I'm looking for, shall we say, mods that seem thin on the ground. I currently have over 150 mods in my Oblivion. I know of many of the maintained mods lists and have tried google and other search techniques, but not found what I'm looking for.

In short, I'm very unhappy with the Vanilla Main Quest and the faction quests. (With the possible exception of the Dark Brotherhood questline). It's not that they are too easy, I know what to do about that. It's that, especially compared to Shivering Isles or the work of modders, they are just dull. They seem too unsophisticated and so linear it's mind blowing.

For an example, consider the Mages Guild. It seemed obvious to me pretty early on when I first played, that the Guild was inhabited by a fair few less than competent members and that Traven was a complete fool. As the quest progressed, I was at least hoping for an explanation of what he had against necromancy that he was prepared to gut his Guild for, but haven't found one in game yet. So what I'd like would be something different. Maybe the option to join or form a third faction. Dedicating to deposing the buffoon Traven, restoring the Guild and then fighting off the Necromancers that Traven so artfully recruited for.

I'd like to see a degree of sophistication added to all the main Quests. Normally I know people are reluctant to do this, but I really do think they need something added. Of course, recommendations for Guild mods post completion are also welcome. I've heard of a few, but can't find unequivocal reviews of any.

Normally, I can find what I want without bothering people, but I'm a bit stumped here.

you can try my Ignoring the Main Quest has Consequences mod:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22699
it's small and light but with it ignoring the main quest now has consequences - gates open up over time.

There's always http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17448 that lets you do the Fighter Guild storyline from the BC POV.

BTW, for the Mages Guild check out http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=29562

What?!?! Kuertee's back.

There is Arthmoor's http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1093250-relz-a-brotherhood-renewed/ about the DB.
There is Unfriendly Business about the Thieves Guild (similar theme as above - happens after the TG quest) - no link as Nexus is just being too annoying to deal with.

Hey Psymon! How are ya?
No, unfortunately, i'm not back.
but i do poke my head in tesnexus and this forums once in a while.
cheers!

I''m good.

Well that is unfortunate - I'm certain you'll feel deluged by bug reports if you do. Probably would keep me away. anyway - all the best.

Oh yeah for the OP - shouldn't we at least mention Origin of the Mages Guild or Fighters Guild contracts?

How about Fort Akatosh Redux (overahul and implementation of the guards story line) and its sister mod the Guards of Cyrodill.

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Some of the suggested mods are already on my 'to try list', some have been added.
However, none of them actually amend the current main questlines. Which is what I was afraid of.

Oh and I know of 'Origin of the Mages Guild or Fighters Guild contracts'. 'At least mention' was an example of the equivocal review I usually find. I'm aware these mods have an RL history to them. What I can't find is a dispassionate review of their merits or otherwise. Having said that, they seem to focus on post main quest amendment, rather than amending the stuff already present.

Well from a compatibility standpoint altering the main quest or side quests midway can cause issues with mods that may alter only a small portion.

I think many would rather not mess with that kind of thing and so stick to adding rather than altering.

I've not played the Origin of the Mages guild, so cannot comment much except that likewise it happens after the MG quest and it is recommended to play with a mannimarco enhancing mod.

fighters guild contracts adds more work and missions, but does not alter them.

You might like http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1091765-relz-choices-and-consequences/ - the latest version has problems depending on other mods ran and check the last thread Petrus has made a revision on the first version that works well. You could ask him for it. It basically makes requirements and examinations mandatory prior to being able to advance in the FG & MG.

Looking at the engineering guild website I see that while most of the summer all the TES mods were available without even needing to sign up - now they are removed even from that site and again it is http://i35.tinypic.com/2pz04xs.jpg.

Not so much removed as moved - to fileplanet

yep that's right, and for everyone else whos wondering where those mods have gone, well, the author himself has permanently stopped supporting oblivion, and the mods/forum topics related to oblivion has been taken down, so basically whatever you have got from that site, thats it.

edit: @poster above: really? where are the links etc now?

Just thinking aloud, I often have wondered myself why no one has taken upon themselves to try and revamp the main quest. I wouldn't mind seeing a "Phantom Edit" style remake, subtracting some of the tedious gate-opening and closing which becomes the most mundane and routine chore, and some of the Oblivion worlds themselves could use major overhauls so that the experience of going through them better compliments the atmosphere of the story (I'm thinking more alien, more scary and fantastic, something that might force you to rethink your first choice of gameplay strategy if you want to grab that sigil stone). I give a nod here to Enhanced Daedric Invasion which has attempted to make Oblivion Gates seem like more of a big deal with consequunces, but I think it tries to compliment a gameplay element that's already broken. There should be far fewer instances of Oblivion Gates and a lot more depth of experience crammed into each instance.

The story of the main questline I'm sorry to say is completely uninspired, and that's a huge problem to overcome, but it could be improved with some effort. For instance, it seems as though the ending was changed relatively late in development to make it more of a spectacle, but it's a spectacle without any significance to the player. So the Emperor is a god? So he turns into a statue? What's going on? Why should I care? Maybe if more explanation was provided about what the Amulet of Kings is and what makes it special, about the Dragonfires, Akatosh, the bloodline, etc. Mehrunes Dagon could stand to be fleshed out a bit too; the daedra are supposed to be incomprehensible, but his motvations seem simple. There is some attempt to make him more interesting through Mankar Camoran's speeches and writings but it doesn't work well. Better dialog (like ::gasp:: actual multiple dialog options at times!) would be the ideal way to accomplish this and would give plays a better chance to role play and have unique choices and experiences for their own character, but that can be tricky to implement convincingly. Alternatively more explanation could be provided through books as in Morrowind.

Edit: I also want to mention that I hold out hope that some upcoming mods that occur after the main quest and thus extend it in a fashion, such as Reclaiming Sancre Tor and Orden des Drachen, manage to make the main quest seem more significant and interesting in retrospect.

shiyaoay: Like I said on fileplanet. You don't expect me to provide links to each mod surely?

no no, thats not what i meant, i was wondering if there is another centralized location where all the links are listed, before they're all on one page on the engineering guild site, but obviously since it's gone now, do we have to search them all or is there a place where they're just linked, thats all.

Other mods that could be mentioned is http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14601 and http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6855, but they both take place after you have completed the MQ,
The only I know that actually makes some changes to the MQ is Choices and Consequences (at least the original version), but except for the ability to refuse the quest or even goad Jauffre into attacking you by saying it was you who killed the emperor, most of it only minor changes.

Most modders would rather make a quest mod from scratch rather than editing the vanilla ones.

Ah. No idea I'm afraid.

http://tes.multimediaxis.de/?go=dlfile&fileid=349 maybe?

It's vastly sophisticated(skill checks, race checks, faction checks, riddles, heaps of dialogue, etc.), A fair degree non-linear (Multiple solutions, choices and consequences, multiple factions, the ability to even "fail" most of the quests, etc.)

It's not directly tied into the Main quests or factions, but it does have "faction checks" like I mentioned earlier which basically take your faction rankings and the quests you've done into consideration when you try to complete its quests. Also there's plenty of lore and interactions with vanilla guilds, as well as the people/events from the main quest.

As for Origins of the Mages Guild. It is pretty simplistic. Basically after you become archmage you get called by Raminus every once in a well and give him resources to do something, or go on some fetch quest.I've been meaning to try http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15251 which looks pretty good.

Thanks to everyone who's had a stab at answering. It looks like I was correct. There are _no_ mods that alter the _existing_ main quests and make them more sophisticated.

Maybe these are projects I'll have a try at when my existing work finishes.