Please help me clean up & merge my plugins to mod my dream playthrough

[Algabar]

There are two tools by the same author, matortheeternal, which might be a bit confusing.

There's

1. Merge Plugins: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69905

This tool is for combining several single plugin files (.esp files) to a single one, aka "merging plugins".

 

2. Mator Smash: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/90987

This is - as was already pointed out - a tool, that creates an additional conflict resolution patch. It's very useful and I'd strongly recommend using it.

 

Since you're rather inexperienced, I wouldn't advice using "Merge Plugins". It works quite well for Skyrim, but using it for Fallout 4 is a bit difficult. Be prepared for trial and error and unexpected complications. In fact, it works (most of the time), but it isn't that easy to use. In general, I'd recommend merging only certain kinds of mods: Armor/clothing and "small tweaks" (essential status for this and that NPC, richer merchants, longer powerlines...). Weapon mods can be merged, but are already a bit more difficult, since you would have to create a "smashed patch" (with Mator SMASH) and merge it together with the weapon mods to avoid problems with leveled lists...

 

You see, merging is a bit more difficult than it may seem. If you really want more mods and get in trouble with the 255 plugins, I'd rather suggest using .esl plugins instead. ".esl" format stands for "Elder Scrolls Light". It is a rather new file format created by Bethesda. esl plugins are limited to rather small and "simple" mods (e.g. mods adding a certain weapon or a certain armor), but their big advantage is, that they don't count towards the 255 plugins limit.

So, what you can do (and what I do most of the time, too) is converting some of your mods adding new weapons and armor (e.g. McMillan, P220 and such) to .esl files. It's a rather straightforward process. You only need to download the "Creation Kit" from bethesda.net. This requires a registration, but it's free.Then follow this guide on .esl files:

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/27644/

 

Using .esl files is much more safer than trying to merge plugins without the necessary knowledge and experience. Worst case is that you mess up one .esl file and have to try again. Troubleshooting merges can be a tedious and timeconsuming task..

[Cusconillow]

There are two tools by the same author, matortheeternal, which might be a bit confusing.

There's

1. Merge Plugins: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69905

This tool is for combining several single plugin files (.esp files) to a single one, aka "merging plugins".

Â

2. Mator Smash: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/90987

This is - as was already pointed out - a tool, that creates an additional conflict resolution patch. It's very useful and I'd strongly recommend using it.

Â

Since you're rather inexperienced, I wouldn't advice using "Merge Plugins". It works quite well for Skyrim, but using it for Fallout 4 is a bit difficult. Be prepared for trial and error and unexpected complications. In fact, it works (most of the time), but it isn't that easy to use. In general, I'd recommend merging only certain kinds of mods: Armor/clothing and "small tweaks" (essential status for this and that NPC, richer merchants, longer powerlines...). Weapon mods can be merged, but are already a bit more difficult, since you would have to create a "smashed patch" (with Mator SMASH) and merge it together with the weapon mods to avoid problems with leveled lists...

Â

You see, merging is a bit more difficult than it may seem. If you really want more mods and get in trouble with the 255 plugins, I'd rather suggest using .esl plugins instead. ".esl" format stands for "Elder Scrolls Light". It is a rather new file format created by Bethesda. esl plugins are limited to rather small and "simple" mods (e.g. mods adding a certain weapon or a certain armor), but their big advantage is, that they don't count towards the 255 plugins limit.

So, what you can do (and what I do most of the time, too) is converting some of your mods adding new weapons and armor (e.g. McMillan, P220 and such) to .esl files. It's a rather straightforward process. You only need to download the "Creation Kit" from bethesda.net. This requires a registration, but it's free.Then follow this guide on .esl files:

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/27644/

Â

Using .esl files is much more safer than trying to merge plugins without the necessary knowledge and experience. Worst case is that you mess up one .esl file and have to try again. Troubleshooting merges can be a tedious and timeconsuming task..

Oh wow, this is awesome! Thanks so much for the help!

 

I managed, through a lot of trial and error, to merge a bunch of plugins and narrow my mod count down to where my game launches. I haven't played much of it (haven't even gotten to the vault yet) but it does function so far. I may need to put some smashed patches inside the merges I made.

Regardless, this esl guide actually looks a lot more promising. If I run into any issues in this playthrough, I think that'll have to be the route I take.

 

Thanks again!!

 

EDIT: How do esl files work as masters? For example, I use a lot of patches that are dependencies or weapon mods. If I change a weapon mod from an esp to an esl, is it still considered a master for those patches?

Edited July 10, 2018 by Cusconillow

[SirTwist]

Before I get into a ton of things here, let's take a moment, and discuss mod manager. Which mod manager are you running? The second thing is are you running Loot to examine your mods for things, and then cleaning up with FO4Edit? Clean mods are easier to merge. I don't use a bash patch, myself, because I had problems. I will caution you that somethings are easier to merge than others. Anything with textures and meshes are best left alone. Other things are kind of free game. Sometimes you can create your own mod that can combine other mods into one. Research, etc. can help with that, as well.