Solution: Manually installing mods without a bethesda.net account

[Mirelurkmore]

For everyone who doesn't want to create a bethesda.net account just to play with mods installed, after much trials and such tribulations, jonusl2d and I managed to get mods working manually on patch 1.5 after comparing files on installs with and without bethesda.net account. This obviously won't allow you to use the tedious in-game mod loading system locked behind the bethesda.net login, and I also have not tried this with any of the DLC installed yet, but for a vanilla install with the 1.5 patch, we did manage get mods loading.

 

After comparing installs, it boils down to two relatively simple steps:

 

• First, add asterisks in front of every mod .esp you want to load in your ...\AppData\Local\Fallout4\plugins.txt file:

# This file is used by Fallout4 to keep track of your downloaded content.
# Please do not modify this file.
Fallout4.esm

*mod.esp

*mod2.esp

...

and make sure you do not set the file to read only after saving.

 

• Second, copy that plugins.txt file you just saved, and paste it into your main \Data folder.

 

Worked for me, and while YMMV, hopefully this works for everyone else as well.

 

P.S: Shout out and a big thank you to jonusl2d for the help with this...

[JimmyRJump]

Don't just speak about the '1.5' version, as there's several of them. It's only as of v1.5.157 that the mod system got kinda screwy. Prior versions (like 1.5.147) don't give mod-aches at all :wink:

 

I don't want to play the new Survival Mode, so I reverted back to 1.5.147 and have no issues with Wasteland Workshop and Robot DLC, nor any other mod, including the few that say they require the 1.5.157 version but are not Survival related.

Edited May 10, 2016 by JimmyRJump

[foxcool]

I'm using 1.5.157 and have no problem enabling mods with NMM 61.22. But I guess if anyone wants to install their mods manually, this guide works as well. No need to include Fallout4.esm though, just dlcs and mods with asterisk in front is fine. Also, try playing on borderless windows, full screen been giving me a lot of loading and hanging problems, though it could be just me.