Summary
This mod renames the keys in the game so they'll have a consistent naming scheme. There are also options for other tweaks to keys.
There are two versions of the mod available: an MWSE version and a plugin version. Use whichever you prefer.
Description
Keys' names in vanilla Morrowind are all over the place. There are a few existing mods that address this issue by renaming keys, but either I wasn't satisfied with their naming scheme, or they make a lot of extra changes such as adding keys to the world or making them unlock additional things, or they don't cover the keys added by Tribunal and Bloodmoon. So I decided to make my own.
Keys have been renamed such that their names start with "Key, ". This means that all keys will now group together in the inventory, which is a definite improvement for convenience.
In general, the names of keys are otherwise similar to their vanilla names. In other words, with a few small exceptions for consistency, no important words are added to or removed from the key names. This is so the keys' names will give no more and no less information than in vanilla.
The second word in the name is generally the most important descriptor for the key, in most cases a location or owner's name. This way they'll sort in the inventory in a way that I think makes sense. Slave keys start with "Key, Slave, " so they'll all group together.
In addition, a couple keys that had been mislabeled are fixed.
Below are a few examples to give you an idea of the new naming scheme:
Rusty Key -> Key, Rusty
Orvas Dren's Key -> Key, Orvas Dren's
Key to Worm Lord's Tomb -> Key, Worm Lord's Tomb
Key to Aleft Chest -> Key, Aleft Chest
A Glowing Key -> Key, Glowing
Ancient Daedric Key -> Key, Daedric, Ancient
Secret Palace Entrance Key -> Key, Palace Entrance, Secret
Dwemer Key to Table in Mudan -> Key, Mudan Table, Dwemer
Key to Lower Arkngthand -> Key, Arkngthand, Lower
Addamasartus Slave Key -> Key, Slave, Addamasartus
One key is clearly special: Shashev's Key. Renaming this key would remove an intentional reference, so it's been made optional. In the MWSE version, it's blacklisted by default. Users of the plugin version can use the "Consistent Keys +1" plugin if you want to rename Shashev's Key.
In addition to changing names, this mod also sets the value of all keys to zero. In the Construction Set the value of almost all keys is 300, but for most keys (exceptions are those that don't open anything), Morrowind won't show this value and won't let you sell it. The reduction in value is a consistency change, so you can no longer sell a handful of keys for good money while most are valueless.
Also, two keys in vanilla have a weight above zero (both 1.0). Both are set to zero weight.
The MWSE version is more full-featured and has a few additional options. First, mod-added keys are detected as keys and treated as such. Three different methods are used to detect items as keys. This will cover all vanilla keys, and should also detect almost all keys added by mods, whether they actually open anything or not. (It's possible that an unusually-named mod- added misc item will be wrongly detected as a key, in which case the solution is to add it to this mod's overall blacklist.) Mod-added keys will also be dynamically renamed if needed to (mostly) match the new format for vanilla key names.
In addition to the value/weight change, the MWSE version will also give all keys the "isKey" flag, even keys that don't actually open anything and thus lack this flag in vanilla. This has the benefit of allowing Detect Key effects to detect them. This feature and the one setting value/weight to zero can be disabled in the MCM if you prefer.
No other changes are made to the game. No cell or NPC edits, no keys added to the game, no containers now opened by new keys. Only the misc item records of keys are changed. The archives for both versions contain a spreadsheet listing each key with its name in vanilla (with Patch for Purists, which fixes a few errors in key names) and its new name. The archive for the MWSE version also contains another spreadsheet with the names of mod-added keys specifically accounted for by this mod.
The MWSE version includes a Mod Config Menu that allows you to configure many aspects of the mod. You can disable the mod if desired, and you can also disable each feature of the mod (name changes, value/weight change, isKey flag change) individually.
The MCM also includes two blacklists. Keys on the overall blacklist will not be touched by the mod at all. (By default, the only items on the overall blacklist are two unique Bloodmoon items that are technically keys, but aren't really keys and shouldn't be treated as keys.)
Keys on the names blacklist will not be renamed by the mod, but the other features (value/weight change, isKey flag) will still be applied to them. (By default, the only key on this blacklist is Shashev's Key, which is special.)
Requirements
The MWSE version requires MGE XE and the latest version of MWSE 2.1. Just install MGE XE and run MWSE-Update.exe to download the latest build.
The plugin version requires only Tribunal and Bloodmoon.
Compatibility
The plugin version will conflict with any mod that edits keys. Any mod that changes keys should come after this mod in the load order (tes3merge might solve some conflicts).
The MWSE version should be compatible with just about anything. If you're using a mod that changes the names of keys, those changes will be overridden by this mod; you can add keys to the names blacklist as needed to address this.
There's little point in using this mod along with Rational Names. Rational Names has basically all the features this mod has, plus a lot more.
Version History
Version 3.0 (MWSE version) - 2021-08-13
- Almost all keys added by mods will now be detected as keys and treated as such by the mod.
- There are now options to disable each individual feature of the mod in the MCM.
- Added option to set the "isKey" flag for all keys, which means all keys will be detected by Detect Key, even if they don't open anything.
- Mod is more customizable with two blacklists to disable changes to specific keys.
- Fixed a bug where it was not possible to remove a default entry from a blacklist (caused by my config change in 2.1.1).
Version 1.0.1 / 2.1.1 - 2021-06-06
- (Both versions) Now renames the keys added by the Siege at Firemoth and Helm of Tohan official plugins.
- (MWSE version) Changed how the config is loaded so it's no longer necessary to include the config .json file in the mod.
Version 2.1 (MWSE version) - 2020-08-11
- Added option in the MCM to enable/disable the mod.
- Added a blacklist that can be used to avoid renaming specific keys.
Version 2.0 (MWSE version) - 2020-08-08
- Added MWSE version.
Version 1.0 (Plugin version) - 2020-05-04
- Initial release.
Contact
Feel free to contact me on the Nexus or Moddinghall with any comments or suggestions. You can also find me on Discord as Necrolesian#9692.
Use a mod management tool such as Wrye Mash, or just copy the MWSE directory to your Data Files directory. (Or, if you're using the plugin version, copy the plugin of your choice to your Data Files directory and select it in the Morrowind launcher.)
You can use this however you want.