What mods would you recommend?

[tr0ubl3mak3r]

Old time Oblivion fan here.. back when I first played Oblivion, there wasn't an expansion yet and not nearly as many mods as today. Now that I'm back in Oblivion again with most of the DLC's, I'm looking for a good set of mods to spice it up. I have a good collection of mods already, but I found the game is still too much like the original, and I'm looking for a truly fun and challenging experience. And above all, the mods I'm looking for have to be stable and balanced. If it causes crashes, breaks something in-game, or gives you too much of a boost early game, it's not for me. No buzzkill. Example.. the Lost Spires mod. Great mod.. but I'm tempted to remove it for the simple fact, they give you a robe that's worth like 30k gold or something, just for joining the guild! Or one of the dragon mount mods, I heard you start with the mount rather than having to find/fight for it. Not what I'm looking for.

 

So if you know of any good mods/group of mods that fit the criteria of being stable and balanced, please do post it! :smile:

I'll refrain from posting the mods I have already for now, as I don't want to prevent any of you from posting because I already have a mod or 2 you may recommend, but if anyone does want me to post what mods I have already, I will do so.

 

Also on a side note, I do not have FCOM, but was considering it. How stable is it? Last time I tried a mod that attempted to make several other large mods compatible with each other, it was crash city.

[Khet]

If you're looking for a Stable game... run Oblivion without any mods. Even a minor mod can cause crashes, and the more changes that happen the more likely it is. However, I'm currently running 138 mods and I crash maybe twice a day at most... if I play all day.

 

FCOM will cause crashes, even if you don't have ANY other mods running simply due to the nature of the compilation.

 

As for the Lost Spires bit... why disable it just because of that? It's /your/ choice whether or not to use the item. Heck, I've a few items sitting in my house that are probably four or five times better and more expensive than my current gear... but I like the way my current gear looks more, so I don't use them.

 

Mods themselves though... it depends on what you're looking for.

 

Overhauls:

 

FCOM

Oscuro's

Francesco's

Warcry

LTD Vampire Overhaul (may or may not conflict with The above three. I run FCOM, with LTD Vamp no problems so the conflicts aren't major)

StarX Vampire Overhaul (Run this or LTD)

 

Prettieness:

 

Natural Environments

Unique Landscapes

Exnem females with grhys's Exnemised Armors (For Vanilla) and Axil's for everything else.

Robert's males with Senchan's armors, stock and otherwise.

Qarl's Texture Pack (need a pretty hefty computer, but makes everything look so much better)

 

Weapon Packs:

 

Armamentium

Bob's Armory

 

Races:

 

Tabaxi with the Immersive Tabaxi textures(Only one I personally use)

 

Hair/Eyes:

 

Ren's Beauty Pack

Capucines Character Expansion

Beautiful People (compilation of a ton of hair/eye packs, makes most others useless)

 

Misc:

 

COBL (if using BP you /must/ load BP AFTER COBL if you want the BP changes, otherwise COBL overwrites them. Also you cannot run TNR or TNR SI with BP)

 

 

That's all I can think of for now.

[Pushkatu]

As far as quests go I have some recomandations.

 

Gates to Aesgaard - Episode One

 

Gates to Aesgaard - Episode Two

 

These mods are very challenging and will keep you busy for quite some time. It will take you some time to download, depending on your internet connection, but it's well worth waiting.

 

Malevolent

 

Malevolent is a complex, multi-pathed, story-driven quest MOD revolving around the Player's relationship (be it good or bad) with a sentient suit of armour called "The Armour of Malevolence." The Armour himself is a charismatic, manipulative and deceptive personality who likes to consider himself "Articulate Evil" and -after the Player dons the Armour for the first time- decides to invade a quiet corner of the Player's mind and call it his home. The story that evolves from that point changes depending on the relationship the player has with the Armour, and whether or not you choose to resist the Armour's whims, or submit to them (or any combination of the two.)

 

The Dungeons of Ivellon

 

The Dungeons of Ivellon' is a quest- or adventure mod respectively for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The player can expect a vast dungeon full of mysteries to be unraveled, secrets to be disclosed and dangers to be defied.

 

Thievery in the Imperial City

 

Features:

- A fence in the Imperial City.

- 11 new quests for a thief.

- 2 Miscellaneous quest.

- Full Voice-Over (over 17 minutes)

 

You will enjoy this if you choose to play as a thief or any other neautral character.

 

 

Windfall

 

Windfall is a large adventure or quest mod where the players actions and choices help determine the course and outcome of the stories. To complete the mod, a player will play through a minimum of 38 quests and a maximum of 52 quests.

 

 

Daggerfall Memories - Cybiades

 

I mod I realy enjoyed. So much to do, new places to visit, there's no way you could not like this.

 

 

 

Of course there are much more, but it would take forever to post. I hope this helps. :smile:

[Khet]

Completely forgot about quest mods... Thanks for pointing those out. Only other ones I would list are the other mods by Simyaz the maker of Malevolent

[JCP768]

My "must haves":

Mostly quest mods: http://kno.li/i

 

My favorite quests are:

Integration (my most favorite)

Malevolent, Runied tail, Tears of the fiend

Windfall

The Blackwood company

Dremora Companion

Servant of the Dawn

Imperial Legion Faction

 

Gameplay mods:

 

Hear No Evil

Vector

Crime Has Witnesses

Audacious Magery

Conduit magic

Custom spell Icons

Training cattle

Keychain

Refscope(good for troubleshooting)

Vows and Covenants

Pluke's roleplaying persuasion

LAME (Needed for Integration)

RBP (Needed for Integration)

 

I'm mostly a quest mod player and I recently posted a big rundown for most of them that I've played here and here.

All of them are stable and balanced... except for maybe Blackwood company, Imperial Legion faction, and Training Cattle. Those three can be a bit buggy, but nothing that would upset stability... they bug themselves, not the game as a whole. Also training Cattle gets updated pretty regularly so most of the glitches I've had before have probably been fixed by now.

 

 

And... a whole bunch of topics exactly like this one

[tr0ubl3mak3r]

Khet:

 

Just like it's my choice to use the items in-game or not, it's also my choice to use a mod or not. I like to play a game using every advantage I can get. While yes, I purposely have not sold/used the robe that comes with that mod, I shouldn't HAVE to not use it just to feel like I'm not cheating. You've missed the point. Also, I have quite a few mods already, including Natural Environments and other aesthetic mods, along with both Unnecessary Violence/Deady Reflex/Midas Spells, and I've only experienced 1 crash over multiple days of play up to level 15, so I'd also have to disagree with your comment that adding any mods will cause crashes. I have made my own mini-mods and know that crashes are mod specific. Thank you however for the the mod recommendations.

 

And the rest, thank you for the ideas, I'm currently checking them all out :biggrin:

 

Has everyone else also experienced this "twice a day" crashing from FCOM? I may avoid it if so, unless the amount of content is well worth an occasional crash. I tend to save my game before using doors that move to a new cell anyways out of habit.

[DariusMoranda]

Khet:

 

Just like it's my choice to use the items in-game or not, it's also my choice to use a mod or not. I like to play a game using every advantage I can get. While yes, I purposely have not sold/used the robe that comes with that mod, I shouldn't HAVE to not use it just to feel like I'm not cheating. You've missed the point. Also, I have quite a few mods already, including Natural Environments and other aesthetic mods, along with both Unnecessary Violence/Deady Reflex/Midas Spells, and I've only experienced 1 crash over multiple days of play up to level 15, so I'd also have to disagree with your comment that adding any mods will cause crashes. I have made my own mini-mods and know that crashes are mod specific. Thank you however for the the mod recommendations.

 

And the rest, thank you for the ideas, I'm currently checking them all out :biggrin:

 

Has everyone else also experienced this "twice a day" crashing from FCOM? I may avoid it if so, unless the amount of content is well worth an occasional crash. I tend to save my game before using doors that move to a new cell anyways out of habit.

 

All the great mods are already listed,though,here is my add:

 

The Ayleid Steps http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16316

 

This mod will keep you busy for days,maybe more,very long,very tough quest mod,extremely well done,and it's very interesting,because you never know where the steps will take you,exactly. :thumbsup: A must have.

 

An-Arane Cey - Lost Sword of the Ayleids http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20184

 

You mentioned that you want to earn a powerful item,rather then to get it as a gift or a house add-on.This is exactly what you want.

 

Arrows of the Ayleid King http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10740

 

A fun little quest and a nice reward,unique arrows,beautifully done and very useful and fun to play with.

 

Ayleid Extensions http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7581

 

This gives a point to Umbacano's quest and final ruin.Now,you won't be disappointed with the sealed rooms being empty.A must have.

 

AFK_Weye http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22828

 

This is an expansion of the Weye village,along with many,many quests to be done,a must have mod.

 

And yes,every mod made by Symiaz,especially Tears Of The Fiend

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11598

 

That is the most serious story I have seen on here,and it will mess with your mind.Horrifying,bone-chilling dead-serious psychological horror/thriller,very accurate and extremely well written.This mod is #1 for me,definitely.

 

Enjoy the mods and happy hunting. :biggrin:

[Khet]

No, I didn't miss the point. I was just wondering why is all. I use Lost Spires too, and even some of the mods that would fall under your category of "unfair" without issues. Still, it's personal preference. I find Lost Spires and other mods fun enough to overlook a minor inconvenience here and there.

 

This time however, it's you that missed the point. I never said "any mod will cause crashes" I said "any mod MAY cause crashes." The more they change the higher the chance. UV/DR/MS do NOT change... they add. I can't think of a single thing that any of those mods actually change in terms of existing content... they ADD more, however.

 

FCOM: FCOM (and overhauls in general) change a lot of the existing content. They CHANGE the enemies and items that ALREADY EXIST in the game, while they ALSO add. This is where the crashes come from. Yes, FCOM attempts to get the mods to "play nice" with eachother, but it's a very large project and I still don't think it's out of "beta" yet. The more CHANGES that are made, the more likely of a crash (not to be confused with additions, though even mods that add things can cause crashes too)

 

Yes, crashes are (generally) cause by mods. But the more mods you run, the higher that chance goes and more finicky you have to get with load order and new mods you install. I'm not trying to sound rude here, but I can be very blunt sometimes, even when I'm just trying to explain the nature behind crashes. :)

 

As for whether or not FCOM is worth it... well, that's for you to decide. Plethora of new enemies, hundreds of new items, greater dangers come with greater rewards. If you run even one Overhaul such as Oscuro's or Francesco's take the content found in either of those, and double, if not triple it, and you still haven't hit all the new additions. FCOM adds /everything/ from Oscuro's, Martigen's, Warcry and Francesco's... along with support for even more mods such as Armamentium and Bob's Armory (both these last two add a TON of new weapons and armor.) So like I said... that's for you to decide. The most I can say is, try OOO or Fran's... and ask yourself if you want /more/ content like that. If yes... then FCOM is the way to go. Also, my "two crashes a day" is with all 138 mods running at the same time... not just from FCOM. I'm sure if I had only FCOM and the DLC's installed, I'd crash even less... but that's the nature of modding. It's a constant fighting of the load order until you get to that "perfect" set up.

 

Like I said, not trying to sound rude or start a fight, but I can be rather blunt at times.

 

 

 

As a random side note: I'm actually glad you can run DR without crashing. Even with nothing more than the bare minimum requirements for DR and no other mods active I crashed every fifteen to twenty minutes with it. No idea why, just can't run the mod on the computer.

 

Khet:

 

Just like it's my choice to use the items in-game or not, it's also my choice to use a mod or not. I like to play a game using every advantage I can get. While yes, I purposely have not sold/used the robe that comes with that mod, I shouldn't HAVE to not use it just to feel like I'm not cheating. You've missed the point. Also, I have quite a few mods already, including Natural Environments and other aesthetic mods, along with both Unnecessary Violence/Deady Reflex/Midas Spells, and I've only experienced 1 crash over multiple days of play up to level 15, so I'd also have to disagree with your comment that adding any mods will cause crashes. I have made my own mini-mods and know that crashes are mod specific. Thank you however for the the mod recommendations.

 

And the rest, thank you for the ideas, I'm currently checking them all out :biggrin:

 

Has everyone else also experienced this "twice a day" crashing from FCOM? I may avoid it if so, unless the amount of content is well worth an occasional crash. I tend to save my game before using doors that move to a new cell anyways out of habit.

[Megatarius]

Allow me to present my top 25 Fix All the Stupid Stuff mods. These are mods that improve the game itself, make changes that should have been there in the first place, and might have been, if they hadn't rushed it for the XBOX 360 launch date.

 

As for the really popular stuff, search Deadly Reflex, Better Cities, FCOM, Supreme Magicka, and Elsweyr the Deserts of Anequina. Those are the popular ones I use, anyway.

 

 

1. Better Music System http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26892

The crown jewel of Oblivion mods. People say Deadly Reflex, with very good reason, but this is something much more subtle and awesome. Music is so important. The quality of the music in the game is very good. But whoever programmed it.... If you haven't gotten it, get it. The first thing it does is vastly improve how battle music works. Do we really need epic trumpets and battle drums for every f'ing wolf in the forest and crab on the beach? Really? Do we actually even need battle music at all? How can it not get annoying and immersion breaking after a while? Well, now you can completely disable it!! It's such an improvement. You can add music to other locations as well. Each different kind of ruin. Each guild. Inns, Homes, Castles. I think it's a travesty that the namesake of the game, the Oblivion Realm, gets the standard dungeon music. :rolleyes: Not anymore. This mod changes the game in ways not obvious at first glance.

 

2. Automatic Difficulty Increaser http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=28589

This little gem forces the difficulty slider to remain in a certain position that changes as you level up. Customizable in an .ini, but no longer can you break immersion by divinely affecting how strong everyone else is. Those Orc vampires in the Azura Shrine Quest are some bad-ass Samuel L. Jackson m---f---ers. Where's the satisfaction in defeating them if you weren't actually scared to death to face them? Also, 100 hits for a mudcrab just so you can farm your blade skill? Come on. Just use the console to raise your skill at the start if you're character was already a bad-ass before getting arrested. There's no shame in it then.

 

3. Dark Dungeons http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8802

Torches practically burn forever, they're all over the place and free, and you never even need them! Maybe for Namira's Shrine, but I wouldn't know because I was already using this mod before that. It's just plain more fun when everything you find has a real purpose, you know?

 

4. Actors have Torches http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11169

This also adds a lot to dungeons.

 

5. Enhanced Quest Roleplaying http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12828

Doesn't affect every quest, but basically you have more options now. No longer will your Thieve's Guild character who wants nothing more than to be the Gray Fox jump at the opportunity to help the nice honest working shopkeeps get rid of Thoronir. Now you can select "Maybe Later", instead of "Start from the beginning!", like you actually care :rolleyes: . It's a dog eat dog world you guys. Deal. This is just one example. It makes a lot of difference if you like role playing.

 

6. Stolen Horse Ownership http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4243

Stealing a horse in Chorrol, riding it to Cheydinhal, getting off in front of the stable and guards, changing your mind, and getting back on, will no longer result in everyone psychically knowing you stole it.

 

7. Merchants Buy Stolen Goods http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7983

You probably know about it, but here it is just in case. One of the most unrealistic parts of the game, merchants somehow knowing that you stole something.

 

8. Actors Can Miss Now http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17706

Just a nice little mod that makes anyone shooting at you actually miss sometimes.

 

9. Denock Arrows http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9670

Canceling your bow attack? Oh yeah, of course you'd be able to do that! It makes so much sense! This seems to be a German version, but it doesn't matter. It's just pressing the grab key. Nothing to read.

 

10. Reneer's Name Mod http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26369

The man who fixed the guards also fixed NPC interaction in a very nice way. I can't remember the last time I knew a stranger's name before actually speaking to the person.

 

11. Spell Delete and Item Remove http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23069

Get rid of those unwanted old spells and quest items just cluttering up your inventory.

 

12. Nirnroot Quest Mod http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2322

Changes the standard Nirnroot quest reward into something much more interesting.

 

13. Rowboats http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6690

Actually use the rowboats on the shore. It's a little clunky. Maybe could have been done better, but it's still very nice. But why use them though, when you can just swim across the bay with all your heavy armor?

 

14. No Encumbered Swimming http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3331

I love this mod. It unfortunately does not affect NPC's, but it's still leagues better. Water is almost like lava now, to certain characters. Now you have to locate a rowboat to get across, or even better, use a walk on water spell that actually means something now. Changing the value is kind of a pain, but I posted in the comments section how to do it. The readme is misleading.

 

15. More Staffs at Rendir http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16716

You know that shop in IC Market that sells staffs? Me neither.

 

16. A Bloody Mess http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11182

I'm guessing you're aware of it. But it bears mentioning just in case. Really adds to the game. Also, the cleaning rags are very hard to find. They aren't at nearly enough vendors. Just so you know.

 

17. Keychain http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3409

Just something nice to reduce inventory clutter.

 

18. Natural Rings Limit http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8635

Of course you don't want to wear all rings and become a god, but only one on each hand?

 

19. Third Person Animations in First Person View http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18617

One of my favorites. I grew up with Doom and Duke Nukem 3D and all those old 3D games had way better first person. Oblivion's first person looks like a floating camera with a sword and shield glued to it. Combine that with the crosshair and I feel like I'm in an editor, not the game. Does not work with Deadly Reflex because the Shield Bash move breaks the skeleton, and the duck move makes the camera go below the ground. None of these are a problem if you fight in 3rd person. Why use this mod then? Well, for all the times you do want first person, it still makes a world of difference.

 

20. Improved No Crosshair http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2260

If you turn off the crosshair, you can't see the other icons. This keeps those icons, but gets rid of the immersion breaking crosshair. I don't need it to aim a bow, and I certainly don't need it when walking around town or using a sword. It works with DARNified UI and Immersive Interface as long as you load this crosshair after installing those.

 

21. Hand to Hand Idle Stance http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24587

Ever get tired of seeing your dainty female mage in an elegant silk dress putting up her dukes in the menu like she's spoiling for a bar brawl? This mod fixes the hand to hand "weapon drawn" pose to be the regular idle so you don't roll your eyes every time you press tab. As for actual hand to hand combat, small price to pay.

 

22. Perfect Working No Quest Markers http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8680

The simplest of the No Quest Marker mods. Just a straight file replacer. It gets rid of the purple custom marker too, which is kind of a pain, but in a good way I think. There are other mods, but this is the one I use. The less .esp's the better. Now God will no longer tell you where to go.

 

23. Running Revised http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7484

Nice little mod that allows you to sprint for short periods, as well as modify how the fatigue bar reacts to all running. I've tested it with two different fatigue mods, Tejon's Fatigue Effects, and Loup Sombre's Fatigue and Sleeping.

 

24. Side's Backpacks http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=29120

Another very nice addition from the maker of Better Music System himself, no less. I haven't had any big problems yet. One little nigling one, but it's alright. If you drop the backpack while it's equiped, it sometimes stays showing on your back, but this can be gotten around very easily by unequiping it first.

 

25. Cancel Attack http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25316

Press Block in the middle of your attack animation to cancel it. It's of course realistic that you're wide open and defenseless while attacking, but combine that with Besthesda's oftentimes laughably slow attack animations and what do you get? Crappy fights, that's what. Well, no longer! Works with Deadly Reflex!

[Pushkatu]

Also, feel free to check my list of Oblivion mods: Link