Tes4Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 2/BAIN/Configure and Install Mods

Configure and Install Mods

Up to this point, the Data folder has been in what we usually refer to as the Vanilla state, excepting OBSE and some plugins for it, but even so the game can be launched through the regular launcher to ignore those. It contains the original BSAs and folders, the Oblivion.esm, DLCShiveringIsles.esp and the four BSA it loads (if using SI), as well as a couple new folders owned by a few utilities. There should be no official or unofficial plug-ins (and their associated data files) installed, outside of some OBSE Plugins.

The best advice any experienced user will offer is to not install a bunch of mods at a time. Planning is one thing, but installing fifty or even twenty mods at once can cause all sorts of problems and is a nightmare to troubleshoot. Install a few mods and test; then, install a few more mods and test and repeat. This is even more important when you are unfamiliar with your mod list. Keep the same mentality about updates. Do not do a mass update of all of your currently installed mods. That method frequently ends in failure, and, again, it is very difficult to troubleshoot the new problems efficiently. Wrye Bash's 'Diff Masters' method (accessible via a save files context menu in the Saves tab) is often quite helpful, but, just as often, after doing many installs or upgrades, it is not enough.

At this point, you need to go through all of your packages and make sure all of the right plugins and packages are checked. It does not matter when a package is installed. The installation can be corrected later; so, when you are unsure about certain configuration decisions, install the package and look at the mod's ReadMe, which is usually swept into Docs. If you need to correct something: click on the package, make the necessary changes, right-click okn the package and choose 'Anneal'. Double-check to make sure multiple versions of mods' main plugins are not installed, and the same goes for exclusive add-ons.

An Installation Summary
...and notes.

Read through the install order first. Feel free to choose other options. After you have made your decisions, select all of your configured packages, right-click on the selection and choose 'Install'.

Streamline - only checked Core
nGCD - checked Data (main plugin and INI files) and Options (skeleton key, Oghma Infinium)
Progress - checked all but SBSP
TT - SI Travellers add-on (but not the SI bae option, the ESM), 4MMM, ItemsNPC, ItemsCOBL
Actors in Emotions - checked the plugin
Bank of Cyrodiil - checked the plugin
Slof's Oblivion Robe Trader - checked the plugin
QTP3 - no config options
DLCs - checked the plugin for each
UOMP - checked all
USIP - checked the plugin
UOP - checked the plugin
BAIN would flag this package for dirty install if the plugin were not checked because of the sound files associated with the (would be) absent plugin, even if a plugin of the same name is installed by another package (as is the case here).
UOP Supplemental - checked the plugin
GTA 1 - checked the plugin
LS - checked the plugin
MMM - chose the main plugin and Core and renamed the MMM.BSA to "Mart's Monser Mod.bsa" afterward
After renaming the BSA, BAIN sees the BSA (that it installed) is missing, indicated with a red check box. 
:Note: See BSAs and Archive Invalidation for more information about loading BSAs.
COBL - not installing the cosmetic portion, already going to use RBP (from which COBL Races add-on was derived)
Elven Map Redux - no config
Super Hotkeys -
Enhanced Economy - chose the prices option (since Pluggy has been installed)
All Natural - chose main, real lights and EW+AWS (HTF fan)
Let There Be Darkness - SI+Tamriel
Real Night Sky - no config
Harvest Flora - did not check for no mushroom stalks
Seph's H-to-H Replacer - not installing the resource files for two-handed weapons
VE Customizer Fixed - Fire (recolored) 3, Frost (recolored) 2, Shock (recolored) 1
RBP - only checked the core plugin
IFT - no config
Cleaned versions of plugins (i.e., those on the TESCS Wiki "Need to Cleaned" list.) - checked plugins for mods being used

Do Post-Installation Configurations

Most of these mods work fine without making any further changes; however, everyone needs to configure Streamline.

Configure Streamline
Configure nGCD's INI according to your preferences. Instructions are in the INI file.
A simple change of interest to many users might be the uncapping option, well documented in the INI. It otherwise works fine immediately after installation.
Configure Progress' INI according to your preferences. Instructions are in the INI file.
Along with the default INI, Progress installs a few other preset INI files along with it that can simply be renamed to put in use.
The simplest change to make to the Progress.ini is to change the global skill rate at the top.
You can change Super Hotkeys' hotkey modifiers via its INI file. (See Mod Settings Configuration for an example.)
Configure All Natural's INI according to your preferences. Instructions can be found in the mod's ReadMe file.
Darker Nights for Tamriel and Shivering Isles can be enabled at the top of the INI file.