Frostfall


A Hypothermia, Cold Water, and Camping Survival Mod
For The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Author: Chesko

Contact: Forums - Chesko
E-mail - chesko.tesmod@gmail.com

====================DOWNLOAD=====================

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=13685

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11163

====================DESCRIPTION====================


Frostfall is a survival-style mod that adds cold weather survival gameplay elements to Skyrim. It uses a sophisticated system to track your location, weather, time of day, worn clothing, and more, to determine your current rate of exposure. All of this takes place seamlessly in the background.

The three main components of Frostfall are Hypothermia, Cold Water Survival, and Camping Equipment.

The primary objective of this mod is to add a deep, immersive level of gameplay to Skyrim, while keeping tedium to a minimum. An immersion mod should never get in the way of having fun.

====================IMPORTANT NOTICE====================

Frostfall is a mod with a lot of new concepts and options, many of which are now configurable. Please take the time to read this post and consult the Help system in-game by opening your Basic Camping Supplies, and going to Setup -> Advanced Setup -> Help.

Since this is a script-heavy mod, and due to the way Bethesda designed how save games work, you may experience some adverse behavior when you update this mod. The reasons for this are completely outside of my control, but I am doing everything I can to ensure that an update does not "break" your savegame. Please back up your savegames before you update. If an update causes an issue for you, please contact me via PM and I will work with you personally to help restore your game.

If you want / need to uninstall Frostfall, I have made this process much easier and concern-free. Please read the Uninstallation section below.

Thank you.

====================CHANGELOG====================

Update v1.4 (NEW):

Features:
- A brand-new configuration system is available by selecting Setup from the Basic Camping Supplies. You can now turn Fast Travel Cost, Frigid Water Lethality, and Tent Durability on/off, as well as adjust your rate of Exposure.
- A brand-new interactive Help System can be reached from within Camping Supplies -> Setup -> Advanced Setup. It contains a large swath of information about playing with Frostfall and how it works, from inside the game.
- A new one-time splash screen will be displayed asking if it is OK for Fast Travel to cost Fire Kits and Firewood. You can disable this option directly from the splash screen without ever having to even open the new configuration menu.
- a new Prepare for Uninstall option from within Setup -> Advanced Setup to shut down all features of Frostfall, remove all negative status effects from your character, and re-enable Fast Travel so you can uninstall Frostfall without any concern.
- Cooking Pots can now be crafted. They are made from a Cast Iron Pot and a Wooden Ladle. They can be used while near a campfire built with a Fire Kit. Destroy the campfire to pick the Cooking Pot back up.

Many bug fixes:
- Fire Kit consumption when Fast Traveling vastly, vastly improved. Fire Kits are now no longer consumed when traveling via carriage, or transitioning between worldspaces (Bloated Man's Grotto, Blackreach, Windhelm, etc). Report to me if you still see something strange, but I am confident enough in this fix to mark the issue as "resolved".
- Changed the way I detect heat sources. It should now be much more accurate. Giant Campfires and fires in High Hrothgar now emit heat. Let me know if you still see any fires that don't emit heat and I can quickly implement a fix.

Changes:
- Tents and Bedrolls have been condensed into the same item. To compensate, they now have 10 uses instead of 5. The crafting requirement is still 5 pelts.
- The Exposure Rate for all players is now the same by default, no matter what your timescale is. It can be configured in the Setup menu.

KNOWN ISSUES:
- Sometimes, areas in the north and on top of High Hrothgar that should be cold are detected as warm.
- Water is sometimes not cold even though it should be.


==============MAJOR GAMEPLAY CHANGES===============

The major gameplay changes presented in this mod are:

• Hypothermia - You now have Exposure Points. Cold areas will chill you to the bone; fires, and staying in warmer climes will keep you warm (Riverwood, Falkreath).

• Cold Water Survival - Water has different temperatures based on the location. Riverwood, Falkreath, and the Rift areas are nice and refreshing. The Reach and Whiterun areas have chilly water. The Pale and other snowy locations have frigid water that can kill in a matter of minutes.

• Camping Equipment -To make surviving with the first two points much easier. Adds a craftable tent, bedroll, and campfire kits. Bedrolls let you sleep outdoors. Tents let you sleep outdoors in bad weather. Fire kits keep you warm, and dry you off, and permit fast travel. (If you would like a more robust camping experience, or less difficulty, use Frostfall alongside LtMattMoo's Camping (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11074 (http://steam://openurl/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=12454). You can use my game mechanics, and his camping equipment.)

You will be given a new item upon start - Camping Gear. This allows you to create and place basic campsite items.

Although you don't have to use it, you will also receive the Weathersense Ring, a special ring whose gem turns different colors depending on the surrounding temperature. I recommend you hot-key this ring so you can check your condition at any time!

(Messages will also appear without using this ring automatically when your condition changes, or something needs your attention, so don't worry.)

A book, "Survivor's Guide to Skyrim", is sitting on a barrel inside the Riverwood Trader. It explains almost everything in this readme, but in an in-world style of writing. Give it a look if you get a chance, and refer to it if you have questions while playing!

==============(VERY) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS===============

• "Does [fur, etc] armor keep you warmer?" No. It's only important that you are wearing something. This is to ensure compatibility with user-made armor mods. I don't want the player to have to micromanage their armor. I don't think it's fun. And incompatible mods are less fun.

• "Do torches warm you?" No. If you can put it in your hand and carry it with you always, it will not warm you.

• "Does [xyz] spell restore Exposure Points?" No. I did not want to create a connection between Exposure and Magicka (which can be restored with potions, which can be bought with money). I was afraid high-level characters could "buy" their way out of the game mechanic.

• "How do I swim in frigid water without dying?" Break out the Flamecloak scrolls or spells

• "Is this mod compatible with LtMattMoo's Camping?" Yes it is. It is not packaged with this mod. Try it! And if you don't, you can still use the basic, crafted camping equipment I provide (for an extra challenge).

=====================GAMEPLAY======================


==================1. Hypothermia===================

You have a new resource, Exposure Points. Heat makes you gain them, exposure to the cold makes you lose them. Staying warm makes you lose them less quickly.

You will occasionally receive periodic, non-invasive messages related to your status (getting warmer, colder, wet, being near a fire.) This does not require the use of an item.

If you need to know how you're doing right now, use the Weathersense Ring to check your current EP, and the temperature of the surrounding area. The brighter green it is, the warmer it is; the deeper blue it is, the colder it is, until the gem is completely black. Use this ring to keep track of the current conditions (I recommend a hotkey!) It ranges from:

Emerald (warmest) - Bright Green - Faint Green - Clear - Faint Blue - Pale Blue - Azure Blue - Dark Blue - Midnight Blue - Black (Coldest)

=====So, what contributes to losing EP? Several factors:

• Location - Where you are in Skyrim greatly affects heat loss due to exposure. I am keeping track of where you are, and what (I think the) ambient temperature in the area is. The areas in the game, from warmest to coldest, are:

Falkreath Hold (warmest)
Eastmarch
The Rift
The Reach
Whiterun Hold
Hjaalmarch
The Northern Coast
The Pale, and Mountains (High Hrothgar, etc) (coldest)

• Weather - Paying attention to the weather can save your life. Your survival time in a blizzard is measured in minutes in real life (an hour or two in-game). Rain will make you wet and lose EP more quickly; dry off near a fire, or wait an hour to dry off automatically.

• Staying dry - Getting wet will cause you to lose heat much more rapidly. You stay wet for a time after swimming, or getting rained on. Fires will dry you off almost immediately. You will dry off in an hour by yourself. We'll talk more about water in a second.

• Time of day - Skyrim's nights are more unforgiving than her days. You will lose heat faster at night.

=====What contributes to replenishing EP?

• Heat sources - This is the most important one. Proximity to heat sources (excluding torches) will replenish your EP rather quickly. Use Fire Kits in the field to warm up. Standing near fires long enough also provides you with the "Warm" condition, which improves your Health, Magicka, and Stamina regeneration temporarily.

• Interiors - EP will not be lost in interiors, so taking shelter can be a good idea in some circumstances. Water in interiors will not harm you, either, in the instance that water is used for a thematic or gameplay reason in a dungeon.

=====What can you do to help stay warm? Several things:

• Wear clothing - Running around naked spells death for the foolish. You will receive a bonus to EP loss for each piece of equipment you wear (Hands, Feet, Head, Body). What kind of clothing or armor does not matter; only that you have something on.

• Frost resistance - Something Nords are born with. Frost resistance will help reduce heat loss.

• Foods - Soups and stews now have a special Exposure Resistance buff. These foods can -significantly- help extend your survival time. Update v1.1: Vegetable Soup, Beef Stew, Venison Stew, and Horker stew provide this bonus (+40% Exposure Resist), and is compatible with all food mods.

Note that none of these will entirely stop the loss of EP, only give you more time.


===============2. Cold Water Survival================

Bodies of water in Skyrim will now have their own temperature values based on location, ranging from Refreshing to Frigid, with varying levels in between. Jumping in water considered "Frigid" will have a few effects:

Immediate loss of all stamina (torso reflex, hyperventilation)
Temporary blurred vision (immediate disorientation)

After this happens, you have approximately 30 real seconds (10-minutes in-game) in which to save yourself. If you do not, you will be paralyzed (loss of consciousness, complete loss of limb movement), and die.

You will only be affected by water if you swim in it - stepping or wading in is fine. Use the temperature of the surrounding area to get a feel for how cold the water will be before you decide to test it.


=================3. Campsite Items==================

When you start your game, you will have a new item added to your inventory: Camping Gear. "Use" this from your inventory to bring up a menu to create and store campsite equipment. If you'd like to see what it would take to create something, just try creating it, and the help text will tell you.

This mod includes the following campsite items:

• Fire Kit. Components: 6 firewood, 1 steel ingot. 3 uses. Places campfire at location, and restores Exposure Points (EP). Permits fast-travel (1 firekit consumed).

• Bedroll. Components: 10 Tundra Cotton, 5 Leather. Indefinite uses. Permits resting outdoors (no EP Loss).

• Tent. Components: 5 animal pelts, any type (even mixed). 5 uses. Permits resting with bedroll in bad weather conditions (rain, snow, blizzards).

You can store up to 12 fire kits, 1 bedroll, and 1 tent in your pack.



====================REQUIREMENTS=====================

None. SKSE or any other programs are not required. Install and enjoy.

===================TROUBLESHOOTING=====================

I am stuck being "wet" no matter what I do!
- Open the console, and type "player.removespell 03009A03", without quotes. You should get a confirmation message that the effect was removed (tested on v1.2a and v1.4).

I can't Fast Travel, even with Fire Kits in my inventory! Also, I hate you!
- Open the console, and type "enablefasttravel 1". Exit the console and wait about 30 seconds. Open your Map, and attempt to Fast Travel. It should now work.
- Alternatively, open Basic Camping Supplies -> Setup -> Advanced Setup -> Fast Travel Cost, and Disable it. Exit your inventory entirely, and wait about 30 seconds. Open your Map, and attempt to Fast Travel. If neither of these options solve the problem, contact me via PM.

My EP is stuck at ### and won't change!
- Open the console, and type "set _DE_ExposurePoints to 85". Exit the console, and wait about 30 seconds. Then, approach a fire and see if you receive the message "You begin to warm up." Check your Weathersense Ring and see if your EP is going up. If so, you should be fine now. If this does not work, contact me via PM.

I uninstalled Frostfall and now my character is stuck being wet and has all of these terrible status effects that won't go away!
- You did not follow uninstallation instructions. Re-install Frostfall, and use the Uninstall Frostfall option from Basic Camping Supplies -> Setup -> Advanced Setup -> Uninstall Frostfall. This procedure should remove all of these effects from your character. Follow all instructions to the letter.

===================UNINSTALLATION=====================

If upgrading, it is safe to uninstall this mod and install the new one. Please back-up your savegames, as sometimes an update to any script-centric mod may result in unexpected behavior. You have been warned.

!IMPORTANT!
!IMPORTANT!
!IMPORTANT!
If completely uninstalling Frostfall:
Open your Basic Camping Supplies, and navigate to Setup -> Advanced Setup -> Uninstall Frostfall. Follow all instructions. This process will shut down Frostfall's features and ensure that Fast Travel is enabled and all negative status effects are removed from your character.

Failure to do this may result in PERMANENT debilitating status effects against your character. You have been warned.
!IMPORTANT!
!IMPORTANT!
!IMPORTANT!


===================INCOMPATIBILITY====================

This mod is incompatible with other hypothermia-style mods.

This mod may potentially be incompatible with certain weather mods. I will evaluate these on a case-by-case basis.

Fully compatible with all food mods, lighting mods, and LtMattMoo's Camping.

===================KNOWN ISSUES=======================

v1.2a Known Issues that are currently being worked on:

• Waiting outdoors is supposed to be disabled for the player. It currently isn't.
  
• The "Wet" effect looks a little phoned-in and will be improved.
  
• You get wet immediately when it starts raining, instead of a few minutes after.
  
• You cannot pick up and move a tent (by holding down the "use" key) after you place it on the ground.
  
• Attempting to test this mod by using COC or other teleportation commands may cause weather to behave incorrectly. Please play the game normally or things may not work as expected (hot weather in Winterhold, etc).

=================PLANNED FEATURES====================

• Effects for eating Snowberries (as implied in "Survivor's Guide to Skyrim")
  
• Lycanthropy, Vampirism bonuses
  
• Cooking Pots
  
• Possible racial bonuses (Argonians suffer no effects from being wet, etc)
  
• Better Image Space Effects

======================THANKS==========================

Thank you to all of the beta testers. Specifically:

Nitor
Spiffyman
Luggage
Knots

Thanks to .sidekick for the inspiration for the ring.

...and everyone in the WIP thread offering ideas, suggestions, and feedback.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think, and please offer up any suggestions. This is still a work in progress and far from perfection.

I was waiting for a mod like this to come around. Cheers! I'll give it a try later on.

Waiting for this to be put on Nexus...

Just realized the link was Friends-Only. It should be public now. Sorry about that!

Skyrim Seeker: Working on that right now.

...

but waiting for the nexus link to be active before downloading...

Wow. This looks very neat and clean! Good Work!

This sounds great! I'll download when it's on Nexus. Thank you.

This mod is awesome. Pay attention to the warnings in the survival guide though. It says not to swim in the water of certain places; I ignored that and went for a dip, only to freeze to death in the water

Nexus link is now up. Thanks for your patience.

Updated to v1.0a. Fixed bug where entering and exiting interiors would cause a Fire Kit to be used.

Thanks for the Link and the Mod, I will try it today

Is this mod compatible with Imp's More Complex Needs?

Yeah, a compatibility patch for Imp's mod would be awesome!

ncompatible with any mod that edits any of the Stew or Soup food items.

Incompatible with any mod that edits light sources for fires. See readme.



I would imagine that Imp touches the stew/soup so that would be a problem...

Hey, I haven't tried it yet (too much work!) but if you don't like your "wet" look, i saw one on nexus that might fit. I can't post links but search for Water FX - Get Wet if you want to see what I mean.
Looking forward to downloading this!

nice mod ! do you consider to use the flame cloak spell to recharge the exposure points? or something similar? i am just curious that a mage would need to make a fire with wood to stay warm but he can shoot flames from his hands? maybe some spell variants similiar to fire cloak with a malus to exposure on the low level spells and you get much faster colder if you depend on it entirely ? Or a transmorph spell for torches to firekits? Dont know if i want to chop firewood for 3mins everytime i want to head out in the cold aeras?.

Any chance for a guide on how to make food items from other mods compatible for people that like to mess around with the CK.

I've been looking at a bunch of camping and hypothermia mods lately, but it sounds like this is by far the best one out there. Can't wait to give it a try! And now I have a reason to start a new Ranger type character.

If I cannot find a good way to handle food today that doesn't involve editing the food items themselves, I will simply forego using food and will use some other consumable instead, such as a new set of potions.


No. There are several balance reasons I don't want to do this. I don't want to create a gameplay co-dependency between EP and Money. (EP being bought with a spell, which is bought with magicka, which can be bought with potions, which can be bought with money). I had a lot of initial fears of high-level characters being able to buy their way out of the gameplay presented in this mod. I may look into some other use for it in the future, such as protecting you from cold water.

Is there anyone using a waterwalking mod as well as this one that could confirm whether or not water penalties apply when waterwalking? That might help mages stay warm.

From what I know about the mod, waterwalking would prevent all water penalties from applying. Good work BTW, Chesko.

Sounds great!

I will wait until there is a visual cue in the HUD somewhere, like your bar of green to black, before downloading and endorsing. Although this mod is great it has the same problem as mods that implement primary needs (hunger, thirst, sleep etc), it requires me to keep checking an inventory item all the time and I don't like it, it keeps taking me out the game and makes the feature a chore.

you will get a non-invasive message every time your status changes (you go from cold to freezing for example). You just check the inventory item if you want to know more specifics at any given time.

This sounds very impressive!

sounds good but i wish clothing played more of a part in this

i dont think wearing a sleaveless shirt i a blizzard wold be suitable