GUIDE Morroblivion Overhaul

[Diana_TES_GotH]

To the GOG users: I have purchased the GOG versions (with intent to gift to my children and grandchildren). But first I will mod the games with this guide. It may not be until after the New Year (2018) that I will have the guide updated with additional content related to GOG users. 

P.S. Please give me advanced warning on what to look for. I know I have at least a couple of GOG users following the guide, so I will rely heavily on your experiences. 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Diana_TES_GotH

[Diana_TES_GotH]

Corrected: [ECTV] ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Castles should have been [ECTV] ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Castles for Open Cities

[Diana_TES_GotH]

Flagged Mini Map as Optional and added a Notice that it could potentially cause a drop in frame rate. 

[WastelandAssassin]

let me preface this by saying how excited I am to see this guide complete , and playing Oblivion (and Morrowind for the first time) that looks and plays like a newer game

and I have followed the guide over the last week or so , and have installed most of the mods on this guide , which leads me to feeling like something is a bit wrong with the direction this guide is heading

 

upon looking at the guide , around 90% of the mods (probably more) are flagged as "Core" . what exactly is the end goal of the guide , that it requires 100+ mods for the "core" experience?

if the aim of this guide is to bring Morroblivion to 2017 , do we really need so many of the mods in the guide? I would understand having graphics mods , sound mods , even gameplay overhauls (Morroblivion , fixes and OBSE plugins are obvious) . but do we need all the rest of the mods for the "core" experience?

 

now , the reason I'm stating this is because if you first create a guide for the "core" experience , and then add suggestions for optional addons , you can allow users to choose which additions they want to add to their game , considering their preferences and hardware . this also means you don't have to create a merge of 50+ plugins for all this to work . instead you can point out which plugins should be merged , rather than forcing users to use all the mods on this guide for the end patch to work properly

this will also mean you can release the basic experience first , and then expend upon it , rather than trying to build the biggest base experience possible , while also giving users some room for customization (like choosing different quest mods or adding further gameplay enhancements , with no required support from your end)

 

I think that this guide is great , and the team behind it is dedicated and doing a wonderful job at it . but this feels like the an undertaking too big to truly be worth it , that also takes away the joy of adding personal touches to your own modded game (which is the biggest part in modding , at least in my mind)

so hopefully you will take this not as an ungrateful rant (because it really isn't) , but as a pointer to enhance this guide , while also making it much easier for you to make it work properly

 

best wishes to the team , and happy holidays

WA

[Diana_TES_GotH]

[spoiler=In response]

let me preface this by saying how excited I am to see this guide complete , and playing Oblivion (and Morrowind for the first time) that looks and plays like a newer game

and I have followed the guide over the last week or so , and have installed most of the mods on this guide , which leads me to feeling like something is a bit wrong with the direction this guide is heading

 

upon looking at the guide , around 90% of the mods (probably more) are flagged as "Core" . what exactly is the end goal of the guide , that it requires 100+ mods for the "core" experience?

if the aim of this guide is to bring Morroblivion to 2017 , do we really need so many of the mods in the guide? I would understand having graphics mods , sound mods , even gameplay overhauls (Morroblivion , fixes and OBSE plugins are obvious) . but do we need all the rest of the mods for the "core" experience?

 

now , the reason I'm stating this is because if you first create a guide for the "core" experience , and then add suggestions for optional addons , you can allow users to choose which additions they want to add to their game , considering their preferences and hardware . this also means you don't have to create a merge of 50+ plugins for all this to work . instead you can point out which plugins should be merged , rather than forcing users to use all the mods on this guide for the end patch to work properly

this will also mean you can release the basic experience first , and then expend upon it , rather than trying to build the biggest base experience possible , while also giving users some room for customization (like choosing different quest mods or adding further gameplay enhancements , with no required support from your end)

 

I think that this guide is great , and the team behind it is dedicated and doing a wonderful job at it . but this feels like the an undertaking too big to truly be worth it , that also takes away the joy of adding personal touches to your own modded game (which is the biggest part in modding , at least in my mind)

so hopefully you will take this not as an ungrateful rant (because it really isn't) , but as a pointer to enhance this guide , while also making it much easier for you to make it work properly

 

best wishes to the team , and happy holidays

WA

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to point out your suggestions, and I do not consider it to be a rant in the least. I seek out recommendations and suggestions to improve this guide because I want to inspire others to learn how to successfully (even heavily) mod a stable game.

 

Currently most mods that are in the guide are flagged as CORE until we can determine which ones will not be tied in with the CR Patch that is being created. Most all of the additional textures and meshes will be flagged Optional so long as they do not contain a plugin. A few of the mods that are currently flagged CORE may also change. However, I will not make any changes to those flags until it is determined what impact will be made, if any, if the mod is removed. This guide has been created for my flavor of game play for the most part, with only a handful of other mods that were requested by other users, and only one CR Patch will be provided in the end. 

 

Unfortunately, I will be unavailable to work on the guide until late this evening. However, if you would like to list those mods you would consider Optional I will be happy to put them in my notes for testing to see what impact removing them from my list will have on the game. 

[redryan19]

As many before me have stated, thank you so much for creating this mod guide. I have only ever gone through Oblivion and Skyrim 100% without being able to fully embrace Morrowind. But with this guide, it is going to introduce Morrowind to so many people and I thank you!

 

Off topic question, How did you learn how to create a mod guide such as this. E.t.c. Checking compatability, creating patches and other mod related fine tuning?

 

Good luck with the rest of the guide :)

[WastelandAssassin]

well , the point of my post was to perhaps remove some of the work from the CR patch , as it seems like it will involve way too many mods

for example , in the Landscape & ECTV section you've included the Hesu Mod Collection . this mod , when installed with all the patches as stated , gives 20 plugins . now , if it's possible to merge these into one or two plugins that won't be a problem , but if it stays this way , this is just too much for what it supposedly provides (we can replace this with 5-10 quest mods + patches)

this is the worst case from what I've seen , nothing else is this problematic

 

In all honesty , I don't mind installing all of the mods in your guide , if it works well

I do fear for performance , as I don't have a 1080Ti , so I may need to tone down on the graphics

my biggest concern is actually the open cities mod , which may create problems for both gameplay and performance , but I'll have to check and see

 

I feel the need to state again , I don't have a problem with any mod here . I thought this was about making a basic framework upon which I could add mods I wanted to try (like other quest mods , items mods etc)

If you think at the end there will still be some room left for a few plugins , I won't mind trying to squeeze in a few extra myself , and work the kinks out

but if you feel all of the mods listed are indeed part of the core experience , or you're going for a full list and making the patch yourself , I can respect this and I'll try it out whenever it's done

thank you for your amazing work . I'll keep an eye for updates :)

[Diana_TES_GotH]

[spoiler=In response to:]

As many before me have stated, thank you so much for creating this mod guide. I have only ever gone through Oblivion and Skyrim 100% without being able to fully embrace Morrowind. But with this guide, it is going to introduce Morrowind to so many people and I thank you!

 

Off topic question, How did you learn how to create a mod guide such as this. E.t.c. Checking compatability, creating patches and other mod related fine tuning?

 

Good luck with the rest of the guide :)

 

 

Thank you, it is an honor to be able to share my guides here on STEP. Most of what I have learned over the years has been from the STEP Wiki and forums. GamerPoets has also been a great teacher with his instructional video guides. I had the privilege to work with jdsmith2816 for a few months on the SRLE: Legacy of The Dragonborn Reqtified modding guide which taught me even more of what is required to successfully mod a game. In fact, it is jdsmith2816 who is the genius behind the patches that makes the mods work in sync. I am still a student in this field myself. Another great source for learning is TES Alliance's Enclave. I list my sources in the Credits section of the guide and provide links to each.

 

 

[spoiler=In response to:]

well , the point of my post was to perhaps remove some of the work from the CR patch , as it seems like it will involve way too many mods

for example , in the Landscape & ECTV section you've included the Hesu Mod Collection . this mod , when installed with all the patches as stated , gives 20 plugins . now , if it's possible to merge these into one or two plugins that won't be a problem , but if it stays this way , this is just too much for what it supposedly provides (we can replace this with 5-10 quest mods + patches)

this is the worst case from what I've seen , nothing else is this problematic

 

In all honesty , I don't mind installing all of the mods in your guide , if it works well

I do fear for performance , as I don't have a 1080Ti , so I may need to tone down on the graphics

my biggest concern is actually the open cities mod , which may create problems for both gameplay and performance , but I'll have to check and see

 

I feel the need to state again , I don't have a problem with any mod here . I thought this was about making a basic framework upon which I could add mods I wanted to try (like other quest mods , items mods etc)

If you think at the end there will still be some room left for a few plugins , I won't mind trying to squeeze in a few extra myself , and work the kinks out

but if you feel all of the mods listed are indeed part of the core experience , or you're going for a full list and making the patch yourself , I can respect this and I'll try it out whenever it's done

thank you for your amazing work . I'll keep an eye for updates :)

 

 

Part of testing the guide as I move forward is checking for mods that have a huge performance impact. While I may have the GPU to handle it, I realize that others do not. Also, while you may see the mods that are being included in the guide, this doesn't necessarily mean that it will include the mod in it's entirety. Some portions of a mod may be determined unnecessary and instructions will be edited into the guide to reflect any such changes. 

 

As it stands currently, 222 plugins will be active by the end of the guide. This still leaves room for another 30 mods if a user chooses. There will be instructions placed for merging many of the Landscape mods. That number of active plugins may possibly be reduced, but I'm not certain. Again, some mods will be flagged Optional when I can test what an impact it will make if it is removed.

 

The process of building my guides start out with the list of mods I would love to play out. Fortunately I'm not doing this alone and have other knowledgeable modders and devs to help me work as many of them together as we can. It is much less time consuming to build and maintain one CR Patch for my list of mods than it would be to build 20 modular patches to accommodate every section of the guide to make any one section Optional. It is feasible, however none of us on this team is really in the position to work all that out at the moment because we're all volunteers here who also live in the real world where family comes first, we have other responsibilities and real jobs that pay the bills, and time is precious. We also love to play the games we mod if we can find the free time to do so. We're simply sharing the steps of what we do to mod our games. If our guides look like something you would enjoy and is feasible to play with your system, then we will do our best to lend support and help trouble shoot problems you may experience when you follow our recommended setup. 

 

Honestly, I encourage constructive criticism because that is how I learn to improve.  I may not always follow through with all suggestions and recommendations, but I do try to mull them over before disregarding them altogether. My guides will always try to accommodate a little of something for everyone, but they are still mostly tailored to my style of gameplay and I will list those mods I will be using. Morroblivion Overhual was never about a basic framework, it is my list of mods that literally overhauls the world spaces, game mechanics, user interface, etc... It is also an instructional guide that strives to teach users how to properly set up utilities and install mods. For some reason, many new comers think that installing mods is much like plug and play, and those of us who are experienced modders know just how complicated successfully modding a game can be. 

 

I probably won't get to do much with the guide tonight. I have had a very busy couple of days with my family and I am exhausted. Hopefully, I will wake up refreshed in the morning and can get back to work on it.   

 

 

[WastelandAssassin]

well , I completely understand where you come from

and seeing the mods you wish to use , I think we share a taste of how the game should be

so I'll keep following the guide as it progresses , and hopefully get to enjoy it's results in 2018

 

again , thank you so much for the hard work (you and the rest of the team , of course)

best of luck , happy holidays and a wonderful week

[Diana_TES_GotH]

Updated to new revisions: 

 

EngineBugFixes: v1.8

Migck's Miscellaneous fixes tweaks and additions v1.9.1

[Diana_TES_GotH]

[spoiler=Mods Now Currently Flagged as Optional:][Gameplay][Combat] Companion Compatibility
[Gameplay][Combat] Fast Arrow Collection
[Gameplay][Combat] Fundament
[Gameplay][Combat] Miscellaneous Fixes Tweaks and Additions
[Gameplay][Combat] Oblivion XP w/ [uI] OA Dark Transparent UI optional_OblivionXP
[Gameplay][Combat] SM Combat
[Gameplay][Combat] Unidirectional Attack

[Gameplay][Magical] Fundament Enchanting Addons
[Gameplay][Magical] More Effective Enchantments
[Gameplay][Magical][MOB] Magic
[Gameplay][Magical][MOB] Portal to Vvardenfell

[Gameplay][Misc] Maskars Oblivion Overhaul
[Gameplay][Combat] MOBS MOO Patch
[Gameplay][Magical] SM_MOO Patch
[Gameplay][Misc][Mob] CG Voices
[Gameplay][Misc][Mob] Idol of Mephala
[Gameplay][Misc][Mob] Protocolled Dialogs
[Gameplay][Misc][Mob] Voice Acted
[Gameplay][Misc] Vvardenfell Imports

[uI] Custom Autosave
[uI] Custom Spell Icons for OBME
[uI] Mouse Cast
[uI] QZ Easy Menus
[uI] Skill Perk Descriptions
[uI] Spell Delete And Item Remove
[uI] STM Scouter
[uI] Themed Loading Screens for Dark UI
[uI] Themed Loading Screens for OA Dark
[uI] Toggleable Quantity Promp
[uI] Tamriel Heightmaps
[uI][Map] MiniMap
[uI][MOB] Menu Replacer
[uI][MOB] Morroblivion Themed Loading Screens
[uI][MOB] MOB TR World Maps

[Textures & Meshes] RAEVWD - SI Edition
[Textures & Meshes] RAEVWD - SI Edition
[Textures & Meshes] RAEVWD - QTP3 Texture Pack
[Textures & Meshes] Landscape LOD Texture Replacement

[Quests] Alternative Beginnings and other Patches
[Quests] Elsweyr Plantations and co

 

 

Edit: Elsweyr City Extension is supposed to be used with Tales From Elsweyr Anequina. It has been reflagged as CORE.

 

I am moving on to Landscapes and ECTV mods to determine any further edits that need to be performed.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Diana_TES_GotH

[Diana_TES_GotH]

I'm refining all current installation instructions today to include mods that will no longer be required to be installed as they will be absorbed into the CR Patch. I am not removing these mods from the modlist because their links and descriptions are relevant for informational purposes. Also, it would be nice if the users of this guide would download the mods in order to endorse the mod and author giving them credit for their work. 

 

When I have finished revising the current instructions and reorganizing the modlist into the correct installation order, I will begin adding the remainder of the Graphics, Sounds, Textures/Meshes mods, etc...

 

I know some of you have already started your holiday break. I apologize that the guide isn't ready yet. I have been working on it consistently in my spare time. I am still hoping to have it ready within the next day or two, but we all know that I am not able to make it a promise. I'll do my best.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Diana_TES_GotH

[Diana_TES_GotH]

I just have a feeling that when some resume the guide and see the new instructions that say DO NOT INSTALL a certain plugin, they will be asking if they need bother with the mod at all. I just updated the guide with the following notice:

 

NOTICE: DO NOT INSTALL: Plugin.esp will be absorbed into the Morroblivion Overhaul CR Patch only refers to the plugins. If the mod contains other resource files, they should be installed.

[Diana_TES_GotH]

You'll notice today that the modlist in it's entirety is now edited into the guide. All of the edits are complete through the Sounds section. I still have to edit in the download links, descriptions, and any special installation instructions for the majority of the Textures and Meshes. 

[pt1f4b]

I'm watching the massive amount of work you are doing here, and i must say i'm really impressed Diana. I can't do anyhing to help you if not just saying a big thank you for your dedication. When this guide will be almost done, i'll give it a go for sure to try and test it ! 

 

A big thanks again, but take some rest too !