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

[Ethreon]

Install order doesn't really matter unless you wanna play TTW.

[SirTwist]

Load order does matter, but if you install a mod before installing another one they say, don't panic. If it's just two mods, that aren't dependent on one another, then you don't have to worry about install order. Once you have everything installed, run Loot. I am willing to bet that the DLC's, and some other stuff, will be out of tune. This video here will help. He uses mod organizer, which is similar to FOMM and NMM, but don't worry, it may help you out. This is Dirty Weasel Media, his name is Cal, and he does some good work on modding games. This should help you out, some. Or at least give you something to look into.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gfv94WCKxA

 

Before I go, this is for future consideration. When you install a game, like Fallout 3 or New Vegas, or others, they actually do better to be outside of Program Files folder. You don't have to have administrator's rights to run them. If you are down to Loot with your current Fallout 3 mods list, then don't do anything, just leave it where it is. You don't want any headaches.

[ianpwilliams]

Thanks, I'm sure that YouTube video will come in very handy once I reach the FO3 Edit stage, which I'm nearly at.

 

I notice that MMM only is only listed once (if we ignore the duplicate), whereas everywhere I look online there are lots of different elements:

 

Mart's Mutant Mod.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp

 

Might all the elements show up when I reach the FO3 Edit stage? Because according the FWE page the main esm should be quite far away in the load order from the esp's.

 

Another issue is that the Enhanced Night Sky mod needs you to add the line "textures/sky/skystars.dds" to ArchiveInvalidation.txt, but I am unable to find that file. I believe that FWE includes whatever it is that is required in relation to this file. So do I need to activate FWE so that it creates the AI file, so that I can then add that extra line?

Edited September 11, 2015 by ianpwilliams

[M48A5]

Thanks, I'm sure that YouTube video will come in very handy once I reach the FO3 Edit stage, which I'm nearly at.

 

I notice that MMM only is only listed once (if we ignore the duplicate), whereas everywhere I look online there are lots of different elements:

 

Mart's Mutant Mod.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp

 

Might all the elements show up when I reach the FO3 Edit stage? Because according the FWE page the main esm should be quite far away in the load order from the esp's.

 

Another issue is that the Enhanced Night Sky mod needs you to add the line "textures/sky/skystars.dds" to ArchiveInvalidation.txt, but I am unable to find that file. I believe that FWE includes whatever it is that is required in relation to this file. So do I need to activate FWE so that it creates the AI file, so that I can then add that extra line?

 

Archive Invalidation is part of the Nexus Mod Manager. It can be found under the "Tools" tab. When it is activated in NMM, the ArchiveInvalidation.bsa will be created the first time the game is started.

 

You should not load up on mods without activating them and checking in the game to ensure that the mod is working correctly.

[ianpwilliams]

I can see ArchiveInvalidation.bsa, but no .txt version.

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/442/?

 

In the description for the above mod it says:

 

== INSTALLATION ==

1. Unzip the textures folder from the archive into your Fallout 3\Data folder.


2. Edit your ArchiveInvalidation.txt (or create one in Fallout 3\Data) with this additional line:

textures/sky/skystars.dds


3. If you have not yet done so, you must also edit the line in fallout.ini (found in My Documents\My Games\Fallout3) to this:

bInvalidateOlderFiles=1

 

So should I create an ArchiveInvalidation.txt file maybe?

 

 

 

Also, when it comes to checking the mods in-game, surely some will be harder to check than others. Like Arefu for example, or Zeta, both of which will be very far away. Unless I use a console command to travel to those places somehow? Or are you saying that I should activate one mod, then run the game and make sure a new game starts, then activate another, and repeat?

Edited September 11, 2015 by ianpwilliams

[ianpwilliams]

This is my attempt at a mod order based on the FWE suggestion, although it's tricky without knowing what esp and esm files there are, which presumably I will find out at the FO3 Edit stage:

 

Fallout3.esm

Anchorage.esm

ThePitt.esm

Fallout Street Lights (great with Fellout) ESM and ESP ("load before Broken Steel")

BrokenSteel.esm

PointLookout.esm

Zeta.esm

CALIBR.esm

xCALIBR.esm

<---------------------------.esms from all other mods (except follower and weather mods!)

(the following all esm)

A World of Pain

Alton IL

Ambient Wasteland 2

Arefu Expanded v1_7d by Azar

Blackened mod

CASM

CONELRAD 640-1240 (AzarESM then AzarRADIO ESM)

DCInteriors Project Combo Edition All ESM

Fellout

Flora Overhaul

Marts Mutants

Mothership Zeta Crew

NMCs_Texture_Pack_for_FO3

Reykjavik

Smoothlight

Ties that Bind

Fallout Wanderer's Edition Main File.esm

Mart's Mutant Mod.esm

<--------------------------- .esms from Follower and Weather mods

Enhanced Night Sky.esm

F3ProjectRealityMkI.esm

<--------------------------- .esps from other mods (except follower and weather mods!)

(the following all esp)

A World of Pain

Alton IL

Ambient Wasteland 2

Arefu Expanded v1_7d by Azar

Blackened mod

CASM

CONELRAD 640-1240

DCInteriors Project Combo Edition All ESP

Fellout

Flora Overhaul

Marts Mutants

Mothership Zeta Crew

NMCs_Texture_Pack_for_FO3

Reykjavik

Smoothlight

Ties that Bind

FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp

FO3 Wanderers Edition - Followers Enhanced.esp (Choose BS OR Non-BS Version) (OPTIONAL)

FO3 Wanderers Edition - OTHER OPTIONAL FWE MODULES

Mart's Mutant Mod.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp

Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp

<--------------------------- .esps from Follower and Weather mods

Enhanced Night Sky.esp

F3ProjectRealityMkI.esp

<--------------------------- Your merged patch

MMM DC Interiors Merge Patch

FO3 Edit compatility patch?

Does that look anything like correct do you think?

[Ethreon]

Blackened should always be at the end, and if you got those patches there's no need for a compatibility patch. FWE has a merged plugin for all DLCs, use that instead of a file for each DLC.

 

Esm files always come before esp files, no matter what you do.

[ianpwilliams]

So would Blackened go after MMM in both sections, and before the Follower/Weather mods (as FWE suggests)?

[M48A5]

So would Blackened go after MMM in both sections, and before the Follower/Weather mods (as FWE suggests)?

The Blackened files are compatibility patches and are .esp files. Compatibility patches must always load after the last mod that is being patched.

 

Make sure you read the mod page and pay particular attention to the requirements. The Blackened MMM - FWE patch requires the Paradox Ignition version of Mart's Mutant Mod.

 

Be sure to read the instructions for installing the Paradox Ignition file.

 

The instructions for installing Enhanced Night Sky were written almost seven years ago and have not been changed. With the advent of ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated! and the use of the various mod managers, it is no longer necessary to have an ArchiveInvalidation.txt file in the Fallout 3 data folder.

[ianpwilliams]

OK thanks, I'll bear all that in mind. It'll be a few days now before I can do any more, but then I'll get back to it, and hopefully I'll be able to make some progress.

 

And that YouTube video (and his other ones) are really useful, hopefully they will help.

 

Regarding the thing about activating mods one at a time, would it be best to start a new Fallout game (by running FOSE launcher), with all dlcs but no mods, and playing through to exiting the vault, and then saving before exiting, then again outside, and activating the first mod in the load order, then loading the save game and saving if it works, then exiting and activating the next mod etc. Is that the way to do it, rather than just activating all mods then starting a new game?

Edited September 11, 2015 by ianpwilliams