Elder Scrolls Oblivion

Bethesda

2006

Games Master:   No volunteers

Oblivion, the fourth game in the Elder Scrolls series, is set within the province of Cyrodiil, the heartland and Imperial capital of Tamriel. Emperor Uriel Septim VII is assassinated in flight from his own palace, but just before he dies he passes to you - the foreordained of his dreams - the mystic Amulet of Kings. The adventure begins with the quest to find Uriel's lost and illegitimate son, the only heir to the throne. In a world where the forces of darkness seek their ultimate dominion over the ranks of man and mer alike, you alone stand between the future of Tamriel and the gates of Oblivion.

What are mods? Are they the same as plug-ins, patches, or expansions? What do they do? Will they mess up my game? What else do I need to know before using them or making them?

Mods are modifications of the original game...

The terms mod and plug-in are interchangeable (in other words: yes, they're the same). Patches and expansions are not the same, however. Patches are official files intended to correct errors in the original game, and expansions add official content to the game.

Some mods add content (such as new weapons, NPCs, quests, clothing, faces, buildings, etc.), and others seek to balance issues in the original game, such as making items or NPCs either more or less powerful. Still others seek to improve upon what was already in the game in various other ways.

Mods for Oblivion are a lot less likely to cause game-breaking problems than with Morrowind, due to major improvements in the way the game engine handles mods. This doesn't mean mods can't cause problems. It does mean that Oblivion mods can almost always be removed safely if you decide you don't like them.

Before using mods, you'll need to decide what kind you want to play. No one can answer that for you, so don't bother asking very broad questions on the forums such as "Which mods should I download?" It's fine to ask for other members opinions on specific mods you're thinking of downloading, though.