New to Oblivion for PC

[Roughnecks2277]

Hi, I am installing Oblivion GOTY Edition right now on my PC. I have it for my xbox 360 and have beat it, ect. What I'd like to know is what are the latest patches to get? Do people use an oblivion mod manager like in the Fallout Nexus? What are some requirements for downloading mods? How do you download mods for Oblivion? And stuff like that.

 

Thanks.

Roughnecks

[Megatarius]

GOTY has all the relevant patches. Just install Shivering Isles. If it says 1.2.0416 in the corner of your screen, you're good to go!

 

You can also download this patch on Bethesda's website. First install Shivering Isles, then install the Shivering Isles patch only. The regular patch is only for games without Shivering Isles. You probably won't have to do it at all, however. (I don't have GOTY, so I don't know exactly what the deal is with it, patch wise. I just hear people say it's patched.)

 

You should use OBMM. Also recommended is Wrye Bash for a number of unique actions involving your save files, "bashing" mods together so you don't have to load them all, and other stuff. BOSS is a good program to sort your load order properly. OBSE, Oblivion Script Extender, is a must have tool that makes many popular mods possible. It's free and easy to install, so why not get it?

 

Downloading mods for Oblivion is usually a simple matter of dropping the necessary folders, like Meshes and Textures, into your Data folder, along with the .esp. It's almost always that simple. Some mods replace files. The game is programmed to look in your Data folder for anything it needs, and upon seeing nothing, refer to the relevant .bsa file. In this way, you can replace every element in the game by putting something else in your Data folder with the right location and name. Body mods work in this way. The regular game elements are safely in the BSA and you can get them "back" by deleting the new item from your Data folder.

 

The popular mods people will recommend include Deadly Reflex, Better Cities, COBL, Supreme Magicka, and of course, FCOM. FCOM is not for beginners, but if you follow the documentation, and ask anything you need to here, you will soon find yourself playing a different game. I'm 4 game days in and I've been impressed by several things so far. It is indeed worth the anguish. If you don't want to fight with it, at least get OOO, Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul. You'll wonder why you ever bothered to play the regular version on XBOX. There is a whole new game out there in the form of mods.

 

 

And with that said, allow me to present my top 25 Oblivion "fix-it" 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. You may have found yourself annoyed by a lot of little things while playing the "vanilla" game. These will correct them. If you weren't annoyed, well, you will never be able to go back after using these mods.

 

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 didn't have nearly the inspiration that Soule did. 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? It's a much more improved system now. Also, 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!! You can add your own music to other locations as well. Each different kind of ruin. Each guild. Inns, Homes, Castles. 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, cranking it up for 100 hits on 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. Let there be Darkness http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22819

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 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

One of the most unrealistic parts of the game, merchants somehow knowing that you stole something. There is no explanation, short of magic, that would make stealing a silver jug from a basement in Leyawiin and not being able to sell it in Bruma believable. The fences in the Thieves' Guild can still be useful in a world where merchants aren't psychic, simply because the Thieves' Guild is an organization that controls a black market and if you want to rise in the ranks, you better chip in.

 

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 somebody on the street's name before introducing myself to them.

 

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, I think. However, I am willing to admit the regular reward is good too. It depends on your playing style really, and I personally think this is a vast improvement.

 

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 at which you sink 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

Really adds to the game. It has some limitations due to the game's design, so read all the documentation carefully. This is one of those mods you need to educate yourself on backwards and front, but it's worth it. 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. Buggy, but works with Deadly Reflex. 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, your character will be standing normally after you raise your fists, but it's a small price to pay since any character that looks silly like this in the menu isn't likely to be engaging in fistfights anyway.

 

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. 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!

 

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

Where am I actually storing all these swords and cuirasses and ingredients if I only have two hands? Why do they suddenly appear out of nowhere when I equip them? If they're appearing out of nowhere, why am I being affected by this arbitrary and unrealistic encumbrance limit? Oh I know! They're in this awesome backpack I'm wearing! From the maker of Better Music System himself, no less. What really makes this mod great is not that it adds a backpack so you can pretend your items are in it. No, they actually are in it. You can drop them all at once before entering the water so you don't drown, and best of all, you can store more items in the backpack then you would normally be able to carry outside of it. Carrying too much outside of it can result in not being able to run or fight, sort of like your minor encumbrance limit. The newest version is practically perfect thanks to his attention to comments despite a busy schedule. :thumbsup:

[fingolduin]

First off you need to patch the game to version 1.2.0416. If you're installing Shivering Isles as well, install the 1.2.0416 patch for Shivering Isles. There is an Oblivion Mod Manager, which can be found here:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097

It's quite a handy (and necessary) tool for installing mods and changing load orders for esps.

 

Most mods require the latest patch, 1.2.0416, and if you look in the mod's description the author will also list what other mods or programs are required to run that particular mod. It varies. Alot of mods require a program called Oblivion Script Extender, or OBSE. Don't ask me what it does, but alot of mods need it to work properly. You can find OBSE here: http://obse.silverlock.org/

 

Downloading mods usually goes like this:

Save the files downloaded from TES Nexus (or elsewhere) to a temporary folder (you could name it Oblivion Mods or something).

 

Most mods come downloaded in compressed zip format. You will need an unzipper such as Win RAR to open them.

 

Once you've opened the zip file and extracted the folders inside, look for a readme. The readme will help explain where the files go for that mod.

 

If there's no readme, look for folders titled 'data', textures', 'meshes', or 'sounds'. These are the most common folders. 'Textures', 'meshes', or 'sounds' go into your 'data' folder, usually: C:/program files/bethesda softworks/oblivion/data.

 

Likewise, if the folder is called 'data', it goes into the 'oblivion' folder.

 

You will also encounter 'esp' or 'esm' files. These always go into the data folder. They are the files that tell the game what to do with that mod.

 

Lastly, once you've moved all of the files you extracted from the zip, you need to open the oblivion launcher and select 'data files'. This will list all of the esps or esms you have in your data folder. Check one to activate that mod in your game. You can also activate mods through Oblivion Mod Manager, and also change the load order there.

 

 

I hope that helped a little. :)

 

Cheers,

Fin

[Deleted1662706User]

Welcome!

 

You'll really love Oblivion for PC. With GOTY Edition, when you install Shivering Isles, it is already patched.

 

Link to OBMM (Oblivion Mod Manager):

 

http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097

 

Link to BOSS (Better Oblivion Sorting Software, I think):

 

http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516

 

To install mods on a Windows XP Computer:

 

Download the Mod, and then save it somewhere.

Extract the Files to a temporary location.

Move the Mod and all Files (Meshes, Textures, Sounds etc) to the Oblivion/Data folder.

 

Do you want to overwrite?

Select Yes

 

Go to the Oblivion Launcher

 

Tick the mod.

 

Also, you'll need OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender), as a lot of mods run on it.

 

http://obse.silverlock.org/

 

Get version 0.0017b

[Megatarius]

I forgot to mention:

 

If you use Vista, DO NOT install to Program Files. Vista doesn't like mods. Let's just put it that way. Install to any directory outside of that and you're good.

 

If you use Windows 7, it should install it to Program Files (x86). I'm not sure if that causes the same problems as Program Files. I have it in that directory, and there's no problem, but I have also completely disabled my UAC, which may not be a great idea. :whistling:

 

Just install the game outside any Program Files related directory. If you already installed it there, either disable UAC and risk malware and virus attacks, or reinstall it.

 

Follow this guide when reinstalling it:

 

http://www.tesnexus.com/articles/article.php?id=240

[bben46]

Link to Bben's Mod Advice

http://www.tesnexus.com/articles/article.php?id=342.

[Talez]

Hi, I am installing Oblivion GOTY Edition right now on my PC. I have it for my xbox 360 and have beat it, ect. What I'd like to know is what are the latest patches to get? Do people use an oblivion mod manager like in the Fallout Nexus? What are some requirements for downloading mods? How do you download mods for Oblivion? And stuff like that.

 

Thanks.

Roughnecks

 

 

I recommend to try an overhaul mod(for example, OOO, FRAN, MMM, etc.) at first. These overhauls usually contain most endorsed and stable mods in one package. So, you can save a lot of time sink from various mod crash/conflict problems. Just do whatever listed in the readme files in the overhaul package. It will give you pretty good idea on what's going on among modding community. Also, you'll figure out pros and cons on each components of the overhaul mod when you reach a pinnacle.

 

Then, wipe out the game folder, and begin building your own mod library. Since you already know what's what at this point, it will be easy to select appropriate mods that you want without too much troubles.

 

It is not too bad from installing a few simple mods. But, right now, browsing mods might be confusing if you have no experience on modding community at all. There are too many mods have essentially same functions with different implementation methods and minor differences. Also, it's hard to find a proper clothing mods at first due to different body models.

[Blue Morphos]

have fun modding it.it's a wonderful personalization point.