Modding for Dummies

The dummy in question would be me, btw.

I know nothing of PC gaming but have decided to put my toe in the water with Morrowind, after hearing so many good things about it. I initially hoped to see if I could get newer games on my system, but it appears that hope was misplaced. I am excited though to give this game a try, but most of what I've read seems to indicate that modding is in order if I'm to have the best experience possible. Thing is, I don't know exactly what that means other than the rudimentary "modifications to the game that increase user enjoyment." So I have some questions I hope CoG can answer:

1. I'm buying the game from Steam. Will I be able to mod it? I ask because it distinctly says that the Mod Construction Set is not included in the download. I'm not sure if that means I can't add mods or create them (I assume the latter but remember I'm a dummy).

2. Er, how exactly do you mod? Do you first have to install the game then the mods/patches? Or is it the other way around? Will these mods come with instructions?

3. Can mods be added/deleted at any point in the player's progress, or do I need to settle myself with the mods before starting the game?

4. My laptop seems to meet the minimum specs for Morrowind, but how will I know if it does so for the mods? Trial and error?

5. Er, is there a good mod set for Morrowind anyone knows of? I remember reading once when I was lurking (over at EvAv I believe) that there was one "master" mod set for Oblivion. Does such a thing exist for Morrowind?

TIA for any advice/pointers/specifics.

[Hawkzombie]

1. Yes. The game should have the mod folder like Oblivion (I dunno for sure as I never played Morrowind much) right in the install directory.

2. Install the game, then add in the mods. Some come with installers, others are drag and drop. 99% of these will give detailed instructions. I dunno if Morrowind has the same thing as Oblivion, but if you can find something like the OblivionModManager, it makes installing and running them a bit easier, as some mods WILL conflict with others, simply because of the order in which they're loaded.

3. Yes, you CAN remove mods. However, game changing mods are more difficult to remove cleanly. Once you take out a mod, then you can't easily put it back either. I'd recommend finding the ones you want and sticking with them. Less headaches.

4. If it meets the specs for the game, unless the mods are Hi-Res or do something weird, you're fine.

5. No clue

[nabokovfan87]

Originally Posted by civil

1. I'm buying the game from Steam. Will I be able to mod it? I ask because it distinctly says that the Mod Construction Set is not included in the download. I'm not sure if that means I can't add mods or create them (I assume the latter but remember I'm a dummy).

2. Er, how exactly do you mod? Do you first have to install the game then the mods/patches? Or is it the other way around? Will these mods come with instructions?

3. Can mods be added/deleted at any point in the player's progress, or do I need to settle myself with the mods before starting the game?

4. My laptop seems to meet the minimum specs for Morrowind, but how will I know if it does so for the mods? Trial and error?

5. Er, is there a good mod set for Morrowind anyone knows of? I remember reading once when I was lurking (over at EvAv I believe) that there was one "master" mod set for Oblivion. Does such a thing exist for Morrowind?

TIA for any advice/pointers/specifics.

1. Nine times out of ten, yes. Shouldn't be an issue.

2. Typically there is a website or some place where a collection of mods is kept (moddb for insance), where you search by game and just select the ones you want. Download the file to your desktop, it will almost always have instructions on where to put the files (always is a good idea to backup a copy of the game, pre-mods). If there is some confusion, look back on the site where you downloaded it, or search the mods name and install in google to find out more. To "mod" something just means replace file x with y, you just need to know where they are located. At most, you might need to go into a text file and add a filename to a list.

3. They should be yes. like I said, a very good idea to backup the games files intially before you change them.

4. It depends on the mod. Let's say you want to replace a weapon texture, it would be the same size, and just change what something looks like. However, lets say you install a hi res version a texture, then you might see some performance loss. If you are playing fallout 3 and you decide to add trees everywhere, the game will have to work harder to map all of that stuff out, so yes there can be a performance hit. It all depends on the circumstances and how involved the mod is.

5. Almost certainly, just do a google search for "best morrowind mods".

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.co...p?content=mods

http://topsites.moddb.com/all/?game=36

Originally Posted by Hawkzombie

some mods WILL conflict with others, simply because of the order in which they're loaded.

Forgot to mention, but yes, this can arise. If one mod is changing something and another mod uses one of the same files, or if there just aren't enough resources in the games engine available to do all the things required. Best bet is to try them all one at a time, or watch a video on youtube of them, pick 1-5 of them and stick with that.

Or, as hawk said, find a mod manager. With a big RPG like that there is bound to be one.

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.co...s.detail&id=10

[Shieldmaiden]

TESNexus is your friend, although they have Morrowind and Oblivion files on the same site, so make sure you're looking at the Morrowind ones.

Thanks all!

Sweet Jesus, that's a shit-ton of add-ons. To the point of being overwhelming...

[Squidbot]

Our little boy is growing up. I'm so proud.

My one piece of advice would be to play the games without mods first. If you find something frustrating about the game then maybe look into seeing if there is a mod to relive that frustration. An example of that would be when I was playing Oblivion, not long after I started my play through I saved and ran off to find a mod to add saddle bags to my mount.

I usually only mod if something really pisses me off, or if I've played through the game already and want a new experience from it, however some games scream for mods. It really depends on if you want your first experience with the game to be "As the devs intended".

Just my two euros worth. Do whatever Playing modded games can sometimes be more fun than the original.

Originally Posted by Squidbot

Our little boy is growing up. I'm so proud.

You know, it would do a lot for my self confidence if you stopped referring to my penis that way.

[Hawkzombie]

Oblivion is the only game I've ever played where I can't fucking stand it vanilla.

[Squidbot]

Originally Posted by civil

You know, it would do a lot for my self confidence if you stopped referring to my penis that way.

Fine, I'll go back to calling it Sir Spitsalot.

[roboninja]

Get the mod for Morriwind that removes all Cliff Racers from the game. Trust me, you do not want the nightmares.

Originally Posted by roboninja

Get the mod for Morriwind that removes all Cliff Racers from the game. Trust me, you do not want the nightmares.

? Aren't those the things from Star Wars: TPM?

Also: Do I need to let Steam run all the time in the background? I hate running processes/startups, but everything I'm reading about Steam indicates it always needs to be running.

[Hotcod]

the last time I played morrowind I think I had 2-3Gb's of mods installed

[Squidbot]

So you installed a different game then?

I think my question was lost among the Brits!

Does Steam need to be running in the background every time you play a game purchased from it? That steals precious resources from my humble laptop!

[Squidbot]

Yes it does.

PC Gaming sucks!

[Hotcod]

Originally Posted by Squidbot

Yes it does.

He done got it right yes siry bob

[Hotcod]

Originally Posted by civil

PC Gaming sucks!

YOU suck

[Vandabo]

LOL at the cliff racers mod. Those things are incredibly annoying. For those who haven't played, they are essentially pterodactyls that dwell everywhere outside the towns and attack you as you travel between them. They will follow you to the ends of the earth and you can just keep aggroing more and more of them.

Which is why you need a 100% chameleon suit.

[LongStepMantis]

The mod that removes cliff racers, and the one that removes the carnivorous fish whose name I can't recall.

Both are annoying, frequently encountered enemies with no valuable leftovers. Cliff racers have a tendency to attack you from above, so half the time you will be out wandering somewhere and start taking hits. You look up and there's 3 of them just hovering over you. Annoying really doesn't begin to describe them. The fish just have a tendency to nip you in the ass anytime you go near water. You're swimming, start taking hits, turn around and they're biting your ass off. Neither of them is a threat, even in numbers. They're just there to slow you down and make you curse under your breath after you kill the 50th one in 15 minutes.