Fallout3:Unofficial-Essarrbee-1.0.0

Introduction

Fallout has been one of the greatest of RPG franchises since its initial release way back in 1997. Mods have kept the games alive since then with Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas being some of the most lively modding communities around. This guide will cover some of the basic and advanced features that go along with modding Fallout 3 and New Vegas which will save time and headaches.

Getting Started

Since both Fallout 3 (FO3) and Fallout New Vegas (FNV) run on the Gamebryo engine, many of the programs used to mod them will be identical. Any differences between the two will be denoted with game specific instructions.

Game specific information will appear throughout the guide like so: Template:FO3 Note Template:FNV Note

Every section of the guide will cover a different area of modding Fallout games, from different mod managers to complex mods that have difficult installations. having a clean installation of a game is the first section, so that the Fallout game directory is pristine and ready for modding.

Installation
Utilities
Mod Managers
Extenders
Selected Mods
Troubleshooting

Installation

Installing Fallout games is most commonly done with Steam. There is another version of FO3 and that will be covered.

Before installing either game it is important to remember that Fallout (and really any game that is going to be modded) should be installed outside of the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder to avoid Windows UAC restrictions. Some mods may not operate correctly if they are installed in that folder. This also means that Steam should probably not be installed inside those folders. To move Steam follow the directions here.

Utilities

LOOT

Author: LOOT Team (but mostly WrinklyNinja)
Version: v0.6
Note: Mod Organizer has a sort button that uses LOOT, but this is still required.
Installation: LOOT Installation Video
LOOT

Originally BOSS v3.0, but it is so different that a new name was required.

xEdit

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Author: ElminsterAU
Version: v3.1
Notes: A small STEP mini-guide on conflict resolution is available here.
Installation: Make sure to install directly into the game's root folder. This video can be applied to any xEdit version: TES5Edit Installation
TES5Edit

It would really be impossible to have a heavily modded or stable game without this amazing little tool. Essential for anyone wanting to mod a Bethesda game.

Mod Managers

It is hard enough to mod, but doing it without a mod manager is masochistic. There are a few different mod managers and each one offers different levels of complexity for modding Fallout. No matter what a mod manager should be used by anyone that is using more than ten or so mods.

Fallout Mod Manager - FOMM - Fork

Author: Q Timeslip and kaburke
Version: v0.14.11.12
Note: Some information before using:

FOMM works for both games with just one installation.
The older version of FOMM is not supported and should not be used.
Bug reports and feature requests are done on the New Vegas Nexus.

This is a continuation of the FOMM development.

Mod Organizer

Author: Tannin
Version: v1.2.18
Description: One of the most versatile mod managers available is Mod Organizer. It is the mod manager available that will keep the installation directory clean of any mod that is installed in the Data folder. It accomplishes this by using a virtual directory and running all the modding utilities and launching the game through Mod Organizer.
Note: There is some information to be aware of when installing Mod Organizer:

The Skyrim Nexus version is the latest version. The other nexus sites are not updated.
For more information, see the Mod Organizer Guide.
Official STEP Mod Organizer Video Series by Gamer Poets.

Installation: To use MO for multiple games it must have multiple installs in different locations. It is recommended to put each install of MO into the game directory of each game that it will be installed for. MO Install Video
Works for Skyrim/FNV/FO3/Oblivion

Open the Mod Organizer archive.
Extract the Mod Organizer folder to the installation directory.
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Setting Up Mod Organizer

Start MO and set it up to download mods from the Nexus, follow the directions provided on the Mod Organizer Guide. Linking to Nexus
- Do not start downloading any mods yet. This is especially important if it is desirable to change the default download location to a different drive which is very useful for users that have the game and MO installed on an SSD.
Click the Profiles button.
1. Now highlight the Default profile, make sure Archive Invalidation is checked, and click [Copy].
  - Ticking Local Savegames will make all saves from the profile from being used by any other profile.
2. Rename the profile to the desired name, and click [Okay], then [Close].
  - Users wishing to setup a base profile should do so now, then copy the base profile again to setup the modded profile. See Gopher's MO video to setup a base profile. Setting Up MO Profiles
  - This procedure can be repeated for copying any profile in the future.
Click the Executables button and set up the programs that will be run from the MO launcher using directions from the Mod Organizer Guide. Third Party Programs
1. Recommended programs to add: LOOT, xEdit (FO3Edit or FNVEdit), and Wrye Flash or Wrye Flash NV. Only add the GECK if necessary.
  - MO LOOT Installation
    . Other programs can be installed similarly.
  - LOOT has one extra instruction to setup:
    1. In the Executables menu select LOOT.
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    2. Click [Modify], then [Close].
  - xEdit can be setup for multiple games using one installation of the program. This example assumes that there is a C:\Games folder with Steam and MO installed within, adapt this example as needed.
    1. Get the latest version from the this AFK Mods thread.
    2. In C:\Games folder, create a "Utilities" folder.
    3. In C:\Games\Utilities folder, create a "xEdit" folder.
    4. Extract the downloaded archive into the C:\Games\Utilities\xEdit folder.
    5. In Mod Organizer, select the Executables menu and either pick xEdit if it already exists or type in the new one to the Title textbox.
    6. For the Binary, click [...] and navigate to the C:\Games\Utlities\xEdit\TES5Edit.exe and click [Open]. (Do not worry about the name)
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Set up optional settings as desired:
1. Click the Settings button. General Settings
2. Choose style, language, mod folders, customize mod categories among other things.
3. For changing the default download location, follow these instructions:
  1. From the Settings menu, make sure the General tab is open.
  2. Tick the Advanced checkbox.
  3. In the Download Directory textbox, either type the location to store downloads or click the [...] button and navigate to the location that should be used for downloads.
    - If MO is going to be used for multiple games, then it is a good idea to put the different download folders in one place for ease of access. For example:
      1. Setup a "Games" folder on the storage drive, G: for this example.
      2. In the G:\Games folder, create a "Mod Organizer" folder.
      3. Now create another folder in the G:\Games\Mod Organizer folder called "downloads <game>" for each game that MO is used for. Example image
      4. Enter this path in the Download Directory textbox, ex: G:\Games\Mod Organizer\downloads Fallout 3 for the Fallout 3 version of MO
Check that the official DLC is sorted correctly.
1. In the left pane make sure the official DLC are listed as the first mods when sorted by priority. Left Pane: Columns
  
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Mod Organizer should now be installed and properly set up for modding from this point forward.

Nexus Mod Manager

Author: dominatorhc, duskdweller, ipokezombies, kaburke
Version: v0.53.7
Description: Nexus Mod Manger is probably the most versatile mod manager in terms of the amount of games it can handle. In terms of features for Bethesda games, compared to other mod managers, it is not quite as rich. Recent development for it has added some nice features that show promise for NMM in future. For users that just want to install a few mods and play Fallout, NMM is perfect. For users that want to have control over every little aspect of hundreds of mods, then a different solution should be considered.
Installation: Download and run the installer. During installation it is recommended to install the program somewhere other than the C:\Program Files folder to avoid Windows UAC problems that can affect modding.
Note: Nexus Mod Manager videos:

Gopher has a tutorial covering NMM, it is older, but still relevant. Nexus Mod Manger Tutorial
Gopher has also done a video on the 0.60 alpha of NMM. NMM alpha

Wrye Flash

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Author: valda and Sharlikran
Version: Fallout 3 v31.2 and Fallout New Vegas v16.9
Installation: Follow these instructions:

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Sharlikran, valda, and Utommo have started developing Wrye Flash NV again, but they could use some help, so anyone with python experience should consider lending a hand on Wrye Bash/Flash/Flash NV/Smash coding.

Extenders

There is a wide arrange of addition enhancements to Fallout games that do not fit in any category. This section covers those enhancements.

Script Extender

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Author: Ian Patterson, Stephen Abel and Paul Connelly.
Version: Fallout 3 v1.2 beta2 and New Vegas v4.6 beta1
Installation: Follow these instructions:

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Without FOSE and NVSE, many mods that add incredible features of Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas mods cannot be used. These are essential mods for any gamer.