Tes4Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 2/OBMM/Design An Install Order

Design An Install Order

Now that all of the OMODs are ready, the last step before installation is to plan for the installation. Right now, all of the OMODs have green squares, indicating that the OMODs are deactivated and do not conflict with any of the installed files (because no files have been installed yet.) The goal here is to plan the installation order of the OMODs such that every time OBMM prompts about overriding files, you can simply hold down CTRL and click "yes", for the "yes to all" effect, or simply click "no" when OBMM asks whether or not to warn about conflicts. If the install order is correct, there should be no need to worry about what is being overriden, as you know that the version of the files that you want to see in-game will be installed last. They will be the versions you find in the Data folder.

Different types of mods tend to contain different types of records, but within those "type" groupings the variation is predictable. For example, texture replacers have data files, usually, only textures, but some have meshes as well. On the other hand, script-centric mods (i.e., gameplay tweaks) may only have plugins, and if they do have data files, those tend to be new (to the Vanilla game) and do not overlap with other mods at all. A General Order for Installing Mods breaks mods into a few general categories and offers an ordering that should help you create your own. The more specialized orderings within the groups it defines will depend upon the mods you choose. For overhauls, UI mods, replacers and cosmetic mods it is especially important to pay attention to the inner group orderings because, for example, when one texture replacer overwrites another the difference should be quite obvious. Since OBMM does not provide a way to correct the installation of an OMOD once activated, especially when dealing with large OMODs, it is nice to get the install order right on the first pass. When a mod is uninstalled that contained files that overlapped with those of another mod, the only way to have OBMM replace the files with the versions that should have been left, is to reactivate the OMOD that contains the files you want to have installed.

One Possible Install Order
...based on A General Order for Installing Mods.

# Utilities:
#* Streamline - plugin and INI file, all new files
#* This group rarely has non-new files; therefore, it could actually be installed at any point and the intra-group ordering does not matter.
#* FormID Finder contains one file, the missing mesh marker, that makes it an exception, but the only other common mod it conflicts with is the UOP, which also replaces that marker. Install this before or after the UOP, depending upon which marker looks better, if you would like.
# Game Tweaks: nGCD, Progress
#* nGCD - plugin and INI file, all new
#* Progress - plugin(s) and INI file(s), all new
#* note: A number of these mods may contain replacement files (i.e., leveling mods that overwrite the levelup menu.) Some are also partially-classified amongs other types of mods, and it may be better to install them with that other group if they contain replacement files.
# Companions & NPCs:
#* TT - plugins and a few data files, all new
#* Many companion mods contain Ren's hairs and bits and pieces of other cosmetic mods. If you use one of the cosmetic mods with overlapping files, unless you are sure the versions packaged with the companion mod are fixed somehow, giving the cosmetic mod priority is often better for consistencies sake. Others of these mods may contain animation files and other random file replacements that you should be aware of if you notice a red square next to their OMODs (indicating data file conflicts.)
# Anims:
#* Actors in Emotions - plugin
# New Building and Locations:
#* Bank of Cyrodiil - plugin and a few datafiles, all new
# New Items:
#* Slof's Oblivion Robe Trader - a plugin and some data files, all new
#* These mods generally only contain new files, but sometimes they replace a few things as well.
# Big Mesh Replacers:
#* QTP3 - overwrites many Vanilla meshes and textures
# DLCs:
#* DLCs 1-9 - plugin and BSA each, all new
# Official Content Fixes:
#* UOMP - plugins and replacement data files, which do not conflict with most mods as they only replace files packed in the DLCs' BSAs
#* USIP - plugin and replacement data files, which will probably not overlap with earlier groups' mods
#* UOP - plugins and replacement data files, which may overwrite files in earlier-installed mods and will overlap with many mods
#* UOP Supplemental - plugins and replacement data files, which may overwrite files in earlier-installed mods and need to overwrite files in UOP
#* note: It is very important that certain mods among the later-loading groups override the files of these mods.
# Quests:
#* GTA 1 - plugin and BSA, all new
#* LS - plugin and BSA, all new
#* Most quests contain all new records, but some may throw in various cosmetic mods' files, animation replacer files, etc....
# Overhauls & Creature-Adding:
#* MMM - many plugins and a BSA, no (visible) overlap (because of the BSA) but needs to be installed after the earlier-listed groups
#* COBL - many plugins and many data files, not all new, cosmetic pack resorces should be installed later with cosmetic mod, if that option is chosen
#* See the ReadMes, thread, etc. for the installation order of multiple of these mods.
#* In this group, only FCOM needs to overwrite COBL; otherwise, COBL should overwrite almost anything else.
# City & World Aesthetics:
#* All Natural - plugins and data files, not all new
#* Let There Be Darkness - plugin
#* This group often (but not with the listed mods) requires attentive installation ordering (which means see these mods' ReadMes.)
# UI:
#* Elven Map Redux - replaces map (menu) files and related texture files
#* Super Hotkeys - plugin and INI, all new
#* Pay particular attention to the order in which these mods are installed. Misconfigured menu files can cause both indefinite hangs as Oblivion loads as well as in-game crashes and disruptive inconsistencies.
# Extended Game Tweaks:
#* Enhanced Economy - plugin, INI and data files, menu files must overwrite all other versions
#* This group is for mods that may contain specially-configured menu files that need to write UI replacers. They contain very few data files, but those files are required for the mod to work properly.
# Texture Replacers:
#* Real Night Sky - texture replacer files
#** These mods contain few or no meshes or plugins (unlike QTP3). This makes their installation relative to one another very flexible, and the only way they can really cause harm to the game is by requiring to much of a video card. Since this group does not include character textures, it is compatible with pretty much any modified config.
# Misc. Replacers:
#* Harvest Flora - plugins and data files, all new
#* Seph's H-to-H Replacer - overwrites Vanilla meshes
#* VE Customizer Fixed - plugins
#* This is a random assortment of mods that need to overwrite other mods.
#* It is unlikely that multiple mods in this group, that you would use at one time, would conflict because mods in this group that make the same modifications would be completely incompatible with one another.
# Cosmetic Mods and Body Replacers:
#* RBP - Plugins and data files, not all new
#* The only mods that should ovewrite these mods are other cosmetic mods and character texture replacers. They have many conflicts amongst themselves (the worst being the incompatible eye meshes) so take care as you install them. Read the ReadMes to see what they really contain before installing them.
# Character Textures:
#* IFT - overwrites vanilla face and age textures
#* The mods in this group, as with the other texture replacers group, can be installed in whatever order you prefer. These mods are very specialized. As such, there is no reason that any other mods, external to this group, should overwrite them.
# Personal Patches:
#* Cleaned plugins, patches, etc. - plugins and data files that were created to replacer other mod's files and add various files (i.e., cleaned plugins).