Tes4Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 2/Download Mods

Download Mods

''Again, don't worry about "beta" tags..."

Before you rush off to download random mods, take time to read about the different categories and compatibility considerations on Downloading Mods. Whenever you are adding mods, moderation is the most important rule. Add mods slowly. That tends to make figuring out conflict-producers much easier. If you know which mods you added before problem X appeared, you are probably half-way done solving your issue. Even if you cannot resolve the issue completely yourself, being able to provide those that offer help with the names of the involved mods does a world of good. Try bookmarking mods' pages instead of downloading them on impulse, especially if you are a newer mod user. The set of mods listed below is just a taste of how you can modify nearly every aspect of the game.

There is no need to extract any of the downloaded archives yet, and, if you are sticking to the mods listed below, there no reason to extract any archives unless the instructions in this guide specifically mention it. For OBMM users, the location of the downloads does not matter, but BAIN users should download the archives to the Bash Installers folder (a subfolder of Oblivion mods, which was created, at the same level as the Oblivion install folder, when BAIN was initialized. If you later switch to BAIN, the archives can be moved into the Bash Installers folder at any time. For now, you can download the mods you wish to try and continue reading (or do something else entirely) while the downloads complete.

When prompted about downloads, choose 'SAVE' not 'open'!! Unless you are installing mods manually, rarely should you have to extract a file before adding into an OMOD. BAIN users really have no reason to extract archives, unless they need to be repackage (which involves rearranging the files and adding them into a compressed archive.) OBMM users are going to make OMODs for almost all of their mods, and BAIN users will, likewise, make BAIN-friendly archives of all of their mod downloads.

Download the "Starter Kit"

...a starters kit of sorts to cover various types of mods and mod packages.

Feel free to choose other body mods, etc., but the rest of the guide will give explicit instructions using the following mods. (Alternatives of the presented types may be added in the future.)

Which version to download tips...

BAIN - try to get normal archive versions, not OMOD, not EXEs (OMOD-READY means the download is a normal archive but contains the files necessary for easy conversion to an OMOD, those are still better to download that the "not" options)
Manual - download manual versions, EXEs when necessary, and try to avoid OMOD (not OMOD-ready) downloads
OBMM - try to get OMOD or OMOD-ready versions of mods, not EXEs (Regular archives can still be packaged into an OMOD with ease if they are packaged properly, plus you can add your own scripts to handle the less simply packaged mods)

The "Starter" Downloads

Feel free to skip any or try the alternatives. There may not be an explicit repackaging or installation instructions for alternatives, but their positions in the installation and load order should be the same and the mod used in the starter kit.

(Utility) Streamline - memory purging and buffer management
(non-BAIN) download the 3.1b EXE and the 3.1b Patch EXE
(BAIN) download the BAIN-ready re-upload
(Library) Common Oblivion (COBL) - adds a lot of useful features and items, now supported or required by many mods
If you want to use COBL Races, download the Cosmetics Res 01 pack as well.
The COBL Races add-on is a stripped down version of Race Balancing Project. It is a cosmetic compilation pack.
(Extended Game Tweak) Enhanced Economy (EE) - Living Economy's spirit successor, regional pricing, different pricing schemes, reduce the value of magic items...
(Game Tweak, Aesthetic) Harvest Flora - plants disappears after you harvest them
(Smooth Leveling) nGCD - smooth leveling, no sleeping to level up, no modifiers, totally configurable
equally as good alternatives are Realistic Leveling (another smooth leveler) and Oblivion XP (brings to Oblivion classic RPG exp)
This mod is partly inspired by KCAS, so it is a nice, more current alternative for KCAS users.
(Skill Progression) Progress - offers total control over the rate at which your skills progress
The latest version, as of 03-30-2010, does not show an init message on screen or in the console. Do not worry about it.
not compatible with Oblivion XP or Wrye Leveling
(NPCs) Tamriel Travellers (TT) - trade with travelers to unload your loot while in the remotest areas of Tamriel
(Animation) Actors in Emotions - allows the user to set the facial expression of NPCs and the PC
(New Building) Bank of Cyrodiil - make money while sitting on your behind with interest
(New Items) Slof's Oblivion Robe Trader - adds many cool new textured robes and replaces many existing robes
(World Meshes and Textures Replacer) Qarl's Texture Pack III Redimized (QTP3R) - one of the greatest and biggest (multiple Gbs) mods around
do not forget the patch!
The Redimized version is intended for video cards with at least 512MB VRAM.
Users with 256MB VRAM can try one of the reduced versions or skip Qarl's Texture Pack all together.
Another alternative is CorePC's Vibrant textures, which uses Vanilla-resolution textures, making it a viable choice for lower-end systems (and those that simply like his changes.)
(Official Plugins) DLCs - i.e., DLCOrrery, DLCBattlehornCastle, Knights of the Nine (KoTN)
(Vanilla Fixes) Unofficial Oblivion Patch (UOP) - THE REQUIRED mod
(SI Fixes) Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch (USIP) - THE SECOND REQUIRED mod for SI users
(DLCs Fixes) Unofficial Official Mods Patches (UOMPs) - more patches to clean up official content
These are compatible with the SM plugin refurbish plugins.
(Short Big Quest) Gates to Aesgaard 1 (GTA1) - prepare to be scared
do not forget to grab ''both'' patches!
(Long Big Quest) The Lost Spires (LS) - a new guild, a new story and pretty spires
(NPCs, Creatures) Martigen's Monster Mod (MMM) - Don't forget the BSA or the Diverse WaterLife update - add tremendous creature diversity
MMM OMOD Installer
clear instructions and has links to the latest MMM and some updates
(Weather) All Natural (AN) - the weather mod of weather mods, syncs interior and exterior weather, see outside weather from inside inside, and now real lights is included too
This mod includes the three most popular weather mods (Atmospheric Weather System, Enhanced Weather, Natural Weather)
AN supersedes Natural Interiors, and also has an updated version of Real Lights, which can be used standalone. (See the ReadMe for details.)
The original mods are not needed and should NOT be used with All Natural.
Settings for darker nights can be changed in the included INI, as well.
(Lighting) Let There Be Darkness (LtBD) - now you need a torch to get around
(User Interface) Elven Map Redux - world map reskin
(User Interface) Super Hotkeys - need more than 8 hotkeys?
(Texture Replacer) Real Night Sky - most realistic sky texture replacer around
(Animation Replacer) Seph's Hand-to-Hand Animation Replacer - replaces the default hand-to-hand animations with slightly cooler versions
(Effects Replacer) Initial Glow - remove the encased plastic effect from NPCs and the PC when they wear items with enchantments
(Effects Replacer) Visually Enchanted Customizer Fixed - fire swords burn, ice swords are surrounded in a frothy breath
(Face Texture Replacer) Improved Facial Textures (IFT) - better Vanilla face and age textures
(Racial Overhaul) Race Balancing Project (RBP) - more sensible balance for the races, including a few new familiar ones
Race Balancing Project OMOD Installer
a version of RBP stripped of the (racial) overhaul aspects is available in COBL's COBL Races optional add-on
(Body Replacer) Robert's Male Body v5 (*nudity warning*)
  The linked page contains nudity''
includes clothed and nude versions
includes stock mesh replacers
This site's BAIN-OMOD-Ready repackage has been uploaded to the Nexus page. (Thanks to AlienSlof for getting it uploaded there.)
an average v5 version has been uploaded and requires the main v5 mod
Robert's Female Body - arguably the most natural-looking female body
Some other notable female body replacers, Exnem and variants (HGEC and EVE HGEC) are more popular and have greater mod support (but they are not simpler to install). Feel free to install those instead, but until you are more comfortable with installing mods, try to stick to the core files (ignoring extra skin packs and all of that).
A list and description of some of the available body replacers of Oblivion can be found on Types_of_Mods/Body_Replacers.
Robert F - Rough Leather Shoes Fix - fixes a nasty bug that caused an artifact to stick out of NPCs wearing the shoes
downloading the full version of Robert's Fem PyFFI-ed (and fixed) is perfectly fine