Looking to play modded Fallout 3 and FNV for the first time

[M48A5]

ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated! is not necessary when you have FOMM. There is an archive invalidation program included as a part of FOMM. Having both will cause problems.

 

Craft and Calibr are included in the FWE download. They are not included as part of FWE, but separate files that have to be installed.

 

Nexus Mod Manager, FOMM, FOSE, FO3Edit and Large Address Aware Enabler are not mods but utilities and require special handling in order for them to work. Read the installation instructions carefully.

 

Do not use Nexus Mod Manager in an attempt to download and install FOMM, FOSE, FO3Edit or Large Address Aware Enabler.

 

Have you given any thought to using DC Moods as an alternative to Fellout?

 

I would also suggest Flora Overhaul and Juicy Sweet FX for visual enhancement.

[ianpwilliams]

OK thanks, I won't bother with separate AI, Craft, or Calibr downloads then.

 

And I'll use Nexus Mod Manager to download all mods, but I'll manually download and install the utilities first.

 

I'll follow the individual instructions to the letter for the utilities, but is there a guide anywhere as to how to run these utilities in conjunction with one another, ie what order to run them in, which ones need to run while Fallout runs etc?

 

I'll also need to choose a load order for the mods. I know that some mods say "install before x" etc, but beyond that it seems to be up to me. A general rule of thumb seems to be to have the mods that alter more (eg FWE) nearer the end of the load order?

 

Flora Overhaul was already on my list (I'm thinking "Dead" mode, to keep it lore-friendly but without the extremes of "Total Devastation"), but I haven't heard of DC Moods or Juicy Sweet FX, so I'll check those out.

 

When it comes to testing the installed mods I was originally considering installing and then testing one mod at a time, but that could be very time consuming given the time it takes to get out of the initial vault. So I'm wondering if I might be better installing the lot, and then maybe one of those utilities could "test" them for me and inform me of any problems without playing the game?

 

There may also be a conflict between FWE and Ties That Bind should I choose to start in a random location, as Ties That Bind says that you must leave the vault with Amanda. And I do quite like the idea of starting in a random location to shake things up a bit.

[M48A5]

From what I have read about Ties That Bind, it disables the alternate start of FWE.

 

There is really not order that must be followed when installing mods, only an order in which they load. Read the ReadMes and the large mod overhaul pages for a sample load order. There is a good one on the FWE page.

 

For the utilities, you will use NMM to manage your mods and launch the game. FOSE should be installed after NMM and then use the part of NMM that uses FOSE to launch the game.

 

The Large Address Aware Enabler is an executable and will not be installed in the data file of the game. It is run once and then forgotten.

 

FO3Edit is a tool that is not installed in the data file of the game and is not used in any way in the operation of the game. It is a separate tool to edit parts of the game file.

 

There is no utility that can test installed mods and give you the answer for which you seek. It is safe to install any mod that does not involve the initial start of the game after you leave the vault.

 

Prior to making your final choices and leaving the vault, you should make a save. You should make another save right after leaving the vault and before you have added any mods.

 

Make another save after you have your mods list completed.

 

This will give you two starting points before any mods have been installed. One where you can change your character and another where you can change your mod setup.

[ianpwilliams]

So can you activate mods from within the game then, and after having started a game? I just assumed that you chose the mods that you wanted to have active when running the launcher, then running the game and starting a new game.

[SirTwist]

Okay, NMM and FOMM are alright at things, but to use them more effectively, use Loot to sort out your mod load list. And use FO3edit. Personally, I would use Mod Organizer for Fallout 3, when I already use it for Fallout New Vegas. As to running different archive invalidation utilities, you need to read the readme file, or if it's a long description on the mod read that. Some will say you need to use this one, some will say use that one. Some may tell you to add stuff to your archive invalidation file, if you already have one. Or merge the files together. (The editing of the archive file, imo, is the best. The second is merging them together. I would, though, make a copy of the original, as an archive, just in case.) You will want to manually install a few things, but there is enough information out there that can help out. The key is to read, though.

[M48A5]

So can you activate mods from within the game then, and after having started a game? I just assumed that you chose the mods that you wanted to have active when running the launcher, then running the game and starting a new game.

 

My last new game start was Feb. 2013 and the last change to the Data files was Aug. 2015. I have added and removed numerous mods since then. It is very important to read the mod description and look to see if a new game is required.

 

Otherwise, there will be no problem adding or removing mods during a current play through.

 

From what I have read on these boards, Mod Organizer seems to require a lot of manipulation in order to work with Fallout 3.

 

Also, LOOT does not order Fallout 3 mods or mod patches correctly. Stick with BOSS. Yes, it is old, but so is FO3.

[ianpwilliams]

I'm not sure if I'd be up to the task of modifying, merging etc AI files.

 

So far I've downloading all the utilities on my list, and I installed NMM and FOSE. Then I've downloaded and installed all of the mods using NMM. What is BOSS? Is that a utility that I've missed?

 

Are there are YouTube videos to help with all of this, particularly when it comes to using the utilities? I'll look at all the readme files, but I could imagine getting lost and confused by them and possibly giving up, given how complicated using mods apparently can become.

[M48A5]

BOSS is Better Oblivion Sorting Software. It is a utility used to sort your load order. It is fairly old, but then again, so is Fallout 3. Not all the current mods are included in the master list and would have to be placed manually. That is not too difficult if you just use common sense.

[ianpwilliams]

But doesn't NMM also do that? When I run NMM now it lists all of the mods that I've downloaded and installed, and there are "Launch Fallout" and "Launch FOSE" (of which I believe I am supposed to do the latter). So does NMM allow you to choose a load order for the mods?

[M48A5]

NMM does not sort the mods into the proper order. It will give you a list of the mods that you have installed, but it is only a list. The mods need to be sorted so that when the game is loaded, the mods are added in the correct order.

 

When looking at your load list, you must keep in mind that the last file loaded will overwrite any identical data that was loaded before it.

 

That is why it is extremely important that compatibility patches are loaded after the last mod that is being patched. That is something that LOOT does not do correctly.