From 34a845f45d20b4a4737b5f8010a5433ed5807b57 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Wolfgang Müller Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2021 20:13:37 +0100 Subject: posts: Add a new post: "Why walk when you can ride?" --- posts/img/morrowind-ashlands.jpg | Bin 0 -> 156958 bytes posts/img/morrowind-branora.jpg | Bin 0 -> 251652 bytes posts/img/morrowind-khuul.jpg | Bin 0 -> 233455 bytes posts/img/morrowind-mora.jpg | Bin 0 -> 180075 bytes posts/img/morrowind-propylon.jpg | Bin 0 -> 192232 bytes posts/img/morrowind-routes.png | Bin 0 -> 132856 bytes posts/img/morrowind-swamp.jpg | Bin 0 -> 227941 bytes posts/ywalk-when-you-can-ride.md | 199 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 8 files changed, 199 insertions(+) create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-ashlands.jpg create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-branora.jpg create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-khuul.jpg create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-mora.jpg create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-propylon.jpg create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-routes.png create mode 100644 posts/img/morrowind-swamp.jpg create mode 100644 posts/ywalk-when-you-can-ride.md diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-ashlands.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-ashlands.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3fa8359 Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-ashlands.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-branora.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-branora.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ff39ed8 Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-branora.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-khuul.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-khuul.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..49a2a92 Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-khuul.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-mora.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-mora.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..68b5cfd Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-mora.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-propylon.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-propylon.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..746a21e Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-propylon.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-routes.png b/posts/img/morrowind-routes.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e78e77e Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-routes.png differ diff --git a/posts/img/morrowind-swamp.jpg b/posts/img/morrowind-swamp.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08f6691 Binary files /dev/null and b/posts/img/morrowind-swamp.jpg differ diff --git a/posts/ywalk-when-you-can-ride.md b/posts/ywalk-when-you-can-ride.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8ea8980 --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/ywalk-when-you-can-ride.md @@ -0,0 +1,199 @@ +title: Why walk when you can ride? +date: 2021-11-13 +author: Wolfgang Müller + +Do you ever find yourself in the middle of nowhere, in the northern Ashlands of +Vvardenfell, and suddenly think: "Damn, what's my fastest way to Tel Branora +from here? I *still* have to deliver Mistress Therana's skirt!" + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind in the dark and dusty Ashlands, with two Netch in the vicinity. +
Somewhere in the Ashlands of Vvardenfell.
+
+ +Depending on the character you play, the answer to this question can vary +wildly. For one you could try to reach Khuul and rely on regular fast travel +services like the Silt Strider and the Guild Guide, but maybe you're playing a +particularly stuck-up Telvanni and would like to avoid interacting with the +Imperial rats of the Mages Guild. Valenvaryon or Falasmaryon is close, and +you have picked up all Propylon indices already, so that is a very good +alternative. Or maybe you're feeling the need for some fresh sea air and would +like to sail all around Vvardenfell. + +Morrowind's fast travel system is extensive and complex, so figuring out the +fastest routes from any one location to another is not an easy task. Even worse, +some of the best travel options (the intervention spells that teleport you to +the next Temple or Imperial Shrine) are hard to know when to use optimally. + +
+ A map of all travel routes on Vvardenfell +
A map of all travel routes on Vvardenfell, courtesy of the + UESP. +
+
+ +Morrowind veterans probably have a very good idea of the intricacies of +Vvardenfell's travel routes and can figure out the above problem in seconds, but +maybe you've just started the game and feel a bit overwhelmed, or you just +installed [Tamriel Rebuilt](https://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/) and have to +suddenly juggle a multitude of new routes. + +The latter is true for me, so I ended up writing **ywalk**, a command-line tool +that figures out the fastest route between a set of places in Morrowind. It can +consider certain limitations (Telvanni disdain for the Mages Guild perhaps, or +having to escorting yet another lost pilgrim[^1] who can't teleport) and give +you an optimized route. + +Connections between places are parsed from a simple text file with tab-separated +values. A connection definition is simply the origin, the destination, the mode +of travel, and how long the journey takes in in-game hours: + +``` +Origin Destination Mode Time +Seyda Neen Balmora Silt Strider 3 +Vivec Hla Oad Boat 5 +Balmora Seyda Neen Silt Strider 3 +Balmora Vivec Guild Guide 0 +``` + +Since a very small number of routes are one-way only[^2], I decided to keep +things simple and require every route to be specified explicitly. As you can see +above, the route between Seyda Neen and Balmora is specified twice, once for +each direction. + +To collect these routes, I used the indispensable [Unofficial Elder Scrolls +Pages](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page) and my own copy of the game running +on [OpenMW](https://openmw.org). I made each catalogued journey myself at least +once, just to be sure. + +**ywalk** ships with definitions for the entire fast-travel network for +the Game of the Year version of Morrowind (meaning the *Master Index* plugin is +enabled by default). For Tamriel Rebuilt it includes definitions that are active +with *TR_Travels*. For now, only places with fast-travel options are considered. +An exception to this rule are available player homes in Vvardenfell, for use +with the Recall option. If you are curious, check out +[goty.tsv](https://git.oriole.systems/ywalk/tree/data/goty.tsv) and +[tr-travels.tsv](https://git.oriole.systems/ywalk/tree/data/tr-travels.tsv). + +## Installation + +**ywalk** is written in Python and is supposed to be installed per user. The +data files and manual need to be installed separately because Python packaging +is a nightmare. For a full install as a user, get the sources from the +[git repository](https://git.oriole.systems/ywalk) and run the following +commands: + +``` +$ python setup.py install --user +$ make install +``` + +This will install **ywalk** to `~/.local/bin`, the data files to their canonical +path `~/.local/share/ywalk`, and the manual to `~/.local/share/man/`. + +## Usage + +**ywalk** offers a simple command-line interface. Invoke it with the list of +places you want to travel through or to, and it will print a route if it can. By +default it allows all modes of travel, but you can allow only specific modes +with `-m`, or restrict them with `-M`. For detailed usage information, see +[the manual](https://git.oriole.systems/ywalk/about/ywalk.1). + + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind in the port of Khuul. +
Can't wait to get out of this place.
+
+ +Let's see it in action! Consider a regular character that has no problem with +land-based transport and can use the Mages Guild relays, but has no way of +invoking Almsivi or Divine Intervention and never even heard of a Propylon +chamber. In that case, we'd head over to Khuul and then start our journey: + +``` +$ ywalk -M almsivi,divine,propylon Khuul 'Tel Branora' +Start in Khuul + then take the Silt Strider to Ald'ruhn (5 hours) + then take the Guild Guide to Vivec + then take the Boat to Tel Branora (5 hours) +Arrive in Tel Branora after 10 hours. +``` + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind in Falasmaryon's Propylon chamber. +
The homely hum of crystals.
+
+ +Now for the stuck-up Telvanni that raided every single Dunmer stronghold and +completed their Propylon Index collection. We start in Falasmaryon in that case +and avoid Mages Guild relays like the Corprus disease: + +``` +$ ywalk -M guide Falasmaryon 'Tel Branora' +Start in Falasmaryon + then travel by Propylon to Caldera + then travel by Propylon to Telasero + then invoke Almsivi Intervention to Molag Mar + then take the Boat to Tel Branora (2 hours) +Arrive in Tel Branora after 2 hours. +``` + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind in the eastern swamp. +
On the way to Hla Oad.
+
+ +And finally for our sailor, again from Khuul: + +``` +$ ywalk -m boat Khuul 'Tel Branora' +Start in Khuul + then take the Boat to Gnaar Mok (7 hours) + then take the Boat to Hla Oad (4 hours) + then take the Boat to Vivec (5 hours) + then take the Boat to Tel Branora (5 hours) +Arrive in Tel Branora after 21 hours. +``` + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind in the port of Sadrith Mora. +
Arriving in Sadrith Mora.
+
+ +Let's say our character absolutely hates the swamp. We can make sure to avoid +Gnaar Mok with `-P`. This will lead to a journey around the eastern parts of +Vvardenfell: + +``` +$ ywalk -m boat -P 'Gnaar Mok' Khuul 'Tel Branora' +Start in Khuul + then take the Boat to Dagon Fel (8 hours) + then take the Boat to Sadrith Mora (10 hours) + then take the Boat to Tel Branora (8 hours) +Arrive in Tel Branora after 26 hours. +``` + +By default, **ywalk** optimizes for least travel time. It recommends using +teleportation over regular Silt Strider or boat services even though using the +latter would usually decrease the number of hops needed. If you're interested +instead in a route with the least number of hops, you can change the weighting +method for the path-finding algorithm with `-w`. + +
+ A screenshot of Morrowind looking at Tel Branora. +
Our destination, with a slight hint of rotting Kwama Eggs.
+
+ +I hope you'll have fun trying this out. Feel free to send any improvements +along! + +[^1]: Always better than a naked Nord, though. They probably all deserve it. +[^2]: Vos to Sadrith Mora, for example. Curiously, Tamriel Rebuilt removes this + connection entirely. -- cgit v1.2.3-2-gb3c3