After 3 days of lurking resources and installing mods, I've finally crashed against a wall called bashed patch.
I have a general idea of what wrye bash does (something similar to obmm, but with some differences), but this bashed patch thing isn't really the most documented thing if you start from the bottom.
I've tried wrye page on wrye bash and the links suggested, all that I could find was some high level info on the wrye page and a faq on Tes4Mod. The problem here is I have not even a clear idea of what the bashed patch is and does, why should I use it and how I use it (in a general way).
Is there some link I seem to be unable to find where bashed patch is explained to the beginners?
Even these forums seem to lack info about it.


P.S.
As the topic description implies I kind of run into the same problem with BAIN. I would say I don't even know what the acronym stands for, but that would be false since I actually do know, but that's pretty much all I know, and it was not even thanks to the resources I listed here that I acquired this knowledge...
I guess the info I need were found on a thread deleted from the forums long ago.

Okay I'll try to answer the basic things. The bashed patch is always at the end of the load order unless a mod tells you that it should be loaded after the bashed patch like deadly reflex. Always use BOSS to sort your load order then check the notes that BOSS will show. There are mods out there that requires wrye bash to work properly like Cobl. Wrye bash will help you lessen the active plugins so you dont reach the mod count limit quickly.

:Here is what I always do:

1. Use BOSS to fix my load order.
2. Right click bashed patch then press Rebuild patch
3. The new Wrye bash will ask you to deactivate mods that can be merged. (Their text is in color green)
4. If you let Wrye bash deactivate the mods then go to Merge Patches and check all the mods there. (Check box)
5. After everything is done then click Build patch.

Wait for it to finish and you are done.

EDIT: Wrye Bash can also tell you if a mod is missing a requirement and it will be highlighted in red. These mods will make your game crash. Some mods will give you these kind of plugins and you will need to follow their instructions on how to use it. Everything here is related to the bashed patch.

The way I had it described to me when I first started a long time ago,

1) Select all your mods, right click and hit "mark mergable"
2) Right click Bashed Patch, hit Rebuild Patch
3) Select every category with .esp's and select them.
4) After thats done, click the ones with all the green names so there's a PLUS SIGN in the checkbox.

Thats probably not what you're supposed to do to be honest, but thats what I always do now. I just select everything that Wrye Bash can merge and let it do the rest.

And by the way, the bashed patch basically combines different elements of different mods to make them work together. Like if you have FCOM, it takes the leveled lists of all the overhauls and combines them so they don't conflict and work nicely together.

Ok, this put a lot of things into perspective. Just this info is worth gold, I didn't know there was a limit on how many mod I could use at the same time.
Altough now I have a doubt: since I found obmm to be quite handy, I used it to install every mod I have (I created an omod for each and every one of them). Is this going to be trouble for wrye? Should I use wrye bash to install any mod aside from the very big one with scripted omod compatibility info or the like?

I use obmm to make omod like you.

After i install my mods in obmm, I close obmm and open wrye bash to fix my load order and stuff. Then after I fix my stuff in wrye bash I will close it then I will open obmm again and luanch the game.


I believe there are 2 limits on mod count.

One is mods that are active in the game and the second is plugins in your data folder. Including plugins that are inactive. Wrye bash helps you lessen the active mods in the game and it also helps you lessen plugins in your data folder by using the ghosting feature which I have never used because I only have few mods. I think the limit is around 250-255 active plugins something.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1084204-bain-mod-installation-projects/.

For new bashed patch users - http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/finishinstall/bashedpatch.

Also you can get the general idea of how from the outdated FCOM readme - even if you are not using FCOM. Go to the bashed patch section at the bottom of http://devnull.sweetdanger.net/convergence.html. Some parts are outdated but if does offer a blow by blow. But fvery FCOM centric.

Also best place to ask about how is the Wrye Bash thread.

There is, and as stated two different limits:

1. amount of "load order" active esp/esm files.
The limit is actually 256 (this is based on there being a two digits code for each one - in hexadecimal two digits means numbering from 00 {zero} to FF {255}) one is hidden (it's for your character save file), one (00) for the Oblivion.esm, and the rest for any extra mods you add.

Wyre bash helps you keep this down with mergeable files, which are now shown in green text, and can safely be deactivated/merged (denoted by a plus sign instead of a tick) once merged into the bashed patch file. And others can be deactivated/imported (denoted by a dot), some of which are in purple text, with only some of their attributes merged into the patch.

2. An upper limit of esp, esm and BSA files in your data folder.
The game won't automatically crash if you have more (as is the case with the above limit) but some will simply fail to load if there are too many.
The limit is not precisely known (and may not in fact be precise at all) but is somewhere between 300 and 400 such files (I run just fine with around 350 myself, just try to keep below 400.)

Wrye can help here with its "Auto-Ghost" feature.
What this does is rename the files that are merged/imported into the bashed patch, such that the data folder doesn't read them as files that go to this limit. While still retaining all that is needed to have them in your game.
How to use it:
In the "Mods" tab in Wyre Bash, right-click on the "file" heading and select "Auto-Ghost."


Wrye Bash is very good at handling mods that don't require advanced scripts (it can't handle scripts yet.) But in general OBMM is just fine.

I myself have only recently started using BAIN, as I too started with OBMM exclusively. My suggestion is to do as I do; as you add new mods (which are in BAIN format, simple, or not OMOD scripted) try installing those ones through BAIN (Placing the zipped file or folder into the "...Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion Mods\Bash Installers" folder, and selecting the "Installers" tab in Wrye bash - it takes a while to load up, don't worry )
Then as you get used to it, you may then choose to export others over to that method.
As Wrye Bash is still being actively improved, it is generally considered that the best course of action is to use it for as much as reasonably practical. But to date OBMM still does have its uses, particularly the scripted installation of complex mods with multiple install options. And a number of the best mods are of that sort. Perhaps one day Wrye Bash will take over there as well, but that day has not yet arrived.


Oh and run BOSS (Better Oblivion Sorting Software) on your files (If activated through Wrye Bash you won't have to un-ghost your files, any other way and you will or it won't work quite right, but you may want to anyway; its faster that way.) Not only does that order your files optimally, it also provides extra bash patch tags (meaning better compatibility/functionality when added into the bashed patch), and an output text file which includes certain tips and advice on what to do with some mods (deactivate/merge, conflicts with other mods etc.)

Ok... I fail at the search function, but indeed looking for BAIN and selecting to search only in the title via the advanced options does report 0 threads found...
Anyway, amazing resources you got there (TESIV:POSITIVE)!


Vagr: I really appreciate the info about the 256 and 400 limits. I am safely under 256, but I should really check for the 400 one!
And regarding BOSS, I already use it... so at least I can delay a bit an accurate study about resolving mod ordering issues! xD
4th day after I've restarted "playing" oblivion and I still haven't even started the game! (I know I'll have to redo all the installation properly after I've learned all this mod stuff anyway xD I'll do the step by step addition of mods that time).