Tes4Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 1/Configure Oblivion

Configure Oblivion

In this last step you will further stabilize Oblivion by applying some basic configuration changes and checking the environment you will be running it in for compatibility.

Check the Running Environment

# Delete the Oblivion.ini file (in the My Games Oblivion folder) if it exists, in order to make sure all settings are reset.
# Launch the game. A new fresh, v1.2.0416, version of the Oblivion.ini is generated upon launch. 
:Note: In general, you have to regenerate the INI after making any hardware upgrades to preven CTDs related to problematic configuration values.
# If the game crashes immediately, try to clean boot Windows. If that works, the cause is likely a process interference.
#* Try to turn off as many unnecessary processes as possible before playing.
#* Another common issue for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users is UAC interference, which should have been taken care by following steps mentioned earlier in this guide. The UAC protects the default Windows folders, such as:   and  .
#* Another common cause of crashes with the vanilla game is codecs incompatibility. Uninstalling them or resetting them would take care of that issues. The most wellknown problematic codecs are the FFDShow codecs. Make sure that Oblivion is on the FFDShow ignore list, video and audio. If you see the FFD icon in the taskbar, as you launch and exit the game, right-click on it and adjust its settings. Afterward, close it. Alternatively, you can remove it and install a compatible codec pack; see the PCS Library for details.
#* Some instability issues and graphical anomalies can be fixed by upgrading your video card drivers; at other times issues, are fixed by downgrading video card drivers.

Do Launcher and in-game Configuration

# Once you successfully launch the game, in the main menu, change your video, gameplay and other settings as you see fit.
#*In 'Gameplay', be sure to turn off all of the auto-save options. Oblivion's auto-save and quicksave features are known to eventually lead to corrupt save files. There are mods that can provide that same functionality, safely.
#* A number of mods require texture size to be 'Large'.
#* You cannot enable HDR and AA through Oblivion. If you want to use both, enable AA through your GPU's console. Oblivion's AA is not very good, anyway.
#* HDR and Bloom cause various graphics anomalies on different systems, especially when using AA. If you have any color-related issues or things you simply dislike, try turning either of those on or off.
# Create a new game, without saving, in order to make sure that Obivion loads and the movie sequence and opening sequence proceed without issue.
# Close the game after playing through the opening scene with the Emporer to the point where your (test) character can move again.

Tweak the Oblivion.ini

# Open the Oblivion.ini
# Apply any of the general tweaks (first two sections) shown on Oblivon.ini:Tweaks.
#* You can add comments and backup the default values by inserting a semicolon (;) before the comment.
#* Those saving and shadowmap-related tweaks take care of some of the instability causers
#* The joystick tweak prevents some strafing problems for users using keyboards
#* The border regions tweak is required by many mods. It turns of the invisible walls surrounding Cyrodiil.
#* The other are common tweaks that have no bearing on performance.
# Test after making changes to the INI file.
#* It might be good to keep a backup of this basically-tweaked INI file, but remember that it may be invalidated if you upgrade your hardware or drivers. If you wish to restore the tweaks, use an editor such as Notepad++ with which you can compare two versions of a file and manually choose which edits to carry over.
# Now, take the chance to run around the vanilla world to gauge your system's performance. Hit the tilde (~) key to open up the console and enter   (Set Debug Text page 2) to see performance stats. Also use   to display the debug text as you run around, and type   (toggle god mode) to toggle invincibility.
#* Try to get a feel for your performance outside in the open, in interiors, in cities, in battle--try running into an Ayleid ruin--near water, etc. If the cities are empty, hit 'T' to open the wait menu and wait until 9AM or so to have the NPCs come out and make noise.
#* If your system is limited by its CPU (processor) as most systems are when it comes to Oblivion, you will experience the lowest FPS in crowded places, especially when fighting.
# Make saves of the vanilla (unmodded) game. It is nice to have at least one save before exiting the sewers in the event you want to start building a new modified setup from the beginning.
# On-board sound card users, which is the case for most users that did not buy or choose one, may want to try applying Oblivion.ini tweaks for on-board sound. Depending on the power of your CPU and motherboard, you may not need to use all of them (i.e., turn sound off). For some, the mod, Quiet Feet MAX, may suffice for all but hardware acceleration issues (i.e., unexpected crackling and popping noises). The greater the load on the CPU, the more obvious the benefits of applying on-board sound tweaks are.

Finish Testing and Applying Tweaks

If you wish to try to really optimize your settings, play with the tweaks mentioned on that page and even those in the Oblivion Tweak Guide. You can do that after applying mods, but test between adding mods and applying tweaks to make troubleshooting potential issues that can arise as a result of using either. Good systems may need a heavier load in order to really see differences. Once mods come into the picture expect whatever FPS you are experiencing will decline greatly, regardless of what system you are running the game on. A heavily modified Oblivion running consistently around 20-30 FPS is ''very'' good. If your vanilla game is running around those values, using many mods or heavy mods may not play nicely.

Make sure the game still runs properly after applying any of the aforementioned tweaks before making any further changes to your Oblivion setup.