Installing open cities classic v355 for the second time, need help

[BloodyShinta]

the first time the game crashed was when i created my first bash patch and tried to run oblivion through OBSE. After i noticed that the missing master was the candle mod, i went and downloaded and installed it (because i had no idea how it got there in the first place :D ) After that i was able to access the oblivion main menu, and where I am at now with that installed and all of Bash's signal's green, but i cannot load a game or make a new one. To be honest when making my Patch i just hit select everything (retarded i know) so that is probably where the issue is stemming from. You are 100% correct about the missing master causing oblivion to immediately crash though, your knowledge is proving to be pretty solid. I will edit this post after the Patch is created and i give oblivion a test run.

 

*edit* welp, i did as you said and i was able to get to 3/4 of the way through the loading process before the game crashed... so close!

[BloodyShinta]

Ok... to everyone out there who is thinking about using Wyre Bash, when creating your bash patch for the first time DO NOT! hit select everything.... just activate what you need for the mods your are using. Its common sense, but it will save you a lot of trouble. Ive got All Natural up and running and im a happy camper, i can sleep easy tonight. Thank you Smooth for all your help. Im probably going to need it again at some point, so please do go anywhere!

[Smooth613]

No problem. Glad it's working for you now. I believe you'll truly enjoy All Natural, it's a top notch mod. Just remember, take it slow and steady, don't get ahead of yourself. :thumbsup:

 

Here's two more mod suggestions that go great with All Natural, when you're ready to add more.

 

Immersive Interiors -- Excellent mod. Truly adds depth to the interiors. A must have in my opinion. All cities are not complete but 4/8 are. The author is currently working on Cheydinhal. He updates pretty frequently. I suggest you go ahead and install what's available and just check in every few weeks for updates. The mod has only been in existence for a few months and he's about half way done. I remember when it was only Anvil, now we're up to Bruma! SomeWelshGuy will give details of what progress he's making.

 

Check out Enhanced Seasons too. It's a neat concept that I enjoy. Although I suspect an update soon-ish to help with transitions. Reason for suspecting this update? Well I have a "test" file with some changes that the author sent over for some feedback. The author of this mod is also part of the All Natural team, along with other projects.

 

1 more! AWLS - Animated Window Lighting System and Chimneys. Great mod here, it adds lit windows to all of the buildings and shops around Cyrodiil. You can select MANY options for how it's setup. I use the scripted version that turns the lights on and off at different times and during storms. I also suggest the Chimney smoke! It is also scripted for heavy or light smoke depending on certain variables. Great mod. Installation may be a little complex just because of the sheer amount of options included. Read the documentation carefully before you install. I strongly suggest using a BAIN installation for this mod. (This is a good mod to begin to understand how BAIN works.)

 

Check out BAIN Mod Installation Projects and The Basics of BAIN Mod Archiving by Psymon for an in-depth look at BAIN.

 

I think I linked the Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide for Newbies before but here it is again. Go ahead and download the PDF file for convenience. It has a Basics and (slightly)Advanced section for BAIN.

 

BAIN Installation is by far the best way to install and remove mods. You have total control of the installation. It seems a little difficult at first but that's only because it's a new format, so you have to get used to it and understand the hierarchy of the folders. It makes perfect sense though, it follows the structure of the Data folder. The Data folder being the top level. I use it for every mod I can, creating my own packages so I know exactly what's in each folder. Plus I can customize however I decide is best.

 

Just remember,... slow and steady.

[BloodyShinta]

yeah slow and stead is definitely the key to success, I'm not gonna lie after reading a lot of stuff when it actually came time to do something i got a little ahead of myself/confused by the all steps and information. I've got a quick question, if i install an OMOD, do i need to do anything as far as updating wyre bash is concerned? After applying Qarl's TP3, the omod version, i was able to load the game and play just fine, but i was a little worried that maybe i had to do something in WB to ensure there would be no conflicts... I couldn't find any documentation about this particular question.

[Smooth613]

Not always no. With texture replacers, such as QTP3, you're only replacing textures therefor there is not an ESP or anything else added to the game. So no you don't do anything in Wrye Bash. The best thing to do after you add a new mod is go to Wrye Bash, run BOSS, then look at the mod from Wrye Bash. There is a box in the lower right corner that contains Bash Tags for each ESP. Click on the esp you just added to see what tags it has, if any. If it is tagged then it's a good idea to rebuild your patch to include those options in your Bashed Patch.

 

For example. The All Natural.esp has the tag C.Climate. So you need to rebuild your patch to include this into the Bashed Patch. Climate, Lighting, and Water tags show up under the Import Cells section of the patch. So you put a check in the box beside the esps there.

 

Another example. If a mod is tagged Graphics then you would look under Import Graphics when rebuilding your Bashed Patch and select the mod, then rebuild your Bashed Patch.

 

That applies to all, Script Tag -> Import Scripts, etc... etc...

 

So a good rule of thumb is when you install a mod that adds an ESP then go to your Bashed Patch and see if it's included anywhere in the options. If so, select them and rebuild.

[BloodyShinta]

Not always no. With texture replacers, such as QTP3, you're only replacing textures therefor there is not an ESP or anything else added to the game. So no you don't do anything in Wrye Bash. The best thing to do after you add a new mod is go to Wrye Bash, run BOSS, then look at the mod from Wrye Bash. There is a box in the lower right corner that contains Bash Tags for each ESP. Click on the esp you just added to see what tags it has, if any. If it is tagged then it's a good idea to rebuild your patch to include those options in your Bashed Patch.

 

For example. The All Natural.esp has the tag C.Climate. So you need to rebuild your patch to include this into the Bashed Patch. Climate, Lighting, and Water tags show up under the Import Cells section of the patch. So you put a check in the box beside the esps there.

 

Another example. If a mod is tagged Graphics then you would look under Import Graphics when rebuilding your Bashed Patch and select the mod, then rebuild your Bashed Patch.

 

That applies to all, Script Tag -> Import Scripts, etc... etc...

 

So a good rule of thumb is when you install a mod that adds an ESP then go to your Bashed Patch and see if it's included anywhere in the options. If so, select them and rebuild.

 

 

I've installed some of the mods you've listed with success, and this post here really illustrates the key part of using WB effectively. I kinda wish i had know that earlier, but now it makes total sense. If i download a mod that doesn't have a tag on it's .esp would i need to go about putting a tag on it myself, or does that mean the plugin will just work after being activated and doesn't needed to be checked when creating a bashed patch.

[Smooth613]

Chances are, if a mod is not pre-tagged or BOSS does not add a tag then there is no need for a tag. This applies 99% of the time. BOSS and Wrye Bash are very smart and work hand in hand. You just activate the mod and go on about your business. No need to do anything with your Bashed Patch.

 

Now occasionally you'll get a mod that has no tags but the ESP will show up as Green in Wrye Bash. This means that Wrye Bash automatically detected it was fully mergable and therefor you should rebuild your patch and select it under the option Merge Patches. Then just double check the other categories to see if the newly added mod shows up anywhere else. If so select it there also. It shouldn't without tags though, that's how tags work. They tell WB what to import. You can add the deactivate tag to these type of mods if you would like, although not necessary. Just make sure you run BOSS first to see if BOSS suggests any tags for that specific mod.

[BloodyShinta]

hey nother question. I want to install an updated LOD texture pack, such as Qarl's LOD normal maps 4096 compressed.

The instructions tell me to install it to this directory Data\textures\landscapelod\generated, and to overwrite anything there. That directory does not exist! and there is nothing to overwrite... so am i supposed to create it? I'm not sure what to do.

[Smooth613]

Yes just create the file path or extract the archive to your Data folder and it will create it. If I remember correctly (I also have that archive) the archive has the proper file path if you extract directly to your Data folder. Check the archive first. It should have the following structure... textures\landscapelod\generated If that's the case just extract directly into your data folder and it will create the proper file paths. I suggest you use BAIN for this though. It's much easier to remove these files if at any time you need to for whatever reason. Plus BAIN will only install it if the file path is correct.

 

To use BAIN for this just follow this procedure.

 

--Place the archive directly into your BAIN Installers folder. It's located at your default install path, at the same level as the Oblivion folder. Oblivion Mods\BAIN Installers.

--Open Wrye Bash

--Click on the Installers Tab

--Wait for it to populate any information

--You should see your archive listed

--If the file path is correct the box will be pink. If it's grey or white then it's likely the file path is not recognized by BAIN. You may need to repack the archive. (Again I think the archive you have is fine)

--Right click and select Install

--You're done!

 

Now if you ever want to remove those files you just come back here and select Uninstall from the right click menu on that archive. Simple as that. This way you don't have to remember each and every file you add manually. Because as you move on with your mod progression you will lose track of these thousands of files. It's best to let BAIN keep up with them for you. It will also list everything in the windows in the Installers Tab. Showing the exact contents of the archive and where the files are installed. It will also report any conflicts and allow you to decide if you need to adjust for said conflict.

[BloodyShinta]

thanks for the tips, i use Bash for most of my modding stuff now, not long ago i was totally afraid of that program haha. If an OMOD is availible i usually still use that because of the scripts that they use... for some reason i like that about OBMM. But Bash is badass.