I am new to Morrowind and have only recently begun downloading and installed mods. I have, however, noticed a minor framerate drop after installing several of them. So my question is this: Which mods/type of mods affect your framerate the most? Which mods can be installed with no framerate degradation at all? If there is another thread that I have missed about this topic, i apologize(please point me there). I am interested in striking a balance between the mods installed and my framerate, and am only willing to lost 5-10 fps at the most to play with them installed. Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Zalakat

I think so far the mod that has hit my framerates the hardest has been 'Wilderness 2.0'

You might want to search the forum; this question has been asked before, and you would be able to find a more complete list of mods than I would currently give you.

In General: different types of mods will affect your computer in different ways depending on your setup. As far as I know: Texture replacer mods will not effect your framerate unless you have low amounts of memory on your video card. I have 128 RAM there, and I do fine with any replacer. Often mods that add large numbers of NPC's and/or creatures will drop FPS -- this is because NPC's are very processor intensive. On my 1.4 Athlon, mods like Morrowind Comes Alive, creature additions (Wilderness, Giants, Kagnac's critters, etc) hurt bad. Also mods that add lots of sounds to the game (Atmospheric sound effects/wilderness sounds) will hurt your FPS -- draining your processor-- unless you have a killer sound card. The last thing to look at is scripts and Global variables. The addition of lots of scripts in general will not hurt if well implemented, but adding lots of global vars will hurt (drains RAM). Since Morrowind in general is RAM intensive, globals tend to hurt most people the most.

What you can do: go into your morrowind.ini text file, and change the line show FPS =0 to 1. Then, you can test each mod in game, and see exactly what it does to you. I'd suggest you test both in a town and in the wilderness. I'd also HIGHLY recommend that you get the FPS optimiser program, and tweak it until you get a good FPS if you're having issues. Tweaktown.com has a good morrowind tweak article that will also give you some help in squeezing out a few more FPS (ie altering the threadloading in the ini).

For specific mods, the big FPS losses I've had are: Atmospheric sound effects (but well worth it for me), Giants/wilderness mod (not worth it), Morrowind comes alive (great mod, sadly not worth it), NPC schedualer (lots of script/globals; not worth it, sad), blood and gore (not worth it for me), Balmora expansion (only hurts in Balmora, but very much worth the temporary loss). Again, you can find a lot of others if you search.

If you want links for mods and utilities, try Tele's list: Here. Hope it helps ya out.

each global variable takes 4 to 8 bytes of ram. Locals take small bytes also and I don't know if they are cleared on cell change.
while loops in scripts can suck up the MHz.
scripts with LOS calculations will eat your FPS if you are in a highly populated cell.
scripts that run every frame, global or local can slow the FPS markedly.
Soundcards that offload processing onto the CPU to decode MP3's can hose your FPS, soundcards that decode MP3 on their own won't.
Big Textures and limited video ram can force your CPU to store Texture information in main ram which will slow the processing of texture data.
Lots of disabled but not deleted items in a cell will cause slowdown.
Lots of NPCs/creatures with differing AI's in a cell will also.
Dynamic shadows will really eat your FPS.
Keeping your buffers in MW.ini at the defaults will cause longer pauses.

OMG the mod that hit my framerate the hardest was certainly Balmora Expansion! Usually when i get into balmora my framerate slows a bit, but its still very playable. However after installing Balmora expansion, my framerates were raped. I coupld barely move, averaging around 5 fps outdors!. However the plugin is fantastic and i wish i had a faster computer to run it on.

By the way i have a lousy computer, p4 1.6ghz, 512mb ram, 32mb Gforce 4 Go.

I looked at wilderness with great anticipation, sports fans. when it finally came out, i went to his forums and dn away!

tis looked good, but i had about 19fps, near the fallen mage near seedya. then i read about how he scripted this mod to run with SCRIPTS instead of "placements", and this was not a good idea, the poster said, as this hits the ole fps hard.

i took it out.
ooooh!
my 19 fps went up to 25 to 32 fps!!


and another mod series; the cats and dogs in all the towns, hitting the fps where it hurts the very very most, in a npc-filled town!!

before, with dogs and cats in seedyua....5 to 8 fps!

without....well, i now have 8 to 15!

freestone

Tree Replacement really hurts, but Wilderness is indeed the biggest killer. Most graphic intense mod slow the game down just about a little if you have a decent video card... but mods like wilderness, which uses giant amount of scripts, could bring anything to its knee.

From Wilderness v2.0 ReadMe:
Recomended Sytem requirements:
Since this mod will add literaly thousands of fish and other animals to the world it is recomended that you have at least a Geforce 3 video card, 512 mb memory and nothing less than a 1+ gigahertz processor for best results playing this mod.

My comp specs:
Amd 3.0 barton, 1giga ddr, ati0800 pro running at 1024x768 Antialising 6x, anisotropic at 16x.

From My Morrowind.ini:
GameFile0=Morrowind.esm
GameFile1=Tribunal.esm
GameFile2=Bloodmoon.esm
GameFile3=Better Heads Tribunal addon.esm
GameFile4=Better Heads Bloodmoon addon.esm
GameFile5=Better Heads.esm
GameFile6=Beauty_Pack.esm
GameFile7=World_Of_Faces_Master.esm
GameFile8=Unique Heads I-Balmora.esm
GameFile9=The Wilderness Mod 2.0 T & B.esm
GameFile10=Morrowind Comes Alive.esm
GameFile11=Clean QuickChar.esp
GameFile12=Morrowind Comes Alive Guards Patch.esp
GameFile13=VTA_TravelBM+Trib.esp
GameFile14=zbretonf4.esp
GameFile15=zamazonia.esp
GameFile16=van helsing.esp
GameFile17=NightelfBB.esp
GameFile18=bcsounds.esp
GameFile19=master_index.esp
GameFile20=Clean adamantiumarmor.esp
GameFile21=Clean EBQ_Artifact.esp
GameFile22=Clean entertainers.esp
GameFile23=Clean balmorau.esp
GameFile24=Clean Nemon's_Balmora_Interiorator.esp
GameFile25=Clean Nemon's_Vivec_Interiorator.esp
GameFile26=Khajiit_Replacement_WSen.esp
GameFile27=Arwens_New_Look.ESP
GameFile28=Clean Astarsis_Barenziah_Replace.esp
GameFile29=Clean Astarsis_DEF_FieryReplace.esp
GameFile30=Clean Astarsis_HEF_PlainReplace.esp
GameFile31=NW_Redguard_femaleheads.esp
GameFile32=Clean _KP_Multi-Races_Faces_Pack.esp
GameFile33=S-M Bosmer Beauty.esp
GameFile34=CRHeads.esp
GameFile35=Don Salus Faces III.esp
GameFile36=EM_Angelina.esp
GameFile37=Emmas_Imperial_heads_1_0.esp
GameFile38=Emmas_redguard_faces_1_0.esp
GameFile39=emma_highelf_fem_v1_0.esp
GameFile40=MiscFacePack-Nords.esp
GameFile41=Emmas_breton_faces_1_0.esp
GameFile42=Woodman's Female Celeb Heads 01.esp
GameFile43=Emmas_dunmer_faces1_0.esp
GameFile44=Sils_Long_Hair_Mod_v1.0.esp
GameFile45=Guinevere.esp
GameFile46=BM_Redsonja_01.esp
GameFile47=Cleaned PlayableFacesPack.esp
GameFile48=FBsCompilation4DrowMod.esp
GameFile49=FBsCompilation.esp
GameFile50=SATAN's Long Hair For Elves.esp
GameFile51=PW_Brin.esp
GameFile52=Clean Make-up & Tats.esp
GameFile53=Joy's Redguards.esp
GameFile54=qarls_hot_girls.esp
GameFile55=Dunmer_Rogues.esp
GameFile56=Xia_facepack_01.esp
GameFile57=MN_Breton_Vampires_1_v1.esp
GameFile58=Qarls_Hot_Girls2.esp
GameFile59=Weapons of Tamriel v1.2.esp
GameFile60=Castle_Kanthrock.esp
GameFile61=Clean SauronsAbode252_Tribunal.esp
GameFile62=Clean SauronsEnchantments252.esp
GameFile63=Clean TF_Grazelands_Estate_v1.esp
GameFile64=Clean add-on-pack_morrowind.esp
GameFile65=Clean House - Airioch Manor-v1.3.esp
GameFile66=Clean S_Inn_th.esp
GameFile67=Clean Sorefoot Enterprizes, Inc..esp
GameFile68=Clean Skali's Bitter Coast Hideout v2.esp
GameFile69=Clean Ald-ruhn, Abandoned Hut V2.esp
GameFile70=bob rapier.esp
GameFile71=Tribun_Laura_3_0v21.esp
GameFile72=Clean Comp_F_1.1.esp
GameFile73=Fortified_Thirsk_1.1.esp
GameFile74=Helios_Keep.esp
GameFile75=The regulars - Sitting NPC's v2.02.esp
GameFile76=Castle Vianden V1.esp
GameFile77=farrp_WeaponCompilationMod_V2.esp
GameFile78=Tigh High Boots 1.0.esp
GameFile79=Amazon War Boots 1.0.esp
GameFile80=Elven Mithril Chainmail Armor.esp
GameFile81=Cali's Clothing.esp
GameFile82=Sierre's Trader.esp
GameFile83=Leather&Lace.esp
GameFile84=Glitter Dresses.esp
GameFile85=Loincloth_top_ pkg.esp
GameFile86=Lord Alt Tab.esp
GameFile87=Necklace_Pack.esp
GameFile88=Korana's Closet.esp
GameFile89=Cali's_BB_V.2_Tight_Dresses.esp
GameFile90=Cali's_BB_V.2_Dryad_Dresses.esp
GameFile91=Cali_Dryad_Hair_MWRaces.esp
GameFile92=Heaven's Lookout.esp
GameFile93=zbrotherandy.esp
GameFile94=Slave Collars.esp
GameFile95=Pozzo's Pandora.esp
GameFile96=paladin_armor_M_v.1.0.esp
GameFile97=Chainmail Tops+Slips 1.3.esp
GameFile98=Full Gowns.esp
GameFile99=Divine_domina_part_5.esp
GameFile100=CET_Meteoric_Steel_Mail.esp
GameFile101=French Maid Outfit.esp
GameFile102=Qarls_Gothic_Attire.esp
GameFile103=Ranger Tent.esp
GameFile104=Oakridge Ranch.esp
GameFile105=The Undead.esp
GameFile106=Disturb_the_dead.esp
GameFile107=Disturb_the_dead_BM_SA_Addon.esp
GameFile108=Balmora Expansion v1.3.esp
GameFile109=Pegas Horse Ranch v2.1.esp
GameFile110=Guard Sex 2 - Funky Edition.esp
GameFile111=Clean Almilia's daughters 3.2.esp
GameFile112=Zkidforlove.esp
GameFile113=Clean dracandrosvoice.esp
GameFile114=zdacandros.esp
GameFile115=Clean P.R.E. v4.0.esp
GameFile116=Clean Nudity Greeting Expansion V1.esp
GameFile117=Scripted_Spells.esp
GameFile118=Vampire Realism - Bloodlines.esp
GameFile119=Vampire_Embrace.esp
GameFile120=Blood Lines I_BloodMoon.esp
GameFile121=MTT Vol III-patch.esp
GameFile122=Sris_Alchemy_BM.esp
GameFile123=Advanced Herbalism - TR & BM.esp
GameFile124=Resources Enhanced.esp
GameFile125=Better Bodies.esp
GameFile126=Clean ring_teleport_trib.esp
GameFile127=Clean Barabus'Fireplaces.esp
GameFile128=Key Replacer Trib & BM.esp
GameFile129=Clean RealSignposts.esp
GameFile130=Vivec Signposts.esp
GameFile131=Unique Banners and Signs.esp
GameFile132=Authentic Signs IT 1.1.esp
GameFile133=VA_OrdReplace_openhelm1.0.esp
GameFile134=IceBradyRobeReplacerMW.esp
GameFile135=IceBradyRobeReplacerTB.esp
GameFile136=IceBradyRobeReplacerBM.esp
GameFile137=Amulets and Rings 2.1 Upgrade A.esp
GameFile138=NB_Soulgems_ReplacerCLEAN.esp
GameFile139=MWE_Base.esp
GameFile140=MWE_Blocking.esp
GameFile141=MWE_Writing.esp
GameFile142=MWE_Combat.esp
GameFile143=MWE_Journal.esp
GameFile144=Windows Glow.esp
GameFile145=Lights 300 v5.esp
GameFile146=No-Glo_0709.esp
GameFile147=Clean NoShieldEffect.esp
GameFile148=Merged_Leveled_Lists.esp
GameFile149=Merged_Objects.esp
Plus Zuldazug Visual pack 2.11 and 2.2 nature with Qarl Tx retextures.

With Fps optimizer set on novice with only the 1st option checked.

Overall inside: 100 Fps medium
Overall outside in the wildrness or ashlands or Bloodmoon: 34fps medium
Overall outside in cities: 24fps medium
In Balmora: 14fps medium

So even being a heavy mod is far away from being impossible to use.
And despite some opinions is 1 of the best mods avaiable, the atmosphere it adds is unique.