User:WhiteFangRMB

Making Oblivion Heavenly
So, after three days of experimentation, I've finally gotten several mods and graphical upgrades up and running simultaneously in Oblivion. I'm posting the following so others won't have to re-live the hours and hours of un-installing, re-installing, patching, and downloading that I endured this weekend - only for my PC to tell me over and over again that I'd somehow butchered the installation!

Anyway ... If you'd like to get Oblivion running and looking more graphically gorgeous than ever, here are some good starting points.

Patches

First, I installed Patch v1.1. The version of the Patch that I installed was taken from the Knights of the Nine Official Plug-Ins CD.

I followed this up with the latest patch, v1.2, which is available at Bethesda Softworks' official Elder Scrolls site. Two different versions of this patch are available, one for PCs with the Shivering Isles expansion and one for PCs without it. I haven't managed to get my hands on the expansion yet, so it's pretty obvious which one I chose.

Oblivion Mod Manager (OBMM)

After updating Oblivion to its latest version, I downloaded and installed Timeslip's Oblivion Mod Manager, which is a must-have, user-friendly utility for anyone looking to enhance their Oblivion experience. OBMM permits the easy integration, monitoring, repair, etc. of new mods, and - perhaps most importantly - allows the user to edit which mods are enabled at any given time and to set the order in which mods are loaded when the game starts.

DarNified UI (DarN)

With OBMM installed, my next step was to download and install DarNified UI, which is one of the prettiest interface mods ever created for Oblivion. Imagine the sleeker, more compact interface of BTmod, but with a smaller, more innovative HUD that increases the amount of screen "real estate" ten-fold, guaranteeing a whole new level of immersion in the game. Add to this the fantastic font bundles (smaller and larger, your choice) and your new UI might as well be printed on parchment and circulated by the Black Horse Courier.

However, this is where stipulations begin to arise. DarN is available as an OMOD file, which - for most OBMM users - is the easiest to install and configure, but in my case, the OMOD absolutely would not integrate itself into Oblivion without making the game crash to the desktop at every launch.

As an alternative, I downloaded and installed DarN via the .7z (WinRAR) format file, also found on the download page (linked above). Then, I carefully followed the installation and configuration instructions located here. This installation needs a bit more care and patience, going so far as to require some folder backups and minor editing of the Oblivion.ini file (see below for more).

Following the installation, I loaded Oblivion to make sure that the new settings for DarN had been successfully integrated into the game. This one worked without so much as a hiccup, and I have always preferred the more "hands-on" approach to tweaking everything from my software to the PC itself, so this was a match made in Skyrim. (Closest I could get to "Heaven" using a reference from the Oblivion setting. Sorry. :-P)

Official Plug-Ins

At this point, having determined that DarN was indeed working, I installed the Official Plug-Ins from the Knights of the Nine CD I mentioned above. Then, I tinkered a bit with the load order of these plug-ins and disabled the handful that I didn't plan to immediately use. (Why would I want to live in Deepscorn Hollow or the Thieves' Den of Anvil when the character I'd already thought up would be busy rebuilding the Priory of the Nine?) Finally, I launched the game.

I was quite pleased to find that I'd finally gotten the game running with Bethesda's new content *and* the UI mod of my choice.

Graphical Overhaul

Finally, I came to the last bend in the long, winding road of installations and upgrades, where I could simply make Oblivion as gorgeous as possible.

All of the following mods were downloaded and installed at the advice of Koroush Ghazi, one of the dedicated webmasters and writers over at TweakGuides.com. Ghazi's guide for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion can be found here.


 * Texture Noise Replacement
 * Landscape LOD Replacement
 * Landscape LOD Replacement (Border Regions)
 * Normal Map LOD Replacement
 * Qarl's High Resolution Texture Replacement Pack
 * Note: This mod is ONLY for PCs featuring high-end graphics cards (e.g. ATI Radeon X1000 + or nVidia GeForce 7000 +). Plenty of RAM and hard drive space are also recommended.


 * Better Grass Without Tiling
 * No More Annoying Messages

With all of these installed, I loaded OBMM and completed the Archive Invalidation process, accessible using the "Utilities" button. Finally, I loaded Oblivion ... and found that the Imperial Prison had never looked so good, nor had the ruins of Vilverin right outside.

Final Thoughts

Whew! This long grocery list of installations was a real pain in the butt. Still, every time I boot up Oblivion and see my minimalist HUD, my streamlined UI, and Ayleid ruins that actually look as though they were constructed from solid, ivory-colored stone ... What can I say? I find myself glad to be back in Cyrodiil.

Now, on a technical note ...

You'll notice that I repeatedly launched and exited Oblivion throughout this installation process. This was to test the game after each "step," in order to narrow down the causes of any problems along the way. For example, if Oblivion successfully launched after installing DarN, but froze or crashed to the desktop after installing any of Bethesda's Official Plug-Ins, I would have known that something was creating a conflict between the modified UI and the new content from Bethesda. Fortunately, I hit no snags along the way through this lengthy process (after days of trying it the WRONG way - i.e. installing an "MCF" of bloated content mods that nobody really needs, then tacking on patches, plug-ins, and the UI mod afterward!).

One step that I did not include, but would HIGHLY recommend, is the creation of a backup copy of Oblivion's DATA folder after each successful "wave" of installations. This way, combined with the multifaceted approach I discussed above (adopted in order to isolate any problems before they spread), I had a much shorter - although much heftier, in terms of hard drive space - path to follow if I found myself cursing my installation folder. In other words: Creating/replacing a backup copy of the "DATA" folder after each successful installation would enable me to get Oblivion running again without having to uninstall and reinstall over and over again.

It's also important to note that, while this sequence of updates, installations, and integrations was a clear help in getting DarN in particular to run in tandem with all of my other added content, it might be a great help in any circumstance where Oblivion fans find themselves working to really get the most out of their experiences in the game, no matter what UI, content, or graphical mods they might select (and there are plenty!).

Additional Mods
The following are other mods I look forward to trying out very soon.

New Content
 * Francesco's Leveled Creatures / Items Mod [link unavailable] [HUGE! / compatible with MMM]
 * Francesco's Optional Files [link unavailable] [HUGE! / compatible with MMM]
 * Kafei's Armored Circlets
 * Kafei's Vermilion and Silverthorn Robes [link unavailable]
 * Martigen's Monster Mod (MMM) [link unavailable] [HUGE! / compatible with Francesco's]

New / Improved Graphics
 * Kafei's Better Amulets Replacer
 * Kafei's Better Rings Replacer [link unavailable]

I've actually tried out Francesco's new content and Martigen's new content, and I loved them - as well as the numerous tiny tweaks to gameplay mechanics they add - but I have not tried their updated versions just yet (the latest versions, available after Shimmering Isles release).

'Happy Gaming, All! -- WhiteFangRMB 15:49, 31 July 2007 (CDT)''