I need some help putting together a list of mods for my next character. This playthrough is going to be a RP and I will be taking things very slowly and actually living through his life (i.e. working, sleeping eating, visiting other towns.). I am looking for the best realism mods out there, also I was considering texture replacments for the world to give it more detail. Any help is appreciated and my thanks in advance.

I'm not the best advisor for total realism, but I love these mods:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10925
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21424
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13879
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24649

You will definitely want http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21104, and some of the COBL family of mods, like Real Hunger, Real Thirst, etc.

You might like See You Sleep.

And there are a number of good lists out there, but one worth looking at is http://amito.freehostia.com/Oblivion/OB-mods.htm. She has good explanations of all of her recommendations, though the list is becoming a little dated.

Good suggestions in the previous post.

You might also benefit from looking through the http://tesnexus.com/downloads/cat.php?id=78&page=1 category over at the Nexus. You can sort those mods, by downloads, endorsemants, or whatever else you like, ascending or descending. Very handy, that.

Excellent, thank you both for the suggestions I will be taking a look at those mods. If anyone else has any suggestions please let me know, as I am still going to be searching for some good texture replacers for the world.

Qarl's Texture Pack 3 (or the Redimized version, more often these days) is still considered by many to be the best "almost everything" texture pack. Personally, I use a whole lot of smaller "texture packs" in combination, including a few bits of QTP3 (some architecture, basically).

Going through the Nexus' categories and/or advanced search might continue to yield good results, with any luck.

I would recommend AmpolX's textures first and foremost, only... they're no longer available. Well, some of them still are, I think. Try http://tesalliance.org/forums/ - there might still be one or two there. Google might help, as well.

Other things that I like: many of the "Improved ___" texture mods (in paricular, Doors and Flora, as well as Trees and Flora), Hi Res Oblivion Realms Textures... actually, too many to list (and remember, in the first place! ). Sorry.

Another mod to check out for sure, is OBGE - and, right now, "OBGE Liquid Water". You'll need OBSE for this, and make sure you follow the instructions very carefully, but it's most definitely worth it. :yes:

Um. There are so many texture mods out there, and related mods as well (e.g., normals, meshes, etc.)... perhaps you could mention the kinds of things you like? Or those things in the vanilla game that are most in need of improvement, as far as you're concerned? Anything to go on would be great!

edit: Also, if you felt like posting the basics of your PC hardware (for example: CPU, memory, graphics card) that might be helpful too.

I am really looking for texture mods to make almost everything in the world more detailed I did get a chance to see a few screenies of Qarls texture packs and I liked what I saw.

My system specs are as follows:

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 3.0GHz
RAM - 8GB
GPU - EVGA GTX 460

Also I am running a dual monitor setup, and I was wondering if there was a way to make the game stretch across both monitors?

Hm. From memory, with nVidia, you'd need two cards (in SLI) for that. Not so ATI (AMD now), what with their "Eyefinity" thingy.

edit: Oh, and what resolution would you be gaming at (assuming a single monitor for now ) ...?

For the RP side of things I like Kyoma's Journal mod: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15294 good way to keep a better track of your characters life feelings ect.

I know you are looking for RP stuff, but you need immersion to do RP, and I would heartily cautiously recommend http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1053088-deltes-thread-of-immersion-mods/page__hl__delte. I edited my post to indicate that many mods in that list are no outdated, or have been replaced by other superior mods.

And one gem that no one mentions (for no apparent reason): http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=32914. Makes your armor/weapon enchantments scale with condition (damaged weapon has less enchantment effect etc.) Also makes your weapons/armors have a chance to be permanently destroyed during combat if it gets a beating. Finally, you can hoard those multiple armors you find through loot, so that those can be worn in case your current one gets destroyed! Nothing like this to add to realism.

Yep, I had found that post about the immersion mods earlier. i will also be checking out that Journal mod sounds like something that I would def. use. One thing I noticed while going through the mods was I am unable to locate the Oblivion Mod Manager thing. the link to the mod is not working and I can't find it at planetelderscrolls either, Does anyone know where I can find this mod because I am going to have to change the load order of the mods once I get them all gathered.

One plan would be to look at each catagory at TES Nexus and decide if that catagory interests you. If it does, look at the top 1% in that catagory. If the catagory has 1000 mods, examine each of the top ten. At that level, each will have a very clear description. If you see one or two that you like, add them to your list, then move on to the next catagory. If you pick and choose from the top 1%, it's hard to go wrong. We are very lucky to have so many mods that you can do that and still have plenty of choices.

I forgot about BEAR! I dloaded it a couple weeks ago and meant to try it out. I know you were talking to the OP, but thanks!



The original OBMM is http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2097. If you search for "mod manager" you'll get several hits on Nexus, including Extended and Bug Fixes versions, but I'm not familiar with them. For load order, you should use http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516, which will automatically sort your mods, and pop-up a web page summary, including warnings, known issues, etc. Also, IMHO, if you're using many mods, you should be using http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22368, and consider using it's BAIN installer options instead of, or in conjunction with OBMM. OBMM is easier at first, but Bash is more powerful, and also literally required for it's merging functions (Bashed Patch) if you want to use a large number of mods. There's also a http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=35230 to help you get started with Bash.

Sorry, one more thing. Something to watch in general for is mods that interact badly with each other or overwrite each others changes. Wrye Bash can help or totally eliminate the latter issue, unless you're trying mods that directly conflict with each other.

If you use Real Sleep Extended, there's an option to set the game timescale dynamically, so time will pass at different speeds depending on whether you're running, fighting, waiting, etc--if you want. This leads to another issue regarding Bash and OBMM.

In my opinion, BAIN (from Bash) is the better mod manager overall. It is smarter in terms of choosing which mods overwrite each other, if you're installing multiple texture packs, for example. But OBMM is much more convenient if you're installing a mod like Real Sleep Extended, because a script fires off during installation that walks you through all the options step-by-step. Only a relatively small number of mods, like Better Cities or Unique Landscapes or Real Sleep, make use of this feature, but it's really great.

Personally, I install probably 50% of my mods by hand, about 30% with BAIN, and the last 20% with OBMM. Doing things this way is not required at all, but I've found that it works best for me.

/too_much_information

Any idea on what you plan to roleplay yet? Or will you sort of play it by ear andsee what happens? Or are you justgoing for the whole random adventurer living each day in Cyrodiil type thing?

Personally I like having expanded roleplay options/decisions like things that allow you to allign yourself certain ways, or do things in different ways. Like if I was roleplaying a spellsword then conduit magic would be a must. Anything having to do with Daedra/Aedra worship then Vows and Covenants and Et in Arkay Ego / Integration:TSL* would be a must. Thief... then Thieves Arsenal, that other theif mod(gahh I forget the name!), etc. just stuff like that. Stuff that Integrates well into the world and allows you to expand on certain character allignments/traits. Basically well implemented quest mods, because say... if you wanted to be a thief in game you'd join the Thieves Guild, become the Gray Fox, and... then what? With new location/quest mods you can expand that into like 10-20+ different objectives and motivations.

One thing Ireally enjoy are mods that open up new possibilities and play types like: Conduit Magic, Vector, Vows and Covenants, NPCs yield, companion/enslavement mods, necromancer mods(ie: the one that allow you to slowly raise up an army of undead companions.) and basically otherstuff like that which allows you to roleplay and step outside the usual gameplay method of slash/sneak/exploding everything that gets in your way.

*Then again Integration and most of the other mods mentioned are always a must for me, regardless of character type.

I am leaning towards a Mage type character, specializing in Conjuration. Really I don't want to add tons of stuff to the game world, currently I have it set up using OOO, an alternate starting location mod, and two other mods one which minimizes the HUD to just two small icons in the bottom left corner and another which removes the auto starting of the DLC and KOTN quests so that I don't have quests for things that don't pertain to my characters life at the moment. I was looking over some of the magic mods out there ( Midas, AOMS, LAME, Supreme Magicka) but I am not sure if I really want to use them. I am taking it slow with the mods because I don't want to go to crazy and overload my game with stuff that I won't use. Also I am adding them one at a time to make sure that they work right and don't cause any issues with the setup that I already have because what I am using already are the most important mods for my game and anything else is just fancy extras.

I was considering using the realistic Fatigue/Health/Leveling mods but I think I will stay away from those for now as I am not sure if I want to use the OBSE utility but I may change my mind depending on how things go.

Basically I am just going to live the life of my character, find a job for him to do go for walks in the wilderness explore the countryside and just enjoy the world. I won't be randomly raiding forts, ruins, caves, or anything else. There will be a reason for exploration of things like that such as rumors of rare magics or books.

OBSE is a tool with no disadvantages, so there's no reaon to stay away from it, and it opens up a ton of must-have-mods (IMHO) for players wanting an immersive game.

When exploring the wilderness, my http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26389 mod will greatly enhance that experience - though it is anotehr mod that requires OBSE.

OBSE and Cobl will unlock some amazing immersion mods for you.

I suggest at least looking a bit more closely at, for example, the Less Annoying Magic Experience mod. There's a reason for its name, other than just being catchy.

Supreme Magicka is also good, mind you, and both work together quite well.

Keep in mind, too, that such mods are often fairly modular. LAME certainly is - very much so, even. So if you only want one or two of the options, you can do that.

Essentially, I look at such mods as fixes for vanilla issues, as much as (no, more than) providing "fancy extras". Just one thing I wouldn't want to do without, is a feature that can be gained via LAME, or via ROM (worth a look too, by the way, if you are already keen on using OOO, and appreciate immersion) - and that is, choosing your starting spells. More to the point, choosing a "flavour" of starting spells, and receiving a couple of spells that fit. Supreme Magicka offers another related option I very much appreciate, and that is starting with a few scrolls each of Flare and Heal Minor Wounds, rather than the spells themselves. Just one way in which LAME and SM are (or can be) complementary.



This is very much how I play my curretn character as well, by the way.


edit: And yes, there's really no downside to adding OBSE to your setup. Tons and tons of potential upsides, however...

+1

If going for immersion/realism you'd want nGCD/Realistic Leveling, Realistic Fatigue etc.

Get Useful houses, another one of TNO's excellent mods (I say, download all his mods). Allows houses to have a purpose, at it will give an added boost to your alchemy and armor repair skills. You can no longer repair everything to 100% when not in a home/fighter's guild/mages guild type friendly location. As all his other great mods, this one is configurable by ini.

You all seem to think very highly of the mods that you mentioned, which makes me want to give them a go. I just don't want to bog down my game with so much stuff, which is what I am afraid of but I will check them out.

I'm glad to see BEAR is getting some love, especially since it represents nearly 300 hours of work. Thanks!


(If you don't mind another shameless plug, I'd also recommend WEPON...it adds several new weapons to the game, including some awesome new Madness and Amber weapons created by kriscrash and Spiney. The additions are seamless with vanilla Oblivion/SI. Link is in my signature.)

I have started my game last night, but before I started I added a couple of mods to the list: Using OBSE and pluggy I installed LAME and a journal entry mod so that I can keep track of daily happenings in game and also mark down recipes for potions and where things are located. I can't wait to get more into the game with this character because I haven't taken this approach for some time now and it will be a refreshing change. My character is...

Name: Ereiak
Race: Breton
Birthsign: the Apprentice
class: (Custom) Dark Magi

Alchemy
conjuration
Alteration
Destruction
Illusion
Restoration
Mysticism

Using the alternate Beginnings Mod I live in my Family house in Chedinhal (spelling?) Currently looking for some work to help finance my love of collecting books and rare scrolls. He also has a love of Alchemy and will be spending time wandering the countryside looking for unique plants. His specialty school is conjuration with Alteration in a close second.

I may start posting his journal entries on the forums after I have a bit more written, but i am not sure yet. I do have one last question for you all here and that is: Is there a way to make time go by slower in game so that I have more time to get things done?

I recommend http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27352, there're other mods that have similar function but I like to keep things simple. And someone mentioned get all of TNO's mods, I totally concur with that. ^_^

Looking forward to that, should you choose to do so. Love hearing about people's characters, and what they get up to.

As for timescale, try Wrye Bash (the Bashed Patch therefrom). In fact, there are a whole lot of things you can tinker with, just using that "simple" tool.

Otherwise, you can also use the console ("set timescale to x", sans quotation marks, where lower is slower). Personally though, I highly recommend Wrye Bash, for at least a hundred reasons. The Bashed Patch, and all it can do for you, is but one of these...