Better Cities:Manual Install
Manual installation is the hardest method, and it will also be the most complicated to uninstall again. We recommend that you instead use one of the other install methods we offer, such as BAIN Install using Wrye Bash or Fomod Install using Mod Organizer 2. However it is still possible to install manually, and as long as you follow the entirety of the following instructions, reasonably straightforward.
At the end you should have four BSAs from Better Cities, one ESM, an ESP named "Better Cities .esp" and various other ESPs depending on the choices you made. If you have less than or more than four BSAs, then you installed the mod wrong (unless you left Bravil out of your selection, in which case only three BSAs should be installed).
If you want more information about what a specific ESP in the BC archive does, then read What Does Each File Do.
If updating from an older version, please ensure that you uninstall the old version before installing the new version.
A | Extract Better Cities to a temporary location. |
B | Copy everything from 00 Core into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
C | Choose whether you want to use the merged City ESP or the separate City ESPs. Do not combine files from options Ca and Cb, choose one option only. Skip step C if you only want Better Imperial City. |
Ca | If you want the separate City ESPs (so you can choose not to use all Cities of Better Cities) then from the folder 01 Better Cities copy each ESP you want into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
Cb | If you want the merged City ESP which contains every single city (except the Imperial City) in one ESP, then from the folder 01 Better Cities Full copy "Better Cities Full.esp" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
D | Choose whether you want to use the merged Imperial City ESP or the separate ESPs. Do not combine files from options Da and Db, choose one option only. Skip step D if you do not want Better Imperial City. If you are using Arthmoor's Open Cities Outer Districts then you cannot use the merged ESP at all, you must follow step Da and you also cannot use "Better Cities IC Arcane University.esp" and "Better Cities IC Prison.esp" |
Da | If you want the separate ESPs (so you can choose not to use all Districts of Better Cities) then from the folder 02 Better Imperial Districts copy each ESP you want into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
Db | If you want the merged ESP then from the folder 02 Better Imperial City Full copy "Better Imperial City.esp" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
E | Optional: If your game suffers from low FPS in the Imperial City Waterfront after installing Better Cities, then from the folder 06 FPS Patches copy the appropriate ESP into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. If you chose "Better Cities IC Waterfront.esp" in step Da then copy "Better Cities IC Waterfront FPS Patch.esp", but if you chose "Better Imperial City.esp" in step Db then copy "Better Imperial City FPS Patch.esp". |
F | Optional: If you want to see the outer walls of the new Diplomatic District, the extended outer wall of the Arena District and the aqueduct, then from the folder 07 IC Imperial Isle copy "Better Cities - IC Imperial Isle.esp" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. This will conflict with mods which edit the Imperial Isle near the Elven Gardens and Arena Districts. |
G | Optional: If you use Cobl, Enhanced Economy, Storms & Sound or TIE, you may wish to use our integration files. Look at all the folders whose names begin 10 and install any of these files if desired. |
H | Optional: Look at all the folders whose names begin 20 or 21 and if you are already using any of these mods, you need to install our Replacer ESP for that mod, replacing the original mod's ESP. Otherwise, skip to step K. Do not install a Replacer ESP if you do not need it, read "What Does Each File Do.rtf" to make sure you meet the requirements for each Replacer ESP. |
Ha | If you use Scribe Supplies, only copy ONE of the ESPs from the folder 21 Scribe Supplies to match the version of Scribe Supplies you already use. |
I | Optional: Look at all the folders whose names begin 30, 31 OR 32 and if you are already using any of these mods, you may need to install our Patch ESP for that mod, to be used as well as the original mod's ESP. Otherwise, skip to step J. Do not install a patch ESP if you do not need it, read "What Does Each File Do.rtf" to make sure you meet the requirements for each Patch ESP. |
Ia | If you use Sexlivion and you chose either "Better Cities IC Market.esp" or "Better Imperial City.esp" then from the folder 31 Sexlivion copy only ONE of the two ESPs. Copy "Better Cities – Sexlivion_0.4a_Full_English_v1.esp" IF you use the "FULL ENGLISH" version of Sexlivion. Alternatively, if you use the "for Girls" version of Sexlivion, copy "Better Cities – Sexlivion.esp". If you use any other version of Sexlivion, we don't support them, there are too many variations. |
Ib | If you use Oblivifall: Losing My Religion, we provide four separate patches, read "What Does Each File Do.rtf" to make sure you meet the requirements for each Patch ESP. |
Ic | If you use Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul, we provide multiple separate patches and also two merged patches, read "What Does Each File Do.rtf" to make sure you meet the requirements for each Patch ESP. |
J | Choose which texture pack you want to use for Bravil (you must pick ONE): |
Ja | If you like the dark, red-tinged appearance found in Blood & Mud, then from the folder 12 Bravil Blood&Mud copy the file "Better Cities – Bravil Blood&Mud.bsa" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
Jb | If you like the grimy, slightly green-tinged appearance found in CUO Bravil, then from the folder 12 Bravil CUO copy the file "Better Cities – Bravil CUO.bsa" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
Jc | If you like the textures used in the original game, then from the folder 12 Bravil Vanilla copy the file "Better Cities – Bravil Vanilla.bsa" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
K | Optional: If you use the mod Grumblepunk's Shipyard, then from the folder 12 Shipyard - Grumblepunk copy the folder "Meshes" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
L | Optional: If you use Robert's Female Body Mod, then from the folder 10 Roberts Female copy the folder "Meshes" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
M | Optional: If you use Robert's Male Body Mod, then from the folder 11 Roberts Male copy the folder "Meshes" into the Oblivion\Data\ folder. |
N | If there is an update archive then it will have been packaged using the same directory structure as the main archive – refer to steps A through M again when installing an update archive. Not all steps will apply with an update archive. |
Final Steps[edit]
Launch your preferred mod management program (Wrye Bash or Mod Organizer 2 is recommended), enable the Better Cities ESM and every single Better Cities ESP.
Run BOSS (Better Oblivion Sorting Software) to sort your load order.