MGSO vs. Morrowind Rebirth for first time playthrough?

[poke_ravi]

Hi all. I'm going to play this game (my first ES game) for the first time and want to find a good mod that doesn't change the gameplay too much (except fixing annoyingbugs) and also improves the graphics. I was initially going to go with MGSO but apparently it has a bunch of issues? And Morrowind Rebirth seems nice but it looks like it alters the gameplay way too much for a first time playthrough. Having said that which one is better for first playthrough?

[Smellsbad]

I'd be keen on hearing peoples thoughts on this as well.

[PipboiXXVII]

You could just play it vanilla?

[krashd]

MGSO has never given me any problems, just remember to only save indoors if you are going to quit out of the game as save games can develop bugs if you save out in the wilderness and close the game. Also have a few saves on the go just in case the latest one does glitch, but that is a given for just about any RPG these days.

[The Burning One]

From what I heard rebirth changes quest rewards which I don’t like that kind of stuff i like having a idea of what I’m getting

[Pajeet $ Patel]

MGSO has a million different problems, ranging from missing meshes to outdated mods. It's also not very vanilla friendly, because the textures don't match and the sounds of cats screeching in towns and taverns is super unimmersive. If you're adamant on using it though, then you can follow this guide[www.nexusmods.com] (or this one) to fix most of its problems.

Morrowind Rebirth can be great for newer players. The only issue I have with Rebirth is that it's so incompatible with everything, and cannot make up its mind as to what it wants to be. It throws in a bunch of graphics mods but then leaves out the basics like body replacers etc. It can be frustrating to find essential mods that work well with Rebirth. So my recommendation is to do the following: Grab HD Vanilla Textures[www.nexusmods.com], MGE XE[www.nexusmods.com], MCP[www.nexusmods.com], and use those with it. This should be enough for a good Rebirth playthrough.

Alternatively you could always follow another guide like STEP[wiki.step-project.com], or you can just browse the nexus and find what you best suits you.

[poke_ravi]

Hmm okay. So again I don't want to alter the gameplay experience from vanilla that much so rebirth wouldn't be right for me right? So if I want to just improve the graphics and fix any unaddresseed bugs then HD vanilla textures and the morrowind code patch should be okay? I want whatever mod gives me the best looking graphics basically.

[Pajeet $ Patel]

Oh yeah if you just want a decent vanilla experience then go for MGE + MCP + HD Vanilla Textures. If you want bug fixes then "Patch for Purists" is without a doubt the best. Another good mod is "Morrowind Content Restoration" , because it remains vanilla friendly while also restoring content that was unfortunately left out of the game. Finally I also recommend "Modern User Interface" because the UI in Vanilla Morrowind is dreadful, and this is the best replacer imo.

[poke_ravi]

Yeah content that was left out is okay for me so I'll install the Content Resoration mod. Just wasn't comfortable with how much Rebirth altered the existing game.

Okay so I will install MGE, MCP, HD vanilla textures, content restoration and patch for purists all together and that should be okay?

[The Burning One]

MGSO probably best bet

[Pajeet $ Patel]

Yes. They're all compatible.

Also I forgot to say that if you want city changes like what Morrowind Rebirth gives you then you can also check out "More Detailed Places" because it respects Vanilla design as well as adding small but detailed changes. In fact the author sums it up nicely in the comments "Choose this mod if you want simply more detailed locations that are very close to the original ones. Choose MW Rebirth if you want to experience something completely different. Choose MGSO if you want error messages, oddly mixed textures and loud cat noises."

[Asus]

Use my guide for MGSO. It works. Period. MGSO / Patches / Fixes / + Mods

Btw... cats sounds can be turned off in the options.

Maybe that's too much work for some people (disable sounds... in the fricken options).

Can't fix stupid.

[Pajeet $ Patel]

There is no option to disable the cat noises specifically. You have to delete them manually or miss out on the other added sounds. Furthermore, even with a "patched" MGSO you will still be left with an unoptimized and outdated mess, with assets varying in quality and art style so much that taking a silt strider from one place to another is like visiting a different planet each time.

Like I said. STEP is an updated alternative (still unoptimized and varied but at least it uses newer assets). Although you probably want to find and install mods yourself. I usually like to stick with Darknut's work since he covers pretty much everything (World Textures, Creatures, Armors etc.) but Connary, Tyddy, & Lougian are fantastic too.

[Asus]

Originally posted by Crown:

There is no option to disable the cat noises specifically. You have to delete them manually or miss out on the other added sounds. Furthermore, even with a "patched" MGSO you will still be left with an unoptimized and outdated mess, with assets varying in quality and art style so much that taking a silt strider from one place to another is like visiting a different planet each time.

Like I said. STEP is an updated alternative (still unoptimized and varied but at least it uses newer assets). Although you probably want to find and install mods yourself. I usually like to stick with Darknut's work since he covers pretty much everything (World Textures, Creatures, Armors etc.) but Connary, Tyddy, & Lougian are fantastic too.

MGSO works just fine patched. As far as the cats sounds, all the new sounds that come with MGSO are stupid imo, so I disable them all. What do you care anyway about "missing out on the other added sounds" when you don't even want people to use MGSO in the first place? Btw Morrowind is a unique world, and the locations within Morrowind are supposed to be varied from place to place. MGSO is not responsible for that 'art style'.

If you don't like MGSO that's fine, but you don't have to be an anal-retentive / OCD douchebag. Everyone has their own opinion about how to mod Morrowind. For me MGSO fits the bill. I work a full-time job and don't have time to download and install a ridiculous amount of mods. The guide I posted with links to a few patches (and texture replacers) works like a charm. It looks beautiful, and it's bug free. Thank you very much.

Now take your STEPS and shove it up your (anal-retentive / OCD) ass.

EDIT: One more thing. Almost everything in MGSO can be updated, with LITTLE effort I might add. That is, if you MUST have the newest of the most newest of the new.

[Pajeet $ Patel]

Take a chill pill lmao.

First off, MGSO uses a variety of different sound mods. Some of them are actually pretty great, while some of them are dreadful and unimmersive. The annoying cat sounds was an example of the bad ones.

Notice that I also did not comment on whether your guide did as it was intended to do. If you did manage to fix every single bug in MGSO, then good job. I get that people don't all have the time to make a "perfect" Morrowind. I would argue though that a vanilla-esque loadout would still be better and contain less head aches along the way. There's also the whole other issue of MGSO not respecting mod author's wishes. But that's a big topic in and of itself.

On the topic of Morrowind being a unique place: Of course I realize this, but travelling across an island shouldn't be like visiting several different countries on several different continents. That's unrealistic even by Vvardenfell standards.

Also I'm not being an "Anal-Retentive / OCD WhatEverYouSaidHere", I'm just stating a fact. MGSO is outdated. It is badly optimized. And it is just a bunch of mods thrown into a compilation with varying degrees of quality. If you want to recommend it then fine, that's your opinion. But I'm still going to voice mine against it because there are so many better alternatives out there.

Finally, I personally don't think STEP is much better than MGSO. It uses newer assets, and that's all I was pointing out. It also takes a lot longer to install because it respects Mod Author's wishes by only providing download links for each mod.

So yeah, chill. I didn't insult you and I have no intention of doing so. I was simply helping this dude find mods for his playthrough. I voiced my opinion, which I have a right to as much as you do.

[Asus]

Originally posted by Crown:

First off, MGSO uses a variety of different sound mods. Some of them are actually pretty great, while some of them are dreadful and unimmersive. The annoying cat sounds was an example of the bad ones.

Again I ask you, why would you care about "missing out on the other added sounds" when you don't even want people to use MGSO in the first place? Does it really matter if some of the sounds are great if you are completely against others using MGSO? Makes no sense.

Btw... Even if there is no 'specific' option to disable the 'cat sound', I see no major issue with simply deleting the sound file. This IS modding after all.

Originally posted by Crown:

travelling across an island shouldn't be like visiting several different countries on several different continents. That's unrealistic even by Vvardenfell standards.

Says who? That is a matter of opinion, and it's just that, your opinion. I don't share the same opinion. There is no 'right' answer here.

Originally posted by Crown:

MGSO is outdated. It is badly optimized.

- Yes MGSO is outdated, but as I have already stated, almost everything in MGSO can be updated with little effort, so this is rather trivial.

- It is badly optimized, I agree, but I have a powerful PC. Most (gaming PCs) built within the last 5 years should have no problems running MGSO (and at the highest settings). If gamers can't run MGSO then they probably shouldn't even be trying to heavily mod games in the first place, as this usually requires a beefy rig that can handle higher res textures, along with added cpu intensive mods.

Originally posted by Crown:

it is just a bunch of mods thrown into a compilation with varying degrees of quality.

And your point? That's the reason behind MGSO. One can install multiple mods with just a few clicks without the need to manually download, and install individual mods. MGSO does what it was made to do.

Yes it does have some varying degrees of quality, but if you're not happy with a mod, then get rid of it, or replace it. No rocket science required.

I'm perfectly content with a patched MGSO. MGSO / Patches / Fixes / + Mods

It looks beautiful, and have yet to run into anything game (or immersion) breaking.

See how 'chill' that was? "lmao"...