[Ashley Campos]

This is sort of long. Sorry. I've had this on my mind for a while. I LOVE the game and I am not a modder myself, but I really appreciate the amazing work people here do. I wonder why Bethesda doesn't just give you the next title before it's released so you can add some of these things from the start. That said...

Frequently on this forum a person who has just discovered that Oblivion has amazing mods stops by and asks something like "Which Mods Are Best?" And just as frequently there will be a response something along the lines of, "Somebody already asked that use the search". Or, more often, there is some terse to rude reply suggesting that there is something wrong with the question or the person who asked it, and what amounts to an insult. Again, I am not a modder, just a fan of modders. I find these threads to be some of the most useful, and they are the best source of general information available. More than that, if this forum isn't here for people who specifically do NOT know what's going on with the mod scene at this moment, who is it for?

New people, or more to the point people who are not part of the modding community, are essential to any forum like this one. I have gone through periods where I don't play and then I will return here to see what has developed in my absence determine what mods are the most respected and worth my time. I don't usually ask which mods are currently on everyone's list, because someone else has. On this trip I've spotted more than a dozen new mods I intend to use in my next build. They were all brought to my attention by many kind people who responded to one of these dreaded "Which Mods Do You Like?" threads.

The idea that the average person is going to have the time to scour through these posts and try to figure out where things stand with the current crop of mods is silly. One of the most valuable things this forum offers are the informal "reviews" by modders and fans of mods. And of course there are always tons of wonderful and useful responses to the question; plenty of the regulars here seem to like nothing more than passing on their wisdom and thoughts about this or that mod. It is these posts that give me the information I need. One hopes that there are always going to be many more people playing mods than making them. This would be different place if it were only here for modders.

Also, the search engine is on this forum is, at best, a pain. Recommending it to a person who doesn't already know what there looking for is pointless (take it from a person who has tried - many times - and found nothing useful). To recommend a search engine instead of an exchange of information between people with a similar interests goes against the entire point and purpose of this place. This is where we come to discuss mods.

I'm not trying to cast a negative here. I would say if you don't approve of the "Best Mod" posts, ignore them. Realize that for someone who just wants to enjoy mods instead of making them getting the impressions and opinions f players and what they're using at this moment is amazingly helpful. And please keep in mind that the answer to the "Which Is The Best Mod" question changes constantly, and so as time passes the answers change. Those questions and people who ask them act as a weather report for the novice sailing into the vast mod world. Politely asking what everyone is playing right now does not seem to me to be getting out of line. On the contrary, it's the best reason for this forum to exist.

So. Just saying. Thanks to all the folks who keep finding ways to draw me back into this game.

[Blessed DIVA]

I find these threads to be some of the most useful, and they are the best source of general information available.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1072579-the-any-mods-list-of-topics/page__p__15593408__fromsearch__1&#entry15593408

Also, the search engine is on this forum is, at best, a pain.

I agree < recommends new people search the phrase "azerbagb">

The rest of it, well... I don't really feel like responding to. I know sometimes I might seem like a jerk in my replies but most of the times that's just to guilt me into not being lazy, and actually trying to help the person... to make up for any "jerkiness"... The rest of the time I don't mean any offense, I'm just being quirky, and maybe some good natured ribbing.

[Kaylee Campbell]

1) Actually the largest problem people have with it is the dozens of daily threads asking what are the best mods. It can get extremely boring and tiresome to be asked the same question over and over again, when if the searcher just took the time to look on the first few pages of the forum they would very quickly locate the other 6 or more threads asking exactly the same thing. It requires very little ingenuity to read a few post titles.

2) Secondly, the whole idea of 'best' is pointless as people have different tastes and the variety of mods out there is astounding.

3) There are some stickied topics that must be scrolled down to get to the regular topics. They are not there to make scrolling difficult, they are there to be read and contain all the answers to any questions, including numerous links to mod lists that people have drawn up out of the kindness of their hearts to help the mods seekers.

So, I think it is pretty plain why people get a little miffed at the never ending 'best mods' threads. It is not remotely unreasonable to ask people to do a quick search before posting a new topic. Btw, personally I find the search engine here just fine. Quite frankly I groan when I see 'yet another what mods/best mods thread' and resent the extra effort required to scroll past them to find some actually good WIPs and RELZs that are being sent down to the pits of the forum by afore mentioned completely unneeded topics.

[Chelsea Head]

Eh. Most replies to those threads are pretty polite. Phoenix's link takes care of most of the heavy lifting. Pseron Ward and Skycaptain have their own cut and pastes. Most thread starters get the picture quick, say thanks, and then start reading.

Pretty much all as it should be, no?

gothemasticator

[Emma Copeland]

Frequently on this forum a person who has just discovered that Oblivion has amazing mods stops by and asks something like "Which Mods Are Best?" And just as frequently there will be a response something along the lines of, "Somebody already asked that use the search". Or, more often, there is some terse to rude reply suggesting that there is something wrong with the question or the person who asked it, and what amounts to an insult.

I am one of the people that get a bit irritated by those posts. Not because they come here and ask, but because they come here and ask without doing even a minimal effort themselves. I tend to get a bit irritated by people who expect others to hand them everything without doing anything themselves, and that is how I see at least some of the posters.

If they do even a minimal reading here and at TESNexus, they would know that there are thousands of mods in different categories, and that it is impossible to say what's best without even indicating what type of mods they're after.

There are lots of great sword and armor mods, but to me they are completely uninteresting. I love a great number of gameplay mods that make the game harder/more immersive, but to many players those mods are completely uninteresting. So why should we use our time to explain about good mods that the poster may not even be remotely interested in?

So what I'm saying is that asking for best mods is perfectly fine if you do it with respect, indicate what kind of mods you're interested in, and indicating that you don't just expect us to hand everything to you on a golden platter with no effort from yourself. But if you do it without any respect to the forum, the reaction will be negative as well.

Many of the "best mod" topics come from newcomers who make it plain from their post that they haven't bothered to even read the forum for 15 minutes before posting, and to me that is simply rude, and leads to a rude response.


But if the posters show some real interest and indicate that they don't just expect us to do everything for them, then they're more than welcome and will receive friendly responses as well.

[Bedford White]

Having gotten into modding morrowind I will say that one of the main differences I saw was that with Morrowind there are many websites that offer lists of mod recommendations.

I think what people are really asking for is guidance and a way to narrow down the reading and research so that they can focus on what kinds of mods are working well together and what are not.

I recall my first visits to the forums and seeing all the shiny relz threads and then learning later that many were already outdated or never finished.

Further there are a few divergent schools of thought. I think that is understood but not articulated by many who ask that question. What they are looking for is a place to start. A point of view.

To me the single best reply has always been http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1010109-list-list-of-mod-lists/

[Becky Palmer]

Well, I guess some people need a bit more handholding than others, just like in real life. When I started using mods it didn't even occur to me to make a "what are the best mods" topic. One of the fun apects was (and to a degree still is) finding out which mods were popular, read the comments and to find out if they fitted in my view of the game. Also hunting down lesser known mods that tweak gameplay mechanics are very rewarding to find. But I realize I can't expect everyone to do the same.

I don't think most of them are lazy. Many really have no clue where to start and may be a bit less tech/mod savy. While other people rather spend their time playing than searching around on the mod sites for hours and hours. So why not ask?

[jessica sonny]

Thank you, DOH2005Morrowind, for sharing these thoughts.

I was so glad to read your words, because I so fully agree with you, in particular on these two things:

1.

New people, or more to the point people who are not part of the modding community, are essential to any forum like this one.

Yes, they are! And if we scorn a "noob" for asking a silly question upon arrival, he/she might never return to ask his next question - or to release his first mod.

If we don't have time to greet newcomers as friends and answer also to questions asked hundreds of times before, I cannot see how we have time writing long replies to the same newcomers where we tell him why he is a jerk for asking at all.

I arrived here in 2002. GhanBuriGhan was so kind and replied to my first question - a question I am certain had been asked dozens of times before.
I am utterly convinced that if he had in a sarcastic tone told me to use the search function, I would have left this place and never returned. And I would certainly never, ever had dared to release a mod!!



2.

And please keep in mind that the answer to the "Which Is The Best Mod" question changes constantly, and so as time passes the answers change.

Well, this is important, isn't it? If people indeed used the search functions all the time, they would end up with the same ol' mods that may have been state of the art 18 months ago, but who have been surpassed today.

Just look at Nexus - there are so many mods and no good way to browse them. I used 'endorsemants - descending' as a filter. Until I found out that what I got wasn't the "best" houses/outfits/companions/weapons whatever, but instead the "older" ones. In fact, I have now found that many authors of excellent, exquisite mods have turned off the endorsemant function.

Today, when I look for new mods, I start by looking at the 5-6 *newest* "Which are the best mods"-threads in this forum, to see if something new has popped up that people have found worth mentioning. That seems to work very well. (And I guess I should put together my own list of favorites to copy and paste - but I'm modding instead of playing, so my advices would't be very good).

Also, the search engine is on this forum is, at best, a pain.

Worse, it was out of function from the day the new forum was up and until... uhm... 24 hours ago? You only got results since before the forum change.
But also when it is fully functional, it can be very hard to find good results by using it.

And of course there are always tons of wonderful and useful responses to the question; plenty of the regulars here seem to like nothing more than passing on their wisdom and thoughts about this or that mod. It is these posts that give me the information I need. .

I agree to 110 % Cheers to them :foodndrink:

[Marquis T]

I think what people are really asking for is guidance and a way to narrow down the reading and research so that they can focus on what kinds of mods are working well together and what are not.

I found myself wondering the same thing last October or so when I found my Oblivion DVD, which I knew needed a proper play through (w/ mods, as I hadn't yet). That's why you (figuratively-speaking) go to TESNEXUS and sort the mod-category you're viewing as "Endorsemants - Descending" or "Downloads - Descending". I've only been doing all this a few months and I'm quite sure I haven't missed any of the must-haves (new game mechanics, or improvements to those existing).

[Vahpie]

And please keep in mind that the answer to the "Which Is The Best Mod" question changes constantly, and so as time passes the answers change.

No it doesn't. The very same mods are listed in response to this question over and over again. Granted it has changed a small amount over the years, but not much and it certainly is not going to change over a matter of hours since the last thread of this kind.

[Hannah Barnard]

I expect newcomers to at least read the stickied Mod FAQ at the top of this forum. There are a number of good starting mod lists out here, and often I think newer users should start with those to get a feel for the installation process and what not. After that, they can hit the Mod Psychichs thread ,the list of lists, TOTO and other specialty lists that usually DO contain the "best" mods of various categories. If people list off their load orders or favorite mods, I often see FCOM or OOO+MMM pop-up along with other big, complicated mods that require lots of compatibility awareness in order to avoid complete frustration.

I have tried to help a number of people who are new to mods, decided to jump into FCOM, and then threaten to leave the community because of all of the installation trouble. There are courteous ways to help people learn to find mods for themselves, and I think that is often the best route. Giving the essential recommends and the lists links are fine, and I have not had a problem using sort "downloads," "descending" either. People ask about finding mods all the time as though they do not use category search, advanced search or even that simple search method. I do not mind holding a new users hand through their first installation, even for their entire first load order; however, I do not want to make them dependent on us either or start ignoring ReadMes and descriptions right of the bat.

Last thing, the "best" mods seriously do not change often. Add a "new in the last year" piece after your links to the long-standing lists. Often, if you scroll just two or three pages deep into this forum, you will often see many of them. We want new users to be comfortable browsing around here too, as it is often the best way to stay current.

[katie TWAVA]

I found myself wondering the same thing last October or so when I found my Oblivion DVD, which I knew needed a proper play through (w/ mods, as I hadn't yet). That's why you (figuratively-speaking) go to TESNEXUS and sort the mod-category you're viewing as "Endorsemants - Descending" or "Downloads - Descending". I've only been doing all this a few months and I'm quite sure I haven't missed any of the must-haves (new game mechanics, or improvements to those existing).

I think by default you would have missed plenty of the must-haves.

Take for example the Oblivion's Real Estate competition winners. Yes, it's an arbitrary indicator - the mods voted by a panel to be the "best" in their category, in a competition. Now take your other arbitrary indicator - the number of endorsemants given to a particular file, or the number of downloads that a mod has been given.

You would think that the competition-winning mods would be among the most downloaded/endorsed, by virtue of them having been considered "superior" - at least by the panel.

Very occasionally that's true - but more often than not, it's not true. Many of the winners have surprisingly few downloads and few or no endorsemants on Nexus. Given the feedback in ORE forum threads, it's not because the winning mods are lacking in any way, but simply because people are locked into the habit of only downloading the most-downloaded mods - and then only endorsing the most-endorsed mods - so that there's a sharp pyramid of the most downloaded/endorsed mods, and then the thousands of other mods which are simply ignored.

Yes, "what are the best mods" threads can be useful for finding new mods - as can seeing people's active mods lists, to see if an .esp name looks interesting - but concretely saying that all of the most-downloaded mods and only the most-downloaded mods are the best ones is about as illogical as assuming that any song that is number one in the music charts is better than any other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37KQu64RY4

[.X chantelle .x Smith]

Agree with the OP. I find each of these threads unique - everyone that decides to post has a different response to each of these threads. It's amazing to see the mods that people use, and I just discovered a couple of new ones myself going through these threads in the past couple of days, and one that I've been wanting to try but forgot all about. I like especially when folks post the mod name and why they like the mod. I don't see anything wrong with the threads and that's what the forum is here for - to discuss mods, best or not. I don't think the folks are being lazy at all - they're curious to what others use and like and want to find out. Maybe they didn't know there are other threads ongoing about this. I agree the forum search function isn't very great.

If someone gets annoyed by these posts, just don't look at them. If you can't help yourself and have to say something, it's good to point them nicely to the other threads already started - maybe they'll find something they like in there too.

[Matt Gammond]

I think I am gonna have to agree with the OP, Emma and StarX:

New people, or more to the point people who are not part of the modding community, are essential to any forum like this one.

If I recall correctly, I never posted such a thread myself. In fact, I seem to recall I was a member of this forum for quite some time before I felt comfortable I knew enough about mods to so much as post.

However, I most definitely recall how overwhelming the whole Oblivion mod scene was to me when I first attempted to add mods to my game.

Modders should (and for the most part do) welcome inexperienced mod players with patience and understanding -- because, afterall, isn't the primary point of uploading most mods to share them with as many others as possible - experienced and newcomer alike?

Just my two cents.

Regards,

Hem

[Soraya Davy]

Maybe we should just remove all stickied threads and mod lists and just have these threads with the same 10 mods listed over and over....and over....and over...... :laugh:

I am all for assisting new people, however I really don't think we should encourage the repetitve posting of 'best mods' threads. For one it pushes peoples WIPs and RELZs down and other people miss these important threads. For another thing there really is no need for the same thread posted over and over and over again, even if it is by different OPs. Generally that is actually considered spam. If people took 20 secs to look around they would see all the answers to their questions.

But the crux of the problem is that people are not willing to try out mods on their own. Take Oblivion's Real Estate, mod searching surely couldn't get easier then this. Mods divided into size, style, location, even character types....with walkthrough videos for over 100 of them. Can searching get easier? Apparantely.......yes. I am continuously asked to create a 'Recommended List' and have been ever since the site began. Something that is pretty impossible to do as mods are all about personal choice and style. Sure I have attenpted with the Gold and Silver shield mods after three years of being asked, however you are looking at my personal opinion when you see a shield by a mod on ORE. What is good for me is not necessarily good for you and vice versa. If I recommend some mods to you, you will likely miss out on that perfect mod for you. So, sure check out the shield mods but don't miss the others and that is stated on the site.

Same goes for these 'best mods' threads. I don't think we are doing people any favors by telling them what mods to use. Using mods is all about exploring. I started out on PES back in 2005 and I went through the Morrowind mod listings picking out mods that looked interesting, followed the instructions in the readme to install and had a ball going ingame and checking them out. Through that I found my personal favorites, especially my personal favorite house mod, a very unknown mod that I adore to this day.

So it is my opinion that we need to guide people to search for themselves and try things out for themselves, yes it takes time but it is worth it and is a lot of fun. You cannot really get to know about mods unless you dive in there and explore for yourself.

[FirDaus LOVe farhana]

Man, I agree with both sides (generalizing here)
The OP has a point we need a "current best mods" topic, and need to be welcoming to new players. We should take them under our wings and point them in the right direction

But...many "which is best" threads are people not reading the list of lists or looking through TesNexus or PES

When I first bought Oblivion (post playing it on my 360) I got out my laptop and while I was watching tv I just went through the lists and made a little notepad list of all the mods that seemed to fit me, then I went though the top mods on PES and Nexus...then I came here and asked what mods I might have missed.

I think we should have a thread similar to Mod Detectives that is a reoccuring constantly updated thread. This won't stop the "which is best" but it would take just one reply to direct them to the 'living' topic.

When I'm looking for little known mods I just put on something I had dvr'ed but instead of FF through the comercials I just start looking at downloads-acending on Nexus...I also hate how PES has such a limited sorting/search

[Paul Rice]

Thanks to all who responded. It is a testament to this community that there is this level of passion about the game. I hope Bethesda knows what it has here.

After reading through all the posts I pretty must agree or at least understand everyone's position. There are some who simply do not like these threads. The reasons are all personal, as are the responses when the questions are asked. Again, I would encourage anyone who feels negatively to give the them a skip. There are many players here who are willing to be helpful, and ultimately that's what matters.

Two points. First, the list of Best Mods changes constantly. The larger mods seem to be a constant, but there are literally hundreds of others that a player would have to somehow randomly "discover". Some of these lesser known mods are shockingly good and absent a person stumbling across one the only way to find out about them would be a recommendation made here. And again, people making comments - reviews if you will - are much better than any search or list posted somewhere. And I would contend again that those posts are one of the best things about this forum.

Second, many of the links listed in the introduction here are dated, no longer working, or simply a big list (which is dated, or no longer working). My desire when I come here is to get a sense of the Current State Of The Art. More than anything I value the opinions of the fans of the game, and when I read three or four posts with positive mentions regarding a mod, that's one I try. It's that consensus that makes checking in necessary, and asking that big goofy general "Hey Buddy What's Yer Favorite Mods?" cuts right to the heart of it. Lists, search engines, file download sites, none of these are a good as coming here and looking for the latest compilation of collective opinion. Having done my due diligence laboring in futility with those other resources, I know where of I speak in this regard.

In any event, thanks again to all who added to the thread. By the way... what's your favorite mods? :angel:

[!beef]

...Two points. First, the list of Best Mods changes constantly....

...Second, many of the links listed in the introduction here are dated, no longer working, or simply a big list (which is dated, or no longer working)....

... Lists, search engines, file download sites, none of these are a good as coming here and looking for the latest compilation of collective opinion....

Did you check it today? I went through and cleared away all the purged topics earlier, and downloaded all of the remaining topics, so it's all archived now, by the way... I'm also regualarly adding topics every time a new one pops up. When I started the "any mods?" list I think there were only like 30 something AZERgeneral topics.. now there's 42(counting the purged and removed ones)

Ummm.... my list is a compilation of collected opinion. :blink:

And, no... The list of "best mods" hardly ever changes. Most mods each have their own individual merits, and every person has their own individual opinion. For instance I prefer "Crime has Witnesses" to RGO, It may not be as advanced, as regularly updated, or big as RGO but I prefer it. Really the only time a labeled "best mod" becomes outdated is when someone else takes up the reigns and continues doing the exact samething the old mod did. I'm only aware of two cases of this: Audacious Magery, and Hear No Evil. Even then, AM goes a slightly different route than Sorcery's Toll; the mod it "outdates"

[Katy Hogben]

2) Secondly, the whole idea of 'best' is pointless as people have different tastes and the variety of mods out there is astounding.

This is what I can't stress enough in the "Best" threads. There are 20,000 mods on TESNexus alone! Twenty thousand mods! And people expect you to pick one or two and say "here you go, that's the best one there!"

Now, when people get more specific, it is much less bothersome. "What're good clothing mods for Robert's Male Body?" or "Can you recommend a good medieval weapon mod?" are more appropriate here. We, as fellow mod users, can't be expected to figure out your tastes and track down the 'best' mod for you.

More than that, if this forum isn't here for people who specifically do NOT know what's going on with the mod scene at this moment, who is it for?

It's for modders, of course! The reason I use this forum is because it keeps me updated on what's coming out, what's being changed, and what people want. It's also a great place for problem solving. Adding lots of mods to your game has the potential for making it unstable, and we have lots of knowledgeable folks here who know how to clean things up.

You would think that the competition-winning mods would be among the most downloaded/endorsed, by virtue of them having been considered "superior" - at least by the panel.

Very occasionally that's true - but more often than not, it's not true. Many of the winners have surprisingly few downloads and few or no endorsemants on Nexus. Given the feedback in ORE forum threads, it's not because the winning mods are lacking in any way, but simply because people are locked into the habit of only downloading the most-downloaded mods - and then only endorsing the most-endorsed mods - so that there's a sharp pyramid of the most downloaded/endorsed mods, and then the thousands of other mods which are simply ignored.

It is for this reason that I flat out ignore endorsemants and download numbers. I've found that my favorite mods will sometimes have no endorsemants at all or a very small download size! And I think to myself "how did anyone miss this gem?" The answer is that people stick to what is suggested to them in these "best mod" threads and the lists of recommended mods. There's nothing wrong with lists and suggestion threads, but you shouldn't rely on them wholly.

People should think about what they want in their game and go looking for it! Part of the fun of modding your Oblivion is the hunt. And remember, just because a mod is little known or the modder isn't popular, doesn't mean it won't be one of the best things you've ever played.

[Emilie M]

I for one would expect newbies to do a bit of legwork themselves before asking opinions on best mods, and even then it's a lot more sensible to ask for best mods in catagories: ie. best crime/magic/weather/levelling mods. It's still very subjective, but it helps narrow things down, and you're more likely to get better informed opinions from people who know about the specific thing you're talking about. I don't think that it's wrong to assume that a newbie posting here has found Nexus, and has been overwhelmed by the volume of what's available. I agree that Nexus (and it's not really its fault, just a byproduct of scale) isn't very easy to browse for the 'best' stuff in, and older mods do get significantly boosted in comparisons with downloads and endorsemants. Perhaps a better system would be an endorsemants against time against downloads?

However, I'd still expect initiative to be taken: If I were to want to know what the most recommended mods were, I'd search the forums for best, most recommended, and other such phrases. Only if I hadn't found what I was going to ask, would I start a new topic. The majority of newbies don't do this though, and that is irritating, hence why I hardly ever reply to such threads nowadays.

Bit of a ramble there, sorry. :blush:

It's for modders, of course! The reason I use this forum is because it keeps me updated on what's coming out, what's being changed, and what people want. It's also a great place for problem solving. Adding lots of mods to your game has the potential for making it unstable, and we have lots of knowledgeable folks here who know how to clean things up.

Agreed. This forum ain't 'for' newbies. It's primarily a dev space, and since the devs hang out here, it also does support. The Nexus forums are more geared towards mod users finding their way around, as that's the most popular download location. Essentially, here is where stuff happens, and the Nexus forums are where the general community talk about it (looking at just here and Nexus, not TESA or others). Just look at the ratio of general mod threads to WIP/RELZ threads, and that's fairly obvious. In the RELZ threads themselves, it's mostly troubleshooting, rather than mod discussion too.

That's not to say that general mod discussion is looked down on or anything, it's just that the majority of posts made here are by active community members, who input things into the community, even if they aren't modders themselves, rather than people who just download and play the mods. As such, the userbase is fairly knowledgeable, and so we don't have much cross-discussion, as that's all pretty much known already.

Anyway, /tangent.

[Robert]

If there could be some sort of central recommendations thread so that people can still ask this question, without being referred to possibly outdated threads, that would be great. If it worked. Which it probably doesn't, it would be a mess most likely. And a pain for the moderators to lock/merge the threads that are still posted anyway.

So unless someone has a brilliant idea regarding this, nevermind.

[Blaine]

Well how about every time we see the question "what are the best mods?" we agree to not get caught up on semantics and philosophical angst about the impossibility of finding 'the best' or 'the perfect' mod in an absolute truth sort of sense and instead translate in our heads that what the poster is most likely asking is 'What do you think is the best mod for your game?'

Then we could answer as if that were more or less the wording that the person meant to use (not that we can ever really know other minds you philosophers ... :nerd: ).

Answers could come pouring out of us about what is the best mods for our favorite types of games!

No more would we be bound to the tethers of needing absolute objectivity ... We could then step out of viewing truth as something to be scrutinized and step into living the subjective truth!!

... man I need some sleep. :dead:

[Richard]

By the way... what's your favorite mods? :angel:

Hmmmm...my favorite mod....that would be http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1810 one.

I always use http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15357 one.

Where would I be without http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23796 one, it is my must have mod!

I feel http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=26834 one compliments the above one. So you can be assured they are compatible.

For a home I use http://oblivionsrealestate.com/Find_A_Home/find_a_home.html one.

Gosh I hope I am being helpful here.

[Sakura Haruno]

I tend to be in the camp of people who give a brief, sometimes short-tempered reply. It isn't intentional. It's just that I've seen that question asked SO many times, and I feel that there really aren't any "best" mods. I love that so many talented modders give up their free time to make things that add to my enjoyment of the game. I would never say that is best, because I feel like it'd be doing an injustice to the (literally) hundreds of other mods I love.

It's easy to see a huge overhaul mod, and how it enriches the game as a whole, as being superior. But honestly, think of some of the small, simple mods you absolutely couldn't play without. Everyone has one or two. Mods are so drastically different in nature, and it all depends on what you want your game to do. Overhauls, retextures, weather effects, mechanics overhauls, and tiny little tweaks have all contributed to turning Oblivion, which I would have never come back to on its own, into a game which I still sink hours into every week.

So, when asked which mods are "best," I typically just link to TESNexus.

[Nikki Hype]

This forum ain't 'for' newbies. It's primarily a dev space, and since the devs hang out here, it also does support. The Nexus forums are more geared towards mod users finding their way around...

I disagree with this 100%.

First, in my opinion it is pretentious to use the word 'devs', in this context. Bioware are devs. Bethesda are devs. We are modders. We already have enough inflated egos in the modding community without this 'I'm a dev' attitude.

Second, and I'll probably just quit with this one, this is Bethesda Softworks' official forum for Oblivion mods. Modders (or 'devs', as you like to call them) already have one forum designed especially for them: the Oblivion Construction Set forum. I don't believe they need two forums all to themselves while telling new players to go somewhere else with their unimportant questions.

As far as I'm concerned telling new players to leave Bethesda's official forums and go somewhere else is repellent. Speaking for myself, I don't want to post in several forums just because a self-important clique of so-called wanna-be 'devs' think this space is too important and sacrosanct for a new player to waste valuable space and time asking for opinions about which mod to use. If that's the attitude around here, then I'm leaving.

I have posted lists of my favorite mods for eight years. I have lost track of how many times new players have PMed me to thank me for doing this. We should be nurturing new players. And Bethesda's own forums should be the first place we try to nurture them. We should not be sending them away to fan-run sites, we should be trying to keep them here. We should be treating them with respect.