Ever since the first day I got oblivion, I had MM installed. When people talk about it, they act like it is a gift from the gods. I haven't enjoyed it at all so far.

On most playthroughs, I'll head over to MM's shop to check it out. I'll then spend the next two or three hours trying to find the ingredients for a single spell. Usually this spell seems to be just a standard spell wiht a fancy graphic. After this I usually just give up trying to make more spells.

So BGSF, what am I missing here? Why are these spells so hard to get, even when they are weak? Isn't there some type of quest in here too?

I have never once heard someone refer to Midas Magic as a gift from the gods.
as a fan of magic (not the card game) I prefer it just because a little visual eye candy is pretty nice...though personally I never found it difficult to get many of the good spells.
But again, yes it does boil down to mostly eye candy with a few spells here or there that add new effects. When you have played Oblivion since it's release on the console, you get tired of your ice damage, fire damage, and shock damage, so to me, yes it was a really good mod, I loved it. No I didn't think it was a blessing some some divine (may there be one) though.
As for quests, it did add a few new places, all of which are an intense challenge (which I found easier to do with spells actually from the mod) and usually the end result of the challenge is a super special ingredient for one of those few spells that have a new effect, such as creating an Oblivion gate, or making a magic carpet, or creating wings to fly.

Ofcourse there are a few books scattered around as well that have a couple more spells, so it is also a fun little quest to search for those. So, the mod isn't exactly everyones cup of tea, and it may not be yours.

Being able to cast a freaking TORNADO is far from a 'standard spell with a fancy graphic'. Or a comet. A COMET.

A lot of work was put into making them and thus it was made for you to work towards earning them.

Wow! The only thing I can think is that you've not used some of the cooler spells. Take a look at these trailers to see just a FEW of the cooler spells in action and tell me you're not, at least, slightly impressed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yymBkioFY3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL2sr7RXdEc

Come on now, you don't think those spells kick butt?

This sounds a bit frustrating in itself. I keep the needed ingredients for the spells I'd like to have in the back of my head during normal play - so when I have three Chainmail Gauntlets, for example, I'm like "Yes, now I can get Midas Grand Chain Lightning!". If I would run around looking for three Chainmail Gauntlets etc. I'm sure I would be a bit frustrated.

Anyway, I like just about everything with Midas. The rather bizarre but ingenious way of making the spells is fun in itself and makes for additional treasure hunting, the quests are high quality as well - and some of the Midas spells are simply must haves for me. All my chars focus on getting Midas Astral Mark/Recall, for example. What's not to like? It's just a huge smorgasbord of cool stuff.

I don't know what that means but considering the quirky weirdness of that of Midas Magic, it fits it perfectly...also...I am going to add that to my vocabulary, along with all my other old-timer language and other uncommon slang.

Heh. I'm on a very slow mission to learn my fellow forumers some Swedish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sm%C3%B6rg%C3%A5sbord. Dr. Phil used the term in a show I caught a glimpse of yesterday, when addressing a very clever young girl who had gone wrong, risking to waste away her life: "You have a smorgasbord of opportunites layed out in front of you."

Sorry for OT. One thing I don't like about MM is that so many spells lack sounds. It's almost a bit immersion breaking so I tend to stay away from those.

ha ha ha, yes Midas Magic is most certainly a koldtbord!

But yes, I found that a bit immersion breaking myself too, but it didn't deter me away from the use of the mod anyways. And, personally, setting out on quests for specific materials (since I don't have a good enough memory to memorize some ingredients to search for during my questing) was always fun to me. I never really was one to quest, since I played the game since it's initial release I know almost every quest in the game, and I don't and never have had a large LO filled with quest mods. So I usually freelance quest, doing some dungeon crawling, ect. So with Midas installed, it now gives a purpose to my questing, which in a sense, changes nothing about my previous freelancing, just now I need to check around for a specific object.

What's a good spell that will change my mind about this mod?

That REALLY depends on what kind of person you are. As far as UTILITY goes:
- Some days, I enjoy playing a noble paladin, and seeing a giant ray of light coming down from the heavens makes my day. ESPECIALLY when taking out 7 vampires and healing my two allies just so happens to save my rear.
- The spells from the book of the dead really fancy my Munchkin side, as I can raise my max HP/MP to unlimited heights!
- The 'Midas Touch' spell is tons of fun when it comes to getting rid of a bunch of completely looted enemy bodies laying around, and makes me some gold besides. Also good for erasing loot placed on said bodies.
- The Magic Missle lets me shoot through walls, really awesome.
- Summon Meteor Atronich, (can't spell it though,) if hiding around a hard-to-attack-from area, these guys can make your day! Not to mention they ARE strong summons.
- Summon Midas makes it VERY easy to dispose of loot, lightening your load and offering lockpicks and repair hammers! ...not to mention the best price rates around.
- Mark/Recall just makes things easy... and gets you a free box and bed. ...just be careful using it. I only use them when fast-travel is approved.
- Death Ray not only kills things, but adds a Soul Gem on them if it kills them (up to common,) useful if you like enchanted weapons.
- Freeze Ray has gotten me out of more then a few jams, locking an enemy in place.

AAaaand, ignoring the spells themselves, the quests are fun! If you get to the astral realm, look for a little island hiding in the mists! If you can get there and open up the gate, tons of fun can await you! ...if you can get past the astral realm's puzzles and challenges.

I also snagged a 'blink' spell from another mod, the short-range teleport is just awesome! Something I think I'd like to see in MM.

Doesn't typing setstage MidasPSB 42 in the console give you all the midas spells already organized in your spellbook?

Yeah but that's no fun, seriously.

i also dont like midas magic. The biggest drawback is that the visuals doesnt represent the expected damage! If you cast a comet almost all should die.And you yourself should be like a vivec of some kind to cast such spells. Its just a simple mod where you do a small magical damage with outstanding graphics, that doesnt represent itself properly...

It's really not a good idea to go onto a modding forum full of modders and post from a very negative perspective about something on which they've worked hard.

The question has been answered, so I really can't see any point in keeping it open. In future, I'd suggest simply asking for what parts of the mod you may have missed if you think there's more to it than meets the eye. It doesn't matter if you don't like a particular mod; you can simply uninstall it and try another.