Mods to enhance realism/challenge, but not change core gameplay?

[jimnms]

I bought FO3 with a gift card last year (Jan '09), but didn't start it until July. I finished playing through the vanilla game, then installed the free play after MQ mod and continued on to discover all locations and finish side quests. I bought the GotY edition when it became available (before finishing the vanilla play through), and now I'm ready to dive into it.

 

I want to play through it first without any game changing mods, but I do want to make the game a little more realistic/challenging. I don't want to use an overhaul mod yet (maybe on my next play through). After a while in my first play through, I had hundreds of unused stimpaks and tens of thousands of caps. I never once ate any food, and I only drank some purified water to regain health. Eventually I didn't bother to upgrade my barter skill because I had so much money and loot to trade with. I also never used or found the need to use chems, so I began using them as currency.

 

For a week now I've been searching through mods here to find things to do what I want. There are plenty of overhaul type mods that sound like fun, but like I said, I want to play through it first as close to vanilla as possible. I don't want to use any mods that add weapons, perks or items to the game.

 

I'd like to reduce the chance and number of stimpaks found laying around. I'd like to have to either buy/trade for them or visit doctors. Also stimpaks shouldn't heal limbs, instead they should temporarily disable the crippled effect, but I should still have to find a doctor to mend my broken bones. The same goes for RadX and RadAway. Radiation never felt like a real threat because I had tons of RadX and RadAway that I found just laying around.

 

I seen a few mods that deal with stimpaks and cripple effects, but not exactly what I'm looking for.

 

* Amplified Crippled Effects: will do what I want with crippled body parts, but doesn't do anything about the abundance of stimpaks.

* Triage: will make injuries harder to heal, but it adds extra perks.

* Real Injuries will deal with the stimpak and crippled limbs issue, but it also adds items and some complex healing options.

* RI + Primary needs, looks like it will take care of the food and water bit, but it does add items.

 

 

Combat became too easy at higher levels. I rarely ever saw an enemy take cover or try to flee when hurt. I see two mods for that, Combat Enhanced-Package and Combat Enhanced-Tactics (both by the same authors), so I'm a little confused as to which one to use. From reading the comments on their Nexus pages, it sounds like -Tactics is newer and includes the modifications from the -Package.

 

I plan to use Fellout, Fallout Street Lights and Fallout Street Lights - Wasteland for some visual enhancement. Are there any other mods I should look at that might be better suited for what I'm looking for that I missed?

[ilDuderoni]

You're not an easy one, are you? :P

 

Anyway, maybe try finding companion mods. There are some genius ones out there.

I've never looked, but I can't imagine the Nexus not having mods that make gameplay more difficult.

 

I would recommend Fellout with FOOK2.

Because FOOK2 adds nightvision to Power Helmets and Nightvision goggles using a seperate hotkey.

And, assuming youre not using the SOTD version (Scared of the dark), you'll probably need em.

 

Aside that, I also recommend RI - Primary Needs.

It immersed my use of foods, and really 'forced' me to plan my trips and preparation.

 

I haven't tried Combat Enhanced yet and will definetaly check them out after writing this.

However, if you want your companion AI's to be better, using SCC to recruit new ones will have them react much smarter to situations. I find it very noticeable.

(sadly, unless you choose to completely ignore the Vanilla companion system, your old ones probably won't)

 

Using Categories to pinpoint your search is very handy.

[Alastair91]

Try using this:

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=334

 

You can reduce amount of ammunition, aids, weapon accuracy according to skill, barter prices, etc....

[jimnms]

Try using this:

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=334

 

You can reduce amount of ammunition, aids, weapon accuracy according to skill, barter prices, etc....

 

I didn't think XFO worked with the DLC addons. It hasn't been updated in almost a year.

[Alastair91]

Try using this:

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=334

 

You can reduce amount of ammunition, aids, weapon accuracy according to skill, barter prices, etc....

 

I didn't think XFO worked with the DLC addons. It hasn't been updated in almost a year.

 

You might be right, but I'm still using it until now. Can't really test for you since the only DLC I own is Operation Anchorage.

[roquefort]

Fallout Streetlights is great, but, unless it's been fixed (and sincere apologies to the dev if it has), it can cause a crash at the rear exit of GNR as you try to go through. It makes a big difference in the game though and I wouldn't be without it.

 

Companions are also good, but obviously can interfere with gameplay by spotting/attacking enemies before you get a chance to yourself.

 

If you want to get around fast without fast-travel, there's a neat hoverchair mod available:

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4501

 

Mucho fun :)

[Burbinator]

for triage: uhh, you don't need to take the perks if you don't like them. I don't see how that's a downside at all.

 

and visually: look for a mod that takes out all the litter (taking out the trash is one). It really doesn't make sense. In cities and bunkers, naturally they'd clean up all that paper trash. In most abandoned areas, paper would've broken down after 200 years anyway. Makes things look cleaner and gives a modest fps boost too.

 

lastly, a question: if you've been playing so long that you have hundreds of stims etc, what's wrong with using an overhaul? An overhaul mod won't change the questline, just the gameplay, and you've already experienced more than enough of that in vanilla.