Should I start with mods?

[IceEEXY]

Hello! I have played FO3 un-modded, enjoyed the story, but didn't do much else. I also didn't play past the ending bit. I keep hearing that FONV is "better than FO3" but I wonder if I should bother playing with it un-modded or should I not bother and go straight for a modded game?

 

If a modded play-through is recommended, please tell me which mods are appropriate? I hope to play as close to lore as possible, so no new NPC companions, no uber-weapons, no additional quests if at all possible. I am looking specifically for mods that improve the game experience and maybe some HD-texture mods.

 

Any help appreciated!

[edgeburner]

I would play through un-modded the first time, just to get a general idea of what you think could be improved/enhanced, then, you can install mods that suit your preference...For instance; The first thing I noticed - on my first play through - was that the dull, yellowish tint to the gameworld had to go, it was definitely not for me....so i installed a weather mod that gave me the option to nuke it (no pun intended) . I now run about 75 mods that do various things from enhanced textures to increased spawns, to removing unnecessary clutter (which aslo wore thin with me after a while) and other mods that just do 'minor' things, also, some mods that can really make a difference in gameplay but are scalable to personal preference, such as Project Nevada (for gameplay) and the Dynavision package (for enhancing visuals).

Have fun. :smile:

Edited November 24, 2013 by edgeburner

[bben46]

There are a lot of mods that have no effect on gameplay - such as cosmetic mods to make your character or NPCs look nicer. These can be added at any time - in fact, most mods can be added to the game at any point. But I would at least start in vanilla to get the general feel f the game and to see what - in YOUR opinion could be better. Then add mods as you go.

[IceEEXY]

Fair enough, thanks!

 

I wonder though, how is FONV in the un-modded state when you compare it to FO3? Does it play the same? I am talking about game mechanics.... obviously, things like quests and world detail are not a factor as these are different versions of the game.

 

One example of two games that "does not play the same" --- Mass Effect. In ME1, you had to upgrade your gear (armor, guns, etc.) as you played through, but never worried about ammo or clips and the lore explained this. In ME2, well, I never upgraded my stuff for the whole play-through but I had to conserve ammo due to the "clip system" they implemented which went against the ME1 lore. A slight change, but that meant a different way of playing.

 

 

On a different note, I see there are loads and LOADS of mods for this game.... and I don't know where to start. If you had to recommend just 2 or 3 mods, what would it be? I hope this will give me a narrower selection of mods to start with.

 

Thanks!

[JimboUK]

Fair enough, thanks!

 

I wonder though, how is FONV in the un-modded state when you compare it to FO3? Does it play the same? I am talking about game mechanics.... obviously, things like quests and world detail are not a factor as these are different versions of the game.

 

One example of two games that "does not play the same" --- Mass Effect. In ME1, you had to upgrade your gear (armor, guns, etc.) as you played through, but never worried about ammo or clips and the lore explained this. In ME2, well, I never upgraded my stuff for the whole play-through but I had to conserve ammo due to the "clip system" they implemented which went against the ME1 lore. A slight change, but that meant a different way of playing.

 

 

On a different note, I see there are loads and LOADS of mods for this game.... and I don't know where to start. If you had to recommend just 2 or 3 mods, what would it be? I hope this will give me a narrower selection of mods to start with.

 

Thanks!

 

The gameplay is much the same, it does have hardcore mode where you have to eat or sleep but that's purely optional. Where it does differ is it's not linear like FO3, you have choices and those choices have consequences, you can't just go around murdering people, no one I'm aware of in the game is set as essential, you can cut yourself from quests and groups by upsetting the the quest giver or his group. New Vegas is a proper RPG, the world reacts to your actions. On mods it's best to play at least once to see the game as the devs intended, I really enjoyed New Vegas in its unmodded form, I couldn't get halfway through FO3 without mods. Do install this though, it will make the game more stable http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/35262//?

[Danny159]

Unmodded first, but maybe a purely bug fixing mod might be good?

[camycamera]

i was debating whether or not i should do this as well. at first i was just going to go with the essentials: get DARNUI, Ohud ect. then i thought that i might get the NMC packs, and the fallout redesigned mods.....

 

but then i thought "screw it. i'll go all out." i dont think i would have had time to play through it unmodded and then play through it again modded, i have too many other games to play :D

 

 

haven't beaten it yet, but the 14 hours i have played so far feels vastly superior to FO3 (even FO3 modded). like what jim_uk said, it is much more of an RPG than FO3, and is instantly vastly superior to FO3 just because of that IMO.

 

i hope that Obsidian makes the next FO games (or even better, obsidian AND bethesda, best of both worlds).

 

 

anyway, i couldn't play through FO3 unmodded either. i got most of the way through, modded it a bit, restarted the game and played through the game modded to the teeth.

 

 

FONV is a lot more easier to mod for as well, it has way less compatibility patches than FO3, and thus more stability (although both games still crash constantly, but i deal with it) and more FPS (i have a decent PC that runs most games maxed out, for some reason outside in FO3 modded the game runs at about 30fps, FONV modded runs double. probably engine limitations and amount of mods used, though).

 

 

but anyway, if you have the time to play through unmodded, then sure, go ahead. but it is highly reccomended after to play through it again and mod it up, OR while you are playing through for the first time, mod it up as you please. personal preference, really.

[edgeburner]

 

but then i thought "screw it. i'll go all out."

 

Exactly my sentiments, camycamera... I Got to about lvl 30, had played up to the assassination attempt of the NCR prez at Hoover (along with the OWB and Lonseome road DLC completed, and no clear-cut alliance to any faction) before I got mod fever. Then, it was on to downloading FOMM, NVSE, NVSR, FNV4g, BOSS, FNVedit, googling my fingers stiff and eyeballs rolling in an attempt to learn the in's and out's of modding this gem of a game. Now ( about 75 mods later), I still have a lot to learn....but, to me, it's all part of the experience. My only real problem is with a cronic restarting of new characters. :smile:

 

IceEEXY - One thing you could try after you get an idea of what sort of game you wish to inplement (via mods) is to go to the main Nexus FNV mod page, scroll to the bottom of the page and select 'top list' under the 'files' catagory and scroll through. Click on the ones that garner your interest, read the description and browse the 'post' tab to get some more info on the mod. Alternativly, you can select 'index', browse to a catagory and select 'most recomended'.....Just something to help you narrow it down. Believe me, the Nexus is the absolute mega-vein for FNV mods. No other mod site can compare.

Edited November 26, 2013 by edgeburner

[vroix]

I think the mod that you need first is unofficial patches to fix all the bugs. As far as I know the only "unofficial patch" that only try to fix bugs without adding new stuff is Yukichigai Unofficial Patch - YUP. If you're unsatisfied with the texture, you can always install the texture pack since they are mostly harmless and doesn't affect gameplay/ storyline.

[Ninja2dan]

My general rule for games like this is to do at least one full play-through un-modded (vanilla). This way you can see how everything works "as intended", be it quests, items, locations, or storyline. Once you've played through fully once or twice, you'll start to notice "problem areas" such as bugs that were never fixed via an official patch, or content that was left out (unfinished).

 

You might also find that after playing through once or twice, things feel too easy. Maybe it's because you already know what to expect this time around, or you know how better to select perks and skills, maybe this time you know how to choose the dialogue on a quest to produce the best outcome. It's at this point where you really start to consider adding mods.

 

Many mods are well-made, in that they add content that doesn't break the core storyline or immersion. Mods that fix bugs, restore lost (cut) content, correct errors in equipment stats, etc. So your overall playthough won't change much in regards to storyline, but you'll have far fewer annoyances like crashes or glitches.

 

Then there are mods that alter some of the gameplay enough to increase the challenge, or offer you new methods of completing certain quests. They change the gameplay enough to make it feel "new", but not enough to break the original storyline or game outcome.

 

And finally you have mods that totally change the game by adding in new quests, new NPC, new locations, new equipment, etc. Some of the weapons and armor for example in these mods might be considered overpowered, intended to spice things up and make it a little less boring for the experienced player. Using these kinds of mods from the first playthrough might ruin the experience for some, so it's suggested to wait until you've done things vanilla first.

 

 

Personally, I've finished FONV about 8 times already without mods, trying different tactics or dialogue choices. But it got to the point where no matter what I did, the game was getting stale. Project Nevada for example changes a whole bunch of stuff, like changing loot rarity, adding the ability to sprint, etc. And because all of the options can be customized, you can configure the game to your own liking. WME for example adds a lot of weapon options, while the Pipboy Readius simply changes your pipboy device from the arm-mounted version into a handheld device.

 

Everyone has their own opinion on what mods are good or not, what portions of the vanilla game need changed or not, etc. Once you've done a full playthrough, go browse the mod files and look for things that sound interesting to you. Try things out, see what's fun, and when you have a list of everything you want you just start up a new modded game.