Oblivion first time modded or vanilla

[SwordCoast]

Yes, i am gonna play Oblivion. First time ever. Only ES game i've played was Morrowind. So wanna see the rest. I know what kind of shit is Oblivion, read it tons of times everywhere. I also compiled a huge modlist both for graphics and gameplay. For visual side they make the game prettier than Skyrim. As for gameplay mods i guess it makes experience at least enjoyable.

Normally i would directly play the game vanilla. Because i want to see the game from first hand what it is. For the knowledge of knowing the game etc. But this is oblivion so i can't decide. What do you think?

 

[Delterius]

failing to fix skyrim via mods gives you more replayability than failing to fix oblivion with mods so play nothing instead

go to sleep after lunch and dream of a better world

 

[Carrion]

For pretty much every other game in existence I'd say vanilla, but Oblivion is simply unplayable with the vanilla UI. Prepare to have your eyes melted because of gigantic font and endless scrolling.

Actually, scratch that last part. You'll be having miserable time anyway. Maybe it's best to just go with vanilla and experience all the horrors in their purest form?

 

[Tweed]

Play it vanilla for a few hours so you can see just how awful it is and how much work you'll have to do to try and make it less awful.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

the mods I used from my most recent playthrough, you might find a few useful:

• Balanced Creature Stats - Fixed Level Scaling: makes non-human creates have level-ranges instead of just infinitely scaling forever. https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49194
• Customizable Magic Progression: changes magic EXP to be based on cost so the best way to level up magic isn't just spamming cheap spells. https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46533
• Bandits fight creatures: muh immersion, bandits and creatures will fight. https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48673
• Enable unused idle dialogues, muh immersion: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/38466
• Better saves, self explanatory, I recommend editing the ini file and increasing the number of autosave slots to something much higher than 3: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48106
• OBSE plugin that enables diagonal movement animations: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49067
• OBSE plugin that shows the real stats of items: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/31855
• OBSE plugin that makes Oblivion load BSAs like Skyrim fixing many, many loading issues with mods, mandatory: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49568
• Small UI mod that just resizes the menus/maps to make them better for modern screens. Keeps the entire original UI, no overhaul: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48832
• OBSE plugin for more hotkeys: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/34735
• Mod that allows you to place your own map markers and adds many more map markers, lots of customization(e.g., being able to unlock map markers further away if you climb up high): https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/26389
• OBSE plugin that simply adds "[Read]" next to the names of books after you've read them: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49195
• Mod that fixes the broken leveling system. There's a few that do it, but this one was made recently and is my favorite: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49173
• Harvest flora, just makes flora change their model after you harvest them, muh immersion: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/2037
• More unused dialogue, muh immersion: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49664?tab=description
• Mod that tags NPCs as 'essential' when they begin traveling so they don't all end up dead: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45401
• OBSE Engine fixes plugin, mandatory: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/47085
• Unofficial patches, mandatory: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/5296 https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9969 https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10739

Mandatory for all creationengine games, Mator Smash: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/90987
Creates a smashed patch from your mods that fixes many record conflict issues between your mods, works surprisingly well.

Essentially just a bunch of minor gameplay tweaks and bugfixes are all you need.
The default leveling system is pants on head retarded. The one I suggested was (IMO) really well made and keeps the intention of the original system without being retarded like the original system.

 

[octavius]

At least use a mod that gets rid of the level scaling.
Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul was pretty good (combo of level and area scaling, + added quests and items), but there may be better options nowadays (other than uninstall.exe, that is).

 

[aweigh]

imagine actually playing bethesda games

the absolute STATE of zoomers :facepalm:

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

Vanilla. Experience the game as it was intended by the developers.

It's the only way to get to know your enemy.

 

[moleman]

Play with Nehrim mod.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Falksi]

If you'd like the thought of being gang raped by a bunch of bears with barbed wire strapped around their cocks play Vanilla

If you like the thought of being gang raped by a bunch of Hyenas wearing ribbed condoms play with mods.

Either way you're getting fucked in a very unpleasant way, but the lesser evil of modded will only traumatize you half as much.

God bless.

 

[Siveon]

Aside from the tweaks I'm fairly certain there are entertaining dungeons and quest mods that are likely more interesting than the vanilla stuff. So you should consider tracking down some of those.

But also, just play Nehrim. Way better. However Nehrim is being worked on for a steam (free) release, so wait on that.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

vanilla. because whoever wants to experience oblivion, especially after all these years, deserves to witness it in all its horror, for extreme suffering.

 

[Darth Canoli]

Where's the "Run for your life" option ?

 

[Miner Arobar]

At least use a level scaling mod, Oscuro's or whatever, and a mod that makes the faces somewhat tolerable, like Oblivion Character Overhaul. Also get that mod that will make glass armour look less like glowing nuclear waste - forget the name. Better Cities is pretty good but I'm not sure you should bother with Unique Landscapes - hassle to install it outdoes any actual improvements. As for mods for smaller towns, villages, farms, and so on - something Oblivion very sorely needs - there's not that much out there and what is out there is not that good.

But I don't really see why you're not playing Skyrim instead. Any itch Oblivion scratches Skyrim scratches better with less drawbacks. And no matter how many texture mods you throw at Oblivion, the landscaping and worldbuilding will still be uninspired compared to Skyrim, let alone Morrowind. I mean, there's nothing wrong with enjoying open world first person action RPGs. Half the Codex probably plays Skyrim despite any impression you may have. Don't torment yourself by playing Oblivion only to be able to say how much you hate it afterwards. Be honest to yourself. Embrace the dark side.

 

[Naraya]

I envy you, truly - you are in for a treat.

Play it vanilla, then mod the hell out of it (I recommend OOO) and be in heaven.

 

[Carrion]

At least use a mod that gets rid of the level scaling.
Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul was pretty good (combo of level and area scaling, + added quests and items), but there may be better options nowadays (other than uninstall.exe, that is).

OOO improves the game for sure, but it uses some really cheap tricks to get there, like insane HP bloat, regeneration and damage reflection. The only way I could even make a dent into the fucking unicorn was riding it into a river and letting it drown.

In the end, the mechanics are just a secondary thing in the Oblivion experience. You can fix some of the mechanics, but you can't change the nature of Oblivion. You only truly know the game when, while running into yet another fucking potato-faced Bosmer and, for the millionth time, hearing the same insufferable voice spouting lines that are inane beyond belief, you come to the sudden but crystal-clear realization that you want to kill yourself. When that point comes, you'll find yourself reflecting on all those hours, days and years that you've wasted playing computer games when you could've been doing something much more productive, like learning how to hammer in nails with your bare hands. In short, Oblivion is a game that could change your life, for better or worse (most likely worse). So go ahead, stock up on anti-depressants and gaze into the abyss.

 

[d1nolore]

Oblivion > Skyrim

 

[d1nolore]

Skyrim is a bland boring world.

Oblivion you start right next to the hub where you can jump right into things, Dungeon design is better for early dungeons, you can go to the market, the arena, find interesting quests right away. Better minigames, spells are more useful because of Dungeon design.

Skyrim starts you nowhere with nothing to do. You search off the beaten path for an interesting dungeon but end up in a hiking sim. Towns are small, bland, and isolated. Sure if you want to be a fairy and play with dragons, then play Skyrim.

Oblivion level scaling will eventually dishearten you, still better than Skyrim.

 

[Yosharian]

Is Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul still a thing? If it is, play with that. Even if it's your first time. Hell, especially if it's your first time. Oblivion is still a bad game though.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

I envy you, truly - you are in for a treat.

Play it vanilla, then mod the hell out of it (I recommend OOO) and be in heaven.

But yeah, go for the vanilla experience. You don't play Oblivion for fun after all, you play it to understand the nature of decline, and how simpletons can ruin a good series. And because we all need to peak into the abyss every now and then. Just be sure to come back.

 

[DraQ]

For pretty much every other game in existence I'd say vanilla, but Oblivion is simply unplayable with the vanilla UI. Prepare to have your eyes melted because of gigantic font and endless scrolling.

UI is the least bad part of oblivion. Actually, even if it had vanilla Skyrim UI it would still be the least bad part of oblivion.

If you absolutely need to play, then mod heavily and only play the expansion.
Still, preferably drink heavily so that you may forget the experience.

Unless you are motivated by masochism - then vanilla, of course.
I would recommend putting your balls in a meat grinder as you play, but that would actually just dilute the torment of playing vanilla.

 

[Max Damage]

Vanila Oblivion is abominable. Modded one isn't much better, but it's better. Then again, most of my Oblivion's time is in Morroblivion, which in the end just caused me to reinstall Morrowind.

 

[Farewell young Prince into the night]

I recommend Maskar's Oblivion Overhaul. Makes a lot of good/interesting changes to the base game. However, it's still Oblivion at the end of the day - an irreparable dumpster fire that no amount of quality mods can salvage.

 

[Lilura]

If you intend to level highly (>30), vanilla Oblivion offers much more challenge than both vanilla Morrowind and vanilla Skyrim.