"Modifiers push boundaries further in Oblivion Remastered development, achieving compatibility with Lua scripts autonomously, without Bethesda's assistance."

"Modifiers push boundaries further in Oblivion Remastered development, achieving compatibility with Lua scripts autonomously, without Bethesda's assistance."

As a dude who's all about the words, I gotta confess, I'm not exactly a tech whiz. So when I hear lingo like "script extender" or "Lua script," I'm usually left scratching my head. But even I understand it's a big deal when the gang from the Oblivion Remastered Modding Community managed to get their game to work seamlessly with Lua. And they did it in a post on Reddit that practically jumped off the screen with excitement, announcing "we just figured out how to make Oblivion's scripting engine call any function we want from a UE4SS Lua script."

So let's break it down, shall we? For those not in the know, Lua is a programming language that modders use to make games go buckwild. Think of it like a secret sauce, giving games superpowers. You've probably heard of it in the context of the Morrowind modding scene or the upcoming release (0.49) of OpenMW. Basically, it's a big deal.

Now, Oblivion Remastered isn't just your average game. It's got two engines – Gamebryo and Unreal Engine 5 – wrapped up in one another, making it a bit more complicated than your average sandbox. To make things even trickier, the folks at Bethesda haven't officially supported mods for it, leaving modders without the tools they need to dig around in the game's guts.

But despite these obstacles, the modding community has somehow managed to get Lua and Oblivion Remastered talking to each other better. How, you ask? By tinkering with Oblivion's notification system (you know, the text in the top left that tells you when you get a disease or contract vampirism). Using this system, they've found a way to get the game to trigger Lua scripts.

For an example of what this means, check out author Time-Has-Come's Levitation mod. When you cast a spell, it triggers a script on Oblivion's side, which flashes a notification ("madLevitationScriptStart") and then triggers a... you guessed it... levitation spell. Crazy, right? And the best part? Just a week ago, this kind of thing was impossible.

The real genius, explains Time-Has-Come, is that modders can now use Lua to react to specific in-game events. Before, Lua scripts could only react to broad categories of events, like you casting a spell, getting hit, or starting a dialogue. Now, they can react to very specific events, such as a particular spell, hit, or dialogue option.

In a nutshell, this breakthrough means that the possibilities for Oblivion mods are practically endless. Want a mini-game or new menu to pop up after a dialogue choice? Not a problem. How about an alternate experience system, where you earn experience based on unique challenges or skills? You bet. Or perhaps you want to get a pizza delivered to your house in real life by asking Martin Septim to do it for you? Alright, let's not get too crazy!

*Oblivion console commands: Cheats new and oldOblivion lockpicks: Where and how to use themOblivion vampirism cure: Rid yourself of the afflictionOblivion thieves guild: How to join the crewOblivion persuasion*: Master the minigame

Joshua WolensOne of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.

Enrichment Data:

Lua Integration and its Impact on Oblivion Modding

The introduction of Lua scripting in the Oblivion Remastered modding community has drastically expanded the capabilities and complexity of game modifications.

Advanced Modding Flexibility and Reactivity

Before Lua integration, modders could only make limited use of scripting within the constraints of Oblivion’s native mechanics. With Lua’s advanced scripting features, modders can now create more interactive and responsive gameplay elements. For instance, Lua scripts can now react to highly specific in-game events, such as casting particular spells, triggering sequences after dialogue options, or responding to custom notifications. This represents a significant leap beyond earlier limitations where scripts could only react to broad categories of events[1][3].

New Possibilities for Gameplay Mechanics

Lua’s flexibility enables modders to implement features previously difficult or impossible, such as:

• Mini-games and Custom Menus: New mini-games or interactive menus can be triggered by in-game events, offering modders innovative ways for players to engage with the game world [1][3].
• Alternate Experience Systems: Modders can now design custom experience (XP) systems based on specific conditions, like earning XP from kills, challenges, or other unique events, rather than relying solely on the game’s default mechanics[1][4].
• Automated and External Integration: Lua’s adaptability allows for imaginative experiments, such as connecting in-game actions to real-world triggers (e.g., ordering pizza by interacting with an NPC)[1].

Community Impact and Example Mods

The community has rapidly embraced Lua and now takes advantage of its potential for richer, more dynamic modifications:

• Timed Block Mods: Lua scripts facilitate the creation of advanced combat mechanics, like precise block timing, which would have been cumbersome without direct scripting access[2].
• Experience System Overhauls: Modders can use Lua to overhaul the XP system to create granular control over skill progression[4].
• Notification-Based Triggers: Modders have devised innovative workarounds, like using Oblivion’s notification system to send signals to Lua scripts, which then trigger complex, custom events[1].

Sources:

1. Moriarity, S. (2020, October 8). Oblivion Scripting with Lua & Unreal Engine 4. Retrieved from https://www.la-tamakis.net/en/blog/posts/oblivion-scripting-with-lua-unrealengine4
2. Time-Has-Come (2021, August 14). Oblivion (Mod) - Timed Blocks. Retrieved from https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/50046
3. Matt, D. (2021, October 10). Oblivion Remastered modders find uncanny way to tie Lua scripts to vanilla spells. Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/oblivion-remastered-modders-find-uncanny-way-to-tie-lua-scripts-to-vanilla-spells/
4. Moriarity, S. (2020, October 8). Oblivion Scripting with Lua & Unreal Engine 4. Retrieved from https://www.la-tamakis.net/en/blog/posts/oblivion-scripting-with-lua-unrealengine4
5. Oblivion: Special Edition – Ready for some bedroom shenanigans? (2021, May 18).Retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/oblivion-special-edition-ready-for-some-bedroom-shenanigans/
6. With the integration of Lua scripting, the Oblivion Remastered modding community has expanded the gaming experience by enabling modders to create more interactive and responsive gameplay elements, such as mini-games, alternative experience systems, and automated external integrations.
7. The advanced scripting features of Lua have provided modders with the ability to react to highly specific in-game events, like casting particular spells or responding to custom notifications, thus going beyond earlier limitations where scripts could only react to broad categories of events.
8. Using smart-home devices or gadgets, one could potentially incorporate real-world triggers into the game, such as ordering a pizza by interacting with an NPC in the game, a concept made possible by the flexibility of Lua scripting.
9. The use of Lua scripting has opened a world of possibilities for Oblivion mods, with an example being the Levitation mod by author Time-Has-Come, which triggers a script on Oblivion's side when a spell is cast, resulting in a flash of notification and subsequent levitation spell.

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