TWMP has modules for every province of Tamriel. Not all are equally well filled in, but new content is still trickling in. If you think this guide is rather long, consider that the content added here covers the land that is 10 times larger than Cyrodiil. Not all of it is densely filled in, but bear with us. It is still a lot of content!
I like this concept and the quality of underlying architecture, so my game is all TWMP. This page lists my personal installation instructions – this is what I’ve done in my game. I have not tested all of it yet, but I fully intend to do so, and I shall be updating this page if and when I find better ways of doing it.
IMPORTANT: download the mods and save them in a safe place because you’ll be reusing them a few times! Put each mod in its own folder so you know what’s what. It gets confusing very quickly. I download everything first, then go about installing it – this helps to keep track of where you are at.
Installation needs to happen in the order listed below because files get overwritten in the process. Some of the mods also give installation instructions, I tried to take them all into account, but be sure to check them for notes regarding other popular mods that you might have in your game.
I have uploaded my LOD data to Nexus. It covers all the provinces listed here, with the additions. It includes Valenwood Improved and Elsweyr Pelletine. If you wish to use this data, you don’t need to install any LOD that is listed further on, but you do need to remove LOD where required.
Compatibility
Time and again people ask whether TWMP is compatible with XYZ. There is no generic answer here. Instead, you have to look per province. Your main area of concern is going to be in the Cyrodiil border regions, as TWMP does not change anything in Cyrodiil proper, but there may be some “bleeding” over the border. Conversely, many mods that label themselves as “Cyrodiil” in fact extend over the border into another province.
Perhaps the most prominent mod collections that you need to watch out for here, are HESU and Unique Landscapes. But these come with patches for TWMP! Oh joy, you can make them compatible.
I am not addressing any compatibility issues in this guide for the sake of focussing on the essentials. But various patches exist, some provided with TWMP mods, some with the “other side” mods, you have to try them out for yourself.
The Elsweyr question
Elsweyr Anequina is not a TWMP mod. Anequina was created before TWMP, and then TWMP was carefully shaped around it. So Anequina works perfectly when installed together with TWMP, without any patches. I included it into this guide because it is such an important province.
If you just wanted to have Elsweyr Anequina, you don’t need this guide, you don’t need any of TWMP.
On the other hand, Elsweyr Pelletine does require TWMP, so if you want that, read on.
General support
Here are some basics you need to get right for the whole thing to work.
Oblivion Script Extender – OBSE – xOBSE
Install the latest version, or at least v22.6.
In order for the distant views to work correctly, you need to verify one setting in your Oblivion configuration. Start Oblivion and select Options. Then under Graphics make sure that Texture Size is set to Large. If it is set to anything else, you will have purple and green checkered textures everywhere in custom generated distant views. This is because of the limitations imposed by the tools we use to generate distant views data.
If you intend to generate your own LOD, do not install any of the LOD modules listed below. If you need help, see Building your own LOD article from the menu ribbon at the top of this page. It also explains how to delete conflicting LOD from the original mods.
Please see this page about maps.
Shortcut for Valenwood
If you don’t want the entire Tamriel but are only interested in Valenwood Improved, you can take a shortcut. Install only what is listed in this section plus OBSE, and skip the rest of the guide.
Basic landscapes and resources
These files are required for every province of Tamriel. Always install this section.
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Heightmaps
– Tamriel LOD resources – only needed if you are not generating your own
– Tamriel Heightmap v 3.3
– Tr Stirk LOD resources – always needed
This pack includes land LOD resources for the entire Tamriel. These are the basics for the land mass, and are supposed to be overwritten by the mods that come after and fill in the landscape. However, where the land is turned into sea in a large area, the LOD file would need to be removed as it cannot be overwritten. So far I think it would only affect Valenwood. If you are having problems with LOD there, you need to remove the files that cover that area: from folders Meshes\Landscape\LOD and Textures\LandscapeLOD\Generated remove files that cover quads between 60.-96.-96.32 and 60.00.00.32.
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Resource Pack
– Full resource pack v2
– Updates for v2
This already contains Tamriel Landscape Resources, so you don’t need to download one from a separate page. By that I mean these two files: “TamRes_LandscapeResources.esm” and “TamRes – Landscape.bsa”. You need the versions from this pack.
Black Marsh
This section is optional, install if you want to have Black Marsh.
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Landscapes
– Black Marsh ESP
– Black Marsh LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
Summerset Isles
This section is optional, install if you want to have Summerset Isles.
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Landscapes
– Summerset Isles ESP
– Summerset Isles meshes BSA
– Summerset Isles textures BSA
– Summerset Isles LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
TWMP Summerset Isles Extension
– TWMP SI version 0.1.1
Hammerfell
This section is optional. Install if you want to have Hammerfell or Skyrim.
There are a number of options for Hammerfell, but only one of them is truly compliant with TWMP – Brendan’s Hammerfell set to TWMP by Haldar. Daggerblivion briefly tried a TWMP version (abandoned but still available under Old Files), but they remodelled the land so severely that it was not possible to use it with other TWMP mods anyway. There are a few non-TWMP alternatives for Hammerfell, including new Daggerblivion, but I have not investigated them.
As such, your choice for Hammerfell is between Brendan’s TWMP Hammerfell and a Hammerfell stud that serves to satisfy the dependency in TWMP Skyrim Improved and TWMP Locations but does not have any content beyond basic landscapes and referenced resources.
Choice 1: TWMP Hammerfell
Install if you want to have Brendan’s Hammerfell.
– Main file
– Resource pack
– _far meshes
– Distant LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
– LOD terrain meshes and textures – only needed if you are not generating your own
Stirk and Chain Islands are integrated in this mod, so remove any stand-alone versions.
Choice 2: Hammerfell stud
From TWMP Skyrim Alive – Miscellaneous Files
– TWMP Hammerfell Stud (ESP and BSA packed together in one archive)
High Rock
This section is optional. Install if you want to have High Rock or Skyrim.
It’s just landscapes at the moment, there are no mods that actually fill in High Rock. Still, landscapes are better than empty land, especially if you are looking at them from Skyrim or Hammerfell.
TWMP High Rock
– High Rock ESP
– High Rock LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
Skyrim
This section is optional. Install if you want to have Skyrim. This also includes the lands of continental Morrowind from the Eastern Skyrim border to the sea. This does not include the lands of Morrowind that border Cyrodiil.
TWMP Skyrim Improved
Always install for Skyrim. This is the basis for it all. Requires TWMP Hammerfell and TWMP High Rock.
– Main ESP
– Resources
– LOD textures and meshes – only needed if you are not generating your own
Jerall Pass is integrated into this mod, so remove the stand-alone version.
TWMP Locations
Install if you want to have further content in Skyrim. This file also contains some bug fixes for TWMP Skyrim Improved.
– ESP and BSA
Skyrim Nord Tombs is integrated into this mod, so again remove the stand-alone version.
TWMP Skyrim Alive
Install if you want to have a lot more content in Skyrim.
– ESP, INI and Resources BSA. Choose v1.1.1 for Skyrim just over the border or a later version for complete Skyrim.
– Voices: xVAsynt generated voices. This is a part of the normal install. If you object to AI-generated content, you can skip this but there will be issues with rumours.
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own.
– Optional: Voiced dialogue for the whole of Skyrim and Hammerfell covering TWMP Skyrim Improved and TWMP Hammerfell.
Skyrim Alive and Crystal Chasm are both integrated into this mod, so remove the stand-alone versions.
If you use Oscuro’s Oblivion Overhaul (OOO), see my patch for the bandit camp North of the shrine of Hermaeus Mora. Available from the TWMP Skyrim Alive page.
Why would you choose v1 when later versions are already available? If you can’t or don’t want to have another large mod in your game, but would like an easy crossing into Skyrim. Version 1.1.1 is fully playable but is only limited to the Northern side of the Jeralls. It contains Riften, Helgen and a hint of Falkreath with roads linking them and with roads connecting Skyrim to Cyrodiil. To travel further, find a mountain guide in one of the Skyrim settlements as you won’t get far on foot – the mountains are too steep to cross.
Valenwood
Valenwood is a point of discussion. There are two distinct visions for that land – Onra’s TWMP Valenwood with its lore-friendly jungle but devoid of habitation, and Eldarie’s Valenwood Improved with a very different landscape and land mass, but filled with people and settlements. Valenwood Improved is considered to be lore-breaching. Some people prefer the jungle, others prefer the settlements.
Choice 1: Onra’s Valenwood jungle
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Landscapes
Install if you want to have Onra’s Valenwood jungle.
– Valenwood_Elsweyr – ESP, BSA
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
Choice 2: Eldarie’s Valenwood Improved
Install if you want to have Eldarie’s version with towns and villages.
Valenwood Improved Resources
I repackaged Eldarie’s original resources as a BSA for the TWMP version of Valenwood Improved.
TWMP Valenwood Improved
This is the TWMP version of Eldarie’s ESP.
– Main file (the ESP)
There is no LOD with Valenwood Improved. This means that if you are not generating your own, you will need to use LOD that comes with TWMP Southern Alliance or my Tamriel LOD data from Nexus.
TWMP Valenwood Improved comes with a patch for Elsweyr, but unfortunately that patch is flawed and will not be fixed. It introduces new land tears in the middle of Anequina, among other things. However, if you are also using Elsweyr Pelletine, this patch is replaced by TWMP Southern Alliance that closes all land tears, so there is no need to worry.
If you are not using Elsweyr Pelletine (see below), then you could try using the Valenwood Elsweyr Improved Patch provided by Elsweyr Anequina on AFK mods, but you need to edit it and switch the master from Valenwood Improved to TWMP Valenwood Improved. I have not tested it myself and don’t know whether it would cause issues or not.
Elsweyr Anequina
This section is optional. Install it if you want anything from Elsweyr.
As noted right in the beginning, Elsweyr Anequina is not a part of TWMP. If you only wanted Anequina and nothing else of Elsweyr, you don’t need this guide or TWMP.
Elsweyr the Deserts of Anequina from AFK Mods, not Nexus
– Main files
– Patches as needed
– Install LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own and only if you are not using Valenwood Improved and Pelletine together
Elsweyr Pelletine
Installation varies slightly depending on whether you are also using Valenwood Improved or not. Previously you had to choose between Valenwood Improved and Pelletine, but now you can have them both installed using TWMP Southern Alliance (see below). Or just have one of them installed, or none. The choice is yours.
Under the sign of the dragon – Tamriel Landscapes
– Valenwood_Elsweyr – BSA – always required
– ESP and LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own and only if you are not using Valenwood Improved
Elsweyr Pelletine
– Main archive – ESP and BSA
– Patches as needed
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own and only if you are not using Valenwood Improved. LOD is packed in the main BSA and needs removing if you are using Valenwood Improved.
If you are using Valenwood Improved, you will need to load TWMP Southern Alliance to reconcile everything. The LOD from Pelletine will be overwritten by LOD from TWMP Southern Alliance. Some files however will need to be removed because they cannot be overwritten with “no file”. The problem here is that the LOD is included in the BSA archive together with the resources, so you will need to unpack the BSA, remove the LOD and optionally pack the BSA without it again.
TWMP Southern Alliance – install if you want to use both Valenwood Improved and Elsweyr Pelletine together. If you are only using one of them (or none of them), don’t install this.
– ESPs
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
The LOD provided with this mod covers the whole Southern area of Valenwood and Elsweyr, as well as the Tamriel part of Valenwood Islands (see below). But for this LOD to work properly it is imperative to remove the LOD from the other mods in this area. Overwriting is not enough because some files need to be deleted, otherwise you will have cliffs and trees floating over open ocean. You cannot overwrite a file with a “no file”.
The LOD from this mod covers the following files (some will be missing, on purpose!):
- In folder DistantLOD files that cover coordinates between -96,-73 and 18,0.
- In folders Meshes\Landscape\LOD and Textures\LandscapeLOD\Generated files that cover quads between 60.-96.-96.32 and 60.00.00.32.
Valenwood Islands
I have not tried loading this without Pelletine, but I believe it is possible.
Valenwood Islands
– Valenwood Islands main file
– Valenwood Islands patch
If you are using Valenwood Improved, some of the LOD from this mod needs to be removed. Here again the LOD is integrated in the BSA archive together with the resources. Be careful when removing the LOD – you only need to remove the LOD of Tamriel, not of the Valenwood Islands.
New Senchal
This module adds a peninsular South of Anequina. It may not be lore-friendly exactly, and exists in two versions: to use with and without Elsweyr Anequina. This does not depend on TWMP, but I’m including it here because it’s in the area.
Choice 1: Senchal the Seaside City
Install this if you are not using Anequina
– ESP and BSA
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own
Choice 2: New Senchal for Anequina
Install this if you are using Anequina.
– ESP and BSA
– LOD – only needed if you are not generating your own and only if you are not using Valenwood Improved and Elsweyr Pelletine together.
Morrowind
This section is optional.
There isn’t anything big out there for TWMP Morrowind, besides the basics that you load right from the start. There are a few add-ons though, see further down on this page.
For Vvardenfell and Solstheim you can use Morroblivion with TWMP Morroblivion conversion. Morroblivion classic plays out in a separate worldspace which is not a part of TWMP. The conversion puts it into the TWMP worldspace, but it has its limitations. In particular, I expect problems with using other mods for Morroblivion because of course they are bound to the original Morroblivion worldspace. You cannot use Tamriel Rebuilt either, which is a huge work-in-progress mod converted from TES3 Morrowind that fills in the continental part of Morrowind – in the Morroblivion worldspace! It is completely independent of TWMP.
My preference is to play Morroblivion in its own worldspace as intended, and yes, it does mean that you are duplicating that land. Choices have to be made.
Load order
Load order should be mostly the same as the installation order, with some exceptions. If you have any mods that edit the same areas, generally put them before the TWMP block, or you’ll have land tears and/or roads will be lost. Download what patches you need (e.g., for Unique Landscapes) and read descriptions of the corresponding mods for ideas where they go in the load order. See also the list of suggested additions further down on this page.
Here is the load order of the main TWMP modules with placeholders for additional mods. Most of the mods here are optional and will only appear in your load order if you installed the corresponding sections. However, a few mods lay down the basics of TWMP and are always required – I marked them in the list below.
- TamRes.esm – always required.
- TamRes_LandscapeResource.esm – always required.
- Land and settlement mods that are not mastered on any of the mods below go first, unless specified otherwise in the mod description.
- Tamriel.esp – always required.
- TamRes.esp – always required.
- Mods for the continental part of Morrowind.
- TWMP_BlackMarsh.esp
- Mods for Black Marsh.
- TWMP_Summerset.esp
- TWMP SI.esp (Summerset Isles Extension)
- TWMP_Hammerfell.esp – required for Skyrim
- TWMP_HighRock.esp – required for Skyrim
- TWMP_SkyrimImproved.esp
- TWMP Skyrim Guard Armors & Shields.esp – see additions.
- TWMP_Locations.esp
- TWMP Skyrim Alive.esp
- ElsweyrAnequina.esp – required for Elsweyr Pelletine
- Mods for Elsweyr Anequina
- TWMP_Valenwood_Elsweyr.esp – required for Elsweyr Pelletine. If using TWMP_ValenwoodImproved later, this must be from TWMP Southern Alliance! Otherwise use the original.
- ElsweyrPelletine.esp
- Mods for Elsweyr Pelletine
- TWMP_ValenwoodImproved.esp
- Mods for TWMP Valenwood Improved
- ValenwoodIslands.esp
- New Senchal.esp
- TWMP Southern Alliance.esp – required if using Valenwood and Elsweyr Pelletine together
Recommended additions
These are the mods I use in my game and they work well with TWMP. I understand that some don’t work very well with OOO or perhaps something else – check what you are using. For Unique Landscapes there are patches and patches, so you should be able to fix it.
This is my personal selection of mods. There are more mods out there, so feel free to add to it and make your own list!
The regions below also cover areas of Cyrodiil near the corresponding border.
Unless otherwise stated, load these mods before the TWMP suite. Obviously, the corresponding provinces need to be installed!
Skyrim
- TWMP Skyrim Guard Armors and Shields – install if you want to have more guards in Skyrim. Load after TWMP_SkyrimImproved.esp.
- Skyrim Observatory – North-East from the Dive Rock. Causes minor land tears near Aerin’s camp.
- HESU Mod Collection – Skyrim Temple – West from the shrine of Azura.
- The Ancient Dwemer Ruins – sits right on the road. Load before Skyrim Alive to keep the road, it fits very well, barring a few floating rocks. Load after the HESU Skyrim Temple to avoid land tears. See also my patch for the Dwemer ruins (does not edit the landscape, load right after the Dwemer Ruins mod).
- Ancient Dwemer Ruin Vornhuzduc – in Cyrodiil West of Bruma.
- Pinevale – in the Jeralls West of Bruma. There is a pass from below.
- Ghastley’s Falkreath from his own website.
- Nordinkarst- Nordic Meadhall – in the Jeralls West of Pinevale. Easy access from Falkreath! Load the mod and my patch after TWMP Skyrim Alive. Patch available from the TWMP Skyrim Alive page.
- Red Mead Hall – just West of the shrine of Hermaeus Mora. Load after TWMP Skyrim Alive. No patches needed.
Morrowind
Load these mods after Tamriel.esp.
- Dwemer Ruins – puts 8 Dwemer ruins just over the border in Morrowind, East of Cheydinhal. This does not depend on TWMP, but it’s probably best to load it after Tamriel.esp to keep any landscaping around the ruins. I haven’t tested them all, so if you get land tears, then load it before the TWMP block.
- TWMP Azure Palace – adds the palace deeper in Morrowind. Load after Tamriel.esp.
Black Marsh
These mods depend on TWMP and must be loaded after TWMP_BlackMarsh.esp.
- TWMP Castle Dunkerlore – adds a castle and player home to the South West of Black Marsh.
- TWMP Rost3 Topal Isle – adds an inn and a cave on an otherwise empty island in the Topal Bay.
- TWMP Black Marsh – Castle Dunkerlore – Rost 3 Topal Isles 3-way Patch – moves some rocks and trees so that you could actually enter the building, for example.
Valenwood
- HESU Valenwood Mine from the HESU Mod Collection, now on AFK mods. This adds a large mine complex West of Skingrad right over the river between Cyrodiil and Valenwood.
- TWMP Valenwood Cities – populate Valenwood cities, starting with Elden Root. This is not done all at once, it’s a quest to be done by the player step by step. Load this mod after TWMP Valenwood Improved.
Elsweyr
Load these mods after Elsweyr Anequina and possibly Pelletine.
- Tieflandsburg Castle – a castle in the wilderness West of Riverhold. This can be loaded right after Tamriel.esp – it doesn’t really matter.
- Dimitrisgb’s Elsweyr mods cleaned and updated – adds three camps, a town and some dungeons. Some of these mods depend on Pelletine, others only on Anequina, see mod page. Obviously I am recommending my cleaned up version, but feel free to download the originals instead. There are links on the mod page.
- Elsweyr Mysteries – several new quests for Anequina, with a patch for Pelletine.
- Elsweyr Plantations and co – adds new plantations in the South of Anequina. There is a patch for Pelletine as well.
- Tales From Elsweyr Anequina – new adventures for Anequina. This mod tends to divide opinions about its content, purely from the creative point of view. I am not using it. But if you do want it in your game, I recommend using the original version and not the new Rev’s Redo because unfortunately all quests in Redo are broken. I had no technical issues with the original at all though, so had no need for a redo.
- Elsweyr City Extension – fills in the Palace District in Corinthe. There is a patch for it on the Anequina page at AFK mods, although personally I had no issues even without it.
- Reapers_Anequina_Manor – adds a manor player’s home to Anequina.
Start playing!
This is the important bit… get out there! Start exploring!!
Masser and Secunda 