MarkInMKUK

It's not clear from the above whether you have installed Shivering Isles before trying to patch, or after. The procedure is as follows: (1) Install Oblivion (in c:\Games\Oblivion if on Vista or Win7) (2) Install Shivering Isles. If using the Game of the Year edition, this will patch your Oblivion AND Shivering Isles to v 1.2.0416 and you don't need any other official patches. (3) If it was NOT the Game of the Year edition, then apply the SHIVERING ISLES version of the 1.2.0416 patch, NOT the Oblivion version. The Oblivion only patch will NOT work. (4) Install any of the Bethesda DLC files if you have them. (5) Apply the various umofficial patches to remove the remaining bugs - one for Oblivion, one for SI, one for the DLC modules. If you have the steam version of Oblivion, the same procedure (more or less) applies. If you have impulse or D2D - then it's beyond me, but modding may well be almost impossible, especially mods which use OBSE. And if you are using a no-CD crack, THAT is why your patch fails. Remove it and do it legally.

Netch milk imported from Morrowind

OK, COBL goes on. It replaces having to find something to give the automatic racial characteristics, and hopefully the hunger and thirst mod too. Beyond that we will see as we go along. Edit: COBL is now installed. I've ticked the option for COBL Races and will see what that alters. I'm intending a run-through with a Khajiit to see what effect their night-eye has on a dungeon run, but I will probably use one of the alternate shaders to make it a tunnel vision style view, as that would make sense for a cat-evolved predator - looking straight at the prey with no distractions to the side. Enhanced Economy is also installed ready for loot trading - it also saves playing about on the "haggle" slider. I'd prefer a verbal-based haggling system, like real trading in the middle east, but failing that a "you have already haggled your best deal" will do for me.

First questions: (1) Do you have the unofficial Patches installed? They do a lot of bugfixing. One for Oblivion, one for Shivering Isles and one for the Official Mods. (2) Do you have Winston Earle's Oblivion Crash Prevention System (weOCPS) and Fastexit installed? You'll need OBSE for thosem and the former really helps stability a lot on my system.

Beds in Oblivion have some lovely covers ... but no-one gets under them So, I was thinking... If a new set of animations was made for a character getting in and out of bed, with a script that equipped them with a dummy bed-cover covering the existing one, the animation them lifts it and they get on the bed, pull up the cover. The mesh of the item then shows their body shape through all the sleep animations, and then a reverse animation to get out of bed at the end, at which point the dummy cover is removed from their inventory. OK - is anything approaching that even doable? Thoughts please

894. Barbers are also conspicuous by their absence. Yet the hair lengths never seem to change. 895. Ditto hairdressers - but then when did you last see anyone in Oblivion change their hairstyle? 896. If someone is at home, you can't knock - you just barge in. 897. Humans eat meat raw. Goblins roast their rats... 898. Sewers exist. They have water in them. But this water doesn't appear to come from streets or roofs. And there's no indoor (OR outdoor) plumbing... 899. Mudcrabs will pursue you for miles. Ugly things, aren't they? 900. The tutorial dungeon has a little ledge with two gold coins on it. I miss it many times, and then suddenly remember and have to trek back again.

I don't recall seeing a cannibalism mod anywhere - but I'm sure one could be arranged. Orc steaks anyone?

Hi dallen, I'm trying to avoid COBL at the moment, as a lot of people don't like the "adds loads of stuff" type mods, and even though it's a resource many people see it that way. I certainly intend to try another few setups, and one of those may well be COBL based. Harvest Flora is a "must have" for me (I've installed it almost without thinking this time) - although I've never yet managed to get the "no mushroom stalks" bit working. I may well install the Basic Hypothermia mod a little later on - not sure yet. I'm also avoiding OOO, MMM, etc for one simple reason - they change too many things at once. I use them for my normal game play though, I have a full FCOM install . Better Cities I have lumped in with Unique Landscapes - sure they add lots of stuff, but they don't actually alter the gameplay and that's what this is mostly about. If I start to run low on ESP slots the few cosmetic mods I have installed will all come back out too. I'll look at alternatives to COBL Races, but as I'm not running an Argonian or Khajiit at the moment, it's less relevant. Thanks for the ideas and input though, and welcome to the discussion.

This is probably the point where someone (Hickory?) would normally point out that if you used Wrye Bash and BAIN installers you'd never have that problem, as you'd rebuild the mesh list and it would replace the ones that OO altered. I've done it to save him the trouble. However, learning HOW to use BAIN installers is a whole different subject - and so far I've failed to get my head around it. :( ANY cosmetic mod MAY overwrite a mesh - when you remove it it will probably remove those meshes leaving nothing. That's the problem. So, the rule is - BACKUP your data folder BEFORE installing stuff, then you can restore more easily if it doesn't work.

Doesn't interest me, anyway - sorry. Good luck though if it's what you want.

the utility I use for this is mTES4 Manager. It creates clone copies of Oblivion, with separated data and savegame folders. Just one word of warning - it takes 15 mins to make a clone copy of a vanilla(ish) install on my system, and if you do anything else while this happens one or two of the pop-up question boxes may "pop under" the main status screen and be awkward to get at. Once running, when you change clones, allow it to sit for a while to complete moving files. I generally leave it for five minutes (a good time to go make coffee) and have never had a problem with incomplete file transfers. When I tried immediately switching to another clone (being a little indecisive) it corrupted the clone copy. I use it to run 7 different copies, including one copy of Nehrim and one of Morroblivion

One more benefit of Steam - if you buy the Deluxe version it includes all of the DLC modules as well, whereas the Game of the Year edition disk set does not. If you do the physical media route, you'll need to download the DLC modules if you want them, or find a copy of the Knights of the Nine retail disk which includes most of the DLCs - but you already have KotN as part of the GotY edition.

That makes it relatively easy to do ... presumably he'd stick to main routes rather than cutting cross country, so if you work out his travel destinations, and allow more than enough time to get to each one, plus some place to go/stay once there (specific inns or lodgings, or a specific camp area if he uses a tent), it should just be a standard wander-type AI package.

I'm starting a new run-through, with as many realism-enhancing mods as I can find/add installed. As the need for an aspect of realism occurs to me, I'll be adding it, to try and build up what (for me) is a realistic world. I'll also be role-playing as much as possible, and am running at a 1:1 timescale so I don't spend my entire gaming session eating. Which reminds me - several mods add eating and drinking requirements - recommendations please (either in the Keeping it "real" thread or via pm).

For me, the "sneaky assassins with torches" made it less immersive, not more. Maybe an additional filter on the system to not use torches if in the subterrene area would do it for the tutorial. It's something I need to think about. Basically, anyone with a torch is an obvious and easy target, and has lost their night sight adaptation, so it's not as obvious as a realism mod as one might think. If you find that "eyes adjust to darkness" mod I'll try it as an alternative - I have savegames (of course). Next two things to add - an Eating / drinking / sleeping mod (as yet undecided which one), and the Inventory is a backpack mod, and probably the Portable Campsite mod too. Obviously i won't be running those til I've sold my loot off. I'm also installing TheNiceOne's Enhanced Economy mod, so it makes it sensible to shop around when selling gear.

Are you meaning one who travels from place to place continually, or one who is capable of going anywhere if needed? If the former,define "all" more carefully as in which locations / ruins/ caves/whatever and in what tinescale.

OK - the rest of my tutorial run-through with realism mods in place. I didn't find an "improved" lockpicking mod that suited me, so stuck with vanilla. I'm not quite sure WHAT would improve it for me, although I may try the lockpick crafting mods later. Anyway, to continue... Following the discussion above, I installed Dungeon Actors Have Torches 1.6 and Exterior Actors use Torches with minor fixes 1.32. I then worked my way through to the log pile, in sneak, carrying katana and torch. As the area was lit by torch and firelight, I put out the torch and snuck towards the pile - got spotted ... pushed and rolled the logs. Looted the corpses and chest, then on towards the goblin cave. Staying well back, I swapped to the rusty iron bow. Waited til the first goblin was close then took him out with a single shot - remembering to aim a little high as Duke Patrick's oombat archery mod seems to make arrows drop more than vanilla Oblivion. Obviously his screech was still not enough to alert the other goblins. Picked off the other two "normal" goblins, then lined up to shoot the goblin witch. Shot - hit - and because of Duke Patricks Actors can miss now mod, he managed to miss me totally with the responding fireball and lightning. Killed by second shot. Worked through to the Inperial Subterrene, and then noticed one effect of the Dungeon Actors Have Torches mod - nearly every Mythic Dawn assassin was preceded by a bright yellow glow as they were all carrying torches :) Out to the sewer, where apart from the allowance for arrow drop, everything was as vanilla Oblivion. Saved at sewer exit. The main way this has differed from my "normal" run at the tutorial is I had to rely on my sword, and hardly used my bow except in the lit goblin cave. Once I get some kind of night eye ability I'll revert to my normal modus operandi, but til then I'm forced to use a blade :( - not an entirely happy camper at that. However, it DID make it more difficult and more "realistic" which is the whole aim.

I was thinking much the same way on night sight and adjustment to darkness. Torches should certainly have quite an effect on your night sight - and should also "turn off" the Khajiit night-eye effect (and maybe be over-bright for those without a natural ability who are using a spell version?) For Khajiits or wearers of "permenant night-eye" items, I was thinking a gentle transition to a monochrome look for the night-eye, probably by de-saturating colour and then adjusting darkness and gamma levels. I considered a greenish tint like night-sight goiggles but it looks too much like the default lighting in Ayleid ruins. Settings probably configurable by the user and held in an ini file. Possibly based on Khajiit Auto Night-Eye. Something based on this script could trigger the "slow adjust" phase of a light level change I'm sure. There are alternative night-eye shaders around which I may try out once I have the spell or an object that gives me the ability - Less Overpowered Nighteye looks interesting as it also gives a mask effect to your field of vision, and some of the options in Nighteye Shader Replacement look very interesting too Making actors in caves use torches has a few knock-on effects - the droppable torches have to work for them too, or you could get an excessive number of suicidal drops in the dark where npc's see you, grab their weapons, and run over a chasm edge... You may still get them, depending on WHERE they drop the torch :)

Maybe - the ones on the torch mod may count as custom as they have adjusted life and light output. If not, I'll use the two separate mods. Another realism mod we need - sight adjustment to darkness/light, with the appropriate delay. Now THAT would be fun - especially if YOU had something to make you immune and your enemy didn't - run out of the cave, turn, and slaughter them.

I'll probably go with DungeonAndExterior Actors Have Torches as it saves me an ESP slot, unless it doesn't work. If it fails I'll use the two above - thanks for the links. And re the dead goblins - if you run a full FCOM install there are different clans of goblins, and sometimes in the tutorial cave there's more than one clan. They fight - to the death! Just need to kill the last one, and loot the corpses!

Google for the FCOM Superpack - you'll still need OBMM and Wrye Bash, but it's as simple as it'll ever get. You WILL end up with some of the optional mods, and you may not like them all, but you can uninstall the bits you hate and just rebuild the bashed patch. Personally I went with the uFCOM OMOD file though - that made it fairly simple

Russian and Japanese mods tend to the the ones - you find one via Google that looks right but it's a localised version and it clobbers everything Every now and then I get a German mod and it renames half of the places in the Imperial City - That's quite fun... Oh, and pick one or t'other of the Ren's packs - they are mutually exclusive

Some of the mods may have sctipts that take time to initialise - e.g. OBGEv2 on my system can take 30 seconds or so while I'm stuck doing nothing at the start of a fresh game. Look at the HDD light - if it's on , or flashing wildly, leave it to settle down first. Also defrag the hard drive after an install, and turn off any on-demand antivirus scan - as Oblivion accesses hundreds of files that can make any system stutter and freeze