I have played Morrowind so much that I have completed 99% of the quest *literally*, putting over 1000 hours into the game across multiple characters, which is a feat in it's own.
I've played Oblivion and I'm actually 100% sure that I've completed every quest in the game across multiple characters.
All of this was on the Xbox, and Xbox 360, however. I want to start fresh in Oblivion, to give it another chance. It's no secret that vanilla Oblivion is obviously quite dull. It's a good game, the mechanics are decent, and it's pretty, but it lacks that atmosphere that MW had.
I have Oblivion for the PC now, but I've no clue what mods to get. Could someone please point me in the direction of some? Things I'm looking for:
-Better bodies, I don't like being two-toned from the neck down.
-More "atmosphere". I want the Imperial City to seem lush, full of life. Just something to give it a more less perfect face?
-A mod that gives tattoos? Or has preset faces?
-A Mod that has the preset Morrowind faces implemented in Oblivion, using the generator?

Basically, I'm asking you all, the great Oblivion mod community, to help me out here. I just want to take my bland, boring vanilla OB experience and turn it into the lush game that I know you guys have made.

I can recommend the mods I installed and that I like very much:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16513 is awesome, makes visiting cities a very pleasant experience.
Ofcourse the utilities http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22368, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20516, http://obse.silverlock.org/
And before you go install I would recommend reading the useful http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/, and http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1084204-bain-mod-installation-projects/page__p__15797987&#entry15797987 also http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1090232-50-steps-to-stable-fcom/.
And now I definitely recommend http://devnull.sweetdanger.net/convergence.html but you need to look in the forum for the FCOM and UFCOM thread and read the info there also I would recommend following the walkthrough from TESIV Positive site, the BAIN install.
As for quest mods I recommend http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3027, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11598, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13814, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14200, http://www.lostspires.com/, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15412, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13714, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14714, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11755, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9858, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5022
As for Homes : http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8235, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16308, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3384, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9769
Companions: I prefer http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15200 and with her http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17743, and so you would get the whole experience you need the big quest mod http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23153, also Companion http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=28977 is very nice
As for graphics: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18305, I use http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=oblivionmods.detail&id=3813
For body I recommend http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24078, and for male bodies http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25365
For user interface I recommend Darified UI and there is a BAIN version uploaded by Wyre but I can't find the link anymore so you can search for it, and http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8958
And of course http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19370
As for tweaks I recommend: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12466, http://theelderscrolls.info/?go=dlfile&fileid=219, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21104, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=25078, and I think a must have mods are http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14304 and http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14065

Thanks much for the fast reply, dreamer. All that is a little overwhelming. I wasn't aware there was so much involved in simply downloading a mod, I'm used to World of Warcraft mods where I just download, unzip, and copy/paste contents into a single folder. I see now that it's definitely a little more involved haha.

If you want to install just a few small mods, just simply copying them like in WOW and the checking them in the data files is enough. But even with just a few mods its a little risky in the sense that you might encounter bugs if you don't install them taking into consideration install and load order and looking for patches.

But if you want a truly great Oblivion experience you have to invest a little time in the install, and its definitely worth it. I have about 200 mods installed and the game works like it was made with them from the start . And now Oblivion is simply amazing, its hard to describe what a big difference is between the vanilla Oblivion and modded Oblivion.

If you are new to mods, I highly recommend using just Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul or OOO + Martigen's Monster Mod, instead of FCOM.

Indeed, Oblivion modding is quite involved. The more you want in the game, the more you have to put into it.

I would suggest open cities for the Imperial City, to make it more unique (especially if you have a good enough PC to run it) but for the rest of the cities I would recommend http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=33003 to make them more like the concept art and more "open" like the cities in Morrowind were.

Also mod's like Qarl's Texture packs, and Unique Landscapes will need a more high end PC's.

Yeah, for sure. I want to get that fresh new and great OB experience, but I've no experience in mods at all, and I'm not really that tech savvy haha. I'm also not used to using a PC, I'm using Bootcamp with a Mac to use windows so I can play OB on a PC. It's virtually the same as a PC in every way, I'm just not familiar with it.
I guess it'll just be a little more difficult than I thought, I just have to learn the system I guess.

Mainly I recommend using BAIN for all your installs, its part of the wyre bash utility I mention above. Its actually very easy to use once you understand it.

Even if you don't have any experience in modded Oblivion I think you can make a good install from the start if you follow the guides I mentioned, especially TESIV Positive.

I've looked at the links you posted, and the Bananasplit Better Cities mod is really what intrigues me the most right now, but right under the mod description on Nexus it even says this mod is not for you if you're a beginner mod user, which I obviously am haha.

"Can't use or doesn't know OBMM or Wrye Bash, doesn't know what a load order is, doesn't know what a readme is, never heard of bsa, esp, esm.
Sorry but this mod is simply not made for you."

:sadvaultboy:

Ehh its not that bad... The archives are made especially for an easy BAIN install. If you read the whole readme you will know what to install.

Oh BTW, if you want to avoid troubles in your installs I HIGHLY recommend reading the whole readmes of the mods you plan to install. I actually think this is obligatory, its a small effort thinking at the benefits of having a stable, nonbuggy game.

It's really not that complicated, I think it's just there because there are a lot of users who don't know how to read a "readme" and complain when a mod doesn't work for them.

I guess it's for the benefit of the Nexus peanut galley. B)

Those links are excellent places to start reading before you start installing mods.

Since this will be the first time you’re installing mods I would recommend that you start by just installing a few mods (5-10) and play the game for a few hours. If you install a whole bunch of mods the first time and something goes wrong, it can make the game totally unplayable and you probably won’t know why.

Don’t rush and read the readmes for all the mods you plan to install! It’s generally recommended that you read the entire readme but I suggest you read the installation instructions, compatibility with other mods you might have installed and bugs or known issues (if there are any) carefully.

And I agree with PetrusOctavianus, you should try Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul possibly with Martigen's Monster Mod instead of FCOM if you want to try an overhaul mod.

A few recommendations to help make the game feel fresh:
Enhanced weather : A really nice looking weather mod.
Symphony of violence : Changes a lot of the sound effects in game and they sound great.
Animated Window Lighting System and Chimneys (or AWLS for short) : Adds chimneys and makes the windows light up at night.

edit: sorry I couldn't get the links working but you can find them all on tesnexus.com