Let's Reinstall Oblivion v.3! Maybe we'll actually play it this time!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Reinstall Oblivion v.3! Maybe we'll actually play it this time!

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Traveller In Time: Apr 4, 2009; You got anything to eat? I haven't eaten anything since later this afternoon.

The last thread had a lot of outdated info in the op so here's the new one. This thread will give you the necessary information to install, mod, optimize and NOT gently caress UP your Oblivion game. I'll note which steps are essential, if you don't want to get too deep into all this, general troubleshooting, as well as mentioning the current most popular mods.

Step 1. Installing Oblivion.

Uninstall Oblivion cleanly before re-installing. That means deleting the installation folder, the folder in 'My Games' with the .ini, and using CCleaner's registry cleaning tool (or any registry cleaner) to get rid of any remnants of the game.

Install Oblivion, Shivering Isles, then any DLC you have. If you're on Vista or Windows 7 install outside the program files directory to avoid UAC issues.
Install the official patches. If you have the GOTY edition you don't need the Oblivion patch, just the Shivering Isles one.
Test your game. I mean it. Run around and play for at least a half an hour to make sure your game isn't making GBS threads itself every 5 minutes.

You don't need any of the official DLC if you don't want them, however it is strongly recommended you get Shivering Isles. Not only is it a fantastic expansion in its own right, it's required for many of the better mods. Go ahead, get it. It's cheap now.

Step 2. Mod Utilities and essentials.

Install the unofficial patches. The Oblivion one, the Shivering Isles one, then the DLC one.
Download and install Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE). It's required for most of the better mods.
Download and install Oblivion Mod Manager (OBMM) and Wyre Bash. These will be your mod installation programs, which make installing and uninstalling mods a breeze.
Download and install Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS). This takes away the headache of setting up your load order and does it as if by magic!

Step 2.5. Using OBMM and Wyre Bash.

These two programs do primarily the same thing by allowing you to easily install mods and set your load order. However, they both have unique features that you will want to take advantage of to create a smoother, more stable game. If you're fully familiar with these programs then you can use them in whatever way is most comfortable. If not, your mod adding procedure should be as follows.

Select 'create' at the bottom of the OBMM screen.
Select 'add archive' and select your zipped mod. If it's a folder 'add folder.' If it's a single file just use 'add file'.

_{If you're adding a mod that has multiple .esp files (these are your standard mod plug ins) and your downloaded mod doesn't have an OMOD conversion data file/folder then you will have to read the provided readme and delete the files you don't need. Many of the bigger mods especially come with alternative plug ins and textures you can use and can't run them all together. Most mods that require this will usually come with a conversion script though. If they don't you can search for one on TesNexus. These scripts, when activating the OMOD, will give you the choice as to what parts to install.}

_{Also, this isn't an issue for most mods but make sure (by clicking data files at the bottom) that all your mods are going to their right folders. The files should start with meshes\, textures\, sound\ etc. If they don't then they won't show up in game. This isn't an issue if it comes with an OMOD script.}
Add any information you want (author, version etc.) and click Create OMOD at the bottom. This process could take a little while based on the size of your mod. It's normal for OBMM to become unresponsive with some of the bigger installations, just leave it and let it do it's thing.

_{It is recommended to add the name of your mod and the version, for the sake of updating your mods later.}
Once finished the OMOD will appear on the right with a coloured box next to it. Select it and hit 'activate' at the bottom. Your plug in files (.esp) and any master files the mod may have (.esm) will appear on the left in your load order box, and all the other files will go into the appropriate folders in Oblivion's data directory. Tick the boxes next to the .esp and .esm files on the left to activate them.

_{The coloured box is only a big deal if it's red, which denotes a major conflict with another OMOD. It will prompt you to overwrite files from another mod when activated. Check the readme for any incompatibility issues.}
Select utilities > archive invalidation on the right. Select BSA redirection and auto-update on exit at the bottom. This is needed for any mods that replace texture, meshes etc. so that Oblivion will load them, as opposed to the original files. By selecting auto-update on exit this utility will run everytime you close OBMM so you only have to do this step once.
Run BOSS. It will automatically sort your load order when you close OBMM.
Phew! Now we're done. Just do that 200 more times and you'll be ready to play!

At this point you can finish, having only used OBMM, but if you're planning on adding a lot of mods then you really need to do this next set of steps in Wyre Bash.

Open Wyre Bash. Right click the column header at the top and untick 'Lock Times' so that Wyre Bash won't gently caress with the load order you created in OBMM.
Go to the Oblivion\Mopy\Extras folder and copy the Bashed Patch, 0 file into your Oblivion\Data folder.
Right click the Bashed Patch (at the bottom of your load order) and click 'Rebuild Patch'. A pop-up box will appear with loads of options on the left. Click one and any mods that are 'tagged' with that option will appear in the box on the right. Tick the box next to your mod, and tick the box next to the option. Hit OK and it will load all the information into the patch.

_{To determine which boxes to tick use BOSS. After some of your mods it will have recommended bash tags to use. These tags will be automatically added to your mods, so it's just a case of ticking the boxes.}

_{In your Wyre Bash load order some mods may have green text, as opposed to the standard black. By using the merge patches option under Rebuild Patch we can merge these mods into the bashed patch and deactivate them in the load order, giving us room for more mods. Before doing this make sure the mods with green text are deactivated, and then rebuild your patch. Once done, and your bashed patch is activated, all the mods in green will have little plus signs, instead of ticks. These mods will automatically be deactivated in OBMM too.}
You're done. Make sure to rebuild the patch anytime you delete a mod than was used in the bashed patch, otherwise Oblivion will close when you run it.

The Bashed Patch feature of Wyre Bash will help increase stability in your load order, as well as allow all your mods to share and mix information, as opposed to overwriting each other. Your load order denotes the order in which Oblivion loads mods, so if two mods change the same information the one loaded last will overwrite the data from the one loaded first. This can be an issue when dealing with things like levelled lists (the lists that distribute items to vendors, NPCs and loot found in the game) and cosmetic mods, as well as any mods that add new items to the Oblivion world. Thanks to the combined brilliance of BOSS and Wyre Bash we can combine this information so that your mods don't eat each other. For more information about Wyre Bash and what you can do with it go here.

Step 3. Optional Utilities.

There are other things you can do to help optimize your set-up. TES4Edit is a utility that can view all your mods and look for conflicts which you can change yourself. It also allows you to edit some aspects of mods, or the original game, you don't like. It comes with a large manual but is easy enough to use with a little practice and reading. TES4Gecko is a utility that allows you to merge together the .esps of mods. Since Oblivion has a hard cap of 255 .esp and .esm files it can load in one game this can be helpful for adding more mods. Many things can't be merged without issue though, so read up first. Finally Python File Format Interface (PYFFI) is a new craze that allows you to optimize .nif files (meshes) to increase stability and even boost frame rates. I'm not entirely sure how it does it (some kind of defragger that gets rid of unnecessary data) but it's very popular. I won't bother writing up tutorials for these unless they're highly demanded. Certainly none of them are needed for a working, stable game.

Oh yeah, here are some mods too. To make your game better and such.

Traveller In Time fucked around with this message at 13:48 on Oct 26, 2013

# ? May 30, 2010 15:15

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 11:09

Traveller In Time: Apr 4, 2009; You got anything to eat? I haven't eaten anything since later this afternoon.

Installing Mods
Make sure to read the readme for every mod before installing. I know a lot of them are needlessly long winded but skip to the parts about installation and compatibility issues to save yourself any headaches when running. Also, test big mods for a while after installation to make sure they work and don't destabilize your game.

Finding Mods
TesNexus and PlanetElderScrolls are your two main sites. TesNexus has more but PES will sweep up anything you can't find there, as well as providing mirrors for downloads.
Here is a list of lists for mod recommendations.

:pcgaming:

Nehrim. :pcgaming:

A massive project put together with a large dose of efficient German engineering, this is a total conversion mod for Oblivion that turns it into the game it should have been. Won't go into any great detail about it since it has it's own official thread, but I will say, on a personal level, that even a heavily modded version of Oblivion can't compare with this.

Anyway, onto the mods!

Overhauls
These mods primarily get rid of the ever maligned level scaling in Oblivion. No longer will everything around you be scaled to your level. No longer will all bandits be seen in glass armour. No longer... Well, you get the idea.

Francescos will change the level scaling as well as a few other features, such as the economy and guards. All these other features are optional however, making it the smallest and easiest of the overhauls. It also has the option of adding new creatures and items.
Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul has a much larger impact on the game than Fran's. As well as getting rid of the level scaling it adds more items, more quests and more general tweaks. It is less modular than Fran's and is much harder, but does come with more content.
FCOM gets rid of any indecision about the former two by combining them along side WarCry (older overhaul mod) and MMM (which can be used with just one of the other two)! Though it was once an intimidating installation prospect BOSS and Wyre Bash make it much easier to install without headache. Still, you'll want to go read up on the installation process if you plan to install. Better yet, consult this post for all your FCOM needs.

Which should I choose? Frans is best for first timers who don't want the game too much harder or different and OOO is for those who want more challenges and content. Use MMM with either one you choose (but don't use Frans creature add-on with it). FCOM is for those needing something completely different.

UI

DarNified UI\DarkUId Darn\wz_Inventory all change the way the UI looks overall. Just pick the best looking one.
Elven Map Redux\Cyrodiil Terrain Map\Old Map all make the world map look better. Again just pick your favourite.
Toggleable Quantity Prompt and A To Take All make selling stuff and jumping out of menus quicker and easier.
Keychain adds all your keys together to save cluttering.

Environment

All Natural is the FCOM of weather mods. It combines Natural Weather, Atmospheric Weather System and Enhanced Weather, as well as Real Lights and Natural Interiors. There are no performance issues that you wouldn't get using just one of the aforementioned three, so use this. Real Lights can be a bit heavy combined with other mods in dungeons and such but its optional anyway. Real Lights alongside Let There Be Darkness, Dungeon Actors Have Torches and Generic Dungeon Drones will create for much scarier and more difficult dungeon crawling.
Animated Window Lighting System is a better version of the popular Illumination Within mod from way back. It adds lighting to windows on houses and chapels based on time of day and weather. Goes great with All Natural.
Oblivion Stereo Sound Overhaul\Atmospheric Oblivion\Symphony of Violence change and add to the ambient and combat sound in the game. Use alongside Silent Tracks Expanded for a much better audio experience. If you like adding your own music to the game get Better Music System for more dynamic music changes and options.

Gameplay Tweaks

Oblivion XP\Realistic Leveling\nGCD all change the way leveling works in different ways. XP creates a classic RPG style system where you get XP for actions and distribute level up points between your skills. Realistic leveling is the spiritual successor to the old favourite KCAS, and is very hands-off, doing everything in the background. nGCD provides more customization than RL but is somewhat similar.
Race Balancing Project aims to change up the stock races and birthsigns, making them more unique, so picking a Breton has genuine advantages and disadvantages over an Imperial or an Orc.
Ren's Guard Overhaul changes the way guards work in a number of ways. It's best features include not being sent to jail for crimes that weren't directly in the line of sight or earshot of a guard, as well as bounties that don't carry over to other cities.

Combat

Deadly Reflex is the combat mod, adding new attacking features for fighters and stealth characters.
Supreme Magicka\Less Annoying Magic Experience (LAME)\Fearsome Magicka are all magic overhaul mods designed to make playing with a mage much easier and more fun. Fearsome Magicka adds an entire new system where as the other two just make the stock vanilla spells better, add new spells as well as making magic more dangerous. They can all be used together.
Midas Magic Spells of Aurum adds a shop with new spells that you can create through ingredient fetch quests. Some spells are gimmicky, but most are awesome. It's compatible with the above three overhauls.

Items

Armamentarium\Realswords\Bob's Armory and Classy Clothing Compendium all add new Weapons, armour and clothing that are distributed through the level lists, so they can be seen in appropriate shops, on NPCs and in random loot stashes at appropriate levels.
COBL is a large mod which adds a lot to the game without being in your face about it. As well as adding new ingredients and books from previous TES games, through it's item interchange plug in it allows popular mods that add items and ingredients to be distributed throughout the game, as opposed to just that one mod.

Quests & Locations

The Oblivion Quest list has an updated list of the best quests mods out just now. As a quick rec. Bloodlines and Kvatch Rebuilt are fantastic for good guy types; Servant of the Dawn, The Blackwood Company and JQ Assassin Quest for the opposite; Thievery in the Imperial City, Thieves Arsenal and Vaults of Cyrodiil for stealth; Gates to Aesgaard 1 & 2 (as well as the delayer patch), The Ayleid Steps and Adense Epic Dungeon for big dungeon crawls; and Lost Spires and Integration for generic adventuring. Choices and Consequences, Mannimarco Resurrection, A Brotherhood Renewed and MTC Thieves Grotto also add to the guilds. Kragenir's Death Quest adds upto 80 new quests, most of which use generic NPCs and locations in vanilla Oblivion to give them a purpose. It also adds it's own main quest, which is pretty goofy and not very lore friendly, but it's easily avoided.
The Unique Landscape mods are a series of fantastic new locations that you can run around in and discover. There are 23 in total with another 4 currently being made and at the very least adding half a dozen of them will make Oblivion that much more beautiful. If you plan to add any check out this page for any possible compatibility patches you may need.
Faregyl, Feldscar and Vergayun are three new villages that have a couple of quests and new people to meet, just to help populate the world a little bit more.
Better Cities is a drastic overhaul of all the cities in the game, giving them individual character and more life. This is a seriously good mod, but it is an fps killer so be wary, especially if using a mod that adds more NPCs to cities.

Visual
The two big graphic mods that make the game look a hell of a lot better are Qarl's Texture Pack III (QTP3) and Really AEVWD. QTP3 changes the textures of most of the landscape giving them a much clearer more detailed look. RAEVWD makes structures in the game viewable regardless of how far away you are, so they don't pop into existence when you're 30 feet away. Be warned, they will lower your frame rate. However, by making them into OMODS they are very easy to disable should you deem them unplayable.

If you want to use QTP3 then use this version, as it's the most optimised version you can possibly get. That is only the meshes, so download this for the full package, making sure to overwrite the meshes with those of the earlier download.

Download RAEVWD here. Make sure to download both the normal version and the SI version, if using the Shivering Isles. Also get the OMOD installation script for both to make installing painless. TES4LODGen is also needed for Really AEVWD. RAEVWD doesn't make architecture appear in the game, it merely provides the resources for doing so. TES4LODGen is what makes it appear in game, and has to be re-run anytime you change your load order.

For the most part the only thing you can do to make Qarl's run to an acceptable standard is to change settings. Just mess around with the default settings until you're happy. You can get RAEVWD working nicely by not installing the city and imperial city architecture, or the higher detail castles and IC bridges. The Aylied, forts and wilderness options will make most of the structures in the outdoors appear. Most of them have a low-poly count so fps decrease isn't too bad.

We can also change the uGridDistant settings in the Oblivion .ini. These settings will determine how far Oblivion loads objects and trees, and by lowering them can incrase frame rates. Go into your .ini file in your Games folder (not the one in Oblivion's installation folder) and change these two settings

uGridDistantTreeRange=15
uGridDistantCount=25

to

uGridDistantTreeRange=20
uGridDistantCount=18

By having the trees just slightly ahead it gives the illusion of being the furthest thing you can see, thereby making it seem like anything beyond that is being obscured by them. Clever, huh? You can play around with those settings to reach a happy compromise between visual and performance. Note that outdoors I get about 20 � 30 fps average, with a HD4850 GPU (512mb vram) running RAEVWD, Qarl's and Better Cities with the above tweaks and below optimisation mods.

Optimisation

Oblivion has such a frustratingly poor engine at times that regardless of the type of machine you have, you will probably need to download some of these.

Replacers for meshes and textures in the game.
Short Grass and Low-Poly Grass make the grass smaller and less resource intensive without making it look any different. Similarly Enhanced Vegetation can make the trees and flora look better whilst helping frame rates (providing you use the normal size textures option). Optimised Distant Land Max also provides a resource boost without any loss of visual quality. It is also compatible with RAEVWD and QTP3.

Plug-Ins and Mods.
Oblivion Stutter Remover helps smooth out gameplay, and has a number of options in it's .ini that can be tweaked to smooth out and increase frames. Streamline should also be used, but note the streamsmooth utility is obsolete with OSR. It is best to use it's streamsave and streampurge options, and disabling Oblivions autosave which can cause crashes. You can do that by changing the lines

bSaveOnInteriorExteriorSwitch=1
bSaveOnTravel=1
bSaveOnWait=1
bSaveOnRest=1

in the .ini file in your games folder from 1 to 0.

Oblivion script optimization is obsolete and gives absolutely no boost whatsoever, infact it may make your game more unstable. Operation Optimization is largely outdated but can still do a job. It has been superseded by the PYFFI method mentioned earlier. Fast Exit and WeOCPS are helpful OBSE plug-ins that help reduce crashing. Most of the .ini tweaks found on tweakguides will provide no tangible benefits, and can cause instability, so be wary. The only other .ini tweaks I use, apart from those on this page, are the water reflection ones.

Troubleshooting

My game crashes back to desktop when I run it.
One of you plug-ins has a master file that hasn't been loaded. Open Wyre Bash and click on your mods. In the masters box on the right check each mod (including the bashed patch) and make sure there are no unticked boxes

My Game crashes after 10-30 minutes without reason.
If you have a 64-bit OS and at least 4gb of memory install the LAA patch to increase the amount of memory Oblivion is allowed to use. Also use Gamebooster to turn of unnecessary programs. If it still persists uninstall large script based or high res texture mods.

All the eyes in the game are weird.
Use the bashed Patch feature of Wyre Bash to bash all your cosmetic mods.

I have constant big drops in fps.
Uninstall increased spawns mods, or any mods that add more NPCs and items in the slow area.

There are big yellow exclamation marks with I'm a mesh or something in them.
Install FormID Finder and use it to find out what mod it came from, re-download and reinstall said mod.

My game is still broke.
This website has a ton of good info on modding Oblivion, as well as troubleshooting and how to deal with specific crashes. If you still have problems ask here and you'll get plenty help. Make sure to post your load order and be as detailed as possible. If we suck and can't help post a thread on the official Bethesda modding forum.

Now it's finally time to play! Or I can revise that mod list one last time and just, you know, see if there's anything else I can add. Maybe I forgot something. It can always be better, right? Maybe I'll go look through TesNexus again, just to make sure.

Traveller In Time fucked around with this message at 13:59 on Oct 26, 2013

# ? May 30, 2010 15:15

Gyshall: Feb 24, 2009; Had a couple of drinks.
Saw a couple of things.

drat dude, nice work on the OP. It's about time the old one got overhauled anyway.

# ? May 30, 2010 16:41

Rascyc: Jan 23, 2008; Dissatisfied Puppy

Is there a moddable digital version of this game for sale anywhere?

# ? May 30, 2010 18:00

m2pt5: May 18, 2005; THAT GOD DAMN MOSQUITO JUST KEEPS COMING BACK

Rascyc posted:

Is there a moddable digital version of this game for sale anywhere?

The Steam version is moddable, and OBSE even works with it. The Direct2Drive version is not compatible with OBSE, but non-OBSE mods will still work.

# ? May 30, 2010 18:02

Revdomezehis: Jul 26, 2003; OMG a Moose!

Nice OP, but the link to "The Oblivion Quest List" just goes to the COBL mod. I think http://knol.google.com/k/toql-the-oblivion-quest-list is the link you were looking for.

# ? May 30, 2010 19:53

trashcanman: May 17, 2006; honkey

You won't trick me with this again. Every time one of these threads comes along I do this, load up the mods, do that 1 hour god drat walk through the dungeon, and then get some goofy errors and the game crashes.

The real "game" of this game is trouble shooting mods.

# ? May 30, 2010 20:17

Periodiko: Jan 30, 2005; Uh.

If I've never played Oblivion before (I have played Morrowind and Fallout 3) should I go whole-hog with TCOM or try something more conservative?

# ? May 30, 2010 20:36

Woebin: Feb 6, 2006

Great OP. TR0LL's username is spelled with a zero, though, not an O. It might also be worth mentioning TES4LODGen, which is included in TCOM and seems to work really well.

trashcanman posted:

You won't trick me with this again. Every time one of these threads comes along I do this, load up the mods, do that 1 hour god drat walk through the dungeon, and then get some goofy errors and the game crashes.

The real "game" of this game is trouble shooting mods.

TCOM, which is reommended near the top of the OP, is probably what you want. It takes a fairly short while to install, adds a ton of stuff and is, as mentioned, quite stable. Just make sure you follow the install guide carefully and it should be fairly easy.

# ? May 30, 2010 20:39

trashcanman: May 17, 2006; honkey

Periodiko posted:

If I've never played Oblivion before (I have played Morrowind and Fallout 3) should I go whole-hog with TCOM or try something more conservative?

No you pretty much want to overhaul the entire game.

It's an amazing looking game but it the mechanics don't have that Morrowind magic by default, which is what all the mods are supposed to do.

If you can get them to work.

# ? May 30, 2010 21:45

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Periodiko posted:

If I've never played Oblivion before (I have played Morrowind and Fallout 3) should I go whole-hog with TCOM or try something more conservative?

If you are going to mod it, go whole-hog and use TomCom. It has too much stuff for you to do (as far as with your character and playing the game) as it is, yet is stable and works great.
If you never know vanilla Oblivion you'll never know true disappointment. :negative:

EDIT
For anyone whose been using TOMCOM, I've found a few other missing meshes besides the one in the bank using Form ID Finder. The missing mesh in the bank is crumpled paper, and there are a few other ones around in TOMCOM too. The rest of the missing meshes are from 'Adventure Pack 1', a merged grab bag of quests and locations made by Tr0ll. However, even in the case where I found a chest it's no problem, because Form ID Finder lets you interact with whatever the object is.

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 21:58 on May 30, 2010

# ? May 30, 2010 21:55

Rookoo: Jul 24, 2007

Not sure if the game does this without low poly grass but when traveling along a grassy area I can clearly see the grass pop up a few feet in front of me as I move forward, which doesn't look very nice.

Is there a way to fix this or does it take a massive toll on system resources or something?

# ? May 30, 2010 22:00

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Rookoo posted:

Not sure if the game does this without low poly grass but when traveling along a grassy area I can clearly see the grass pop up a few feet in front of me as I move forward, which doesn't look very nice.

Is there a way to fix this or does it take a massive toll on system resources or something?

If you are using Streamline I believe it alters grass distance on the fly. If not, besides maxing the distance in the options the only recourse you have is altering your .ini file.

# ? May 30, 2010 22:03

Gyshall: Feb 24, 2009; Had a couple of drinks.
Saw a couple of things.

Periodiko posted:

If I've never played Oblivion before (I have played Morrowind and Fallout 3) should I go whole-hog with TCOM or try something more conservative?

My recommendation is to always play through first - or at least to the point where you start to get angry at mechanics and things. The only real mods you should be using the first playthrough are DarnUI (makes the UI more PC like and better looking) and the Unofficial Patches. That, and maybe SM Plugin Refurbish, which stops the DLC messages from popping up the first time you start.

Once it gets to the point where you're genuinely angry at certain parts of the game, start modding it.

# ? May 30, 2010 22:04

Vincent Valentine: Feb 28, 2006; Murdertime

If your Imperial City Waterfront District is loving up, turn off Mart's Mutant Mod - Diverse Waterlife.

I have no idea why this happens.

# ? May 30, 2010 22:08

Andrast: Apr 21, 2010

Vincent Valentine posted:

If your Imperial City Waterfront District is loving up, turn off Mart's Mutant Mod - Diverse Waterlife.

I have no idea why this happens.

The Diverse waterlife that comes with MMM in TCOM is an old version. Updating to a new version should fix the problem.

New version here:
http://www.4shared.com/file/PsOSj34V/MMMDiverseWaterLifeUpdate.html

# ? May 30, 2010 23:04

Traveller In Time: Apr 4, 2009; You got anything to eat? I haven't eaten anything since later this afternoon.

Revdomezehis posted:

Nice OP, but the link to "The Oblivion Quest List" just goes to the COBL mod. I think http://knol.google.com/k/toql-the-oblivion-quest-list is the link you were looking for.

Woebin posted:

Great OP. TR0LL's username is spelled with a zero, though, not an O. It might also be worth mentioning TES4LODGen, which is included in TCOM and seems to work really well.

Whoops, thanks for the heads up.

I'm also inclined to agree with Gyshall, since I tend to find adding mods without really knowing what they're changing is a sure fire way of ending up with a bloated load order. If you've played and enjoyed Morrowind though you'll probably find yourself wanting to add mods after a few hours.

# ? May 31, 2010 00:58

Kiggles: Dec 30, 2007

Rookoo posted:

Not sure if the game does this without low poly grass but when traveling along a grassy area I can clearly see the grass pop up a few feet in front of me as I move forward, which doesn't look very nice.

Is there a way to fix this or does it take a massive toll on system resources or something?

If you are using HDR it should fade in, instead of abruptly sort of cutting off. Otherwise it will look ugly as gently caress, no matter what you do.

fake edit: OBGE MIGHT gently caress with this since the grass fade is a shader effect.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:00

Cartoon Man: Jan 31, 2004

I recently played through a mostly vanilla game with only the DarniUI mod installed. I did cheat and give myself a million gold and the skeleton key. Makes the game much more enjoyable IMO.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:32

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Cartoon Man posted:

I recently played through a mostly vanilla game with only the DarniUI mod installed. I did cheat and give myself a million gold and the skeleton key. Makes the game much more enjoyable IMO.

And now you should mod in loving EVERYTHING, run around with dual swords, plane-shifting into different dimensions, hunt deer and make your own clothes, chop down trees and make your own weapons and furniture, cook your own meals with a variety of different recipes, buy a ship and sail around Elsweyr, head-hunt elves from Vallenwood for their skulls, conquer the vast underground Alyied complex underneath the mountains, camp out in the desert to wake up in a dust storm, summon yourself a dwarven robot that is also a motorcycle and then retire, in the sky, on your very own dwarven airship.

Oblivion is really just a giant, moddable toy box to me anymore.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:39

Vincent Valentine: Feb 28, 2006; Murdertime

True Story: I still haven't finished the main campaign.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:43

Periodiko: Jan 30, 2005; Uh.

KakerMix posted:

And now you should mod in loving EVERYTHING, run around with dual swords, plane-shifting into different dimensions, hunt deer and make your own clothes, chop down trees and make your own weapons and furniture, cook your own meals with a variety of different recipes, buy a ship and sail around Elsweyr, head-hunt elves from Vallenwood for their skulls, conquer the vast underground Alyied complex underneath the mountains, camp out in the desert to wake up in a dust storm, summon yourself a dwarven robot that is also a motorcycle and then retire, in the sky, on your very own dwarven airship.

Are you listing features of real mods?

# ? May 31, 2010 02:44

Dr Snofeld: Apr 30, 2009

Periodiko posted:

Are you listing features of real mods?

Possibly, though there's a suspicious lack of nudity in that list which may make me think otherwise.

Yes all of those are real

# ? May 31, 2010 02:50

m2pt5: May 18, 2005; THAT GOD DAMN MOSQUITO JUST KEEPS COMING BACK

I've only seen a few of those, but I would assume the rest are real.

I thought the robot turned into a go-kart sort of vehicle, though.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:51

Dr Snofeld: Apr 30, 2009

m2pt5 posted:

I've only seen a few of those, but I would assume the rest are real.

I thought the robot turned into a go-kart sort of vehicle, though.

Isn't that the same mod that includes the spell Summon Cheese Atronach?

# ? May 31, 2010 02:55

Gumball Dad: Apr 9, 2007; Wanna meet that dad

Dr Snofeld posted:

Isn't that the same mod that includes the spell Summon Cheese Atronach?

Yeah Midas Magik. It actually owns though and you don't have to create the retarded spells unless you really want to.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:58

m2pt5: May 18, 2005; THAT GOD DAMN MOSQUITO JUST KEEPS COMING BACK

Dr Snofeld posted:

Isn't that the same mod that includes the spell Summon Cheese Atronach?

Sure is. Midas Magic Spells of Aurum contains quite a few silly/stupid spells, but it also contains many fantastically useful and/or indispensable spells.

# ? May 31, 2010 02:58

Babby Sathanas: May 16, 2006; bearbating is now adorable

Used the old thread OP to reinstall Oblivion last week, ran into a few troubles but it seems to crash after playing for about 15 mins and then crashes regularly till I restart. The 4GB patch sounds like it might help though, thanks a bunch.

I noticed you don't have Unnecessary Violence in the OP anymore. I have a feeling it's been causing the odd problem (like a crash or two and sometimes not being able to attack randomly) but I wasn't sure if it was it or Deadly Reflexes. Is it no longer desirable?

# ? May 31, 2010 03:11

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Periodiko posted:

Are you listing features of real mods?

Yes I am, and I should note that I am using TCOM with other stuff thrown in, at once, but my game isn't quite as stable as 'vanilla' TCOM. However, it is loving awesome. Here is a list of where the mods are and what they are in:

Dual-Swords: There are a *lot* of different mods for this, but even in its beta and unstable stage Unnecessary Violence. It changes combat drastically, allows you to change your grip on weapons among other things.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24936

Different Dimmensions: There are, again, lots of mods that allow things like this, a few are Midas Magic (included in TCOM and mentioned in the OP), The Nether or Dimensional Pocket. Midas Magic also is responsible for the dwarven robot that turns into a ~~motorcycle~~ VEHICLE, the point is it is your own transformer. It can also glide over water. Midas ALSO has a magic carpet spell for, you guess it, flight.

The make your own clothes/cook your meals/build furniture/forge your own weapons and armor is from Crafty Bits and COBL (both inlcuded in TCOM, COBL is also mentioned in the OP) and really adds a lot. If you know about Harvest Moon it's quite the same satisfaction to be had.

The ship buying and sailing around Elsywer are symptoms of Elsweyr the Deserts of Anequina which adds Elsywer. It isn't complete outside of the landscape but just having a completely new type of land to discover is fantastic. New animals, new structures, weapons, armors, RIDABLE ELEPHANTS, it just adds much needed 'newness' to the game. To get a ship, however, you need Side's Sailing Ships which, I might add, are the best handling and implemented 'vehicles' in any mod of Oblivion. You can sail and walk around your ship at the same time it's moving, and take some friends with you. Once you have a portable home (Curious Clara is the best ship fyi) you'll never want a typical home again. As a bonus Side's ships are also COBL supported, meaning they have everything you need to cook and craft while kicking it on your ships.

The giant (and I mean loving HUGE, the biggest single anything I've ever seen in Oblivion) Alyied complex is a part of Frostcrag Reborn (included in TCOM), a re-imagining of the somewhat lame Frostcrag DLC from Bethesda. That Alyied complex is one of the coolest things I have experience in this game.

When you get tired of the sissy flying carpet or your traditional ship you upgrade to your very own Dwemer Skyship and fly to anywhere your heart desires. This mod is serious awesome stuff, even if the actual flying is a little hokey and the voice acting blows, but cmon, your OWN AIRSHIP. It functions as a house also, perched wherever you want to fly it. Also comes with a parachute.

So yeah, the Oblivion I run looks, feels, and plays like a completely different game than vanilla. This is why this game still rules hard so many years later.

EDIT

Furret Basket posted:

I noticed you don't have Unnecessary Violence in the OP anymore. I have a feeling it's been causing the odd problem (like a crash or two and sometimes not being able to attack randomly) but I wasn't sure if it was it or Deadly Reflexes. Is it no longer desirable?

Deadly Reflexes works perfectly and shouldn't cause issues. Unnecessary Violence, however, can cause quite a few. I know Tr0ll said he uses it as do I, but it does cause a lot of instability. I find it worth it but some people might not. You can still safely use it though, even though it is pretty busted at least it's very compatible. Whenever the fabled version II of UV is supposed to come out apparently fixes all the issues as it has been built from the ground up. I can't wait.

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 03:52 on May 31, 2010

# ? May 31, 2010 03:18

d3c0y2: Sep 29, 2009

KakerMix posted:

And now you should mod in loving EVERYTHING, run around with dual swords, plane-shifting into different dimensions, hunt deer and make your own clothes, chop down trees and make your own weapons and furniture, cook your own meals with a variety of different recipes, buy a ship and sail around Elsweyr, head-hunt elves from Vallenwood for their skulls, conquer the vast underground Alyied complex underneath the mountains, camp out in the desert to wake up in a dust storm, summon yourself a dwarven robot that is also a motorcycle and then retire, in the sky, on your very own dwarven airship.

Oblivion is really just a giant, moddable toy box to me anymore.

wait, what.

Looking around TES has just led me to believe that Oblivion is just a sex simulator now.

# ? May 31, 2010 03:26

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

d3c0y2 posted:

wait, what.

Looking around TES has just led me to believe that Oblivion is just a sex simulator now.

TES is still the best place for mods, and although looking around would have you believe that Cyrodill is a place of bare, volley-ball sized tits and couch-sized asses where nipple rings count as armor and the best swords are the largest, most spikey and neon-colored pieces of poo poo you can imagine there are some real gems.

Oblivion is like 3 games, finding the mods, installing mods, and then actually playing the game.

# ? May 31, 2010 03:33

Namnesor: Jun 29, 2005; Dante's allowance - $100

Thanks for doing this. I fell out of playing Oblivion after a re-format, and never properly got back in, which in turn killed my motivation for updating the OP. I closed the old thread to avoid confusion.

Thanks again, and great OP.

# ? May 31, 2010 03:39

Vincent Valentine: Feb 28, 2006; Murdertime

For those of you using Midas Magic: I made the Mega Fireball spell, got to cast it a few times, then it stopped working.

The few casts after the first, they traveled forward and then stopped without exploding. Then the few after that they never even bothered traveling. Now if I cast it, it just appears in front of me and does nothing.

I would really like a go-to "kill a bunch of dudes" spell that works :smith:

Or is there a better one than the mega fireball? There's dozens of spells I can't be bothered to try them all.

# ? May 31, 2010 03:44

Babby Sathanas: May 16, 2006; bearbating is now adorable

KakerMix posted:

Deadly Reflexes works perfectly and shouldn't cause issues. Unnecessary Violence, however, can cause quite a few. I know Tr0ll said he uses it as do I, but it does cause a lot of instability. I find it worth it but some people might not. You can still safely use it though, even though it is pretty busted at least it's very compatible. Whenever the fabled version II of UV is supposed to come out apparently fixes all the issues as it has been built from the ground up. I can't wait.

Okay, I think I'll disable it.

A bunch of the mods you've mentioned should really be in the OP. The crafting ones sound fantastic.

# ? May 31, 2010 03:46

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Vincent Valentine posted:

For those of you using Midas Magic: I made the Mega Fireball spell, got to cast it a few times, then it stopped working.

The few casts after the first, they traveled forward and then stopped without exploding. Then the few after that they never even bothered traveling. Now if I cast it, it just appears in front of me and does nothing.

I would really like a go-to "kill a bunch of dudes" spell that works

Or is there a better one than the mega fireball? There's dozens of spells I can't be bothered to try them all.

If you have the Airship mod you can call fire support and kill a bunch of dudes :smug:

If you also have Deadly Reflexes, you can use the 'Force Push' spell (one of the best spells in Midas) and blow those fuckers over, then run over and stab those fuckers in the chest executioner style. Some might call it cheating, I call it badass.

EDIT
fuckers

KakerMix fucked around with this message at 03:52 on May 31, 2010

# ? May 31, 2010 03:46

bef: Mar 2, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Vincent Valentine posted:

True Story: I still haven't finished the main campaign.

Who has?

Every time I spend a day modding Oblivion and finally getting it to work, I feel Over Encumbered ( :smugdog:

) by just the sheer amount of stuff to do. I exit the sewers, feel overwhelmed by how large and how many dungeons there are, and reinstall a year later.

I never learn.

# ? May 31, 2010 04:12

Brutus Salad: Nov 8, 2009; Best buddies forever!

bef posted:

Who has?

Is it wrong that when I beat the main story, I restarted an early save because I found out that killing Dagon cuts off you're access to Sigil stones?

# ? May 31, 2010 05:04

KakerMix: Apr 8, 2004; 8.2 M.P.G.

Brutus Salad posted:

Is it wrong that when I beat the main story, I restarted an early save because I found out that killing Dagon cuts off you're access to Sigil stones?

Again, with Midas Magic, there is a spell available (once you get a specific item I believe) that allows you to summon Oblivion Gates at will. How awesome is that?

# ? May 31, 2010 05:06

Slayerjerman: Nov 27, 2005; by sebmojo

I got the gardening mod that allows you to plant and grow your own plants, I dont think I'm ever leaving my drat house/front yard... haha Oblvion the farming sim! (drat kids get off my lawn or so help me I'll wallop ya'll with my enchanted Daedric Claymore!)

# ? May 31, 2010 06:53

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 11:09

MH Knights: Aug 4, 2007

Brutus Salad posted:

Is it wrong that when I beat the main story, I restarted an early save because I found out that killing Dagon cuts off you're access to Sigil stones?

I reloaded because I killed the guy in two quick hits. After reloading I stripped completely naked and punched him to death. Still wasn't very challenging.

# ? May 31, 2010 13:12

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Reinstall Oblivion v.3! Maybe we'll actually play it this time!

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