Hi all,
I posted something like this about a year ago and then life caught up with me, but I finally have a chance to get back in to Oblivion so I'm looking for suggestions, especially in what's changed over the past year, what's been superseded, etc.

I've spent about ten hours on Oblivion, and played around with mods before, used a bashed patch etc. so I'm not a noob in that respect. But it will be my first proper play through the game, so I don't want something that makes it horrendously difficult. I know some of you have noob-guides you post in response to all queries like this, so please do!

At the moment I'm looking at:

Obvious:
DLC
Unofficial patches
OBSE
DLC starter mod
Streamline

Graphics:
QTP-R
Bomret's Shivering Isles pack
RAEVWD
Unique Landscapes
Better Cities

Is QTPR still the daddy? Do I need a LoD replacer too? Is RAEVWD now actually feasible to run now I have an ATI 5800?

What's the best weather mod these days? And is it worth bothering with a body mod?

Overhaul:
OOO - seems the best bet. Is FCOM any simpler to use these days? Is MMM too hard for a noob like me?
LAME/RBP - still seems to be going strong
Deadly Reflex - is this still about?

Should I be using a progress/levelling mod?

Quests:
Blood and Mud
Thievery in Imperial City
Integration
Frostcrag Reborn
Ayelid Steps

Is there a stable Kvatch rebuilt mod about these days? Any other awesome quest mods that are fairly compatible and fit in with the game that I should pick up.

Anything else that's come along in the past year or so that I should be aware of because it's so awesome?

And I could use some help on install orders for texture mods now the TOTO is a bit out of date and I never did figure out BAIN installs...

You're good with the ATI 5800. For a Kvatch rebuilding mod, get Kvatch Rebuilt. It has OOO support too.

Try http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/installation/mods. Prioritized installation is the way to go.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1079933-50-steps-to-ctd-almost-free-fcom-game/ (in my book)

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1079991-relz-fcomconvergance/page__view__findpost__p__15769697 (just asked about this yesterday)

QTP3 is still awesome, but now there is ATP too. I have recently switched, but they are just different. My main incentive for switching over was performance, but I found that the FPS hit was the same with both. Since your hardware is not hurting you, go wit the one you like or mix and match. I miss QTP3's sewers and caves, and I might get around to reinstalling those components. Try them both out if you have time. I have a page on my site linking optimized meshes for QTP. I think I also linked all of the various patches for QTP3 as well. There is a QTP3R patch, QTP3 UOP patch and QTP3 B&M patch that you need to get anyway if you are going to use QTP3.

http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/utilities <-- Grab TES4LODGen (great for RAEVWD)

For LOD replacers, TOTO is still the best reference. There are tons of them though. You can just search on TESNexus and look at screen shots.


I highly recommend getting a leveling mod, along with the skill leveling mod Progress.

Top 3 current leveling mods:

http://my.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do <-- smooth leveling (this is the one I use)
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13879 <-- smooth leveling
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15619 <-- classic RPG, certain actions (i.e., kill specific monsters) worth XP

It seems they are all very configurable. I think the most configurable is nGCD. It is the closest to K.C.A.S., Kobu's mod. However, they are all really well done, currently supported and have large fan bases. Read the descriptions for yourself I guess.

I use Supreme Magicka + L.A.M.E. A lot of people also use Midas Magic. SM is the most balanced for FCOM in my opinion. L.A.M.E. is a bit stronger, longer lasting spells for lower costs. Those two are both rebalancers, but they add some spells of their own. Midas Magic adds a bunch of new, very powerful spells. If you want balance with some new features, I recommend SM. If you want stronger but still balanced magic, go with LAME. (It adds more new spells as well, I believe.) If you are looking for new, different and powerful, go with MM. MM can be tweaked to be more balanced, but I think people choose it for the new variety and balance is not really a concern.

The more detailed guide:
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=814477

Overhauls:
If you might freak out over FCOM's installation, just stick to OOO. It contains most of FCOM's feel anyway. I upgraded to FCOM from it a couple years ago. I think the installation guides for FCOM have multiplied and improved, however.

Essentials:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22410 <-- use quit without CTD
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23208 <-- Memory management (fps smoothing)

Well for Kvatch rebuilt mods. don't go with the one found on TES Nexus. Yeah it's great but theres better ones that include unique questlines and more interactive things to do. I suggest either http://www.theengineeringguild.co.uk/kvatch-rising or http://www.theengineeringguild.co.uk/kvatch-aftermath. I'm currently using Kvatch Rising which is quit nice. I like it alot. Kvatch Rising is newer and has a step by step rebuilding of Kvatch depending on where you are in the MQ and some other cool stuff. Kvatch Aftermath allows you to be the count and govern it. I don't know much about that one but check out the full descriptions of both the mods to get the full taste of them with the links I've provided. Oh and one more thing, both those mods require CURP which can be found on the same website.

But do whatever you want. This is my opinion don't let me force you out of your decision. But I still think you should at least read about what those mods are and what they do so you have an idea of what's out there.

If you're thinking about using RAEVWD, be warned! This is an excellent mod, but it can greatly reduce your FPS. I have a 5850 and an i5 750, and I'm not able to get decent FPS with this mod on max settings. The same thing is true with Better Cities (only in cities, though).

What are you running and what FPS ranges are you getting? I'm planning on upgrading to a 5870 and an i5-750 this summer. I still have a few lingering concerns about going with the i5-750 over the AMD 965 Black Edition.

I'm building up a mod list as well, finally want to play the game 'seriously' for the first time...lol. Maybe you can find a mod in there you didn't think of yet. Here is what I have so far (minus my own mods which I won't advertise here):

Gameplay:

Less Annoying Magic Experience ; best magic mod imo
Race Balancing Project ; various fixes
Oblivion XP ; if you like traditional, experience point based leveling this is for you
Francescos ; old, but I still prefer it over OOO or a performance killer like FCOM
Enhanced Economy ; best economy mod
Enchantment Restore Over Time ; gets rid of the annoying enchantment recharge system and brings the one from MW back
Persuasion Overhaul ; no more stupid mini games
Zumb's Lockpicking Mod ; same as above
No Psychic Guards ; very, very simple compared to RGO, but also no possibility for bugs, incompatibilities or performance loss

Various Fixes/Add-ons:

Oblivion Stutter Remover ; never tried, but many people reported that it has a great (positive) impact on performance/stuttering
Darnified UI ; the best UI mod, comes in different flavors
More Immersive Sounds Edited ; more sounds for better atmosphere
Spell Delete and Item Remove ; remove unwanted spells and quest items
Elys Universal Silent Voice ; must have for mods without voice acting
UOP ; the UOP

Quests:

Integration ; huge amount of quests integrated seamlessly into the game
Midas Magic ; hundreds of awesome spells and also a quest mod
Thievery in the Imperial City ; old, but good
The Lost Spires ; huge quest mod
The Dungeons of Ivellon ; best dungeon based quest mod with a lot of high quality custom content
Companion Vilja ; best companion imo, comes with a quest, always has something to say and is not just a pack mule
Bartholm ; large amount of quests and a new city
Arrows of the Ayleid King ; new arrow types and a quest
Kragenir's Death Quest ; huge amount of quests, never tried so I hope they're not too weird (judging from the description)

@Phitt: I think the bashed patch has tweaks that take care of No Psychic Guards now. (I use 90% of your list too. )

A nice landscape LOD pack is http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17300. RAEVWD is definitely feasible, but possibly don't use any of the included .esps as they can really hurt performance.

The best weather mod is http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18305 of course! I'd also recommend Animated Window Lighting System.

I'd use Robert's Male Body V4. I wouldn't bother with the female bodies personally unless you're really into that sort of thing...

Deadly Reflex 5 is definitely recommended even though version 6 will come out soonish maybe-ish.

I use Kvatch Rebuilt because it's clean, simple, and works well with All Natural.

Definitely use Oblivion Stutter Remover.

Thanks guys. Do I use OSR with Streamline or has it replaced it?

You can use it with Streamline. Just disable Streamsmooth(by editing sl.ini).

DR is around, v6 is coming out - I have only a week time before I?m on a week?s vacation, so I can only then wrap it up.

In the mean time you have v5, just notice the hotfix link in the Tesnexus description.

Armamentarium Complete and Artifacts would adds tons of new weapons and armor into game normal and enchanted..Tons..

Can't really say much, you're already getting most of the mods I'd recommend.

Here's my usual must haves list:

Depending on when you left Integration, Windfall, and Imperial Legion faction mod might be the only new quest mods on that list you aren't aware (except for Integration obviously...) Most of the listed gameplay mods are recent.

Also the "noob guides"

http://www.gamesas.com/?showtopic=1010109
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1072579-the-any-mods-list-of-topics/page__p__15593408__fromsearch__1&#entry15593408
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1072579-the-any-mods-list-of-topics/page__view__findpost__p__15593416(definitely need more...)
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=quick_search&search_filter_app%5Bforums%5D=1 search word

EDIT: Awww, new format won't let me link to searches, oh well.. just search that word. it's mostly a less organized version of the "topics like this".