Fallout: New Vegas lives. Years go by but the fourth entry in the post-apocalyptic series retains its unwaning popularity among RPG fans with an appetite for a juicy experience. At the same time, the modding community gathered around Obsidian’s work persists in its efforts to keep the Mojave Desert’s glory alive for as long as possible.
And while the spirit of New Vegas remains strong and timeless, its visual flesh is significantly more likely to suffer at the hands of time. The Gamebryo engine was considered not the most beautiful even at the moment of the game’s release; 5 years later and it can sometimes be as repulsive as a flock of feral ghouls after midnight. As a result, long-time players coming back to the Strip after a break may be discouraged, and newcomers – outright scared away.
To counter that effect, we give you our selection. Here are the mods that will change the way you look at Mojave Wasteland, and allow you to re-appreciate one of the best Fallouts in history without disgust on your face. You will find here instructions how to install each add-on as well as universal tips on how to mod New Vegas from now on. All mods in this selection are compatible with the latest version of the game.
The description “Vanilla” you see on some of the screenshots signifies a basic (unmodified) version of the game.
…but the Wasteland does – and for the better. Installing the mods for Fallout: New Vegas.
In this section you will find a list of applications enabling you to install and manage the mods as well as ensure their proper working.
ATTENTION: Before you modify any game files, the game has to be launched at least once using the default launcher.
Nexus Mod Manager
Fallout New Vegas supports the content available on Nexus Mods website. This means that you can download mods using the Nexus Mod Manager software (later on referred to as NMM).
NMM allows you to automatically install, enable, and disable the mods. Furthermore, the application is clear, easy to use, and offers access to nearly 100% of the resources available on the dedicated nexus.
The nexusmods site dedicated to New Vegaswill inform you during the download procedure whether the modification requires any additional plugins to work properly.
Using the Nexus Mod Manager
How To Install Mods Manually Fallout New Vegas Free Download
1. Download and run the latest Nexus Mod Manager software.
2. Wait until it finishes scanning your drive for games or cancel the scan and choose the game manually.
3. Select the modification in the Mods tab (the mod itself may be placed in an automatically generated subfolder) and click the second button from the top (the green check mark) – this will enable the mod in the game.
ATTENTION: To download files from Nexus Mods you need to have an account there.
Managing your mods
The latest version of NMM provides the options to comfortably manage all of your modifications. By which we mean not only automated installation (enabling and disabling whole mods or selected .esm and .esp files), but also validation of all plugins (archives) and reorganization of the files’ load order.
First of the abovementioned actions becomes handy after having manually installed mods that added new textures. To verify the archives select Tools from the upper menu, then uncheck and recheck the Archive Validation option.
The second action will set the right loading order of the mods, which prevents the game from crashing or malfunctioning of individual modifications. To do it, select Tools once again and simply check the Automatic Plugin Sorting option.
New Vegas Script Extender
New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE) is a tool enabling you to unleash the full “scripting potential” that lies dormant in Fallout: New Vegas, ensuring the proper working of mods that would otherwise have to interfere with the game’s .exe file.
As NVSE is used by many modifications that change gameplay mechanics, it would be a good idea to begin your modding with this one.
How to install the New Vegas Script Extender mod
1. Download the New Vegas Script Extender (version 5.0b2).
2. Copy the archive’s contents into the game folder (the one containing FalloutNV.exe)
New Vegas 4GB
New Vegas 4GB (NV4GB) is an add-on enabling the game to access and use up to 4 gigabytes of GPU RAM. Some advanced visual mods require this modifications to work; without it they may cause stuttering, crashes or significant performance drops.
How to install New Vegas 4GB
1. Download New Vegas 4GB.
2. Copy the archive’s contents into the game folder (the one containing FalloutNV.exe)
3. Create a desktop shortcut leading to fnv4gb.exe
4. Open the shortcut properties. Add space after the quotation mark in the “Target” field and add the following line: -SteamAppId 22490 -laaexe .FalloutNV4GB.exe (example: 'C:program files (x86)steamsteamappscommonfallout new vegas enplczrufnv4gb.exe' -SteamAppId 22490 -laaexe .FalloutNV4GB.exe
5. From now on, launch the game using this shortcut. NVSE will be loaded automatically.
ENB Mods – what are they and how to install them
ENB is a general name encompassing all modifications based on the files created by Boris Vorontsov. The files enable a game to support advanced post-processing features that were partially supported or weren’t supported at all.
Although post-processing in modern games is a rather resource-consuming process and can have a significant impact on performance, Fallout: New Vegas goes rather easy on system resources, allowing even older PCs to handle the following ENB Series mods with little if any problems.
The mods created using Vorontsov’s files will be referred to as presets from now on.
How to install the files enabling you to use ENB presets
1. Download the latest version of ENB Series.
2. Extract the archive. Copy the contents of the WrapperVersion folder into the game folder (the one containing FalloutNV.exe)
3. From now on, copy every new preset into the game folder, overwriting files if asked.
Using the ENB presets
There’s more to be done with ENB than installing the right plugin – when the game is running, you will have access to a powerful editor that allows you to modify every parameter of the currently loaded preset.
To open the editor press the Shift+Enter key combination. You will see a menu on the left (see the screenshot below).
Through the editor you have the ability to manipulate properties of the enbseries.ini config file, which, with some effort on your part, will allow you to fully adjust the plugin to your preference. In other words – your imagination is the limit.
The post-processing applied by a ENB mod can be enabled and disabled with the Shift+F12 key combination.
Weapon Retexture Project – better textures for your arsenal
What’s better than a big gun? A good-looking big gun, obviously. The creator of Weapon Retexture Project knows those words of wisdom well. That’s why he decided to refurbish the looks of every single piece of trigger-equipped hardware laying around Mojave. Although the completion of his noble goal lies still far ahead, even as it is now his mod upgrades texture quality of most available firearms, making it a pleasure not just using them but simply looking at them.
Creator: Millenia
How to install: Download the mod manually, extract the archive and copy its contents to: [game_folder]Data
Mojave Sandy Desert – true sand
Monochromatic, parched desert soil? Not if Mojave Sandy Desert can help it. The plugin adds a wide array of new textures, replacing not only the deserts as we know them but also the maps drawn on some types of terrain or the roadside. Never before have the wastelands of Nevada been so sandy, so tempting to go for a walk on and simply appreciate the landscape.
Creator: AceeQ
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
Interior Lighting Overhaul – see indoors in a new light
There’s hardly place for mood with improper lighting – even the most charming locations can be ruined with unrealistic or overexposed lights. Interior Lighting Overhaul will provide the interiors of all the buildings with lighting that is properly balanced, toned down, and adjusted to their individual character, boosting immersion and contributing a well-thought-out harmony that is a joy to the eye.
Creator: Sarge198
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
Essential Visual Enhancements – general visual upgrades
Explosions, gunshots, and gushing blood – take that away and what’s left? Certainly not immersion and satisfaction. The creator of Essential Visual Enhancements wanted to reach new depths of the visual experience that accompanies combat with all kinds of lethal objects. Thus, he implemented new death animations, environmental effects of bullets and particles, as well as refurbished looks for explosions, gun- and laserfire. As the mod is constantly developed, we can expect further tweaks and improvements in the near future.
Creator: weijiesen
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
Fallout Character Overhaul – better-looking NPCs
Ghouls are not the only creatures in the Wasteland that could use some facelifting – faces of most NPCs were severely tested by the aged game engine that powers New Vegas. Fallout Character Overhaul was created specifically for them, as it changes facial features of not only NPCs but also the Courier’s companions… or even the Courier himself/herself. The plugin adds new, high-res textures, reduces angularity, provides better-looking eyes and teeth, and, last but not least, it doesn’t collide with any visual mods from the ENB Series.
Creator: Drumber
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager. The mod has a built-in config app, which will allow you to pick from several variants of character and enemy appearances.
ATTENTION: The mod requires the Old World Blues expansion as well as the UIO mod to work properly.
Wasteland Flora Overhaul – better textures for vegetation
The Wasteland is, by definition, a desolate and harsh place, making any pleasant landscape elements a change not only welcome and worthy of attention but also – where possible – of embellishment. Here’s where Wasteland Flora Overhaul comes in to the fray, by increasing the number and variety of plants the Courier can stumble across. Furthermore, the plugin adds several new types of trees and bushes (around 80 new 3D models) and is available in two versions – the more austere ‘dead’ and the more vivid ‘fertile’.
Creator: vurt
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
Realistic Wasteland Lighting – see the outdoors in a new light
If your choking on that dirty, brownish dust covering all of Mojave and your eyes have learned to differentiate between more than 50 shades of sepia – perhaps you should look at the Wasteland in a different light. Realistic Wasteland Light will deliver some fresh touch, making the post-apocalyptic landscapes a bit more pleasant to watch and (at least visually) free of radiation. The plugin increases color saturation and removes the ever-present “sandy” screen filter, with no repercussions for overall performance.
Creator: sal203
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
Project Reality – realistic landscapes
Project reality is a mod that puts gameplay immersion first and foremost. The plugin adds some new weather effects and revamps the visuals of those already present. Furthermore, it implements several sound effects to accompany different weather conditions, like sandstorms or downpours. It will also replace the color scheme of the Wasteland with a more consistent, cooler set of colors.
Creator: jjc71
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
ATTENTION: The mod is not fully compatible with Nevada Skies.
Enhanced Shaders ENB – better shading
If you ever thought, when walking the New Vegas Strip, that your surroundings are bleak, unpolished, and generally lacking, you were dead on. One of many things it lacked was proper ambient occlusion, provided by the Enhanced Shaders preset, which focuses on adding the missing shade where it is due – in the corners, in the foliage, or under light sources. Enhanced Shaders’ strong point, however, lies in it unobtrusiveness – it leaves the original colors as they were.
Creator: tapioks
How to install: Download manually and follow the instructions included in the section dedicated to ENB Mods.
Nevada Skies – realistic sky and weather effects
Be it rain, snow or blazing sun – the Wasteland has a hard time surprising you because, weather be as it may, everything remains basically the same. One way to counter such progressing indifference is the Nevada Skies mod, which provides a complete makeover of the sky and turns all weather conditions much more unpredictable, severe, and spectacular. After having installed the mod, more often than not you will find yourself entranced by the image of clouds racing on the sky, standing on a hill to watch the sun sink below the horizon, or, if an unexpected sandstorm comes down, hiding in the closest shelter with other NPCs to avoid death. Provided you find a shelter in the area.
Creator: Yossarian22
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager.
ATTENTION: The mod is not fully compatible with Project Reality.
NMC’s Texture Pack – textures of high(est) resolution
The more details the better – especially when it comes to the details of the smallest elements of the environment. NMC’s Texture Pack revamps the looks of nearly all objects in the game by significantly increasing the resolution of textures covering them. From streets and pavements through cars and road signs to wallpapers – the seemingly boring Wasteland suddenly becomes a land of minuteness. The mod is available in three versions – large, medium, and small; the first one is recommended – to avoid stutters – only to the owners of GPUs possessing more than 4GB of RAM.
Creator: NMC
How to install: Download and enable using the Nexus Mod Manager. If, during the installation, the app asks you to overwrite existing files, choose “No to all”.
Blackout ENB – Repainting the Wasteland
Blackout ENB is one of the most popular presets, offering not only a different, more clean and toned-down visual quality, but also increasing the intensity of darkness ruling the Wasteland during night hours. The mod draws its popularity from the fact of being well-balanced and not overly exaggerated when it comes to colors, creating a very fresh and natural look. Additionally, the mod, once activated, doesn’t particularly affect the overall performance; unless you find yourself in the middle of an intense downpour.
Creator: Xilandro
How to install: Download manually and follow the instructions included in the section dedicated to ENB Mods.
ATTENTION: The mod works best when paired with Nevada Skies or Project Reality.
Overview
Fallout Mod Manager is a tool used to manage your load order and install mods correctly.
Fallout Mod Manager is available on the nexus. Installing a .FOMOD file
Once FOMM is installed all you have to do to install a .FOMOD file is double click the .FOMOD file in its directory, go to package manager in FOMM and click the mods name on the list and the click activate.
The mod may or may not open a custom installer which should have instructions on how to configure the mod to your liking.
Installing a mod from an Archive with FOMM
References
Retrieved from 'https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php?title=Installing_A_Mod_With_FOMM&oldid=40206'
This page contains instructions on how to install mods on the PC version of Fallout 4.
There are two main methods of installing mods: manually or via a program such as the Nexus Mod Manager. If you're playing on console, here's how to install mods on Xbox One.
WARNING
Installing mods requires you to add to / remove / alter the main files of the game - ALWAYS use caution when installing mods.
Before Installing Mods
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Cons
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Very powerful utility with a number of unique features
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Due to its complexity, it has a learning curve when first used
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The interface is not as clean and intuitive as Nexus Mod Manager
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Enables you to fix problems with mods not correctly packaged by the author
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Has excellent help available
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Installs mods separately from the game folder allowing quick and simple mod removal
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Profiles allow you to have multiple configuration files and different mod setups
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Mod conflicts are detected and are easily resolved
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Mods downloaded from Skyrim Nexus will be added automatically to your mod list
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The Pros and Cons of Using Nexus Mod Manager
Cons
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The simplicity of the tool means that the advanced features available in Mod Organizer are not present
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Categorisation of mods is automatic and mirrors Skyrim Nexus
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Is very simple to use with one click install and un-install
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Installing Mod Organizer
Before we begin migrating mods from Nexus Mod Manager and making use of all Mod Organizers advanced features, we need to install it:
- First, download the installation package.
- Next, run the Mod Organizer executable file in the Mod Organizer folder contained in the zip file you downloaded above.
- You will be presented with a choice of the supported games that Mod Organizer found, or given the option to find another installation as shown below.
- Next, you will be given the option to see a tutorial of Mod Organizer's basic features. If you have not used it, I suggest that you watch the tutorial.
- It may also ask to Associate Mod Organizer with nxm links, click Yes on this dialogue box.
Commonly-Used Features
You can see in the figure below what the various panels in Mod Organizer do, as well as some of the buttons that you will regularly use while setting up your mods, configuring your profiles, changing your mod order and fixing mod installation issues.
Migrating Your Mods From Nexus Mod Manager to Mod Organizer
If you decide to move from Nexus Mod Manager to Mod Organizer, Mod Organizer has a built-in tool to assist you.
- Click on the Tools button and select NMM Import as shown below.
- If you have the latest version of Nexus Mod Manager, you can safely ignore the warning you will receive and click OK.
- Select the mods you wish to Import and click Next.
- You will then receive the dialogue box below. I would recommend option B (Copy and Delete).
- Mod Organizer will chug away for a time copying all your mods across. Once it is complete, the mods will appear on the Downloads tab.
Installing Mods for 'Skyrim' Using Mod Organizer
To install a mod, simply double click it on it on the Download tab and confirm the name you want to give it. The mod will show as Installed and it is as easy as that.
Where Mod Organizer really excels is when the author of the mod has not put all the files tidily in a single folder. Without cleanly installing such mods, this may cause the mod to be unstable and crash your game. Mod Organizer recognizes this and allows you to fix it on the fly while installing the mod. When you come across such as mod, you will receive a warning notification such as the one below:
To resolve this:
- Expand DruidEssentials using the arrow.
- Select the first file (Druidessentials.bsa) and drag it to <data>.
- Repeat it for all the files in the mod and your screen will look like the one below.
- Mod Organizer will tell you that the mod now looks good, so you can click OK and the install will complete.
Fixing Your Mod Load Order Using Mod Organizer for 'Skyrim' Mods
Mod Organizer will automatically check your mods for you, and will advise you if there is an issue with your mod order. If it detects a problem, you will see the icon in the top right light up.
- If you click the icon, Mod Organizer will advise you of the problems it has found.
- Click on Potential Mod order problem and you will be advised what to do to fix the issue.
To manually reorder mods yourself to resolve the issues shown above:
- Click on the Plugins tab.
- Next, click the Priority column.
- Select the mod that you wish to reorder and drag it up or down based on where you want to move it to. Repeat this for all the mods that need to be moved.
Editing Your Skyrim.ini and Skyrimprefs.ini and Using Profiles in Mod Organizer
Using profiles, you can not only change the mods that you use, but you can create a backup of your configuration (or .ini) files, in case the changes that you make do not work out to your satisfaction.
To create a new profile:
- Select the drop down menu to the right of Profile and select Manage.
- Click on the Create button and name your profile (I called mine backup).
Now you have two profiles, we can change the .ini files on your Default profile knowing that you can revert to your backup configuration files in your Backup profile if the changes are not successful.
To edit your ini files:
- Using the Tools button, select Ini Editor.
- Make any changes you want to either (or both) files and click Save to commit the changes.
Should you want to revert back to the default ini files:
- Load the backup files by switching to your Backup profile.
- Go to the Ini Editor as we did above and copy the ini file you want to revert.
- Switch to the other Profile and copy the contents of the backup ini file over the affected one and click Save.
Conclusion
Mod Organizer is a sophisticated and powerful tool that helps you to manage your Skyrim mods. It can also be used to manage downloaded mods for Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Oblivion. It has several unique features, including:
- Mods are installed in their own folders and isolated from the other mods to keep installs clean and allow for easy removal.
- You can create multiple profiles with different mod lists, ini files and save games.
- It can work with Nexus Mod Manager so your mods can be migrated directly from it, should you choose to switch.
- Saved games that may otherwise become unusable if mods are removed from the game can be cleaned.
- Mods with installs that have files in the wrong places can be corrected while being installed which will make the mods work as intended and your game more stable.
- Mod Organizer will also tell you which mods you used with a particular saved game.
In this article, we have looked at:
- The pros and cons of both Nexus Mod Manager and Mod Organizer
- Installing Mod Organizer
- Migrating from Nexus Mod Manager
- Installing mods using Mod Organizer
- Fixing your load order
- And finally using profiles and also editing your ini files
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Really useful and interesting Hub ! Now I show it to my boy too because he play Skyrim and always have troubles with the mods. I hope he will fix all the problems because when you have 10 plus mods, things become slightly complicated to handle. Thank you, I will share it !
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