Striker879

The info we need to start helping on this is: 1) what were the "few mods" 2) what mods were loaded before that (i.e. a complete mod list). 3) any other details you may think pertinent (i.e. updated drivers then this happened).

Try posting your request in the Oblivion Mod Detectives thread pinned at the top of this section (Mod Talk).

You can remove the intro movies with just a simple Oblivion.ini edit. Here's an excerpt from Koroush Ghazi's Oblivion Tweak Guide: I believe this is also the section you'd use to put your own clips in, once they're in the proper format, but I'm not sure of all the steps to do so.

Hmmm .... let me think now .... and you're wanting people to download and install this??? You may need to be a bit 'creative' in the mod description. Hey ... maybe give your guy a buffin' in hand to hand, for when the guard drops in for a visit ... open one can o' whoop a$$ and get out of jail free card time!!

Is the armor designed for the same body type as your character? Edit: From the mod description

Good stuff ... thanks for reporting back with your solution.

If you have an idea of the order you installed mods reverse the process. If you installed a huge number of mods all at once and didn't do any stability testing in between each one then you'll need to disable a huge number of mods and test for stability. If vanilla Oblivion without any mods is crashing you need to look at where Oblivion is installed and consider a re-install (in particular if you're installed in C:\Program Files\... or C:\Program Files (x86)\...).

Some questions ... is this something that has just started happening (and was Oblivion OK before that)? When you installed Oblivion did you install in the default location (C:\Program Files\... or C:\Program Files (x86)\...) AND are you running either Windows 7 or Vista? Did this start happening only after you installed a bunch of mods? Give us some more background and maybe someone can help.

Two things ... first, is Oblivion installed in the default location (C:\Program Files\... or C:\Program Files (x86)\...) AND are you running either Windows 7 or Vista (this will not apply if you are running Windows XP)? If it is in Program Files the Microsoft security feature UAC could be interfering with your mods. It won't affect Oblivion until you start to try running mods (it stops any programs installed in Program Files from being modified, unless they are specifically designed to work along side UAC). Second, have you followed the mod installation instructions exactly. If the mods resources (meshes and textures) aren't located in the exact directory structure that Oblivion and the mod require the game will be unable to display them.

Take a look at some of the vanilla Oblivion NPCs for one that has an AI package that you may be interested in (say one that shows a package to go to a chapel). Take note of the type of package and any targets and/or conditions that that package uses. Sometimes you'll need to add markers to have a target to travel to ... other times you'll need a bench or chair (which needs the 'persistent' box checked under it's properties). The Construction Set Wiki is a good source to get you started (here's a link to the Actor Behavior section). Between researching, experimenting and testing it will start to become clear.

Number one thing to check ... is Steam and Oblivion located in the Program Files or Prgram Files (x86) directory? If it is you will need to move it out of there and out of the clutches of the Microsoft security feature UAC.

The non-essential MIA's could be gone for good if they've fallen to some of the hazards in Cyrodiil (unless you have a save game and can get their refID). Essential ones will wander looking for food and beds when left to their own devices. You could reconnect someday.

So when you first start creating your mod you have Oblivion.esm selected and nothing else. Create your NPC and then save. The CS should prompt you for a name for your new esp. Then you want to make your esp the active file (at this point I close the Construction Set and then restart it, but that may be not needed ... just me wanting to be sure my new mod is the active file for sure). Do the rest of your edits (place your new NPC, give them their AI packages etc.). Save your mod and then open it in the game by selecting it in the Data Files from the game launcher. I usually do a few things in the CS and then check my progress in the game. The other thing to consider is what directory you have installed Oblivion and the CS. If it's the default C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) AND you are running either Windows 7 or Vista you could be running afoul of the Microsoft secuity feature UAC (if you are using Windows XP this won't apply to you). UAC blocks some changes to programs installed in Prgram Files. To avoid this you will need to uninstall Oblivion and re-install outside of Program Files (e.g. C:\Games\Oblivion).

As long as your NPC doesn't belong to a faction that's hostile towards the player faction (i.e. bandit or marauder factions) you shouldn't have a problem with him/her killing you. As long as your AI packages don't call for travel outside the cell you drop him/her in they'll just wander the cell they're in (must be specifically using a package requiring using a door to leave the cell).

Were the other MIA's essential or non-essential?

True enough. I think the big allure for me is that nostalgic flashback when I start a level and then go ... ahhh, I remember this part. I even found a bonus level I'd never found when playing through way back when. I spent a lot of time on the shareware version back in the day before I ponied up for the full meal deal. I checked out your blog ... some good tips and options there for getting the original running on todays hardware (I admit I've downloaded GZ Doom in the past but never got around to installing it). Good stuff.

It will only turn green if you are in the same cell (room if they're indoors). You should see the red arrow pointing towards the door to the interior cell if you're in a different cell (I would guess, as I've never tried this method myself).

Have you ever checked out Classic Doom 3 (the original Knee Deep in Dead levels ported to the Doom 3 engine)?

There was another thread here with a similar problem (appearance wise anyways). It was because you're only allowed four textures in a quad. Could be your problem too if you're trying to add to the existing quad.

And you want to do that??? Now spice that up with the other guy stopping by your cell and saying "Here, take this lockpick ... looks like I won't be needing it" and you may have something. Which way would you exit ... through the dungeons or try to get by the guards?

The one at Skingrad yes ... the Anvil one is toast after getting 'gated' (and what was doing that supposed to add to the 'user experience' ... to borrow a Microsoft term).

Not sure if this will work for the snow as well as the rain ... it's a simple ini tweak so it's easy to try. Open Oblivion.ini (located in My Documents\My Games\Oblivion) and find bPrecipitation (Notepad works best and paste that into the Find search box). Change the bPrecipitation=1 to bPrecipitation=0. This will disable the rain effects (and maybe the snow).

OK ... with UAC turned off it's not your problem ... just trying to shorten the possibilities by eliminating one of the most common gotcha's. When you say: do you mean when OBSE and Oblivion are the only two things installed (vs when OBMM BOSS OBGE etc are also installed)?

Is Oblivion installed in C:\Program Files\... or C:\Program Files (x86) by any chance? If so the Microsoft security feature UAC will cause grief once you start modding Oblivion (it doesn't interfere until you add mods or utilities like OBSE ... anything that changes vanilla Oblivion).

Was the companion a non-essential one or an essential one. A non-essential companion that has been killed won't come to the ring. If you have an earlier save where the companion is still there you can click the companion in the console to get the refID (this will only work if you either have not added any mods since that save or you know that any added mods come after CM Partners in your load order). Once you have written down the refID load your current save and enter in the console: prid refID (if you still have their refID displayed at the top of your screen you won't need this step) resurrect 1 enable (see below) moveto player If it's been too long and the cell they died in has reset (so that their body has disappeared) you will need to enable before moveto player ... if not too long you don't need that. I try it without first and if they don't show after moveto player then I redo the sequence with enable. If the companion is an essential one and you get their refID as above try just using the moveto player part (with their refID displayed at the top of your screen) on your current save.