First time player needs help...

[Elite]

So I never played Morrowind, and I need so help picking out what mods to use and other tips. I set up OpenMW and it works, but I don't know if I did the mods right. So for the mods made by Bethesda I have it set like this C:\Program Files\OpenMW 0.46.0\Data Files\firemoth1.1 and so on. I added to line to the ini file, as well. Now I hear I need the Unofficial Morrowind Official Plugins Patched. I don't know how to set this one up, and under Requirements it said I need the Project Atlas and Pika's Misc Mods. However I don't know if I need this or not since the readme for this mod said there is no requirements.
For the Textures I used "Morrowind Enhanced Textures, and Normal Maps" and I put them C:\Program Files\OpenMW 0.46.0\Data Files\textures.
I don't know if I am doing any of this right and I don't really know what I am doing.

[Loriel]

Firstly a point which isn't directly connected with your issues:
Back when I used Windows it was generally recommended to avoid using the "Program Files" area for such files, as over-zealous security measures often interfered, and the "run as admin" approach wasn't really a good solution. I don't know if that is still a significant issue, but wherever possible I would install such files elsewhere.

Secondly, also somewhat outside the terms of your question, is that I would suggest that as a new player you play for a while without
any mods, until you have formed an opinion of where MW falls short, then start to choose mods to address those shortcomings. Just following a "Best Mods" list isn't necessarily a good idea, as different mods suit different players.

Returning to your original question, my approach would be something like this:
Install vanilla MW in C:\Games\Morrowind
Set up a separate directory for all the mods - e.g. C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods
Set up a separate subdirectory for each mod you install - e.g. C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth
Then add the relevant settings to the openmw.cfg file -
"data=C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth" etc
(or "data=C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth\Data Files", depending on how you install the mod).
You can activate the esps for these mods within the launcher, or by adding settings to the openmw.cfg file, eg "content=Firemoth.esp" (or whatever the relevant esp is)

I don't usually use the Bethesda mods, so I'm not familiar with most of the ones you list. So I can't comment much on how essential they are, but I would suggest they aren't essential.

I have looked briefly at Atlas, which I think is a global texture replacer, so I would install that within its own subdirectory, such as C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Atlas. It is described as "Alpha" status, so I'm not sure it's appropriate for a new player.

The huge advantage I see in this approach, of using separate subdirectory for each mod, is that it greatly simplifies the removal of mods. If you install every mod into the main morrowind directory, and one overwrites existing files, then it becomes very difficult to remove it later if you change your mind - you need to identify which files it has added, and which files it has removed/replaced, and reinstall the original files. With the OpenMW approach you simply amend the openmw.cfg file so that the now-unwanted mod is ignored, and have the choice whether to remove the relevant subdirectory or to leave it in case you change your mind again later.

I'm not clear from your description where you fall between those two approaches, you appear to be somewhere in the middle.

Loriel

[AnyOldName3]

Project Atlas is a performance-optimisation mod, so is just s well suited to new players as veteran ones.

[Elite]

Firstly a point which isn't directly connected with your issues:
Back when I used Windows it was generally recommended to avoid using the "Program Files" area for such files, as over-zealous security measures often interfered, and the "run as admin" approach wasn't really a good solution. I don't know if that is still a significant issue, but wherever possible I would install such files elsewhere.

Secondly, also somewhat outside the terms of your question, is that I would suggest that as a new player you play for a while without
any mods, until you have formed an opinion of where MW falls short, then start to choose mods to address those shortcomings. Just following a "Best Mods" list isn't necessarily a good idea, as different mods suit different players.

Returning to your original question, my approach would be something like this:
Install vanilla MW in C:\Games\Morrowind
Set up a separate directory for all the mods - e.g. C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods
Set up a separate subdirectory for each mod you install - e.g. C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth
Then add the relevant settings to the openmw.cfg file -
"data=C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth" etc
(or "data=C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Firemoth\Data Files", depending on how you install the mod).
You can activate the esps for these mods within the launcher, or by adding settings to the openmw.cfg file, eg "content=Firemoth.esp" (or whatever the relevant esp is)

I don't usually use the Bethesda mods, so I'm not familiar with most of the ones you list. So I can't comment much on how essential they are, but I would suggest they aren't essential.

I have looked briefly at Atlas, which I think is a global texture replacer, so I would install that within its own subdirectory, such as C:\Games\Morrowind_Mods\Atlas. It is described as "Alpha" status, so I'm not sure it's appropriate for a new player.

The huge advantage I see in this approach, of using separate subdirectory for each mod, is that it greatly simplifies the removal of mods. If you install every mod into the main morrowind directory, and one overwrites existing files, then it becomes very difficult to remove it later if you change your mind - you need to identify which files it has added, and which files it has removed/replaced, and reinstall the original files. With the OpenMW approach you simply amend the openmw.cfg file so that the now-unwanted mod is ignored, and have the choice whether to remove the relevant subdirectory or to leave it in case you change your mind again later.

I'm not clear from your description where you fall between those two approaches, you appear to be somewhere in the middle.

Loriel

Thank you. I will try to keep the mod list low at first like you said. I was just confessed on how the way OpenMW loaded mods. I might post latter, but I think I understand how it works now. I did have some problem with "Program Files" but I fixed it. I will add on of the linux distros later on this week though. I guess that's is what you use unless you have a mac. Just waiting on a new ssd.

[Loriel]

Thank you. I will try to keep the mod list low at first like you said. I was just confessed on how the way OpenMW loaded mods. I might post latter, but I think I understand how it works now. I did have some problem with "Program Files" but I fixed it. I will add on of the linux distros later on this week though. I guess that's is what you use unless you have a mac. Just waiting on a new ssd.

Good luck with your experience in Morrowind with OpenMW, and particularly with your trial of Linux. Both can be confusing and frustrating at times, but personally I have always found it worth persevering.
Feel free to come back with further questions and problems.

Loriel