Octopus Overlords

My favorite is a bus set up like a doctor's office. There are large teddy bears and small teddy bear sitting in the "waiting room", some "reading" newspapers, while there is another laying on a "surgical table" with surgical/medical supplies around him. Very funny.

Moliere wrote:

Grifman wrote:I have over 200 mods installed

Yikes! I'm always worried about potential mod conflicts and spending more time researching, updating, installing, and troubleshooting mods than actually playing the game. I installed only a couple basic mods that update the graphics, fix a bunch of game bugs, and do some things with the weather.

It took me about a day to set them all up, figure out the best load order, then play some, see if there are any obvious conflicts. Even then you find stuff like the one I found the other day, couldn't build on top of the screen at Starlite Drive-In. Took me about 2 hours to figure that one out and fix it But overall, it's not too bad and adds so much to the game.

Another cool pic I ran into tonight. I don't know where Jangles is going, but he has whiskey and a life preserver.

So far, I absolutely despise the Nuka-World DLC. If you don't want to play as an asshole, there is no game there. Instead of questing, I'm limited to fighting waves of skull-leveled enemies and quick loading. Not a lot of fun.

I'm a goody goody, so I plan on taking some followers in power armor and going in and purging the Raider infection from Nuka World.

Which is exactly what I did. That does, however, disable a lot of the content. You lose, from what I know:

/edit - although rather than take a regular follower, I built an automatron with a sniper arm, a gatling laser arm, a head laser, the toughest armor, and the regeneration field torso mod.

Blackhawk wrote:So far, I absolutely despise the Nuka-World DLC. If you don't want to play as an asshole, there is no game there. Instead of questing, I'm limited to fighting waves of skull-leveled enemies and quick loading. Not a lot of fun.

Bah, it's great. Just play along with the raiders to see the sites, then turn on them and support a slave uprising at the last moment.

Sure it could have been written a little better to handle a few more scenarios, but it works, and Nuka World itself is such a blast to explore.

I'm still exploring and enjoying the setting. It is standard Bethesda. They make amazing worlds to explore, but do a poor job of implementing stories into them. Luckily, I play their games for the exploration.

I am now level 39, with four companions (Deacon, Strong, MacCready, and Preston Garvey) who idolize me. Next up is Cait. I've found that she likes me taking off all my clothes when fast travelling between sites. That and taking drugs. I continue to avoid the main quest and the Institute while I wrap up the other side quests.

Blackhawk wrote:Which is exactly what I did. That does, however, disable a lot of the content. You lose, from what I know:

Spoiler:

~All story quests (you can still do the scavenger hunt quests)
~The new companion
~The new perks
~They even turn off the new radio station

The fact that they designed this huge DLC and put all this work into the world, then only wrote it to be suitable to a single type of character is crappy.

/edit - although rather than take a regular follower, I built an automatron with a sniper arm, a gatling laser arm, a head laser, the toughest armor, and the regeneration field torso mod.

As someone else noted, I plan on playing along, discovering their schemes, then take them out at the end

That's how I did it. I completed all the quests, then found the quest to shut it all down.

My biggest story complaint is that I can become the General of the Minutemen, but I can't deal/treat with the other factions as the General. Deacon will acknowledge my role when he wants to get Dez to recruit me, but that's about it. The BoS will just treat me as another recruit, the RR as just another operative, etc. I'd like to be able to talk to them and negotiate with them as the General, but that option doesn't exist. I go to all the trouble to found all these settlements, restore the Castle, and it's as if nothing really happened in the eyes of the other factions.

I'll also say the BoS with Danse is dumb. Danse says when I talk with him about joining the Brotherhood that no more freelancing, no more mercenary work, I have to be a soldier and do what the BoS orders me to. Yet, I can join the BoS, recruit Danse (or is he recruiting me), and then I can go take quest/job after job that having nothing to do with the BoS, with Danse following right after me, with me giving the orders. It's just so disjointed and makes no sense from the perspective of the BoS as a military organization.

I still love the game though, I just wish Bethesda could step up their game story wise.

Looking for specific advice on suggested mods for an upcoming first run through with my kids over Christmas holiday - we are all getting base game + all DLC for Christmas (since we cannot play co-op, we are going to do a simultaneous run through the game together). Since I need to load/maintain these mods over 3 different PCs, I only want to install 10-15 "must have" mods as play time with my kids is more important than deriving the "ultimate graphic experience". I am looking at mods that perhaps reduce frustration (UI, object placement), add a bit more realism (sleep, eat required, etc.) and obviously are not high maintenance or involve a great degree of testing to get them to work nicely with others. By way of background, I have heavily modded versions of Skyrim and FNV on my system now (using Mod Organizer on one and Nexus Mod Manager on the other) so I would also like to get a feel for which mod manager is now better with FO4 (e.g. mod organizer or Nexus Mod Manager). I was hoping to use Mod Organizer and thereby install everything on my PC and then install Mod Manager and copy the mod install folders to their PCs to streamline things but any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Started my first game of this recently - mostly heavy on agility and perception, planning on mostly using high-powered rifles and the like. Still pretty early on - just got to Diamond City. I gotta say as a Bostonian its cool having so many recognizable landmarks - when I was making my way through the city to Diamond City I stumbled on the main Boston Public Library, which looked pretty cool rendered in the middle of the apocalyptic city. Seeing Fenway was pretty cool too. Better than Fallout 3, which IIRC was mostly just generalized rubble.

I guess I should check out what mods are available on the XBOne.

Tampa_Gamer wrote:I was hoping to use Mod Manager and thereby install everything on my PC and then install Mod Manager and copy the mod install folders to their PCs to streamline things but any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Pretty much the only ones I felt I needed were the better UI naming/text ones and the one that spells out all your conversation choices. I also got a "less brown" filter, I think. I don't do "more darker nightness" because then I can't see shit. If anything I usually want things to be brighter at night.

I'm actually running very mod-lean on this game. I don't do all the crazy character remodels, although I'll do an updated texture pack if it looks OK.

killbot737 wrote:I'm actually running very mod-lean on this game. I don't do all the crazy character remodels, although I'll do an updated texture pack if it looks OK.

Thanks! are you using Nexus Mod Manager or Mod Organizer? I clarified my original post on that point as I mixed up the names. From what I have read so far it appears that Mod Organizer (beta 3) still isn't quite working as flawlessly as the original did for Skyrim, so at least S.T.E.P. advises the use of Nexus Mod Manager (NMM). Was just curious if anyone is actually using Mod Organizer for FO4.

Nexus Mod Manager. You'll find that, for whatever reason, the FO4 modding scene isn't as... clean? Smooth? as the Skyrim scene. There is no working Wrye build for bashed patches, for instance, meaning that you have to use FO4Edit for a merged patch. Also, heavy modding is more likely to cause problems later on with orphaned scripts and such than in previous games.

I'll check later and give some specific recommendations. A couple of quick questions: How much settlement building do you anticipate engaging in, and how much are you interested in simple texture replacers and such?

Definitely using Nexus Mod Manager. In fact I just got the latest one that was updated for Super Skyrim.

I'd recommend the mod that stops the random settlement attacks. There is nothing like being in the middle of an exploration or battle and seeing " (some settlement) is under attack".

Blackhawk wrote:Nexus Mod Manager. You'll find that, for whatever reason, the FO4 modding scene isn't as... clean? Smooth? as the Skyrim scene. There is no working Wrye build for bashed patches, for instance, meaning that you have to use FO4Edit for a merged patch. Also, heavy modding is more likely to cause problems later on with orphaned scripts and such than in previous games.

I'll check later and give some specific recommendations. A couple of quick questions: How much settlement building do you anticipate engaging in, and how much are you interested in simple texture replacers and such?

I can see my kids continuing with Settlement Building on their own after the holiday marathon, so a mod that helps reduce frustration (e.g. placement) and or helps with Settlement Building (e.g. longer power lines) is probably a good idea. Texture packs are not a priority on this play through (although I may add the blood one recommended by S.T.E.P.). Thanks

Bad Demographic wrote:I'd recommend the mod that stops the random settlement attacks. There is nothing like being in the middle of an exploration or battle and seeing " (some settlement) is under attack".

Yeah, I might use that, actually, as I have almost negative interest in playing tower defense in Fallout 4. I had been planning to largely ignore settlement building as a result, but I might do this and then actually do some settlement building.

Tampa_Gamer wrote:Looking for specific advice on suggested mods for an upcoming first run through with my kids over Christmas holiday - we are all getting base game + all DLC for Christmas (since we cannot play co-op, we are going to do a simultaneous run through the game together). Since I need to load/maintain these mods over 3 different PCs, I only want to install 10-15 "must have" mods as play time with my kids is more important than deriving the "ultimate graphic experience". I am looking at mods that perhaps reduce frustration (UI, object placement), add a bit more realism (sleep, eat required, etc.) and obviously are not high maintenance or involve a great degree of testing to get them to work nicely with others. By way of background, I have heavily modded versions of Skyrim and FNV on my system now (using Mod Organizer on one and Nexus Mod Manager on the other) so I would also like to get a feel for which mod manager is now better with FO4 (e.g. mod organizer or Nexus Mod Manager). I was hoping to use Mod Organizer and thereby install everything on my PC and then install Mod Manager and copy the mod install folders to their PCs to streamline things but any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

You want survival mode if you want more realism, but there is the lack of saving and more brutal combat. But there are mods that allow you to save in survival mode and that tone down combat. You also can't fast travel and carry weight is low in SM but there are also mods for that. Here are some mods I use that make life easier:

Outfit Configurator - lets you change outfits on the fly when going to combat vs. selling stuff (high charisma outfits)
Quick Trade - avoid those repeating conversations with vendors and companions when all you want is their stuff
Faster Terminals - speeds up terminals
Companion Whistle - this one is brilliant. While moving through the terrain companions can easily fall behind, even get lost. Companion Whistle allows you to recall them to your side immediately. Saved me so much time looking for lost companions.
Companion GPS - Sometimes though they might get stuck anyway, this sets finding them as a quest so you can to go them and find them

Grifman wrote: But there are mods that allow you to save in survival mode

With the caveat that every one I found had numerous issues, enough so that I wasn't willing to risk any of them.

Ok, sorry this took so long. I'm not going to recommend 15 specifically, but will recommend a number that I've found particularly useful. I'm currently running 205 according to NMM (probably a few less, as that includes patches and updates.) Any mod I use is going to be lore-friendly and not include silly nonsense.

I ended up with 26 recommendations. I will mark those that are absolute must-haves with ** and those that I just recommend with *. Those that are unmarked are excellent mods that are conditional (depends on the type of playthrough and your personal tastes.) Read through their descriptions and see if they work for you.

General:

*Armorsmith Extended (lets you craft lots of stuff, plus lets you wear more types of clothing under armor, which is a big deal)
**Unofficial Patch (of course)
Wearable Backpacks and Pouches
*Companion Infinite Ammo (unless you prefer they stick with their default guns)
*True Storms (the go-to FO4 weather mod)
Salvage Beacons (if you hate dragging junk loot back to your base every hour, this will let you put it in a container and dispatch a team to take it back for you.)
*Raider Overhaul
*Super Mutant Redux (this one and the raider one above tweak some of the most common enemies to have more variety, more challenge, and make them more interesting.)
Old World Radio - Boston (adds a gazillion radio stations, most of which are fantastic and lore-friendly.
*No Crafting Experience (removes XP gain from things like adding weapon mods and cooking, see further down for more details)
**DEF_UI (the UI mod of choice for Fallout 4)
*Valdacil's Item Sorting (the FO4 item prefix sorting system of choice, combines very well with DEF_UI, but read the install instructions.)
**Full Dialogue InterfaceReplaces the one-word default dialogue interface with what you're actually going to be saying, and changes the layout away from console mode.)
Achievements (if any of you care about achievements, this is a must, as Steam achievements are disabled if you install mods.)
*Darker Nights (the best implementation I've seen across all the FO and ES games, as it gives options from vanilla to pitch black rather than assuming that you're a mole. Also lets you decrease sunset from the silly time the default game has. FO4 is really, really bright. I used to notice that it was starting get dark, would check my PipBoy and see it was 3:00AM. Click the link and check the first picture. I think I use 'Light'. It still amazes me how dark people think nighttime in the countryside is.)
Pip-Boy Flashlight (replaces the Pip-Boy flashlight with something that actually keeps the game atmospheric instead of a 360 degree glow)
*Everyone's Best Friend (Dogmeat is iconic, but is a terrible companion. He does little damage, and can't carry all that much, doesn't have a quest, and doesn't have lines. That's because he was originally intended to be a secondary companion - you'd have both a companion AND Dogmeat. You'll actually hear voice lines related this. Why they removed it I don't know, but it really does improve the game, making Dogmeat useful, reducing time spent dragging loot home, and so on.)

Settlements:
**Increased Build Limit Enhanced 4K (increases the amount you can build in settlements, as the game was optimized for consoles)
**Build High - Expanded Settlements (increases the area and height you are allowed to build in for many settlements. This one and the one above are a must if you want to do lots of building.)
**OCDecorator (adds lots of decorative items you can build. Also adds an option to disable building experience, see below)
*Longer Power Lines (incredibly useful)
Better Settlers
*Homemaker - Expanded Settlements (tons of extra buildables)
*Spring Cleaning (allows you to scrap more items in settlements instead of being able to remove one lamp post but not the next.)

OK, a couple of those I've suggested included comments about removing XP - crafting and building XP specifically. You get XP every time you cook a radroach or build a wall. The problem is that if you go into a big settlement and build several buildings, you can very easily gain several levels without firing a shot, quickly outpacing the content. It auto-adjusts difficulty to some degree, but you can also end up not getting to enjoy the flavor as the world changes from level to level. You can easily end up super-powered and squash everything (even on the highest difficulties), making the game dull. These two options prevent that.

A few final suggestions for a long playthrough:
Easy Lockpicking
and
Easy Hacking

Short version, there are hacking and lockpicking minigames (if you've played FNV you already know them.) They're fun for a while, but you can't really lose, and once you've done it a hundred times or so it gets really, really tedious. These make them instantaneous (lockpick always starts in the right position, only the correct password is shown) without altering the character skill required to hack.

Blackhawk wrote:

Grifman wrote: But there are mods that allow you to save in survival mode

With the caveat that every one I found had numerous issues, enough so that I wasn't willing to risk any of them.

'

I have one that I am using and as far as I know, I don't have any issues related to it.

FYI, your achievement mod requires F4SE which can be fiddly. There's another, more simple mod that does the same thing, and I've verified that it works. A search on Nexus will reveal it.

I'll also add Companion Fall Immunity. FO4 has a lot of verticality, climbing stairs, going up highways, buildings, etc. The companion AI is terrible at climbing. I'll be climbing and the next thing I know, Dogmeat or Piper are whining because they fell and got hurt. This makes them immune to fall damage, which removes this annoying problem.

Really, great lists and I appreciate the further explanations - this will help me get a jump start on the installs/troubleshooting. Thanks!

I've sent all my companions not currently in use to the same settlement. Good? Bad? Does it matter? I just wanted an easy way to remember where they are. Even then it can be hard to find them if I want to switch companions. Is there a mod or easy way to find particular companions?

I do the same thing. I'm currently using Sunshine Tidings for all of them, with the exception of mechanicals, which I keep at Starlight for thematic reasons (I'm playing an engineer and tied a lot to the Automatron stuff, so there are robots everywhere, including all supply routes, and I use a mod that replaces pack brahmin with eyebots.) There is a mod for finding companions, but I'm not sure which one it is. It is a feature included in one rather than a dedicated mod. It lets you create a population management console that allows you to set a quest to find your companion, putting a quest marker on them.

Nope, I was wrong. It isn't a mod, it is part of one of the DLC. Vault-Tec Population Management Terminal

Moliere wrote:I've sent all my companions not currently in use to the same settlement. Good? Bad? Does it matter? I just wanted an easy way to remember where they are. Even then it can be hard to find them if I want to switch companions. Is there a mod or easy way to find particular companions?

Companion GPS mod works for me.

Moliere wrote:I've sent all my companions not currently in use to the same settlement. Good? Bad? Does it matter? I just wanted an easy way to remember where they are. Even then it can be hard to find them if I want to switch companions. Is there a mod or easy way to find particular companions?

I spread my companions out so they could help with settlement defense (even with the mod that stops random settlement attacks, attacks would often happen if I went near a settlement). Mostly it got hard to remember where each one was, so yes, I think it's probably a good idea to put them all in the same settlement.

Moliere wrote:I've sent all my companions not currently in use to the same settlement. Good? Bad? Does it matter? I just wanted an easy way to remember where they are. Even then it can be hard to find them if I want to switch companions. Is there a mod or easy way to find particular companions?

I usually pick one settlement as my main base and send all the companions there.

A lot of my settlements are pretty poorly defended, but god help anyone that attacks my main base:

Grifman wrote:
FYI, your achievement mod requires F4SE which can be fiddly. There's another, more simple mod that does the same thing, and I've verified that it works. A search on Nexus will reveal it.

Yeah, I always just assume that the script extender is going to be a part of any mod set, so I don't take it into account.

Are there consequences to not defending a settlement when the alert is sent out? Mostly I try to defend, but sometimes I have better things to do or I forget until I get the follow-up alert that I failed.

Moliere wrote:Are there consequences to not defending a settlement when the alert is sent out? Mostly I try to defend, but sometimes I have better things to do or I forget until I get the follow-up alert that I failed.

The raiders will probably break a few things if you don't show up: some crops, pumps, etc. so they'll need to be repaired, and happiness at the settlement will take a it for a little while, but otherwise no.

Does low settlement happiness have any effect?

I'm level 95 now, I think - the Prydwen went boom, the Institute is a smoking hole in the ground, I've cleaned up Far Harbor and Nuka World, took care of the Mechanist, etc. Not sure I want to finish out Vault 88 as the whole settlement building stuff bores me to tears. I do have one "betray the raiders" quest left in Nuka, wasn't sure if I was going that route or not. I've built some raider settlements but the whole thing seems sort of lame. I'm thinking I'll just wipe out everyone from here on out. Should be fun...

I will say that this 2nd run through only highlighted how lame the story is - the game world is interesting but the storylines are garbage and contain so many things that just don't make sense. Plus, the whole environment is more suited to 10-20 years after the bombs fell, not 200+. Ah well, here's hoping Fallout 5 will be better...

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:Does low settlement happiness have any effect?

From what I've read it lowers "productivity" which would decrease how much food you get for farming, amount you get from scavengers, etc.

Get it too low and people can leave, too.