should also be installed
Weapons
[Oriental mesh improvements]
Description: This replaces the meshes of the oriental styled weapons in Morrowind with slightly higher polycount versions.
[Smooth glass weapons]
Description: These lightly smoothed glass weapons are as vanilla as possible, just less chunky and with translucent glass.
[Smooth orcish weapons]
Description: Includes mostly-vanilla smoothed meshes for orcish weapons and pauldrons.
[Silver mesh improvements]
Description: Replaces the meshes of the silver weapons with higher quality ones.
[Nordic mesh improvements]
Description: Replaces the meshes for all nordic weapons.
