I need major help with Fallout 3 mods and FO3 Editor

[blackninja420]

Hey, ok, so let me fill you in on my situation. I downloaded around 300+ mods, and spent about a day and a half, roughly 24+ hours nearly straight (I spent a whole night wide awake) installing all of them. I was not aware that Fallout 3 had a hardcoded limit of 254 plug-ins, as I have been told. The advice I was given was to take a stab at merging certain mods using FO3 Editor. So, I downloaded the Editor and the manual for it. I installed it, started it up, loaded all my mods, what a list. I started reading through the FO3 Manual, and within minutes I ran into an error. It says that many of the commands, such as "Check for Errors" and "Merge Patches" are obtained by right-clicking in the left hand side window, where all the mods are shown in fold out tree menus. I try to right click in the open space, multiple times, but it just registers them as left clicks! So, I cannot even get the most basic options of FO3 Editor to work, and the task ahead of me with merging nearly half of my mods together, checking how many mods have similar modifications in them, and end up tossing unneeded ones if it comes to that, is a huge brick wall.

 

I am in need of desperate help for 1.) Someone's help in why my FO3 Editor is not working as it is said to work in the manual. (To clear out things, it is up to date, and it is installed in the correct directory, which is on my D: drive since I know of the problems with Vista users and the Program Files.)

 

And 2.) Someone who would be kind enough, and have the time, to help me out with merging together all these mods if I run into more complications. I spent over 24+ hours installing the mods, I don't want to have to spend more time un-installing half of them.

 

Please help! Thanks in advanced. Peaceee

[mechine]

WE FEEL YOUR PAIN

 

 

Left an right clicks can often get jumbbled up, like on my desktop, sometimes left click opens the properties tab list, so click refresh, until it's gone, an right click opens it like it should if it happends I guess. Idk doesn't seem to be your major problem anyway.

 

 

Now stop muttling about an delete all that mess you just made. ha ha ha You don't have to I reckon, but you should consider how clean was the install of a Overcaffinated Cyberhacker that stayed up all night in a manic haze of supercomputer like processes, files here, files there, doo bee doo bee doo. All I'm saying is, how well an how clean is that install?

 

If you know for sure that everything got put in the right place it should be, and that things were not blindly overwriten. That there was a certian amount of effort put into how all the files as a whole fit together in order to provide system stability.

 

 

But I digress...

 

 

Start over. I learned how to install mods about a year ago. I jumpped in blindly almost dumpping 70-80 mods in two different builds. After playing the second one which didn't run very well (patch 1.0.32 or something) I took the time to find a guide to doing this sort of thing. Which was The Ultimate Load Order, basicly it's a guide on how to install a group of mods that tested well to work together. The Guide was actually fun, but the first step it said "un-install your game an delete everything you had in there" yeah, wasn't fun at all, I tried to get around it, but in the end I decided to follow the rules an just do what the funny guy said.

 

The mods were all kind of bland, an I couldn't use some of them because I didn't have DLC at the time. But it was a good working end result. The real good that came out of it was what I learned. Which was pretty simple. Set up a shortcut link to your data folder on the desktop. Change the icon of that short cut to look cool an all fallout like. Avoid Auto installers if you can. Open the actual data folder in one window, then the mod's Rar in another window, then follow them both down looking at what will or will not replace something before making a decision to use this mod.

 

Auto installers have changed since then. The type that fook2 uses is very accurate. Which are based off the windows installer. But lets say it' a mod that has one just like fook2, but isn't of such a high quality in content as FOOK2, if I ran that autoinstaller after I had run FOOK2's, then in any case where they both have changed content, FOOK2's higher quality content would be overwriten, just like if I blindly dropped mods into the data folder. So to speak, there has to be a plan for this kind of thing. Say you run into 3 auto installer mods, which the rest you downloaded are the old manual aweful way (which is best) You should rate those mods how they measure up in quality of textures, meshes, settings, and such. To be installed so that the highest quality one runs last therefore overwriting lower quality content.

 

Second thing, you have to decide your game plan, will you install your manual mods first an overwrite them with auto installer stuff, or will you run the auto installers first then overwrite those large packages, with single manual packages which you hand picked. See the small mods I know are high quality or I wouldn't have picked them. It's stuff that I know that I want in the build. Which in the case of waiting till last to auto install a large package, it could be overwriten which would be bad.

 

Now that that's done, you would know best. You would either want to install one or the other first. It's going to be a lot of work either way. What we are going to do different is split it up over a period of time. So that it's not so much like work. The end result is only going to be minor differences either way you go. It's just as hard to fix 80 small mods as it is to fix one huge mod like FOOK2 for example (just because it's big)

 

 

This last install I did, I installed, patched, installed DLC's, then the other stuff, FOMM, FOSE, GECK, GECK Update, FO3edit, which go in the bethesda softworks folder. Update grapics drivers, force defrag the harddrive Once I got to that point I used the RAOTW method, (random a**hole of the wastes) Basicly I ran around in the wasteland causing trouble, taxing the system, and generally trying to make the game crash. That's my baseline of how well the game runs. From here I read the tweekguide http://www.tweakguides.com/Fallout3_1.html Then tweeked the poop out of fallout 3, then ran test after test with the RAOTW method. The key issues I focused on were Frame stutter, Micro Stutter, Mouse lag, and how smooth the overall gameplay ran.

 

Since I had it supercharged, and running smooth on max settings, plus tweeks. There was hardly any of the loading zone lag that we are plagued by. Vanilla crashes a few times, but overall it was good, I now had my baseline of performance before installing mods. So I quickly downloaded a butt loads worth of mods, however, since I had already tried it your way, of geting a 200 plus load order in one quick swoop of mass downloading an installing. I went the other way this time. The only thing which I installed was a bunch of small tiny mods to which I couldn't live without. There were maybe 60-70 at the most. So I installed that, the old ultimate load order way, manually, checking what might replace something, an there were a few mods I declinded to use because they might replace something, or conflict (inside the folder, not in the FO3edit) Once I ran out of stuff, I then started making a load order based off the old rules for load order, put stuff in groups, armor with armor, perks with perks, weapons with weapons an such. Tried to launch the game, got to the load screen an crashed. Opened FO3edit, loaded the whole load order, saw a mod was in the wrong spot, an moved it, or deleted it. Boom got the thing to load up. Played a RAOTW game, didn't run too bad.

 

Then I launched FO3edit, loaded the whole load order, waited for it to finish loading all the way. Then started at the top, an worked my way down. Used drag an drop, or copy paste to fix things. Then things that can't be fixed by normal means created overrides in order to do that. Split the overrides into groups, like armor with armor, perks with perks, scripts with scripts, then not too many things in any one Override, not too many Masters added to a override. This took a few days time, but it was with all the DLC's. After I got that fixed I started a real game and went out playing.

 

Got bored after a little bit of time, deleted all the save games, then installed MMM increased spawns. Worked it into the load order. Fixed anything in there with FO3edit. Deleted the merge patch I created with FO3edit (the semi automated merge patch to combine lists an creatures from your load order into one list, not the one that actually combines two mods into one) Created a new merge patch, fixed the whole load order. Then went out playing a new game.

 

 

 

UP TO THIS POINT ALL THAT YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENT IN PLANING A LOAD ORDER WHICH GOES OVER 200

Would be to manually merge any optional .esp down into the main .esp, like with MMM, Just about every optional .esp inside MMM can be manually set inside the MMM main .esp. Then also any other mod which has very simple content like a game setting. Maybe one that changes how high you can jump. In FO3edit, click the only entry or entries that this small mod has, on each one bring it up in the view tab, then right click it's form at the top, an select copy as override into, then you select another mod, maybe one of your own, or one that just has guns in it, something simple, once it's created as a override now in the original view you should see two entries, one in the small mod you are about to delete then one in the other, which will keep that after you delete the little mod.

 

Take my load order for example.

 

DK_BulletTime.esp

VATS - MCE.esp

VatsLongerDistance.esp

Precision_AutoAim_6000.esp

 

These are my gun settings stuff, an then bullet time. VATS-MCE, VatsLongerDistance, and Precision_autoaim are all three just simple mods that have settings in them. DK_BulletTime isn't really related, but it has scripts in it, so it makes a good example of a mod which would be hard to get rid of or inject into another mod without creating more overrides in order to do so because of the scripts, but I can move the load order to this.

 

VATS - MCE.esp

VatsLongerDistance.esp

Precision_AutoAim_6000.esp

DK_BulletTime.esp

 

Then inside FO3edit, Open the three tiny mods, an copy as override into DK_bulletTime on every entry inside those mods (creating duplicate entries)

Then save it when I'm done an delete those three mods, because all their content is now contained inside DK_bullettime. But I'm not trying to get over 200 mods, so I left them alone, I even left the optional mods, just because I wasn't planning on going over 200 at this time, but if I did in the future this would be the first kind of thing I would do, besides built it up an fix it over a period of time which allowed a lot of testing and even actual game play.

 

 

 

 

So I've had Two real new game starts up to this point. What happens is that you know if I play an the charicter dies, then that's it sometimes. I just feel like they would never recover from their death. Which it turns out is a great time to delete all the save games then go get a mod to add.

 

This last time I did it, I added in FOOK2 on top of what I had already installed. It took 2 days to fix the load order after installing FOOK2. But that's a lot better than two weeks to fix a load order that I just made in a few days. The load order I have now, I built over the period of time of a few months, an it still doesn't really have much content in it. Not if you ask me. But it's enough to get a lot of game time which is what I'm after. Pluse whatever I have now I'm still working out the bugs. Plus you know this time around when I fixed it with FO3edit, I didn't make all the forms match, All I did was fix the major problems, it's by no means perfect, but next time I make a mod I go thru the list again. Plus I'm making a new mod.

 

Fallout3.esm

Anchorage.esm

ThePitt.esm

PointLookout.esm

BrokenSteel.esm

Zeta.esm

CALIBR.esm

FOOK2 - Main.esm

FOOK2 - [*censored*] World And Neighbourhood Kit.esm

FOOK2 - [DIK] DLC Improvement Kit.esm

Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow.esm

EnclaveCommander-OA-Pitt-Steel.esm

MMZombieCemetery.esm

Mart's Mutant Mod.esm

RI_Core.esm

FOOK2 - Main.esp

FOOK2 - [DIK] DLC Improvement Kit.esp

FOOK2 - Mothership Zeta.esp

FOOK2 - [EVE] Energy Visuals Enhanced.esp

CALIBRxMerchant.esp

Rivens_Eyescapes.esp

Moira.esp

T_R_A_S_C_H.esp

dD-More Gore.esp

dD-Less Blood Time.esp

dD-More Gore-The Pitt.esp

dD-More Gore-PointLookout.esp

dD-More Gore-BrokenSteel.esp

dD-More Gore-Zeta.esp

DK_BulletTime.esp

VATS - MCE.esp

VatsLongerDistance.esp

Precision_AutoAim_6000.esp

Range Finder v1.0.esp

ShellRain.esp

Explosive Entry.esp

UPP - Pack 1.esp

UPP - Pack 2.esp

Cybernetics.esp

Cyber-Enhancements.esp

CyberneticImplants11.esp

GNR 40's Tunes Ultimate Pack 1.esp

Megaton Tweaks 1.28.esp

Water_Tower_Hideout_byOrophin.esp

Megaton Closes.esp

F3UmpaAnimation.esp

The Groovatron.esp

richvendors.esp

Bottle That Water.esp

Inebriation-FOSE.esp

UsableCigarettes.esp

RI_Base3.esp

RI_DoctorCost.esp

RI_CrippledEffects.esp

RI_PNAnchorage.esp

RI_LootTableRI.esp

RI_PNeeds2S.esp

RI_Alcohol.esp

RI_FOSE.esp

RI_LootTablePN.esp

ExtreemeLongDeathCamera.esp

Fellout-Full.esp

Fellout-Anchorage.esp

Fellout-BrokenSteel.esp

Fellout-pipboylight.esp

Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow in Fallout.esp

Enhanced Weather - Weather Sounds in Interiors.esp

Enhanced Weather - Sneak Bonus during Storms.esp

Ultra Olney.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Increased Increased Spawns.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Zones Respawn.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Natural Selection.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Feral Ghoul Rampage.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Zombie Cementery.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Hunting & Looting.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - Tougher Traders.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - No Geckos.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - No Wanamingos.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - No Floaters.esp

sc_slaves_stick_around_original_mezz_chance.esp

OverRideDLC.esp

OverRideWater.esp

PowerArmor731.esp

MergePatch.esp

OverrideDialog.esp

OverrideImpact.esp

Sally Fix 2.1.esp

 

 

 

 

 

Web-ensized FO3edit guide by CSB is where you should start, with either the large auto installed mods, or the small ones, which you may want to cut in half since you have 300. http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9616, You are going to need a FO3edit merge patch, master update, plus editing skills with FO3edit. But you know I wouldn't master update until I was ready to play.

 

This is the plug in utility http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5104 this will merge two mods into one mod, which is different than what FO3edit does with it's merge patch, It's a Java Plug in, where you open an pick to load say The Groovatron.esp, then click merge, which asks which file to merge with, you pick F3UmpaAnimation.esp, then it loads it into it, save it, Now The Groovatron.esp version on your computer now contains F3UmpaAnimation.esp as well, so you can delete your F3umpaAnimation.esp. However, There's more too it, the utility doesn't like duplicate form id's when it merges, so theres a long list of risks, an what not to do's. I don't use it unless I have too. But it does work quite well.

Hard to set up though. It does other cool things too.

 

 

The worst thing you face when dealing with a new 200 mod load order, besides the two weeks of time working in FO3edit to get it to work, is that when you are running down thru there fixing things sometimes you might mess up, which causes something to cause a mass of conflicts across the whole load order. Bam you are done, you just spent two weeks fixing something that broke at near the end. Whatever you do, just create a backup of all your .esm an .esp before you begin, an while you are fixing it. So there's not much lost if it happens to you. We really shouldn't ever try to do what you are trying to do. It's a nightmare. You have better luck with small scale builds, or even builds that are fixed an tested in tiers. Take what you wanted, then divide it by 4, then perform it in installments, while also getting the much needed in game time.