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Scribe [bot] 2025-01-09 13:43:40 -06:00
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@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ again sometime. Farewell, and as they say on the Emerald Isle: CHEERS!</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ new challenger will appear. Until then.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ and confusion. And I love recursion.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public keys.
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Rest in peace, Chaz. You were a good man, a good father, and a friend.
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public keys.
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ philosophy that works only if you do not think about it too carefully"
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ Sources:
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ tonight, I will feast.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ all of my responses.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ enough. Farewell.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ knew his destiny would not let him stray far.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ better the world around him.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ them as an indifference, preferred but never at the expense of virtue.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ wherever you walk.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ necessary.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ definitely hold its own, though it does require a ramp-up time.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ uses the loo, and dont let him hurt himself).</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ complete walk-thru of my installation of my full mod list.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ Oblivion from scratch.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ up-to-date. If you use it, let me know!</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ maybe batch upload files, and be low impact on my desktop. So thats next.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ backup. When I do, Ill update this post.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ installer for a game.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ appealing! Until next month!</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ share, then I want to!</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -0,0 +1,470 @@
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<title>The Internet Vagabond :: Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</title>
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<article>
<h1 id="oblivion-on-linux-lutris-edition">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</h1>
<p>I love Oblivion. Ive written before about setting up Oblivion on Linux using
the Steam version, Proton and a handful of aliases: <a href="/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html">Part
1</a> covers most of the tooling setup, and <a href="/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html">Part
2</a> covers some mods I liked. This setup
works, though it is a bit of a hassle to manage. It requires running the tools
individually through aliases from a terminal, which can be intimidating and
unfriendly. It also requires the Steam version of Oblivion.</p>
<p>When I recently decided to return to Cyrodiil and close some gates, I wanted to
review my setup, and also my mod list. I discovered that Wrye Bash now does have
a native Linux application (as does LOOT!). However, I opted to stick with using
Wine and Windows versions of these applications due to a complication of modding
Oblivion in general: the case-sensitive nature of the filesystem. On Linux, the
filesystem is case-sensitive; on Windows, the filesystem is <strong>not</strong>
case-sensitive. For modding, this means if you extract an archive with a
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/meshes</code> folder, but your current setup has a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/Meshes</code> directory, on
Linux youll end up with two directories: <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/Meshes</code> <em>and</em> <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/meshes</code>.
There are solutions to this problem on Linux, namely using an EXT-4 filesystem.
I dont feel like reformatting my disks, and so Ill let Wine handle it. It may
mean a slight performance hit, but its Oblivion - there are <strong>always</strong>
performance hits. If there arent performance hits, then you havent modded the
game enough yet.</p>
<h2 id="setup-game">Setup: Game</h2>
<p>Ill be using <a href="https://lutris.net">Lutris</a> to handle installing and launching
the game. No more terminal aliases! Im also using the <a href="https://www.gog.com/en/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the">GOG version of
Oblivion</a>.
Lutris allows you to link your GOG account, and easily install games using Wine
(or native versions, if available!). In Lutris, I install the game to my
preferred destination, using the default GOG Wine install script. After
installation, I launch the game once to generate some initial configuration
files, and verify things work as expected. Before the next steps, there is a
significant change: the Wine version. In order to use the latest version of Wrye
Bash through Lutris, I had to change the Wine version from my Lutris default,
<em>wine-ge-8-26</em>, to my latest system version, 9.22. There seems to be a Windows
API which Wrye Bash relies upon which isnt handled well in Wine versions
previous to 9.</p>
<p>Lutris can also install from downloaded GOG installers, without having to link
accounts. Make sure to download all the parts (for Oblivion, there are 3: a
small EXE, and two BIN files). When installing, make sure all the downloaded
files are in the same directory. In Lutris, click the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">+</code> button to add a new
game, and select “Install a Windows game from an executable.” Name the game as
you wish, and add identifier
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe</code> for the GOG
version. Itll pull down nice looking images. On the next screen, click the
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Install</code> button next to “Setup file”, choose your desired directory, and then
select the EXE downloaded from the three files above. Lutris will create the
Wine prefix, and load the GOG Installer. Make note of the directory you chose
above for installation (default will be in the Lutris game library directory,
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Lutris Hamburger Menu</code> -&gt; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Preferences</code> -&gt; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Storage</code> -&gt; <em>Game Library</em>), and
substitute it accordingly below.</p>
<p>Assuming everything is setup and running, the last step here is to note where
Lutris installed the game. The path to the directory will differ, but the
directory structure should be similar to the below. The Lutris “Directory”
(Right-Click -&gt; Configure) value will bring you to the Wine directory (with
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">drive_c</code>), and from there will be the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory (or possibly
renamed; this can be changed during the GOG install process), and then the
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code> directory.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Lutris
|-&gt; gog
|-&gt; the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe
|-&gt; drive_c
|-&gt; GOG Games
|-&gt; Oblivion
|- Data
|- Oblivion.exe
|- ...
</code></pre></div></div>
<h3 id="xobse">xOBSE</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/llde/xOBSE">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37952">Nexus Links</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The Oblivion Script Extender is required for many mods, and should be considered
essential for anything beyond a strict vanilla playthrough. Download the latest
version, and extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code> directory. When you launch Wrye Bash
(covered next), in the lower-left corner, on the icon bar, should be a green
checkbox. Hovering over it will notify you that OBSE is enabled. Clicking that
box will toggle OBSE. Generally, make sure it is enabled (checked).</p>
<p>At this point, before any other tools, when you double-click/Play Oblivion, it
will launch the purely vanilla Oblivion that was installed above. To use OBSE,
right-click Oblivion in Lutris, choose <em>Configure</em>, and on the “Game Options”
tab, change the <em>Executable</em> by clicking the button with three dots (labeled
“Select a file”) to <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">obse_loader.exe</code>. Save the changes, and re-launch.</p>
<h2 id="pre-setup-tools">Pre-Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Before setting up the modding tools, it is required to run Oblivion once. This
will generate the INI file.</p>
<p>I also recommend adding the Wrye Bash <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file detailed below before
running Wrye Bash for the first time. By declaring where the executable for
Oblivion is, Wrye Bash wont try to automatically find it, which can cause some
troubles or confusion.</p>
<h2 id="setup-tools">Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Ill be using the following tools. When possible, download the stand-alone
version of the tool. To make things easy, I use the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory for
all the tools.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>drive_c
|-&gt; GOG Games
|- BethINI
|- LOOT
|- Mods
|- Mopy
|- Oblivion
|- TES4Edit
</code></pre></div></div>
<h3 id="wrye-bash">Wrye Bash</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/wrye-bash/wrye-bash">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wrye-bash.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22368">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Mod manager, and <strong>everything else</strong> launcher in this setup. One of the most
exciting results of this setup is handling almost all modding management through
the Wrye Bash UI. From the Project Link, download the stand-alone executable
from the releases. I extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory, which will create
a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory. Within that will be the executable, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wrye Bash.exe</code>. Next,
in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory, copy the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash_default.ini</code> file to <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code>. Make
the following changes (or replace <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> with this information):</p>
<div class="language-ini highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code><span class="nn">[General]</span>
<span class="c">; -- Path to mod directory.
; These are relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sOblivionMods</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span>
<span class="py">sBashModData</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash Mod Data</span>
<span class="py">sInstallersData</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash Installers</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash</span>
<span class="c">; -- Path to the Oblivion directory.
; "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
</span><span class="py">sOblivionPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\G</span><span class="s">OG Games</span><span class="se">\O</span><span class="s">blivion</span>
<span class="c">; -- User directory stuff.
; "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
; Make sure to replace YOUR-USERNAME with your username
</span><span class="py">sUserPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span>
<span class="py">sPersonalPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span><span class="se">\D</span><span class="s">ocuments</span>
<span class="py">sLocalAppDataPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span><span class="se">\A</span><span class="s">ppData</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">ocal</span>
<span class="nn">[Tool Options]</span>
<span class="c">; -- TES4Edit
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sTes4EditPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4Edit</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4Edit.exe</span>
<span class="c">; -- TES4LODGen
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sTes4LodGenPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4LodGen</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">es4LODGen.exe</span>
<span class="c">; -- LOOT
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sLOOT</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">OOT</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">OOT.exe</span>
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>In this configuration, the relative paths are relative to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code>
directory (where the game executable is). For all remaining tool setup, modify
the paths in this configuration to match the paths for the tool executable (or,
rename the tool directories, which is what I prefer).</p>
<p>This is where the magic happens: within Lutris, right-click Oblivion and choose
<em>Configure</em>. On the “Game Options” tab, change the <em>Executable</em> by clicking the
button with three dots (labeled “Select a file”), and choose the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wrye Bash.exe</code>
executable in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory. Save the configuration, and
double-click/Play Oblivion. This time, Wrye Bash will start up (<strong>Remember:</strong>
This will not work on versions of Wine older than 9!).</p>
<p>At this point, when you want to play Oblivion, you will open Lutris, and launch
“Oblivion.” This will launch Wrye Bash. You can then click the Oblivion icon in
the lower-left icon bar to launch the game. As additional tools are configured,
they will appear in the lower-left icon bar (everything except BethINI). To use
the tool, youll run it from Wrye Bash.</p>
<h3 id="loot">LOOT</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/loot/loot">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://loot.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
</ul>
<p>LOOT handles mod load order. Another application with a native Linux version. I
had previous run into some bugs, but everything looks to work as expected now.
Despite that, I still download and use the stand-alone Windows version (the
archive from the releases, not the EXE). I extract it to my <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code>
directory, and rename the directory (or edit the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file) so the
executable is where my Wrye Bash configuration expects it.</p>
<p>If setup properly, when you run Wrye Bash, in the lower-left corner will be a
bar full of icons, one of which will be a little treasure chest. Clicking it
will launch LOOT. From there, sort the order, and then close LOOT. Wrye Bash
will refresh, and you can continue on. LOOT will also notify you of any “dirty”
mods, which can be cleaned using TES4Edit (see below).</p>
<h3 id="tes4edit">TES4Edit</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/TES5Edit/TES5Edit">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tes5edit.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11536">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Im still not a mod creator, so my uses of TES4Edit are limited to “quick
cleaning.” From the project page or Nexus, download the latest version, and
extract the archive to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory. Rename the directory or edit
the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file so Wrye Bash can find it; restart Wrye Bash to verify. Wrye
Bash doesnt include a dedicated short-cut for the “Quick Auto Clean” option,
instead you have to right-click on the TES4Edit short-cut (or the TES4LodGen
short-cut), and choose “Quick Auto Clean”. Choose the mod to clean from the
list, click OK, and let the program do its work.</p>
<h3 id="tes4lodgen">TES4LODGen</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/TES5Edit/xLODGen">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/16-xLODGen.html">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/15781?tab=description">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>This will generate LOD files ahead of time, allowing for more distant objects to
be shown as you adventure around Cyrodiil. Download the archive, and extract it
to where Wrye Bash expects it, either changing the directory name or updating
the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file accordingly. After mod installation is complete, click the
icon from the icon bar to generate the LOD files.</p>
<h3 id="bethini">BethINI</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46440">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">BethINI</code> helps manage the “oblivion.ini” file, providing sane options and a
wizard for configuration. This is the only tool that is not run from Wrye Bash.
However, its still pretty easy to work with. Download the stand-alone archive,
extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory.</p>
<p>To run the tool, in Lutris single-click on Oblivion. A bar should appear with
some additional details about Oblivion, including some buttons: one will say
“Play”, and one will look like a wine glass; each will have a small button with
an up-facing arrow. Click the arrow button next to the wine glass button, and
select “Run EXE inside Wine prefix.” Navigate into <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">drive_c</code>, then <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code>,
and into the directory you just set up for BethINI, and select <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">BethINI.exe</code>.</p>
<p>Wrye Bash does allow for custom application short-cuts, but it requires creating
a Windows shortcut <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.lnk</code> file, and I cannot figure out an easier way to do
that than to just run it from Lutris.</p>
<h2 id="post-setup-tools">Post-Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Verify each tool runs as expected. Conveniently, all the Bethesda DLCs are
“dirty,” so LOOT will notify you, and then you can clean them. Run BethINI,
generate LOD files, and run the game from Wrye Bash. Praise Todd.</p>
<h2 id="mods">Mods</h2>
<p>Wrye Bash on Windows can install mods from an archive, but with this setup that
functionality is unreliable. Instead, I extract the mod archives manually before
installing them with Wrye Bash. For each mod that I want to use, Ill create a
directory in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mods -&gt; Bash Installers</code> directory, and extract the mod
archive into that directory. Then, within Wrye Bash, on the “Installers” tab, I
can install mods as expected.</p>
<p>For actually using Wrye Bash, I recommend <a href="https://www.shrine-of-kynareth.de/wrye-bash-for-beginners-part-1-installation-and-installers-tab">laulajatars
guide</a>.
Obviously, you can skip the installation steps for both Wrye Bash and OBSE.
There is also the <a href="https://wrye-bash.github.io/docs/Wrye%20Bash%20General%20Readme.html">Wrye Bash
Manual</a>.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-problems">Lutris Setup: Problems</h2>
<p>The significant problem with this setup is no way to alt-tab away from the game.
To make things even more inconvenient, playing in a windowed mode also doesnt
work, and shows only a black screen with audio. I havent done an exhaustive
trial of options and mods yet to try and fix this, because it isnt a major
problem to me.</p>
<p>The second inconvenience is as I mentioned above, with Wrye Bash not installing
mods directly from archives. Again, not a major problem to me.</p>
<p>I suspect that both of the problems can be resolved with some Wine tweaks.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-benefits">Lutris Setup: Benefits</h2>
<p>What this setup gets right is ease of use, and ease of replication. All tools
(except BethINI, for now) and the game are run from Wrye Bash. No juggling
multiple application entries, aliases, or special setups. Plus, all tools, mods,
and the game itself are all within the Lutris directory, making multiple setups
a breeze: just copy the directory. In Lutris, you can then duplicate the entry
(Right-Click -&gt; Duplicate), and edit the executable (Right-Click -&gt; Configure -&gt;
“Game options” tab -&gt; <em>Executable</em>) to point to the new directory.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-next-steps">Lutris Setup: Next-Steps</h2>
<p>The most useful next step would be automating this process, by building a Lutris
install script. Also, resolving the alt-tab and windowed problems above.</p>
<div class="author_info">
Bill Niblock
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2025-01-09
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" ><generator uri="https://jekyllrb.com/" version="4.3.3">Jekyll</generator><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" /><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" /><updated>2025-01-03T13:48:04-06:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xml</id><title type="html">The Internet Vagabond</title><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><entry><title type="html">Life in Progress: January, 2025</title><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update.html" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Life in Progress: January, 2025" /><published>2025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00</published><updated>2025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update.html"><![CDATA[<h1 id="life-in-progress-january-2025">Life in Progress: January, 2025</h1>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" ><generator uri="https://jekyllrb.com/" version="4.3.3">Jekyll</generator><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" /><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" /><updated>2025-01-09T13:43:39-06:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xml</id><title type="html">The Internet Vagabond</title><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><entry><title type="html">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</title><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris.html" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition" /><published>2025-01-09T00:00:00-06:00</published><updated>2025-01-09T00:00:00-06:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris.html"><![CDATA[<h1 id="oblivion-on-linux-lutris-edition">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</h1>
<p>I love Oblivion. Ive written before about setting up Oblivion on Linux using
the Steam version, Proton and a handful of aliases: <a href="/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html">Part
1</a> covers most of the tooling setup, and <a href="/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html">Part
2</a> covers some mods I liked. This setup
works, though it is a bit of a hassle to manage. It requires running the tools
individually through aliases from a terminal, which can be intimidating and
unfriendly. It also requires the Steam version of Oblivion.</p>
<p>When I recently decided to return to Cyrodiil and close some gates, I wanted to
review my setup, and also my mod list. I discovered that Wrye Bash now does have
a native Linux application (as does LOOT!). However, I opted to stick with using
Wine and Windows versions of these applications due to a complication of modding
Oblivion in general: the case-sensitive nature of the filesystem. On Linux, the
filesystem is case-sensitive; on Windows, the filesystem is <strong>not</strong>
case-sensitive. For modding, this means if you extract an archive with a
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/meshes</code> folder, but your current setup has a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/Meshes</code> directory, on
Linux youll end up with two directories: <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/Meshes</code> <em>and</em> <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Data/meshes</code>.
There are solutions to this problem on Linux, namely using an EXT-4 filesystem.
I dont feel like reformatting my disks, and so Ill let Wine handle it. It may
mean a slight performance hit, but its Oblivion - there are <strong>always</strong>
performance hits. If there arent performance hits, then you havent modded the
game enough yet.</p>
<h2 id="setup-game">Setup: Game</h2>
<p>Ill be using <a href="https://lutris.net">Lutris</a> to handle installing and launching
the game. No more terminal aliases! Im also using the <a href="https://www.gog.com/en/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the">GOG version of
Oblivion</a>.
Lutris allows you to link your GOG account, and easily install games using Wine
(or native versions, if available!). In Lutris, I install the game to my
preferred destination, using the default GOG Wine install script. After
installation, I launch the game once to generate some initial configuration
files, and verify things work as expected. Before the next steps, there is a
significant change: the Wine version. In order to use the latest version of Wrye
Bash through Lutris, I had to change the Wine version from my Lutris default,
<em>wine-ge-8-26</em>, to my latest system version, 9.22. There seems to be a Windows
API which Wrye Bash relies upon which isnt handled well in Wine versions
previous to 9.</p>
<p>Lutris can also install from downloaded GOG installers, without having to link
accounts. Make sure to download all the parts (for Oblivion, there are 3: a
small EXE, and two BIN files). When installing, make sure all the downloaded
files are in the same directory. In Lutris, click the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">+</code> button to add a new
game, and select “Install a Windows game from an executable.” Name the game as
you wish, and add identifier
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe</code> for the GOG
version. Itll pull down nice looking images. On the next screen, click the
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Install</code> button next to “Setup file”, choose your desired directory, and then
select the EXE downloaded from the three files above. Lutris will create the
Wine prefix, and load the GOG Installer. Make note of the directory you chose
above for installation (default will be in the Lutris game library directory,
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Lutris Hamburger Menu</code> -&gt; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Preferences</code> -&gt; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Storage</code> -&gt; <em>Game Library</em>), and
substitute it accordingly below.</p>
<p>Assuming everything is setup and running, the last step here is to note where
Lutris installed the game. The path to the directory will differ, but the
directory structure should be similar to the below. The Lutris “Directory”
(Right-Click -&gt; Configure) value will bring you to the Wine directory (with
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">drive_c</code>), and from there will be the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory (or possibly
renamed; this can be changed during the GOG install process), and then the
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code> directory.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Lutris
|-&gt; gog
|-&gt; the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe
|-&gt; drive_c
|-&gt; GOG Games
|-&gt; Oblivion
|- Data
|- Oblivion.exe
|- ...
</code></pre></div></div>
<h3 id="xobse">xOBSE</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/llde/xOBSE">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37952">Nexus Links</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The Oblivion Script Extender is required for many mods, and should be considered
essential for anything beyond a strict vanilla playthrough. Download the latest
version, and extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code> directory. When you launch Wrye Bash
(covered next), in the lower-left corner, on the icon bar, should be a green
checkbox. Hovering over it will notify you that OBSE is enabled. Clicking that
box will toggle OBSE. Generally, make sure it is enabled (checked).</p>
<p>At this point, before any other tools, when you double-click/Play Oblivion, it
will launch the purely vanilla Oblivion that was installed above. To use OBSE,
right-click Oblivion in Lutris, choose <em>Configure</em>, and on the “Game Options”
tab, change the <em>Executable</em> by clicking the button with three dots (labeled
“Select a file”) to <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">obse_loader.exe</code>. Save the changes, and re-launch.</p>
<h2 id="pre-setup-tools">Pre-Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Before setting up the modding tools, it is required to run Oblivion once. This
will generate the INI file.</p>
<p>I also recommend adding the Wrye Bash <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file detailed below before
running Wrye Bash for the first time. By declaring where the executable for
Oblivion is, Wrye Bash wont try to automatically find it, which can cause some
troubles or confusion.</p>
<h2 id="setup-tools">Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Ill be using the following tools. When possible, download the stand-alone
version of the tool. To make things easy, I use the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory for
all the tools.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>drive_c
|-&gt; GOG Games
|- BethINI
|- LOOT
|- Mods
|- Mopy
|- Oblivion
|- TES4Edit
</code></pre></div></div>
<h3 id="wrye-bash">Wrye Bash</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/wrye-bash/wrye-bash">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wrye-bash.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22368">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Mod manager, and <strong>everything else</strong> launcher in this setup. One of the most
exciting results of this setup is handling almost all modding management through
the Wrye Bash UI. From the Project Link, download the stand-alone executable
from the releases. I extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory, which will create
a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory. Within that will be the executable, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wrye Bash.exe</code>. Next,
in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory, copy the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash_default.ini</code> file to <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code>. Make
the following changes (or replace <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> with this information):</p>
<div class="language-ini highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code><span class="nn">[General]</span>
<span class="c">; -- Path to mod directory.
; These are relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sOblivionMods</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span>
<span class="py">sBashModData</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash Mod Data</span>
<span class="py">sInstallersData</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\M</span><span class="s">ods</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash Installers</span><span class="se">\B</span><span class="s">ash</span>
<span class="c">; -- Path to the Oblivion directory.
; "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
</span><span class="py">sOblivionPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\G</span><span class="s">OG Games</span><span class="se">\O</span><span class="s">blivion</span>
<span class="c">; -- User directory stuff.
; "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
; Make sure to replace YOUR-USERNAME with your username
</span><span class="py">sUserPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span>
<span class="py">sPersonalPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span><span class="se">\D</span><span class="s">ocuments</span>
<span class="py">sLocalAppDataPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">C:</span><span class="se">\u</span><span class="s">sers</span><span class="se">\Y</span><span class="s">OUR-USERNAME</span><span class="se">\A</span><span class="s">ppData</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">ocal</span>
<span class="nn">[Tool Options]</span>
<span class="c">; -- TES4Edit
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sTes4EditPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4Edit</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4Edit.exe</span>
<span class="c">; -- TES4LODGen
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sTes4LodGenPath</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">ES4LodGen</span><span class="se">\T</span><span class="s">es4LODGen.exe</span>
<span class="c">; -- LOOT
; Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
</span><span class="py">sLOOT</span><span class="p">=</span><span class="s">..</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">OOT</span><span class="se">\L</span><span class="s">OOT.exe</span>
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>In this configuration, the relative paths are relative to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Oblivion</code>
directory (where the game executable is). For all remaining tool setup, modify
the paths in this configuration to match the paths for the tool executable (or,
rename the tool directories, which is what I prefer).</p>
<p>This is where the magic happens: within Lutris, right-click Oblivion and choose
<em>Configure</em>. On the “Game Options” tab, change the <em>Executable</em> by clicking the
button with three dots (labeled “Select a file”), and choose the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wrye Bash.exe</code>
executable in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mopy</code> directory. Save the configuration, and
double-click/Play Oblivion. This time, Wrye Bash will start up (<strong>Remember:</strong>
This will not work on versions of Wine older than 9!).</p>
<p>At this point, when you want to play Oblivion, you will open Lutris, and launch
“Oblivion.” This will launch Wrye Bash. You can then click the Oblivion icon in
the lower-left icon bar to launch the game. As additional tools are configured,
they will appear in the lower-left icon bar (everything except BethINI). To use
the tool, youll run it from Wrye Bash.</p>
<h3 id="loot">LOOT</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/loot/loot">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://loot.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
</ul>
<p>LOOT handles mod load order. Another application with a native Linux version. I
had previous run into some bugs, but everything looks to work as expected now.
Despite that, I still download and use the stand-alone Windows version (the
archive from the releases, not the EXE). I extract it to my <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code>
directory, and rename the directory (or edit the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file) so the
executable is where my Wrye Bash configuration expects it.</p>
<p>If setup properly, when you run Wrye Bash, in the lower-left corner will be a
bar full of icons, one of which will be a little treasure chest. Clicking it
will launch LOOT. From there, sort the order, and then close LOOT. Wrye Bash
will refresh, and you can continue on. LOOT will also notify you of any “dirty”
mods, which can be cleaned using TES4Edit (see below).</p>
<h3 id="tes4edit">TES4Edit</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/TES5Edit/TES5Edit">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tes5edit.github.io/">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11536">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Im still not a mod creator, so my uses of TES4Edit are limited to “quick
cleaning.” From the project page or Nexus, download the latest version, and
extract the archive to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory. Rename the directory or edit
the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file so Wrye Bash can find it; restart Wrye Bash to verify. Wrye
Bash doesnt include a dedicated short-cut for the “Quick Auto Clean” option,
instead you have to right-click on the TES4Edit short-cut (or the TES4LodGen
short-cut), and choose “Quick Auto Clean”. Choose the mod to clean from the
list, click OK, and let the program do its work.</p>
<h3 id="tes4lodgen">TES4LODGen</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/TES5Edit/xLODGen">Project Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/16-xLODGen.html">Homepage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/15781?tab=description">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p>This will generate LOD files ahead of time, allowing for more distant objects to
be shown as you adventure around Cyrodiil. Download the archive, and extract it
to where Wrye Bash expects it, either changing the directory name or updating
the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">bash.ini</code> file accordingly. After mod installation is complete, click the
icon from the icon bar to generate the LOD files.</p>
<h3 id="bethini">BethINI</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46440">Nexus Link</a></li>
</ul>
<p><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">BethINI</code> helps manage the “oblivion.ini” file, providing sane options and a
wizard for configuration. This is the only tool that is not run from Wrye Bash.
However, its still pretty easy to work with. Download the stand-alone archive,
extract it to the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code> directory.</p>
<p>To run the tool, in Lutris single-click on Oblivion. A bar should appear with
some additional details about Oblivion, including some buttons: one will say
“Play”, and one will look like a wine glass; each will have a small button with
an up-facing arrow. Click the arrow button next to the wine glass button, and
select “Run EXE inside Wine prefix.” Navigate into <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">drive_c</code>, then <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GOG Games</code>,
and into the directory you just set up for BethINI, and select <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">BethINI.exe</code>.</p>
<p>Wrye Bash does allow for custom application short-cuts, but it requires creating
a Windows shortcut <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.lnk</code> file, and I cannot figure out an easier way to do
that than to just run it from Lutris.</p>
<h2 id="post-setup-tools">Post-Setup: Tools</h2>
<p>Verify each tool runs as expected. Conveniently, all the Bethesda DLCs are
“dirty,” so LOOT will notify you, and then you can clean them. Run BethINI,
generate LOD files, and run the game from Wrye Bash. Praise Todd.</p>
<h2 id="mods">Mods</h2>
<p>Wrye Bash on Windows can install mods from an archive, but with this setup that
functionality is unreliable. Instead, I extract the mod archives manually before
installing them with Wrye Bash. For each mod that I want to use, Ill create a
directory in the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mods -&gt; Bash Installers</code> directory, and extract the mod
archive into that directory. Then, within Wrye Bash, on the “Installers” tab, I
can install mods as expected.</p>
<p>For actually using Wrye Bash, I recommend <a href="https://www.shrine-of-kynareth.de/wrye-bash-for-beginners-part-1-installation-and-installers-tab">laulajatars
guide</a>.
Obviously, you can skip the installation steps for both Wrye Bash and OBSE.
There is also the <a href="https://wrye-bash.github.io/docs/Wrye%20Bash%20General%20Readme.html">Wrye Bash
Manual</a>.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-problems">Lutris Setup: Problems</h2>
<p>The significant problem with this setup is no way to alt-tab away from the game.
To make things even more inconvenient, playing in a windowed mode also doesnt
work, and shows only a black screen with audio. I havent done an exhaustive
trial of options and mods yet to try and fix this, because it isnt a major
problem to me.</p>
<p>The second inconvenience is as I mentioned above, with Wrye Bash not installing
mods directly from archives. Again, not a major problem to me.</p>
<p>I suspect that both of the problems can be resolved with some Wine tweaks.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-benefits">Lutris Setup: Benefits</h2>
<p>What this setup gets right is ease of use, and ease of replication. All tools
(except BethINI, for now) and the game are run from Wrye Bash. No juggling
multiple application entries, aliases, or special setups. Plus, all tools, mods,
and the game itself are all within the Lutris directory, making multiple setups
a breeze: just copy the directory. In Lutris, you can then duplicate the entry
(Right-Click -&gt; Duplicate), and edit the executable (Right-Click -&gt; Configure -&gt;
“Game options” tab -&gt; <em>Executable</em>) to point to the new directory.</p>
<h2 id="lutris-setup-next-steps">Lutris Setup: Next-Steps</h2>
<p>The most useful next step would be automating this process, by building a Lutris
install script. Also, resolving the alt-tab and windowed problems above.</p>]]></content><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Life in Progress: January, 2025</title><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update.html" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Life in Progress: January, 2025" /><published>2025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00</published><updated>2025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-update.html"><![CDATA[<h1 id="life-in-progress-january-2025">Life in Progress: January, 2025</h1>
<p>My <a href="/now">now page</a> is growing too verbose. Instead, Ill leave that page as a
summary of what this/these page(s) will explore. Ill start with a retrospective
@ -1170,306 +1477,4 @@ into the empty, cold fireplace. For a few weeks I tended to him, making sure he
at least ate. And I kept up the place, cleaning as best I could. But after a
while, I started worrying about my family, and so I hired a local farm boy to
take care of Maellezharon while I was gone (feed him twice a day, make sure he
uses the loo, and dont let him hurt himself).</p>]]></content><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Gnomes are interesting. I cant help but play them as small frantic stressballs. Like hobbits from Lord of the Rings, dialed up to 11, minus the extra breakfasts, and plus ceaseless banter. Gnomes are fun. This write up was for a character for the same campaign as Halvar, when he had to step away for a bit.]]></summary></entry><entry><title type="html">Pathfinder Characters: Eldritch Knight</title><link href="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Pathfinder Characters: Eldritch Knight" /><published>2020-09-27T00:00:00-05:00</published><updated>2020-09-27T00:00:00-05:00</updated><id>https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight</id><content type="html" xml:base="https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html"><![CDATA[<h1 id="building-my-eldritch-knight">Building My Eldritch Knight</h1>
<p>Pathfinder has been the tabletop game of choice for my longest-running group.
One of my favorite activities is creating characters. I love theory crafting,
pouring through source material, and setting limits. My favorite archetype of
characters are those that take the combat focus of a warrior and supplement it
with magic. The druid, which I <a href="/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html">already touched
on</a>, is a class that
has this built in. This blending of magic and metal is often called a
<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gish">Gish</a>.</p>
<h2 id="concept">Concept</h2>
<p>All of my characters come from a concept. This concept is heavily mechanics
focused, and heavily opinionated: I want a “proper” eldricth knight. To me, a
proper eldritch knight doesnt use any gimmicks or tricks to get into the
prestige class sooner, doesnt rely too heavily on especially unique or strange
equipment, and sticks to a limited set of rule books.</p>
<h2 id="build">Build</h2>
<p>For this build, Ill be limiting myself the these rule books:</p>
<ul>
<li>Core Rulebook</li>
<li>the Ultimate books (Combat, Magic, Intrigue, Wilderness, and Equipment)</li>
<li>the Advanced books (Players Guide, Race, and Class)</li>
</ul>
<p>Eldritch Knight needs a martial class, and an arcane class. While there are
plenty of options, I wanted to start with the most basic options:</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Fighter 1 / Wizard (Enchantment) 5 / Eldritch Knight X
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>Wizards have the option of taking a school, and it makes a lot of sense for
a melee combatant to focus on buffing itself. Thus, I went for a Transmutation
school, and specifically for the Enchantment school. For opposed schools, I
opted for Evocation and Necromancy. I lose out on some nice spells, certainly,
but considering our focus, we wouldnt be using many blasting spells. Not to
mention, our spell penetration will be relatively weak by comparison to more
spell-focused builds. Obviously, open to alternatives, but I would advise
against choosing Illusion, since it has some of the better non-transmutation
buffs in the game.</p>
<p>Wizards also have to choose an arcane bond, which is either a familiar or an
item. Familiars are incredibly useful, but for this build I really liked the
idea of having my arcane bond be my weapon. This can be <strong>very dangerous!</strong> If
your bonded item is taken from you, or destroyed, you will have a <em>very
difficult time</em> casting spells.</p>
<h2 id="traits">Traits</h2>
<p>In our Pathfinder group, we dont <em>really</em> use traits, but I use traits.
Specifically, I always use 1 trait when it is applicable, because I believe
without this trait, any Gish build that relies on multiple classes is severely
penalized: Magical Knack. This trait will allow me to up my caster level for
Wizard by up to +2, up to my maximum hit dice. This doesnt give me more spells
per day, but it does affect spell details such as duration, or saving throw DC,
that rely on caster level. Conveniently, for this build, we have exactly two
levels that do not give a bonus to wizard caster level: the 1 level of fighter
we take, and the first level of eldritch knight.</p>
<p>If two traits are allowed, solid choices are <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Reactionary</code> for a bonus to
initiative; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Deft Dodger</code> for an improved reflex save; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Eyes and Ears of the
City</code> for a bonus on perception and to add it as a class skill; or <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Armor
Expert</code> to reduce all armor check penalties by 1.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Magical Knack (Wizard)
</code></pre></div></div>
<h2 id="race">Race</h2>
<p>Human. Elf as a very close second. The bonus for spell penetration, the bonus to
perception and spellcraft skills, and the ability score modifiers are all solid.
But, this build wont need to worry about puncturing spell resistance, and
because were a melee combatant, we need all the constitution we can get. Human
provides a bonus +1 skill point per level, a bonus feat, and a floating +2
ability score increase, which we can use for our strength or intelligence.</p>
<h2 id="skills">Skills</h2>
<p>None of the three classes in this build provide a significant number of skills;
all three give 2 + INT per level. However, being a wizard, we <em>do</em> have a nice
intelligence score, and as a human we get an additional +1. At a minimum, well
probably get 5 skill points per level. There are no skill requirements to get
into eldritch knight, so we can focus on the “important” skills:</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Knowledge (Arcana)
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
Knowledge (Nature)
Knowledge (Planes)
Knowledge (Religion)
Perception
Sense Motive
Spellcraft
Survival
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>I also like to drop a single point in <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Climb</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Swim</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Ride</code>, and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Fly</code>, if I
can afford to. Getting the trained bonus, combined with our generally good
strength and dexterity, means we can accomplish the basics. As a wizard, we can
further supplement these with spells. Unfortunately, we do not get perception as
a class skill, and so using a trait for that would make sense.</p>
<h2 id="feats">Feats</h2>
<p>It is very easy to get lost in feats. Like most aspects of Pathfinder, there are
an excess of options. To narrow down my focus, I tried to consider what the
characters options were: warrior focused on melee combat; wizard focused on
buffing and crowd control. Being in melee means Ill be wearing armor, and that
brings the <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Armor Training</code> feats into relevance. Theres also the
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Strike</code> feat, which is perfect for arcane gish builds. Initiative is the
king of combat, and as a wizard Ill want to try going first as often as
possible. I also dont have the most hit points, due to those 5 levels of
wizard. <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Improved Initiative</code> and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Toughness</code> make sense. Considering the
possibility of being in combat when buffing, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Combat Casting</code> makes sense. Ill
probably focus on a specific weapon, so <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Weapon Focus</code> makes sense, and as a
fighter/eldritch knight, those levels will stack for feat requirements. That
means, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Weapon Specialization</code> is a possibility in the future.</p>
<p>While Im sure there are some crazy feats in other books, all these feats come
from the Core Rulebook. That excites me for some reason. Thus far, the only
non-core rulebook thing weve done is traits, and for this build we can live
without those if absolutely necessary. Again, this limit isnt necessary, but it
was something I wanted to adhere to for this build.</p>
<p>The number of feats laid out above is very quickly growing. Conveniently, Im
entering the game with 3: one for level 1, a bonus for human, and a bonus for
fighter. Thats <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Improved Initiative</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Toughness</code>, and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Weapon Focus</code>. Any
two-handed weapon will do, though Im partial to the good ol greatsword. Using
a sword-and-board will severely restrict my casting abilities, because both
hands will be full.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Improved Initiative (Level 1)
Toughness (Human bonus feat level 1)
Weapon Focus (Greatsword) (Fighter level 1 bonus combat feat)
Scribe Scroll (Wizard level 1 bonus feat)
Combat Casting (Level 3)
Arcane Strike (Level 5)
Craft Wonderous Items (Wizard level 5 bonus feat; debatable)
Arcane Armor Training (Eldritch Knight bonus combat feat)
Power Attack (Level 7)
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>The wizard gets a bonus feat at level 5, which is limited to an arcane crafting
feat, a metamagic feat, Spell Mastery, or an arcane discovery. I opted for
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Craft Wonderous Items</code> because I like the options it opens up. There are some
good metamagic options I considered though: <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Extend Spell</code> makes sense for
buffing; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Still Spell</code> makes sense since were in armor; <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Toppling Spell</code> can
give Magic Missile and other force damage spells some crowd-control. Since
evocation is one of my opposed schools, though, it wouldnt work for me.</p>
<p>Wizards at first level also get <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Scribe Scroll</code> as a bonus feat. Scrolls are
great for situational spells.</p>
<h2 id="gear">Gear</h2>
<p>Theres only one piece of gear that is unusual here, and its the armor. Kikko
armor is from Ultimate Equipment, and specifically is a type of eastern setting
armor. It provides a +5 armor bonus, allows for a dexterity bonus of +4, incurs
a -3 armor check penalty, and has 20% arcane spell failure. However, it is
primarily made of metal, and thus can be made from mithral. A mithral suit of
kikko armor provides +5 armor bonus, allows for a dexterity bonus of 6, incurs
no armor check penalty, and has a 10% arcane spell failure. Those numbers are
fantastic. No armor check penalty is great for the odd <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Climb</code> or <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Swim</code> check,
and for when I can <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Fly</code>. The 10% arcane spell failure chance is lowered to 0%
by <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Armor Training</code>, allowing me to safely cast in armor when I so
choose. If limited to the core rule book, the next best bet will be either a
breastplate, or hide armor.</p>
<p>As for the weapon, I went with a greatsword. You could go with a falchion, and
“crit-fish,” but Id rather have the raw damage. Numbered enchantment bonuses
are good, but there is one specific enchantment I would highly suggest: called.
A called weapon can be teleported to the wielders hand as a swift action.
Considering our greatsword is our arcane focus, well want that in our
possession at all times, and this greatly increases the chances of that. Keen
wouldnt be too bad; increasing the critical threat range to 17-20. Spell
storing obviously makes a lot of sense, too.</p>
<p>Im a spell caster, so I picked up a few <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Pearls of Power</code>, a few wands (<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Cure
Light Wounds</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Protection from Evil</code>, and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Expeditious Retreat</code>), and a bunch
of potions of <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Lead Blades</code>. The reason for the potions and not scrolls or a
wand is to avoid <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Use Magic Device</code> checks.</p>
<p>I have a collection of mundane items, including things like a bedroll, rope,
sewing needles, chalk, and a handful of alchemical items, that I like to carry
in a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Handy Haversack</code>.</p>
<p>Beyond all this, I went with the remainder of the “Big 6”: a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Cloak of
Resistance</code>, a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Ring of Protection</code>, a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Headband of Intellect</code>, and a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Belt of
Strength</code>.</p>
<p>With any left over funds, investing in additional spells known, scrolls, copies
of your spellbook, and cheaper wonderous items is always nice.</p>
<h2 id="spells">Spells</h2>
<p>Im a wizard (Harry), with the most versatile spell list in the game, and a book
(or books) that can get them all! Aside from the opposed school (but even then,
there are some worth getting, such as <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">False Life</code>), I went for every spell that
I even remotely thought I would use. On my sheet, thats 62 spells across levels
1 to 3. I wont mark them all here, but there are some which I wouldnt want to
be without.</p>
<div class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><div class="highlight"><pre class="highlight"><code>Level 1
- Comprehend Languages (also a great scroll)
- Enlarge Person
- Magic Missile (despite being opposed, a solid fall-back)
- Mount
- Protection from Alignment (generally, evil and chaos make the most sense)
- Shield
- Vanish
Level 2
- False Life
- Glitterdust
- Invisibility
- Mirror Image
- Resist Energy
- Rope Trick
Level 3
- Ablative Barrier
- Fly
- Haste
- Phantom Steed
- Sleet Storm
- Versatile Weapon
</code></pre></div></div>
<p>At character level 9, we get access to 4th level wizard spells. Some spells on
my wishlist include great crowd-control like <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Acid Pit</code> and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Black Tentacles</code>;
self-buffs like <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Stoneskin</code> and <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Greater Invisibility</code>; and utility like
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Dimension Door</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Stone Shape</code>, and even <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wall of Fire</code> or <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Wall of Ice</code>,
despite them being from an opposed school.</p>
<p>Also, as a wizard I got <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Scribe Scroll</code> at first level. Many spells in my
spellbook are almost only there so I can make scrolls of them. Examples include
<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Identify</code>, the various ability enhancements (<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Cats Grace</code>, etc..), and so on.</p>
<h2 id="gameplay">Gameplay</h2>
<p>Ive actually played this build 3 times. The first time, as the human shown
here. The second time, as this build but with the zombie lord template added.
And a third time, but with the skeleton champion template added. Needless to
say, those templates make this build <em>incredibly powerful</em>. However, I made some
poor play decisions, thinking I was a bit more resistant that I actually was,
and so all of these characters died rather unfortunate and avoidable deaths.</p>
<p>What Ive learned through all three characters is to be patient! This build is
very capable, with many options. It can wade into combat and deal some
significant damage, even before buffs. Out of combat, it has the flexibility
that a well-filled spell book can provide, and a good coverage of knowledge
skills.</p>
<p>When engaging in combat, I always try to make sure I have the following
self-buffs up, or ready to be up:</p>
<ul>
<li><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Protection from Alignment</code></li>
<li><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Shield</code></li>
<li><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Resist Energy</code></li>
<li><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Mirror Image</code></li>
<li><code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Ablative Barrier</code></li>
</ul>
<p>For damage, theres a ranger spell called <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Lead Blades</code> which is so good it
should almost be considered essential. <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Versatile Weapon</code> can help with damage
resistance which is overcome with special materials.</p>
<p>As for party buffs, few options beat <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Haste</code>.</p>
<p>For crowd-control, Ill tend towards a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Glitterdust</code>, <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Pyrotechnics</code>, or <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Sleet
Storm</code>.</p>
<p>In combat, get buffed to a point you feel capable. This may take 2 or 3 rounds.
Thats OK! Youre the second line. Use your swift action for <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Armor
Training</code>, buff yourself, move in. Do that again, maybe moving in for a flank.
Third round, swift action for <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Strike</code>, and unload with a <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Power Attack</code>
greatsword swing! If youve got <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Lead Blades</code> up, thats 3d6 + 6 (<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Power
Attack</code>) + 2 (<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Strike</code>) + 1.5x strength bonus. Not bad! Unfortunately,
Eldritch Knights lag behind for base-attack bonus, so at level 8 (which is the
level for all my builds) its only 1 attack a round. At level 9, you get two
attacks a round. You can also fall back on a composite longbow, which you can
also use <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Strike</code> with for 1d8 + strength bonus + 2 (<code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Arcane Strike</code>),
which isnt as impressive as that big sword, but can still contribute. And, if
weapons wont due, youre a wizard! Keep your prepared spells flexible. <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Scribe
Scroll</code> allows you to have certain spells available at all times. <code class="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Craft
Wonderous Items</code> can allow you to create plenty of gizmos and gadgets that give
you once-per-day options. Crafting is powerful; use it!</p>
<p>Ive always had fun with this build. I have, no joke, lost sleep just figuring
out cool spells to add to the spell book, worthwhile scrolls, and just imagining
scenarios. Despite the apparent short-comings, the Eldritch Knight can
definitely hold its own, though it does require a ramp-up time.</p>
<h1 id="sources">Sources</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.d20pfsrd.com/">Pathfinder SRD</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/10x042PGSyqX4JqHbYFf7vDsK1NCnhBT2ck8i1eG6kpc/edit">The Muscle Wizard Guide</a></li>
</ul>]]></content><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Building My Eldritch Knight]]></summary></entry></feed>
uses the loo, and dont let him hurt himself).</p>]]></content><author><name>Bill Niblock</name></author><summary type="html"><![CDATA[Gnomes are interesting. I cant help but play them as small frantic stressballs. Like hobbits from Lord of the Rings, dialed up to 11, minus the extra breakfasts, and plus ceaseless banter. Gnomes are fun. This write up was for a character for the same campaign as Halvar, when he had to step away for a bit.]]></summary></entry></feed>

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<main>
<h1><a href="/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris.html">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</a></h1>
<div id="details">
<div id="date">2025-01-09</div>
<div id="tags">
<a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Modding Oblivion on Linux using Lutris and Wine, without Steam.</div>
<h1><a href="/2025/01/03/life-update.html">Life in Progress: January, 2025</a></h1>
<div id="details">
<div id="date">2025-01-03</div>
@ -82,17 +93,6 @@
</div>
<div id="desc">RClone is a command-line utility for interacting with an incredible number of cloud services. Backblaze is a reliable and inexpensive cloud storage provider. With systemd timer units, I setup a simple and reliable backup solution.</div>
<h1><a href="/2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html">Funkwhale on Linode with Object Storage</a></h1>
<div id="details">
<div id="date">2022-09-27</div>
<div id="tags">
<a href="/topics/technology">technology</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Funkwhale is a cool project, building a federated music platform. I wanted to explore Funkwhale's ability to store music and associated files in object storage, and since I already use Linode for my VPS, leveraging their object storage offering makes a lot of sense.</div>
<h6><a href="/topics/all">All Posts</a></h6>
</main>
@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ will likely continue with him for a bit.</p>
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -36,6 +36,17 @@
<main>
<h1><a href="/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris.html">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2025-01-09</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/gaming.html">gaming</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Modding Oblivion on Linux using Lutris and Wine, without Steam.</div>
<h1><a href="/2025/01/03/life-update.html">Life in Progress: January, 2025</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2025-01-03</div>
@ -454,7 +465,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -38,6 +38,19 @@
<h6>Gaming Posts</h6>
<h1><a href="/2025/01/09/oblivion-lutris.html">Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2025-01-09</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Modding Oblivion on Linux using Lutris and Wine, without Steam.</div>
<h1><a href="/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html">Life in Progress: September, 2024</a></h1>
@ -289,7 +302,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -40,8 +40,45 @@
<h1><a href="/2025/01/03/life-update.html">Life in Progress: January, 2025</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2025-01-03</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">A retrospective of 2024, up to the beginning of 2025</div>
<h1><a href="/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html">Life in Progress: September, 2024</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2024-09-24</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
<a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Life In Progress update for September</div>
<h1><a href="/2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html">Life in Progress: August, 2024</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2024-08-19</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Life In Progress update for August</div>
@ -70,7 +107,18 @@
<h1><a href="/2020/06/03/post.html">It has been a while.</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2020-06-03</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/writing">writing</a>
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">It has been a while. Here's an update, of sorts.</div>
@ -97,6 +145,21 @@
<h1><a href="/2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html">A Good Friend's Father</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2015-07-09</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a>
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">A good friend's father died. What can I learn from this?</div>
@ -106,6 +169,17 @@
<h1><a href="/2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html">A Log of My Travels in Ireland</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2015-01-01</div>
<div class="" id="tags">
<a href="/topics/life">life</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="desc">Once upon a time, I traveled to Ireland. It was quite the experience. Me, my 3 friends Suf, Chris and Cary, Scion, shenanigans, Guiness, whiskey, and Thunderstruck.</div>
@ -119,7 +193,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -69,6 +69,8 @@
@ -242,7 +244,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
<h1><a href="/2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html">Automatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2023-05-07</div>
@ -211,7 +213,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>

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@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
<h1><a href="/2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html">Character Write-up: Dabbledop Humblebumple</a></h1>
<div class="" id="details">
<div class="" id="date">2020-10-23</div>
@ -197,7 +199,7 @@
<div><a href="/topics/gaming">gaming</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/Life">Life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/life">life</a></div>
<div><a href="/topics/philosophy">philosophy</a></div>