[There are many great sites and guides for setting up new players, but now this can be used as a hub for those links, instead of periodically searching and typing every time a new player comes along (and since no one checks the Pinned Threads) send them here and they'll hopefully find what they need. If there's anything you think should be included, mention it in the thread.]

New to Morrowind? New to mods? Recently re-installed?
Are you looking for some ideas on what type of mods to add to your new installation of Morrowind?
You don't need to start a new thread, just look here.

First, check the http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=106063&view=findpost&p=1772641 if you're a complete newby to mods.
Second, read through some of the long-trusted sites to see what others have spent years compiling and many of your questions will already be answered without even needing this thread as anything more than a quick reference.

• http://www.mwmythicmods.com/telesphoros.htm - a large listing of mods separated into 35 different categories.
  
• http://www.mwmythicmods.com/themes.htm - a large list of mods separated into over 40 themes.
  
• http://www.mwmythicmods.com/realism.htm - a very large list of lists, with a section on Realism mods.
  
• http://www.mwmythicmods.com/Gluby/Gluby_Main.htm - detailed outline on some of the mod options for balancing your new game. *very current
  
• http://arcimaestroantares.webs.com/suggestedmods.htm
  
• http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1155980-povuholos-tomorrowind-a-mod-recommendations-list-for-today/ - recommended mods for all aspects of the game. *very current
  
• http://btb2.free.fr/morrowind.html - with a focus on compatibility *very current
  
• http://www.mwmythicmods.com/starting.htm - clearly explains everything you'll ever to need to know about using mods.
  
• The http://www.tweaktown.com/guides/316/the_elder_scrolls_iii_morrowind_tweak_guide/index.html is also very handy for increasing your game's performance. Includes instructions on some ini tweaks and Hardware optimization.

Too much reading, I just want the essentials!

• http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19510 ( http://www.fliggerty.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1008 )
  
• http://btb2.free.fr/morrowind.html <-- BTB's edited version currently seems to be the most stable ( http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Tes3Mod:UMP )
  
• http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=213 (There are also body mods for the two Beast Races: http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail%26id=5650, http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.ladymoiraine.com/forum/index.php?topic=1555.0, among others)

Wait, that's it?
Yup, those are about the only things almost everyone can agree is essential. Everything else is your personal taste.
The patches are still updated regularly, be sure you have the most recent version.

How do I find the best mods?
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.List&game=3, http://www.tesnexus.com/index.php, and http://www.elricm.com/nuke/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index are the main sites for mods.
There are no "best" mods, although you can see the mods listed at PES or TESNexus in order of popularity. Note that some great mods don't appear at the top of the popularity lists.

I need a specific type of mod, like Quests!... :whisper: or Ninja Robots.
You can easily search PES and TESNexus by category, like "Race" or "Quests" and also by specific words, like "ninja robot."
http://search2.yacoby.net/# will search through many sites at once for you. Making it the best search tool to use for finding any type of mod; even if you're unsure of what the mod is named, just type in a key-word.

[!]And don't forget the lists mentioned above, which often list mods by category. (eg: There are lists specifically created for picking House Mods, Landmass Mods, Evil Mods, etc.)

[!]If you're looking for an older mod that might have been lost, http://modhistory.fliggerty.com/ is a great archive.

I need better graphics!!!
Probably the best place to start is the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1103737-add-to-the-list-of-needed-graphics-mods/page__p__16150079__fromsearch__1&#entry16150079 thread. It's very current and concise, that also includes a section on MGE links.
The above mentioned ToMorrowind list has a great http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1155980-povuholos-tomorrowind-a-mod-recommendations-list-for-today/page__view__findpost__p__16924204
Another great thread is the http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=956115
Here you will find many links to many new textures available, and lots of information on using mods in general.
Separated into categories:

• http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=956115&view=findpost&p=13811799
  
• http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=956115&view=findpost&p=13811812
  
• http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=956115&view=findpost&p=13811822

The http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=8987 compilation is a large project that will alter and enhance the visual graphics and the sounds of the game. Perfect for people not interested in finding and installing each mod themselves. Includes a personalization guide as well.

You can also manually search through the Textures section on PES, http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.List&category_select_id=13 to find many of the excellent replacers that improve the visuals.

A large list of World Texture replacers can also be found at http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Tes3Mod:World_Replacers section of the wiki.
http://web.archive.org/web/20080514081136rn_1/ltm.ufrealms.net/textpacks/ and http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y133/X-Calibar/Morrowind/Textures/Chart/ are both very good ways to see world textures compared.

[!]If you use Better Bodies you'll be wanting some better heads to match, so there is the handy http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=994490&hl= thread.

[!]And, of course, http://sourceforge.net/projects/morrgraphext/files/
MGE allows you to use shaders and blooms to change how the game is displayed. Also lets you have distant land, dynamic water and animated grass, like Oblivion. For more info, there is always a recent MGE thread in the Morrowind Mod section.

What common mistakes should I avoid?

• Don't just randomly add every mod that looks cool! Take your time choosing and adding mods, making sure each one has been installed correctly before moving on. Avoid mods that will obviously conflict with each other.
  
• Don't ignore the ReadMe! Mods usually come with text documents that explain certain criteria on how to use the mod properly. Read the instructions, and follow them! Asking a question that has been explained in the ReadMe is annoying to everyone.
  
• Don't blame the mod! Chances are the mod works just fine, but you made a mistake during installation or the mod has special instructions that you neglected. Slow down and read a tutorial.
  
• Read the ReadMe... Again!
  
• Learn how to merge your Leveled List, clean a mod, and sort your Load Order! There are great tools (see below) to help you do these things. Neglecting to learn about these things will quickly cause problems for your game.

[!]Need more info on Leveled Lists, Load Order, GMSTs?? Read through http://www.mwmythicmods.com/starting.htm#basic from the Starting with Mods site.

What important tools do I need?
(Be sure to read all documentation on these tools before you start messing around with them, they can be confusing at first)

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27588 For your own sake, learn to use it! Wrye Mash has everything you need to keep your mods in order and your Saves clean, along with the very important leveled list merger called Mashed Lists. Most answers given for any questions relating to your mod problems will assume that you have Wrye Mash installed.
The http://wryemusings.com/Wrye%20Mash.html has all the info on how to use it.
Trouble installing Mash? Use the Wrye Python 03a files http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22368 to automatically install the needed Python programs.
There is also a new http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1106095-wrye-mash-stand-alone/ that doesn't require any messing with Python.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=utilities.detail&id=34 Great for cleaning ESPs/ESMs of the Evil GMSTs. Has the handy Merged Object function, but avoid using its Merged Dialog/Leveled Lists, and the JUST FIX IT button seems to cause more problems that it solves. Wrye Mash is best at fixing problems.
http://code.google.com/p/escog/ is another easy to use tool for removing bad GMSTs.

http://code.google.com/p/mlox/wiki/Mlox Use Mlox to check for plugin dependencies and conflicts, and to sort your plugins into an optimal load order.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=utilities.detail&id=22 Not a tool for mod help, but a handy utility that runs behind MW to boost performance. Very popular and works with MGE. You don't have to launch MW from it, as long as it's running it will do its thing. (Version 1.96 is the preferred version, since there have been well documented problems with Version 2)

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Utilities.Detail&id=78 A new tool that I believe is still in development. But it does seem to merge objects/levels/etc very well so far.

[!]There are many other tools out there, TESPCD, Enchanted Editor, etc. But the ones mentioned above is all that a beginner will need.

What if I have problems with my modded game?
If you need to start a thread because you can't find a specific answer to your Warnings, mod conflicts or strange behaviour caused by mods, here are some tips for providing the correct info needed to get help.

• Post your Load Order: The most helpful
  
  Open Wrye Mash and highlight your Save. Right click on the 'File' header in the lower right hand box, and select Copy List. You can now paste that list in your thread or Notepad.
  
  
• Post your Mod List:
  
  If you don't have Mash yet, open your Morrowind.ini file, found in your main Morrowind Folder, and scroll to the bottom. Copy/paste the entire list of mods under the [Game Files] heading.
  
  
• Post your Warning.txt file: you will be asked for this
  
  All the Warnings you encounter, in-game or upon start up, will be listed in a text file in your main Morrowind Folder. Copy/paste that for us to see.
  
  
• Mention any third-party programs you are using:
  
  Are you using MGE, MWE, MWSE, etc? And which version number are they?
  
  
• Use Mlox and post the output:
  
  If you've used Mlox on your list of mods but are not sure what to do next, copy/paste the text that Mlox produced for you.

[!]Be clear in describing your problems, there are many mods out there and no one has seen every possible conflict.
[!]Problems directly related to MGE should only be posted in the current MGE thread.

What else do I need?
Patience and Common Sense.
For unpacking mods after download you'll need to unzip them. http://www.rarlab.com/, http://www.winace.com/ or http://www.7-zip.org/ (among others)

[!]A widely used trick to help increase performance is to open your Morrowind ini file and change this line: Max FPS=240 to Max FPS=60
This often improves the frame rate flow, and improves the functioning of some menu buttons.

[!]You will never need money or credit cards. All mods are always free. Some sites require that you register, but that is also free.
Bethesda released eight Official Plug-ins for Morrowind, they are free and can be found http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Official_Plug-ins

Ready to make your own mods? Check the http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=24 in the Construction Set forum to get yourself started.

Nicely done. Bookmarked for future question answering!

Nicely done Pluto! Pin It!!! :thumbsup:

You might want to link to the http://sourceforge.net/projects/morrgraphext/files/ in addition / instead since any specific MGE forum thread will quickly become obsolete. -_-

A link for 7zip should also be provided.

Good thinking, tetchy. Got it.

Great stuff. Another handy texture pack resource is X-Calibar's http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y133/X-Calibar/Morrowind/Textures/Chart/, check the various albums linked on the left.

Maybe a "What if I have problems" bit? Basically, post on here with mod list and warnings.txt.

Done!

Reported for stickyness.

Removed misplaced post

I've got Arcimaestro's and BTB's lists of suggested mods, does anyone else have a personal list like that hosted somewhere?
The more options the better.

Perhaps a link to a tutorial directory? For those who play these mods or use lists like these and then discover they want to make changes or make their own mods but don't know how to do whatever it is they want to do.

Also, you left out an i in FPS Optimizer's link.

Most people don't start modding until after they have played with mods for awhile, and this was more for helping people find/use mods when they've never used them before. But I'll add a little addendum at the bottom just for total coverage.

Well, I've been posting my list for about two years now. Here's the latest thread in which it can be found: http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1060317&hl=

This is superb, Pluto! Bookmarked.

I'd second the suggestion it be pinned, but, well, then no one would read it, would they?

Edit: Do you have a permanent spot for the initial post? Just in case this thread eventually falls off into the void.

Great stuff :foodndrink:

Couple of links I can think of straight away...

http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=62649&hl=

http://gmml.pbworks.com/ has lots of info on conflicts too, maybe worth mentioning that?

Will post more if I think of any.


Cheers
kwm

Hey, can I get a "very current" tag for my list, too? >.>

Also, the stated purpose of mine is to list a small number of "must-have" mods with a focus on compatibility, which is how it contrasts with most other mod lists. You know, if you wanted to give it a description

Sure thing, BTB.

perhaps a bit outside the target audience,but I got to try it out on linux recently,for real this time.

tespcd and testool works straight out of the box more or less (perhaps minor adjustments).
later versions of wine everything works including paperdoll,water,music.(music eventually added music stuff,codecs for example).

python are included in every distro but regarding mash linuxes python are too new,install the correct thing in wine=problem solved.

forget about mge and mwse,that means a lot of mods are a no go

and naming, think mr moonsugar got something for that over at his place
also solved if you use a filemanager in wine

BUMP

I just realized how insane it is that we need lists of lists of mods >.>

It's like, "Yo dawg, I heard u like mod lists, so we put a mod list in ur mod list so u can mod while u mod!"

I have a weak spot for Tarnsman's http://www.mwmythicmods.com/realism.htm. This list has been very useful to me.

Added.
I forgot about this one, but I've used it many times in the past. It has the great "realism" section which makes it unique.

This thread needs a good bumpin'.

Let's send this one back to the first page.

Updated to include a new section: What common mistakes should I avoid?

While you list a couple of "warranted" warnings about the otherwise useful Testool, you make no mention of the various issues with the 2.0 version of FPS Optimizer. 1.96 is the preferred version, but anyone unfamiliar with it would naturally assume that they should get the "latest and greatest".

Nice job on the Recommendation page, otherwise.