CerebralHawk
Active Member
- Messages
- 173
As someone who's played Fallout 4 since the very first day (or maybe the second; since I preordered, I only got 4GB of the game on the install disc, and had to install the rest over what then was a 10MBit DSL connection, so, not sure if it was done by the first day), I basically don't like the game anymore... or rather, the main quest. I like the assault on Fort Hagan, but after that, the game can take a flying leap. The assault on Libertalia is also cool, but you don't need the Institute quest to do it, you just need it for that one named raider. The rest of the raiders, and better yet Le Fusil T... The Terrible Shotgun... is still there. So is the perk mag. Anyway, my Fallout 4 game looks and plays a bit different to the experience Bethesda delivered back in 2015. So, let's get started.
First of all, I use the unofficial Fallout 4 patch and CBBE — not for nudity, but for compatibility with other clothing mods. I always cringe when a female raider is stripped bare, and though I could use the "never nude" option, it's kind of un-immersive. So, I just try to not take the base outfit unless I really want it. And mostly I don't, since my own base layer is either a clean Vault suit, or something like road leathers... later, it'll be something I can put ballistic weave on. I also use a ton of cosmetic mods you could either take or leave. I won't go into them here. I also use a sorting mod to make junk weigh nothing (cheats, I know, but IDGAF) and to make the workbench not take Vault 81 and other "valuable" scrap when you "store all scrap." There are a few of those, and I won't get into my choices there, either. I mainly just want to go over my 'core' experience. Modding is not about following instructions, it's about building your very own load order. Lastly, I'm only linking to the Nexus because that's what I use. Feel free to check the mod description to see if it exists on Bethesda's site if you're an Xbox player, or just search. Many of these mods are. However, PlayStation users probably shouldn't read too much into this thread as Sony has really hamstrung the modding experience on PS4, and with Microsoft owning ZeniMax now, I don't see Sony relenting on their stupid policy, and there were no signs of them doing so before the acquisition. PS4 players are awesome (norespawns on YouTube/Reddit being a huge influence on me as a builder; he started on PS4) but you guys got cheated. Feel bad for you, but PC is really the way to go, I just want to point out that that's not from a place of console hate (I own a PS3, 360, XB1S, and 3DS in addition to a gaming desktop and a gaming laptop), but rather of love for the open nature of the PC as a gaming platform.
I start with Start Me Up. This mod lets you create your character, but as soon as you try to leave the pre-war bathroom, you're presented with three options. The first lets you play out the pre-war stuff (boring). The second skips it and drops you in Vault 111. The third lets you make a character who is not Shaun's parent and instead is just someone living on the surface. You have a bunch of options here. You can start in a few different places. You can be a member of a faction. You can choose to start with some stuff, a little stuff, or a good amount of stuff. And you can choose your starting level. Generally I like to be a Vault Enthusiast with some stuff at level 1. This places me at Deacon's Vault 111 overlook, so I grab the water, head down to 111's entrance and loot outside, then head into Sanctuary and begin my game like normal.
Traits and More Perks changes how I play. The "more perks" I generally ignore (you have to craft them, and the requirements are really high), but the traits are cool. Specifically, I take Memento Mori, which doubles all your experience, but also makes you take double damage across the board. Also, all healing items heal you less, and more slowly. Unto the Breach makes you move 15% faster and your AP regenerates 25% faster, but you take 25% more damage from all weapons (including your own, so beware of Spray n' Pray and guns like it — best to give these to companions, but only after you've taken the rank in the Inspirational perk that makes it impossible for your companions to harm you). Generally, this means I gain levels quickly, especially early game, but I also get killed a lot. I have to be a lot more strategic with fights, and the Corvega assault is very difficult. So is taking Outpost Zimonja.
Oh, I play on Normal, until I hit level 50, then I turn it up to Hard. At level 100, I turn it up to Very Hard. However, this is a WIP (all mod lists are, always), so I'm thinking of turning it up to Hard at 25 and Very Hard at 50. I may even do it sooner than that, eventually. Very Hard is really not that hard vs Normal, it just means you take more damage, but if you have four ranks in Toughness and Ballistic Weave v5, you're laughing off a lot of damage anyway. You also do less damage, but with guns like Overseers Guardian... it really doesn't matter. And Spray n' Pray is straight up broken when you have Demolitions Expert maxed, and the Explosives bobblehead... the game kinda stops being fun when you can swat legendary Deathclaws like flies.
For perks, I use Creative Perks. It changes how a lot of perks work. For some where the mod author thought they were overpowered, they dial them back a little bit, and for some that were useless (like VANS), they added features to make them worth taking. Now it's a lot harder to choose perks. Good thing I level twice as fast. I also try to get to END 10 so I can take the first rank of that perk (Au Natural), which gives me a 20% XP boost when I'm not under the effect of any chem. The next couple ranks are worth getting Endurance up to 10, too. Unless you use chems, in which case, never mind. I also like that pickpocket and lockpick are now combined, with the other perk letting you create lock forcing tools that let you skip the minigame, at the cost of the tool (they're crafted, and the requirements are fair). This is not a cheat mod, but depending on how you play, it can make you more powerful. I take perks that increase my move speed, so I run at the speed of vanilla sprinting, just about. I also swim fast, making the trip to Spectacle Island a trip worth making. (I mainly go for the bobblehead, I don't like it as a settlement.)
And for settlements, aside from Sim Settlements 2, which I just added, I don't like the recruitment beacons, and disable them as soon as I've built them. Instead, I use two mods that do the same thing — Tales From The Commonwealth and Recruitable Settlers. They just add named settlers throughout the Commonwealth (often, both mods add their NPCs to the same location!) that you can hire and send to a settlement at no cost and with no speech check. They just say something like, "I hear you're looking for settlers," you say, "Come work for me?" and choose a settlement, and they tell you they'll see you there in a day or two. I role play the hell out of settlement building to the point where I really look a settler over and try to think about where they'd be a good fit. They all have the same personality (not talking about Sim Settlements 2 settlers, haven't met those yet) so I have to make one up in my head. Like I envision the young woman was abused by raiders, escaped with a caravan, and was taken in by the Abernathy family, or that all ghouls I meet share Wiseman's vision for The Slog and want to make a settlement that rivals Diamond City, at least in offerings, if not security (though we do alright there, as well).
As for other mods... I use some for a while and then stop using them. There are some that fix little things, but for the core experience, it's those five I mentioned above, plus my difficulty increases. Oh, if you want my starting SPECIAL, it's S4-P4-E3-C6-I6-A1-L4, OR 4436614. AGI 1 sounds scary, but it's really not, especially if you don't use VATS.
What do you use to make Fallout 4 more fun after all these years?
First of all, I use the unofficial Fallout 4 patch and CBBE — not for nudity, but for compatibility with other clothing mods. I always cringe when a female raider is stripped bare, and though I could use the "never nude" option, it's kind of un-immersive. So, I just try to not take the base outfit unless I really want it. And mostly I don't, since my own base layer is either a clean Vault suit, or something like road leathers... later, it'll be something I can put ballistic weave on. I also use a ton of cosmetic mods you could either take or leave. I won't go into them here. I also use a sorting mod to make junk weigh nothing (cheats, I know, but IDGAF) and to make the workbench not take Vault 81 and other "valuable" scrap when you "store all scrap." There are a few of those, and I won't get into my choices there, either. I mainly just want to go over my 'core' experience. Modding is not about following instructions, it's about building your very own load order. Lastly, I'm only linking to the Nexus because that's what I use. Feel free to check the mod description to see if it exists on Bethesda's site if you're an Xbox player, or just search. Many of these mods are. However, PlayStation users probably shouldn't read too much into this thread as Sony has really hamstrung the modding experience on PS4, and with Microsoft owning ZeniMax now, I don't see Sony relenting on their stupid policy, and there were no signs of them doing so before the acquisition. PS4 players are awesome (norespawns on YouTube/Reddit being a huge influence on me as a builder; he started on PS4) but you guys got cheated. Feel bad for you, but PC is really the way to go, I just want to point out that that's not from a place of console hate (I own a PS3, 360, XB1S, and 3DS in addition to a gaming desktop and a gaming laptop), but rather of love for the open nature of the PC as a gaming platform.
I start with Start Me Up. This mod lets you create your character, but as soon as you try to leave the pre-war bathroom, you're presented with three options. The first lets you play out the pre-war stuff (boring). The second skips it and drops you in Vault 111. The third lets you make a character who is not Shaun's parent and instead is just someone living on the surface. You have a bunch of options here. You can start in a few different places. You can be a member of a faction. You can choose to start with some stuff, a little stuff, or a good amount of stuff. And you can choose your starting level. Generally I like to be a Vault Enthusiast with some stuff at level 1. This places me at Deacon's Vault 111 overlook, so I grab the water, head down to 111's entrance and loot outside, then head into Sanctuary and begin my game like normal.
Traits and More Perks changes how I play. The "more perks" I generally ignore (you have to craft them, and the requirements are really high), but the traits are cool. Specifically, I take Memento Mori, which doubles all your experience, but also makes you take double damage across the board. Also, all healing items heal you less, and more slowly. Unto the Breach makes you move 15% faster and your AP regenerates 25% faster, but you take 25% more damage from all weapons (including your own, so beware of Spray n' Pray and guns like it — best to give these to companions, but only after you've taken the rank in the Inspirational perk that makes it impossible for your companions to harm you). Generally, this means I gain levels quickly, especially early game, but I also get killed a lot. I have to be a lot more strategic with fights, and the Corvega assault is very difficult. So is taking Outpost Zimonja.
Oh, I play on Normal, until I hit level 50, then I turn it up to Hard. At level 100, I turn it up to Very Hard. However, this is a WIP (all mod lists are, always), so I'm thinking of turning it up to Hard at 25 and Very Hard at 50. I may even do it sooner than that, eventually. Very Hard is really not that hard vs Normal, it just means you take more damage, but if you have four ranks in Toughness and Ballistic Weave v5, you're laughing off a lot of damage anyway. You also do less damage, but with guns like Overseers Guardian... it really doesn't matter. And Spray n' Pray is straight up broken when you have Demolitions Expert maxed, and the Explosives bobblehead... the game kinda stops being fun when you can swat legendary Deathclaws like flies.
For perks, I use Creative Perks. It changes how a lot of perks work. For some where the mod author thought they were overpowered, they dial them back a little bit, and for some that were useless (like VANS), they added features to make them worth taking. Now it's a lot harder to choose perks. Good thing I level twice as fast. I also try to get to END 10 so I can take the first rank of that perk (Au Natural), which gives me a 20% XP boost when I'm not under the effect of any chem. The next couple ranks are worth getting Endurance up to 10, too. Unless you use chems, in which case, never mind. I also like that pickpocket and lockpick are now combined, with the other perk letting you create lock forcing tools that let you skip the minigame, at the cost of the tool (they're crafted, and the requirements are fair). This is not a cheat mod, but depending on how you play, it can make you more powerful. I take perks that increase my move speed, so I run at the speed of vanilla sprinting, just about. I also swim fast, making the trip to Spectacle Island a trip worth making. (I mainly go for the bobblehead, I don't like it as a settlement.)
And for settlements, aside from Sim Settlements 2, which I just added, I don't like the recruitment beacons, and disable them as soon as I've built them. Instead, I use two mods that do the same thing — Tales From The Commonwealth and Recruitable Settlers. They just add named settlers throughout the Commonwealth (often, both mods add their NPCs to the same location!) that you can hire and send to a settlement at no cost and with no speech check. They just say something like, "I hear you're looking for settlers," you say, "Come work for me?" and choose a settlement, and they tell you they'll see you there in a day or two. I role play the hell out of settlement building to the point where I really look a settler over and try to think about where they'd be a good fit. They all have the same personality (not talking about Sim Settlements 2 settlers, haven't met those yet) so I have to make one up in my head. Like I envision the young woman was abused by raiders, escaped with a caravan, and was taken in by the Abernathy family, or that all ghouls I meet share Wiseman's vision for The Slog and want to make a settlement that rivals Diamond City, at least in offerings, if not security (though we do alright there, as well).
As for other mods... I use some for a while and then stop using them. There are some that fix little things, but for the core experience, it's those five I mentioned above, plus my difficulty increases. Oh, if you want my starting SPECIAL, it's S4-P4-E3-C6-I6-A1-L4, OR 4436614. AGI 1 sounds scary, but it's really not, especially if you don't use VATS.
What do you use to make Fallout 4 more fun after all these years?