Installing mods questions: Load order - what dose that mean? (amongst

[trueandsmooth]

Ive been dling all the mods Im gonna attempt to install over the next few days, along with the items posted by a helpful fellow in my previous post, but I'm starting to get confused again, I've seen phrases like 'correct load order' and all sorts of apps to install the mods, and plugins? Noticed in the top 50 there was a mod manager, then I've also been reccomended to use the archiveinvalidation invalidated app, but erm, how? I've read the archiveinvalidations page on how to use it, but I'm still unclear on how to use it. And if theres a mod manager shurly I should use that instead? unless its not what I thought it was.

 

(edit) sorry if there is some sort of tutorial somewhere and I've missed it(aside from the ones posted for me by the helpful fellow on my other post), but I'm now looking at bsa plugins and shader options in the mod manager, and all I know is that there game 'content' files, which means absolutly nothing to me.

[Dragarr]

Normally any mesh or texture that replaces one that shipped with the game needs it's file path added to a text file called archiveinvalidation to tell the game to look for the files outside the BSA's.

Adding every file downloaded to the file is a huge pain, archiveinvalidation invalidated removes the need for this file. Plus there are some mods that only work with it installed.

 

Fallout Mod Manager allows you to control the exact load order (and a few other things) of the mods you have running. For best modding experience you really need both.

[trueandsmooth]

Intresting.. So whats the deal with a 'load order' ? I dont really understand what that means. Im speculating that it could mean x mod loads before y mod then z mod loads then the game loads, and the reason mods x, y and z load in that sequence is so they run properly, instead of just running the mods in some random order and the game then dosnt boot, or it dose boot but crashes or some other error occurs due to inproper 'load order'. Im just gonna try running archiverinvalid, then mod manager, then try running the mods through them and boot the game and see what happens.

 

(edit) basicially what im saying is I could really use a step by step guide from start to finish, including all the details a noob would need to know. Also Im just about to reinstall fallout so it dosnt get harassed by UAC with the mods, should I use directory c:/fallout 3 or c:/bethsda softworks/fallout 3?

[Dragarr]

Archiveinvalidation Invalidated should only need to be run once, although there are some mods (those that must have it to run) that it needs to be turned off then on again to make them work properly. Reason unknown as by rights they should not require it anyway let alone that it be reset. :huh:

 

Inside the FOMM mods will be shown in the window one after the other. Those at the top load before those further down. It is best to have:

1 Fallout3.esm

2. Anchorage.esm

3. ThePitt.esm

 

As that was the release order.

The rest most times do not matter except those that are dependant on another or override another, in both cases which should be first and which last should in the readme files.

The exception to that is mods that have been used in savegames, it is best not to move around or deactivate mods after you have been using them for awhile as sometimes that can crash the game when you load a save.

[trueandsmooth]

Aha, Cheers Dragarr your advice has been on point since I first started posting here. Ok so Im finally starting to understand the load order aspects, aswell as the 2 mod helping apps, but er,, where should I install f3 so it dosnt get harassed by UAC? :sweat: sorry for so many questions man..

 

(edit) managed to resolve the uac/installation issues.

(edit-edit) Basically all is good, im gonna go ahead and start installing the mods, hopefully all goes smoothly! Thank you for all the help so far man! Would deff be totally lost without it :sweat:

[Dragarr]

Vista? :cringes:

 

For the love of all things holy do not install it inside Program Files.

Even if you disable UAC inside your control panel and always run the game in admin mode it will still cause random glitches, hanging, memory sinks and crashes. -especially with mods running-

 

Install it anywhere else, most people I have talked to use C:\Games for everything.

[trueandsmooth]

Now you tell me! haha.

 

Man, the deed is done, (edit) the rest of this issue has now been cleared up btw) and now im attempting to reinstall, BUT I cant find an uninstall option anywhere! add remove programmes=no f3, start>programmes=no f3, search=no f3, even in its install folder I cant locate an uninstall option..

 

Ahhh no uninstall options anywhere.. Yet I'm able to play no problem... (no mods going tho, got as far as extracting archiverinvalid into the install folder, then realised it wont work even with uac disabled an now im stuck attempting to uninstall it.. :verymad: )

 

No progress without sacrafice I guse..

 

(edit) Erm, OK, just noticed it was listed in add remove, but its was some wierd icon instead of the f3 icon, a blank page icon..

[TGBlank]

wasnt it in start->programs->bethesda->uninstall fo3?

[trueandsmooth]

nope, it wasnt anywhere except for the wierd icon i only just spotted in add remove. Also now its saying 'Please insert the origional disk instead of the backup' and ive just reinsirted the disk like 20 times and im gettin the same annoying awnser... vista and securom are in a world of their own ..male without a father

 

(edit) Omg it finally worked.. why it was doing that is beyond me. Thing is it did that all the time when I was playing a few months ago, I'v always wondered why it pulled **** like that.

[TGBlank]

I've always believed that somewhere in vista's code there's a small functioning portal to chtulhu (probably copied shamelessly without giving credit from the necronomicon), from where he extends his influence over the world, bringing chaos and horror.