Back to Oblivion. Need advice.

[ranoth]

Hello everyone,

 

Ranoth here.

 

Years ago I played a modded setup of Oblivion for about 3 years. Time goes on and life happens...

I now have a new rig and the ability to get back into Oblivion again.

 

I used Wrye Bash, OBMM, and NMM, when I modded.

 

Now I have Vortex.

It works with Skyrim.

Can I use it for Oblivion?

 

What are the essential mods that are out now?

 

Modding was a lot of work back in 2012. Is it any easier now?

 

So far using Vortex, I got the UOP working and tried to get OBSE working manualy.

OBSE isn't wanting to work. That is bad because so many mods use it.

I am using the STEAM GOTY edition of the game.

 

Any help would be great.

 

I really just want to rebuild my modded world and go visit all my old haunts again. :)

 

Thanks for any help!

[CHASE6]

Hi! Thatâs great for you to be back! I donât recommend Vortex. I tried a build with it and it was as much of a mess as NMM. Since you have experience with Wrye, I would suggest staying with that, or using OBMM with Loot or Boss.

[cds74]

If you have experience in using mod organizer with Skyrim you could try mod organizer 2 . I've been using it the last couple weeks on a new game. Works fine more me so far although somethings are a little tricky to install. But if you don't want to try it just go with OBMM or Wrye Bash. No idea on Vortex since i haven't used it.

[DigitalTemerity]

If only it were that simple, but it isn't. You will find that some mods only have OBMM setup files. So for those you have to use OBMM. Vortex can decompress the files and install every option, but it doesn't have the ability to run the wizard scripts for OBMM, so it doesn't work with Oblivion. Some files will not install with OBMM either and you have to resort to Wrye Bash. It's difficult because you have to make sure anything you have checked off in OBMM is also checked off in Wrye Bash. It it isn't CTD most likely. Also for every mod you install you need to run BOSS, clean your mods with TES4Edit, and then rebuild your Wrye Bash patch. Otherwise you have no idea which mod is crashing the game. I do my mods one at a time like that. It's very slow going, but that's what you have to do. Always download manually never with mod manager because most of the files are not set up for a mod manager. Unzip the files and see what's inside, and then you know how to install it. That's the only way to know. On occasion the mod author makes it easy, but rarely did they back then. You had to know a lot more about modding then you do with Skyrim to get it to work. This link should help you out: http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Basic_guide_to_optimizing/modding_Oblivion.

[DigitalTemerity]

Another thing to remember is to keep an eye on what is checked off in Wrye Bash. After you build your Bash Patch you may find that it unchecked some of your plugins for no apparent reason, and you have to recheck them. BOSS still ordered them right if you followed the right steps, so they work. It just appears to be some glitch with Wrye Bash.

 

OBMM objects to it when you uncheck certain plugins, but it will still allow you to do it, and in many cases you are supposed to check say only one of a few options. Don't be afraid to uncheck plugins in OBMM.

[Striker879]

I would suggest a slight improvement to your method ... only use Wrye Bash to manage and install your mods.

 

Use OBMM to extract any mods that come exclusively as OMOD to a folder. For complex mods use the OBMM install script as a guide if needed, but for most you can see the parts you will need to select just from folder names and the mod description. Move the required files and folders into an install folder you create, and then archive that and add your customised archive to the WB Installers.

[DigitalTemerity]

That would probably help some; because keeping track of two different mod installers is complicated. I've gotten used to it though after trial and error enough times. I pretty much always get it right now.

[DrakeTheDragon]

Just a by the by about plugins getting automatically deactivated by Wrye Bash when/after compiling the Bashed Patch, that's in most cases "not" a bug but intentional. "Merged" plugins and similar get deactivated on purpose (they even have a special sign, different to the empty checkbox for deactivated plugins), so it's both, they free up a plugin slot and leaving them active might as well negatively affect the outcome, as all there is about the plugin's records was already merged into the Bashed Patch and in the right order.

 

Wrye Bash always "tells" you what it does. It's best to listen and read. When it says it deactivated X and why, better don't ignore it, click it away and reactivate X, as this can only ever cause more harm than good. "Undoing" the Bashed Patch's conflict solving work is never a good idea. Else there'd be no sense in compiling the patch in the first place, if you later undo the important parts manually anyways.

[DigitalTemerity]

I probably should've mentioned that since you are running the Steam version of Oblivion you will have problems getting OBSE to work. It used to work properly with the Steam interface, but it no longer works. I ended up purchasing a copy from GOG. That copy is working fine. OBSE has a special launcher just for GOG. OBSE will provide instructions in its readme about how Steam is supposed to work, but it won't.

 

@DrakeTheDragon thanks for the explanation on Wrye Bash. That should help out a lot.

[DigitalTemerity]

One quick question on Wrye Bash edits: Following installing another mod and having to remove a mod to make a repair for some reason, should I recheck the unchecked ESPs? I want them in the patch if they need to be.