Read Me

Hi, and thanks for downloading Project Aedra. Let's just skip right to the FAQ (the fun part of README's!)

FAQ:
- What is Project Aedra?
Project Aedra is an open-source, free-to-download reimplementation of the The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind game engine. It is designed to support the original game, plus a few new features.

- Which new features does Project Aedra plan to add?
LAN Multiplayer, upgraded graphics and physics engines, and improved AI, to name a few things.

- Can I run Project Aedra if I don't already own Morrowind?
Nope. Project Aedra requires a legally-owned and installed version of Morrowind in order to run. You should have this to begin with, considering it's a great game.

- So Project Aedra supports (or will support) multiplayer. Does every player need to have their own copy of the game?
Yup. Each player needs to have their own, unique copy of the game in order to play.

- How the heck do I build and run this thing?
See COMPILING.txt and INSTALLING.txt
As of right now, the project isn't very end-user friendly, but if you're a developer it shouldn't be too bad to get up and running.

- What's the target platform?
Project Aedra is designed to run on:
Windows XP
Windows XP x64
Windows Vista
Windows Vista x64
Windows 7
Windows 7 x64
Windows 8
Windows 8 x64

- What about system requirements?
Currently, the system requirements for running Project Aedra are moderate, especially in terms of memory usage. The thing requires a computer with at least 2GB of RAM and a GPU with at least 256MB of RAM. This is largely due to the streaming technology that we're currently using. Future streaming engines should use less memory.
In the future, I'd like the project to support systems as weak as those required to run the original game. I'd also like to preserve backwards-compatibility with the Direct3D 9 fixed-function pipeline, so that people who have GPUs that do not support pixel or vertex shaders can still run the game.

- Where did the name come from?
Some guy e-mailed me to talk about my "Unnamed Morrowind Reimplementation Project" and he mentioned that I should change the name to something more aesthetically-pleasing. Fast forward two weeks and after receiving a few more emails regarding suggestions for a name, I chose this one because it fits with the game lore.

From UESPWiki ( http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Aedra ):
The Aedra are original beings that arose from the interplay of Anu and Padomay. They are regarded as the counterparts and opposites of the Daedra, but the distinction originated after their birth, during the creation of the Mundus. The Anuic (Aedric) beings played a leading role in the creation of Mundus, causing them to commonly be considered the creators of the mortal world. Aedra translated into Aldmeris means "Our stronger, better, ancestors."

The title actually fit the project well, as Project Aedra is designed to be a "stronger, better" version of Morrowind.

- I've got another question, comment, suggestion, or other thing I'd like to say
That's great. You can post it on the Project Aedra site at Sourceforge ( https://sourceforge.net/projects/aedra/ ) or if you want to get really personal, you can send me an e-mail at: 
DragonGeo2 -at- gmail.com