alpheus911

Thanks, that makes things clearer. Another thing causing me some confusion: when I run a BAIN installer package I still need to check the esp (if applicable) in the mods tab to active the mod, right? That is, BAIN doesn't do anything beyond just installing & tracking the resource files, right?

I recommend nUbee's guide, it's been the best guide I've encountered: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8BTIQGFFmHPWmNCbVdSUXFDRXc/edit Also, if you read the Wrye Bash readme, it'll save you a good helping of confusion down the road.

I have some Wrye Bash questions some kind soul out here may be able to help with: I've got the basics of using BAIN (aka Bash Installers) semi down, but I don't understand how to load ordering works. There's an ordering to the installers in the installers tab, and then again another load ordering in the mods tab. How do they relate? The installed BAINs show up in the mod tab right? If I change the loading order in the mods tab does it update the load order in the installers tab? (and vice versa?) If I have a load order set up in OBMM, how does that play with the ordering set up in Wrye Bash's mods & installers tab? I ask because while I'd rather forget OBMM exists, (I don't need to use two programs that can do the same thing!) some big mods I want to use have OBMM packages setup, but are buku trouble if I want to try to make a BAIN package for. How about when I make a bashed patch - once I make a bashed patch comprised of mods x, y & z, is there any reason I need to keep x.esp, y.esp & z.esp around in the data folder or should I just then pull them out of there? Will Wrye Bash tag any esp's that have been merged into a bashed patch as such, so I know I can junk them?

It can be done. The best recent guide I've come across is nUbee's guide for FCOM 1.0: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8BTIQGFFmHPWmNCbVdSUXFDRXc/edit?pli=1 Following it to the letter worked great for me. Where I ran into pain was when I tried to get all my other favorite mods to work on top of it. (Deadly Reflex, Midas Magic, Morroblivion, and heaps others) Which ones were causing me grief I haven't been able to tell. Going through fresh install and this time testing the game out after every mod that isn't completely trivial in scope. Edit: Also going to do my best to not manually install ANYTHING as when you do it can make finding the source of problems & managing conflicts much MUCH more difficult.

Well the SuperPack project appears to be offically dead, so 6.4.2 is the last release. I ran it, it works fine, but it includes a whole bunch of gameplay mods. (not FCOM standard ones, or even widely known ones, just a bunch of stuff the author likes I guess) Mods that I really didn't want, and since the installer program gives you zero options about what components to install, the only way to deactivate said unwanted components is to go back to Wrye Bash, rebuild the bashed patch, etc etc. So why bother now since I'll have to go through most of the hassle I hoped to avoid. An installer idea is still great idea as FCOM is somewhat of a PITA to install, especially if you don't have a lot of time to devote to it. (and searching through the spotty documentation on how to use & understand Wrye Bash) Double that if you want to add a bunch of other hefty mods to your game, Deadly Reflex comes to mind. If someone makes an FCOM installer I think it absolutely must give the user options about what components to install. If someone ever wants to make an FCOM + other popular/big/compelex mods installer I will give them a nice tip & be its hype man. I'm sure many other people would too. If I was rich I'd start a fully paid mega mod installer project.

I'm in the same boat as OP regarding getting back into Oblivion modded to the gills. I had gotten several older versions of FCOM to work, but since the installation process always seems to change, that and I forget how I did it the last times, (the bash part of the name Wrye Bash must come from the part where the user bashes their head into the wall) I'm trying the 6.42 SuperPack to see if it can save me the hassle. I'll post here on how it goes.