The open-source engine reimplementation for The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, OpenMW, has received a significant update, version 0.51.0, which includes a crucial fix for a bug that could cause the game to crash when performing certain actions. Previously, assigning an action like a 'thrust attack' to a character could inadvertently break the game's progression.
This latest release addresses this issue, ensuring that players can no longer accidentally cause a game-ending event through this specific mechanic. Beyond this critical bug fix, the update introduces several enhancements beneficial to the modding community. Modders can now create custom magic effects using OpenMW's scripting API, which will allow for more complex and visually impressive spells in large-scale mods such as Tamriel Rebuilt and Project Tamriel.
Furthermore, the ability to cast enchantments is no longer restricted to characters who can equip items. This change means that hostile creatures can now utilize enchantments, potentially making them more dangerous adversaries. The update also focuses on improving the user experience for modders and players alike, with better texture smoothing capabilities and an improved installation process. OpenMW's installer now features better auto-detection of existing Morrowind installations, even if the game hasn't been run through specific launchers previously. Additionally, the update resolves numerous Lua-related crashes and addresses minor issues with gamepad navigation that were introduced in the previous release.