Just got.....

[Reky]

Ok so I picked up the Game of the Year Edition of the game and was wondering what Mods or w/e to Improve the games Graphics and story people would Promote a Generally Dumb ass person using.

[Malchik]

Welcome to the forums. There are many threads on favourite mods etc. Use the search facility and you are sure to find them. Also the UESP website has a list. If I were you I'd play some of the game before using mods as you'll then be able to decide whether they really add anything from your own perspective.

[Alaisiagae]

I suggest downloading the Unofficial Patches from TESNexus, as well as the latest Official Patches. I installed those after 300+ hours of pure vanilla game play, and I regret not installing them (the Unofficial patches) earlier.

 

Links: Official Patches (download the latest patch, as it will contain all fixes from previous patches), Unofficial Oblivion Patch, Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch, Unofficial Mods Patch (GotY doesn't include DLC (Downloadable Content) Battlehorn Castle, so make sure not to install the patch for Battlehorn)

 

Have you played other Elder Scrolls games before, such as Morrowind?

[bben46]

Welcome to Tesnexus

 

Look at the top 100 list here: http://tesnexus.com/downloads/top.php These are the most popular and most stable mods available. Don't just grab all of them and install them all at once as some may be incompatible. First, Pick a simple one. Download that one, install it and get it working first. then after you know how, only install a maximum of 5 at a time. There will be problems.

 

If you want a better explanation of downloading unzipping and installing mods, Look here: http://thewormhole.nfshost.com/forum/index...opic,296.0.html

 

This includes a short tutorial with its own downloadable mod to show exactly how to do it.

 

You may be asked to register, but its free. The registration is to keep the barbarians out.

[Zamboni]

Get these first

 

OBMM (mod utility)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097

 

Unofficial Oblivion Patch (fixes all the bugs the official patches don't)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5296

 

Unofficial Shivering Isle Patch (same as above but for SI)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10739

 

Character Enhancements:

 

Improve Facial Texture

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5643

 

Exnem Nude Version

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10171

 

Exnem Undie Verison

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10168

 

HGEC (you need one of the above two mods with this, makes the body shape and textures much better looking)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15802

 

Rens Beauty Pack (this adds an ice elf race which all look like pretty Japanese anime characters)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4431

 

 

Environmental Enhancements:

 

Natural Environments

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2536

 

Improved Trees and Flora 2

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11891

 

Real Night Sky (I've tried many similar mods, this is the best IMO)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16617

 

Illumination Within Revived

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4952

 

Illumination Within Optimized (you need this if you get the above mod; this optimizes the CPU usage)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6244

 

Real Lava 1.3

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6854

 

Beaming Sunglare (if you use the Natural Environs mod above, you'll need to extract this to the "Natural Environments" folder under "Texture" instead of the default folder)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16533

 

Also,

 

Qarl's Texture Pack 3 OMOD version (only get this if you have a super computer. Extremely taxing on frame rates but makes the game look like REAL LIFE!!! LOL)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15399

[Mythic_One28]

I'd also recommend these:

 

Robert's Male body mod

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14942

 

Streamline (optimizes Oblivion = Less lag)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10400

 

Deadly Reflex (Improves NPC combat AI, adds new combat moves)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8273

 

And Supreme Magicka Update (Only really useful for mage characters)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12466

[LFact]

Rens Beauty Pack (this adds an ice elf race which all look like pretty Japanese anime characters)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4431

 

It's Mystic Elf, not Ice Elf. (That's different)

[nosisab]

You are overloading him :) At least must be said the body suggestions imply choosing one, like Exnem nude OR undies, Robert Males is ok as it touches were Exnen is only for women body, but the female counterpart would be a choice.

As a rule if two mods claims to do the same thing, chances are they will conflict and one must be choose. Being careful in reading the descriptions and mainly the readmes will reduce at large the chances of problems aways more difficult to correct than avoided since beginning.

 

So Reky, go Slow at first until you build the confidence and knowhow of the /data structure. This is the thing that would be aways, ever, said to the modding newbies. Try to understand where each type of file must go and the sorrows will be minimal or none at all.

[Zamboni]

Rens Beauty Pack (this adds an ice elf race which all look like pretty Japanese anime characters)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4431

 

It's Mystic Elf, not Ice Elf. (That's different)

My bad. I've never actually used Rens mod personally...

[Alaisiagae]

Yes, you definitely want to use OBMM, it is a life-saver!

 

Here are a few mods that just make things look better. They are cosmetic, and just improve textures.

- Fruits Vegetables and Meats - increases the texture resolutions for fruits, veggies, and meats. Contains Before and After pictures (that is, the original "vanilla" textures, and the modified textures).

- CM Better Wine - Shivering Isles - gives different types of wine bottles their own unique textures. Also changes the color of the glass bottle from a dark burgundy to a wine-bottle green. View the screenshots for the non-SI version of the mod, because it has Before and After pictures, so you can see the difference.

- Better Beer Bottles gives beer, ale, and mead bottles new textures. Look at the Before and After pics to decide if you like the new textures or the original textures.

- Mikes Clothes Replacer makes the clothing textures look better. You might want to play vanilla (that is, without this mod) for a while, and then use this mod so you can see the difference (currently, there aren't any screenshots).

- Potable Pastiche incorporates and makes compatible several popular mods that touch on potions. I've got to say that I like this mod a lot (preferred over Doofdilla's potions); the icons and meshes are great, and I like the sorting system. This most noticeably will affect potion bottles. Look at the screenshots in Better Potion Bottles Reduced to see what the new meshes and textures will look like. I don't recommend using that mod, however, because it needs an .esp to function correctly, but the mod does not come with one. If you use this mod, you will not need to use Better Wine (read the readme); but, you will want to download Better Wine - SI's SI update.

SonicEthers Beaming Sunglare because, yes, the vanilla sun looked like a very bright moon. I could look at it all day, and never get any sort of eye-damage...

Painted Painting Textures is a very nice, visually pleasing mod. You might want to look at a few in-game paintings first, so you can see the difference this mod makes.

- I highly recommend Kafeis Better Amulet and Ring Replacer. Trust me, you will not be missing out on anything if you use these mods right from the start! The vanilla textures look horrible (as you can deduce from viewing the screenshots that compare the new and old textures).

- Book Jackets: Oblivion Standard Res and Grimbots DLC Book Jackets_SI are beautiful, and a vast improvement over the standard book textures. I suggest using RD Better Book Collision, it works with Book Jackets and with the original textures (though you will have to do a bit of folder moving for OBMM to put it in the right place).

- VAs Better Gold with No Menu Icon, see the screen shots at VAs Better Gold.

- Improved Signs replaces standard textures for signs with improved, higher resolution textures. Compare the Before and After screenshots.