FadingTorches v1.3b
CHANGES:
Added the ability to drop lit torches (yes another one AND it's implemented differently) and these torches should perfectly light up ANY area they are dropped.


USAGE:
Drop a torch as normal and it will light up the area.
Due to the way light is calculated in Oblivion, you can only move one of these torches about 20feet via the grab button before the light stops affecting the environment. If you do need to move a lightsource, put it back in your bag, move, then drop it again. Problem solved.

The regular aging of my torches will suspend while they are dropped, but the light will go out after 5minutes. If you put it back in your bag, then drop it again, it will burn for a further 4-5mins (i've decide that these torches don't burn too well on the ground, so they will sputter and die after too long in the dirt).

If you drop a torch on the ground in one area and leave, it will remain lit (unless it already burned out) for 2 days. If you go back in before two days have passed it will continue to use up it's 5minute count.


DESCRIPTION:
Thanks to FTL's Dungeon Master many moons ago, i like my torches to gradually grow dimmer till they finally fizzle out leaving me cowering in the dark. The default Oblivion torches last WAY too long and of course, they don't dim. So, here comes FadingTorches to the rescue.

Torchlight is reduced over a period of time and the torches have a much shorter duration (30mins realtime). No more carrying 30 torches around and never needing them... well, needing torches is still down to modders as the default darkness isn't really very dark at all for some (like me).

I have hopes this is just the start and that as time goes on, i gain the means to make this much less clunky.


USAGE:
DO NOT HOTKEY ANY OF THESE TORCHES - Due to the way stackable objects are handled, there is no way to correctly track what happens to torches equipped/unequipped via hotkeys. Their ages will mix up. You will end up with some torches that age rapdily, or some that don't age at all.

Each torch will last 30mins realtime, regardless of timescale. The life stages are; Fresh Torch 7mins - Partially Used 9mins - Well Used 9mins - Nearly Spent 5mins.

As an equipped torch reaches it's next lifestage it is replaced with the next torch down in the lifecycle (if you had a Fresh Torch it will become a Partially Used Torch, etc). Due to scripting constraints, this torch is temporary and cannot be dropped.
If this temporary torch is then unequipped(manually or by equipping another), it will be converted into a permanent torch (and will also become droppable).

Temporary torches cannot be dropped or sold (they have been flagged as quest items).

When you unequip a temporary torch, it will create it's permanent replacement before it deletes itself. This will give the impression that you gained a torch, but the temporary one will disappear as soon as you close the menu (re-equipping the temporary one will not matter as it will still be removed on leaving the inventory).

again DO NOT HOTKEY ANY OF THESE TORCHES


INSTALLATION:
Simply place FadingTorches.esp into :\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data folder and select it in the data files screen at game launch.
If you have the previous version installed, then unselect it within data files and just use the new one.


REMOVAL:
Delete the FadingTorches1.2b.esp


KNOWN ISSUES:
Annoying status messages:
This one is a real pain. There is no way at this time to control what messages are displayed at the top of the screen other than removing ALL equip/unequip/etc messages. But that method affects all items, not just my torches. If the previous issue ever gets resolved, then so shall this.

Not being able to drop temporary torches:
Torches (probably all stackable items) that are scripted into the players hand cannot be tracked if they are dropped. Therefore i flag them as undroppable until they are dealt with.

Not being able to use hotkeys:
Again, due to the way scripts work with torches, they cannot be tracked if they are equipped/unequipped via hotkeys.


FUTURE RELEASES:
I'm marking this as a beta because i'm hoping this system can be cleaned up at some stage to make it more streamlined (removal of those annoying status messages - allowing temporary torches to be dropped).
Anything else that crops up will be dealt with too.