User:Astien/Oblivion

Oblivion Vanilla Enhanced

A guide focused on improving Oblivion's visuals without drastically changing anything. Major overhauls like Oblivion Character Overhaul, All Natural, etc. aren't used in favor of mods that stay closer to vanilla. Made to work with ENBs. I'd suggest using a mod manager like Wrye Bash but you can get through the guide without one. You'll need a fairly highend pc to have good fps with this guide. ---Guide currently a work in progress

Suggested Options

• Brightness: 50%
• Texture Size: Large
• Tree Fade: 100%
• Actor Fade: 100%
• Item Fade: 100%
• Object Fade: 100%
• Grass Distance: 100%
• View Distance: 100%
• Distant Land: On
• Distant Buildings: On
• Distant Trees: On
• Self Shadows: Off
• Shadows on Grass: Off
• Tree Canopy Shadows: On
• Shadow Filtering: High
• Specular Distance: 100%
• HDR Lighting: On
• Bloom Lighting: Off
• Water Detail: High
• Water Reflections: On
• Water Ripples: Off
• Window Reflections: On
• Blood Decals: On
• Distant Land: On
• Anti-aliasing: Off

I would also suggest disabling autosaves when travelling or on area transition as they have been known to cause problems. Autosaves on resting seem to work fine. Grab an autosaver mod off the nexus if you feel you need it.

Tools

LOOT

• Author: WrinklyNinja
• Version: v0.8.1
• Description: LOOT is helping with setting up the right load order for your mods plus provides helpful information about various plugins.
• Download: "LOOT.Installer.exe"
• Installation: Run the installer normally.
• Notes: When running LOOT 0.8.1 you're told that there's an update to it of 0.9.1, but as of this time that update gives an error when sorting mods that it cannot read the mods, which has since been fixed in a snapshot at bintray and will make it in to version 0.9.2 in due course. Recommendation at this stage is to remain with version 0.8.1 until 0.9.2 has been reached.

If you need help here is a video on LOOT.

Wrye Bash

• Author: Wrye Bash Team
• Version: 306
• Description: Wrye Bash (WB) is at this time the main Mod Manager used for this guide. Even for Skyrim and the Fallout Series Wrye Bash is used for it's ability to generate a Bashed Patch based on your load order. For more info refer to the Readme.
• Notes: The link redirects to the Wrye Bash on the Skyrim version of the Nexus. If you need more info on Wrye Bash here is a Guide Link.
• Download: "Wrye Bash 306 - Standalone Executable"
• Installation: Drag the "Mopy" folder to the Oblivion folder and uncheck the "Lock Load Order" from the topbar.

TES4LODGen

• Author: ElminsterAU
• Version: 3.1.1
• Description:

• What is LOD/VWD?

LOD (.lod) data files are necessary to view landscapes that are distant in the middle-ground or background. These are different than the static objects you see from far – also

known as 'Visible while Distant' objects (VWD). Not all mod (replacer) packages do provide all necessary files related to LOD/VWD and therefor the player runs into

strange views. Or bugs.

LOD is built on the basis of quadrants of four adjoining blocks of 32x32 cells. Now, as landscape mods and such changing exterior cells are added, these quadrants realign

themselves. Further they depend highly on loadorder and the heightmap used in each cell. However technical all this sounds, this results in the necessity to rebuild LOD

every time a mod is added, removed or changed in both loadorder and installation order that affects these quadrants – like for example 'Qarls Texture Pack' or 'RAEVWD'. The

tools for this are known as 'LOD Generators'.

• Notes: TES4LODgen MUST be ran every time load order changes, also if you change something in your Installers tab that affects related LOD files. This includes that one tiny file called 'bashed patch' at the very end. If you fail to do this, your game wont crash nor will your savegames be destroyed but distant meshes will be strange, out of line or simply not appear.
• Download: "TES4LODGen_3_1_1"

Landscape LOD generator tes4ll-v5

• Author: Gruftikus and Lightwave
• Version: 5.03
• Forum Link
• Notes: Running will take place at the end of the guide. After you have completed this guide, this should be ran every time you install or uninstall a landscape mod. Be sure to install the MPGUI below.
• Download: "Landscape LOD generator 5_03"
• Installation:

Install the files into the data folder except for the bat files

Multi Purpose GUI

• Author: Gruftikus
• Version: 1.22
• Forum Link
• Notes: This program is used to run the GUI for Tes4ll.
• Download: "mpgui_1_22"
• Installation:

mpgui_1_22

• Run the MPGUI-Setup.msi file and install it normally except when it asks to install batch file templates, uncheck the option.

OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender)

• Author: Ian Patterson, Stephen Abel, Paul Connelly
• Version: 0021
• Notes: OBSE is mandatory for this guide. For Steam version, launch Oblivion using the Steam client. For any other version use the obse_loader.exe to launch. You do not need to use obse_loader.exe under normal circumstances.
  If OBSE is not running, most mods that require OBSE will bring up a dialogue box saying "OBSE is not working". If that's the case, check if you have enabled 'Steam overlay while ingame'.
• Installation:
• Download: "obse_0021" and the "Latest Loader"

TES4Edit

• Author: ElminsterAU
• Version: 3.1.1
• Description: This tool is primary used for cleaning the official DLC's and mods. However, it's also a powerful utility with various other functions such as merged patches and reordering masters.
• Notes: For more information, download the FNEdit PDF-Files (applicable to TES4Edit) here.
• Download: "TES4Edit_3_1_1"
• Installation:

Unpack the archive somewhere for use in the near future.

ENBoost

• Author: Boris
• Version: 0.259
• Description: Provides an 3D graphics performance and reduces amount of memory used so that more mods can be installed.
• Installation:

Extract the wrapper version to the "Oblivion" folder.

"enblocal.ini"

[MEMORY]
ExpandSystemMemoryX64=false
ReduceSystemMemoryUsage=true
DisableDriverMemoryManager=false
DisablePreloadToVRAM=false
EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=false
ReservedMemorySizeMb=64
VideoMemorySizeMb=0
;Use this tool to get the correct value for the parameter above
EnableCompression=true

Remap the Free VRAM key to a different unused key

[INPUT]
KeyFreeVRAM=121

MoreHeap

• Author: shadeMe
• Version: 1.1
• Description: Starts the game with a larger footprint of memory, allowing the game to run for longer without resulting in impolite CTD behavior.

Installation:

Place the "Version.dll" in the root folder, where "Oblivion.exe" is located
Create a new text file in the same directory and name it "MoreHeap.ini", and do change the type of file.
Open it up in any text editor and copy/paste the info below.

[Editor::MemAlloc]
DefaultHeapSize=768
[Runtime::MemAlloc]
DefaultHeapSize=768

OBSE Mods

EngineBugFixes

• Author: Tiawar
• Version: 1.2
• Requirements: OBSE
• Download: "EngineBugFixes v1.2"

Oblivion - Enhanced Camera

• Author: LogicDragon
• Version: 1.4b
• Description: Gives you a visible body when in 1st-person view, and provides greater immersion by preventing the switch to 3rd-person when sitting/standing and on knockout/death.
• Requirements: OBSE
• Download: "Enhanced Camera"

Oblivion Stutter Remover

• Author: SkyRanger-1
• Version: 4.1.37
• Description: This is a must have for anyone playing Oblivion, as it has many useful tools such as the FPS management, force quit and heap replacement.
• Requirements: OBSE
• Download: "OSR_4-1-37"
• Installation:

OSR_4-1-37

Unpack the archive to project and keep the original archive

Open the newly created project and delete all the files except the ini in the OBSE folder and use this file to make ini changes

"OBSE\Plugins\sr_Oblivion_Stutter_Remover.ini"

Master
bManageFPS = 0
bReplaceHeap = 1
bFastExit = 1

Heap
iHeapAlgorithm = 6
iHeapSize = 768

Shaders

Oblivion Reloaded - OBGE v4

• Author: Alenet - Timeslip - Scanti - ShadeMe - Ethatron
• Version: 4.2.3
• Description: An OBSE plugin that modifies the rendering pipeline including shaders and custom effects.
• Requirements: MenuQue
• Download: "Oblivion Reloaded"
• Installation:

INI Tweaks

You can find your .ini file in "\Documents\My Games\Oblivion".

Each of the following entries can be pasted directly into the INI.

Reduce Landscape Texture Size

[Landscape]
fLandTextureTilingMult=3.0000

Remove AI file

[Archive]
SInvalidationFile=

Remove the intro

[General]
SIntroSequence=
SOblivionIntro=

Oblivion Reloaded

[BackgroundLoad]
iPostProcessMilliseconds=25
iPostProcessMillisecondsLoadingQueuedPriority=100

[Display]
iMultiSample=0
iShadowMapResolution=512

[General]
uGridDistantCount=50
uGridDistantTreeRange=30

[HAVOK]
fJumpAnimDelay=0.2500
fHorseRunGravity=5.0000

[SpeedTree]
fLocalTreeMipMapLODBias=0.0000
fLODTreeMipMapLODBias=-0.5000
iTreeClonesAllowed=10

[Water]
bUseWaterReflectionsActors=1
bUseWaterReflectionsTrees=1
bUseWaterReflectionsStatics=1

Template:Warning Small

Anti-Aliasing

I would recommend enabling MSAA through your drivers and not through Oblivion's internal one. This is to avoid the 1 pixel line on the first column on the left.
If you are able to get SMAA to work that is a possible alternative. One bad effect SMAA has is that the image will be overly bright and washed out which is due to Steam overlay being enabled.

Note: Using both MSAA and HDR will not work unless you have Oblivion Reloaded

Fixes

Create a Marker

I recommend that you add a marker in Wrye Bash called "Fixes"

Unofficial Oblivion Patch

• Author: Quarn, Kivan and Arthmoor
• Version: 3.5.5
• Description: Unofficial Patches are a must; they fix literally ten-thousands of bugs in the original game that were never addressed by Bethesda.
• Download: "Unofficial Oblivion Patch"
• Installation:

Unofficial Oblivion Patch

Uncheck the following Esp/m Filter

• UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp

Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch

• Author: Quarn, Kivan and Arthmoor
• Version: 1.5.9
• Description: A must have mod with similar effects as Unofficial Oblivion Patch
• Requirements: "Unofficial Oblivion Patch"
• Download: "Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch"

Unofficial Official Mods Patch

• Author: Quarn and Kivan and Arthmoor
• Version: 24
• Description: A must have mod with similar effects as Unofficial Oblivion Patch
• Requirements: Unofficial Oblivion Patch
• Download: "Unofficial Official Mods Patch"

BASH Tags:
DLCFrostcrag - Unofficial Patch.esp

Remove

• C.Climate
• C.Light

User Interface

DarNified UI

• Author: DarN
• Version: 1.3.2
• Download: "DarNified UI 132 7z Archive"
• Installation:

DarNified UI 132 7z Archive

Apply the BCF provided

Check the following Sub-Packages

• 00 Core
• 01 Trollf Loading Screens
• 04 No Quest Added Dialogue Popup
• 05 Custom Fonts

Skill Perk Descriptions

• Author: Alek
• Version: 1.1
• Download: "Skill_Perk_Descriptions_1_1"
• Requirements: OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender) and DarNified UI

nONatees colored Shivering Isles map

• Author: nONatee
• Version: 1.1
• Download: "nONatees_colored-SI-map-mod1.1.zip"
• Requirements: OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender) and DarNified UI
• Installation:

nONatees_colored-SI-map-mod1.1.zip

Apply the BCF provided

Check the following Sub-Packages

• 01 visually_divided

Oblivion.ini

If Oblivion is told to use a specific font that doesn't exist, the game will crash on loading.

DarNified UI

[Fonts]
;SFontFile_1=Data\Fonts\Kingthings_Regular.fnt
sfontfile_1=Data\Fonts\DarN_Kingthings_Exeter_28.fnt
;SFontFile_2=Data\Fonts\Kingthings_Shadowed.fnt
sfontfile_2=Data\Fonts\DarN_Kingthings_Petrock_14.fnt
;SFontFile_3=Data\Fonts\Tahoma_Bold_Small.fnt
sfontfile_3=Data\Fonts\DarN_Kingthings_Petrock_16.fnt
;SFontFile_4=Data\Fonts\Daedric_Font.fnt
SFontFile_4=Data\Fonts\DarN_Oblivion_28.fnt
;SFontFile_5=Data\Fonts\Handwritten.fnt
SFontFile_5=Data\Fonts\Handwritten.fnt

Base Textures

Really Textured Normal Maps for Vanilla - BAINs

• Author: Jarod
• Version: 1.1
• Description: A mod that covers it all: landscape, clutter, armor, weapons... - you name it. In this guide used as basis retexture mod.
• Download: "Really Textured Normal Maps Part 1 BAIN", "Really Textured Normal Maps Part 2 BAIN" and "Really Textured Normal Maps SI BAIN"

Qarls TP3 for NMM

• Author: Qarl
• Version: 1.3
• Description:

Quoted text.

— Quotation source

• Notes: For reference: this is a Bain-friendly repack of QTP3 including Update 1.3 found here.
• Download: "Quarl's Texture Pack III for NMM"
• Instruction:

Quarl's Texture Pack III for NMM

Unpack the archive to a project and delete the old archive

Do not install the following file(s) and/or folder(s):

• meshes\dungeons\fortruins

Rename the following file(s) and/or folder(s):

• meshes\dungeons\caves\exterior\ centrancemtnsnowlg02.nif -> meshes\dungeons\caves\exterior\centrancemtnsnowlg02.nif

  Note: I found that copy/pasting the file works best

QTP UOP350 Compability Patch

• Author: Quarn, Kivan and Arthmoor
• Version: 3.5.0
• Description: Qarl's Texture Pack 3 uses the mesh corrections from the Unofficial Oblivion Patch 1.61. This patch updates this to 3.5.0 UOP.
• Requirements: Unofficial Oblivion Patch and Qarls TP3 for NMM
• Download: "QTP3 UOP350 Compatibility Patch"
• Installation:

QTP3 UOP350 Compatibility Patch

Unpack the archive to a project and delete the old archive

Do not install the following file(s) and/or folder(s):

• meshes\dungeons\fortruins

Bomret's Texture Pack for Shivering Isles v1 with meshes from USIP

• Author: Bomret and the USIP Team
• Version: 1.0
• Description: Just like Qarls Texture Pack this is just as amazing but for the Shivering Isle expansion with the unofficial patch mesh fixes

Detailed Terrain

• Author: ChainsawXIV
• Version: 0.4
• Download: "Detailed Terrain - Beta II", "DT Shader Patch", and "DT Texture Pack - Shivering Isles"

Distant Landscape

Create a Marker

I recommend that you add a marker in Wrye Bash called "Distant Landscape"

Deathb0rns Modified Qarls LOD Normal Maps

• Author: Deathb0rn
• Version: 1.1
• Download: "DMQL-Normal_Maps_2048"

Koldorns LOD Noise Replacer

• Author: Koldorn
• Version: 1.3
• Download: "KoldornsLODnoiseReplacer"
• Installation:

KoldornsLODnoiseReplacer

Check the following Sub-Packages

• Medium

Really AEVWD

• Author: Several
• Version: 1.9.2
• Requirements: TES4LODGen
• Download: "RAEVWD", "RAEVWD SI Edition", "RAEVWD QTP3 Texture Pack by Brumbek", and "RAEVWD SI Bomret Textures"
• Installation:

RAEVWD

Check the following Sub-Packages

• 00 Core
• 03 City Architecture
• 04 Imperial City Architecture

RAEVWD SI Edition

Check the following Sub-Packages

• 00 Core
• 02 New Sheoth Architecture
• 06 Mushroom Trees

Flora, Grass & Water

Enhanced Vegetation

• Author: LprMan
• Version: 1.1
• Description: This adds better textures for distant trees, scaled trees and scrubs, and adds swaying grass meeting your timescale.
• Notes: If you plan to use mods that do alter timescale, take the appropriate subpackage from the plugin - the one nearest to your timescale.
• Requirements: TES4LODGen
• Download: "Enhanced Vegetation - Plugins v1dot1" and "Enhanced Vegetation - High Res Textures v1dot1"
• Installation:

Enhanced Vegetation - Plugins:

Check the following Sub-Packages

• timescale 30

Check the following Esp/m Filter

• Enhanced Vegetation 100%.esp

Enhanced Vegetation - Darker Trunks

• Author: Xtudo
• Version: 1.2
• Requirements: TES4LODGen
• Download: "High Res textures"