Starting Mods?

[TheKamiKaze1337]

Hullo! I'm thinking of buying Oblivion from Steam, since I have Skyrim on my PS3, and I'd like to add a few mods to it. But there's so many here, I have no idea where to start. Think someone can point me in the right direction?

[Lanceor]

My standard response:

 

Everyone has their individual preferences so it's hard to recommend particular mods without knowing what you like.

 

I'd start with the Unofficial Patches as they fix a lot of bugs and annoyances that Bethesda had missed.

• The Unofficial Oblivion Patch
• The Unofficial Oblivion Patch Supplemental
• The Unofficial Official Mods Patch
• The Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch

You'll need to have some way of sorting your load order:

• Better Oblivion Sorting Software - BOSS will auto-order most of the mods based on the collective experience of experienced mod users.

And to manually adjust the load order (pick one or more)...

• Nexus Mod Manager is the newest and allows automatic installation straight from Nexus. While his feature is handy, it is less reliable than manual installation.
• Oblivion mod manager is not as powerful as Wrye Bash (below), but is easier to use. It supports OMODs, a packaging method used by some mod authors.
• Wrye Bash is probably the most powerful load order manager and seems to be recommended by the most mod Authors.

Keep in mind that almost all complex mods require The Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) to function properly so make sure you have that installed if you download any mods that require it.

 

After that, browse around and pick whatever mods appeal to you. I'd suggest trying one or two simple mods first before attempting to install the mega-overhaul mods like OOO, UV or MMM (those acronyms will become familiar to you soon :wink:) Most mods have installation instructions that you should follow. You can check the Nexus Top 100 for the most popular mods, and filter it by category if you're after a particular type of mod.

 

If you haven't played through Oblivion though, many would suggest not adding mods until you've played Oblivion for a while and have an idea what would improve your gameplay the most.

 

Personal opinion: The only part of Oblivion that I think is "unplayably broken" is the default leveling system which forces you to play in odd ways if you want to maximise your character. So IMHO, a mod that alters the levelling system is something that I would recommend right from the beginning.

• All +5 Attribute Modifier or Attribute Plus X lets you use the default system without worrying about how many attribute points you'll get on level-up.
• Realistic Leveling lets you simply play and your attributes increase automatically based on skills leveled.
• Oblivion XP gives a classic CRPG style leveling system: earn enough experience points to level up and spend your attributes as you see fit.

Have fun with the mods!

 

[TheKamiKaze1337]

Ah. Thanks. I suppose I should have been slightly more spesific. Definatly want a level overhaul. I'll try out the ones you posted. I think a magic overhaul would be nice as well. Never did understand how it worked when I first played it. Also, when I used to play it on the PS3, I remember I kept getting bit by vampires when I went to sleep. DX so thing to stop that would be very much aprecated.

[QuanYin]

You forgot TES4Edit to clean your mod files ...

[Lanceor]

I think a magic overhaul would be nice as well. Never did understand how it worked when I first played it. Also, when I used to play it on the PS3, I remember I kept getting bit by vampires when I went to sleep. DX so thing to stop that would be very much aprecated.

I'm not much of a magic user, but I have dabbled with Midas Magic. It's the #1 Oblivion mod of all time and greatly extends the vanilla magic system. As for vampirism, it occurs when you get hit in combat, not when you sleep. If you catch the disease Porphyric Hemophilia and don't cure it, you will become a vampire after a few days and start having those creepy dreams.

 

You forgot TES4Edit to clean your mod files ...

TES4Edit is definitely a must-have a bit later... but I don't usually recommend it straight away for newbies who are probably already overwhelmed. Most of the really popular mods should be quite clean anyway. :smile: