Possible Compatibility Issue - Please Help

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

So I've been trying to dive back into Oblivion but I'm having problems. The game (like always) is crashing, specifically when I try to start a new game. I know it isn't my hardware, and I have done various attempted tests to find what is wrong with my game. Here is my mod list in installation order, load order is similar, LOOT has not mentioned any load order issues.

 

Unofficial Patch

Unofficial DLC Patch

Unofficial SI Patch

OBSE Test Plugin

Oblivion Stutter Remover

Archive Invalidation Invalidated

OneTweak

SkyBSA

MenuQue

Elys Universal Silent Voice

NifSE

Pluggy

Faction Rank Fix

Hear No Evil

Oblivion Reloaded

DarN UI

Oblivion XP (updated version)

Better Dungeons

Carry All You Want (cause I tend to hoard)

Chase Camera

Enhanced Camera

Compatibility for Enhanced Camera and OBR

SM Combat Hide

Spell Delete and Item Remove

Unlimited Rings

Blockhead

Coronerras Maximum Compatibility Skeleton

HGEC

Robert's Male Body

Oblivion Character Overhaul (may still be having Blockhead issue, need to be able to enter character creation first)

(OCO patches and clothing addons for bodies)

and finally Bashed Patch

 

As far as I see, I don't know any compatibility issues that I haven't patched. If there is, I would like to know, as I have attempted installing one mod at a time with no change and I have tried resetting the .ini file and full reinstallation. On another note, I keep ending up with a random empty mesh folder called ni and I don't know what is causing it.

Edited October 16, 2020 by SN1P1NGW0LF

[Striker879]

Have you tried the vanilla game before adding mods?

 

My own tried and true method for installing mods is to install one mod to a perfectly working game and then test thoroughly. If all is well then I will move on to install the next mod and then test thoroughly. When I add a mod to the game and now it stops working correctly it's a simple matter to figure out where to start troubleshooting.

 

A recommendation I can make for your early install section (the OBSE plugins) is EngineBugFixes. I'm not suggesting it as asolution to your current problem, but have a look through the fixes it offers in the mod description and/or readme and you'll get an idea of it's scope.

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

Have you tried the vanilla game before adding mods?

 

My own tried and true method for installing mods is to install one mod to a perfectly working game and then test thoroughly. If all is well then I will move on to install the next mod and then test thoroughly. When I add a mod to the game and now it stops working correctly it's a simple matter to figure out where to start troubleshooting.

 

A recommendation I can make for your early install section (the OBSE plugins) is EngineBugFixes. I'm not suggesting it as asolution to your current problem, but have a look through the fixes it offers in the mod description and/or readme and you'll get an idea of it's scope.

I did try that, and I am attempting it again. I will consider that plugin for my final setup, the info I'm seeing on it seems to help with some of the really bad jank of Bethesda games.

 

Also, I forgot to note this, but I am using Mod Organizer 2 for this, and I have done the proper workarounds for getting OBSE to work in MO2 alongside file injection. Having tried re-installing the game and restarting the modding process, I am now having the issue where the game just won't start in MO2 (starting through Steam works as normal).

Edited October 16, 2020 by SN1P1NGW0LF

[Striker879]

I'm of limited help when it comes to Steam (disk guy here) and ditto with extra "don't know" for Mod Organiser 2 issues.

 

MO2 should help with backtracking and trying different install orders I would think.

 

The key is not doing ten things and then test ... when things go south then you're left sorting through the lot trying to figure out which is the cause of the problem. Testing should take much more time than installing too. Don't just confirm the game starts and move on to the next, make certain that the mod's features are working and if it could possibly interfere/interact with another mod you need to confirm that both (or all if more than two) are happy working together.

 

It probably took me the better part of a week to get Basic Primary Needs, Realistic Fatigue and Basic Physical Activities tuned to my liking. Now granted to an outside observer many of the test sessions would appear to be just playing, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have all of those testing saves backed up, but none of that time spent testing was on my guy's current save line.

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

I'm of limited help when it comes to Steam (disk guy here) and ditto with extra "don't know" for Mod Organiser 2 issues.

 

MO2 should help with backtracking and trying different install orders I would think.

 

The key is not doing ten things and then test ... when things go south then you're left sorting through the lot trying to figure out which is the cause of the problem. Testing should take much more time than installing too. Don't just confirm the game starts and move on to the next, make certain that the mod's features are working and if it could possibly interfere/interact with another mod you need to confirm that both (or all if more than two) are happy working together.

 

It probably took me the better part of a week to get Basic Primary Needs, Realistic Fatigue and Basic Physical Activities tuned to my liking. Now granted to an outside observer many of the test sessions would appear to be just playing, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have all of those testing saves backed up, but none of that time spent testing was on my guy's current save line.

I used to be a disc player, but my copy of retail Oblivion was missing Battlehorn. Most of the mods in that list (Better Dungeons being the only obvious exception) have an immediate, in the jail cell/ship room, affect on the game, so I don't really have anything that I would need more than 20min. to test. As for MO2, I can understand why a lot of people don't use it for Oblivion, only reason I am is for the same reason you would buy all games on one online retailer, only one manager you have to use, as I've been taking advantage of MO2's instance system, which has worked greatly for Skyrim and surprisingly Morrowind. I was reluctant to list this as a compatibility issue as I have used all of these mods together before, using the normal NMM with OBMM and WryeBash, it is possible that the compatibility issue is with MO2 itself. Unfortunately from what I've read about online before starting this thread, if it is a case that MO2 is the problem, there simply isn't much that can be done since the MO2 devs don't seem to have any interest in providing support for older titles the manager is compatible with.

[Striker879]

It would make sense to me that you could find some Oblivion mods that aren't very "comfortable" with MO2's virtual install system.

 

The testing "worse case scenario" of BPN+RF+BPA really was for the most part my fault ... I was determined to use the three to achieve a number of goals I had for gameplay. The INI editing wasn't time consuming, it was the setting up encounters with bandits etc that could serve as repeatable test sessions while I changed INI settings (individually with each of the three mods initially, and then in combination with the others once I understood how each mod affected different aspects/the same aspects of the game).

 

I understand the "allure" of the clean Data folder, it's just a Siren's song that hasn't any effedt on me. When I want to start a new load order I have my base install backups to seed the new load order, and I have no trouble reverting my current Oblivion install back to vanilla state to begin the process. As always, to each his/her own.

 

A little while ago I was helping someone with an install that included Better Dungeons. I don't use it myself so I did some research before we attempted to install it (something that was eventually abandoned). My research uncovered enough incompatibilities that put it beyond what we were willing to work through at the time. If memory serves it was primarily Better Cities/Better Dungeons issues, but I'd need to look back on that thread to be certain, plus you aren't indicating any Better Cities in your install list.

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

It would make sense to me that you could find some Oblivion mods that aren't very "comfortable" with MO2's virtual install system.

 

The testing "worse case scenario" of BPN+RF+BPA really was for the most part my fault ... I was determined to use the three to achieve a number of goals I had for gameplay. The INI editing wasn't time consuming, it was the setting up encounters with bandits etc that could serve as repeatable test sessions while I changed INI settings (individually with each of the three mods initially, and then in combination with the others once I understood how each mod affected different aspects/the same aspects of the game).

 

I understand the "allure" of the clean Data folder, it's just a Siren's song that hasn't any effedt on me. When I want to start a new load order I have my base install backups to seed the new load order, and I have no trouble reverting my current Oblivion install back to vanilla state to begin the process. As always, to each his/her own.

 

A little while ago I was helping someone with an install that included Better Dungeons. I don't use it myself so I did some research before we attempted to install it (something that was eventually abandoned). My research uncovered enough incompatibilities that put it beyond what we were willing to work through at the time. If memory serves it was primarily Better Cities/Better Dungeons issues, but I'd need to look back on that thread to be certain, plus you aren't indicating any Better Cities in your install list.

The only other thing that makes me prefer MO2 over other mod managers is that, in the case of OCOv2, I don't have to worry so much about my install order since MO2 allows me to change the load order of the actual files instead of just the .esp. All I know at this point is I need to find out why the game suddenly refuses to start with MO2 before I can continue testing for incompatibilities.

 

And speaking of which I just found out that it was a corrupt Oblivion Stutter Remover installation because I didn't delete the files before reinstalling the game. So the incompatibility tests are back on.

 

It has now been a bit of testing mods and Oblivion Reloaded has now given me an issue with the characters having extremely dark face textures (resembling the weird Fallout 4 dark face bug). Going to do some more testing, may have to forgo OBR.

Edited October 17, 2020 by SN1P1NGW0LF

[KatsAwful]

Wrye Bash has mod file index loading btw, it works exactly like MO2 except without virtualization

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

Second mod issue already, DarN UI is causing CTD issues on the skill menu and Oblivion XP is now causing CTD issues on new game now that I've tried reinstalling the mod.

 

Wrye Bash has mod file index loading btw, it works exactly like MO2 except without virtualization

I was not aware of this, I tend to avoid WryeBash like the plague outside of the bashed patch because it simply takes forever to start-up on my PC.

Edited October 17, 2020 by SN1P1NGW0LF

[SN1P1NGW0LF]

I've now fixed the issue I was having with DarN UI and OBXP, had to use WryeBash because MO2's BAIN installer wasn't working properly. Hopefully this will be the last of my issues from here.