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Question best way to start a clean modding play-through on PC?

Zeenzee

Zeenzee

New Member
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4
I feel paralyzed at the beginning of the beginning. I am not sure what is the best way to start a clean modding play-through. I know of course it's death to pull mods out of a play-through, so I don't really have any un-modded saves.

I know I need to start a new game on PC, but I have read so many conflicting posts on this. Some people say one way is sure corruption, while others say differently.
  • There are several mods so you can alternately start (I haven't used any of them), but I don't know if that is a reasonable route to go.
  • Should I start a new game then use console commands to level way up, and give myself all the mats I need?
Thanks in advance
Zz
 
This is what I do. :bye

It doesn't all need to be followed or taken "word for word." It is just a framework.

https://simsettlements.com/site/index.php?threads/baking-a-game-save-bags.9447/#post-66784

Keep the start simple.
Any textures
Any Fo4SE mods
UI - Mods
Sim Settlements
Some basic workshop mods
Weapons and clothing
General - Mods
Mods that overwrite others or are smaller

I don't recommend alternate start mods.

Use vortex or Loot to get it sorted until you read or have reason to move a mod around.

I recommend installing the mods you want, sort them, then disable most and start a new game, then layer them by checking them to make them active while you move through vault 111.

Just make sure if you use the unofficial Fo4 patch that it is installed and active when you start the new game.

It is safe to add mods, just if you want to remove them you need to roll back to a point that is before you installed it. If you don't know, wait so you can test them and do the rollback drill if you don't like them.

This is up to you:
  • "Should I start a new game then use console commands to level way up, and give myself all the mats I need?"

If you have problems? Comeback and someone will help you. :friends
 
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Hi RayBo, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I normally run a heavily modded game (love vortex over MM) so roll-back isn't an option. Maybe my question would be how is the best way to lvl up a new game with the intent of creating SS content?
 
I'm not far into a new playthrough, here's what I did.

@MrCJohn Conqueror pre built saves https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/38520 This is very useful. You still have to do the vault 111 part, but it's worth it to have all settlements up to level 3 and not be waiting around. You will have to have some SS content already installed to use it. As with any new game I set up a new profile in vortex, install what mods I intend to use and drop the save in the folder for that profile and off I go. @RayBo will hate this, but I'm too impatient to bake a save, I want to get through vault 111 as quickly a possible.

I use this for materials, have done for many playthoroughs https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/68

Normally I fill the 8 specials and rank my self up to about level 40 with cmds but this time I'm starting as intended and it's been enjoyable.

131 plugins with a couple of them being script heavy and everything is fine so far, fast load times, total stability and good performance in settlements and down town.
 
It's all good @Phil_T_Casual, hahaha.

We need all kinds of advice for all kinds of playthroughs :bye All that comes from folks with experience from all kinds of play styles on different platforms. I hate nothing that keeps sim settlements relevant for as long as possible or helps folks have a good gaming experience.

Your advice to folks is always rock solid and always helpful and informative so I never have or would have a problem if you or any other user suggests something that might work better. If it is better I'll steal it and use it too. Then only feel gratitude that someone shared:declare
hahaha "no-ego just learning" is the attitude that I think is the most healthy. :declare
I am no expert on anything :jester gaming/modding :crazy

Baking is just a suggestion that if someone is having issues they can try but it is by no means official or the only way to do it. It works for me, so I thought I would share. I would never imply anything more than it is, just one guy's way.
I run about this many plugs, and I lots of room for more. Even
upload_2019-5-5_15-14-40.png
before all the F4SE and textures so I had to do something. I am a mod fool so by mid-game I am normally above 400 plugs and maybe 430-450 with all the other stuff. Plus, I am not a speed player. Kind of the opposite of what was needed here. I go very - very slow. I have to nurf all the experience calculations as-is to go as slow as I like it, and it still isn't slow enough. :rollseye thank goodness for the GCM mod.

Still, it is more about good mod discipline, than a number or type of mod. Baking is just a suggestion for some users to maybe manage the complexity of large mods and/or large numbers of them.

I think @Zeenzee was looking to advance her game quickly in order to "create content." You and @Fielran took care of that. I am a player, not a content creator so figured folks who use resources like @Fielran mentioned would be better than me too help.

:drinks I always like seeing folks get the help they need. It is unimportant who's advice they take, as long as someone answers their questions and they get the help and support they need. :ok
 

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I have started adding some perk points to my startgame: 30 that can be used to bring the Sole Survivor up to parity with the SPECIAL stats of the human companions.

(Personal headcanon: A limp-noodle stats-weakling is hardly going to be admirable in any way to Preston, Piper, etc. They all start with around 55 SPECIAL points + 4 ranks in Stealth. That’s the equivalent of a level 32 Sole Survivor. Further: he possibly wouldn’t survive his time on the front lines in the military, let alone be remarkable enough to be invited to speak in front of a group of war veterans or be allocated into Vault 111.)

I also put together a bat-file which added the Picket Fences magazines to the Sole Survivor’s inventory. It had the side-effect of breaking the furniture menu - easily fixed with Settlement Menu Manager. Needed for easily building base game items like certain chairs, tables, fences.

When I was attempting city-plan content I first started by adding 50-odd levels. It acted a little weird. So instead I put together a personal mod which let me choose skills at low level (ie by level 4 you can add 5 ranks to a skill - if you have the perk points, see above). It was useful for building stuff that requires middling-high Science.

Then I either did a coc to the settlement that I was wanting to build up, or sneaked all the way there (for a little fun - a low-level character in some places is quite intense). Once there I ran killall a couple of times in the console to clear out everything.

Dogmeat is optional, though useful for checking navigation and navmeshes in your build.
 
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A thought: if your sole purpose is to make a game for content creation and testing, stick with the absolute minimum mods. There would be less to go wrong. Keep playgame mods away from it and play seriously in another game entirely.

These mods would be (from memory):

Sim Settlements (probably the 3-in-1 version) or base Sim Settlements + Industrial Revolution

Mod Configuration Menu

HUD Framework

Faster Workshop

Workshop Framework

Workshop Plus

I also personally like:

Snappy Steps <— @RayBo put me on to that one

And if this isn’t what you’re meaning - no problems lol
 
thank you all for the input and great suggestions. I have so much to learn.

@Whisper yes! exactly, a clean game for creation and testing is what I'm after, but leveled up so I can create an outdoor vault at The Slog, or whatever. . I find it aggravating when I find a great looking mod, only to discover I have to install nests of mods eight deep to get that one function. I don't want to cause that level of grief.

I also tried to lvl way up with CMD but got weirdness too, so figured that wasn't quite right.

@Phil_T_Casual I hadn't considered the Conqueror angle. Thanks for that idea.

@Fielran That might be the answer I'm looking for.

Again, thank you all for your help. I'm gonna need a lot I think!
 
I'm going to try switching to Vortes. I moved there with Skyrim Special Edition and it only took me a week to get everything working and to figure out which mods I could live without. I had less mods, so changing to FA4 may be harder, but I've watched both Gopher and RayBo's videos so I'm jumping off the cliff.

The worse that can happen is I'll have to reinstall everything again, which wouldn't be the first time and the best that can happen, is I can go from my trying to keep my mods below 200, to using all of the ones that make me happy. Happy is good.

So many helpful links. Thanks to everyone.
 
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