Optimal Oblivion?

[UrineIsMe]

I want to experience the best Oblivion I possibly can, but I have trouble installing mods. It just gets confusing to me :(

 

Can someone please help me learn how to install all the script extenders, graphics upgraders, body model updaters and facial overhaul installers? I don't care how grueling it might be I got the time and I want to invest it into this amazing game that really seems to be better thab skyrim

 

I value performance over content and content over graphical fidelity.

 

Thank you all in advance!!!

[Striker879]

First step is always install the game and then run it. I suggest going through the tutorial dungeon as far as the point where you see the sewer exit in the distance (so before you get the CharGen finalization menus). Make a save ... this will be the save you use after getting your mods installed to continue the adventure. Next exit the sewer and go to the Imperial City (the Market District has plenty of NPCs around during the day). Make a save (not overwriting the sewer exit save) ... this will be your testing save (and you can have more than one of those). Note how the game runs with some load on it. Make any tweaks you may feel necessary to the game settings.

 

Now you can begin adding mods, one at a time and test thoroughly in between. I suggest your first be Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) as you will find many mods that require it (including my recommendation for the next mods to install).

 

With OBSE manual install is the recommended method. Download it to a folder and extract it to that same folder. In the resulting folder you will find a file named obse_readme.txt that has the install instructions. For your GOG install you'll need to copy obse_1_2_416.dll and obse_editor_1_2.dll and paste them into the game's Oblivion folder. Next copy the Data folder found in the extracted download and paste that into the game's Oblivion folder (you should get a warning about there is already a Data folder ... you want to merge the pasted Data folder into the existing Data folder).

 

The GOG version of the game requires a different obse_loader.exe so that will be the next download/extract. You'll copy the obse_loader.exe from the GOG extracted download and paste that into the game's Oblivion folder. I'm not familaiar with the GOG version, but you will need to change how it starts the game so that it uses obse_loader.exe and not OblivionLauncher.exe ... if it works off a desktop shortcut then edit it to run obse_loader.exe instead of OblivionLauncher.exe leaving all else exactly the same.

 

Again the mantra is install and then test, so start the game, load your testing save and make sure everything works correctly. You won't see anything different with just OBSE so basically you're making sure the game runs. Make another save and exit the game. Two ways to know that OBSE is working. First look in your saves folder (found in the My Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Saves folder) ... you should see that your newest save has two saves with the same base name but different file extensions (e.g. MySave09.ess and MySave09.obse). You will also now find the file obse.log in your game's Oblivion folder. If OBSE is working you are ready to install the Unofficial Oblivion Patch (UOP).

 

Download the UOP to a folder and extract it to that same folder. Now you have a choice to make ... install manually or use a mod manager. If you decide to use a mod manager I suggest Wrye Bash (WB) for two reasons ... first it is the only way to get a bashed patch (important when trying to get certain mods working together) and second it has the ability to properly recover overwritten files when you uninstall some mods but want others to remain.

 

For manualy install you will copy from the extracted download the DistantLOD, Meshes, OBSE, Sound, Textures and Trees folders and paste them into the game's Oblivion\Data folder (again merging if you get a warning about existing folders ... which you should for at least the OBSE folder). The Docs folder is optional (doesn't get used by the game at all).

 

For WB install you'll copy the downloaded file Unofficial Oblivion Patch-5296-3-5-6a.7z and paste it into the game's Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion Mods\Bash Installers folder (assuming you have installed WB and have opened the Installers tab once and answered Yes when asked if BAIN should be initialized). To actually install the UOP you will select Unofficial Oblivion Patch-5296-3-5-6a.7z in the WB Installers tab and from the right click menu select Install. When you select it before the right click you'll see options shown in the Sub-Packages window to the right for you to select which optional parts to install.

 

If your GOG version comes with any of the DLCs then you can use the same methods to install any of those you are using (but don't install any that you don't have).

Edited April 24, 2020 by Striker879

[UrineIsMe]

First step is always install the game and then run it. I suggest going through the tutorial dungeon as far as the point where you see the sewer exit in the distance (so before you get the CharGen finalization menus). Make a save ... this will be the save you use after getting your mods installed to continue the adventure. Next exit the sewer and go to the Imperial City (the Market District has plenty of NPCs around during the day). Make a save (not overwriting the sewer exit save) ... this will be your testing save (and you can have more than one of those). Note how the game runs with some load on it. Make any tweaks you may feel necessary to the game settings.

 

Now you can begin adding mods, one at a time and test thoroughly in between. I suggest your first be Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) as you will find many mods that require it (including my recommendation for the next mods to install).

 

With OBSE manual install is the recommended method. Download it to a folder and extract it to that same folder. In the resulting folder you will find a file named obse_readme.txt that has the install instructions. For your GOG install you'll need to copy obse_1_2_416.dll and obse_editor_1_2.dll and paste them into the game's Oblivion folder. Next copy the Data folder found in the extracted download and paste that into the game's Oblivion folder (you should get a warning about there is already a Data folder ... you want to merge the pasted Data folder into the existing Data folder).

 

The GOG version of the game requires a different obse_loader.exe so that will be the next download/extract. You'll copy the obse_loader.exe from the GOG extracted download and paste that into the game's Oblivion folder. I'm not familaiar with the GOG version, but you will need to change how it starts the game so that it uses obse_loader.exe and not OblivionLauncher.exe ... if it works off a desktop shortcut then edit it to run obse_loader.exe instead of OblivionLauncher.exe leaving all else exactly the same.

 

Again the mantra is install and then test, so start the game, load your testing save and make sure everything works correctly. You won't see anything different with just OBSE so basically you're making sure the game runs. Make another save and exit the game. Two ways to know that OBSE is working. First look in your saves folder (found in the My Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Saves folder) ... you should see that your newest save has two saves with the same base name but different file extensions (e.g. MySave09.ess and MySave09.obse). You will also now find the file obse.log in your game's Oblivion folder. If OBSE is working you are ready to install the Unofficial Oblivion Patch (UOP).

 

Download the UOP to a folder and extract it to that same folder. Now you have a choice to make ... install manually or use a mod manager. If you decide to use a mod manager I suggest Wrye Bash (WB) for two reasons ... first it is the only way to get a bashed patch (important when trying to get certain mods working together) and second it has the ability to properly recover overwritten files when you uninstall some mods but want others to remain.

 

For manualy install you will copy from the extracted download the DistantLOD, Meshes, OBSE, Sound, Textures and Trees folders and paste them into the game's Oblivion\Data folder (again merging if you get a warning about existing folders ... which you should for at least the OBSE folder). The Docs folder is optional (doesn't get used by the game at all).

 

For WB install you'll copy the downloaded file Unofficial Oblivion Patch-5296-3-5-6a.7z and paste it into the game's Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion Mods\Bash Installers folder (assuming you have installed WB and have opened the Installers tab once and answered Yes when asked if BAIN should be initialized). To actually install the UOP you will select Unofficial Oblivion Patch-5296-3-5-6a.7z in the WB Installers tab and from the right click menu select Install. When you select it before the right click you'll see options shown in the Sub-Packages window to the right for you to select which optional parts to install.

 

If your GOG version comes with any of the DLCs then you can use the same methods to install any of those you are using (but don't install any that you don't have)

Alright, that's not anything I haven't done already. Problem is Omod files. I don't think Wyre bash can run those, so I need to install obmm. The latest version is tesmodmanager which is supposed to work with Wyre bash but my problem is having two different mod managers. Things start to get weird here and I don't know on which mod manager to install. Tes only shows omod files and nothing else.

[Striker879]

If I want to use a mod that is only available as an OMOD download I just download the OMOD to a folder and then use OBMM to unpack the OMOD into a target subfolder (which I usually name "ExtractedOMOD" because I'm not very creative with names).

 

If the mod came with a bunch of options (perhaps an OMOD install script) I create an install folder (yup ... you guessed it, named Installed) and transfer the required files and folders from the ExtractOMOD to Installed (Installed will always have a Data folder and then any required subfolders ... remember I'm a manual install dinosaur who only infrequently uses Wrye Bash to install certain mods). If it's not immediately obvious what optional parts to use then I examine the OMOD install script to figure things out.

 

In your case once you got eveything all transfered to your Installed folder from the ExtractedOMOD folder you could just use 7-Zip to turn everything from the Data folder down into an archive and then use that archive to install with WB (for me it's a simple right click on ExtractedOMOD\Data and Copy ... right click Bethesda Softwork\Oblivion and Paste).

 

- Edit - The point being you will only use Wrye Bash to install mods, so no confusion.

 

- Edit 2 - And thanks for the vote of confidence Drake ... I appreciate that you have my back. I always say "It takes a team to troubleshoot".

 

- Edit 3 - Oops, did it again ... :ninja:

Edited April 25, 2020 by Striker879

[DrakeTheDragon]

Most mods with OMOD files will also provide a download version without it. Those who don't can simply be "opened" once with OBMM and converted into an OMOD-ready ZIP/.7z. There's no need to be using 2 mod managers at the same time, as, yes, that's really unadvised.

 

edit: Ninja'd by Striker, but with a much more detailed reply.

[UrineIsMe]

Hello again.

 

I have OBSE and Wyre Bash and I downloaded all the unofficial patches.

 

It seems like they all mess with each other and I have no idea what to do about it. It's all a mess already.

 

https://gyazo.com/025fceb5809de541fd0caabe95a77696

 

I mean like what do I do about this

[UrineIsMe]

Okay, an update.

 

I did the same stuff but better -

 

Now I can't figure out how to install an OMOD. Where do I put "ExtractedOMOD" and what do I do with "Install"? Gotta explain things to me like I've never done this before. Since, you know, I've never done this before.

[Striker879]

After you have extracted the OMOD to a folder you will need to confirm that the folder structure is something that can be installed by a simple copy/paste (as if you were doing a manual installation). For some mods that will not take any effort on your part (i.e. mods that have no different options and are structured either as an ESP and then meshes or textures below that or as a Data folder with subfolders below that).

 

Other mods will have folders that organise their options so that either their install script or the user following instructions in the mod description/readme can pick which options they want. For these more complex mods you will need to create an Install folder and then using copy and paste create the proper folder structure and copy the files you need/want into the correct folders.

 

In either case after you have the extracted download organised for a simple copy/paste install you will use 7-Zip to compress it into an archive which will be used for the Wrye Bash Installers tab.

 

I know it's just human nature but you are at the crawling stage of development and are wanting to run a marathon against expert runners. The only thing you will accomplish is getting frustrated.

 

I was an experienced computer user long before I started any of this (cut my teeth on DOS 3.0, been building my own machines since the Win3.1 days). When I started modding Oblivion I started at ground zero same as everybody else and was frustrated trying to get HGEC installed. Perhaps my "expertise" was getting in the way a bit as I wasn't about to blindly follow instructions to "extract into the game's Data folder" and when I was trying to figure out where to copy/paste stuff from the extracted HGEC download into the game's Data folder none of the target folders were there (which is just the normal way the vanilla game folders are supposed to be ... which I didn't know at the time).

 

I wound up using OBMM to install HGEC and then between reading forum posts and mod comments it slowly started making sense (which is where my "expertise" started becoming an asset instead of a liability). As I slowly added mods I learned more about how things worked. It also helped me greatly to follow along as the experts before me helped others through their problems (I've always preferred to learn from other's mistakes rather than my own). When I couldn't understand how or why something that was suggested worked I asked.

 

The colours in your tick boxes are telling you stuff you need to figure out. Look at Wrye Bash General Readme.html section 4e (and possibly section 5c) to begin figuring out what they are telling you (it is found in the Oblivion\Mopy\Docs folder along with Wrye Bash Advanced Readme.html and some other files).

Edited May 11, 2020 by Striker879