step by step installing instructions for texture mods

[yauster]

there are ZERO helpful links or tutorials in installing texture mods.

will someone plz explain how to install texture mods to FO3.

 

i have done everything http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1662 asks, but the mods are still not working

 

i am pretty adept with computers, so the steps there are definitely missing a few and by a few i mean LOTS :wallbash:

[yauster]

1. where do i put the texture folder?

[yauster]

figured it out

 

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS TROUBLE INSTALLING THE TEXTURE MODS, because i know your out there

 

1."My Documents", then "My Games" then "Fallout3" folder. Open the "Fallout.ini" (with notepad program) press ctrl+f and search for :

"bInvalidateOlderFiles=0", change the "0" to "1" and save.

 

(dont let "new alternative method" confuse you, do this step by step)

 

2. install http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10724 into fallout 3 folder

 

3. Open up FALLOUT.ini in My Documents\My Games\Fallout 3, find the SArchiveList= line, and add ArchiveInvalidationInvalidated!.bsa before everything else, so it looks something like this:

 

SArchiveList=ArchiveInvalidationInvalidated!.bsa, Fallout - Textures.bsa, Fallout - Meshes.bsa, Fallout - Voices.bsa, Fallout - Sound.bsa, Fallout - MenuVoices.bsa, Fallout - Misc.bsa"

 

4.put the texture folder into the data folder (this step was crucially skipped in the original install guide"

 

 

ta da

[Kalten1979]

And that is exactly that, that you find in every second readme if you download a mod.

 

A quick look into the readme or discripton could help too.

[yauster]

And that is exactly that, that you find in every second readme if you download a mod.

 

A quick look into the readme or discripton could help too.

 

yes but the content creator didnt inform people to put the texture folder into the data folder, it simply states

 

"Unpack the 7zip file once downloaded you will see 2 new files. Place the new 7zip file in your Fallout 3 folder and extract the file. The files will be written to the necessary folder."

 

this creates many problems, first of all no mention of where to put the texture folder, second it creates the sense that once unzipped that the folders are where they should be. third, people think they should just cut&paste the files from the texture folder into the data folder...i have done this, read it in this forum actually.

[Kalten1979]

Yes, for sure.

 

But

1. There are stupid people that ignor some instructions and get a wrong install.

 

2. Some are Noobs and dont know anything of that, how to install.

 

3. And some look into the Fallout folder and see, there is a Data or meshes or textur folder, and think,

yes thats the right place to paste it.

 

I create mods a long time ago. I started with Oblivion and now for Fallout.

And i could say, the most of that bug posters are from 1.

 

Thats nothing against you or other people, but i see it.

People extract a zip file and only copy the esp into there Fallout folder,

and they dont want to copy the meshes, textures, bsa ... too.

And then they are wondering, why the mod wont works.

 

If they look into the discription or readme, they would see how it works.

[Skree000]

Its an age old battle, but more and more im leaning towards feeling sympathetic for the novice gamers who want to install mods but have trouble.

 

Yes, most gamers are inept, impatient and most often less-than-intelligent... but swapping files and installing custom content is something we take for granted.

 

We modders are getting lazy. we expect all mod users to be as adept as the modding public, however the average gamer is a noob, and rightly so. It doesnt say anywhere when you buy a game that you need to know how its folders are structured, or the processes involved in adding custom content. For the truly inexperienced gamer keen on seeking out mods, its often a daunting task until they figure out whats what.

Yes, they should be reading documentation thoroughly, but in such cases as the OP presented, often times the documentation is not enough.

 

We as modders need to shed this elitist mentality and give them the full explanation they need to get the mods working. If not, we have no reason to complain when they come asking for further help installing mods.

 

Game Studios do this, cater to the most basic of users. I know we arent selling games here or anything, but if we want to be anything other than a 'basement modder who only makes mods for themselves and might release them public when they get time, but dont provide instructions or documentations because they couldnt be bothered', then as modders we should be making our best efforts to make our content easily accessible and functional, so that we can reach the widest audience.

 

How would you feel if when a game is released, there was no main menu, and to start, load or save a game you had to open the console and type a long string of commands and variables. A Main menu is in a sense a very dumbed-down interface for basic game code that any programmer (who made the game) has likely memorized.

They make it easy for users to perform these functions by hooking up interfaces for us... making nice buttons instead of having to deal with programming languages.

 

If modders want to be more openly respected and their mods appreciated on a larger more widesweeping scale, they need to remember that accessibility and ease-of-use are almost as important as the content itself.

[Kalten1979]

Sure, we have to explain all the stuff what is needed.

And in my Releases you always find that instructions.

 

But the most of that people that download that files dont read it, and that half that read it,

dont understand it.

 

Sometimes i get tierd of explaining, wher you could find your ini,

or what programms are needed, becouse you find all that in my readme.

 

But i still do it. Every user who ask, how do i install it, i tell him that and try to help.

I have no problems with Noobs, i was a Noob too of a couple of years, and i help them.

 

But what is the easiest way for the people.

 

A exe that extrakt him self ?

A fomod for FOMM ?

A simple Copy/Paste job ?

 

All of that needs a readme, and if the people dont read them, they cant install it correctly.

[Skree000]

maybe we need to rename our readme files something more.... noticeable...

 

 

something that will perk their interest and get them to read it...

 

maybe..

 

ReadorDIE!!!.txt

YourMomWantsYouToReadThis.txt

UraNoob.txt

 

...*ponders*

[iammagicmachine]

i really appreciate the intent of this thread. i've successfully installed numerous mods on various games, including some texture packs, but it can be a challenge for those who aren't super into the mechanics of this stuff.

 

however, the instructions provided here failed me for FALLOUT 3. i have been struggling for a week now and have yet to get NMC's texture pack to run.

 

here's the history thus far:

 

1. downloaded FALLOUT 3 GOTY Edition off steam. installed successfully.

2. installed FOMM, the Unofficial Patch, and a couple minor mods, without issue.

3. edited the .ini file (mine's called Fallout_default.ini) as described above, and installed Archive Invalidated.

4. tried to install NMC's Texture Pack. the game worked fine, but the textures wouldn't show. tried reinstalling it, and installing it alternate ways. wouldn't take. just regular textures in-game.

 

after noodling around trying many things and nothing working, i uninstalled the game completely and did a fresh install. that's around when i found this thread, so i tried exactly the steps described.

 

1. installed game

2. editing the .ini file and applied Archive Invalidtor.

3. put NMC's texture pack into the DATA folder (i.e., /Data/Textures)

 

without adding anything further, i launched the game, and it simply crashed before i even got to the main menu. you get the opening screen, but around the time the mouse cursor loads, it crashes the whole computer.

 

i tried adding the Unofficial Fallout 3 patch and the app that allows use of more than 2gb ram, but these made no difference -- the game now crashes every time i try to open it.

 

i double checked the .ini file edits to make sure there were no typos, etc. checked my video card settings to make sure it wasn't trying to force anything unusual on the game. everything seems ok to my eye, but it won't work. tried launching through Steam, and independent of Steam. just crashes every time.

 

can anyone help? i'm almost ready to give up, i dunno what else to do to get this texture pack working.

 

for reference, i'm on an up-to-date Windows 7 machine, with 8 gb RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 470 fermi.

 

thanks.

Edited May 22, 2011 by iammagicmachine