technically challenged asking for advice about mods

[spyder7723]

just came across another post in a different thread that states do not download the game how/where steam wants you to. so guess I need to uninstall and reinstall. fun stuff. for what its worth, there is also a copy of the regular version of the game in my house. my wife had got it for me for Christmas off amazon and then saw the 5 game bundle at the store, so bought that too. if I have to uninstall anyway, im gonna install the non steam version. might make things easier on me. but then morrowwind and skyrim will still be the steam versions so idk if its worth it.

[Striker879]

Backups are an invaluable tool when modding. Sometimes modding Oblivion is all about 2 or 3 steps forward and then 1 or 2 back (bad days are more like 3 or 4 back).

 

I've got version 3.51 of the UOP right here in front of me (I think the latest is version 3.52 right now, but the differences are very slight). When you extract the download you'll have a folder named Docs ... that's where they have Unofficial Oblivion Patch Readme.html and the other file that outlines all the changes over all the versions of the UOP. Yes the way it's packaged is a bit confusing at first, especially if you haven't installed any mods that create any of those folders during their own installation.

 

In the vanilla game with no mods installed you will have Oblivion\Data and in the Data folder there will only be files except for the folders Music, Shaders and Video (and the extracted UOP download doesn't have any of those folders). That's because the vanilla game has all those folders hidden away in those compressed archives (the BSA files). If you look inside one of those BSAs you'll see all that folder structure. The folder structure in the BSAs always starts one level below Data (so you won't see Data\Meshes or Data\Textures ... the folder paths will just start at Meshes or Textures).

 

So in a way what you proposed was right, each of those folder will be copied to your game. I prefer the right mouse click's copy and paste over the drag and drop method myself.

 

So for the UOP you will right click on the extracted download's Meshes folder and select Copy, then in a second Windows Explorer window that you already have open to your Oblivion\Data folder you will right click Data and select Paste. Do the same with the DistantLOD, Sound and Textures folders. If you have installed anything already (your Darnified UI for example) that has already created any of those folders inside your game's Data folder you will get that Windows warning that Ike spoke of ... and Yes to All is the answer. In fact, once you have installed a bunch of mods (or actually after you've installed the UOP) you can use that warning as an indication that you are pasting (or dropping) into the correct folder (i.e. if you don't get the warning you'd better go back and figure out what you've done wrong).

 

The rule of thumb when copy/pasting folders is you always paste into one layer higher than you copied (so if you copy the Data folder it would paste into the Oblivion folder, if you copy Textures you would paste into Data ... always one level higher up). With individual files you paste into the folder you want it to wind up in (so if you copied the file skingradworld.cmp from the DistantLOD folder of the extracted download you would paste into the DistantLOD folder in your games Oblivion\Data folder ... and create it if it didn't exist already).

 

Last thing to copy is the individual ESP files that you'll need (I'd suggest all four ESPs ... see the readme for more details on each). These are loose files so right click each and copy and then right click on your game's Data folder and select paste (ESPs always go into the game's Data folder). Finally activate the four ESPs in your launcher Data Files (or you could do it in the left hand pane of the OBMM window). At this stage of the game you don't need to worry about load order (what order the game loads things as it starts) ... in any case the UOP's four ESPs are dated to back in 2006 so they'll always be near or at the top of your load order (the game uses file date and time to determine load order).

[Striker879]

Create a new folder on your C drive named Games (so that'll be C:\Games). When you run the installer navigate in the destination folder dialogue to that C:\Games folder and install there.

 

You can also install Steam there and then you won't have any of the issues you have seen warned about (User Account Control (UAC) doesn't play nice with games, but it does protect your computer from all kinds of nasties so keep it activated). Have a look at Bben46's wiki article Oblivion reinstall procedure for a guide. Don't miss the link near the top of the page about moving your Steam install location and don't skip the registry cleaning and reboot steps ... they're important.

 

Getting started on the right foot is better than backtracking after you've spent a bunch of time installing mods and then run into trouble. You're off to a great start.

 

- Edit - And a bro fist back at you mate ... "It takes a team" I always say.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Striker879

[IkeCoast]

I would encourage Spyder to install and use the disc version of the game, but that would mean he should install also the Official Patches, and if that disc version is not the GOTY, he will miss the Official DLCs, and the Shivering Isles one is almost essential. So if Spyder prefers to stick with his Steam one, putting the game (and Steam itself) out of the Program Files folder is a must-do. That means uninstalling and reinstalling the other games too, so... Think carefully what you want to do, Spyder.

 

We could take the middle path: if you intend to simply play Skyrim, Morrowind and the other games, with less attention to modding, then the Steam ones are fine. And if you want to fully experience all the power of the Oblivion Modding community, the Oblivion retail disc is the answer. Provided it's the GOTY.

 

I'm being a little egotistical here, because the retail GOTY disc version is the one I have, so I am more capable of giving technical assistance, advice, troubleshooting, defibrillations and authopsies for this version than for the Steam (for which my capabilities are totally zero, babe).

 

Hmmmm, now I think about all of this... I wonder... could come the day when your wife regrets you having this game and meeting the both of us? I don't know how much you know about this Nexus Community, but I fear that, each on our own, Striker and me are two of the most dangerous creatures that lurk here. When we join forces, well, Hell unleashed is a pajama party, matey.

 

Cheers!

[Striker879]

LOL ... just about choked on my KD for supper Ike. Where are we havin' this party? My place, your place or are we meeting up at Spyder's? Better put on your big flippers if it's my place, and you might want your really heavy duty wetsuit ... that last 1000 km is bound to be a bit chilly (and all uphill too boot).

 

I think those Steam moving instructions will get all your Steam games out from under UAC's grasp Spyder. I'm a non-Steamer like Ike but I've read them over and they seemed like a fairly straight forward deal. If you run into anything I'll see what we can figure out.

 

BTW ... for this party, should I bring anything besides my PJs (warning I was born in these PJs, and I'm always wearing them no matter what's on the outside). LOL

[spyder7723]

want you two to know I appreciate the time and effort you guys are putting into helping me get the hang of things here, if you make it to the states i'll be buying the drinks.

 

going to uninstall and then reinstall the steam version(hopefully the proper way this time) that way my wife can keep the disk version(which is the goty one btw) for her own use. If im not mistaken the disk has to be in the dvd/cd rom drive in order to run. she spends just as much time gaming as I do so don't want to have to find another copy if she decides she wants to play it herself. after getting it installed again, I will try to patch once more, then make a back up before I do anything else.

[Striker879]

Yup ... GotY disk needs to be in the drive to play. Unless it's one of the really old original GotY disks it will install patched up to version 1.2.0416 (which is the latest) after you install the second disk with Shivering Isles on it.

 

Good thing there's not any real multiplayer for Oblivion ... no fear of hearing how she's whooping *ss and takin' names at your expense. Which State? I can get there quicker than Ike (hope it's a nice warm state ... we have provinces up here and not a single one is warm right now).

[spyder7723]

we are in the sunshine state. florida.

provinces? you must be in Canada. was it cold up there today? very chilly here today. 73 degrees F

 

while trying to find that post about the right way to install the steam version, I came across this post about how to simply move it. will save several hours of d/l time. will it work?

well hell. cant figure out how to post a link..figures. gotta type it out the old fashion way

 

wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/oblivion_reinstall_procedure

 

Edited January 8, 2015 by spyder7723

[Striker879]

LOL ... rub it in buddy, rub it in. We're doing that Celsius thing now-a-days ... doesn't make it seem any warmer to an old fart like me though. Minus 15 degrees C at the moment (that's a balmy 5 degrees F). Got some friends who winter in N. Fort Myers ... according to the SW Florida Eagle cam right now it's 65 degrees F there ... downright frigid by our standards, eh.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Striker879

[spyder7723]

well, 9 hours later, im pretty sure I totally wasted my time. I copied the steam apps folder to my desktop. then deleted everything related to oblivion out of it (left other games in there). then backed up my saved games. then wiped out every bit of steam related files I could find. ran cc to clear up any registry errors. (here is where I think I messed up I forgot to reboot.) reinstalled steam directly to cdrive. downloaded oblivion again. loaded my saves back into the right file. started the game up. it was still running under the mod ui. that makes me think that by not doing a reboot some old files got pushed back in. am I gonna have to spend another day uninstalling and reinstalling everything? I think the answer is yes. ugh. calling it for the night before I give in to the urge to throw this laptop into the ocean.