Do I need to download every requirmented mods too?

[Midlifealieancri]

I have downloaded quiet a bit of mods, but some of them don't work. They just have a big "!" where there supposed to be. I'm new to all this and computer stuff. There is a another question I have been researching, but no luck on finding anything. How to I download mods with seven zip? I have tried to do everything I could but I cant make it extract to the mod manager. Or do I have to extract it to somewhere else?

[Stargazer09]

Hi

7-zip is a tool that extracts files that have been compressed into a single file to save space. Think of it as putting clothes into a vacuum bag then drawing the air out before sealing it - the bag is much flatter than it was before.

Having said that I need to ask, do you use a mod manager like Vortex? If not may I suggest downloading it from Nexus and installing it? It makes downloading, installation and management of mods so much easier, there's no need for 7-zip, RAR or any other compression tool.

With Vortex, most of the time you just need to:

1. Open Vortex

2. Download the mod on Nexus mods via Vortex

3. Install the mod (that unpacks the mod's files and stores them in the correct location)

4. Enable the mod (this actually activates the mod)

 

That's all. No need to worry about where the mod's individual files go to, etc.

 

I've been using it since a couple of months back and I find it easy to use and no issues so far, although there is a bit of a learning curve especially if you're not familiar with Vortex or its predecessor, Nexus Mod Manager.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Stargazer09

[dubiousintent]

I recommend you read the entire "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article to understand the differences between this game and others you may have experience with; especially if this is your first attempt to mod FNV or it's been more than a year since you last did so.

I don't use Vortex myself, so I don't know if it has 7Zip built-in. But if not, it is available from here, and is installed just like any other program and Vortex should be able to find it from it's registry or path entries. There are other "mod managers", which are listed in the article above. But the archive file format only determines which program is needed to "unpack" it. That has nothing to do with being able to "download" the file from any web site. All the managers used for FNV can deal with any file format found on the Nexus site. All files that can be downloaded using the site "Mod Manager Download" button have that button present. If it isn't, then you have to download them "manually". You can "download" to any location, though most managers have a specific location for the purpose, but you then "extract/unpack" the archive from there to another location, and finally "install" the mod plugin files into the game "Data" folders. Managers deal with all of those locations for you, but you can do the same things using any locations of your choosing.

 

To answer the question in your title, "yes" you do need to download and install all mods listed as "required" by a mod author in order for their mod to work. (Most require the same few mods: NVSE, JIP LN NVSE, MCM, etc., sometimes a mod their mod "patches".) However, read the "Requirements" section on the Nexus page carefully. Some mod authors apparently think that is where they are supposed to list other mods that require their mod to work, instead of vice versa. Read the "install" instructions equally carefully. They should clarify any questions. And there is always the "Comments" tab for help. (Even if the author is long gone, someone will have most likely either already asked your question or will be able to answer it.)

 

The 'big "!" mark' in the game is almost certainly the indicator for a missing "mesh" file. The usual reason is you failed to "toggle ArchiveInvalidation off-and-on-again" after installing a replacement file. Please see the 'Solutions to Mesh (Red "!" icon) or Texture (solid color) problems' section of the wiki "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting" article. "ArchiveInvalidation" is built into all the mod managers used with FNV. Only use that feature from one manager to prevent conflicts.

 

When asking for help, please provide ALL the information requested in the wiki "How to ask for help" article. Don't forget to identify things that do not appear in the "load order", such as if you are using the FNV4GB Patch, NVSE and it's related plugins; replacements for textures (specifically their larger image sizes: 1024x1024, etc.), animations, or "bodies", etc.; and "post-processors" like ENB or SweetFX.

-Dubious-