The Elder Scrolls: Skywind

The Elder Scrolls: Skywind is an extensive mod (to be precise - a so-called total conversion) for the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. The modification transfers the content of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to the engine of this production. The described project is available for free, and the team behind it is TESRenewal, whose portfolio also includes the mod The Elder Scrolls: Skyblivion.

History of the project

Work on The Elder Scrolls: Skywind began around the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which took place on November 11, 2011. Developers from TESRenewal quickly set about porting their earlier work - Morroblivion - to the engine of the fifth installment of the iconic series. Over time, the whole project began to take shape and grow, gradually attracting more creators and turning into the final version of Skywind.

Skywind vs. Morrowind and Skyrim - differences

The Elder Scrolls: Skywind is a comprehensive reconstruction of the game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The creators tried to combine the unique features of the third part of The Elder Scrolls series with more modern solutions and better graphics, which we know from the fifth installment of the series.

The mod includes the entire island of Vvardenfell, known from Morrowind. Although the developers kept its original topography, in some places they introduced certain modifications resulting from the level design process. Breaking with the limitations of 2002 (when Morrowind debuted), as well as wanting to make the game more compatible with newer standards, the modders have focused, among other things, on the interface (significantly modifying it), dialogues (which have received a soundtrack), as well as mechanics.

Unlike the original, Skywind allows you to use fast travel from anywhere on the map and allows you to turn on quest markers; however, you can opt out of these conveniences. In addition, in an effort to spare players the annoyance, no characters important to the plot will be killed in the game. On the other hand, as in the original, it is difficult to find mounts known from Skyrim.

Weapons and combat system

In addition, although the modification does not include the entire arsenal available in Morrowind, it features such weapons as crossbows, broadswords and dice, as well as throwing weapons such as knives and stars. It was also planned before the release that more improvised weapons, such as pitchforks and paddles, would complement all this.

The combat system in Skywind was largely based on the one from Skyrim (although the stamina level here has a greater impact on the effectiveness of hits). As for the character development system - the authors decided to bring back the main and side skills from Morrowind, while they replaced the Skyrim constellation menu with a new Morrowind-inspired stats menu and solutions from Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

Problems encountered

Along the way, the authors encountered a number of issues that proved to be "hard nuts to crack" for them. One of them was the armor system; the developers decided to explore the possibility of making it more modular, but this forced them to face practical and aesthetic challenges. Another problematic element was spells, which were more complicated to transfer from Morrowind to Skywind than they might seem at first glance, making them questionable.

Technical issues

The Elder Scrolls: Skywind requires The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (with the Bloodmoon and Tribunal add-ons or the Game of the Year version) and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition to function.