Vanilla or Mod : IV

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:55 pm

I have played oblvion for about 3 years now, about a year on XBOX 360 then 2 years since i got my much prefered PS3, i can't mod, even if i could i could'nt i prefer the pure originality of the original, i have KOTN and SI, i have proabably done about 60% of game and i never get bored of it, i am constantly trying new characters awaiting my final one which i will try and do everything with

What do you think?

Also list your favourite vanilla weapon (quest reward or just a material weapon)
and favourite set of vanilla armour

Thanks

bliviongate:

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:41 pm

Mods 100%.
I could not imagine how easy the game would be without OOO and MMM and the lack of creature variety. and the magic system without LAME and SM, just can't picture it.

For Vanilla armor, Orcish Wins.
Weapon.. Probably Akaviri Katana, or Goldbrand(Which had the best quest to obtain it)

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:39 pm

Mods. A lot of them. I've played Oblivion since the day it came out and Morrowind for a few years before that, but I probably wouldn't still play them as actively as I do if it weren't for mods, especially not Oblivion. I looove mods. :wub: They're one of the main reasons I think TES is so awesome, tbh.

Favorite vanilla weapon Ruin's Edge, favorite vanilla armor the Dark Seducer armor. I hope SI counts as vanilla? In just Oblivion, my favorite weapon is probably the Ebony Sword and my favorite armor Glass. Even though Glass is really ugly unless it's retextured, that color just doesn't go with any of my characters' hair and makes them all look weird and sickly...

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 5:09 pm

Mods 100%.
I could not imagine how easy the game would be without OOO and MMM and the lack of creature variety. and the magic system without LAME and SM, just can't picture it.

For Vanilla armor, Orcish Wins.
Weapon.. Probably Akaviri Katana, or Goldbrand(Which had the best quest to obtain it)

I disagree with the fact how you described magic and creature variety, yes mod offers much more but i don't see the need, and i prefer console version, but from this poll i don't think many people (if any will agree with me)

Yeah the goldbrand quest is amazing

i like orcish too

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:27 am

Oh and my favourites are

Weapons: Chillrend (when at level 25+ does) 20 frost damage, and adds 35% weakness to frost for 20 seconds which makes next strike pwn even more, it looks same as glass shortsword but blue instead of green

Armour: amber easily, it looks AMAZING

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:14 am

Mod.

I use mods that improve visual aspects of the game, like NPC bodies/faces, and the view of distant objects. I use a leveling mod that eliminates the whole "efficient leveling" nonsense, and one that removes the "two ring limit" (my character has eight fingers and two thumbs, and we haven't even started counting toes...) I also use some UI improvements.

More to the point, I do my own "mini-mods" to aid roleplaying. Depending on the character, I will sometimes put a particular object, or article of clothing, in a place where the character will find it. It's rarely anything that gives the character any increased power, but usually more like a roleplaying device. For example, for my present character, I made sure that there was a crystal ball in a particular location, where my character could "look into it to see the possible consequences of the next action."

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:08 am

Mod all the way. They fix so many issues I have with the game. I always thought the creature diversity was ridiculously sparse. Only one species of fish? Please. Only six types of land animals? I don't buy it. I can see more than that by looking out of my back window at home. Then there's the psychic guards. How do the guards in Bruma know that I stole something in Leyawiin as soon as I do it? These types of things break immersion for me and I enjoy mods that change them. I also make my own mods to improve RP a bit.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:24 pm

I've played with OOO nearly from the start and with MMM after about a year. So I can hardly imagine with Vanilla is like.

Favorite armor depends on male or female. Male: Steel, Female: Elven

Favorite weapon, Enchanted Perfect Madness Sword (Shivering Isles expansion). If you don't count expansions then maybe a self enchanted Daedric Shortsword (shock + soul trap probably).

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:21 am

I like somewhat of a lightly modded game. Portable campsite, some cosmetic mods, several horse mods, a few minor tweak mods. I prefer to keep the look and feel of much of the game fairly close to vanilla. My reason is that my character maintains a detailed journal that she posts as fanfiction and we like her world to 'feel' much like the familiar TES world that everyone recognizes from the vanilla game. We therefore tend to avoid new creatures or spell effects for example.

The whole beauty of mods, is that they allow you to take a good game and transform it into your perfect vision of the perfect game for you. I'm sure every player has a somewhat different vision of what makes Oblivion 'perfect' for them - hence the wonder and choices of mods. :dance:

Oh, fave vanilla weapon is a self-enchanted daedric bow. Even with mods, this remains our top weapon.

Armor is a diff matter. I guess I would say vanilla leather, but even that can't compare to the modded buckskins and such that my character likes to wear.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:41 pm

Lightly modded, Could not possibly play without a UI mod and something to make dungeons actually dark, other than that I try new things out for new characters, will probably get round to bigger things like OOO next year.

Fave vanilla gear, well different characters have different favourites, but for looks I would go with Witsplinter or maybe the Grummite Cleaver. Not so sure about armor since I usually do mod that if I roll an armor wearing character, maybe leather.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:02 pm

Mod. Namely, I already started using it to remove that stupid prison intro the game offers. Way the go on already screwing up my RPG experience.

I went heavy later on to evening out the leveling scale, replacing the current leveler, obtain a better UI and Menus interface, etc.

Vanilla weapon wise, something about the Debaser that has a charm to it.

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:03 am

I have only been playing Oblivion for just over a year now, and had to get one mod off the bat for Quest rewards. I am planning to Re-install it soon in a more Vista Frendly location other than Program files so I can try out a whole list of mods that look really cool. Can't wait to try out a couple of the overhaul mods. May start with Francisco's...OOO may be too much for me to start, but maybe soon. The vanilla is pretty good on most fronts, but there are a few things I want to tweek, such as the leveled bandits and other minor complaints. I very much agree with Acadian. Will have to check out that portable campsight. It really bothers me to level up half way through a ruin, because if I leave it, chances are I will get onto something else and never make it back......

So far my weapon of choice is the Akavari Sunderblade.
Only armor wearing character I have played so far has been the Divine Crusader.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:22 pm

Glad somone agree'd with me on vanilla

if i did get mods i would only ever light mod like portable campbed and visual upgrades.

not the ones that have like loads of cheesey armour and weapons and new races etc.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:40 pm

... some mods I always install before playing the game, there are a couple more mods I need to install in the near future ... A shame that I can't find a mod I used the last time I played the game ...

And no I don't use mods who have cheezy armours, or over powered items ... I also don't use cheats most mods are 'roleplaying' and 'more realistic mods' ... Atleast one Alternate Start mod ...

I don't do any moddin' I am not really such kind of guy ...

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:32 am

I consider mine a light-to-moderately modded installation. No major overhauls and only a few Unique Landscapes. My chief areas of interest are adding new quests and tasks, and likewise adding structures and locations. There's some visual enhancements too, though by-and-large I'm happy (or at least content) with the look of vanilla Tamriel.

But the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Here's my BAIN-package install-order list, included rather than my Load-Order since that won't show texture/mesh replacers that require neither ESM nor ESP. (On the other hand, install-order doesn't show those patches which are integrated into the mod packages they patch.)

Spoiler

Bain Packages:
++ 002 - LoreDialogue300_v23_BAIN-25091.7z (C0C0F197) (Installed)
++ 003 - nVidia_Black_Screen_Sneak_Fix-13632.7z (DB5DB419) (Installed)
++ 004 - DecoratorAssistantOBSEv11-6021.7z (1F0DC8FA) (Installed)
++ 005 - Duplicate_Item_Spell-22852.rar (00A9792E) (Installed)
++ 006 - Panzer_Kleidung_Transmuter_v03_BAIN-12996.7z (DE7C798E) (Installed)
++ 007 - Quest_Award_Leveller_v210-BAIN.7z (7F262AB1) (Installed)
++ 009 - COBL_172_lite_21104.7z (A0906B5D) (Installed)
++ 010 - DCRP+CURP_v2-4.7z (35353838) (Installed)
++ 011 - TamrielResourcePack_v141.7z (1AF1F943) (Installed)
++ 013 - Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch_v320-5296.7z (BCBA7B56) (Installed)
++ 014 - Unofficial_SI_Patch_v140-10739.7z (79CE866D) (Installed)
++ 015 - Unofficial_Official_Mods_Patch_v15-9969.7z (59895567) (Installed)
++ 017 - OC_DarkerNights-4135.7z (6E8691AA) (Installed)
++ 018 - Rainbows in Tamriel-8927.7z (E6A8B3B4) (Installed)
++ 019 - Beaming_Sunglare_v1_1-BAIN-16533.7z (B9BC041E) (Installed)
++ 020 - Xerus_Landscape_LOD_v1_BAIN-17300.7z (FA9F7F4C) (Installed)
++ 021 - Elsweyr-Anequina_v2d_2010Oct-20053.7z (6740758B) (Installed)
++ 022 - Anvil Exterior & Ship Textures v1.1.7z (542ADD85) (Installed)
++ 023 - UOP+UOMP_Supplementals_v332-27710.7z (792268C3) (Installed)
++ 024 - Animated_Window_Lighting_System_-_Meshes_v5-3-5-19628.7z (ACFDDEAD) (Installed)
++ 025 - AWLS_-_Brumbek_Mixed_Textures_v5-2-0-19628.7z (9D61BD69) (Installed)
++ 026 - RAEVWD_v1_9-20053.7z (4DFF0231) (Installed)
++ 027 - RAEVWD_Elsweyr_Anequina_v2_OCT2010-20053.7z (840D2A43) (Installed)
++ 029 - CityLights_ImperialCity-2979.7z (BE2AD370) (Installed)
++ 030 - DarkerIC-Reduced-15500.7z (A6CD32A6) (Installed)
++ 031 - RAEVWD_Darker_Regal_IC_2010_08_09-20053.7z (911475E6) (Installed)
++ 032 - ImpeREAL IC - All the Districts Merged-19589.7z (E9FA96C0) (Installed)
++ 033 - ImpeREAL - Unique Castles-22446.7z (2579EA74) (Installed)
++ 034 - ImpeREAL - Unique Forts-22965.7z (80E6C77A) (Installed)
++ 035 - TheElderCouncil_v2-5_BAIN-complex.7z (27D168BB) (Installed)
++ 036 - TEC_TempleOfTheOne_v1-5_BAIN-complex.7z (D700E117) (Installed)
++ 037 - New_Roads_and_Bridges_v458-20218.7z (7C700E60) (Installed)
++ 038 - NRB4_UL-II_Compatibility_Patch-20218.7z (BCC0543A) (Installed)
++ 039 - NRB4_Region_Revive_Compatibility_Patch-20218.7z (1BF11900) (Installed)
++ 040 - West_Roads v1.3-29523.7z (5988E7A5) (Installed)
++ 042 - InquisitorLodgeSI_v1.7z (86C426AA) (Installed)
++ 043 - Kvatch_Rising_v1-9_BAIN-complex.7z (4C69773F) (Installed)
++ 044 - Kvatch Watch Towers v2_7-19691.7z (F710E47C) (Installed)
++ 045 - County Kvatch - Wolfs Gate-16220.7z (5D4B0D96) (Installed)
++ 046 - FAR_v140_BAIN-21856.7z (9492F0AD) (Installed)
++ 047 - RR-LR_v13_BAIN-22751.7z (066C1DF0) (Installed)
++ 048 - AFK_Weye_v2-1_BAIN-22828.7z (5F409060) (Installed)
++ 049 - VHBloodlinesV12SI-BAIN-14601.7z (149CCE2D) (Installed)
++ 050 - DC_Villages_v1_1-BAIN-4890.7z (946FB9B0) (Installed)
++ 051 - Feldscar-30000.7z (AAF51607) (Installed)
++ 052 - Vergayun-26643.7z (EAC246C4) (Installed)
++ 053 - Faregyl_Village-21562.7z (F182678F) (Installed)
++ 054 - Faregyl_Anequina_Patch-21562.7z (CBB3203C) (Installed)
++ 055 - Millstone_Farm_COBL-29126.7z (CB65B93D) (Installed)
++ 056 - Bartholm697&700_BAIN-5022.7z (A2EB9E66) (Installed)
++ 057 - Castle_Seaview_v1.1_BAIN-25574.7z (97BB0354) (Installed)
++ 059 - UL_-_Imperial_Isle_v166-9531.7z (4EC4BF53) (Installed)
++ 060 - UL_Beaches_Lost_Coast_v164-14720.7z (8AC2FD6C) (Installed)
++ 061 - UL_-_Skingrad_Outskirts_v101-29948.7z (177C0C0C) (Installed)
++ 063 - BlackLusterArmor v315e Exnem-10544.7z (EE05CC41) (Installed)
++ 065 - AyleidSteps_v34-16316.7z (B0F1356B) (Installed)
++ 066 - Kragenirs_Death_Quest_v203-26219.7z (C09D68A2) (Installed)
++ 067 - Cybiades_BAIN-11755.7z (162A235C) (Installed)
++ 068 - Et in Arkay Ego 1_2-21816.7z (53BCBE88) (Installed)
++ 069 - OVBE_v03-25841.7z (DA5B9C59) (Installed)
++ 070 - Lost_Spires_v14-BAIN.7z (D15C3A48) (Installed)
++ 071 - LostSwordOfTheAyleids-20184.7z (E331FDC2) (Installed)
++ 073 - ATP_Blackwood v2.7z (5F34B9C1) (Installed)
++ 074 - ATP_Colovia Highlands v2.7z (E278A85D) (Installed)
++ 075 - ATP_Gold Coast v2.7z (FEDADA25) (Installed)
++ 076 - ATP_Roads&Cobblestones v2.7z (DC708118) (Installed)
++ 077 - Improved_Cave_Normal_Maps_BAIN-26472.7z (8F72DB27) (Installed)
++ 078 - Koldorns LOD Noise Replacer_BAIN-9952.7z (A1F81AEB) (Installed)
++ 080 - ElvenMaps_Barth_NRB_WR_Elswery-31314.7z (0F7EDCD0) (Installed)
++ 081 - MedievalMusic_v2_BAIN-22085.7z (B8441AC9) (Installed)
++ 082 - Oblivion_Symphonic_Variations_v1_4-11436.7z (55E40A7D) (Installed)
++ 084 - Exnem Female Body Replacer - nvde.7z (E8C5DE20) (Installed)
++ 085 - Companion_Vilja_v2-3-2_BAIN-28977.7z (4BAB17B8) (Installed)
++ 087 - VOILA_v07-BAIN.7z (11A016D9) (Installed)
088 - ==Last==

Not seen above is DropLit Torches OBSE, one of my favorite small immersion mods, and my sole mod (as opposed to utilities) installed via OBMM.

-Decrepit-

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 11:42 pm

My favorite vanilla weapon is the Elven Bow. My favorite armor is Elven as well.

I use quite a few small mods. Some are downloaded, many are ones I make myself - often just so I can play a particular character (for example, I made mods where you can play a Dark Seducer with all gear, or a Mythic Dawn agent, or a Witch, etc...). Most of my universal mods are ones that make small gameplay changes, likes ones I made that make Alchemy and Conjuration level more slowly. Or that add new clothes and armor. Or more hairstyles. My biggest is one that changes the appearances of most of the NPCs to make them easier on the eyes.

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:24 am

No mods. I play entirely vanilla if you don't count official DLC and expansions. I don't find the game unplayable without mods and still have a fun time roleplaying and making characters. I tend to not worry about level ups either and even with the leveling problems have no issue. I actually, in some cases, like the level up "Problem." a good example is when I make a thief type. Sure if I focus too much on stealth/security early on fighting more than one opponent can be a serious pain but to me this fits my thief. As I get better at stealing "The bad guys" get harder. It's fun knowing at times "If I'm caught I'm so dead." and swiping everything and sneaking my way out. Can I complete the main quest this way? Absolutely not. There's many quests I have to skip but my char is a thief. A quest to fight a group of vampires is going to be quickly turned down. I know I'm not the norm but yeah I like the game just the way it is. Characters that focus on killing will be fine as the enemies advance and will in turn have no issue killing them. Those that don't make a profession out of killing I don't expect to be able to excel in combat.

Now I'm sure when it's been about three more years down the line I'll go back to use mods to increase graphic/texture quality and make the game more in line with the advantages in the next installment of the series and allow the game to not appear as "aged" but for now I'm completely satisfied with Vanilla. Now for some characters I do use the console to make it more fitting. Like my Mythic Dawn character having the ability to conjure the Mythic Dawn armor.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:19 pm

It all depends what you want out of the game. Some players want to be guided, other players want to guide themselves; some want to be told a story, others want to tell their own stories; some want the "game experience as the developers intended it," others want to make their own game.

Me, I want that freedom to fashion my own game experience. The Oblivion I played in 2006 was a different game than the one I played in 2008 and the Oblivion I played in 2008 is a very different game than the one I'm playing now. The game is always changing, always fresh. It looks different, it plays different. When I add a mod to Oblivion I am a developer.

More importantly, nods are crucial to my roleplaying. Take my current character, for instance.

She belongs to a race, http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=34277, that, because of their hideous appearance, is hated and feared in Cyrodiil. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs make their money by hunting members of her race and selling them to the Arena. She will win her freedom when she attains the rank of Champion. I use a boatload of mods to make this story come alive.

First, I use a mod to start her inside the Bloodworks. Next I modded the Yellow Team's gear to be lootable (this was necessary so she could afford to pay training and repair bills) and made the Arena stay open all night.

I use Oscuro and Martigen so I assumed that gaining ranks in the Arena would take some serious time and effort (as it should). She had to be able to gain levels in between some of her fights, so I added a special chain doll that works with Setsuna's http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27259 mod. My character uses this chaindoll to improve her Blade skill between matches. I added a Blacksmith to the Bloodworks to train her in heavy armor, repair her raiment and sell hammers so that my character can do some repair work of her own.

I figured she'd be spending about 15 levels as a gladiator so I built slave quarters off the Bloodworks for her to sleep and eat in. To make this whole 'captured-and-sold-to-the-Arena' idea more plasible I added a Dea Obscura NPC to the Bloodworks. This NPC divides her time between sleeping (and eating) in the new slave quarters, training at the new chain doll in the Bloodworks and chatting with the other Bloodworks occupants. She does not leave the Arena either.

After modding Morrowind and Oblivion for over eight years I would not want to try to roleplay without mods. It can be done, but the experience, for me, is so much richer, so much more satisfying, that I'm just not interested in even trying. I like creating my own game experience. For me it's a creative outlet.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:47 pm

Mods.

If not for them, I wouldn't have come back to Cyrodiil. My powergamer side just couldn't forgive the level scaling of monsters that basically rendered leveling up pointless. (Thanks to OOO for fixing that.) The lack of misc quests was also annoying the heck out of me. (4 misc quest for an entire town, really?) But Povuholo's quest mod was enough to satisfy my misc quest needs. No spellmaking or enchanting for those not in the Mage Guild? Modded. Now I can break into the Arcane University. It's not easy, but at least it's doable. And finally, most stats/skills having little to no effect over 100. Yet again, modded and fixed. (with a workaround, but still fixed)

I may have changed the gameplay in many radical ways, but now I'm having fun, whereas before I wasn't. And I think that's the most important change of all.

Anyway, my favorite weapon is the Steel Shortsword. The hilt looks so great!
But I have no favorite armor...yet.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:04 pm

Vanilla, with self-imposed rules. No armor usually at all, but if I do, it's a mix of heavy and light: usually a mixture of Ebony, Leather and Perfect Madness. As for weapon, self-enchanted Perfect Madness Bow, or self-enchanted Perfect Madness Claymore and/or self-enchanted Daedric Short Sword.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:09 pm

I am unsure how anyone can resist the temptation to use mods for oblivion !

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:44 am

Actually, I play both ways.

I manage a vacation rental/retreat and have vanilla Oblivion on the old office computer, so that's what I play when I stay up there.

At home, I have a new computer (purchased primarily to play Bethesda games) which can handle mods. I've only downloaded the OOO and Lost Spires mods so far, but I love them. Adding mods has forced me to learn more about computers. Still have a lot more to learn because I haven't installed a mod manager yet...

I usually play as a stealth marksman type of character, so getting that daedric bow and putting a good enchantment on it is my primary weapon goal when I play vanilla.

Given a choice, I do prefer a modded game.

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:04 am

Each to their own, but when I first played Oblivion upon its release, I found it a beautiful but very dull and overly hand-holding game. With mods, over the years, it's become a much more interesting and diversified experience.

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:15 am

Vanilla for many many chars, but now its not an option. Need som diversity

» Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:46 am

Nice to see people with different views

Yes much more people prefer mods, but i am a vanilla fan !!!! with SI and KOTN only