Playing without mods?

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 11:07 am

Is it possible to play this game without mods? Is it fun? The amount of mods is very overwhelming to me and I generally avoid games where I need external things to be able to play efficiently and have fun.
User avatar
Queen Bitch
 
Posts: 3312
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:43 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 7:30 am

Currently I'm playing pure Vanilla and I've been playing Oblivion on and off for over four years now. Mods can dress it up, add features, change things you don't like about the game. But the game is still the game.
User avatar
Queen Bitch
 
Posts: 3312
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:43 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 6:36 pm

Ofcourse it is. I've only ever played it without mods since release. It's still great to me, I love it.

Although I intend to get mods and enjoy it even further, once I buy a system that can handle it. :D
User avatar
john palmer
 
Posts: 3410
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:07 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 4:15 am

I only just bought Oblivion myself, and played for a little bit without mods and it was good. Since I haven't had much time to actually play since I got it, I've been looking around on these boards whenever I have a moment trying to get an overview of the mods available and how they work. It's pretty confusing if you're not a seasoned gamer/mod'er. If you don't want to play the Vanilla version I would recommend you try looking for some 'packs'. A lot of the more popular mods have been packaged together so they add a lot of stuff with the least amount of complexity and work. I wish there were more of those, actually. Tesnexus.com has a Top100 list of the most popular mods. I'm starting out with about 10 of those, plus a few I've had recommended and found to suit my style.

To all you modders out there: Great work, I know you put a lot of hours into your work and it's greatly appreciated, but more great packages with streamlined OMOD installation to make it easy for those of us technologically challenged, thanks! =)
User avatar
Brentleah Jeffs
 
Posts: 3341
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:21 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 4:03 pm

You absolutely want to play through most of the MQ and the guild quests without mods before you add anything in, if only to find out what mods you want. Then ask yourself, "what would I change" and find a mod that does that. If you don't like how the levelling works, find a mod for that. If you feel that it's not "real" enough, get immersion mods for thirst, hunger, sleep etc. If you need more quests...

The UI changes and things like that can be swapped in and out, so you could try those at any time. Same with re-texturing mods and replacement armors, clothing or bodies. None of these make any irreversible changes to your game.

But do get the tools to help you use the mods properly - Wrye Bash, and BOSS in particular, and you'll probably need OBMM too, as many mods come in OMOD format - do that as soon as you start using mods, as it's harder to do later (not a lot, but why waste any effort?)
User avatar
Lynette Wilson
 
Posts: 3424
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 4:20 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 1:54 pm

Yes it is, most have and will still play unmodded..

One thing however mods are not the issue with modding, its the utilities that having loads of mods requires you to use, if you start modding my advice is to make sure you get these first..

BOSS, better sorting of mods, WRYE BASH ( the managing of mods ) and OBSE ( a script extender ) you will need these, and the Construction set.
Learning to use them and making sure you are familiar with placing files in the correct folders is the biggest issue I found, but once settled it becomes very easy imo.

Mods however do add a lot to the game, and some are just as good if not better in production due to focusing on fair sized aspects of the game.
OOO ( Oscuro's overhaul ) or FCOM when combined with other overhauls is one, as is better cities ( a beautiful mod )..
Race balancing project and L.A.M.E add a lot and do not require much for their experience needed for moding.

Edit: Ninja'd it would seem :lol:
User avatar
priscillaaa
 
Posts: 3309
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:22 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 3:59 pm

I know for a fact I would only get mods that add in a couple of aesthetic changes, the texture packs, and character skins. I don't want to add in any other races as I don't want to mess with the core game. No modded quests or anything, just simple stuff. Menu appearance mods, etc.

Perhaps the mod where you can make a camp anywhere is the biggest change I would make to the core game.

But that's only since I've played the whole game deeply multiple times over the course of four years. I know exactly what I want. It is different for different people.
User avatar
des lynam
 
Posts: 3444
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:07 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 3:35 pm


BOSS, better sorting of mods, WRYE BASH ( the managing of mods ) and OBSE ( a script extender ) you will need these, and the Construction set.
Learning to use them and making sure you are familiar with placing files in the correct folders is the biggest issue I found, but once settled it becomes very easy imo.



I haven't been able to locate OBSE, could you throw me a link?
User avatar
cosmo valerga
 
Posts: 3477
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:21 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 2:14 pm

I second ghastley's advice to play the game unmodded first. That way you will know what, if anything you want to change.

The exception to this is the unofficial Oblivion patch for the main game and any DLCs you have. I consider that as important as the official patches. It simply fixes an almost endless list of small glitches and oversights in the game.

After you've been playing quite awhile, it may occur to you, 'gee, I wish my character could set up camp whereever she wants for the night when it gets dark,' or perhaps, 'gee, I wish my horse had saddlebacks so I could travel more without having it visit towns so often.' Mods allow you to transform a great game for most people into the perfect game for you. :)

Don't forget to look into ini tweaks and command console use. Both are simpler than mods and allow some wonderful things like: Enabling screenshots, disabling borders, naming your horse, getting unstuck from between rocks when you can't move, finding loot hidden in the tall grass, deleting spells, fixing many glitches, changing the timescale to suit your own pace. . . .
User avatar
Baby K(:
 
Posts: 3395
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:07 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 5:12 am

to be honest, i added mods that i thought would make battle a little less complicated in oblivion (i personally am very bad at using too many keys, targeting, entering / leaving sneak mode) and these mods are:

- unarmored as acrobatics (adds)
- two-handed weapon sneak
- enhanced magic sys
- dodge
- daedric dai-katana

even wtih this and 90% camouflage, i face difficulties in normal combat. i cannot kill a troll in sneak mode (77 rank), as he runs right towards me after the first arrow and starts berserking me. it frustrated me to the point i stopped playing, but maybe i am just too icompetent for oblivion.
User avatar
Kevin S
 
Posts: 3457
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:50 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 6:39 am

I haven't been able to locate OBSE, could you throw me a link?


Heres where I got my copy from, I hope it helps, its usefull for mods as some functions will not work without it on some of them. http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionUtilities.Detail&id=55

Another thing Planetelderscrolls is a good place to start if just browsing for mods when you start, and holds larger files.
TeS Nexus is a more indepth look at many projects and is a fantastic site, but the shear number can be a little overwhelming if your not sure what you're after imo.
User avatar
Guy Pearce
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 3:08 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 11:50 am

Id recommend playing thru at least once with no mods but to me it gets old after a while. DLC makes it much more fun for a longer time though. If you roleplay then you can probably play without mods for a longer time.
User avatar
Terry
 
Posts: 3368
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:21 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 5:40 am

Thanks man!
User avatar
Evaa
 
Posts: 3502
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:11 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 2:43 pm

Is it possible to play this game without mods? Is it fun? The amount of mods is very overwhelming to me and I generally avoid games where I need external things to be able to play efficiently and have fun.

:rofl:
[sarcasm]no it is not possible to the game without mods, if you try your computer will explode. 360 users can't play this game unless they got at least 1 official plug in installed or their xbox will overheat and get RROD. PS3 users don't need to worry because they all have knights of the nine installed. Offline PC can only play this game if they have the DLC discs.[/sarcasm]
Sorry your post was the funniest thing I've read in my entire life. :cookie:
User avatar
kiss my weasel
 
Posts: 3221
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:08 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 7:09 am

The only mod I use is Spell Delete, the best way to clean up your spellbook
User avatar
Emily Martell
 
Posts: 3469
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:41 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 9:36 am

Perfectly possible to play without mods. Mods just add to the experience ^_^
User avatar
Beast Attire
 
Posts: 3456
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:33 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 6:56 am

The game will start just fine without mods - but I wouldn't say it was a particularly good game. It has too many issues.
User avatar
Claire
 
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:01 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 9:02 am

The only mod I use is Spell Delete, the best way to clean up your spellbook


Can't you just do that using the console?
User avatar
NeverStopThe
 
Posts: 3405
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:25 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 5:31 pm

Can't you just do that using the console?


Yes, if you know the codes. Easy for standard spells. Another matter with custom spells. You have to get the code from the last 'levelup save' file. My character is at her top level (20) so any spells she creates now will never be entered in such a file (since she will never level up again).

I use Wrye Bash to easily eliminate any spell I want. This has to be done while not playing, but I am extremely happy with how it works.

I suspeect spell delete mods can allow the player to simply delete spells right in game from the spell menus. One could certainly make a case that such mods are the simplest way to do this. :)
User avatar
Brittany Abner
 
Posts: 3401
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:48 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 8:53 am

I started playing without mods on my PC and it was good. Then I added mods and it was good. Then I bought the PS3 version and returned to the vanilla game and it was good too. It's all good, really. :)
User avatar
Siobhan Thompson
 
Posts: 3443
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:40 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 6:05 pm

Not for me no. When I switched to the PC I lasted <5 minutes before I had to install a UI Mod. the Vanilla UI is OK for consoles but unbearable on the PC.

Even discountung the unofficial patches there are a few mods that I can no longer be without as I discovered when I fired up the PS3 version briefly a while ago.
User avatar
Monique Cameron
 
Posts: 3430
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:30 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 4:57 am

What's a UI? And a UAI? And a DLC? Why does everyone like abbreviations so much? =)
User avatar
Shannon Lockwood
 
Posts: 3373
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:38 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 9:05 pm

What's a UI? And a UAI? And a DLC? Why does everyone like abbreviations so much? =)

Because writing User Interface, I don't know what, and Downloadable Content takes much longer. It's all a matter of convenience.
User avatar
Farrah Barry
 
Posts: 3523
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:00 pm

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 9:43 am

It is fun without. I played for 120 hours when the game came out and noticed many things that I wish were different, but still had a great time with the game.
Others noticed as well and made mods to change it, and I have not gone back to vanilla since installing these mods.
Vanilla = great game.
Modded = enhanced game based on your preferences.

of course, not everything has been addressed yet.
User avatar
GLOW...
 
Posts: 3472
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:40 am

Post » Sat May 08, 2010 5:44 am

Back in my Morrowind days I advised everyone to at least play the main quest before adding mods. Oblivion changed that for me. I couldn't make it through my first week without modding several annoyances out of the game.

My advise now is to begin a first game without mods. And then add a few carefully chosen mods one at a time as you discover things about Oblivion that you want to change. It's sadistic to expect players to endure the entire Oblivion main quest without using mods. ;)
User avatar
OJY
 
Posts: 3462
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 3:11 pm

Next

Return to IV - Oblivion