Wordsmith

Did you read the bit about Construction set, OBSE and Windows 7 on THIS forum thread ? It might be relevant section 1.8 - "User Contributions" is what you want

If you've just put Oblivion on a new PC, try turning off antivirus temporarily. If the problem goes away, it may be a background real-time scan which will prescan EVERY darn file Oblivion accesses - all those dozens of ESP files, etc. If that helps, look at turning off the real time scan JUST for the Oblivion executable process, plus OBSE and OBGE if you use them.

I've been running the FCOM Superpack v4.01 for a few weeks now and it's pretty stable - I get less crashes than with vanilla Oblivion (probably because it has a couple of stability mods included)

I just posted a notice about a draft setup doc for Microsoft Security Essentials over on the tech help section - if it's of interest follow the instructions there and I'll send a copy.

I have a draft set of instructions on how to configure Microsoft Security Essentials to NOT continually scan every file Oblivion opens during play, thus reducing stutter while not having to totally disable antivirus during play (I know, power gamers are reaching for the keyboards already, but the rest of us swap in and out of games and run all sorts of other stuff in the background). I can send a copy to anyone who wants it, but the pdf is just over 2 megs and so too big to upload here. Drop me a line at [email protected] subject "Antivirus Walkthrough" and I'll send a copy to you - for comments and corrections please.

I'm currently helping to beta test a module, against three different sets of mods. I have a vanilla, fully patched, with OBMM / OBSE / Wrye Bash setup. I then have two copies of this, one of which has the FCOM Superpack installed, and one has a hand-installed FCOM-based setup with assorted graphical and environmental mods, plus a few big expansion mods. To change between these setups I currently have to do the following: (1) Rename my c:\Games\Oblivion to c:\Games\Oblivion - Vanilla (2) Rename my Save game folder to Saves - Vanilla (3) Rename my Superpack install from c:\Games\Oblivion - Superpack to c:\Games\Oblivion (4) Rename my Superpack save games from saves - Superpack to Saves (5) Install the latest mod version for the mod I'm testing using OBMM (6) Run Wrye Bash and MANUALLY tick all the blinkin' mods in the list becuase 95% of them were not ticked on the vanilla version, having not been installed. Steps 1-4 I can automate with a batch file, no hassle. Bur step 6 defeats me. What file associated with Wrye Bash do I need to backup/restore to stop having to re-tick every darn module?

Archive invalidation entry with an absolute path not a relative one? or for that matter ANY pointer that does that. Check ini file entries anyway for anything starting "c:\Program files..." Also check OBSE / OBGE entries if they are installed, and the install path for OBMM and Wrye Bash wil have changed... I gave up, and installed from scratch in a new place when I realised what a pain UAC was going to be. And then spent half-an-hour telling my antivirus NOT to scan those processes in real time which brought my frame rate back up - I'd forgotten I'd had to do that before.

If you want to add to the list of things which might be relevant, remember walking would look different, so new animations might be needed. Also if a male character tries it, you might want to play with their personality rating to see how others would respond.Good luck with the mod - even if you don't succeed, you're bound to learn an awful lot about modding.

I've been running three setups while beta-testing a mod, and one which seems to be a stable set of mods making a more-or-less coherent whole is the FCOM Superpack. I won't link it, as I gather it's possible the guy hasn't asked permission to bundle the mods together as one installer, but it all went in seamlessly if you follow his basic setup list (obmm / wrye bash / obse, then the pack IIRC). It's a massive 2+GB download though, and it takes (as you'd expect) about ten panic-stricken minutes after starting it before your Pc actually looks alive again, but it DID work for me. Wordy

An alternative to the one above is the Race Balancing Project - the graphics seem a little more compatible as far as eyes are concerned. And for less uglified npc's, try the Tamriel NPCs Revamped mod I use both and am pretty happy with the results. If you've installed the hgec body, it's best to download a stock clothing and armour replacer - based on the bust size you chose on install - it helps stop clipping issues. If you chose a "sensible" bust size, the exnem's body stock replacers should work well too.

Nice items. Now, all they need is a Damascene effect on the metal, and I'd die happy on the end of one of them...

I've tried Reneer's Rain Mod - sadly I get the CTD problem which some others have had. I'll keep an eye on it, as it may work one day. Tried "Get Wet" but that basically makes me glow silvery, not go darker and drowned-rat like - so that's out again. Will try the idles at the weekend I think. Any more bright ideas? Wordy

I'm slowly improving the way Oblivion looks and acts with assorted mods, and my latest bugbear is this... RAIN! I'm British, and we are experts on rain - we get a lot of it. In rain, real people don't walk at the same speed as when dry - they speed up and scurry - they run - or they hug the sides of streets. Real rain makes things wet - the streets, the people, the buildings. Real rain leaves raindrops on bushes afterwards - they glint in the sunlight. And finally - rain does NOT fall through arches onto your head. So. how many of these things are feasible mods? Walk-to-run change for npc's when it rains? Texture reflectivity and darkening when wet? Drying out reverses this gradually? I know there was a Morrowind mod that stopped rain falling through static objects - surely it must also be possible in Oblivion. Any suggestions? Wordy