Tapirs Triumphant

What Is This Thing?

Way back a couple of years ago I finished Oblivion. There was some cool looking mods out there, so I tried adding a few. And then a few more. And a few more. Unfortunately, Bethesda's modding system simply doesn't scale beyond having a handful of mods; everything overlaps with everything else, there's strange rules about what conflicts matter and what don't, conflicts result in content just being deleted, and it requires an elaborate amount of custom tooling to make mods work together. It sucks.

So I got to thinking - ok, I'll just figure out what exact order I need to extract everything in to have it all work, and the exact load order, and I'll be ready to go play. Hey, and why not document all that so other gamers can do it to?

Fat chance - you can't just do a single installation in sequence. Mod packs overlap. They all have different layouts when extracted. Some times you want to keep a few files from a previous mod, but overwrite the rest. Some of them include custom scripting. Some of them have installers. There's an entire project devoted just to tracking the conflicts!

So fine, I'll write a installer myself to do it all, and just include a load order. I don't trust the conflict tracking project to get things right, so whatever, I'll manually check the conflicts myself. How hard can that be?

About a 120 hours of work hard, that's what. Yeesh. Two years since I first started it, after reading the entire Bethesda oblivion mod forums both before and after they deleted their archive, it's finally ready. 186 mods and utilities, I hope you appreciate it.

I'd like to think dev_akm for his awesome modding explanations and reviews, TESNexus for providing such a valuable community resource, and the denizens of the Bethesda oblivion mod forums for their work producing the content I link to here.

I'm just installing their work. Thank them, not me.

FAQS

Q: Does it work with the Steam version, or Game of the Year (GOTY) version?
A: Yes, no problems.

Q: One of the download links is dead, or a mod has been updated. What should I do?
A: Post a message here and I'll update.

Q: Why don't you use BAIN, OBMM, or Wyre Bash to manage installations?
A: Unfortunately, they don't operate outside of their packaging format and they have little in the way of command-line interfaces, so I can't automate them.

Q: Why don't you use BOSS?
A: I started this project before BOSS was released. Additionally, no command line support.

Q: Why don't you include mod X?
A1: Some mods just have too high an adoption cost. OOO overwrites practically everything, for example. I have my limits!
A2: Some mods change the fundamental gameplay in ways I don't prefer, so I don't include them. Francesco's is interesting, but I personally don't like it, so I don't include it.
A3: Some mods just have too high a performance cost. I'm targeting my own box here, and as awesome as Reneer's Guard Overhaul is, it's not worth a FPS drop from 40 to 36 in the Imperial City.
A4: There's way too many quest mods to include them all, so I only went for the best ones I presonally thought were interesting. If I left it out that doesn't necessarily mean it sucks, just that I didn't find it on the "best of" lists.

Q: Why are you committing a crime against the great standards of mod redistribution by hosting Attack and Hide Bundle Pack 2.1, and Better Signs Uncompleted on your own server?
A: They and their authors seem to have disappeared off the internet. If you know what the deal is here, post a message here.

Upgrading from a previous release

  1. Go to Go to the Tiber Septim Hotel in the Imperial City and rest for 10 days. Save the game.
  2. Compare your previous SortedMODs.txt to 00-Configuration\SortedMODs.txt, delete extra files, and download missing files. I recommend using Beyond Compare for this.
  3. Rename your Data directory in %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion to Data.Old.
  4. Get your Data directory back to the backed up state indicated in Prerequisites Setup below - patched and with all Bethesda DLC.
  5. Start installing at Extraction below.
  6. Load the game and choose "yes" when warned about missing objects. Save and quit.
  7. Load the game. Wait for 72 hours. Wait 60 seconds of real time. Save and quit.
  8. Load the game. You should be good to go.

Prerequisites

Oblivion is required. The Shivering Isles expansion is suggested; you'll have to adjust lots of things without out it. The Oblivion add-ons are optional but recommended. Read the instructions carefully if you're missing any of these.

Installer Directory Setup

  1. Make a directory to hold this installer and all the things you'll download. I suggest making an Oblivion Mods subdirectory under %USERPROFILE%\My Games.
  2. Move everything you extracted from the installer archive there.
  3. Make a Downloads directory under that.

Prerequisites Setup

  1. If you're using Windows XP, download and install the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools to get Robocopy.exe. This tool is included automatically in Windows Vista or later.
  2. Install Firefox and the DownThemAll! addon for it. These will greatly simplify downloading the mods.
  3. Install WinRAR. You don't have to buy it, but it makes you a better person.
  4. Update the SET WINRARDIR line in 01Install.bat to point to your WinRAR installation directory.
  5. Do a clean installation of Oblivion. No really; if you try this on an installation directory you've messed around with previously it's probably not going to work.
  6. If you're not using the Game of the Year edition and you don't have the Shivering Isles expansion, install the Oblivion patch, listed under 01-Official.
  7. If you're not using the Game of the Year edition and you have the Shivering Isles expansion, install it. Then install the Shivering Isles patch, listed under 01-Official.
  8. Install any Bethesda plugins you've bought.
  9. If you're running Vista or Win7, take ownership of the %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory and grant yourself full permissions to it and its descendants, as documented here.
  10. Update the SET OBLIVIONDIR line in 01Install.bat to point to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory.
  11. Back up the contents of your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion directory somewhere.

Manual downloads

  1. Open Manual Download Links.
  2. Note you'll need a gamespy/fileplanet account.
  3. For each item, click the Name and go download the matching filename under Download URL to the Downloads directory.

Automatic downloader downloads

  1. Go register an account at TESNexus.
  2. I strongly recommend donating to get a premium account. You're about to inflict some serious damage on the servers. Plus, they've only granted permission to use automatic downloaders for premium accounts.
  3. With a premium account:
    1. Open Automatic Downloader Links in Firefox.
    2. Open the options for DownThemAll! from Add-ons on the Tools menu.
    3. Change Max concurrent downloads to 2. Press OK.
    4. Open DownThemAll! on the Tools menu.
    5. Choose Save files in and point it to the Downloads directory.
    6. Choose All files under filters.
    7. Input *.7z,*.esp,*.exe,*.rar,*.zip into Fast filtering.
    8. Choose Start.
  4. Without a premium account:
    1. If you don't get a premium account, you'll need to click on every item and download all the files yourself.
    2. Open Automatic Downloader Links in Firefox.
    3. For each item, click the Name and go download the matching filename under Download URL to the Downloads directory.

Installation

Extraction

  1. Check everything you've downloaded for viruses.
  2. Run 00aInstallOperationOptimization.bat and wait for it to finish.
  3. Extract obmm.7z to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory.
  4. Extract Manglers Equipment n Ammo Textures:
    1. Extract MEAT-14660.zip using WinRAR to the Downloads directory.
    2. Run OblivionModManager.exe in your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion directory.
    3. Choose Load.
    4. Choose MEAT 0.1.omod from the Downloads directory you created for these mods.
    5. Right-click on MEAT 0.1 and choose Extract to folder.
    6. Choose the Downloads directory.
    7. Confirm Yes to Create omod conversion information.
    8. Click Done.
    9. Right-click on MEAT 0.1 and choose Delete.
    10. Confirm Yes, you are sure you wish to do this.
    11. Quit OblivionModManager.exe.
  5. Run 00cSortDownloads.bat and wait for it to finish.
  6. Run 00bUninstallOperationOptimization.bat and wait for it to finish.
  7. Run 00dGenerateSortedDownloadsFileList.bat and compare the output file SortedMODs.txt to 00-Configuration\SortedMODs.txt to make sure you have everything. Nothing should be left in the Downloads directory. I recommend using Beyond Compare for this.

Installation

  1. Run 01Install.bat and wait for it to finish.
  2. Compare the output file ProgramFilesOblivionPostInstall.txt to 00-Configuration\ProgramFilesOblivionPostInstall.txt to make sure you have everything. I recommend using Beyond Compare for this.
  3. Copy the Map Marker Overhaul.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory.
  4. Copy the MiniMap.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory.
  5. Copy the QZ Easy Menus.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory.
  6. Copy the sl.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data\Streamline\INI Files directory.
  7. Copy the SupremeMagicka.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory. There's a performance bug with the sneaking magic damage functionality and this disables it.
  8. Copy the Oblivion.ini file from 00-Configuration to your %USERPROFILE%\My Games\Oblivion directory. If you really want to make the necessary changes yourself, see Manually modifying Oblivion.ini below. The choices I put in the default are described in the Performance readme, along with how to speed things up.
  9. The iSize W and iSize H in the Oblivion.ini are set by 1920x1200 by default. Change them if necessary.
  10. If you don't have the Shivering Isles expansion, delete the following from your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory:

Load Order

  1. Run OBMM.exe in your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory. Choose the Import load order option on the Import/Export menu.
  2. Point it at the 00-Configuration\01-13.olod file in the directory where you moved the installer contents.
  3. If you don't have all the downloadable content or Shivering Isles, you'll get a dialog box for a few things that are missing. Just press ok for each of them.
  4. If you don't have Shivering Isles, change the load order so it ends like this:
  5. Make sure everything on the left-hand side is checked.
  6. Quit; it should take a while updating the mods to the correct load order.

Distant Land and Objects

  1. Delete the DistantLOD folder in your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data directory, if present.
  2. Run OBMM.exe in your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory. Uncheck SkyCastle.esp. Quit.
  3. Run TES4LODGen.exe on your Oblivion directory.
  4. Run OBMM.exe in your %PROGRAMFILES%\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion installation directory. Check SkyCastle.esp. Quit.
  5. If you have the Shivering Isles expansion, to verify your load order is correct, compare the %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Oblivion\Plugins.txt file to 00-Configuration\01-13.Plugins.txt.
  6. If you don't have the Shivering Isles expansion, to verify your load order is correct, compare the %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Oblivion\Plugins.txt file to 00-Configuration\01-13-NoShiveringIsles.Plugins.txt.

Before Playing

  1. At the very least, read Gameplay Mods and Starting Quests below for a quick intro to the changes.
  2. If you want to really know what's going on with all the new quests and gameplay, read these:
  3. Advanced users should try out 03Patches\OSR_4-1-23208.zip, Oblivion Stutter Remover, for some performance gains. This is not installed by default as it can be unstable.

Configuring Your Character

  1. Run obse_loader.exe in your %PROGRAMFILES\Oblivion directory to start the game. Do not use Oblivion.exe to start the game; a bunch of stuff won't work.
  2. Once you start the game, you'll be prompted to configure a bunch of new mods:
    1. Enhanced Daedric Invasion Battle Size - normal.
    2. Smarter Mercantile Leveling - normal.
    3. Faster Mercantile Leveling - half.
  3. Once free of popups, go to the Miscellaneous Items page on your inventory and configure the following:
    1. Options->Fame/Infamy Tracker - Enable.
    2. Options->Denock - Enable.
    3. Quest Award Leveler - Turn everything on.
  4. Press Control-Home to bring up the streamline configuration screen. Go to Special Actions and choose Initialize From INI Values.
  5. Save the game and use that as the starting point thereafter. Have fun!
  6. Warning - using these rings may break quests, so be very careful with them! You'll have a couple new items for the Heart of the Dead mod:
    1. The Partners Ring teleports your Heart of the Dead followers to you.
    2. The Partners Warp Ring teleports you and your followers to your last "followers marked location", which by default is the Imperial City market district.
    3. If you want, there's a follower dog in the Imperial City market district. To interact with it, crouch, put the mouse cursor over the dog, and press the activate key (space by default).

Gameplay mods

Starting the new mod quests

 

Manually modifying Oblivion.ini for this collection

Here's the difference between the default Oblivion.ini and what's absolutely necessary to run this collection. If you do not include these values, the mods will not work.

Here's the optional gameplay values I prefer.

 

Notes

Change Log