I'm new to modding oblivion, I need some advice with .ini files :V

[Omnises]

So, a mod requires me to have the game read a separate .ini file
The problem is that I don't know how to have the game read the .ini script and, you know, for it to work.
I know now that I don't put it in the (whatever)/oblivion/data folder, but I don't know where else.
I've ruled out other things, like not putting the text within the separate .ini in the oblivion.ini file
So I'm just sort of confused.

Anyone looking at this and thinking "Geez, what a newbie", please enlighten me.

[bben46]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f351/charonn0/ohgeez-1.gif What mod? we only have about 26 thousand just for Oblivion now.

[Omnises]

I can figure out what to do, but I nice starting point is knowing where Oblivion checks for .ini files, if at all.
3 major locations that I would suspect but haven't worked: /Oblivion, /Oblivion/Data, and /documents/my games/oblivion
Also, if the mods are a must to know, then it's the Stealth Overhaul http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/6359/? and the HUD Status Bars UI http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/34905/?
Which require a seperate .ini script to be interpreted by the game.

So, 1) either there isn't a location where it will check for .ini files, 2) there is location where the .ini file will be read, or 3) I have to go through some other process in order for the scripts to be read.

@bben46, thanks for acknowledging my question anyways, even if you don't have a clear cut answer.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Alfalfa123123

[DrakeTheDragon]

Well, that's exactly why Bben was asking for the specific mods which require these INIs, as there's no "default" location for mod-read INI files at all and each and every one of them "might" use a different place for their's.

The Stealth Overhaul for example instructs you inside its readme to put the "stealthoverhaul.ini" into your Oblivion "main" folder, that is the one one level above the "data" folder where the "oblivion_launcher.exe" or the "obse_loader.exe" and the like are to be found in.

HUD Status Bars on the other hand, I happen to be using that one myself, appears to read its INI from an additional folder, previously non-existent, inside your "data" folder called "ini", so it's "data/ini" where it puts its own INIs in.

OBSE Plugins usually have their INIs inside "data/obse/plugins", some even inside their own sub-folders inside there.

While the game itself uses the "Oblivion.ini" found inside your "MyGames/Oblivion" folder.

The thing is Oblivion doesn't provide any means for mods to use INIs to begin with, so any mod having its own INI files also needs to define where they're to be put and read from, as the mods themselves introduce their own INI reading code as well, and they're far from using the same location for every mod.

Your question was simply impossible to answer without knowing the actual mods the INIs of which we're talking of here. That's why Bben asked for them and couldn't be any more specific without this info first.

 

Additionally, these mods you listed all seem to already ship the INIs along inside their packages. So actually there should already be INIs exactly where the mods expect them and you'll only have to "edit" the existing ones now. Is there anything else acting up on your end for the INIs not to be where these mods put them, or anything you didn't tell us about the way you try to install these mods which won't put the included INI files to where they belong automatically like is the case for every other user of these mods?

[Omnises]

I see.
I'm used to modding a lot of other games, and there's usually locations where a game will check for specific files, or where any setting a mod requests can be done via within the mod itself (without the ini) or within the games own .ini equivalent.

I read that in the in the Stealth Overhaul readme, and I'm sure it's already working, so I was just using it as an example
As for the UI, hopefully that'll be useful.

Thanks lots!
Hopefully I won't be bothering you guys after this~

Edited August 8, 2015 by Alfalfa123123