Hi, right i am going to install oblivion with eventually mods in a few days, sorry ive got a lot of questions but i will list them as numbers to make it easier for everyone,

before i start is this order ok for actually installing oblivion ( i will have the GOTY edition with no plug ins at the mo apart from SI and KOTN)

Game of the Year Edition

You do not need to apply any Official patches to the GOTY Edition because it is already 1.2.0416.

1.Install all Official Add-ons
2.Install the Unofficial Oblivion Patch (user-made mod)
3.Install the Unofficial Official Mods Patch (user-made mod)
4.Install the Official Construction Set 1.2.404


1. ive heard of mod managers called BAIN and OBMM being the main ones but whats the difference and what one should i use?

2. and do you recommend using http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/walkthroughs/baininstallguide guide to install oblivion with mods

3. shall i use all the programs that is suggested like BOSS BOMM and OBSE? in the order suggested to eventually install mods?

4. Also what is WYRE BASH?

5. all these programs and mods seem soooo confusing! its unbelievable, so is there any that i don't need or could cut out? (bear in mind i am not going to run this game at maxed out settings because of the graphics card, if theres any additional programs that will make my pc run faster or more cleaner then please suggest them, thanks.)

(Btw please talk to me like im a idiot, because im a big newbie to all this stuff.)

Thanks for any replies and help

Sam

1. Use OBMM to start with, because it's easier, and you'll probably learn more about modding the... less hard way.

2. That site is very good, but what you really need to do is follow some of the advice there (or maybe all of it) - like, read readme files and other documents, FAQs, etc. Really, this will make all the difference. In fact... there's a site in your sig with some good info!

3. The order(s) suggested at that site should be fine, basically. Depends a lot on the types of mods you want to install. For example, an OOO install is different from an FCOM install, is different from a TIE install, as opposed to vanilla, and so on. You may as well install OBSE and BOSS, because the first of those allows many mods to work at all, or in some cases to have more uses, and the second will order your mods list for you, and even give you advice, all at a single mouse click (or double click, possibly.) All said and done, DO install OBSE, and you may as well put BOSS in there too.

4. Wrye Bash (not Wyre) is extremely powerful and useful - IF you'll be needing it. You can get away without using it just fine, if you don't have many mods, and specifically, if there's no call for a Bashed Patch. Big depends, once more.

5. You'll want Oblivion Stutter Remover, Streamline and Fast Exit 2. Check the Mods forum for many, many threads (including stickied ones) that go into a lot of detail about these and other stability/performance mods. There are tons.

Hope that helps.

ok thanks for your reply, so i'll use OBMM when i get it installed and leave wrye bash out for now then if i don't need it. i have been reading up but theres so much info its hard to take it all in!
i'll install the BOMM, OBSE and BOSS as well then (have no clue what they do, lol) but do they help the order and management a bit more then?

If they do will they conflict with the OBMM?

thanks again

Btw is zip genius 6 good enough to extract or do i need 7 zip?

OBMM (Oblivion Mod Manager) is a program that makes reordering and installing mods easier than with the Oblivion launcher application.

OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender) is a extension to the Oblivion executable that allows more complex scripts to be run, for non-modders it simply means better mods

BOSS (Better Oblivion Sorting Software) is a tool that's purpose is to set the mods into a working order, install the mods, run BOSS and reorder the mods the way it suggests and everything should work.

However as Breton Paladin implied, if you'll be using several mods or overhauls, Wrye Bash is just about required for it's bashed patch function. It also has many other useful functions, and it really isn't as intimidating as it looks.

I've no clue what zip genious can do, i use Universal Extractor, haven't come across anything it can't extract yet.

SOrry, but I don't know what BOMM is. Oblivion Script Extender [OBSE] is pretty much what it sounds like - basically, it's an interface via which creators of mods can do more stuff more easily. So, there are quite a few mods that require it. But they will always tell you, in the description at tesnexus or wherever it's hosted, and in things like readme.txt (or the like.) They'll usually say "requires OBSE v17+" or something along those lines. Just get the latest version (which, I believe, is still 18.) Better Oblivion Sorting Software [BOSS] on the other hand, is not needed by anything at all, but it literally does the mod load ordering for you, to a large extent - and more, if you need and are using Wrye Bash, but never mind that for now.


7-Zip (the app) is nothing special. But there are a few mods (not many that I've seen) where they're packaged off in chunks, the first of which has a filename ending with ".001" - and, as far as I know, 7-zip is the program you need for those. But honestly, I've only ever seen... maybe two? And I have thousands of mods on this computer. No joke!

Anything else you wanted to know?


edit: Gah, connection problems, ninjas, will it never end?!

1. ok thanks for that to toJKa aswell, is it ok if i skip parts 6,7,8 on that guide i posted the link to? as it is to do with the bain and wyre thing.

2. Also when do i need to install the unofficial patches? after vannila oblivion install? before mods?

3. oh it says BOMM is BOSS masterlist manager?

ok thats prob it for now but i'll prob need help later on when i get to installing.

so the programs im gonna install are OBMM, OBSE, BOSS, construction set,

4. OBSE plugins- Elys' Universal Silent Voice (USV), Fast Exit v2, Oblivion Stutter Remover (OSR), Pluggy - do ineed all these?


5. Download "Secondary Requirements": Streamline (SL) (3.1b and the 3.1b patch), FormID Finder, Actor Details


Download Optimization Mods: Quiet Fee MAX (for users with onboard sound), Low PolyGrass or RPG-BlackDragon's LowTriPolyGrass (if you need extra FPS), Optimised Distant Land MAX (definitely recommended for 512MB or less video cards)

Again do i need all this?

Actual mods i'll come to later

ok thanks again

1. Pretty much. Pay attention to any reliable installation order advice you come across though - there or elsewhere. So, even if he's using BAIN, and you're using OBMM and maybe some manual installs (aka the quick 'n dirty way), a lot of the order for installation should translate well anough. Hopefully. Trial and error though, once you get past a few mods. Then it'd be time for Wrye Bash, and possible BAIN too (though I've yet to use that, tbh.)

2. Personally, I'm likely to install (disregarding QTP, FCOM and other weirdness) Oblivion (not GotY), SI, latest official (SI) Oblivion patch, Unofficial Oblivion Patch, UOP hotfix/supplemental (latest fixes, basically), Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch, offocial mods (DLC) - the ones I want anyway, Unofficial Official Mods Patches (for the DLC), and somewhere around here things like OBSE, OBMM and the like. Then... the rest, in an order that works. I hope! But for the GotY version, which comes with SI, the DLC and the latest patch, right(?) I'd just install everything you want off that disc, then the UOP, USIP, UOMP in that order. Choose the default settings if asked, for any mods, generally speaking. But common sense rules.

3. LOL! Had no idea BOMM was a real thing until now. Funny. Oh well. Might even use it, I guess.

4. You only need Ely's USV if you'll ever install mods that have dialogue in text format only (i.e., no voice files) - it plays a silent mp3 each time, so you've got time to read that stuff. Not neede otherwise. Pluggy is used by a small number of mods. It further extends Oblivion Script Extender, but again not needed unless a mod calls for it specifically. The others? Yes, use them.

5. Streamline, yes. The other two are basically debugging tools, IIRC. Don't use Actor Details myself, but if you're stacking on the mods, doing weird mixes, or tweaking/creating things yourself, I guess they could both be a godsend.

Other optimisation stuff - depends big time on your hardware.

ok i think im ok for now untill i begin installing (god help me) :shakehead: but do i need those optimization mods that i listed from that guide?

EDIT nvm you answered them, thanks :icecream:

my graphics card is a nvidia 8400m GS or something, so i will prob need those optimization mods, lol

Depends on what sort of computer you're using. AFAIK those mods don't have esp file, so try without them at first, and if the game doesn't run too good then try adding them. Also i use a mod called "Operation Optimization" that should help too.

Edit: yes you will, 400 series cards aren't too good for games, and in addition that seems to be a mobile card. Get every optimisation mod you can find, you will propably need to use low settings and resolution too. My 9600GT often struggles with the game with only 1366x768 resolution :brokencomputer: More so than Fallout 3

so to finalise i will install it like this:

1.Install all Official Add-ons (they don't come with GOTY so will it be ok to install them later? or do i need to uninstall UOP first?)
2.Install the Unofficial Oblivion Patch (user-made mod)
3.Install the Unofficial Official Mods Patch (user-made mod) (maybe later)
4.Install the Official Construction Set 1.2.404

do i need a SI patch? doesn't say on nexus

5.install OBMM
6.OBSE
7.BOSS
8. Fast Exit v2, Oblivion Stutter Remover (OSR), and streamline
9. Optimised Distant Land MAX (maybe)
10. Low PolyGrass or RPG-BlackDragon's LowTriPolyGrass (maybe)


is this ok or have i missed something out? (leaving bain and bash thing out for now until i get some experience)


btw isn't there a background tasks tool or something which boosts memory to oblivion or something?

Since you have GOTY, you should have the Shivering Isles expansion, there's an unofficial patch for that too. The same applies for Knights of the Nine. Otherwise seems good.

If you add the official mods later, you'll need to reinstall the unofficial offical mods patch.

Also one you might consider is http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22282, it's a plugin for OBSE that tries to prevent the game from crashing.

There is a program called http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html that frees up resources for games, try that.

ok thanks for all your help Breton paladin too, i'll be back when i get to installing or if i think of anything else.

1. another question, do i install unofficial patches after vannila oblivion or do i wait and do them after main mods like obmm, boss, obse?

2. also is it better to generally downlaod OMOD files as they instal with OBMM i think? is it easier to do that?

3. for installing oblivion shall i install (and make) to the path C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion? as ive got win 7 ultimate

edit,4. also would it hurt to install oblivion and play a bit 1st before installing OBMM,obse, etc? or should i install it all then try?

thanks

1. OBMM isn't a mod, it's a mod manager. BOSS isn't either, it's a mod load order sorter. Likewise OBSE; that one's an enabler for (some) other mods. I suppose you could call OBSE a mod, but it's a stretch. EIther way, it doesn't matter when you install them, but early is good in the case of OBMM and OBSE in particular. None of htem can possibly do any harm if you install them at any stage, as long as you get the latest version of OBSE, and preferably the latest versions of the other two, as well as the latest masterlist for BOSS. Just remember to make a shortcut to obse_loader[.exe] from within Oblivion's main directory - which is where that should be - and place it somewhere you can get at it, like the start menu or desktop, say. Use the standard Oblivion launcher to set your initial stuff like resolution, etc. Then, you'll probably want to be using the OBSE Loader, every time. If you don't start the game each time with that, OBSE won't initialise, so mods that rely on it simply won't work.

2. OMODs are easy to use, that's for sure. It doesn't really matter, but if you're going to be using OBMM (instead of BAIN, that is) then yes, get the OMOD version every time. You can convert an OMOD to a standard archive from within OBMM, so it doesn't even limit your options.

3. Definitely. This will make life easier 9 times out of 10, and it's no trouble to do so.

4. Install Shivering Isles, if that's not automatic, and make sure the game is patched to the latest official [SI] version (which I think the GotY does for you, actually.) Otherwise, sure, there's no harm running it without any mods. For example, the Unofficial Patches are basically extensive bug fixes. I just wouldn't want to play through the whole game without those, and a few other things. YMMV.

Unofficial patches are best to install right after the official ones, they come in omod format, so it's best to install them with OBMM. OBMM and BOSS are external programs, not mods, so Oblivion doesn't care whether they are installed or not.

Omods are easier to install than installing them manually, so if one is available, use that. BAIN in Wrye Bash is another automated mod installer, but i prefer omods.

In Win7 (and Vista) UAC is a bit overprotective of Program Files folder, but it shouldn't cause problems in non-system folders, that path is good.

You should run the game once right after it's installed. The game writes some files at first run, so it is required before you're able to mod it.

ok cheers for that, i'll probably need more help when im installing OBSE as it sounds the most complicated, but after main oblivion install with official and unofficial patches what mod manager should i install first? OBMM 1st OBSE 2nd then BOSS 3rd?

ooh also will it be ok installing the construction set after main oblivion and all patches and before mod manangers?

edit, thanks to tojka's reply too

It doesn't matter about the order at all, for OBMM, OBSE and BOSS. A crucial thing to remember with OBMM is to set Archive Invalidation to BSA Redirection (that's the default anyway) and activate that, from the Utilities menu in the program. Do it once, and you generally don't need to think about that issue ever again. And trust me, that's a good thing!

As for "installing" OBSE (note the quotation marks ) just extract it to "here" - wherever it is at the time - then copy everything from inside the folder created during the extraction process to the main Oblivion installation folder (e.g., C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion) -- and done!

Construction Set is another thing I don't use, so am not even installing this time around. Perhaps I should... but anyway, pretty sure it's fine to install that whenever. Early, just to be on the safe side, is what my intuition tells me, for what that's worth. Maybe after all the patches, but before OBMM and that lot. But honestly, I don't think it would matter.

edit: Oh! I just realised you'll most likely be installing the Unofficial Oblivion Patch and Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch using OMODs. So, um, the order would actually be: Oblivion, Shivering Isles, official patch (taken care of, AFAIK),* OBMM, then the Unofficial Patch and Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch, with OBSE and BOSS whenever.

edit2: * And hey, maybe TES4CS here? Looks alright to me.

ok but whats the archive invalidation all about? ive heard of bsa but thats about it, lol

edit, ok so OBMM before UOP's then OBSE, BOSS and whatever mods after that.

edit 2, is the TESCS in OMOD form? if so i'll install after UOP's.

http://devnull.sweetdanger.net/archiveinvalidation.html explains it much better than I could. Also, it's full of interesting stuff, for some time down the road, if any of it appeals.

Long story short: It's an issue with Oblivion itself, that makes installing new graphics content problematic, in some cases. And BSA Redirection is a simple, one-shot-kill solution.

For installing BOSS, I suggest extracting the archive to a folder of any name you choose (get the unzipper to actually create a new one, not just extract the contents right there) - just in case files get scattered among others. Then cut o copy the contents of that folder to, for example, C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data .

edit: (re: your edit 2) the TESCS is an executable. Just install like any other app.

ok thanks for that info, again i'll reply if i think of anything else.

Just want to add this....You get the mind set on Mods ...BUT First thing you need is to Get Oblivion "Vannila" running .Patched AND stable...Play for hours..and hours. this includes geting Thru the Starting Tutorial and Getting past the character screen at end And getting "Outside"

Then add mods ONE at time. Know what it changes. Then play to SEE those changes.

Hey, it moved! After all that time!

This is the part where... I fall down and bleed to death? No, wait. Where... I get the syllables knocked out of me, because my efforts at helping were all over the place, me being new to a lot of this too, fwiw. Or feeling that way.

edit: Good point, and pretty much an example of what I was meaning with the above - I tend to forget that I, too, once played vanilla Oblivion, etc. Probably because it didn't take me long to want some things changed...

To your Edit..Even in the Guid it goes from the install straight to installing Programs then on to mods. Really should have the use PLAY! That way Later When you find things that you want to change (the UI) you really have a sense of accomplishment. Wow I fixed that.!

To recap.
GOTY
SI
The Official Patch for SI

Play.
Yes the Game will Play without the UNofficial Patch to start. But that would be one of the First things you would need to Do...lol

ok good point camaro about playing 1st, will do, @ breton palidin, your very helpful and will still be needing you later on probably, lol you still know a hell of a lot more than me too!

Trying to Find a mod conflict in a game that would have crashed when it was Vanilla is extremely (if not impossible) to Diagnose.