Recommended Mods for an Oblivion Newbie? [2011]

[PsalmLove]

Thanks to everyone who's been contributing to this thread =] I'm currently up and running with the bare essentials of mods. Of course like the other mod-crazy folk here I'll eventually add more once I've gotten my feet properly wet with the vanilla edition...

 

I'm just getting a bit overwhelmed with WyreBash so I've only been using the installer part of it. Also overwhelming are the leveling guides, the leveling in vanilla Oblivion seems a bit clunky and unnatural.

[InAComaDial999]

Yep, leveling in Oblivion is a little different from most games, for sure.

 

I'm sure you can find plenty of good leveling guides - the one at UESPWiki is plenty informative.

 

The main thing to understand, is that if you want to level efficiently -- that is, be able to achieve the highest attribute increases each time you level up -- you have to make a custom class. And, when creating that custom class, do not choose all three skills that belong to a particular attribute. E.g. if you're making a thief type class, choose any two of Security, Sneak, and Marksman, but not all three.

 

Of course, there are mods that change the leveling system altogether, but again it's best to play the game a bit and see whether you really can't live with the default leveling system before you change it. I've always played with it and never found it to be really crippling, at least so long as I was playing a well designed class.

[skorpeon]

I find the leveling system good in general if you set your primary skills to ones used less often just to slow down the leveling process. just try to choose one skill her attribute only. Then forget about it and enjoy the game. Worrying about leveling is a good way to ruin game enjoyment.

[Slayodeth]

i followed everything as carefully as possible, very time consuming, i must have downloaded about 20 things, and now the game takes longer to load and crashes every farts end, it went from annoying to unplayable. nothing against you guys, you were very helpful and this post was very informative, but bethesda really sucks. i'll just wait for diablo 3 in case bethesda's next shoddy attempt at pc game programming comes out first.

 

bethesda, get a clue, take a lesson from blizzard *walks*

[MarkInMKUK]

I'm going to come at this question from a different angle - what mods do I enjoy the most.

 

I get frustrated with the original game because the main quest is, to be honest, quite pedestrian. So the mods *I* recommend are ones which add more complex quests to the game.

 

Two which I am currently playing are "The Lost Spires" and "Integration". The latter, especially, comes with a list of other mods which MUST be installed first, so read the readme thoroughly before starting. Missing pre-requisite mods = massive problems and crashes. There are lists of additional quest mods around - google for "oblivion quest mod" and find one of the bigger lists.

 

As far as other mods go, I started with a basic install of Oblivion/SI/DLC modules, with the official 1.2.0.416 patch, and the unofficial patches, and the supplemental unofficial patch. I use OBMM almost exclusively, I just use Wrye Bash for the bashed patch functions. When there's a way to use OMOD files in BAIN, I'll swap over, but currently the changeover is too complex for my brain to handle. I then added a few cosmetic mods, notably TNR and Younger Hotter female NPCs because some of the original faces were ... shall we say ... unaesthetic.

 

I then added the Better cities mods, all of them, and the Unique Landscapes mods too

AND the patches - if both mods alter the same area, a patch is used to adjust things so they meet in the middle. Don't be afraid of patches, but apply them carefully - if you don't have the mod, don't use the matching patch.

[Nightwolfhunter]

I used this guide to help stablize my mods. I only checked the first page of this thread, however I HIGHLY recommend the Unique Landscapes compilation OMOD. Makes everything look a lot less samey.

[Golgothica]

The only version you should avoid is Direct 2 Drive versions. They are not compatible with OBSE. This will limit your modding capabilities severely.

 

STEAM and any Retail disc version is fine and work exactly the same with all mods and utilities.

 

I bought the Direct 2 Drive versions (a couple of years ago). I really do not have the money to sink into buying variant versions of the game. It is dismaying to learn that my modding capabilities are severely limited simply because of the source of my purchase. In addition to the main game I have also purchased from D2D the Shivering Isle expansion and the Knights of the Nine + downloadable content pack.

 

~

 

My first question is: is this modding issue typical of D2D versions of games or only a select few?

 

~

 

Some of the mods I really would like to use, if possible:

- DarNified UI

- Deadly Reflex

- the FCOM Convergence (specifially, OOO interests me, but I am also like what I have read about Fransesco's and MMM)

- Natural Environment (or a better weather/nature mod if someone has suggestions)

 

With the possible exception of OOO/FCOM above, I actually like the vanilla leveling system and have no interest in tweaking or completely changing it through a mod.

 

My second question is: what options are available? I would greatly appreciate some advice from someone who understands these things better than myself.

 

~

 

For now I am going to install the game and make sure it is patched, including the applicable unofficial patches, and get in some playtime.....

[Telyn]

Golgothica, the problem with D2D is that their version of Oblivion is encrypted as an anti-piracy measure. Encrypted versions such as the D2D and Impulse versions cannot use OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender). This is why people are telling you your modding will be limited. The good news is there are many mods that do not require OBSE. Most mods don't. However, when it comes to making your own mods, OBSE greatly extends the scripting functions available to you. I think that the seller should inform potential customers if a moddable game is encrypted. See...if someone makes a tool that would require them to unencrypt the game in order to make a compatible version, they can't do it. It would be illegal. That's why it's better to avoid buying a moddable game via D2D. I don't know if all of their games are encrypted, but before buying through that source, you should check the boards for the game and see if people are having modding issues with the D2D version.

 

 

I first bought the Impulse version, which did not mention the encryptation it has. It was very frustrating. Not all Impulse games are encrypted but apparently that was the arrangement Bethesda wanted with Impulse/Stardock. I ended up buying the game over, Steam version this time. While I am not all that thrilled that Steam tracks your playtime, at least now I can mod. One of the advantages gained by switching to Steam is that OBSE works. That means I can now use mods that prevent crashes. And boy, does that help.

Deadly Relex requires OBSE, so you can't use it.

I downloaded Natural Environment and checked the read me. I did not see any reference to OBSE, so you can probably use it. You cannot use All Natural, which requires OBSE. Make sure you don't confuse them.

I did not see any reference to DarNified UI needing OBSE so you may be able to use it. I am a little bit unsure because it uses some sort of special scripting.

Sorry, but I don't use FCOM Convergence or any major overhaul. I don't know if any of the pieces need OBSE. I am sure someone can tell you. It's very popular.

[goldkear]

I'm glad I found this thread, It asks a lot of the questions I have :D I'm still confused on the steam compatibly topic, because I've heard steam's version has a protected EXE and OBSE won't work with it, but I've also read here that it should work fine. I played oblivion on my roommate's computer a couple years ago and modded the crap out of it, but that was a retail version (i also got way in over my head) I also used to have the playstation version, which I ended up selling because i didn't really like vanilla oblivion. now that I have a brand new gaming pc and skyrim coming out later this year, I want to play oblivion again, the way it is meant to be played... heavily modded.

 

So far I have ALL the official DLC and mods (it's included in the steam version) and the unoficiall patches (UOP, USIP, UOMP, and the supplemental patch)

I'm interested in some texture packs (which I'm perfectly comfortable with) as well as FCOM, UL, deadly reflex, supreme magicka, and some smaller mods that shouldn't be problematic. I just want to make sure that that should be ok with the steam version as well as not make the same mistake i did last time of installing around 80 mods with reckless abandon, and getting tons of CTDs

 

edit: more careful reading, I now know OBSE should be fine, and therefore all my other mods should work, now I just need to be careful how i install them all

Edited June 16, 2011 by goldkear

[Blackwood550]

I'm glad too, gives me a good base to build on...