New to modding, could use recommendations

[MurkedYourPosse]

Hey I a fairly new to modding and would like some recommendations on which files to use and what order they should be installed to avoid glitches. I do not yet have the game as I just bought it online for my PC (formerly played on Xbox) but I have been scouring Nexus for different mods.

The categories I'm looking for:

Game file management (such as fallout mod manager)

Terrain Texture packs and the like (aside from terrain textures, I also so EVE)

Weather Packs

NPC Model animaton/texture improvements or additions/creatings (like newer monsters and improved skins, and I'm referring to the PG versions...)

Content zone addons (new additions to current zones or new zones themselves including hideouts)

Game Play Additions (weapon customization mod and FWE, for example)

 

These are what I can think of for now. Main reason why I brought this up, is that it could be nice to have a topic highlighting the best conglomerate of mods to add to a high end running computer. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[necrocopter]

I`m in the same boat as you. Just returned to PC gaming a year ago.

I think I have just what you are looking for. I modded pretty much in the manner you are asking for.

 

First off, is the tools to make things run smooth.

FOMM - mod manager

FO3edit - for checking compatibilities between mods and creating merged patches - get the well written manual here on the nexus

Fallout Stutter Remover - absolute must IMO

FOSE - Scripter extender available at silverlight.org - google search for it

Archive Invalidate, Invalidated ! - Another absolute must

Large Address Aware - allows game to use more available ram, very helpful

 

The Mods I suggest.

FWE

Marts Mutant Mod

Project Beauty

Weapon Mod Kits

EVE

RH Iron Sights

Dimonized Type 3

DC Interiors

Fallout Streetlights

Existence 2.0

Alton

Excaliber ammo pack

The Finger of God

Fellout

Fellout Greener Grass

Fellout Brighter Nights

Billboard Camps

Firefly Ranch

Imperfection

Killable Children

New Franklin mall

Vault 89

Vault 101 Revisited

Tec Vault

The Institute

The Librarian

Trenton Towers

A Note Easily Missed

An Evening with Mr Manchester

The Overpass

A World of Pain

More 2 Megaton

Busworld

 

I have all of these and a few more that fit my taste all running nicely with almost zero crashes or conflicts on a newer laptop. Alienware M17 R3, i7, 16 GB, ATI 6780 2GB DDR5, Win 7 x64. These mods alone will make it feel and play like a totally new game.

 

Load Order -

 

Fallout3.esm
Anchorage.esm
ThePitt.esm
StreetLights.esm
BrokenSteel.esm
PointLookout.esm
Zeta.esm
CRAFT.esm
CALIBR.esm
xCALIBR.esm
Project Beauty.esm
The Librarian.esm
TheInstitute.esm
Vault 101 Revisited.esm
Alton, IL.esm
EVE.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm
Mart's Mutant Mod.esm
DCInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
EnhancedChildren.esm
K2_RaiderDolls.esm
Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow.esm
RH_IRONSIGHTS.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Alternate Travel.esp
Project Beauty- Broken Steel.esp
Project Beauty- Point Lookout.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_VanillaPlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_AnchoragePlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_PittPlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_BrokenSteelPlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_PointLookoutPlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Basic_ZetaPlugin.esp
RH_IronSights_Pitt_NewRifleSights.esp
RH_IronSights_RemoveReticule.esp
RH_IronSights_PL_NewItems.esp
RH_IronSights_Vanilla_NewWeapons.esp
More2Megaton.esp
BusworldV1.05d.esp
Crimson And Clover Over and Over.esp
Billboard Camps.esp
Firefly Ranch.esp
Existence2.0.esp
TecVault.esp
NewMall.esp
TrentonTowers.esp
Imperfection.esp
NotSoFast.esp
HeirApparent.esp
IntoTheDeepWoods.esp
Overpass1.7.esp
AltonAddon.esp
Fallout 3 Vault 89 Mod - Master.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Halftime.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional Restore Tracers (automatics only).esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty (Followers Enhanced).esp
RH_FWE_Bridge.esp
WeaponModKits.esp
WeaponModKits - OperationAnchorage.esp
WeaponModKits - ThePitt.esp
WeaponModKits - BrokenSteel.esp
WeaponModKits - PointLookout.esp
WeaponModKits - Zeta.esp
RH_WMK_Bridge.esp
TheFingerOfGod.esp
WMKAA12Shotgun.esp
DOA Armor.esp
EVE.esp
EVE Operation Anchorage.esp
EVE - FWE Master Release.esp
EVE - FWE Master Release (Follower Enhanced).esp
EVE Anchorage - FWE DLC Anchorage.esp
EVE - FWE with WeaponModKits.esp
RH_EVE_Bridge.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Zones Respawn.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Tougher Traders.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Natural Selection.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Master Menu Module.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Project Beauty.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + DLCs.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + Project Beauty.esp
FasterMorePowerfulMines.esp
KillableChildren.esp
KillableChildren - MMM.esp
KillableChildren - CotW.esp
Fellout-pipboylight.esp
Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow in Fallout.esp
Enhanced Weather - Radioactive Rain and Snow Plugin.esp
Enhanced Weather - Weather Sounds in Interiors.esp
Enhanced Weather - Sneak Bonus during Storms.esp
Enhanced Weather - REBOOT.esp
Fellout-Full.esp
Fellout-Anchorage.esp
Fellout-BrokenSteel.esp
Fellout-PointLookout.esp
Fellout-Zeta.esp
xCALIBRammo_FWE.esp
FO3_Merged_Patch.esp

Total active plugins: 113
Total plugins: 113

Edited July 3, 2013 by necrocopter

[M48A5]

If you are using FOMM, do not get the stand alone version of ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated! It is included in FOMM and you cannot use both as they will cancel each other. Since you are just starting, you should download and install B.O.S.S. to handle your load order. There are only a few mods that require a specific installation sequence. If they do, it will be noted on the description page or in the ReadMe.

[necrocopter]

M48A5 is absolutely correct. Archive Invalidate, Invalidated! is included in FOMM.

I had it left in my FO3 Tools folder from when I used to use Nexus Mod Manager - NMM.

I have since decided to rely on FOMM, just a personal choice.

Edited July 3, 2013 by necrocopter

[7thsealord]

@MurkedYourPosse: If you didn't already know, note that there are a number of YouTube tutorials on using the GECK and for other aspects of FO3 modding. Good luck!

[MurkedYourPosse]

Damn thanks guys for the feedback. Really good stuff. As soon as I get FO3 and the DLCs installed I can start modding.

 

Speaking of that, and off topic, I have been wrestling with getting the disc for Operation Anchorage and The Pitt DLC to be read by my disc reader. I have been trying to get it to work for 4 hours now, no luck (and im getting incredibly annoyed). Anyone have this prob before?

[M48A5]

Damn thanks guys for the feedback. Really good stuff. As soon as I get FO3 and the DLCs installed I can start modding.

 

Speaking of that, and off topic, I have been wrestling with getting the disc for Operation Anchorage and The Pitt DLC to be read by my disc reader. I have been trying to get it to work for 4 hours now, no luck (and im getting incredibly annoyed). Anyone have this prob before?

After you have installed Fallout 3 and the 1.7 patch, you will need to restart your computer in "Safe Mode with networking". Once it has completed booting, insert the disc in the reader. It should now start the installation.

[necrocopter]

The latest available game discs include the 1.7 patch and supposedly support multicore processors. Look on the back of the game case, if it says 'Enhanced for multicore'.

it already includes the 1.7 patch. The multicore fix they packaged with it doesn't quite do the job. I still had to modify the INI file to get it stop crashing. Its just a minor tweak to 2 lines in the INI config file.

I also had quite a time trying to get the dlc disc to install. My solution was to install the first game disc. Restart the computer. Insert the dlc disc. Wait until the disc drive stops running.

open my computer. select the disc drive and right click on it and select play. The auto run function on mine didn't seem to run at all. To ease other issues, I suggest clicking on custom install when installing the first disc and selecting a folder right on the C:\ root of your machine, not under any of the program files folders. Mine is installed in C:/Bethesda/Fallout3.

the Bethesda folder is the one I created. Hope this helps.

Edited July 5, 2013 by necrocopter

[MurkedYourPosse]

Well, I tried everything I could with the disc, but it simply doesn't run. So I decided to say screw it, and use Games for Windows Marketplace (GFWM) to get the addons. I bought The Pitt addon to try it out, so I go to download it from the GFWM and it says download completed, and installed. The problem is that it is not working. My fallout3 is located under C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3. Due to the settings, I told it to download the addon information to the C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks folder, and install the content to the C:\Games\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3 folder. My first question is if this is the proper location for the install.

 

Secondly, it comes to the content of these folders and whether or not GFWM is failing or not, and whether I can simply transfer the files myself. Note that I have all files showing, nothing is hidden. For the dowlnoad folder, it created 1 sole folder, titled "425307d6" (seems random). In that folder is another folder "0000002" which contains the folder "bbc03...efbe" (again seems random, and is about 40 characters long). The "bbc03..." folder seems to contain the stuff I want. In it is the "Content" folder, "content.cat", "content.xbx", and "Into-The-Pitt.png" contained in this "bbc03..." folder. In the "Content" folder, there are three items: "ThePitt - Main.bsa", "ThePitt - Sounds.bsa", and "ThePitt.esm". All that is what was placed in the Download folder. The Install folder is bunk. It has the 425307dh folder like the download, and the 00000002 folder after that, but then nothing inside. Been like two days now fiddling with this DLC bull ... any help would be appreciated.

Edited July 6, 2013 by MurkedYourPosse

[MurkedYourPosse]

Guys, nevermind just too fed up with this bullshit, and I decided to take the route I should have, through steam. Full pack is 20 bucks, but basically just cost me 45 considering I wasted 25 on useless s#*!. On the bright side, I have wasted double that on bars, so meh. f*#@ this time wasting crap.