User:Evrydayjunglist/Fallout4Prerequisites

__FALLOUT4__

Some Fallout 4 Mods

A STEP Hosted guide modeled after Neovalen's Skyrim Revisited: Legendary Edition, SRLE Extended: Legacy of The Dragonborn and Lexy's: Legacy of The Dragonborn Special Edition

Created and maintained by evrydayjunglist

Last Update: 10:23:28 25 April 2024 (GMT)

NOTE

THIS GUIDE IS UNDER INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS A REFERENCE FOR NOW

Stuff: Stuff will go here
Main Guide: Quick Link to the Main Guide.
Prerequisites Page: Quick Link to the Prerequisites Page of the guide.

Official Bethesda Content

• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition v1.10.138
• Creation Kit v1.10.130

Steam Overlay

The Steam Overlay is known to cause issues while playing Fallout 4, it is recommended to disable it. To do this, perform the following:

1. Load Steam.
2. In the Tool bar at the top of the left hand side Click Steam.
3. In the Dropdown menu Click Settings.
4. Then in the popup box find where it says In-Game.
5. Uncheck Enabled the Steam overlay while in-game then click OK.

Alternatively if you would just like to disable this for Fallout 4 you can:

1. Load Steam.
2. Click LIBRARY.
3. On your Games list look for Fallout 4 and Right Click.
4. In the Dropdown menu Click Properties.
5. Then in the popup box Uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

Configure Fallout 4

Before we can actually start doing any modding, we need to setup Fallout 4 first so we have a starting base to work from.

Start by opening Steam: then perform the following steps in order:

Start Fallout 4 through the Steam context menu to open the default Fallout 4 launcher.

1. Click "Options".
2. Click the [Ultra] push-button.
3. Set "Aspect Ratio" and "Resolution" through the drop down box. Set these to the monitors optimal resolution.
4. Set "Antialiasing" to TAA (Best Quality) through the drop down box.
5. Set "Windowed Screen Mode" by making sure Windowed Mode is Ticked.
6. Set "Borderless Screen Mode" by making sure Borderless is Ticked.
7. Set "Weapon Debris" to Ultra by clicking Advanced then, under the Detail tab, set Weapon Debris to Ultimate by selecting it from the drop down.
8. Click the [OK] button to close and save.

We have just set Fallout 4 up to a base to work on. We'll tweak this when we run the BethINI tool later in the guide.

Configure The Creation Kit

NOTE:

If you use Windows Defender Firewall and find yourself crashing while trying to launch the Creation Kit for the very first time. Try adding an outbound rule in Windows Defender Firewall for Creation Kit

Fallout 4 Creation Kit : Installation & Setup by GamerPoets

The Creation Kit is a valuable tool for Fallout 4 as it allows users to create and/or edit mods. It can be used to fix and change things not possible with the other 3rd party tools. Similar to Fallout 4, the Creation Kit does not have default ini files until it is started for the first time and requires some basic setup to work properly for the purpose of this guide.

For the purpose of this guide the Creation kit will be required for proper mod conversion.

1. Download and install Bethesda.net Launcher.
2. Run the Launcher and sign in (create an account if you don't have one).
3. Users should see the grey "Creation" icon on the left. Click on it and install.
4. Users should now launch the CK, choosing YES when asked to extract the scripts, and close the program.

These settings will remain set for each subsequent run. These settings have accomplished the following:

• Setup the ini files for multiple master loads and to properly load DLC content.

NOTE:

The Scripts archive in the DATA folder can remain after the extraction.

Script Extenders

NOTE:

Do NOT install the script files yet. These will be installed later as part of the Create a modding profile section. Do not delete the downloaded archive.

Tools

NOTE:

FO4Edit will create a Cache Folder which will be found in Mod Organizer 2 overwrite, it is recommended to create a mod out of this and have it active in the left pane, this will help speed up FO4Edit load times.

Mod Manager

Installing Mod Organizer 2

WARNING

MO2 should be installed in Portable Mode

Once Mod Organizer 2 is downloaded some manual setup is required suggest watching this to familiarize yourself with the installation procedure:

1. Create a new folder called Mod Organizer 2 in the main Fallout 4 folder (so you have some like Fallout 4 Installation Path\Mod Organizer 2).
2. Extract the contents of the downloaded Zip file to the folder created in Step 1
3. Run ModOrganizer.exe
4. A popup box should appear, asking you to "choose an Instance" pick Portable
5. A 2nd popup should appear; from the drop-down menu pick Fallout 4
6. A 3rd popup should appear asking if you want to see the tutorial. Those who are new to Mod Organizer 2 should select Yes. Those who are very familiar with it should Select No.
7. A 4th popup should appear stating that 'Mod Organizer is not set up to handle nxm links. Associate it with nxm links?' The recommended response is Yes, as this will allow Mod Organizer 2 to handle Nexus file links.

Congratulations Mod Organizer 2 is installed. Now we need to configure it properly.

Idiot check make sure you don't move your mods folder out of Mod Organizer 2 base folder

Configuring Mod Organizer 2

Now that Mod Organizer 2 is installed, we need to set it up correctly

• From the toolbar click the Spanner and screwdriver icon.
• Under the Nexus tab make sure the Automatically login to Nexus is Ticked
• Input your Nexus User Name and Password.
• Click OK

NOTE:

If you're installing onto a smaller SSD for example and are short for space consider changing your Downloads location to a larger hard drive. To do this, make a folder on the hard drive named 'Fallout 4 Mod Downloads' or similar. Then on the [Path] tab of MO2 click the box labelled "Downloads" and point the Downloads directory option to the folder you just made. I suggest not changing any of the other "Paths".

Congratulations Mod Organizer 2 should be properly configured. Next, we need to set up a base profile.

Mod Organizer 2: Vanilla Profile Creation

Now that Mod Organizer 2 is installed and configured correctly, we need to create a Vanilla Profile to work from.

1. Click the [Configure Profiles] button at the top of the window. The icon looks like an id card.
2. Click [Create] and type "Vanilla Fallout 4" in the text box.
3. Verify that "Default Game INI Settings" is unchecked then click [OK]. The "Vanilla Fallout 4" profile will appear in the list.
4. Exit from the Configure Profiles window and change to the newly create Profile.
5. Reopen Configure Profiles window and the Select the "Default" profile and click [Remove]. Select [Yes] when prompted.
6. Close the dialogue by clicking [Close].
7. Verify that "Vanilla Fallout 4" is the currently selected profile in the "Profile" drop-down above the left-pane of the Mod Organizer window.

Setting up Base Tools for Mod Organizer 2

Now to setup the tool's UI and other such settings. Follow the steps below

NOTE:

Some extenders and tools such as F4SE, Fallout 4, Fallout 4 Launcher, LOOT and the Creation Kit should appear already configured in the list that will pop up. To configure the remaining tools, perform the following:

1. Click the [Executables] button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like a pair of cogs.
2. In the "Title" text box type "FO4Edit".
3. In the "Binary" text box type <FO4Edit Path>\FO4Edit.exe or select it using windows explorer by pressing the [...] button.
4. Do not select any of the optional check boxes.
5. Click the [Add] button. FO4Edit should appear in the list.
6. Repeat this process for Mator Smash, Wrye Bash and zEdit, replacing the appropriate fields then close the dialogue by clicking [Close].
7. It is advised to add a second Instance of FO4Edit to MO2 Executables by repeating the process above call this second instance FO4EDIT - Quick Auto Clean
8. In the Arguments field add -quickautoclean

NOTE:

What this step has done is added the tools you'll use as part of the modding process as executables that can be run through Mod Organizer. Most of the tools we'll use will need to be run through Mod Organizer to work correctly. This is so the tools can 'see' the virtual file system Mod Organizer sets up.

Next we'll fix the default left pane order, which is scrambled from how it should look. Drag and drop the files in the left pane until they look like this:

 * Automatron
 * Wasteland Workshop
 * Far Harbor
 * Contraptions Workshop
 * Vault-Tec Workshop
 * Nuka-World

We now need to run LOOT to organize the right pane so it depicts the correct order also. Perform the following steps:

1. Select LOOT from the drop-down list of executables.
2. Click the [Run] button
3. Towards the top right-hand corner is an icon that looks like 3 horizontal lines. Mousing over it shows it's for 'Sort Plugins'. Click it.
4. LOOT will now download any updates to its master list file and compare the files it sees to this master list file. LOOT will display warning messages about the ITMs and deleted references the 3 Bethesda ESMs contain. Do not worry about them at this time. They will be dealt with later, in the Clean the Bethesda ESM's step.
5. The calculated load order is then displayed. Click 'Apply' to accept this order. If no changes are necessary there may not be an 'Apply' option as no changes are needed.
6. Close Loot using the Red X.

This process has loaded LOOT via Mod Organizer. This enables LOOT to act upon any and all of the .ESM and .ESP files in Mod Organizer's virtual file system. It compares what files it sees to the Master-List of all .ESM and .ESP files and suggests tweaks as required. Some files need to load before others or after others for their effects to be fully noticeable. LOOT helps this to happen. If you look at the Right pane of Mod Organizer now, you should notice that the files are in the same order that you just sorted them into on the Left pane, with Fallout4.esm above them. This is the correct formation.

This process has enabled the Automatron, Wasteland Workshop, Far Harbor, Contraptions Workshop, Vault-Tec Workshop, and Nuka-World DLCs for use in the game.

Congratulations Mod Organizer 2 Base Profile should now be properly set up. Next, we need to set up a Modding Profile.

Creating Fallout 4 Modded Profile

We've made a Vanilla Fallout 4 profile. This means you can play vanilla unmodded Fallout 4 via Mod Organizer at a single mouse click. Now we'll make the profile with which we'll mod Fallout 4. This is how we proceed:

* Click the [Configure Profiles] icon at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. The icon looks like an id card.
* Select "Vanilla Fallout 4" then click [Copy].
* Type "Fallout 4 Modded" in the text box and hit [OK].

A couple of points to be made here: Firstly, when you make a new profile, Mod Organizer makes new copies of Fallout4.ini and Fallout4Prefs.ini. If and when you make ini files changes, you will be making them to THESE files. Secondly, we installed the base three files of Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) earlier, but didn't install the script files. We will do this now to show how to install a mod via Mod Organizer. Ensure you have your newly made profile active and then perform the following steps:

* Click the small CD and Box icon adjacent to the "Search nexus network for more mods" drop-down and select "Install Mod...".
* Navigate to the downloaded F4SE archive and click [Open].
* Replace the default text, if any, in the "Name" text box with "F4SE Scripts". This is the name that will be displayed in the left pane post-installation.
* In the file tree, navigate to the "Data" folder inside the archive, right-click and select "Set Data Directory". Only the Scripts folder should be visible and checked.
* Click [OK].

The mod will now be displayed with an empty check box in the mod window. This mod is now installed but not yet enabled for use by the game. Also, note that Mod Organizer does not have a version number or category set for this mod. To resolve this, perform the following:

* Right-click the mod and select "Information...". (Alternatively, double click the mod name.)
* In the "Categories" tab, check the box next to "Utilities" to add that category to this mod.
* In the "Nexus Info" tab, set the version number to the installed F4SE version number but set the Mod ID to -1.

This has set the proper version number and category for this mod. The color of the text also indicates that F4SE is not available on the Nexus. Look at the [File Tree] tab to see the contents of the folder that will be virtually placed inside the Fallout 4/Data folder. Note the meta.ini file is shown which Mod Organizer uses to store all the related data for the mod and it will not be visible to the game when executed.

NOTE:

Any mods downloaded directly into Mod Organizer from the Nexus will have one or more of the data fields automatically filled based on Nexus server-provided information.

* Click [Close] to save and exit the window.

Mods version numbers that can be verified by the Nexus will be either Green(Current+) or Red(Out Of Date). To make the mod visible to the game:

* Check the box adjacent to the mod name.

The files located inside this mod folder will now be visible to any programs executed through Mod Organizer as if they were placed inside of the Fallout 4/Data folder. Any conflicts are handled by Mod Organizer in priority order (higher priority overwrites lower priority). Give this a try now:

* Select "F4SE" in the drop down above the right pane then click [Run].

This will execute the game through Mod Organizer using the F4SE_Loader.exe. The Mod Organizer window will close as F4SE is automatically configured to do so. At this point, F4SE is now properly installed with all included script functionality. There is also a way to check you have F4SE loaded and working:

* When the game loads to the menu, open the console. This is usually one by pressing the tilde [~] key, directly above the [Tab] key. This will open a small command prompt in the lower left corner. It may be hard to see but it should be there. Type the command "getf4seversion" without the quotes. It should give output as to the version you have installed. If it's anything other than 0.6.17 then recheck the original F4SE install and the scripts install just performed.

Exit the game, and if needed ensure F4SE is correct again after checking install. Do not continue until you're sure F4SE is correctly installed.

We've now set up the profile we wish to install mods too. We've also set up a Vanilla Profile. Either a modded game or the vanilla game can be played just by changing the profile. Additionally, should you wish to make any other profile, you can simply copy that Vanilla Fallout 4 profile, rename it and start with that new profile.

Mod Organizer 2 Plugins

Template:Fallout4Mod Special Installation Instructions:

Extract everything except LICENSE and README.md to your Mod Organizer 2 plugins directory.
Load Mod Organizer 2 and press the Screw Driver and Spanner Icon.
Navigate to the Plugins Tab
Scroll down until you find Merge Plugins Hide
In the Right hand box change hide type to optional. NOTE: Make sure to put optional and NOT Optional, otherwise it will not hide plugins correctly.
Click OK.

Merge Plugins Hide is now set up and will move merged plugins to the optional directory within Mod Organizer 2. It can be accessed via the Puzzle icon within Mod Organizer 2.

Fallout 4 Configuration Tool

Template:Fallout4Mod Recommended Settings:

• Run Fallout4ConfigTool.exe Outside of MO and make sure it is closed otherwise changes wont take effect
• Go to the Settings tab within Fallout 4 Configuration Tool and point the INI Location field to your Fallout 4 Modded profile, located in the Profiles folder in the main Mod Organizer 2 folder.
• Under the Settings tab Make sure the Overwrite Prefs in Game Dir option is selected.
• Under the Tweaks tab Make sure the Invalidate Archives option is selected.
• Under the Tweaks tab click the Auto Execute then Add... and copy these lines:

gr quality 3
gr grid 8
gr scale .4
gr maxcascade 2 
cl rim .0025
setfog 0 100000
setgs iTerminalDisplayRate 1200
setgs fWorkshopWireMaxLength 2200
setgs fGunShellLifetime 150
setgs fGunShellCameraDistance 12800
setgs iDebrisMaxCount 375
setgs iHoursToClearCorpses 10
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadComplexCount 50
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadCount 50
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadComplexTotalActorCount 65
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadTotalActorCount 50

• Under the Performance tab Make sure the iNumHWThreads option is set to your number of cores.
• Under the Performance tab Make sure the High Priority option is selected.
• Under the Camera tab Make sure the Field of View option is set to 1st 90 - 3rd 85 and ADS 85.
• Under the Textures/Decal tab Make sure the Recommended option is selected.
• Under the UI tab Make sure the Disable FX option is selected.
• Under the UI tab Make sure the Pip-boy Intensity option is set to Emit=1 / Defuse=0.1
• Under the UI tab Make sure the HUD Opacity option is set to 75.
• Under the UI tab Make sure the Power Armor Pipboy Intensity option is set to Emit=1.5
• Near the bottom Make sure you press the Save button.
• Close the application by pressing X near the top right.