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About this mod
Increase your maximum encumbrance (carrying capacity) by 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, or 3x. Includes instruction for making a custom version.
- Permissions and credits
Increased Maximum Encumbrace 4-pack v1.0
by Mr. Murphy
August 2008
***************************************************
1. DESCRIPTION AND INSTALLATION
2. HOW THIS WORKS (AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN)
3. ISN'T THIS A CHEAT?
***************************************************
1. DESCRIPTION AND INSTALLATION
In Oblivion, a simple multiplier is used to determine your maximum encumbrance (a.k.a. carrying capacity) from your Strength. By default, the multiplier is 5, i.e. Encumbrance = 5 x Strength.
In the zip archive, you'll find four .esp files. Each of these increases your carrying capacity by changing this multiplier to 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15: effectively increasing your maximum encumbrance by 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, or 3x, respectively.
To install, simply extract the four .esp files to your Oblivion\Data folder, then activate AT MOST ONE AT A TIME in the Oblivion launcher. To uninstall, just deactivate or delete these four files. These mods change only one game variable (see below), so they should be compatible with virtually all other mods.
I should point out that there are TWO possible approaches to dealing with encumbrance restrictions. The most obvious is to simply increase your carrying capacity. The other is to implement a Dungeons-and-Dragons-style "Bag of Holding": a portable container that magically reduces the weight of anything inside it. Examples are "Bag of Holding" by Quazzy, "Purse of Wonders" by Wonder Dog, and "The Wondrous Inventory" by me. Of course, the two approaches aren't mutually exclusive, though using both at the same time is perhaps a bit excessive.
IMPORTANT: These mods change the encumbrance multiplier for every creature and character in the game, which means Burden spells and poisons are less likely to have any effect. Similarly, Damage Strength spells and poisons are less likely to immobilize your opponents, though the effectiveness of their attacks will still be decreased. If these side-effects bother you, you should consider using one of the "magic container" mods instead.
You are free to modify or redistribute this work. The idea isn't deep or original, and from a technical standpoint, this is the most trivial mod possible (see below). I can't imagine I'm the first one to have this idea: if I'm just duplicating someone else's work, please let me know ([email protected]).
2. HOW THIS WORKS (AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN)
If you feel that none of my options quite hit the mark, but that the perfect multiplier is 11.55 or 14.7, it's VERY easy to make your own version.
First you need to download and install the TES Construction Set, available at
http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/TES_Construction_Set
Start the Construction Set, and go to Gameplay -> Settings. In the window that opens, you'll see a (very, very long) list of variables. Near the top is one called "fActorStrengthEncumbranceMult." Change the "Numeric value" from 5.0 to whatever you want, and click OK. Save your work (File -> Save), and a new .esp file will appear in your Oblivion\Data folder. Activate it in the Oblivion launcher, and start playing.
3. ISN'T THIS A CHEAT?
It sure is. But if a cheat makes the game experience more enjoyable, why not use it? When deciding whether to use any mod, you have to ask yourself "Am I playing this game because I want an experience that's 'realistic' or 'as the designers intended,' or am I playing because I want to have fun?"
If you think about it, all these mods do is make the game more convenient. They don't protect your character from dangers she'd otherwise face, or make her richer than she could otherwise become. The default encumbrance already lets you carry everything you really NEED; it just limits how much loot you can carry off to SELL. With the default encumbrance setting, you can still thoroughly loot a dungeon. You just have to keep making trips back and forth to the neareast city. Nothing can really happen to you while you're doing this: fast travel is completely safe, and you've already cleared out the dungeon. It's just boring busywork, so why not do it all in one trip?
Admittedly, there are a few places to which you can't easily return (e.g. Oblivion planes). But when you exceed your maximum encumbrance in these places, what do you do? You go through your inventory and drop the items with the lowest value-to-weight ratio. Unless you're the sort of person who does accounting as a hobby, you probably don't find this process terribly exciting.
Finally, I'd point out that the default encumbrance system, restrictive as it is, is already unrealistic. I can believe that a powerful warrior could carry five hundred pounds; I don't believe she can run and fight at full speed while doing so. The system also doesn't account for volume. How is our warrior managing to carry 10 suits of armor around, and how does her quiver hold 537 arrows?
by Mr. Murphy
August 2008
***************************************************
1. DESCRIPTION AND INSTALLATION
2. HOW THIS WORKS (AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN)
3. ISN'T THIS A CHEAT?
***************************************************
1. DESCRIPTION AND INSTALLATION
In Oblivion, a simple multiplier is used to determine your maximum encumbrance (a.k.a. carrying capacity) from your Strength. By default, the multiplier is 5, i.e. Encumbrance = 5 x Strength.
In the zip archive, you'll find four .esp files. Each of these increases your carrying capacity by changing this multiplier to 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15: effectively increasing your maximum encumbrance by 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, or 3x, respectively.
To install, simply extract the four .esp files to your Oblivion\Data folder, then activate AT MOST ONE AT A TIME in the Oblivion launcher. To uninstall, just deactivate or delete these four files. These mods change only one game variable (see below), so they should be compatible with virtually all other mods.
I should point out that there are TWO possible approaches to dealing with encumbrance restrictions. The most obvious is to simply increase your carrying capacity. The other is to implement a Dungeons-and-Dragons-style "Bag of Holding": a portable container that magically reduces the weight of anything inside it. Examples are "Bag of Holding" by Quazzy, "Purse of Wonders" by Wonder Dog, and "The Wondrous Inventory" by me. Of course, the two approaches aren't mutually exclusive, though using both at the same time is perhaps a bit excessive.
IMPORTANT: These mods change the encumbrance multiplier for every creature and character in the game, which means Burden spells and poisons are less likely to have any effect. Similarly, Damage Strength spells and poisons are less likely to immobilize your opponents, though the effectiveness of their attacks will still be decreased. If these side-effects bother you, you should consider using one of the "magic container" mods instead.
You are free to modify or redistribute this work. The idea isn't deep or original, and from a technical standpoint, this is the most trivial mod possible (see below). I can't imagine I'm the first one to have this idea: if I'm just duplicating someone else's work, please let me know ([email protected]).
2. HOW THIS WORKS (AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN)
If you feel that none of my options quite hit the mark, but that the perfect multiplier is 11.55 or 14.7, it's VERY easy to make your own version.
First you need to download and install the TES Construction Set, available at
http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/TES_Construction_Set
Start the Construction Set, and go to Gameplay -> Settings. In the window that opens, you'll see a (very, very long) list of variables. Near the top is one called "fActorStrengthEncumbranceMult." Change the "Numeric value" from 5.0 to whatever you want, and click OK. Save your work (File -> Save), and a new .esp file will appear in your Oblivion\Data folder. Activate it in the Oblivion launcher, and start playing.
3. ISN'T THIS A CHEAT?
It sure is. But if a cheat makes the game experience more enjoyable, why not use it? When deciding whether to use any mod, you have to ask yourself "Am I playing this game because I want an experience that's 'realistic' or 'as the designers intended,' or am I playing because I want to have fun?"
If you think about it, all these mods do is make the game more convenient. They don't protect your character from dangers she'd otherwise face, or make her richer than she could otherwise become. The default encumbrance already lets you carry everything you really NEED; it just limits how much loot you can carry off to SELL. With the default encumbrance setting, you can still thoroughly loot a dungeon. You just have to keep making trips back and forth to the neareast city. Nothing can really happen to you while you're doing this: fast travel is completely safe, and you've already cleared out the dungeon. It's just boring busywork, so why not do it all in one trip?
Admittedly, there are a few places to which you can't easily return (e.g. Oblivion planes). But when you exceed your maximum encumbrance in these places, what do you do? You go through your inventory and drop the items with the lowest value-to-weight ratio. Unless you're the sort of person who does accounting as a hobby, you probably don't find this process terribly exciting.
Finally, I'd point out that the default encumbrance system, restrictive as it is, is already unrealistic. I can believe that a powerful warrior could carry five hundred pounds; I don't believe she can run and fight at full speed while doing so. The system also doesn't account for volume. How is our warrior managing to carry 10 suits of armor around, and how does her quiver hold 537 arrows?