GUIDE Best/most stable/current FO4 mod pack/guide?

[Gutmaw]

Hey all, I'm very familiar with the STEP guides for Skyrim (including SRLE and SRLE Extended), and looking to jump into FO4.  I found a handful of FO4 guides, looking for your experienced opinions on the best/most stable/current FO4 mod pack/guide.  

 

Here are the guides I found so far...

Fallout 4 Mod List and Load Order Guide (BiRaitBec Modlist)

wip-fallout-4-using-modorganizer-2 by Gernash

https://forum.step-project.com/topic/12227-fallout-4-mod-it-till-it-breaks-my-personal-guide/ by Fenris95

 

Any guidance is appreciated!

 

Thanks

 

Rig:

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[Nozzer66]

Have tried all of em.

 

The top one works pretty well, but I added a bit on top of it and ended up getting ILS issues. Having said that it was more likely my fault. It's probably the most up to date.

 

The second one is what I'm using now. Couple of very rare CTD's but no real issues as yet.

 

The third one is pretty full on. Lots of extra textures etc. Will take some time to install. But it seemed solid for me.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Nozzer66

[ZidanReign]

I've switched from using Gernashes' to using the top listed since I loath installing Weaponsmith Extended 2 now since there's a much better alternative for it but his guide's patch still hasn't been updated, and a lot of the guide's optional mods aren't really optional if you install the patch as well so until he updates everything completely for a more stable experience and remove's the optional's dependencies (trying to play survival is almost impossible since I would experience a lot of CTD's before I could even sleep) I'm just enjoying birait's, which never CTD's unless I play for hours on end and by then I've made several saves. 

 

Gernash's modlist is also for more casual difficulty gameplay, playing it with just the modlist on survival is basically "Do you wanna have a bad time?"

Edited January 9, 2018 by ZidanReign

[Nozzer66]

It's also worth noting that Gernash's is the only one that has MO2 suggested as the Mod manager. MO2 now seems pretty solid, aside from the BA2 extractor not working, so you'd need a BA2 extractor if you wanted to use that.

 

If you're happy to use NMM, use the top one. Am actually thinking of reinstalling birait's again and tinkering with it some.

[GrantSP]

In my opinion Gernash's is the most problematic as it introduces a whole new level of complexity with how to use MO2.

It uses MO 2.0.7 as the base manager, which was in beta for a long time and is no replaced by a stable 2.1.1 release, it also uses symlinks to try and get around perceived problems.

I said to him at the outset that that idea will be fraught with problems but nonetheless it is now his goto solution.

 

My advice is to not use that method. Apart from that, his mod selection is purely a personal choice matter. I have not taken that route so they may well be a great selection of mods, my only concern is for the management side of the guide.

[Nozzer66]

Yeah well I did use 2.1.1 and it's rock solid, aside from the ba2 issue. Ignore the bits about symlinks if you do use Gernash's one.

[Gutmaw]

Based on these comments I'll probably give the 1st a try.  However, I have come to love MO vs. NMM.  Think it's do-able to install the 1st or 3rd options using their guides as a "guide"??  I have decent understanding of Xedit, but I'm a little afraid of just loading and patching everything myself.

[ZidanReign]

I've done his install via MO2, I just didn't follow the parts about the textures section exactly since my machine is pretty strong without total optimization.  I have no 60fps below gameplay at 1080P.  (I don't see the point in 1440p or 4k atm until it is more affordable and being able to reach 60fps without sacrificing quality)

 

Birait's just makes you do the standard clean masters with xEdit so no need for extensive xEdit knowledge unless you've never done that, then look up a guide on how to do that.

Edited January 11, 2018 by ZidanReign

[Nozzer66]

I think you could probably do any of them on MO2 if you wanted. Have a close look at what's overwriting what, though. You might have to extract a few ba2's to see it, though. But that's not super hard.

[ZidanReign]

I think you could probably do any of them on MO2 if you wanted. Have a close look at what's overwriting what, though. You might have to extract a few ba2's to see it, though. But that's not super hard.

Yeah honestly, if you know Mod Organizer well enough and how to seperate MO2 from the original with its quirks.

Edited January 12, 2018 by ZidanReign

[Barachiel]

I've used the first two, and while i love Gernash's list, it's a bit outdated at this point, and the chief selling point, his compatibility patches, now cause as many problems as they solved.  

 

For the time being, I've moved to BiRaitBec's modlist, and the list by itself is *very* stable.  I was able to run it at a full 4K, and maintain 36-45 FPS even with his ENB and all the textures.  Taking it down to 1080p, and I was getting a solid 60 FPS.  

 

I've since added more mods of my own, since he doesn't really touch settlement mods (barely) and world/quest content (not at all), and so far it's holding up pretty well.  I did ditch one of his lightng mods (Fr3nesson's lighting tweaks) because on my monitor it just made things *WAY* too dark.  

[GNinja89]

Have tried all of em.

 

The top one works pretty well, but I added a bit on top of it and ended up getting ILS issues. Having said that it was more likely my fault. It's probably the most up to date.

 

The second one is what I'm using now. Couple of very rare CTD's but no real issues as yet.

 

The third one is pretty full on. Lots of extra textures etc. Will take some time to install. But it seemed solid for me.

I tried Gernash's myself and it is very out of date now, I wouldnt recommend it. His suggested load order also had masters loading after there dependancies

 

 

I've switched from using Gernashes' to using the top listed since I loath installing Weaponsmith Extended 2 now since there's a much better alternative for it but his guide's patch still hasn't been updated, and a lot of the guide's optional mods aren't really optional if you install the patch as well so until he updates everything completely for a more stable experience and remove's the optional's dependencies (trying to play survival is almost impossible since I would experience a lot of CTD's before I could even sleep) I'm just enjoying birait's, which never CTD's unless I play for hours on end and by then I've made several saves. 

 

Gernash's modlist is also for more casual difficulty gameplay, playing it with just the modlist on survival is basically "Do you wanna have a bad time?"

Hey dude what is the better alternative to WE 2?, there is no way I want to install that.

Edited May 22, 2018 by GNinja89

[ZidanReign]

I uninstalled FO4 since i was tired of dealing with its stupid problems no matter how many times I modded it.

 

There is no good WSE2 alternative that I know of since I haven't bothered to look at any new mods for FO4 in awhile. But if you want Crafting Workbenches, try Crafting Mastery.

[GNinja89]

I uninstalled FO4 since i was tired of dealing with its stupid problems no matter how many times I modded it.

 

There is no good WSE2 alternative that I know of since I haven't bothered to look at any new mods for FO4 in awhile. But if you want Crafting Workbenches, try Crafting Mastery.

I know how you feel, I havent given up on this game yet though. Anyway thanks I will look at that mod.

In my opinion Gernash's is the most problematic as it introduces a whole new level of complexity with how to use MO2.

It uses MO 2.0.7 as the base manager, which was in beta for a long time and is no replaced by a stable 2.1.1 release, it also uses symlinks to try and get around perceived problems.

I said to him at the outset that that idea will be fraught with problems but nonetheless it is now his goto solution.

 

My advice is to not use that method. Apart from that, his mod selection is purely a personal choice matter. I have not taken that route so they may well be a great selection of mods, my only concern is for the management side of the guide.

 

Hi hoping to pick your brain real quick. I have been modding Skyrim SE using Vortex and have 121 mods working successfully with no problems, so although its still in Alpha it is definately viable as a mod manager. Do you think it is useable for FO4? Is there any forum/post about using it with FO4 as I still rely on heavy community input to help me mod games (i.e guides and forum help etc.)

[boycad]

 ...using Vortex and have 121 mods working successfully with no problems, so although its still in Alpha it is definately viable as a mod manager. Do you think it is useable for FO4? 

 yup gotta love the old school BBS culture.  So:  Two and a half years later: has anyone had any luck modding FO4 using Vortex?  It might just work...