Missing, Swapping Meshes & Textures

[MGrant11]

I'm sure this is a long standing issue with a simple solution (load order, less mods, etc.) but I have troubleshooted considerably and am looking for some insight.

Been modding New Vegas and had about 8 hours of playtime until a bizarre error began taking place.

 

When I would load up NVSE_Loader, the textures and meshes in the interior or exterior area would all be present and in accordance with the mods I have installed. However, when I would enter a new area either of the world map or a new building or settlement (Freeside, Goodsprings Store, etc.), the meshes/textures wouldn't load or would look odd and swap with textures not suited to that file. As well, the missing mesh "exclamation point" appears. Closing and reopening NVSE_Loader would fix the problem until, again, a new area was entered. Below is my load order and examples. Any recommendation is helpful. Thanks.

[MGrant11]

Here is an example, leaving Goodpsrings the trailer mesh was missing and the Powder Ganger's entire body, when I closed and reloaded it was fixed.

 

In the bottom left and right in the same session as I moved, textures would change randomly and instantly.

 

Hope these examples are helpful.

[dubiousintent]

To start with, you have 144 active plugins which exceeds the "plugin cap" of approximately 128-140 for FNV (depending upon hardware and mix of mods). This alone can cause the symptoms you are seeing. Try to get down to 128 active plugins with no inactive ones in your "Data" folder and see if that clears up the problem in a situation where you can reliably reproduce it. If so, then you can add one plugin at a time back in and test until you encounter that (or any other) problem. At which point you have found your personal "cap".

 

Also, you have a number of optional plugins for a given mod which conflict with each other (e.g. EVE). Any error can have unpredictable results.

 

Please see the 'Vanilla Load Order' entry in the 'First Timer Advice' section; and the 'Common Game Problems' section of the wiki "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article.

In particular:

 

* Move any "inactive/disabled" plugins out of the game "Data" folder. They count against the "plugin cap" because they get loaded by the game engine if found, and can cause "Missing Master" problems. Please see the wiki "Missing Masters" article if you get that error message.

* Don't install every optional file for a mod. Read the install instructions carefully. Optional files need to be selected on a "case by case" basis. For example: with any mod you usually only need one ESP (and possibly one ESM) "base" file depending upon whether you have all the DLCs active or not. Only if you don't have them all active do you need to install any specific DLC versions if there is an "Ultimate Edition/All/Merged DLC" version. They are not "cumulative" in that you should not expect to load the "All DLC" version followed by a "No <specific DLC>" version. The later would not include records affecting the named DLC, but will not "remove" such records either.

* "Compatibility patches" to make one mod work with another need to be placed after (as in "physically lower, higher numbered") in the "load order" than ALL of the plugins they are designed to make compatible. (This also applies to "fix" files.) ESMs should always be placed at the top (lowest numbered) positions in the "load order", followed by the related ESPs though they can be separated from their ESMs by other plugins. LOOT does a good job of determining those basic orders. Getting the "load order" incorrect will cause "Missing Masters" errors as well. You can make minor adjustments to the order and tell LOOT how to remember them. It's in the on-line documentation under "Metadata".

FYI: The "pre-order packs" (aka "POPs": Caravan, Classic, Mercenary, and Tribal; available now in the "Courier's Stash" addon), are not considered "true DLC expansions" by most mods and "compatibility patches" because they just add certain unique items. So their absence should not deter you from using "All DLC Merged" plugins. Where they are included, they should come after "GunrunnersArsenal.ESM" which is a true DLC expansion. When in doubt, follow the process in the wiki "Missing Masters" article to confirm they are not "master files" for that plugin.

* Don't install compatibility patches for mods you do not have installed/active (e.g. get rid of any "TTW" patches if you aren't running TTW).

* You really need to use a "Merge Patch File" with that collection of mods. Please see the 'Third Rule: The Rule of One' and 'Merge Patch File' sections of the wiki "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article.

I recommend anyone read the entire "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article to understand the differences between this game and others you may have experience with; especially if this is your first attempt to play a modded FNV or it's been more than a year since you last did so.

In future, please do not use screenshots to provide your "load order". They are a pain to work with and often do not provide all the information we need. We REALLY need to see a "load order" as produced by "LOOT"; to include the main game and DLC files. With modded games its the sequence, not merely the list of mods, which is the cause of many problems. LOOT's sort gives a good first approximation, correcting the most obvious issues and is sufficient for most players. You can make minor adjustments to the order and tell LOOT how to remember them. It's in the on-line documentation under "Metadata". Instructions on how to copy it's list for posting are in the "How to ask for help" article, and "Checklist Item #11' entry in the wiki "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting" guide. And as an added benefit it is quicker to create than a screenshot.

-Dubious-