Help for new guy

[bben46]

You do not need to install all of the older patches - the latest patch has all of them included. If you DO NOT HAVE Shivering Isles - install the Oblivion only patch. If you do have Shivering isles, install the Shivering Isles patch ONLY.

Note that there are TWO English Oblivion patches, UK & US version. Use the one for your version only. But only ONE Shivering Isles English patch for both versions. :rolleyes:

 

You do not need steam for the patches. They are still available directly from Bethesda

 

Beth keeps moving the patches around and changing whether the various language patches are in the same place as the English patches. :wallbash:

 

This one works currently. http://support.bethsoft.com/patches.php

 

If you install the wrong patch - you may have to remove & reinstall everything :pinch:

Here is a complete uninstall/Reinstall that actually works (Thousands of satisfied customers) http://s1.zetaboards.com/bbenlibrary/topic/4308533/1/#new

[bjeet]

Thanks for the welcome. By the way I didn't download Oblivion, I installed it from a DVD. Do I need Stream Account to download SI?

 

I doubt you can get it from Steam. Steam only has the Game of the year and Game of the year deluxe editions of Oblivion. Both of those come bundled with Shivering Isles.

 

I think you can get a Shivering Isles expansion from Amazon or another software reseller though.

 

Edit: clarification

 

Getting it in a few hours.....one of my chums has it. :teehee:

[bjeet]

Somebody please tell me about Wyre Bash and OBSE. Didn't use more than a couple of mods in Skyrim and NMM was enough.

[Striker879]

Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) adds extra script functions to the Oblivion scripting environment. Many (but not all) of newer mods use it's scripts to do things not possible (or not easily possible) without the extra OBSE script functions. OBSE has different installation instructions depending on whether you are using the Steam version of the game or the disk version. OBSE will not work with any other versions of the game (example Direct2Drive or Impulse/GameStop versions).

 

Wrye Bash is kind of like a 'Swiss Army Knife' for Oblivion. It is a collection of utilities packaged in a common interface. It will do many things. The most commonly used/needed things are intelligently install/remove mods (it's BAIN installer) and manage conflicting mods so they'll work together (it's 'bashed patch'). Have a look through Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide to get started on Wrye Bash.

[Zella]

I began Oblivion with no patches and then installed the Oblivion Patch V 1.2.0416, which is pretty basic and is usually required by all mods.

Many mods also require Shivering Isles to function. Now, I always add that from my Oblivion GOTY edition, as many excellent mods require that as well as that official patch.

 

Those are the only ones I have used for years now. There will be some mods which require OBSE or other management mods in order to run, however.

I have been able to install hundreds of excellent mods over the years, by following their good instructions, and being very focused and careful about watching the addresses of the folders to merge them. I have not been able to install the mods that manage and install mods because their instructions have been so vague and confusing. My game has been very stable and I have not had the problems of crashing or colored things appearing. So if you are not ready to tackle that challenge, you can still add hundreds of mods if you can follow directions exactly and you choose the right mods. It all depends upon what you want in your game. Please yourself, not someone who thinks everyone ought to play by their rules. It is a one player game and is supposed to be fun for YOU. Mods make it possible to play an entirely different game from what others like and change it as your tastes change.

 

So what you will require will depend upon which mods you want to install.

 

Bear in mind that some of the patches may fix things that you do not want fixed. (One patched the ability to use a duplicating glitch or to repair and keep summoned gear. You may decide that you want to ignore or work around occasional glitches instead of using a particular patch. With all the amazing mods out now, there is probably no reason not to use any patch you choose.)

 

You might want to save a copy of your Oblivion Data with its patches and Shivering Isles file in case you do something you regret. It is like a saved game. You can recover quickly and feel confident in experimenting. If you get a stable game with mods that you like, you may want to save that Data compilation as well. Putting them on a CD or thumb drive will save hard drive space and you can copy or switch between set ups if you like. You may have Kvatch Rebuilt on one and Kvatch Aftermath on another, or even two different versions of either one.

 

Have fun!

[Striker879]

Something you may want to check out Zella is Multiple Oblivion Manager - MOM ... makes keeping a separate profile for testing a snap.