Necessary technical prep for New Vegas

[Trashos]

I'm just reading off of the top 100 on Nexus at the moment (with some personal preferences tossed in) but that's pretty much what I do when modding anything, just look at what's most popular since it's probably the best.

Er, depending on what kind of player you are, this is possibly terrible advice. When a game sells several millions of copies, most of the fanbase are filthy casuals. If you are a filthy casual too, then sure, go ahead. Otherwise, I am afraid you are going to have to do some research.

My strategy was starting out with the JSawyer mod, and then took it from there as needs arose. I ended up with less than 10 mods total for my go-to experience.

 

[unfairlight]

It's really not. Half the shit on top 100 is graphics mods and patches, there aren't that many gameplay changing mods. You can see what works and what doesn't for what you want by just reading the description since I am not saying just install everything in the top 100, it's just that looking at the top 100 is a really good way to get started. Also, what I mean by "best" is what is best supported and will cause the least technical problems, and what is often most crucial which is the technical mods.

 

[Trashos]

Don't agree at all. As I was not used to the Bethesda modding scene (I was used to much smaller, more coherent, and honest modding scenes), I was shocked with the amount of idiocy, incompetence, and dishonesty when I started experimenting with New Vegas mods. Of course, there are some top-notch modders too, but they are drowned in an ocean of idiots. My general advice for everyone non-Bethestard is: be very careful, do your research, and trust no mod description.

 

[Piotrovitz]

Project Nevada is all you really need, everything else is a matter of taste/aesthetics.

 

[Blaine]

Essential Visual Enhancements, Fallout Character Overhaul, and Weapon Retexture Project (with a later GRA patch linked in its description) seem fine.

EVE adds serious oomph to energy weapon and explosive SFX, new (and well done) terrain damage decals, and new death and damage effects such as spurting blood from bullet holes, additional burnt-to-ashes/melted-to-puddles animations, etc., without going too crazy or wacky; if anything, they are closer in spirit to the original Fallout death animations. It also visually alters some energy weapons to be high-res with some customizations.

FCO alters most NPC (and Courier; you're given numerous new choices) faces so that they look far, far better than Bethesderp buttered potato facegen. It's not perfect, and it misses some characters (especially throwaway generics, like randomly-spawned traveling merchants), but I'm extremely happy with it. Companions and important NPCs are never missed and are done with the most care. I'll upload some screenshots later. It is however extremely delicate to install, as you need to know precisely how to do several critical things (including dodging a couple of mistakes in the author's installer).

WRP retextures weapons nicely and unobtrusively. They're just higher-res, no crazy alterations. If you want higher-res guns (guns only, no energy weapons or melee/unarmed), get it.

 

[unfairlight]

Don't agree at all. As I was not used to the Bethesda modding scene (I was used to much smaller, more coherent, and honest modding scenes), I was shocked with the amount of idiocy, incompetence, and dishonesty when I started experimenting with New Vegas mods. Of course, there are some top-notch modders too, but they are drowned in an ocean of idiots. My general advice for everyone non-Bethestard is: be very careful, do your research, and trust no mod description.

If I am going to mod the game with Project Nevada or Jsawyer Ultimate I might as well go crazy and up the visuals, world and general gameplay. I'm not really interested in playing the same game all over again just rebalanced, I can see the appeal of keeping it 'pure', but it's not for me since I have already walked the same orange tint wasteland for hundreds of hours and done almost all there is to do inside it.

 

[Trashos]

If I am going to mod the game with Project Nevada or Jsawyer Ultimate I might as well go crazy and up the visuals, world and general gameplay.

The JSawyer mod is not "going crazy", it's a semi-official mod made by the New Vegas lead designer (ie, how he would have balanced the game, if he didn't have to appeal to the Bethesda crowd). I also have great respect for the JSawyer Ultimate Edition that is on Nexus. As for the rest of your post, it is understandable. It is just not the general advice I would give to a serious gamer that would ask me.

When one can read a book in its native language, he should read it in its native language. Translators may even change whole chapters or core meanings, just because they don't like or understand them. And you will never know it.

 

[Blaine]

He just said that he's already played the game "in its native language," so at this point I can only assume you're incline-signalling for Kodex Kool Kredits.

In any event, strictly visual mods are wholly a matter of personal taste, purism or no purism. As long as they don't fuck up the game, who cares?

Except for shitty Vaseline ENB/SweetFX crap, that is. I don't know why people want vivid colors and Vaseline smear instead of a proper brown, dingy wasteland.

 

[Trashos]

I am explaining why I don't consider it a good "general approach". It is more of a comment on his advice to the poster above, not a comment on how he plays the game.

My disgust for the New Vegas modding scene is very real, I am afraid.

 

[Blaine]

Yeah, well, that's every modding scene I've ever witnessed, starting (in earnest) with Morrowind. The good far more than outweighs the bad, because the game would still be a janky, sad pile of rushed clunk without the most critical mods that actually make it very smooth, complete, and almost bug-free.

It can be a pain sorting through the FIVE BILLION DOWNLOADS BEST MOD EVER DAB IF YOU AGREE crap mega-paks to find smaller, leaner, superior mods though, I heartily agree. I've become intimately familiar with the Nexus advanced search functions over the past couple of weeks while sorting the wheat from the chaff, not that I've installed much.

For example, I looked through absolutely every housing mod (yes, every one) before settling on this obscure one. I've seen the Sink and the Lucky 38 a billion times, and thought a change would be nice. It's small, bolthole-like, cozy, not cheat-y or OP, and I like it a lot: https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/50787

I could create my own housing with the modding tools, but I'm not sure I can be bothered. I did release some housing mods for Morrowind that were modestly popular and well received back in the day. I built one in a silt strider shell and decorated it with ashen tribe (or whatever that was called) bits and pieces..

 

[Daedalos]

is there a mod organizer guide updated? And what about new vegas redesigned vs character overhaul? Which is best?

 

[Master]

For example, I looked through absolutely every housing mod (yes, every one) before settling on this obscure one. I've seen the Sink and the Lucky 38 a billion times, and thought a change would be nice. It's small, bolthole-like, cozy, not cheat-y or OP, and I like it a lot: https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/50787

I could create my own housing with the modding tools, but I'm not sure I can be bothered. I did release some housing mods for Morrowind that were modestly popular and well received back in the day. I built one in a silt strider shell and decorated it with ashen tribe (or whatever that was called) bits and pieces..

 

[Blaine]

Yeah man, The Sink that gives you hundreds of Wonderglue, Scrap Metal, Duct Tape, Scrap Electronics, Empty Syringes, near-limitless Stimpak and high-tier food ingredients, free healing, tons of MFC, EC, gunpowder and shell casings, and that you can fast-travel to carrying five tons of equipment is totes incline, while a simple and well-designed little basement is DECLINE!

I'm sure you're convincing someone that you have fine taste by blindly shitting on anything that isn't vanilla. I'm not sure who they are, though.

 

[Master]

I was referring mostly to the second paragraph. Decorating your virtual house.

edit
”a simple and well designed little basement"

 

[Daedalos]

I want a mod that reduces trash items, trash mobs, and overall just removes alot of clutter..

What mod would do that?

 

[unfairlight]

There really aren't that many trash items in the game, most stuff is used for survival.

 

[Blaine]

I was referring mostly to the second paragraph. Decorating your virtual house.

That falls under the purview of modding and level design. If there's going to be player housing at all, then it should fit in well with the game world.

I want a mod that reduces trash items, trash mobs, and overall just removes alot of clutter..

What mod would do that?

You don't need a mod for that. If you aren't a packrat, then use your brain and take things only selectively.

It's a post-apocalyptic world, and all the contents of houses, closets, garages, and so on are going to be spread hither and yon, and not cleaned up afterward either due to the world population decreasing by 98% and then focusing on survival. If anything, there should be far more junk and trash lying around.

...Not that Fallout has ever been realistic when it comes to the post-apocalypse, mind you. After 200+ years, the decay would be far, far more incredible than what's shown in any of the games, none of the old-world food would be edible no matter how processed and preserved, etc.

 

[fantadomat]

I was referring mostly to the second paragraph. Decorating your virtual house.

That falls under the purview of modding and level design. If there's going to be player housing at all, then it should fit in well with the game world.

I want a mod that reduces trash items, trash mobs, and overall just removes alot of clutter..

What mod would do that?

You don't need a mod for that. If you aren't a packrat, then use your brain and take things only selectively.

It's a post-apocalyptic world, and all the contents of houses, closets, garages, and so on are going to be spread hither and yon, and not cleaned up afterward either due to the world population decreasing by 98% and then focusing on survival. If anything, there should be far more junk and trash lying around.

...Not that Fallout has ever been realistic when it comes to the post-apocalypse, mind you. After 200+ years, the decay would be far, far more incredible than what's shown in any of the games, none of the old-world food would be edible no matter how processed and preserved, etc.

Also humanity wouldn't live in run down houses with the same chairs from 200 years ago. By that time people would have evolved to some kind of civilization and begun making buildings and cities,let alone chairs. Honestly the world would look more like elder scroll games with a little bit of guns.

 

[Comte]

What are the basic mods I need for a vanilla experience on Windows 10? I have the gog version of the game which I believe has the 4gb mod automatically.

 

[unfairlight]

Just the technical stuff. YUP, 4gb patch, NVAC and you're good to go for just vanilla. MTUI is good if you want a better UI, but that's really it. For graphics you can use Ojo Bueno, NMC texture pack, Nevada Skies, piss filter removal, Dynavision for DOF and Wasteland Flora Overhaul, again none of these change gameplay and are purely visual that make the Wasteland less boring and brown.

 

[Makabb]

Guys make the combat GREAT AGAIN


install this (bullet ballistics)

https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/64430


and this (bullet time)

https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62278


spice it up with this (real recoil)

https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62153


use jsawyer ultimate for difficulty

https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/61592


set in vats MCM menu 20% world speed and player speed 80%, 30% weapon AP usage, turn ON bullet time using effects from perks


instantly notice how the combat went from shit to super enjoyable max payne gunplay


What the lead - bullet ballistic does, is a wonder, because it adds real physical bullets (in vanilla there are no bullets and every shot instantly connects with target), which means that with tougher difficulty by sawyer mod, the enemies are not so accurate anymore because the bullets need to travel distance, which means they will miss you more, (and in bullet time you can dodge them like in max payne).

Best of both worlds, I never touched again the original 'vats' after making these changes.

 

[Blaine]

Bro I need you to take a schizophrenic mutant, a bald mute woman, and an extremely rude crypt keeper through fart clouds and fart zombies and into an insane recluse tycoon's casino with the aid of a matter printer that runs on casino chip billets and a moviefilm rifle, then disable and/or gamble with these holograms that are still running after 200+ years, all so I can get a pile of gold I don't need because I'm going to die of cancer in six months anyway.

And if you don't, a country music song is going to blow up your bomb collar that I salvaged from a crater ruled by six substance-abusing brains housed in flying robots.

 

[PorkBarrellGuy]

Bro I need you to take a schizophrenic mutant, a bald mute woman, and an extremely rude crypt keeper through fart clouds and fart zombies and into an insane recluse tycoon's casino with the aid of a matter printer that runs on casino chip billets and a moviefilm rifle, then disable and/or gamble with these holograms that are still running after 200+ years, all so I can get a pile of gold I don't need because I'm going to die of cancer in six months anyway.

And if you don't, a country music song is going to blow up your bomb collar that I salvaged from a crater ruled by six substance-abusing brains housed in flying robots.

Dead Money: a masterpiece of video game writing. (it's fun though)

 

[Trashos]

You 've heard of the Sierra Madre Casino. We all have. The legend, the curses. Some foolishness about it lying in the middle of the city of dead. A city of ghosts. Beneath a blood red cloud. A bright, shining monument reaching out, luring treasure hunters to their doom. A promise that you can change your fortunes, begin again.

Finding it, though, that's not the hard part. It's letting go.

 

[Blaine]

Right, so all in all I scooped up just north of 10,000 chips (weapon mods already purchased), found the Dead Man's Hand without needing to backtrack/specifically search, found all of the vendor holotapes while only needing to backtrack for RadAway, cheesed the gold out of the vault with a Stealth Boy—thus shamefully ruining the entire moral of the DLC—for the sole for the purpose of piling it all up along with tons of Pre-War Money in my house (not that that matters, since the ~1000 Weapon Repair Kits you eventually get from DM are ultimately worth several vaults' worth of gold), stashed anything that wasn't nailed down in the trash can by the exit, and....

14/15 Dean's Stashes.

I knew this was gonna happen.

I've narrowed it down to Puesta del Sol, having meticulously scoured everyplace else.