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

[M48A5]

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?

 

That is exactly the way to do it. Only you do not have to make a save each time you add a mod.

 

Just remember to toggle Archive Invalidation anytime a mod is added that adds or changes textures.

[ianpwilliams]

Do I toggle the AI (presumably in FOSE) off and then on again after activating the texture mod?

 

And how would I tell if a mod affecs textures? It's obvious with some (a texture mod will, but a sounds mod won't), but maybe not so obvious with others (enhanced sky might?)

[M48A5]

Do I toggle the AI (presumably in FOSE) off and then on again after activating the texture mod?

 

And how would I tell if a mod affecs textures? It's obvious with some (a texture mod will, but a sounds mod won't), but maybe not so obvious with others (enhanced sky might?)

Archive Invalidation is toggled after a texture mod is added or removed.

 

Archive Invalidation is part of the Fallout Mod Manager and Nexus Mod Manager. It can be found under the tools tab in NMM and the newer versions (after 0.13) of FOMM. On the older versions of FOMM, there is a button in the GUI that says "Toggle Invalidation".

 

Any mod that has a file with the extension of .dds affects the textures.

Edited September 12, 2015 by M48A5

[ianpwilliams]

I thought that I was to use NMM to download and then activate (ie install) the mods, then do FO3Edit to Fix conflicts etc, and then use FOSE to choose mod load order and which mods are being used, and to launch Fallout.

 

But if that's the case, then wouldn't I be way past the NMM AI-toggling stage? Or are we talking about activating one mod in NMM, then fixing it with FO3 Edit, then choosing the load order in FOSE, then running the game? Because it would take forever if I had to keep going back to the NMM stage after each and every mod.

 

Not to mention that the YouTube video has all mods listed in LOOTS, suggesting that they are all there at once. Can you toggle AI at the FOSE stage?

Edited September 12, 2015 by ianpwilliams

[M48A5]

FOSE = Fallout Script Extender is used to launch the game so that any mods that have added scripted functions will work in the game. It has nothing to do with load order or installing mods. It is used to launch the game and only that.

 

Nexus Mod Manager is just what it says. It is used to manage your mods and it will give you the ability to manually change your load order.

 

Fallout Mod Manager has the same function as Nexus Mod Manager, except it cannot download mods. You must manually download mods and then use FOMM for installing them.

 

LOOT is used to sort your load order. It works best with Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim.

 

BOSS is used to sort your load order. It works best with Fallout 3 and Oblivion.

 

If you wish to download and activate a bunch of mods using NMM, that is your choice. All I can give you is advice on how to mod the game with as little problems as possible.

[ianpwilliams]

OK, so at the moment I've got all my mods listed a-z in NMM, but none are activated yet. So if doing one mod at a time, I would do the following:

 

0 - Load Fallout (using FOSE launcher?) and create a save just before leaving the vault, and another save just after leaving the vault, then quit

1 -Create a list that I want my mods to load in

2 - Sort the mods into that order in NMM (I know activation is different to loading, but why not do both in the same order)

3 - Activate mod #1 in NMM

4 - Run LOOT

5 - Fix any issues with FO3 Edit

5 - Run Fallout using FOSE launcher, load the save outside the vault, and check that all is OK

6 - Activate the next mod in NMM and return to step 4

 

Is that right?

[M48A5]

The only change would be if you had a mod that started in Vault 101. Brisa Almodovar or Ties thad Bind or FO3 Wanderer's Edition are the ones that come to mind.

 

The best way to add them would be to make a save just before the birthday party. Otherwise, just follow the order you posted. You would use your mod manager to start the game with the Launch FOSE option.

 

Don't forget Archive Invalidation after any mod that does anything with the textures.

 

If you insist on using LOOT to manager your load order, please read the load orders posted in the major overhaul mods. Otherwise you will continue to have problems in Fallout 3.

Edited September 12, 2015 by M48A5

[ianpwilliams]

I'll give BOSS a go instead of LOOT if it means a better chance of less problems.

 

For the AI toggling after adding a texture mod, do I toggle it off and then on again for each mod? Otherwise I would just be toggling it one way (either off or on), which would leave it off in the end if the number of texture mods was odd (as by default it seems to be on).

[M48A5]

I'll give BOSS a go instead of LOOT if it means a better chance of less problems.

 

For the AI toggling after adding a texture mod, do I toggle it off and then on again for each mod? Otherwise I would just be toggling it one way (either off or on), which would leave it off in the end if the number of texture mods was odd (as by default it seems to be on).

 

Turning off is just that, you turn it off. Turning on is just that, you turn it on. To toggle it, you turn it off then back on. Archive Invalidation must be turned off and then turned on in order for the changed textures to appear.

 

It must be done after any textures are added or removed.

[ianpwilliams]

OK thanks, hopefully I'll be able to make some more progress now once I get back to my computer.