I checked out the link you provided. You have quite a bit of experience, especially on the demands mods can put on computers. I thought I had it good with my 24" iMac but your system along with your 28" screen & 1Gig video card easily Trumps it.

Judging from your comments (from thread-link), it seems to me there is noway for my system can handle QTP3Redimized - correct?

My System Specs are:
Apple iMac
2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (3GB since XP OS)
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (BootCamp)
Display 24" with 1920x1200 resolution

Based on this, after I install FCOM, what do you suggest would bring about the most visual enhancement without crashing/overloading my system?
Note - I do plan on adding RBP & EVE HGEC.

Thanks

Well what you will come to find is that AI will drag your frame rates down as well. The more spawn points added the more that will affect AI. So if you are like me and want an overhaul of magic use, stealth behavior, Combat behavior, etc then they will add to the AI. And simply the more NPCs there are the more the AI will drag on system resources.

Just adding FCOM with its new spawn points (added by 4 overhauls at that) will put more NPCs out there and then any other behavior tweaks will contribute. When I add FCOM I get a drop on about 20-25 frame rates and that is without 200 other mods or texture replacers. With basic FCOM installed go out past the borders and you will see the frame rates rise (or install Elyswer).

My first attempt at modding Oblivion I attacked the Texture Overhaul page and maxed it all out doing it with manual installs and at the time had a 512 card (same system) and it crippled the computer to a stuttering breakdown.

You have to decide what is more important - looks or function - then balance accordingly.

TOTO is great but you might find more updated info here: http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=960829&hl

If you look on my BAIN thread you will see that I spent a day or two just repackaging QTPIII so that I could choose to have high resolution textures indoors and low to none outdoors: http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=957424&view=findpost&p=13861975 I think dev called me nuts for doing that, but guess what - I still use that and it works great.

A great alternative to QTPIII and one I like using outdoors and for vegetation and so on is CorePCs Vibrant textures and LOD: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18677 which is amazing and much more useable.

Truth is right now I don't use a landscape overhaul (the landscape itself) but I do use light texture combination of Cores Vibrant, -pk-'s QTPIII custom textures, etc. I use Core's LOD but the light version. Most things in my game are retextures except the ground itself.

For beginning though I'd stick with Core's vibrant textures and learn to use this: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23208

But really - I'd hold off on adding more texture stuff until you are certain that you are happy with all the AI you want first.

Take your time. To get where I'm at took me over a year. Learn the tools first, go slow. aim low.

Thanks for the links.


-IF I install FCOM, RBP & EVE HGEC - I will not be able to run QT3Redimized? Just checking.

The Stutter remover is a for sure download and use mod - nice recommendation.

I love to visually enhance the game, up the quality of sound etc and to get it - I would have no qualms about sacrificing frame rates etc but up to a certain point. If the game crashes, if the 'stuttering' totally kills the 'mood' of the game then the enhancements become a hindrance rather than an improvement.

And that is why how you install the replacers is important.

OBMM allows you to throw stuff in there and you never know what overwrites what unless you crack open the omods or files and compare them side by side. BAIN allows you to see that after installing replacer set B you can see that it overwrote textures x,y,z but left a,b,c alone then switch it around so that Mod A then has priority of x,y,z.

BAIN is a lot of work to format at first, but the only way to have total control of what overrides what short of extensive notes done with manual install - but then it is still better than that.

Since I BAINed all world textures and much much more plus all the texture replacers attached to all BAINed quests like blood and mud. I can switch in and out juggle around install orders and replacer priority in 10s of minutes. That includes things like eye and hair and trees and rocks.

If you do it manually it gets so confusing so fast and thoughts like reinstall creep in the mind. I could have installed all those race mods and then taken them out with little impact on anything except maybe the save game file using BAIN.

There are others like Arthmoor who even extract their vanilla bsa files and then add in the replacers - for more performance and repack them with less compression. Doing that though takes commitment to one replacer. He also has a 2 gig Vram card so he can play more than I do with it.

That quote from TOTO is true for the most part if you have a very light AI load and is totally doable with just FCOM basic. In fact you won't be getting massive drops in performance until after 180 or so mods. Pushing the 240+ range has been challenging and I know that the bottleneck on my rig is my cpu - Oblivion does not multithread well and a quad core 2.6 is still just 2.6 with this game (even though the other cores can handle the OS and so on).

So it is up to you - if you install smartly with good tools (I'm pro BAIN but OBMM is the next best) then it wont matter as much if QTPIII is too much because you can then just take it out and put in something else. I used this OMOD: http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3985 for a long time and it was the back bone of how I did the BAIN package.

I can't say if you can run that combo well - I would never use a mac and then windows on it - kinda not my forte. Again how you install and the work you put into the front end of how you install will make playtesting and removal painless.

today I tested out some castle mods like Seaview and Glenvar and next Hoarfrost - mostly because I'm not happy with Battlehorn (first time playing with it). And I found that even cleaned and with landscape patch that Seaview is stutter delux and Glenvar (even though I follewed BOSS load order) is a landscaping mess. Ah well probably a mod conflict. Both are kind overdone - we'll see about Hoarfrost that is next.

cheers

Regarding FCOM install - I am currently adding Tamriel Travellers which has never caused me issues until now - cause I am going the OMOD way on it.

Specifically, the the following 2 files have me concerned since they are not mentioned in the FCOM install instructions:
ShiveringIsleTravellers.esp
ShiveringIsleTravellersFriendlyFactions.esp

Can anyone offer insight on these two? Should I include them since I have SI or would they bugger up my FCOM install?

thanks

FCOM is mostly a Cyrodiil thing only frans (barely) and MMM (moreso) touch SI.

So since the main FCOM component that is included that touches SI is MMM and the same author made Travelers then you can bank on it being OK.

CorePC does care about compatibility ... especially with his own mods.

[edited for clarity - getting late here]

Question on EVE HGEC: I will have FCOM installed along with RBP, Armamentarium and Artificats. Based on this which optional add ons for EVE do I need to install? I read over the instructions but its not clear (at least not to me). Specifically, do I need to install the MMM, OOO & FRAN files?

Thanks
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24078

My bad, critical information about the mods in question appears after the credits.

If you install the omod with the omod conversion data (script) I think it takes care of itself.

So wanting to install EVE HGEC, RBP, Armamentarium & Artificats along with faces from TNR.

To the experienced people - do you see any conflicts with these 5?

Also I read in RBP website that I could import faces from TNR for NPCs but I have been unable to figure out how.



If anyone can link information on how to use BAIN to link faces etc from TNR that would be great. What I have done so far is put the files for TNR into the Bash Installers folder, then in Wyre Bash these files appear under the install tab. From there I clicked on the files and installed both 'TNRALLRacesFinal' & 'TNRSINoHelms' - the ESP files do not appear in the load order. I tried to rebuild bash to see if those two would appear or some options to import NPC faces would but nothing.

Any help is appreciated - thanks.

They should work fine together. You'd want http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18477 as well I'd guess.



Not sure what you mean. TNR changes NPC faces as it is. Do you mean how to merge them into the Bashed Patch? Or how to use one of them for the player character?

FCOM suggests not adding the ESP files from TNR but without those what else is there? So how can I import those NPC faces etc?

Also, wouldn't that Exnem Body Replacer conflict with HGEC?

HGEC is a tweaked Exnem body so I think those meshes will fit better than the vanilla ones.

http://www.oblivionmodwiki.com/index.php/Tamriel_NPCs_Revamped on how to merge TNR into the Bashed patch.

Just to be clear (I have already screwed up this part of the download a few times lol)
EVE HGEC is derived from Exnem but is not the same - correct?
If so, and if I am determined to use HGEC then would using the Exnem body replacer be prudent?

Regarding face importing - I am not so concerned about importing a face for my character but more about giving NPCs faces made by TNR. I am not sure how to do this cause the instructions for FCOM state the ESP files are not to be active, just imported - how I do that I can't figure out - when I go to rebuild patch I see no sign of TNR amongst the choices.

Not the same - but HGEC is closer to Exnem than vanilla, so the Exnem meshes are closer to the HGEC body than the Armamentarium vanilla meshes.

BTW, if you're using Cobl I'd recommend using its TNR versions as you'll get lots of NPC hair/eye variety that way as well.

That's what the guide is for. If you check "Import NPC Faces" when updating the Bashed patch TNR should turn up there.

You found the info hopefuly posted at the bottom stating for

FCOM you install EVE Stock, EVE Frans, EVE OOO, EVE MMM, EVE Armamentarium and

you understand that artifacts is beta and not complete only c cup and normal lower are body options in that. The rest are still being worked on for Artifacts E Cup / Wider Lower and EBE Cup / EBE Lower.

for fcom - you use fransfemale.esp, armamentariumfemale.esp,artifactsfemale.esp in addition to using eve_stockequipmenterplacer4fcom.esp, eve_khajiitfix, eve_knightsofnine (optionial) , eve_shiveringisleEastEggs.esp (Optionial)



No Need for that.

There is EVE Armamentarium that is on the eve download page that is what you use.

Hmmm I kind of liked how those E cup were looking... wonder if I could settle for C?

CorePC, curious, do you use any CM Partners? If so which ones? thanks

Would someone be able to take a look at my load order and give me advice? I'm a newbie. :[

I could try though I am new myself - what do you need help with? Also the instructions and load order on the first page is relatively easy to follow. You do not have to add all the additional mods so it should be relatively quick to install. Also the thread highlights my 'Trek' to mod the game, lots of questions, lots of failures etc - boring read but it could prove useful.

Look at you!!! I've been following you from the beginning, and I remember the time when you were the average user who just wanted to install install install... never wanted to read anything... and then got frustated by the results. And now YOUR telling other people to read and trying to help them! In a weird, kindof strange way I'm proud of you. :tops:
Edit: 200 limit's coming up fast, might want to think about a new thread.

Yeah I used the link on the first page to get some things moved around, namely the DLCs to the bottom and the larger mods there as well.

I'm having issues with OblivionXP; it doesn't seem to be working, so I am trying to narrow down what it could be, like if it's something caused by load order.

Note - I should have updated the install instructions there on the first page. I have since opted to use 'TheNiceOne's Install Scripts. They definitely make the process easier. As for your questions, did you download BOSS?

I did, and there is nothing there...

I have not heard of BOSS yet~ I use the OBMM for my load order.

Off to check those scripts...

QUESTION - when rebuilding patch - under Importing NPC Faces, I have 3 files - yes figured out how to make TNR appear - toggled the ESP files then deactivated them (like BOSS says). I am guessing they will not appear in my load order as FCOM specified (confirmed they don't).

Anyways, here are the 3 files currently appearing under 'importing NPC faces':
1. TNR All Races Final.esp
2. TNR Shivering Isles No Helms.esp
3. Blood & Mud.esp

Do I choose all of them? Would any conflict?
Thx