Old Post Question about mods compatible with the latest SS version 4.0.2

Hello,

first I'd like to say that I can't imagine playing FO4 any more without SimSettlements. These mods have added so much to my game thanks to the dedication and creativity of many talented people here that I feel grateful and indebted to them. Thank you very much, and looking forward to have even more fun with Conqueror in the future.

Now onto my questions please :

1/ I downloaded the latest v4.0.2 3in1 version of SimSettlements, along with Conqueror, the Workshop Framework and the 1 year Mega Pack. I have read that the new version breaks compatibility with quite a few older SimSettlements "affiliated" mods. I would like to know if there is a list somewhere that I can check to know which "affiliated" mods remain compatible.

2/ I am especially interested in leader packs, since I've read that without additional mods settlements would not have enough leaders. I used to use (among others) :

• Sim Settlements - GOAT
• Sim Settlements - Mayors (33 more leaders)

but it seems both no longer work with the latest version, since they're no longer updated. So my question is : does any up-to-date leader pack exist for SimSettlements v4.0.2 ?

3/ I know that SimSettlements won't do anything without the green-light of the player. I remember I could build stuff in Sanctuary, unmanaged by SimSettlements, and have another settlement further away managed by it without issues. My question is how does SimSettlements manage customized settlement places, modified for example by mods like these :

• Vault 88 Extras
• Mechanist Lair Overhaul

Are these compatible at all with SimSettlements, or even desirable (since SimSettlements would not use any the extended settlement space) ?

4/ Finally, it seems that Workshop Framework is not compatible with another very popular mod that is More attackers get off my buildzone (I posted about it on the Nexus, but can't use links yet). Can we expect a patch to be released in the future, or will we have to make a choice ? I really would like to keep both, in the expectation of using Conqueror, unless Conqueror itself will have a similar feature itself one day. I think that enemies spawning in the middle of my settlements which I spent inordinate times to pretty-fy, err, fortify is very... anti-climatic.

Sorry for the many questions, but I thought that having them all in a single post would be better than separating them.

Thank you very much for your valuable assistance and time in reading.

Well, even tho the GOAT page on NEXUS says "cancelled", and the last post from the author was in Dec 2018 (ending support for the mod), I downloaded it and have been using it since Oct 2018 (I hate having to run companion quests for the umpteenth time, Gannon's only have very quick quests and they're better looking than most of the other companion mods), YMMV. I've noticed some oddities with it, like the extra companions don't actually ever show up at the settlement they are supposed to manage, the settlement still grows on it's own with no input from me. The mods will have to weigh in with the official line.

The MA-GOMB nexus forum posts say:
From the mod author Win95, dated 27 Jan 2019:
Compatible with Sim Settlements + RotC + IR. Not tested with Sim Settlements - Conqueror.
Use at your own risk with Conquerors.

If no better alternative exists, I guess I could try to run with the same mods again, but I'd rather not, to avoid potential issues down the road.

Maybe I could just refrain myself from conquering too many settlements, which is a shame, because the system (SimSettlements/Conqueror) is so beautifully made that I want them all

Do you per chance know how many leaders are in the vanilla game ? to know how many settlements I can leave to SimSettlements to auto-manage ?

There's an option in the new version where you can turn off the need for settlement leaders.

Modified settlements are mostly OK to use with manually built sim settlements plots but usually don't work with city plans. I dont know the specific ones you mentioned. Make sure to remove them from the prebuilt list, if you're using that feature, and proceed with caution and backed up saves if you decide to try a city plan. If there are physical/terrain changes, just build manually--again, it should still be ok to build plots yourself.

edit: left out the word OK

Not sure about how many in a vanilla game (the major settlements that have 'mayors' that give you a a radiant quest and then they become part of the minutemen) off the top of my head, but some don't have a built-in mayor, like the drive-in, that don't have a person already associated, then you'll need a companion to lead it. So if you want more settlements than the ones that have someone already, you'll be limited to that number plus however many companions you have recruited. Some companions aren't available until later in the game, so if you want to start the New Commonwealth early on, you'll need some mod companions plus GOAT. I'm impatient, so I use a few extra non-core game companions, and I got spoiled by SS so I don't need to micro-manage settlements. I add extra plots like a plain industrial plot for the ILS so I don't have to go back and assign someone to share supplies around.

pek2000 said:

Well, even tho the GOAT page on NEXUS says "cancelled", and the last post from the author was in Dec 2018 (ending support for the mod), I downloaded it and have been using it since Oct 2018 (I hate having to run companion quests for the umpteenth time, Gannon's only have very quick quests and they're better looking than most of the other companion mods), YMMV. I've noticed some oddities with it, like the extra companions don't actually ever show up at the settlement they are supposed to manage, the settlement still grows on it's own with no input from me. The mods will have to weigh in with the official line.

The MA-GOMB nexus forum posts say:
From the mod author Win95, dated 27 Jan 2019:
Compatible with Sim Settlements + RotC + IR. Not tested with Sim Settlements - Conqueror.
Use at your own risk with Conquerors.

Click to expand...

@pek2000

I really like it! The below is a good thing!

“The MA-GOMB nexus forum posts say:
From the mod author Win95, dated 27 Jan 2019:
Compatible with Sim Settlements + RotC + IR. Not tested with Sim Settlements - Conqueror.
Use at your own risk with Conquerors.”



I cannot emphasize two things enough when it comes to modded games, compatibility, and mod discipline.

1. Reading “everything” the authors have posted, user comments and bug sections, and if the author is still active.

2. User, Testing. Doing 2 speed runs.
a. A vanilla run to at least the exit of the vault, preferably to retrieval point of the concord team. And putting these saves in a safe place. They are priceless is future troubleshooting. You only need to do this once.
b. A second speed run to about level 20 +/- and figure out the mods I want to use / can be used together. Some mods I change/edit, some get patched others get sidelined. Then do a full-on game restart and play a real game. I don’t like figuring it out on the fly in a game I care about.

Everything below is just a rant, and not of much value.

Sim Settlements is a big mod that is always progressing. There are thousands and thousands of neat, useful and fun mods that are near static, outdated, need adjustments or patching and untold likely millions of edits. A mod that works one day is only one edit away from maybe not. Authors strive for vanilla game compatibility, all other mods are often hit - miss with each other.

Authors might make there mods compatible one day for x,y,z mod, then [x] gets updated, (y) doesn’t like it and poor little (z) takes the hit and doesn’t work right anymore. Then us freeloaders “users” come in mid-stride and had out blame like cake. Not understanding that it is part of the overall process of improving the content for the entire community. Mods are always changing, tools and knowledge improving and a valid load list one day is one update away from evolving or being fubar.

My thing is authors should have a disclaimer: If you use their mod, you work for them to improve it for the entire community. This includes the stability of any save file in which it is installed. hahahah, why not? Isn’t this the truth by default?

Nothing is more valuable here than thoroughly resurching each mod and the “user” testing it with a controlled save from within his or her own game. for what it is worth, I feel no mod author is beholden to another author for compatibility, and it is up to the user to figure that out. hahaha, lucky for us most authors are nice folks and try anyway in spite of our “my own included” dumb selfish-asses.

KG, is doing a video play through. I recomend folks check that out and reference his mod list if they don’t want to do [a & b]. His video mod list is likely the most current and comprehensive list available if a user doesn’t want to do the testing themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2g2oK5KhZT1Fpsn4kERWJ85xNkuGTg7Z

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Mod list is in the video notes.

I usually do "RTWFM" as a last resort, but in this case I've been having odd crashes in parts of the game not exactly near the SS pre-defined settlements. I probably play too much FO4, and when I get confused as to whether I just cleared a place or not, that means I've been restarting too often, and then I take a break with CIV VI or GalCiv 3, but then Civ VI just updated and broke a bunch of mods, so it gets tedious removing/adding mods to that to play (not as many mods as FO4, thank god) and I don't have as good an understanding of how mods may work in it, not sure what get's modded with an xml file vs. a database update, and there isn't as an extensive a mod information base for Civ as the is for FO4.

And, GalCiv is still getting expansions after 4 years!

Planning to start a civ 6 run with the new expansion tonight myself.

Big fan of it!

yep, broke the mods in mine too. hahaha so this run will be modless

I need to check out GalCiv!

I just realized as I was doing some housecleaning my mods on FO4 to see why a new companion mod isn't loading, I also have SimSettlements - Vanilla Leaders, which give me the local leaders for Fisk Farms, etc. the ones that actually give me the extra local leaders. I'm going to disable GOAT (and start over yet again).

GalCiv has been around in various levels since OS/2 days. They've been updating/releasing constantly since then.

Which companion?

Vermillion Frost?

But, going thru my directories, I see that Vortex hasn't really been installing mods since the end of Jan, at least, when I run FOEdit the ones I've installed since then aren't enabled, even though Vortex says they are. Come to think of it, that's about the last time a vortex upgrade came along....... Sigh, time to dig around again.

Fielran said:

(snip)

Click to expand...

> There's an option in the new version where you can turn off the need for settlement leaders.
That's good to know, thank you for the info. I think I'll stop stressing over it then, and just see how it goes.

> Modified settlements are mostly OK to use with manually built sim settlements plots but usually don't work with city plans. I dont know the specific ones you mentioned. Make sure to remove them from the prebuilt list, if you're using that feature, and proceed with caution and backed up saves if you decide to try a city plan. If there are physical/terrain changes, just build manually--again, it should still be ok to build plots yourself.

I have chosen to skip those mods for now. I really would like to make sure that my modded game plays nice and stable before proceeding with anything "out of the norm". SimSettlements and Conqueror will hopefully provide for enough fun on their own.

You've been very helpful, thank you.

pek2000 said:

Not sure about how many in a vanilla game (the major settlements that have 'mayors' that give you a a radiant quest and then they become part of the minutemen) off the top of my head, but some don't have a built-in mayor, like the drive-in, that don't have a person already associated, then you'll need a companion to lead it. So if you want more settlements than the ones that have someone already, you'll be limited to that number plus however many companions you have recruited. Some companions aren't available until later in the game, so if you want to start the New Commonwealth early on, you'll need some mod companions plus GOAT. I'm impatient, so I use a few extra non-core game companions, and I got spoiled by SS so I don't need to micro-manage settlements. I add extra plots like a plain industrial plot for the ILS so I don't have to go back and assign someone to share supplies around.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply.

I was under the impression that companions didn't automatically qualify as settlement leaders, which is why I had downloaded "compatibility" mods for Heather, Ellen and such in the past, but it's been a while since I played FO4, I'm just back to it.

If you're right, it's great! If you're not, I wish that companions would automatically qualify. That would make things easier for everyone I think, and also would make sense in the way of playing out a story.

Companions could be loyal while adventuring for example, but some could chose to betray us as leaders, once they too have gotten used to the taste of power. If Conqueror could make such a scenario possible, it would be outright fantastic.

Also, I think I will skip on GOAT (or any other mod that isn't "officially" compatible and up-to-date with SimSettlements v4.0.2). I may give "Recruitable Settlers" a try, we'll see. From what another user told me in this thread, it should be possible to manage settlements without leader, so in the worst case I'll do just that, instead of risking running into issues. I prefer a long and stable game over a game that "has it all".

RayBo said:

(snip)

Click to expand...

(If this reply is aimed at my initial post) I did read both pages with attention, but my issue is not with "Conqueror <-> MAGOMB" but with "Worshop Framework <-> MAGOMB".

Your advice about reading everything on a mod page is a good one, and I agree it's needed even if it takes discipline to do so when juggling with hundreds if not thousands of mods downloaded.

Your advice about doing "speed runs" is an equally good one, and it's rather easy for me to do with Mod Organizer 2 and its profiles.

Finally, I agree that mod authors don't owe us players anything. I certainly do not demand anything from them. I receive whatever they're willing to share with gratitude, but also think it's fair to report issues when they are genuine and not of our doing. The collision between MAGOMB and Workshop Framework for example can be seen by anyone through closer inspection. If the issue is not going to be adressed, I guess I'll just have to uninstall one of the mods, it's the way it is, no need for drama ^.^

Where I do disagree with you is that mods should not provide some kind of stability in the context of other already existing mods, even in the ever-evolving universe of Nexus or other sources. Taking the example of mods that add to interiors (Beantown, Stumble Upon, Inside Jobs, etc.), some mod authors go out of their way to find compromises between their mods, which helps us players tremendously at the end of the day. Everyone gains from such a disposition, since conflicts are a pity to debug and fix for everyone. We all want the mods to be played and enjoyed first and firemost.

Finally, I realize that SimSettlements v4.0, Conqueror and Workshop Framework are still "fresh on the market". I didn't come here to complain, please believe me, just to find solutions (and maybe a list) from the collective wisdom that is our community, mod authors and mod players combined.

I'm going to close this thread, so that it doesn't clutter the forum. I couldn't find any compatibility list as initially expected, but I think :
- latest SimSettlements
- Mega Pack 1
- Mega Pack 2
- ROTC complex city plans
- (optionally) Workshop Framework + Conqueror
is a good start, and certainly very compatible with v4.0.2+

EDIT : well, it seems I cannot change the tag of the thread to "SOLVED" as requested. I only see "Question" and "No prefix". Maybe some kind moderator could do it for me ?