Want to play Oblivion + Mods but...

[Darksun45230]

After several years of neglect, I've finally decided that Oblivion is worth a second play-through. I started my first just as I graduated High School and left it high and dry after. I never messed with mods because I figured installing them was going to be hassle. Well, now I want the mods everyone is talking about and I'm willing to endure a little discomfort to get it. So let me ask off the bat: is there an easy mod-list I can install on my computer without spending hours sorting through files and readme's? Am I lazy? Yes, if dodging hours of tedium is considered lazy.

[Nephenee13]

So let me ask off the bat: is there an easy mod-list I can install on my computer without spending hours sorting through files and readme's? Am I lazy? Yes, if dodging hours of tedium is considered lazy.

 

No, if you want to mod, you are going to have to put in the effort to learn how to do it properly.

[blackninja50]

I think he meant installing mods not making them....and from my experience installing simple mods like armor re placers and armor mods is no big deal if you read the read me.

[Jumbotron]

Yes, installing simple mods is really easy. But many of the best mods are big and I don't think it's a good idea to install them manually. The main reason is that if you ever want to properly remove those big mods that you manually installed, it can be an impossible mission. That's why it's a good idea to learn to use a tool to install/uninstall your mods (Wrye Bash is excellent doing that IMHO). In Tesnexus you can find a very nice pictorial guide for Wrye Bash.

 

One warning though: IMHO learning to install/uninstall and manage lots of mods properly is not a task for lazy people. It can be quite time-consuming.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Jumbotron

[Lanceor]

Most smaller mods are very easy to install (unless you have many of them). Usually it's extracting a zip file into a certain folder, and then checking a box when you launch the game - most people won't find that too difficult.

 

Check the installation instructions that come with each mod - if it tells you to do a lot of configuring or other stuff, perhaps leave it for later after you've installed a few mods and are more familiar with the Oblivion directory structure and the mod management tools.

[bben46]

I think what you are asking for is a compilation of mods. Unfortunately we have had bad luck with those because of differences of opinions over how various authors work with their mods. There were so many problems we just banned compilations altogether. Try to get 50 people to agree on how their mod is to be placed, and who is to get credit for the mod when it is jumbled up with other mods. Plus the problem of mod authors get credit for each download of their mod - and there is no way to give 50 people credit for a compilation. Only the actual uploader would get any credit - so the authors refuse to give permission for their mod to be used in that way.

 

If you were to have a compilation of say 50 mods - and ONE makes a major change. Or if you decide that you want a mod that is not in the compilation and it conflicts with one that is in it. That can invalidate the entire compilation. And the probability is the person who made that compilation is long gone so there will be no updates to the compilation. :rolleyes: The options are - stick with the obsolete possibly broken mod or pass on the new one you wanted just so you don't have to scrap the compilation, OR, Scrap it and start over, re-downloading and reinstalling most of the mods from the compilation as individual mods. - Where if you had done that in the first place you wouldn't be having that problem. :wallbash:

 

The next problem is size - a compilation of 50 mods will be much larger than the size of the game. easily as much as 4 times it's size. And could take hours if not days to download on a slow internet, let alone disconnects and restarts. :blink:

 

Instead look for a list of mods - for instance the list of the top 100 mods available right on the Nexus front page. :thumbsup: Asking members to recommend mods, while it works , will usually be those same 100 top mods with several of their own favorites thrown in.

 

Note: Oblivion is limited to just 255 active mods. :tongue: So you will have plenty of room for more than those top 100.

 

Start by installing OBSE and BOSS. OBSE is REQUIRED for many mods, and BOSS will help a lot for properly setting a load order - which can be very important in Oblivion. Then pick a mod manager. Most will actually work together, but there can be some problems - the most popular a re NMM (Nexus Mod Manager) OBMM (Oblivion Mod Manager) and Wrye Bash. Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Then USE that mod manager to install and manage your mods. OBSE, BOSS and the mod manager are not mods and will not install like mods - so be sure to read the directions for each.

 

Install some mods, no more than a dozen to start. and write down each group so you will know when you installed each mod - this can save many hours of troubleshooting. Run BOSS and play the game for a short time. exit, load a few more no more than 10 at a time - again BOSS then test.

 

It seems like this will take a long time, but it will likely save time - imagine having 100 mods loaded and the game instantly crashes when you start - which of those 100 might have caused the crash? You have no idea and must go through removing them one at a time, testing to see if that was the one, then putting them back. And then find that more than one is causing the crash. :pinch:

[Jumbotron]

From bben46's signature:

 

Sometimes I think we spend more time getting mods to work than we do playing the game - I know I do.

 

I couldn't agree more. That statement is 100 % true in my case. But modding Oblivion is addictive itself. I can't help doing it. :tongue:

[lrh9]

In my opinion, the utilities available to assist mod users with installing and managing mods go a long way to make the mod installation and usage process as easy and painless as possible. I personally have installed a working FCOM, Better Cities, and COBL installation. I consider that to be no mean feat.

 

I consider Wrye Bash, Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS), TES4Edit, TES4LODGen, and Oblivion Mod Manager a must.

 

The main feature of Wrye Bash is its ability to create a bashed patch. A bashed patch is a plugin that loads after almost all other plugins and resolves many conflicts between them. (Sometimes plugins should be loaded after the bashed patch and there are some conflicts the bashed patch cannot resolve.) In the most recent version of Wrye Bash, creating a bashed patch is easier than ever. It is almost always a matter of simply pressing a button.

 

BOSS is a program that will sort your mods for maximum compatibility and display any errors that should be corrected with TES4Edit.

 

TES4Edit is a program that mod users should use to do what is known as "cleaning". Sometimes plugins contain "dirty" edits that can cause problems in the game. The two problems we are concerned about are ITM (Identical to Master) records and UDR (Undelete and Disable References). Without discussing what these errors are (a topic in itself), we can use TES4Edit to fix these errors. It has been my observation that doing so can increase stability and reduce crashes.

 

TES4LODGen is a program that generates distant level of detail. It is a cosmetic effect that affects what you see far away, from cells that are not loaded. Without LOD, large buildings and landscape changes will not be visible until you are in the same cell they are in.

 

Oblivion Mod Manager is a program that aids the installation and uninstallation of mods. Many mods contain an OBMM script that automates the installation and removal process.

 

The typical order of use is:

1) OBMM to install mods.

2) BOSS to sort them.

3) TES4Edit to correct any errors.

4) Wrye Bash to generate the bashed patch.

5) TES4LODGen to generate the LOD.

 

And as others have mentioned, OBSE is pretty much a must have file.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited February 15, 2012 by lrh9