Just bought Oblivion - looking for mods

[phexac]

I just bought the game for the first time and am looking for mods to install. For gameplay changes, I will go with Obscuro's complete overhaul mod. But now I am looking for some graphics mods.

I would appreciate refences to specific mods or a site which list something like top 10 mods for Oblivion or something. I tried looking on google, but it seems that the sites I keep finding are either out of date and sort of abandoned or are very difficult to navigate to find the best content.

I would appreciate any recommendations and experiences people here have had. Thanks.

 

[coldmeat]

Maybe you should play it first before you decide what changes you want to make? You don't have to, but I personally didn't enjoy any overhaul mods that I installed.

 

[MrPickins]

I use Qarl's Texture pack 3 - Redimized:

http://planetelderscrolls.game...ew=OblivionMods.Detail

It's pretty.

 

[dj2004]

Originally posted by: coldmeat
Maybe you should play it first before you decide what changes you want to make? You don't have to, but I personally didn't enjoy any overhaul mods that I installed.

Agreed. You'll also appreciate what mods have to offer after playing vanilla Oblivion (*shudders*).

Best oblivion mod database: http://www.tesnexus.com/
Quickest way to find some of the best mods: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/top/
Official mods forums are always great to browse: http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsfor...index.php?showforum=25
For texture mods I suggest browsing this site: http://devnull.sweetdanger.net...ontextureoverhaul.html

For Shivering Isles, get Bomrat's Texture Pack.
For the rest, get Qarl's Texture Pack 3 (QTP3) Redimized. Redimized is almost the same quality but much less resource hungry than regular QTP3.
There are also mods that improve tree textures, flower textures, meat textures, etc, that you should install, too.

There are mods that make vegetation larger (I don't suggest the Natural Environments version, as there is a much better newer mod that does this but I forgot its name). There is also another mod that makes trees much fuller (more branches and leaves). Again, I forget its name.

Essentials:
OBMM - http://timeslip.chorrol.com/obmm.html
OBSE - http://obse.silverlock.org/
Wrye Bash - http://wrye.ufrealms.net/Wrye%20Bash.html
BOSS - http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516


Sure, it all sounds complicated now, but the whole modding process is quite simple after you install a few. It also depends on what mods you use, as if you only use texture replaces and a few .esp/.esm mods, then it will be very easy.

 

[Sam25]

Originally posted by: MrPickins
I use Qarl's Texture pack 3 - Redimized:

http://planetelderscrolls.game...ew=OblivionMods.Detail

It's pretty.

Yes, get this one. Makes the game look much much better.

 

[shortylickens]

The Elder Scrolls Nexus (already posted) is the best place to find mods. I think you have to become a member if you wanna download files over 100k, but its free and its awesome.

I think everybody needs:
- Something to fix the interface. The UI was designed for the crappy Xbox360 and you can find plenty of mods to make it better. More items on screen at one time, and a bigger map are the most important features.
- Increase MP's or MP recovery. Even if you aren't a mage this is still helpful. Magic use is severely hindered by the limited mana and very slow mana regeneration. You can have a lot more fun with just a little tweak. I found one mod that bumps up starting mana by 100 points, regardless of class or Sign. You can still use the Apprentice and Wizard signs to get more mana as well. I also have one that selectively doubles or quadruples mana regen, your choice.
- Increase weight capacity. Yes its cheating, but the game sucks ass and slows to a crawl if you have to run back and forth selling off loot all the time. It takes forever to clear out a dungeon. The one I use gives me 10 times as much encumberance as the default, and thats just barely enough.
- Increase money at shops. So you can sell more junk at one time. Also so you can sell off single expensive items that you dont actually need.
- Anything that gives a slightly higher base speed. The main reason this game takes so long is the running back and forth between places. On the world map you can normally instant-travel (not always) buts its still nice to get around towns, dungeons, and unexplored surface areas faster than normal. This most common way of achieving this is by adding an item that increases the Speed stat.

 

[queequeg99]

I would try Oscuros Oblivion Overhaul pretty soon. One of the main problems I had with the game was that all of the monsters leveled with me. This ruined the anticipation of getting new skills, weapons, etc. because everything you would use them against just got stronger. This patch essentially makes the entire world a lot more dangerous from the get go. As you get more powerful, you are more able to deal with the world around you.

So if you install this mod and on the first day you find yourself facing a big white thing that looks like a minotaur, run your ass off.

 

[Kalmah]

Originally posted by: queequeg99
I would try Oscuros Oblivion Overhaul pretty soon. One of the main problems I had with the game was that all of the monsters leveled with me. This ruined the anticipation of getting new skills, weapons, etc. because everything you would use them against just got stronger. This patch essentially makes the entire world a lot more dangerous from the get go. As you get more powerful, you are more able to deal with the world around you.

So if you install this mod and on the first day you find yourself facing a big white thing that looks like a minotaur, run your ass off.

That's how Oblivion should have been in the first place. Man I was so disapointed.. Only played it for about week before shelving it. The creature animations where horrid as well.. like the entire swinging of a sword was like 2 frames.
And to top that off they removed half of the features that Morrowind had.

So is this game worth playing with mods now?

 

[dj2004]

Originally posted by: Kalmah
So is this game worth playing with mods now?

It's been worth it for at least two years now. I suggest using FCOM instead of just OOO if you want the whole kaboodle. If you want to go the simpler route, as FCOM's installation is more precise/harder, then OOO + MMM is a good start.

Don't forget the expansion pack: Shivering Isles (SI). Bethesda seems to make very good expansions to their games, and SI is no exception. Plus, some mods require it.

 

[MTDEW]

1: qarls texture pack ( i use the regular non-redimized one since i have 1gb video ram)
2: blurry landscape fixes and high LOD normal maps
3: Natural enviroments ( i dont use natural weather, i hate the yellow! )
4: beaming sunglare
5: almost everything large (shows distant buidings)
6: illumination within revived (lights windows in homes)
7: color map mod
8: BT mod (better interface)
9: brighter torches
10: darker nights
11: real lights
12: clocks of cryodiil
13: no more annoying loading messages
14: skingrad bridge lights
15: no more psychic guards
16: real lights
17: choose whichever water mod you like best, i like the phinix one
18: Super Start
(you start in the dungeon with a chest of all things you would normally find on the way out and you have a door that exits directly from your cell to the sewer exit)
19: TNR


As said above, i go to The Elder Scrolls nexus Nexus for all my mods.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/categories.php

 

[MTDEW]

Oh, i almost forgot , grab the latest version of the Oblivion Mod Manager (OMM) and install it before any mods to make it easier on yourself.

 

[tigersty1e]

Originally posted by: dj2004
For Shivering Isles, get Bomrat's Texture Pack.
For the rest, get Qarl's Texture Pack 3 (QTP3) Redimized. Redimized is almost the same quality but much less resource hungry than regular QTP3.

I thought Shivering Isles was a part of the original game. So how can you have a different texture mod for Shivering Isles from the larger original game?

 

[dj2004]

Originally posted by: tigersty1e

Originally posted by: dj2004
For Shivering Isles, get Bomrat's Texture Pack.
For the rest, get Qarl's Texture Pack 3 (QTP3) Redimized. Redimized is almost the same quality but much less resource hungry than regular QTP3.

I thought Shivering Isles was a part of the original game. So how can you have a different texture mod for Shivering Isles from the larger original game?

Shivering Isles is the expansion for Oblivion and was released in 2007. It is in a completely separate worldspace with new textures.