The Oblivion Thread vol. II

[snoopy369]

Doesn't it work that way now?

1. OMM (Oblivion Mod Manager)
2. Oblivion's pre-ingame screen

depending on what level of mod you're running (2 only works for add-on content type mods, not graphical or "change" mods)

[Jon Miller]

I just played again

I took found the book to get a recommendation and helped the brothers get their farm back

Jon Miller

[Imran Siddiqui]

A lot of mods also post what they are compatible with and what they may have problems with. Plenty of the big time mods work well together though (BTMod runs with everything AFAIK, because it is the new standard for a HUD and interface graphics).

And somehow I'm thinking the substantive mods would be posted XBL as free downloads just as they are on the PC -- why not?

I'd imagine it'd be a bit more difficult... seeing as how there have been no user made mod for the 360 (would they have to send the XML files to the console? How would that work?). Also, the biggest plus, playing with XML files yourself to tweak mods to your liking) wouldn't be able to exist on the 360.

[Asher]

The process would likely be you submit them to Bethedsa and they would approve them and then put them up on the server to download. The XML files are platform independent.

Even I don't play with XML files of games I play with -- what's wrong with you, Imran? I get enough of that kind of stuff with school.

[Imran Siddiqui]

That all depends on whether Bethesda would be willing to take submitted mods and put them up on their server. I doubt it.

And playing with the XML files if half the fun! You can make any mod work perfectly for you if you just experiment around in there. Already people have putzed around with the XML files to create a smaller HUD, a new (better looking) compass, etc. Sometimes you may not like a cosmetic change as part of a mod, and you can play around the XML files to tailor it to your liking.

It's a good thing there are people who want to play with the XML files, otherwise we wouldn't have all these great mods (and soon to come gameplay add on areas) .

[Solver]

Perhaps, I still have yet to see a mod that I would use. The only mods, actually, I would use are the ones that tweak the interface making it more PC-friendly, which is useless on the Xbox.

No 360 experience here, but I don't see how showing more items on screen would be a bad thing for the 360. I agree that there are no "uber-kickass-must-have-mods" yet, but I already have a couple. One of them removes the accursed place markers from the compass, which I just hate. In the coming months, there will be all sorts of extra places/buildings/quests mods.

That's because you don't have a 360. Make it harder to play 360 games without one, I've found.

Quite so, but I wouldn't take a 360 + Oblivion for it over my low-end PC version. There's the slim possibility my opinion would change if I actually had the 360, but it's a very slim possibility indeed. Graphics, which are great on the 360, are the one aspect of games I care the least about, and I chronically detest the lack of moddability for console versions if there's a moddable PC version.

[bonscott]

Originally posted by Solver
In the coming months, there will be all sorts of extra places/buildings/quests mods.

And actually there is already a new dungeon mod over at Planet Elder Scrolls and the guy plans to make it 10 levels deep when finished. It will only get better over the coming months!

[Guynemer]

I'm running some of the Daedric Shrine quests right now... that bonus Nocturnal gives you is particularly nice. However, I can't figure out how to do the Sanguine quest, in particular I can't get into the Countess' party. Any tips?

[Nostromo]

The new orrery official add-on sounds pretty cool.

After the first content download for Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion created a stir by charging Xbox 360 players $2.50 and PC players $1.99 to armor their horses, it appears the developer is exploring new approaches for its future expansions.

Bethesda is now saying that the next two downloads, The Wizard's Tower and The Orrery, will include more bang for less buck. A posting on the official Elder Scrolls forums details new features for the two expansions, as well as a pricing structure and expected release date for The Orrery. According to the posting, the expansion should be out next week, and will sell for $1.89 to PC owners and 150 Marketplace points (about $1.88) to Xbox 360 owners.

"The Horse Armor Pack has been very popular, and exceeded what we thought it would sell," the posting reads. "Despite that, we're still trying to find the right spot, so we're putting a much larger plug-in out for less than the last one and we'll see what happens."

The Orrery will feature a new quest with original dialogue, journals, and rewards, access to the eponymous dwarven machine in the Imperial City's Arcane University, and new character powers based on the phases of the moon.

The Wizard's Tower will be a new property available to players, complete with upgradeable furniture and facilities. Players who set up shop in the Tower will be able to grow herbs, make spells, summon atronachs, and perform other magic-oriented tasks.No release date for the Wizard's Tower add-on has been announced yet.

Bethesda is also working on a pair of patches for the game. The first one will address a number of known issues in the game and debut on the PC in beta form before being cleared for both the PC and Xbox 360. After that, Bethesda will release a follow-up patch to clear up localization issues with the European version of the game.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147320.html

[bonscott]

Now the Orrery might actually be something I pay $1.89 for.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by bonscott
Now the Orrery might actually be something I pay $1.89 for.

Ditto. I'd have to hang out in the official forums to see if the Wizard's Tower is worth it.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Solver
No 360 experience here, but I don't see how showing more items on screen would be a bad thing for the 360.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but when playing consoles the user tends to be sitting father back. I lay on my couch while I play, 10ish feet away -- more items on the screen = smaller font = harder to read.

[Imran Siddiqui]

From the official forums, a list of some of the better "tweak" mods :

http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=324335

[Kinjiru]

Originally posted by Guynemer
I'm running some of the Daedric Shrine quests right now... that bonus Nocturnal gives you is particularly nice. However, I can't figure out how to do the Sanguine quest, in particular I can't get into the Countess' party. Any tips?

Here is how I did with my very non-sneaky char...

Spoiler:

Before the party, find the best looking clothes you can get ahold of. Once the party has started, approach the guard to the party room. You need to get his attitude towards you as high as you can, in the 90's I think. If you can do this with your speechcraft skills, great, otherwise use one of those personality spells or something. Once he likes you enough, he will let you in.

The fun really begins when you get inside!

Reward is pretty good too.

[Guynemer]

Thanks!

I've done three Daedric quests now... how many shrines are there? I've learned of a few that have popped onto my map through conversations, but haven't visited any of them yet.