Compatible with Darn, but not with Dark. The upper and lower bars are not darkened. I wish it did match DarkDarn because that is all that's keeping me from using it.

I second these - they are more useful than mods hundreds of times their size!

*downloads* That's pretty awesome!

Since the subject of Map Loop replacers has come up, have a look at this:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15914

This has been my map loop replacer for an awfully long time

Great thread by the by. Good for finding lots of gems to enhance the game. I've picked up a few from this thread already that have been awesome, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17254, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3974, and http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23680. Just to note about me before I make my recommendations, I'm really picky about my mods. If they're not up to a high quality level then they don't make the cut. Some folks can play with little inconsistencies in their game but not me. So without further ado...

Weapons:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11467
It's a dwarven mace. It rotates! It's got menu icons and it's unenchanted so you can enchant it if you want. Pretty nifty.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5088
"What? You gonna hit me with that fissshh." It's a fish club. It's not lore friendly. It's not in the lore at all. Ha! It is a neat little item that I don't think many folks have tried. If you have http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10223 installed (an awesome mod by the way) you will find the fish club in a very appropriate place.

http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5414
Although this has been downloaded a few times, It doesn't seem to get that much fanfare. This mod adds some excellently made weapons and armour. available for purchase at the "Slash & Smash"

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=4211
Obviously these do not fit in the lore but these are very well made and with a bit of imagination they should compliment your game just fine.

Quests:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17718
This is a well put together smaller quest that is a bit overlooked.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3454
A slight quest. A good set of armour (Albeit a bit overpowered). All in all, very nice.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8823
A neat little quest and building with a ghoulish reward.

Items:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15250
This mod doesn't add much. Just a little bit more quality to the game.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=5153
Basically they are mark and recall objects. The items are very well made and they work perfectly.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=5354
Adds some lucky dice into the game.

These two mods both add enhancements to the book "The Lusty Argonian Maid", to up the naughty factor. oo:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20085
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6671

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=22795
Ever thought those ruins looked a little barren of stuff? This mod adds some Ayleid knick knacks throughout the game.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12510
Not quite in tune with the setting but not to far off either. This mod adds harpsichords that will play some songs to various locations throughout the world. Now you can rock out while having a pint, 18th century styles.

Interface:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4061
Adds much better descriptions for your skills as you level up.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18285
A great set of coloured icons for your map. Hardly downloaded at all. They are my personal favorite and I find they go best with.....
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1950 - for Cyrodiil
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12797 - for The Shivering Isles

Gameplay:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5534
Can't see that cool amulet cause it's hidden under your armour? This mod fixes that. Allows you to see the amulet you're wearing outside most armours.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19994
Instead of having to load a bunch of esp's this mod has all of the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9969's and all of the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11474 esp's merged into ONE! With the esp's in separate form I couldn't get Oblivion to start. This unsung hero fixed all that. Grrrrreeeeaaat.

Environment:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19038
Anyone that hasn't got this mod should get it. It adds sooo much to the ambient sounds of Cyrodiil. I'm not sure how much of an underdog it is but get it anyways. Do it!

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20698
Ever seen your grass go wonky? Is it all criss-crossed and stuff? It's Alive waters that's doing it. Now, you don't want to ditch a great mod like http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6914, so download this mod and it should fix (usually, apparently not for some) the problem.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14783
Makes the Niben an actual river that flows to Topal Bay, instead of just a long a lake. Silly Bethesda.

Armour:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7106
A retailer in the mountains that sells armour for all your burly barbarian needs.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11075
An excellent helmet which is earnable and has a unique role in the game. Note: it must be loaded after Kvatch Aftermath or http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15412 if you use one of these mods (I use Kvatch Rebuilt).

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16255
A very well made set of armour and a weapon that is appropriately placed in Cyrodiil

Buildings & World-spaces:

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=17229
This adds a beautiful and tranquil new world-space that is accessible from Cyrodiil. I Highly recommend it.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14939
A pleasant tropical island that requires a wee bit of work to get there. Good stuff.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=4513
This mod adds coffee shops and stands throughout Cyrodiil. Not exactly in keeping with the Cyrodiil setting but I don't care, It's a great mod. With a bit of imagination it fits the world just fine. Sidenote: Check out some of Jannix Quinn's http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=User.EntriesListing&id=39135. He's prolific.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9478
Wonder how it is exactly that door at the waterfront gets you magically all the way up to the imperial city? Wonder no more. This mod adds a tunnel between the two locations. There are other versions of this mod but this one is simple, to the point and works right so this is the one I use.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15648
This mod makes the Anvil harbour a lot more like an active harbour. It's adds in some yappy seagulls too. Bonus!

Presented here are Lemunde's player homes. They are all dimensional homes except for one that's under water! I think these may be the biggest underdog mods on my list. They're all fantastic and they've hardly been touched. These are very well made homes in varied settings. They've all got these magnetic display things that I've never seen anywhere else. They are integrated into the game well, you won't easily acquire them. Download them all. Seriously, you won't be disappointed.
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12599
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19324
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14074
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16285
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16853
- http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14368

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9392
This mod opens the road through Skingrad so you can walk or ride right on through.


So there you have it. That's my underdog list for now, sorry about the long post. Feel free to give them a try. In my humble opinion they are all well worth it.

To the Authors of the mods: Thanks for your great work. I wouldn't know where to start on making this stuff. The fact you guys can create all these great mods is just awesome. Kudos and keep em coming :rock:

Looks lovely :wub: But huge :ahhh:

You really have to download it to realise just how stunning it is. It's a massive download, but absolutely worth it.

I'll take your work just this one

Zedas,

Thanks for taking the time to post your long list. There's some gems in there that I will be testing. The road through Skingrad mod was an instant download.

Great thread, keep up the bad work.

I feel I have to mention

Smokeable pipe mod http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11892

Spell delete and Item Remove http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23069

I'm not sure the massive amount of HDR is my taste, but I'll give it a spin.

Also nice to see two of my mods are on the list.

What needs to be used when you post your own mod here is objectivity. It's something some people don't have, which lead to the last threads failures. If you can't be objective, don't post your own mod. If you can, well, objectively consider your mod.

Is it bug free?

Does it make a real difference to gameplay?

Is it unpopular/little known?

At least one of those has almost 5,000 downloads, which I think disqualifies it from really being an "underdog". Still, that's a pretty good list of stuff with some interesting bits and pieces.

I'm not much for player homes, but after watching a couple of the videos for Lemunde's houses I'm going to download them and try them out. Very interesting designs!

Vac

This thread paid off big time for me right here. I had a very old version of this mod that only added female armors. That pissed me off big time and I eventually ended up making a male version for myself using his textures on a version of the Elven armor with the pauldrons removed. I thought I did an okay job --- good enough to play with the armor anyway, but version 2 of this actually adds new male meshes which are a LOT better than my hack job. So thanks for this FANTASTIC thread!

not sure if somebody did already, but I really want to recommend "Teach Spells to Others" ... small but invaluable

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16960

If you all haven't seen "Reaper's Coldstone Town" you are seriously missing out. This mod is incredible.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24414

Looks good, but 300 MB?

I like mods that offer an endless experience, and ones that let me perform my own repeatable quests. Here are some links and (author's) descriptions of mods that do just that. (sorry if any have been mentioned already. If anyone know of more mods like these, please list them!) The high ratings of these mods, coupled with the very low number of total votes, shows them all to be, IMO, "underdogs" that are definately worth a look.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8520 - 9.33 rating at TESNexus (21 ratings)
Purpose: This mod allows the player to do delivery jobs for the new Gold Horse Delivery Service. In every major city you can find 7-9 jobs (randomly selected each time) that you can deliver locally (that's over 60 jobs locally). After an advancement in the courier business you can deliver inter-city packages from branch to branch for more money, and then finally after that you can deliver supplies to some of the inns in Tamriel.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14725 - 10.00 rating at TESNexus (6 ratings)
Tired of plunging trekking out to dungeons to find those elusive heavy helms on Marauder Warlords? Want to create a matching suit of armor for your companion? Want to get a little more out of your Armorer skill? Then eek's Smithing Mod could be the one for you. Use various forges across Cyrodiil to craft your own weapons and armor from a number of new and existing raw materials.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=23278 - 9.70 rating at TESNexus (10 ratings)
This mod creates a job board in the Imperial City Market District just outside the Black Courier offices. On the board collection jobs are listed, asking for delivery of ingredients, books, or just random items. Every week 8 random jobs appear.

To take a job, take the paper from the job board. When you've got whatever the poster requested, turn it in to "Mudcrab" (the orc next to the job board).

I made this as an RP mod. I just started playing again after several years, and wasn't able to find many non-epic quests that are suitable for new characters. It's designed to give players, especially low level players, something to do that doesn't involve slaughtering hordes of people. The quests involve buying or finding random objects, so it's a good start for those wanting to RP traders or non-heroic folk.

Wow that sleep mod looks very good, cant believe i haven't noticed it. *goes off to download*

This is probably more useful than the "Ring of Console": http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20446

Does it offer the delivery boy/girl a FedEx outfit ? Mcft Sam would like that

The screenshots do look nice; I'll have to download it and have a look myself.

This thread is solid gold! thanks very much OP, my modlist increased considerably since setting foot in here.
Just to bring some more fun to the party;

Priestly robes for members of the clergy, so they don't look like the average peasant
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24656

I'd like to nominate all three of my released mods as underdogs (see my sig).

Two of three looks very interesting. Is the gold mod absolutely bug free? I've had problems with both Reneer's and Kuertee's version not being able to track amount of gold properly.

Thanks. AFAIK. If it isn't none of the 60 or so downloaders have bothered to tell me. It was my problems with both of those that made me produce my own.