WIP - Complete SR-esque Oblivion modding guide

[WilliamImm]

Due to my interest in playing a modded Oblivion in the future, I came up with a big modded Oblivion list. Specifically, this one. I'm thining of transfering the currently bare-bones guide into the wiki, expanding it as I go along.

 

If anyone is interested in this, please let me know.

[james4832]

I am certainly looking forward to this, sadly, i am of not much use. The last time I modded oblivion was the first time I had ever modded a game (conflicts galore anyone?;)) If i can find my oblivion install disk, I may be able to help with testing though.

[WilliamImm]

You could also just get the game on Steam if you can't find the disks, or don't have Shivering Isles. I'm pretty sure in 2013, most people who are playing Oblivion would have all the DLC expansions (or at the very least, Shivering Isles).

[james4832]

Oh, I had all the dlc, and I know that Oblivion is in my disk case pile in my wardrobe, I'll dust it off when you are ready for a tester eh?

[EssArrBee]

It's good we finally have some other games getting guides. I feel sometimes like it is to hard to keep doing Skyrim, Skyrim, Skyrim... all the time. It is why we have to take breaks.

 

That list looked pretty intense Will, have you actually played with all those mods at once before? looked like FCOM+++

[WilliamImm]

That list looked pretty intense Will' date=' have you actually played with all those mods at once before? looked like FCOM+++[/quote']

No. Well, I tried a FCOM + more installation before - very briefly. At this point (since I haven't modded with Oblivion a lot), I'm just, well, to borrow a quote from the legendary Cave Johnson, "throwing science to the wall to see what sticks".

 

This isn't final by any stretch of the imaginaion, and can very well cause the game to beg for mercy under all the mods. I'm not even sure if I want to do a FCOM installation.

 

The only things I'm sure that I'll keep would be the unofficial patches, Streamline, Fast Exit (because crashing on exit is never good), Cobl, and DarkUI Darn. It'll start small, but then become much bigger over time. And, well, I'm too used to Mod Organizer to really give it up for Oblivion - so that would be the primary mod manager for that. And I'll cover PyFFIng meshes and DDSopting textures along with it. I'm debating if I should use DDSopted QTP3 Redimized, or if I should go with the setup that I currently outlined in the guide for textures.

[EssArrBee]

A guide that size all at once would be nearly impossible anyways. You'd never finish trying to get it to work right.

 

I'm sarting with about 45-50 mods with my FNV guide and then I'll build on it until it is more SR like or I'll just make more like STEP and then have some packs for it. Oblivion and FNV are so different in the direction the mod communities went. Skyrim is much more focused on improving the graphics and textures than any other game ever was. There is a lot of cool stuff that has been done, but there just seems to be a much bigger share of the focus on way the game looks than how it plays and feels.

[DanielCoffey]

I would be very interested indeed in an Oblivion Guide that focussed on stability by resolving conflicts and optimising. I have the GOTY from Steam but have never played Oblivion beyond the first few levels. I got it when it was on a deep sale at Steam just as Skyrim came out.

 

I tried Culveyhouse's Extreme Graphics makeover videos but didn't know much about modding and made quite a mess of it. At the time I had a 5870 1Gb and since my monitor's native resolution is 1440p it struggled quite a lot. Now I have a 7950 3Gb and am considering a new play through.

 

If you are looking for Guide reviewers and "question askers", please count me in. I would also be keen to see whether we can transition to MO for the mods or whether Wrye Bash will still be the primary organiser.

[deathneko11]

A guide that size all at once would be nearly impossible anyways. You'd never finish trying to get it to work right.

 

I'm sarting with about 45-50 mods with my FNV guide and then I'll build on it until it is more SR like or I'll just make more like STEP and then have some packs for it. Oblivion and FNV are so different in the direction the mod communities went. Skyrim is much more focused on improving the graphics and textures than any other game ever was. There is a lot of cool stuff that has been done, but there just seems to be a much bigger share of the focus on way the game looks than how it plays and feels.

 

I'm keen to see this guide when you get done with it, as I'm getting ready to jump into FNV for the first time myself.  I have a question though, do you think any part of the guide might have issues with Tale of Two Worlds?  I've been looking at it and am tempted to give it a go, since running FO3 on the FONV engine can fix a few things that I find really ugly about FO3.

[EssArrBee]

I don't have FO3 on Steam and can't find the disc for it, think it got lost when I moved a while ago and it was GFWL, so TTW will come after I finally buy the game again. Probably after Steam holiday sale I can address that.

 

My goal will be to have something I wouldn't mind sharing by the end of the year that resembles more of the STEP mandate toward modding the game. Then I will do some other stuff separately that can be added for gameplay, weather/lighting. Most the big projects for FNV are done so it isn't really that hard to put together.

[deathneko11]

I'll be honest here, when it comes to modding anything other than skyrim I get completely lost. I have only just recently started looking into mods for the fallout series, and I still have not looked for mods for oblivion and morrowind (which I have the games for now, I'm just waiting for a decent time to play them)

 

A guide for mods for Fallout would be amazing, even if it was just for FONV (besides, with TTW about the only mods you can have for FO3 are texture, environment, and weather related anyway, maybe some gear packs that play nicely)

[EssArrBee]

Well, the Bashed Patch works so much better, a lot of extra things can be merged into the patch. Wrye Flash hasn't seen any support in a while though, but it is good enough for the running a Bashed patch. The NMM importer for MO looks like it is viable now, so modding isn't all that different. It is mostly just knowing what mods are the best, and when gameplay mods are added, what order to install. They get really out of order when a bunch of stuff like Project Nevada, EVE, WMXUE all get added because of the compatibility patching needed. Maybe I'll do a patch for my guide so people won't have to bother with all the patches.

[deathneko11]

I'm not saying I get lost on HOW to mod the other games, just that I have not been tracking the mods for those games like skyrim so I get lost trying to find a decent set of mods that I want to use :p

 

for the record I don't plan on doing complicated modding like I do for skyrim for the other bethesda games. I plan to get a stable mod install going and then I won't touch it once I actually start the games. Ever.

[WilliamImm]

In any case, I have set up a wiki page for the project, through it's really more of a placeholder at the moment.

 

First thing I'll do is talk with BGS forum user Dubiousness about how to go about this guide. He's a walking resource on Oblivion modding - where I got a LOT of my help and advice from. If he is able to, I'll also ask him if he could have a active role in the formation of this guide.

 

EDIT: I've PM'd him, additionally inviting him to join the forums. In any case, I should learn SMW writing - I want the guide to look as pretty and neat as Neo's efforts.

 

I did ask the user about a few important questions - namely, if I should just DDSopt Qarl's instead of using the current texture pack arrangement, if I should use a different Oblivion overhaul, and if MO or Wrye is better for Oblivion installation.

[z929669]

Lots of good modding suggestions for Oblivion on TESCosi

 

... and don't forget PyFFI for NIF optimization.