Steam: Making Multiple copies of Fallout 4

[immortalfrieza]

Hi everyone!

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this but here goes.

So I'm looking to get into modding Fallout 4 soon. To facilitate this, I'm trying to find a way to install Fallout 4 multiple times through Steam. One being my personal copy of the game with all the mods I like for my own playing, one a clean copy with no mods at all as a control and backup, and one a test copy I'd use for creating mods with.

How do I do this?

Edited April 27, 2022 by immortalfrieza

[StormWolf01]

Heyas Frieza :)

Ok. So the direct answer to your question, is that you don't.

Not thru steam.

You can however, make however many copies of your Fallout4 installation folder as you want. Then install F4se https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/42147 into each of the folders that you want as working copies. Create a desktop shortcut to F4se, and launch the game thru it. That completely bypasses Steam, and activates the FO4 launcher. There are also quite a few mods that actually REQUIRE f4se, so you may need to install it anyway.

Once you do start adding mods to your game, this is something you WILL need. https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/42497 It allows older versions of the game to play newer mods, and in your case, newer versions of the game to play older mods.

 

That said. I've done pretty much exactly what you're talking about doing. The whole, separate folder for creating and testing mods, is a pain in the tail. I use Xedit https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2737 for the majority of my mod making, And you can only point that towards one folder. And I can't figure out how to change it!

Not only that, many times I will get in such a hurry to test my new mod, that I forget to copy it over to the Play folder, if I have to make changes to it, and then wonder why my changes don't work, til I slap myself on the head, and go back and do the copy and paste, :laugh: :laugh:

[StormWolf01]

There are also some .ini edits that you have to make, in order to get mods to work. You can find those by doing a web search for .ini edit fallout 4

You will also need this: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/42497 version patch checker. It lets newer versions of the game play mods that were released before version .162 of the game. You won't get them to work without that patch. ;)

[Guest deleted34304850]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this but here goes.

 

So I'm looking to get into modding Fallout 4 soon. To facilitate this, I'm trying to find a way to install Fallout 4 multiple times through Steam. One being my personal copy of the game with all the mods I like for my own playing, one a clean copy with no mods at all as a control and backup, and one a test copy I'd use for creating mods with.

 

How do I do this?

rather that do that why not install it once - then use profiles in your mod manager to set up any number of games all modded differently with different load orders and such? thats much easier to do, to maintain and obviously uses a lot less disk space.

[Zorkaz]

test copy I'd use for creating mods with

If he needs a clean version for creating and testing using just mods profiles won't do the trick. They are a consumer only solution.

 

I put a clean version on my other HDD. I still use profiles in the Mod Manager to get rid of the modules (Esp and .esl) but the clean script folder ensures maximum security.

[StormWolf01]

 

Hi everyone!

 

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this but here goes.

 

So I'm looking to get into modding Fallout 4 soon. To facilitate this, I'm trying to find a way to install Fallout 4 multiple times through Steam. One being my personal copy of the game with all the mods I like for my own playing, one a clean copy with no mods at all as a control and backup, and one a test copy I'd use for creating mods with.

 

How do I do this?

rather that do that why not install it once - then use profiles in your mod manager to set up any number of games all modded differently with different load orders and such? thats much easier to do, to maintain and obviously uses a lot less disk space.

 

What 1ae has suggested is also a very viable option. It does not however, leave you with a clean backup installation. In case of file corruption or whatever. Or....butthesda decides to give us another game incompatibility again.

But, you do still have the option of just copying over your installation directory to another drive. making backup copies to other places on your computer.

[StormWolf01]

test copy I'd use for creating mods with

If he needs a clean version for creating and testing using just mods profiles won't do the trick. They are a consumer only solution.

 

I put a clean version on my other HDD. I still use profiles in the Mod Manager to get rid of the modules (Esp and .esl) but the clean script folder ensures maximum security.

 

This is also +1

[Sephrajin]

 

(...) Or....butthesda decides to give us another game incompatibility again. (...)

 

Just asking, you are aware of the auto-backuper?

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26956

 

Helped me lots in the past.

[StormWolf01]

 

 

(...) Or....butthesda decides to give us another game incompatibility again. (...)

 

Just asking, you are aware of the auto-backuper?

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26956

 

Helped me lots in the past.

 

Heyas Sephrajin :)

I actually do have that as well. :D

However, the last time that they made a big change, it was more than just the .exe file that they made changes to. There were at least 2 other main system files that got altered. Which, at the time we weren't allowed to talk about, because people were sharing original versions of the files, so that people could do version restorations. I dunno if that rule is still in place, so that's pretty much all I'm saying about it ;) :D