Need a walkthrough

[Zeke2112]

Hi, new here. I've done a lot of reading first though to try to understand mods and their installation. While I see a lot of advice it all seems disconnected and I end up with more questions than answers. Forgive me, but as an older person it just seems some of the advice skips past what might m obvious to some, but not me. Fortunately I'm not completely hopeless and have a rough idea.

 

I will try to be as comprehensive in this OP as I can so you aren't forced to keep poking me for info.

 

 

I have Oblivion (Collectors DVD version issued right at the beginning) and the boxed KoTN and SI xpacs. I run Win7 64bit and the game is installed in the secondary Programs directory (Program Files x86). I patched it with the right SI patch and I've run a complete vanilla game so far with only one issue. I needed to install Wyre Bash to deal with the Abomb issue when my game had a lot of hours on it and I went to SI where everything began hanging up and crashing. That fixed the issue just fine. That one fix was pretty easy to work out, but honestly, I haven't a clue whatever else Wyre Bash does and reading only seems to make me more confused.

 

 

I want to start a new game with about 20 small mods. No world altering stuff in mind.

 

Here's a list:

Unique Dungeons Lich Lair

Better Rosethorn Manor

Aylied Treasury

Imperial City Shack Basement

Bottomless Cavern

Torynwyll

Fort Novi Sad

Vergayun

Verwen Brewery

CM Blackie the Fence

Tamriel Rare Traders

Arena Girl

Better Hunting *

Oblivion Farmers Market *

Keychain

Landmarks with Wells

More Merchant Money Balanced

No Merchant Barter Chatter

Adventurers Spells

Ranger Armor and Light Daedric Armor

My Bruma Fireplace

Pitcher Plant Harvestable

Salmo the Baker

 

I also want to use all of the unofficial patches. I downloaded OBSE simply because Keychain said it needed it. I have no clue how, when, why, or where to use it. Of my mods only the two asterisked ones may interfere with it each other since they are both around Weye, but neither is one of those big Weye expanders so I'm crossing my fingers.

 

Years ago I played Morrowind and used mods. Back then I remember hand installing the mods by putting all the files in the right places and checking off the mods in the data files. I never liked the idea of letting them self extract from the compressed downloads. Given all the Vista/Win7 warnings about location I figure hand install is still the best plan.

 

I hope I've covered all the background data you need. (Sorry about the long read).

 

 

So here are my questions.

 

When do I install the unofficial patches? Before I put in the mods?

 

What am I supposed to do with Wyre Bash (already installed) and OBSE (still in Zip)? Treat either like a mod? Any extra work I need to do with them?

 

Load order always kills me. Which order should I use for my list, to potentially also include the unofficial patches, WB, and OBSE? Also, how do I get them to order right?

[antonkr]

Well I usually don't use very big mods. The basics would be putting .esm files into the data folder. After that go and launch oblivion launcher. One of the selections should be data files. You should see your mod installed there. If the file has any model sound or something like that folders etc it all goes into the data folder. Also be sure to read readmes if you are confused. And if you are still confused about one specific mod go ahead and ask the person who made it. I don't remember Wyre Bash but obse should probably go into your main oblivion folder. Once again check the readme, it usually states what you should do with it there. I hope I helped.

[Zeke2112]

As I said, I know about putting the stuff into the right folders and checking them off in the data files.

 

But load order always gets talked about being important and there is little discussion on the topic to be found.

 

Readme's aren't always helpful about load order. They all seem to want to be first or last.

 

Also, I'm not exactly sure how to make them order the way I want. Simply checking them off in the data files at the start doesn't do that.

 

I really do need someone more familiar with OBSE and Wyre Bash too.

[Amayakyrol]

Do you have Oblivion Mod Manager?

[Smooth613]

In the future check out Posting Your Load Order - PYLO so that it's properly displaying the information.

 

Are you using Windows 7 or Vista? Did you install Oblivion to the default directory of Program Files? If you answered yes to to both then you are likely experiencing or will experience problems due to UAC, Windows security. Windows doesn't like it when an application, program, or even the user, attempts to alter files in a protected directory. UAC sees this a potential security threat and treats it as a malicious attack and blocks the action from happening. To prevent this you need to install Oblivion outside the jurisdiction of UAC, to an unprotected directory. A popular and suitable location is <drive letter>:\Games\Oblivion. For information on proper installation I suggest you follow Bben's Reinstall Procedure.

 

For proper mod installation. It's actually rather simple. Start with a fresh installation on a newly defragmented drive or partition and install Oblivion and all the Official DLC's and Patches. Then follow with the Unofficial Oblivion Patch, Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch, Unofficial Official Mods Patches, and the UOP Supplementals. This should be your base install and be completely stable. I recommend you test for a few hours to be certain. Then you should backup your Data folder so you have a stable Vanilla installation to fall back on when something goes haywire. Next is the addition of mods. Again rather simple but so many people neglect this next bit; Add mods one at a time and test thoroughly each area that specific mod touches. For example, if you install a combat mod go pick fights will all sorts of NPCs and creatures for a few hours to check for stability. If you install a texture mod, run around to as many diverse areas as possible to ensure there are no missing resources. Etcetera.

 

Another very important utility to ensure as few conflicts as possible and increase mod interaction which equates to stability; Use Wrye Bash and its' Bashed Patch feature. It's the single most important utility for modded Oblivion. Take the time to understand and learn it, the rewards are worth it. Next utility, more complex and powerful, is TES4Edit. It's possibly the best and most powerful tool to help with mod conflicts and resolution. You can also do many other things, such as Mod Cleaning to rid the mods of unnecessary records, or duplicate records.

 

[/line]

Below are some useful links to helpful resources and utilities,.

 

Better Oblivion Sorting Software - BOSS -- Sorts your Load Order for you to help minimize conflicts related to LO positioning of mods.

 

Wrye Bash Download Page -- There is an updated form of the ReadMe included in the Mopy folder in the archive. There is also a slightly dated Online ReadMe.

 

Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide for Newbies -- Great "starter kit" to get your hands dirty with Wrye Bash.

 

BAIN Mod Installation Projects -- Comprehensive instructions from beginner to advanced.

 

TES4Edit -- It's actually a handful of utilities compiled into one executable. TES4View, TES4Edit, TES4LODGen, FO3Edit, maybe more. You simply change the name of the executable and bam, different application.

 

TES4LODGen -- Same notes as above for TES4Edit.

 

TES4Edit Training Manual -- It's worded for Fallout 3 but everything applies to Oblivion the same, since they run on the same engine.

 

TES4Gecko -- Another great utility for cleaning and merging mods, plus more.

 

TESIV:POSItive -- Excellent, excellent, site loaded with information to assist anyone, from beginner to advanced.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Smooth613

[Zeke2112]

Do you have Oblivion Mod Manager?

 

No, I do not. Do I need it?

 

 

 

Smooth613, I appreciate you posting, but your post is indicative of why I started the thread in the first place.

 

You ask about my load order, when I stated in two posts that I have not even installed them and I'm not sure how to get them ordered properly. Then you give cut/paste advice about Vista when I've already stated in my OP that I run Win7 64 bit, I already have vanilla Oblivion running fine in the secondary Program files, have it patched and even used Wyre Bash a little. I just ran a vanilla game with several hundred hours and dealt with the only issue that cropped up.

 

So how does that cut/paste advice help my problem?

 

Your 2nd paragraph did answer one question from my OP about the unofficial patches but then went on into stuff I covered already. My vanilla game runs fine.

 

Sure, I have no problem putting in each mod and testing them once, but eventually they must go together. That's a load order issue and one of my primary questions in the OP.

 

The last paragraph tells me I should use certain utilities. I was clear in my OP that I already know about some of them, but I don't really understand them....even after reading the info posted on them.

 

I realize you are trying to be helpful, but I would request you actually read my OP to understand my actual questions and to give me answers that were not cut/pasted from somewhere else.

[Amayakyrol]

Yeah, get OBM. It's a quick way to check for conflicts between mods and it makes installing a lot of them much easier.

[Zeke2112]

Yeah, get OBM. It's a quick way to check for conflicts between mods and it makes installing a lot of them much easier.

 

So then I don't use Wyre Bash to manage my mods?

 

Also, what purpose does OBSE serve?

 

I noted Bashed Patch shows up in the basic data files list when you start the game, but while the stuff given from the KoTN disc are checked off, both the main game master file and the Bashed Patch are not. Do I need to check off these two? Do I need to check off everything I put in?

Edited December 16, 2010 by Zeke2112

[Smooth613]

Yes that is my own copy pasta post for these type of threads. Yes I understand you mentioned some of the aspects covered in my response. I'm simply not going to constantly retype the same stuff over and over and slightly word it differently due to a few minor details. Take that as you will. So I wrote up a general response which includes links to very in-depth information covering all aspects of such issues.

 

If you want to ignore the advice of reinstalling outside of Program Files, that's entirely your choice. But I can assure you that problems will arise due to UAC in the future when more and more mods are added and certain utilities need to alter certain files. You can eliminate that possibility early on by just reinstalling to a completely unprotected directory from the get go. Again, that's your choice though. But it's much more painful to have to reinstall Oblivion and 100+ mods due to a simple UAC issue when you can just do it now before you get too deep into modding.

 

And finally I did fully read your OP. If you've seen or would have glanced at any of my many other posts, you'd know I don't just blindly copypasta responses around here and offer nothing but helpful advice and never intentionally steer folks wrong. That's something I've wrote up myself, it's not just ripped from someone else, but again I'm not going to specifically edit a few minor details to pertain to the literally hundreds of these near identical threads. The parts of my post that you have already done, you just look past those few sentences and move on the the next bit of advice. And yes you mention you have utilities installed and briefly used them but don't fully understand them. Hence you requested a "walk-through". Well I provided you with many links that fully cover almost every aspect of each utility that you may not understand. Although you have to actually click on and read the information provided by those links to gain any beneficially knowledge.

 

TESIV:POSItive alone covers almost everything you would need to know. If not it will link you to proper sites for additional information. Even the most recent three or four additional questions you posted in your last response has already been covered by the links I originally provided you that you seemingly ignored. Also the Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide for Newbies is excellent for using Wrye Bash but you obviously didn't look at the links or you'd have never commented about my post still not being helpful towards you understanding the utilities. Take my advice and post as you wish but it covers everything you wanted to know and then some. It's up to you whether you choose to utilize the resources I've provided.

 

So I would request that you actually read my post and the information provided in the links before blindly accusing me of just posting a generic, ripped from somewhere else, copypasta response.

 

Good luck.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Smooth613

[Zeke2112]

But you give me links to a bunch of different utilities I hope to never use.

 

I have no intention of adding world changing mods or many gigs of content. You have links to almost as many utilities in total that I plan to add in just small basic mods. I have no intention of playing Oblivion to the 10th Power. Just a bit of extra content to poke around with for a second and likely last run through the game. Most of them are small location mods. Almost no armor/clothing/weapon additions. Just a few things to stop a couple of my biggest irritations. Just some minor things to give a bit of variety for the second run. I won't be playing Oblivion for years, given it is already obsolete to my OS.

 

If I need a dozen utilities to run 20 small mods and I need to spend days learning every technical detail of those utilities then I'll just go buy another game to amuse myself.

 

 

 

Maybe I need to rephrase the question. How do I run a few minor mods without having to learn and add a whole bunch of utility programs?

 

 

As for your irritation with me glossing over your first response, I'm not responsible for the fact you are tired of repeating yourself to others. Your post wasn't very helpful and very impersonal. No one has yet to actually spend time typing a sentence or two giving me a layman's description of OBSE or Wyre Bash. I have said repeatedly that I've looked over the readme links these programs give and don't get what I want. They plunge immediately into vast technical explanations. I don't wish to learn how to code or make mods. It seems that a short summary is impossible to find.

 

So no, I'm not going to click your 19(!) links. I've done a lot of that before I even made this thread. I don't want to install mass quantities of utilities, much less learn their intricacies. What I want is the most minimal amount of utilities I can get by with and the easiest way to use those few without having to learn everything else they can be used for that I won't be using.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Zeke2112