Oblivion Non-Expansion: Mod Me.

[TSG]

You heard me. Mod me. What are the best mods around that absolutely have to be stuck onto the PC game? Which help the menu system, make faces and bodies look non-ugly, are generally essential for improving your play experience? Have at it.

[D-Rider]

If your system struggles a bit with the outside areas, there's a mod that dicks around with the grass meshes, making them smaller.  It doesn't make the grass look much different, yet it provides a noticeable boost to your FPS.

Clicky, clicky.

Aside from that, I'd consider downloading a house mod that has spell and enchanting altars.  It's a pain in the dick to go through the mage's guild quests with a fighter just so you can get a mace enchanted.  There's only about a billion of those to choose from. :P

[TSG]

I'm mostly thinking nice and pretty stuff here. The Mages' Guild quests are pretty cake just to access the spellmaking - besides, it's not like I care about any magical item crafting outside of my beloved Chameleon 100%.

Although shoutouts for the +5 on all level ups and the excellent 'Levelling Quest Rewards.'

[MeshGearFox]

I've been doing the same lately. I'll list some stuff.

By the way, i hated Oblivion's quests, which is sort of my main complaint with the game. I thought Morrowind's were better. Nothing deals with this yet, though ;)

Oscura's Oblivion Overhaul -- changes how levelled lists work, and adds some features.

Martigen's Monster Mod -- works with OOO. Adds new enemies, loot, and stuff. The most impressive thing, though, is that it just does a lot to make the setting more robust. Creatures have proper RAI packages. You see other adventures on the road in in caves. Stuff actually interacts, and the world doesn't center around you. Also has a built-in crafting mod.

Axebane's Hunger & some mod of your choice that requires you to need sleep -- This adds a cool survival aspect to the game and stops the infinite growth problem that's plagued the series since Daggerfall. Axebane's hunger mod has cooking, so it wins over the other ones, for me.

Living Economies - Simulates supply and demand, has some optional stuff to make merchants stingier, regional prices, more other things. Fun stuff, honestly. Definitely adds some realism and dynamicisim to the world.

Anyway, go ask the official forums. they know this stuff.