OBLIVION - MooSe's Essential Links/Mods & Tips (in progress)
There's recently been an influx of first time oblivion players asking for advice.
i was one of them this xmas gone. since i've become hugely addicted to the game and devour its lore, gameplay and community.
i thought i'd write up this post to include essential information and tips that i have personnaly found, employed and recommend.
enjoy
PLEASE USE THE LINKS PROVIDED TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO YOUR PROBLEMS. THIS THREAD IS TO HIGHLIGHT INFORMATION AND MODS ETC TO ENHANCE YOUR GAME. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM MAKE A DEDICATED POST RATHER THAN CLUTTER THIS ONE.
THIS TOPIC IS CONTINUED AT REPLY # 20
*updated* MOD content now started
*updated* more MOD content 17/03/07
*updated* character creation and levelling 18/03/07
*updated* a bit on performance issues 21/03/07
*updated* Omods, patch 1.2 link and techFAQ link added 23/03/7
*updated* Armour pics and link added 24/03/07
*PATCH 1.2 NOW RELEASED*
go here - Official TES IV site patch 1.2
(thanks to Edgecrusher for that news and Neil79 for the release notes)
SHIVERING ISLES NOW ON SALE
*post 80 has some S.I bug fix links*
*updated* Character templates post 107
*updated* PATCH 1.2.0416 NOW AVAILABLE 01/05/07
*Update* MODS and LINKS update @ Post 169
OBLIVION - ESSENTIAL THINGS TO START WITH
firstly read this - TWEAKGUIDE
i've used this chaps site since bf1942. it is a comprehensive guide to your hardware, setting up the game, graphic options, .ini folder tweaks and console commands.
read it then read it again. you will find the solution to almost every problem oblivion has.... and there are many!
(there are also a number of links within his site so i'll refer them back to this link)
The Elder Scrolls official site - TES official
download the official patch from here. make sure you use the UK version.
also where you download payable plugins which i'll mention later.
the TES IV forums are also a hotbed of info for pc and xboxers alike. they move extremely rapidly and you shold get answers to questions in minutes.
Oblivion UESP WIKI - WIKI
possibly the greatest and most informative source of information available.
the entire game, its lore, gameplay and mechanics are here. this is an essential read before you choose your character and attributes/skills etc.
the contents appear a bit sparse but don't worry. each page leads you to deeper info so delve deep!
Construction Set - available from the official TES site linked above.
enables you to simply change weapon/armour/item stats etc to creating and employing your own enchants etc. it is a tool and as good as you are. from the wiki site above you will find guides on it and links to tutorials.
the best use i have found is modding mods. i am a self confessed armour whore... however most armour mods are for heavy armour sets. with CS i can change them to light and alter weight and armour values accordingly. also if you've ever got dissallusioned by the enchanting limitations use CS to create your own.
eg; i have a favorite armour set and sword. (medieval looking ones opposed to fantasy) i have applied multiple enchants and inserted the items into game locations. essentially i have to quest for them but get what i want. cheating? it depends on you. my items are tested to ensure they are not overpowered and i have roleplayed a scenario to retrive them. my sword i incorparted into the Knights of the Nine pilgrimage quest to have it blessed.
so construction set is a powerful tool at your disposal to use how you will.
Oblivion Mod Manager - OMM
utterly essential if you employ a lot of mods. use it to set load sequence priority to avoid conflicts or troubleshoot conflicts.
remember oblivion.esm goes at the top (first to load) and mods load on top. set minor mods early and big game changing mods last.
official pluggins should be last to load especially KotN. (more info in "plugins")
*note* the load order appears back to front. first to load is at the TOP of the screen. last to load goes at the BOTTOM. you can physically move them and activate/de-activate.
*EDIT*
De-Activating mods containing texture/mesh packs can cause graphical corruptions/annonylmies etc. (the plugin is de-activated but the texture/mesh remains active in folder). by using Omods (for Oblivion Mod Manager_) de-activating a mod does not cause this issue. go here for full info -
OMM info
Thanks to YouEntsinROYT for that info. any queeries ask him as he has converted his mods to this format and gave me the heads up
Official Plugins - Available from the TES official site.
*note* I have all pluggins except "spell Tomes"
include;
Knights of the Nine - gallant knightly quest. nets you some stunning armour (imo) but with questionable enchants. for chivalrous types not assasains!
*note* this plugin is buggy as hell. ensure it is LAST to load. once rolling it should be ok. i found the prophet missing to start. i did notice some old robed guy getting the smack on route to anvil..... a conflicting mod i'll mention later!
Mehrunes Razor - large dungeon delving quest for a daedric artifact. lots of combat and loot. Highly recommended.
The Orrery - you have to help to fix the mages guild solar system machine. not got but reported to be spectacular to watch when it fires up.
Frostcragg Spire - inherit a cracking tower in the mountains. you get your own spell and anchanting alters + an atronarch familiar alter (have a frost atronarch follow you). applicants to mages guild need not apply. however there is a catch..... you need to cough up for the gear to furnish and fire up the alters. about 14k. pricey for early levels.
*note* there are glitches with atronarch familiars getting stuck or going missing. personnally i give em a miss and just conjure up a dremora lord when needed. that madman is better than any atronarch familar by far!
Thieves Den - learn the location of a lost pirate ship and crew. battle them then reap the profits. once furnished (costly) you get your very own criminal syndicate and pirates. get the pirates to plunder and receive a share of the loot in cash. a steady earner.(good for thiefy types. i send my pirates out each week to keep the coffers topped up)
Vile Lair - for very bad people. not used it as my character has gone all godlike and knightly. however.... cure for vampirism without needing to do stupid vampire cure quest. worth it alone for that nugget.
Horse Armour - armour for dobbin. looks good but glitches up a lot of things. ruins shadowmere (removes his aggression and turns him into a pit pony). however. if horses are only transport to you, it protects them and is the basis for a couple of cool mods i'll mention later. i have de-activated it as it causes more problems than wothwhile for the eye candy.
Spell Tomes - find spells within loot. pointless if you like brewing your own but some are custom spells you cannot make yourself. (i don't have this one)
All the plugins are dirt cheap (couple of quid) and download fast. they are easy enough to install and backup so i think they are thoroughly worthwhile.
just don't buy the KotN retail pack in shops ok. it costs double the downloads.
ESSENTIAL GRAPHICS PACKS
lets be brutally honest here. vanilla oblivion has rubbish graphics..... in context to what it can look like.
heres what you can do about it.
look here for comparisons of how oblivion can look - make it pretty
as you can see the vanilla textures pale into comparison with some of the texture replacers. what you use is dictated by your own hardware set up.
if you have the best use Qarl's texture pack III - QTP3
this one is new so see the forum for feedback on it. Qarl's are always the most detailed to look at but costly in terms of performance. do specalist searchs to research this one.
i use the following;
Landscape LOD Replacement link
Landscape LOD texture replacer - Borders link
Normal Map LOD replacement link
Better Grass Without Tiling link
these are the mods recommended within the tweakguides site and can be seen in the make it pretty site.
combined they do not massively impact performance and greatly enhance vanilla visuals. my own screenies highlight the need . i won't include before and after shots as the make it pretty site does it for you.
OBLIVION MODS
Mods are what turn oblivion from a great game into a fantastic game. firstly you need to know where to get mods from.
virtually every mod for oblivion (and morrowind) is held here;
http://www.tesnexus.com/
The ElderScrolls Source. it has a database of thousands of mods. navigating is a bit tricky. you ideally need to know the name of the mod to do a search for it. otherwise you need to guess the category and trawl through potentially hundreds of mods. downloads are in a compressed form and fast.
alternately i use - PLANET ELDER SCROLLS MODS
This site is easier to navigate but does'nt contain as many mods as TESS. when you download a mod you'll either be linked to TESS or fileplanet.
The last site i use is - ATOMIC MODBLIVION
This site gives you an intro on how to use mods and contains the most popular mods so its a pretty good place to get your main ones from.
here's a link from another forum quoting lots of the most popular Oblivion mods popular 2007/2006 mods
Thanks Neil79 for the linky
Once you have downloaded your chosen mods you'll have to extract them to your oblivion folder. i use the following order for backup and database purposes.
download mod to desktop.
create folder with mod title
move folder to my data hard drive with a dedicated oblivion mods folder
move folder into sub category folder
extract into folder (the mod titled folder)
read the "readme" for installation and conflicts etc.
depending on mod type i either just copy and paste the mod.esp into oblivion data folder or if the mod contains many texture and mesh folders i'll extract again to oblivion data.
open mod manager and set new mod load sequence and activate.
play and be impressed!
ESSENTIAL MODS
I will list these by load order i use and amount of impact/gamechange they impart.
All of the mods listed are mods i currently use or have used. i will give ratings according to my own humble opinion and any conflicts etc.
OSCURO'S OBLIVION OVERHAUL
OOO read me
This mod is probably the most well known and most dramatic in terms of gamechange. it seeks to address the levelling system and addresses issues to make Cyrodil more believable and realistic to the adventurer. do not download it until you have read the read me.
Against advice i used this mod for my first ever character. it is very hard to start off and unforgiving. you will start as a puny, weakling skint convict and everybody will be able to give you a good kicking. i persevered to lvl 4 (the levels are about 4 times slower than vanilla) before i gave up.
It is a mod to play once you have completed vanilla and what to nurture a character for a long time and reap the rewards and challenges.
It is extremely well executed and very satisfying to play.
download version 1.3 and patch 1.31 here - OOO dwnload
There are tons of posts about OOO so if you want to try it have a look around.
Natural Enviroments
This is a stunner! it creates seasonal effects for vegetation and weather. in summer climates the landscape is incredibly lush and vibrant, in winter its washed out. combined with a good LOD texture mod it utterly changes Oblivion into a masterpiece. It is stunning! you also get more birdies and insects etc and better effects for water and weather. i load this mod near last as it has a good few changes. i have suffeed no conflicts with it.
Natural Enviroments
Mart's Monster Mod
MMM gives huge changes. it adds an enormous varity of new creatures and npc's to the game. a trip into the wilderness will be genuinely life threatening. there are more bandit and marauder varities, more undead creatures, different goblin factions and loads of other monsters. there are also new addition to the daedra. just riding along a road will give you instant awareness to this mod. the funny thing is the new npc types belong to factions and you can witness some huge dust ups.
this mod can cause quest issues though. on the daedric quest for Hircine i had to find and kill the unicorn. i snuck up to its minotaur protected home and discovered a mass battle between some MMM bandits and the minotaurs. the bandits won and then killed the unicorn
not a quest breaker but sad as i wanted to ride it. i have also had mages guild meetings ruined by creatures killing quest critical contacts. its sometimes a pain but just remember to keep saving in case an issue does arrive.
oh. the Ayleid ruins are now very scary and its hilarious to watch an imperial guard laying into a goblin clan. a fantastic mod with monsterous monster content.
get MMM here
MMM 1.2 compatibility available here (post 5 of) http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=675759
Combat Behaviour
Changes the way in which adversaries fight. basically everyone is tougher in a scrap, they block better and more and generally try to kill you in more ways. its a challenge but fun. if you are rock hard then its humorous to watch bandits flee from you in fear. have'nt found any conflicts.
CB link
No Pyschic Guards
All it does is reduce the distance guards can hear your victim screaming from.
thats it?? its good that if there are no guards around you can take your time hacking someone up but it is not a magic guard deflector. if they hear screaming they come. no conflicts found and essential for Dark Brotherhood types.
NPG link
Attack and Hide
Reduces the enemies annoying auto aqquire after a stealth attack. if you remain stealthed and hidden they won't see you but will search. adds a spot of realism and removes the vanilla infa red seeking hunter killer npc's. essential for stealthy types and no conflicts reported.
A & H link
Crowded Cities, Street Gangs & Life
3 separate mods but they all do the same thing - add more npc's to the cities populace. with all 3 loaded cities are actually reall busy and vibrant. there are day and night populace lists. all the new people have generic names like "adventurer" or "farmer" etc but they are interactive and have rumours. street gangs adds highwaymen and vampires into the night populace so you might get mugged. in fact getting mugged cracks me up. there you are - The hero of Kvatch, Lord Crusader, Head of every guild, dripping in enchanted armour and weapons whilst reeking of destructive spell charge..... and a mangy moggy Khajitt highway man sticks you up. when you refuse to hand over cash its just an exercise in beating him to death before the guards get to him.
the vampires are entertaining too. try not to kill them, just block until the guard arrive. if you are lucky up to 10 guards lay into the vampire with everything they have. sit back and laugh loudly then loot his broken body!
Life mod adds yet more characters and of different heights which is nice. little imperial women, diddy orcs huuuge orcs and nords etc.
these mods may impact performance depending on your cpu. i run a X2 4400 @ 2.66 and don't notice problems so a C2D would breeze it.
no conflicts reported.
Life link
Crowded Ciities link
Street gangs
GAME FIXES, ADDITIONS and TWEAK MODS
Guild Suspension Fix
fixes an annoying bug. if you are a member a guild(s) and purchase a horse the horse also becomes a guild member(???). If inadvertantly during a roadside bandit battle you spam your hoss with a spell or smack it one you get a guild suspension message for stealing from guild members. Its bloody annoying and unless you have saved game recently you have to go on errands to collect stuff eg 20 bear pelts for the fighters club. by loading this mod stealing from guild members is no longer a crime so you can't get suspended due to the horse glitch. of course you can now rob your fellow members blind but thats immoral.
its a fix for a bad bug and a relief if you have suffered from the horse/suspension glitch.
guild suspension fix link
Call Steed + Saddlebags
Not a fix per se but a good spell addition. from edgars discount spells you can buy 2 new spells. one to call your horse like a dog and one to summon him thin air. very very useful. NOTE does not work with horse armour mods and shadowmere does'nt respond cos she's a stubborn mule.
The saddlebags enables your horse as a container. in stealth mode you simply select the horse and he acts like any normal chest. fill 'im up full of dungeon loot and head to the shops...... but he gets slower the more loaded. really useful though and works with horsey armour.
CS+SB link
Bag of Holding
A cheat? gives you a magic bag. its contents are weightless and infinite! so.......... get dungeon delving and fill up that bag without needing any pesky feather spells.
yeah i s'pose it is cheating but i got fed up making huge armour piles by dungeon doors and trapsing back and forth to market.
i do try and not cheat too much by only putting loot in. not my own gear, hence i am still encumbered by my inventory except loot.
no conflicts.
bag of holding link
Erics Quad damage for Archers
if you are English or welsh you may have an affinity and fondness for bows due to your ancestors exploits in france!!
imagine then in oblivion, upon stringing a bow you find it takes upwards of 10 arrows to kill sometimes!!
A WarBow should kill an armoured knight at 200 yards. this mod addresses this issue by simply providing double-triple or quad damage multipliers. once your marksman skill and bow quality increase though its a good idea to reduce it. Conflicts with Marts Monster Mod (MMM read me tells you what other mods to use instead)
Quad arrow damage
Arcane Velocity
fed up of watching your spell shoot off at the speed of a paper aeroplane? laugh in the face of necromancers as you sidestep their spells?
then this is for you. this mod gives several speed options from still slow to oh my god where did that fireball come from! renders bows obsolete at high destructive levels as you can fire off spells without having to lead 3 days into the future! no conflicts found.
Arcane velocity link
Lighter Weapons
ever wondered why elven weapons weigh more than iron?
no i did'nt either. this mod lightens all weapons - expressly elven and mithril and arrows. it's just to add a bit more realism and even the penalty for better weaponry etc. no conflicts.
Lighter Weapons
weapon durability
simply increases the durability of weapons and armour as the vanilla stuff wears out as if it were made of chalk. no point if you have armourer as a skill and use it to level. otherwise its handy. no conflicts
Weapon Durability link
faster mercantile Levelling
mercantile is the slowest skill to level in oblivion. if you are a thief or just want better money for your loot this helps speed up your mercantile skill.
FML
Double Barter Money
npc merchants are tightfisted and you'll only ever get 1200 sceptims for that 5k daedric claymore you fought so hard for!
this doubles their barter maximum so at higher levels it is still worthwhile looting all armour pieces rather than just say, gauntlets.
DBM link
Key Chain
adds a key chain to your inventory to reduce cluttering. very good.
keychain
Buy Lockpicks
lockpicks are hard to aqquire. thieves guildmasters, bandits and goblins etc. this lets certain merchants/npc's sell them which is very handy for light fingered people!
BLP link
Open Cities
I love this mod. it removes city gates (exept imperial city) so you can ride straight in. gives a really good immersive feeling. also makes cities a bit more entertaining as you'll now find horses dotted around and lord knows.... even trolls or wolves might stray in!
warning!! it does have bugs. Anvil gate is glitched and it can cause some strange graphic corruptions. also fps wil decrease or stutter will increase
(cities are not loaded now so run like wilderness performance).
this is a mod i activate or deactivate depending on glitch circumstances.
open cities
Arena Loot
enables you to disregard arena ettiquette and loot the vanquished combatant! gives you an advantage at low levels as you can obtain weaponry not encountered at your level.
good for making money too by flogging looted gear.
arena loot
Arena Spectators
Puts npc bums on seats in the arena. makes you feel more popular!
slows down performance though so test it.
AS
or use the lite version
AS for puny rigs
Reznod Mannequinns
Enables you to buy "armour dummies". you place them in a room, enter their inventory and dress it in chosen armour and weapons then pose it.
essential if you have a large house and want to display all your trophy armour.
mannequinns
Kickbans House of Wonders
you can buy display cases to put in your house. bloomin marvellous!
i love displaying stuff so this is a great mod.
carefull though. you could spent hours arranging your house with display cases and armour dummies.
also comes with ayleid lanterns which give a nice lighting effect.
display cases link
i still have lots more minor mods im unsure whether to list and a load of armour/weapon mods.
if anyone wants to see these mods listed just shout.
If you think i've missed out a really good mod or fix it's because I don't use it. Feel free to post your own mod recommendations and i'll put a link into this list and accredit to you.
i've run out of character space allocation for this post so i've carried on @ reply # 20.
"I saw a mudcrab today"
There's recently been an influx of first time oblivion players asking for advice.
i was one of them this xmas gone. since i've become hugely addicted to the game and devour its lore, gameplay and community.
i thought i'd write up this post to include essential information and tips that i have personnaly found, employed and recommend.
enjoy
PLEASE USE THE LINKS PROVIDED TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO YOUR PROBLEMS. THIS THREAD IS TO HIGHLIGHT INFORMATION AND MODS ETC TO ENHANCE YOUR GAME. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM MAKE A DEDICATED POST RATHER THAN CLUTTER THIS ONE.
THIS TOPIC IS CONTINUED AT REPLY # 20
*updated* MOD content now started
*updated* more MOD content 17/03/07
*updated* character creation and levelling 18/03/07
*updated* a bit on performance issues 21/03/07
*updated* Omods, patch 1.2 link and techFAQ link added 23/03/7
*updated* Armour pics and link added 24/03/07
*PATCH 1.2 NOW RELEASED*
go here - Official TES IV site patch 1.2
(thanks to Edgecrusher for that news and Neil79 for the release notes)
SHIVERING ISLES NOW ON SALE
*post 80 has some S.I bug fix links*
*updated* Character templates post 107
*updated* PATCH 1.2.0416 NOW AVAILABLE 01/05/07
*Update* MODS and LINKS update @ Post 169
OBLIVION - ESSENTIAL THINGS TO START WITH
firstly read this - TWEAKGUIDE
i've used this chaps site since bf1942. it is a comprehensive guide to your hardware, setting up the game, graphic options, .ini folder tweaks and console commands.
read it then read it again. you will find the solution to almost every problem oblivion has.... and there are many!
(there are also a number of links within his site so i'll refer them back to this link)
The Elder Scrolls official site - TES official
download the official patch from here. make sure you use the UK version.
also where you download payable plugins which i'll mention later.
the TES IV forums are also a hotbed of info for pc and xboxers alike. they move extremely rapidly and you shold get answers to questions in minutes.
Oblivion UESP WIKI - WIKI
possibly the greatest and most informative source of information available.
the entire game, its lore, gameplay and mechanics are here. this is an essential read before you choose your character and attributes/skills etc.
the contents appear a bit sparse but don't worry. each page leads you to deeper info so delve deep!
Construction Set - available from the official TES site linked above.
enables you to simply change weapon/armour/item stats etc to creating and employing your own enchants etc. it is a tool and as good as you are. from the wiki site above you will find guides on it and links to tutorials.
the best use i have found is modding mods. i am a self confessed armour whore... however most armour mods are for heavy armour sets. with CS i can change them to light and alter weight and armour values accordingly. also if you've ever got dissallusioned by the enchanting limitations use CS to create your own.
eg; i have a favorite armour set and sword. (medieval looking ones opposed to fantasy) i have applied multiple enchants and inserted the items into game locations. essentially i have to quest for them but get what i want. cheating? it depends on you. my items are tested to ensure they are not overpowered and i have roleplayed a scenario to retrive them. my sword i incorparted into the Knights of the Nine pilgrimage quest to have it blessed.
so construction set is a powerful tool at your disposal to use how you will.
Oblivion Mod Manager - OMM
utterly essential if you employ a lot of mods. use it to set load sequence priority to avoid conflicts or troubleshoot conflicts.
remember oblivion.esm goes at the top (first to load) and mods load on top. set minor mods early and big game changing mods last.
official pluggins should be last to load especially KotN. (more info in "plugins")
*note* the load order appears back to front. first to load is at the TOP of the screen. last to load goes at the BOTTOM. you can physically move them and activate/de-activate.
*EDIT*
De-Activating mods containing texture/mesh packs can cause graphical corruptions/annonylmies etc. (the plugin is de-activated but the texture/mesh remains active in folder). by using Omods (for Oblivion Mod Manager_) de-activating a mod does not cause this issue. go here for full info -
OMM info
Thanks to YouEntsinROYT for that info. any queeries ask him as he has converted his mods to this format and gave me the heads up
Official Plugins - Available from the TES official site.
*note* I have all pluggins except "spell Tomes"
include;
Knights of the Nine - gallant knightly quest. nets you some stunning armour (imo) but with questionable enchants. for chivalrous types not assasains!
*note* this plugin is buggy as hell. ensure it is LAST to load. once rolling it should be ok. i found the prophet missing to start. i did notice some old robed guy getting the smack on route to anvil..... a conflicting mod i'll mention later!
Mehrunes Razor - large dungeon delving quest for a daedric artifact. lots of combat and loot. Highly recommended.
The Orrery - you have to help to fix the mages guild solar system machine. not got but reported to be spectacular to watch when it fires up.
Frostcragg Spire - inherit a cracking tower in the mountains. you get your own spell and anchanting alters + an atronarch familiar alter (have a frost atronarch follow you). applicants to mages guild need not apply. however there is a catch..... you need to cough up for the gear to furnish and fire up the alters. about 14k. pricey for early levels.
*note* there are glitches with atronarch familiars getting stuck or going missing. personnally i give em a miss and just conjure up a dremora lord when needed. that madman is better than any atronarch familar by far!
Thieves Den - learn the location of a lost pirate ship and crew. battle them then reap the profits. once furnished (costly) you get your very own criminal syndicate and pirates. get the pirates to plunder and receive a share of the loot in cash. a steady earner.(good for thiefy types. i send my pirates out each week to keep the coffers topped up)
Vile Lair - for very bad people. not used it as my character has gone all godlike and knightly. however.... cure for vampirism without needing to do stupid vampire cure quest. worth it alone for that nugget.
Horse Armour - armour for dobbin. looks good but glitches up a lot of things. ruins shadowmere (removes his aggression and turns him into a pit pony). however. if horses are only transport to you, it protects them and is the basis for a couple of cool mods i'll mention later. i have de-activated it as it causes more problems than wothwhile for the eye candy.
Spell Tomes - find spells within loot. pointless if you like brewing your own but some are custom spells you cannot make yourself. (i don't have this one)
All the plugins are dirt cheap (couple of quid) and download fast. they are easy enough to install and backup so i think they are thoroughly worthwhile.
just don't buy the KotN retail pack in shops ok. it costs double the downloads.
ESSENTIAL GRAPHICS PACKS
lets be brutally honest here. vanilla oblivion has rubbish graphics..... in context to what it can look like.
heres what you can do about it.
look here for comparisons of how oblivion can look - make it pretty
as you can see the vanilla textures pale into comparison with some of the texture replacers. what you use is dictated by your own hardware set up.
if you have the best use Qarl's texture pack III - QTP3
this one is new so see the forum for feedback on it. Qarl's are always the most detailed to look at but costly in terms of performance. do specalist searchs to research this one.
i use the following;
Landscape LOD Replacement link
Landscape LOD texture replacer - Borders link
Normal Map LOD replacement link
Better Grass Without Tiling link
these are the mods recommended within the tweakguides site and can be seen in the make it pretty site.
combined they do not massively impact performance and greatly enhance vanilla visuals. my own screenies highlight the need . i won't include before and after shots as the make it pretty site does it for you.
OBLIVION MODS
Mods are what turn oblivion from a great game into a fantastic game. firstly you need to know where to get mods from.
virtually every mod for oblivion (and morrowind) is held here;
http://www.tesnexus.com/
The ElderScrolls Source. it has a database of thousands of mods. navigating is a bit tricky. you ideally need to know the name of the mod to do a search for it. otherwise you need to guess the category and trawl through potentially hundreds of mods. downloads are in a compressed form and fast.
alternately i use - PLANET ELDER SCROLLS MODS
This site is easier to navigate but does'nt contain as many mods as TESS. when you download a mod you'll either be linked to TESS or fileplanet.
The last site i use is - ATOMIC MODBLIVION
This site gives you an intro on how to use mods and contains the most popular mods so its a pretty good place to get your main ones from.
here's a link from another forum quoting lots of the most popular Oblivion mods popular 2007/2006 mods
Thanks Neil79 for the linky
Once you have downloaded your chosen mods you'll have to extract them to your oblivion folder. i use the following order for backup and database purposes.
download mod to desktop.
create folder with mod title
move folder to my data hard drive with a dedicated oblivion mods folder
move folder into sub category folder
extract into folder (the mod titled folder)
read the "readme" for installation and conflicts etc.
depending on mod type i either just copy and paste the mod.esp into oblivion data folder or if the mod contains many texture and mesh folders i'll extract again to oblivion data.
open mod manager and set new mod load sequence and activate.
play and be impressed!
ESSENTIAL MODS
I will list these by load order i use and amount of impact/gamechange they impart.
All of the mods listed are mods i currently use or have used. i will give ratings according to my own humble opinion and any conflicts etc.
OSCURO'S OBLIVION OVERHAUL
OOO read me
This mod is probably the most well known and most dramatic in terms of gamechange. it seeks to address the levelling system and addresses issues to make Cyrodil more believable and realistic to the adventurer. do not download it until you have read the read me.
Against advice i used this mod for my first ever character. it is very hard to start off and unforgiving. you will start as a puny, weakling skint convict and everybody will be able to give you a good kicking. i persevered to lvl 4 (the levels are about 4 times slower than vanilla) before i gave up.
It is a mod to play once you have completed vanilla and what to nurture a character for a long time and reap the rewards and challenges.
It is extremely well executed and very satisfying to play.
download version 1.3 and patch 1.31 here - OOO dwnload
There are tons of posts about OOO so if you want to try it have a look around.
Natural Enviroments
This is a stunner! it creates seasonal effects for vegetation and weather. in summer climates the landscape is incredibly lush and vibrant, in winter its washed out. combined with a good LOD texture mod it utterly changes Oblivion into a masterpiece. It is stunning! you also get more birdies and insects etc and better effects for water and weather. i load this mod near last as it has a good few changes. i have suffeed no conflicts with it.
Natural Enviroments
Mart's Monster Mod
MMM gives huge changes. it adds an enormous varity of new creatures and npc's to the game. a trip into the wilderness will be genuinely life threatening. there are more bandit and marauder varities, more undead creatures, different goblin factions and loads of other monsters. there are also new addition to the daedra. just riding along a road will give you instant awareness to this mod. the funny thing is the new npc types belong to factions and you can witness some huge dust ups.
this mod can cause quest issues though. on the daedric quest for Hircine i had to find and kill the unicorn. i snuck up to its minotaur protected home and discovered a mass battle between some MMM bandits and the minotaurs. the bandits won and then killed the unicorn
not a quest breaker but sad as i wanted to ride it. i have also had mages guild meetings ruined by creatures killing quest critical contacts. its sometimes a pain but just remember to keep saving in case an issue does arrive.oh. the Ayleid ruins are now very scary and its hilarious to watch an imperial guard laying into a goblin clan. a fantastic mod with monsterous monster content.
get MMM here
MMM 1.2 compatibility available here (post 5 of) http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=675759
Combat Behaviour
Changes the way in which adversaries fight. basically everyone is tougher in a scrap, they block better and more and generally try to kill you in more ways. its a challenge but fun. if you are rock hard then its humorous to watch bandits flee from you in fear. have'nt found any conflicts.
CB link
No Pyschic Guards
All it does is reduce the distance guards can hear your victim screaming from.
thats it?? its good that if there are no guards around you can take your time hacking someone up but it is not a magic guard deflector. if they hear screaming they come. no conflicts found and essential for Dark Brotherhood types.
NPG link
Attack and Hide
Reduces the enemies annoying auto aqquire after a stealth attack. if you remain stealthed and hidden they won't see you but will search. adds a spot of realism and removes the vanilla infa red seeking hunter killer npc's. essential for stealthy types and no conflicts reported.
A & H link
Crowded Cities, Street Gangs & Life
3 separate mods but they all do the same thing - add more npc's to the cities populace. with all 3 loaded cities are actually reall busy and vibrant. there are day and night populace lists. all the new people have generic names like "adventurer" or "farmer" etc but they are interactive and have rumours. street gangs adds highwaymen and vampires into the night populace so you might get mugged. in fact getting mugged cracks me up. there you are - The hero of Kvatch, Lord Crusader, Head of every guild, dripping in enchanted armour and weapons whilst reeking of destructive spell charge..... and a mangy moggy Khajitt highway man sticks you up. when you refuse to hand over cash its just an exercise in beating him to death before the guards get to him.
the vampires are entertaining too. try not to kill them, just block until the guard arrive. if you are lucky up to 10 guards lay into the vampire with everything they have. sit back and laugh loudly then loot his broken body!
Life mod adds yet more characters and of different heights which is nice. little imperial women, diddy orcs huuuge orcs and nords etc.
these mods may impact performance depending on your cpu. i run a X2 4400 @ 2.66 and don't notice problems so a C2D would breeze it.
no conflicts reported.
Life link
Crowded Ciities link
Street gangs
GAME FIXES, ADDITIONS and TWEAK MODS
Guild Suspension Fix
fixes an annoying bug. if you are a member a guild(s) and purchase a horse the horse also becomes a guild member(???). If inadvertantly during a roadside bandit battle you spam your hoss with a spell or smack it one you get a guild suspension message for stealing from guild members. Its bloody annoying and unless you have saved game recently you have to go on errands to collect stuff eg 20 bear pelts for the fighters club. by loading this mod stealing from guild members is no longer a crime so you can't get suspended due to the horse glitch. of course you can now rob your fellow members blind but thats immoral.
its a fix for a bad bug and a relief if you have suffered from the horse/suspension glitch.
guild suspension fix link
Call Steed + Saddlebags
Not a fix per se but a good spell addition. from edgars discount spells you can buy 2 new spells. one to call your horse like a dog and one to summon him thin air. very very useful. NOTE does not work with horse armour mods and shadowmere does'nt respond cos she's a stubborn mule.
The saddlebags enables your horse as a container. in stealth mode you simply select the horse and he acts like any normal chest. fill 'im up full of dungeon loot and head to the shops...... but he gets slower the more loaded. really useful though and works with horsey armour.
CS+SB link
Bag of Holding
A cheat? gives you a magic bag. its contents are weightless and infinite! so.......... get dungeon delving and fill up that bag without needing any pesky feather spells.
yeah i s'pose it is cheating but i got fed up making huge armour piles by dungeon doors and trapsing back and forth to market.
i do try and not cheat too much by only putting loot in. not my own gear, hence i am still encumbered by my inventory except loot.
no conflicts.
bag of holding link
Erics Quad damage for Archers
if you are English or welsh you may have an affinity and fondness for bows due to your ancestors exploits in france!!
imagine then in oblivion, upon stringing a bow you find it takes upwards of 10 arrows to kill sometimes!!
A WarBow should kill an armoured knight at 200 yards. this mod addresses this issue by simply providing double-triple or quad damage multipliers. once your marksman skill and bow quality increase though its a good idea to reduce it. Conflicts with Marts Monster Mod (MMM read me tells you what other mods to use instead)
Quad arrow damage
Arcane Velocity
fed up of watching your spell shoot off at the speed of a paper aeroplane? laugh in the face of necromancers as you sidestep their spells?
then this is for you. this mod gives several speed options from still slow to oh my god where did that fireball come from! renders bows obsolete at high destructive levels as you can fire off spells without having to lead 3 days into the future! no conflicts found.
Arcane velocity link
Lighter Weapons
ever wondered why elven weapons weigh more than iron?
no i did'nt either. this mod lightens all weapons - expressly elven and mithril and arrows. it's just to add a bit more realism and even the penalty for better weaponry etc. no conflicts.
Lighter Weapons
weapon durability
simply increases the durability of weapons and armour as the vanilla stuff wears out as if it were made of chalk. no point if you have armourer as a skill and use it to level. otherwise its handy. no conflicts
Weapon Durability link
faster mercantile Levelling
mercantile is the slowest skill to level in oblivion. if you are a thief or just want better money for your loot this helps speed up your mercantile skill.
FML
Double Barter Money
npc merchants are tightfisted and you'll only ever get 1200 sceptims for that 5k daedric claymore you fought so hard for!
this doubles their barter maximum so at higher levels it is still worthwhile looting all armour pieces rather than just say, gauntlets.
DBM link
Key Chain
adds a key chain to your inventory to reduce cluttering. very good.
keychain
Buy Lockpicks
lockpicks are hard to aqquire. thieves guildmasters, bandits and goblins etc. this lets certain merchants/npc's sell them which is very handy for light fingered people!
BLP link
Open Cities
I love this mod. it removes city gates (exept imperial city) so you can ride straight in. gives a really good immersive feeling. also makes cities a bit more entertaining as you'll now find horses dotted around and lord knows.... even trolls or wolves might stray in!
warning!! it does have bugs. Anvil gate is glitched and it can cause some strange graphic corruptions. also fps wil decrease or stutter will increase
(cities are not loaded now so run like wilderness performance).
this is a mod i activate or deactivate depending on glitch circumstances.
open cities
Arena Loot
enables you to disregard arena ettiquette and loot the vanquished combatant! gives you an advantage at low levels as you can obtain weaponry not encountered at your level.
good for making money too by flogging looted gear.
arena loot
Arena Spectators
Puts npc bums on seats in the arena. makes you feel more popular!
slows down performance though so test it.
AS
or use the lite version
AS for puny rigs
Reznod Mannequinns
Enables you to buy "armour dummies". you place them in a room, enter their inventory and dress it in chosen armour and weapons then pose it.
essential if you have a large house and want to display all your trophy armour.
mannequinns
Kickbans House of Wonders
you can buy display cases to put in your house. bloomin marvellous!
i love displaying stuff so this is a great mod.
carefull though. you could spent hours arranging your house with display cases and armour dummies.
also comes with ayleid lanterns which give a nice lighting effect.
display cases link
i still have lots more minor mods im unsure whether to list and a load of armour/weapon mods.
if anyone wants to see these mods listed just shout.
If you think i've missed out a really good mod or fix it's because I don't use it. Feel free to post your own mod recommendations and i'll put a link into this list and accredit to you.
i've run out of character space allocation for this post so i've carried on @ reply # 20.
"I saw a mudcrab today"
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