Create OMODs, put them in order, identify conflicts - Amidoingitrite?

[zhokar]

Hey guys,

 

I'm having another go at Oblivion GOTY (Steam) and wanted to enhance my experience. I want the most beauty I can get out of this game, possibly new content (if it's awesome) and fixes. So I selected some mods and hope I didn't miss the best ones.

 

Some of them I added manually, some had OMOD files, others I created OMOD files for. OMOD shows me loads of conflicts - basically for everything - and can't be trusted. A fix for an unofficial patch for a official DLC, eg, will show only conflicts since every mod/fix modifies the other.

 

So I need you guys to help me figure out if my mods are compatible and in the right order. And tell me, if I missed some must-have mods:

 

http://i54.tinypic.com/2uh377p.jpg

 

Explanations:

- Official DLC and fixes loaded first.

- Frostcrag unofficial patch deactivated because of having Frostcrag Reborn installed.

- All Natural, HGEC Body, and other configurable mods configured.

- DRSplatter and Vampire Aging Fix kept for later use.

- Unwanted elements of Deadly Reflex removed.

- Several conflicting "duplicates" (optional / older version / unsupported parts in other folders) of mods removed before creating OMOD files.

- EDIT: OBSE installed for Steam.

Edited August 22, 2011 by zhokar

[deathjam]

My advice would be to use the forum search function, as there a lot of topics already like this, and also read the Nexus Wiki. After that, do some more reading. Really helps you to understand what can be/should be/ needs to be done when you are installing oblivion with many mods. Wish I had done so as it would have saved me two reinstallations and quite a few days which would have allowed for more time playing oblivion.

 

Here are a few links I think will be helpful:

 

Tescosi - General step by step guide to modding oblivion - a lot to read here!

Neogaf topic on modding oblivion - handy tips and links to some nice mods with a little guide

Preventing oblivion from crashing - use tips from here as well as tescosi, especially on outdated mods

Overclockers topic on building a beatiful oblivion with Wrye Bash - imo a better installer than OBMM (what you were refering to as OMOD)

 

Also, another word of advice, dont install mods manually. Makes it incredibly hard to track what is new and what isnt, what conflicts with future installed mods, what needs updating etc. Everything, with a little tweaking, can be installed using OBMM or Wrye Bash (learn to use Wrye Bash and you will be saving yourself future headaches).

Edited August 22, 2011 by deathjam

[zhokar]

Allright. Here's me thinking it couldn't be much worse than modding Baldur's Gate 1+2. Thanks for the heads-up. Which would you personally recommend, the Tescosi Wrye Bash complete guide or the Beautiful Oblivion guide?

 

Not sure if it's worth taking the Beautiful Oblivion mods, All Natural and Better Cities seem to be good enough package deals. Then again, some of the mods I chose are up-to-date but old releases. I chose from the site's top mods of all time. Since I don't know any of the mods, are the mods suggested in the guides better or just as good?

Edited August 23, 2011 by zhokar

[eric31415]

You seem to have missed the most essential thing of all; BOSS. Not exactly a mod, but an indispensable utility.

 

If you want to see the most popular mods on the Nexus, use the advanced search function, list only mods with at least, say, 200 endorsements, and list them in descending order by number of endorsements. But keep in mind that there are also some little-known gems out there.

[zhokar]

Yes, I read about BOSS and it IS included in the guides. If I get problems with my first rather small collection of mods without overlaps without it, I will use one of the guides 1:1 because apparently I'm a bit too inexperienced to do it my way. ;) Edited August 23, 2011 by zhokar

[zhokar]

Thanks again for the advice. I've got my Oblivion running with all my mods converted to OMOD files. I played a few hours after I was done and everything seems to work just fine. It was a bit of a hassle and I had to clean up most archives before creating the OMODs. If I want to use more (and overlapping) mods or tweak my .cfg, your links will be helpful.

[Keirgarth]

BOSS is an almost absolute must have when you start getting over a half dozen mods. BOSS connects to the internet to get the most recent master list of mods and how they need to be ordered, then changes your load order to match. There are still a few mods that don't show up on the master list yet, but a little reading will give you an idea where to put them in the load order.

 

The reason that load order makes a difference is because if you install 2 mods that change the same thing, then only the last in the order will show in the game. If you are installing several mods that have some overlap, but don't overlap completely, then where they don't overlap will be OK and all of that area will show. For example, there are several mods that change how magic is handled in game. L.A.M.E., Mighty Magic, Supreme Magicka and several others. Each of those mods adds spells to the game as well as changes the power of spells, the recovery rate of magicka, how fast you level each skill etc. You can load all 3 of the ones I listed at the same time, but the last one loaded will determine the power, duration and leveling information. The extra spells will all pretty much show up, but some will be underpowered and others will be overpowered.