Need help making oblivion look good

[sidlicious]

My oblivion looks like absolute trash. I just bought it not long ago and I went to play it today and I'm absolutely disgusted by the graphics and the controls to create these...beasts. My graphics are on ultra and skin still looks ridiculously splotchy (like that splotchy skin from fallout 3 >:{ ) and faces are dumb and look like mongoloids.

 

I tried out a few mods and in the screenshots everyone elses characters look pretty amazing.

 

I tried at least 7 mods with no luck. Nothing seems to have changed other than some new hair styles and eyes.

 

I have one hell of a beasty PC and I can run any mod given to me.

 

So what I'm looking for if anyone knows, is:

 

1) I want normal looking skin. Not this blotchy mess.

2) Non-mongoloid face shapes.

 

That's the biggest concern for me at the moment.

 

Any ideas?

 

As for how I installed, I read the directions on the different mods pages. I'm using Nexus Mod Manager as well. I think (hope) I know how to use nexus mod manager because I mod the ever living s*** out of my skyrim to make things incredibly gorgeous and I don't have issues there.

 

Thanks in advance for any possible help!

[Hickory]

I have one hell of a beasty PC and I can run any mod given to me.

 

That doesn't mean squat. Oblivion is an old game, and no matter what your rig specs are, the game engine is incapable of utilising the features of today's hardware... period. As you install more and more mods, especially graphic hungry mods, you *will* have fps issues, there is no escaping it with a heavily modded Oblivion.

 

Now that's out of the way, the first thing you must realise is that many, many Oblivion mods simply will not install correctly with NMM. You *must* familiarise yourself with how mods are installed and work, particularly the file structure. When you then download a mod, check the structure of the archive, and read the instructions carefully. When/if you are satisfied that NMM will be able to install it, then add it manually (from file).

 

Next, you must get used to the idea of using BOSS and Wrye Bash (Bashed Patch), or you will be running back to the forums for help continually -- or tearing your hair out.

 

Mods:

The first cosmetic mod I always install is Tamriel NPCs Revamped. This only alters the facial geometry of NPCs, but makes a heck of a difference.

Next, install these in THIS order:

• Improved Facial Textures
• Improved Argonian Facial Textures
• Facial Textures by Enayla

After that, choose your favourite body replacer (Robert's Male/Female, HGEC etc.).

 

 

 

[sidlicious]

I have one hell of a beasty PC and I can run any mod given to me.

 

That doesn't mean squat. Oblivion is an old game, and no matter what your rig specs are, the game engine is incapable of utilising the features of today's hardware... period. As you install more and more mods, especially graphic hungry mods, you *will* have fps issues, there is no escaping it with a heavily modded Oblivion.

 

Now that's out of the way, the first thing you must realise is that many, many Oblivion mods simply will not install correctly with NMM. You *must* familiarise yourself with how mods are installed and work, particularly the file structure. When you then download a mod, check the structure of the archive, and read the instructions carefully. When/if you are satisfied that NMM will be able to install it, then add it manually (from file).

 

Next, you must get used to the idea of using BOSS and Wrye Bash (Bashed Patch), or you will be running back to the forums for help continually -- or tearing your hair out.

 

Mods:

The first cosmetic mod I always install is Tamriel NPCs Revamped. This only alters the facial geometry of NPCs, but makes a heck of a difference.

Next, install these in THIS order:

• Improved Facial Textures
• Improved Argonian Facial Textures
• Facial Textures by Enayla

After that, choose your favourite body replacer (Robert's Male/Female, HGEC etc.).

 

 

Okay I installed everything you said in the same order and I did it all manually. I used HGEC last and for that, I downloaded oblivion mod manager and just double clicked the file, clicked activate and selected it's options.

 

My character still looks the same :(

 

Still blueish blotchy skin, mongoloid shape...

 

:(

[Hickory]

I have one hell of a beasty PC and I can run any mod given to me.

 

That doesn't mean squat. Oblivion is an old game, and no matter what your rig specs are, the game engine is incapable of utilising the features of today's hardware... period. As you install more and more mods, especially graphic hungry mods, you *will* have fps issues, there is no escaping it with a heavily modded Oblivion.

 

Now that's out of the way, the first thing you must realise is that many, many Oblivion mods simply will not install correctly with NMM. You *must* familiarise yourself with how mods are installed and work, particularly the file structure. When you then download a mod, check the structure of the archive, and read the instructions carefully. When/if you are satisfied that NMM will be able to install it, then add it manually (from file).

 

Next, you must get used to the idea of using BOSS and Wrye Bash (Bashed Patch), or you will be running back to the forums for help continually -- or tearing your hair out.

 

Mods:

The first cosmetic mod I always install is Tamriel NPCs Revamped. This only alters the facial geometry of NPCs, but makes a heck of a difference.

Next, install these in THIS order:

• Improved Facial Textures
• Improved Argonian Facial Textures
• Facial Textures by Enayla

After that, choose your favourite body replacer (Robert's Male/Female, HGEC etc.).

 

 

Okay I installed everything you said in the same order and I did it all manually. I used HGEC last and for that, I downloaded oblivion mod manager and just double clicked the file, clicked activate and selected it's options.

 

My character still looks the same :(

 

Still blueish blotchy skin, mongoloid shape...

 

:(

 

Please post your mod list from Wrye Bash -- right click on the 'File' tab and select 'View Mods...' and copy/paste everything here (including spoiler/xml tags).

[Striker879]

What method of archive invalidation are you using? The recommended method is BSA Redirection.

[Rennn]

Also, I recommend OBGE v3 along with liquid water. It's awesome.

 

http://oblivion.nexusmods.com/mods/30054

http://oblivion.nexusmods.com/mods/37825

[sidlicious]

What is Wyre Bash? And I don't know what archive invalidation is. I read the link you said but it's going over my head.

 

I did see it mentioned OBMM which is what I used to install HGEC Body because it came in that format.

 

The rest were all in zip files with instructions to copy/paste into corresponding data files.

 

 

I googled wyre bash and found the oblivion link on this site, downloading now and installing, will update once I've figured out how to use it and get that info for you.

[sidlicious]

Edit:

 

Okay when I view active mode files in wrye bash, it says:

 

Active Mod Files:
[spoiler][xml]
00  Oblivion.esm
01  DLCShiveringIsles.esp
02  Knights.esp
03  DLCBattlehornCastle.esp
04  DLCHorseArmor.esp
05  DLCMehrunesRazor.esp
06  DLCThievesDen.esp
07  DLCFrostcrag.esp
08  DLCOrrery.esp
09  DLCSpellTomes.esp
0A  DLCVileLair.esp
[/xml]

 

 

The mods that I just intstalled were the ones listed by a user above which are:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Tamriel NPCs Revamped
   
3. Improved Facial Textures
   
4. Improved Argonian Facial Textures
   
5. Facial Textures by Enayla
   
6. HGEC Body
   

 

They were installed in that order because the guy who posted it, specified it to be done that way. I manually installed each one by copying the data files over so I suppose that would cancel out wrye bash from showing what I'm running.

 

I am wondering if I should post pictures of how my characters faces look so people know what I mean but I assume you all remember the default appearance, how it was blotchy and the shading wasn't good etc.

[Hickory]

You missed (or skipped over) this very important piece of my advice:

 

you must get used to the idea of using BOSS and Wrye Bash (Bashed Patch), or you will be running back to the forums for help continually -- or tearing your hair out.

 

Nothing you do will be of much use until you follow the above advice. Without your mod order sorted by BOSS, and a Bashed Patch created to pull all conflicts together, the above stands.

[talveren]

Edit:

 

Okay when I view active mode files in wrye bash, it says:

 

Active Mod Files:
[spoiler][xml]
00  Oblivion.esm
01  DLCShiveringIsles.esp
02  Knights.esp
03  DLCBattlehornCastle.esp
04  DLCHorseArmor.esp
05  DLCMehrunesRazor.esp
06  DLCThievesDen.esp
07  DLCFrostcrag.esp
08  DLCOrrery.esp
09  DLCSpellTomes.esp
0A  DLCVileLair.esp
[/xml]

 

 

The mods that I just intstalled were the ones listed by a user above which are:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Tamriel NPCs Revamped
   
3. Improved Facial Textures
   
4. Improved Argonian Facial Textures
   
5. Facial Textures by Enayla
   
6. HGEC Body
   

 

They were installed in that order because the guy who posted it, specified it to be done that way. I manually installed each one by copying the data files over so I suppose that would cancel out wrye bash from showing what I'm running.

 

I am wondering if I should post pictures of how my characters faces look so people know what I mean but I assume you all remember the default appearance, how it was blotchy and the shading wasn't good etc.

 

If your active mod list is from after you installed the mods, then you didn't activate them. In Wrye Bash, go to each of the mods in the mod list, and put a check mark before each one. There are at least two other ways from this thread alone that will allow you to activate them, but I prefer Wrye Bash. After that, sort with BOSS and build your bashed patch. Anything that gets imported or merged into the bashed patch will get a different symbol in the check box after you are done. That's supposed to happen.

 

Installing a mod, activating it, sorting it with BOSS, and making a bashed patch

 

 

How to do archive invalidation/redirection: