Oblivion Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 3/Introduction

Introduction to Post-Installation Management

The actual installation of mods (when using utilities) is fairly trivial when compared with sorting an install order and even moreso when compared to dealing with load ordering, which is why you should probably read Load Order if you are new or uncomfortable with the topic or the related functionality in Wrye Bash. Neither install order or load ordering are something users pick up overnight. Until you have experience dealing with a wide variety of mods, certain types of installation and mod structures will seem entirely new. BOSS is not perfect, but it offers a good starting place. It is nice when it knows where to place a mod you do not.

Right now you have about 30 plugins and couple new BSA files sitting in your Data folder. The game might load. It is time work it into a run-able order. OBMM users, close OBMM and open Wrye Bash; BAIN users, switch to the Mods tab; manual users need to launch Wrye Bash as well.

A Quick Introduction to Your Load-Ordering Tools

The two most useful load order management tools are Wrye Bash and BOSS. The former's interface allows users to quickly and easily see the state of the plugins in your data folder, and it pseudo-extends the definition of an Oblivion load order via its bashed patches. The latter backed by an ordered, community-collected list of mods numbering over 10,000, is sufficient to properly order the many user's load orders in its entirety. However, when it does not recognize some plugins (i.e., plugins you create yourself) and leaves them at the bottom of the load order, you can use Bash to hand position them in a more appropriate location.

Right-click on 'File' in Bash

• Lock Times - Check this to have Bash protect other utilities from modifying your load order. That way, as you install other mods or use other utilities you are not using to manage your load order, your load order will be preserved. When you wish to hand place mods, turn this off temporarily. If you run BOSS from outside Bash (instead of from the shortcut along the bottom of the Bash window) you will have to first disable this option if you want BOSS to reorder your plugins. However, if you leave this feature on when you launch BOSS you can still see what the load order would look like as well as the notes for your plugins in the log that appears at the end.
• List Mods... - This function copies your load order, including version numbers, active state and much other information useful to those who would help you troubleshoot problems with your modded setup. The information provided by this feature is far superior to that available via other methods.