Wasteland Revisited: Modding the Mojave part 2
The announcement of the release of Fallout 4 in a few months time has reminded me to finish my update on my tour of duty in the Mojave desert.
I think the best way to start is by mentioning Nexus Mods, which is the website I have visited for my modding needs. That’s not to say the Steam workshop is totally without merit, as it’s a reasonably decent way of picking up mods, but the majority of better mods appear to be linked to the Nexus Mod community, not to mention a reasonable level of guides and support for those not so technically able, in all it’s a great place to visit for modding a number of games, not least the fallout series. There was a podcast the owner did with Total Biscuit recently which highlighted some of the flaws Valve ran into with their partnership with Bethesda on the attempt to create community driven paid for DLC, one of the reasons sites like Nexus Mods work is because of a community built around improving a game not for profit, but for fun. As I mentioned last time though I’m not totally against some sort of financial recompense for modders but I don’t want it becoming the motivating factor because I seriously doubt it’ll assist in the quality and love that goes into the mods but would more likely have a negative effect.
So where to begin if you were wanting to mod the game?
Well I’d say the best way to start is to download the Fallout Mod Manager tool which is the perfect way to organise and install the mods you download.
Another useful tool is the New Vegas Script Extender, which is what allows some of the more popular mods to work properly. After that you should be reasonably good to go. Using the FOMM tool to launch the game and install mods using the Package Manager tool you’ll be a master at this in no time. Id also shout out to grabbing one of the 4GB memory mods that are available as it’ll give the game a bit more breathing room than the 2GB limit the game comes with as standard.
So I think I realised it was time I had a decent RPG playthrough and the great thing about Fallout games is that you can basically do whatever you like. The other great thing is that you can add to the experience via mods. So without further ado here’s a run through of the mods I have installed to improve the experience of the game. As a disclaimer however your radiation level may vary.
Project Nevada
Project Nevada is an overhaul mod that simply makes the game worth playing again. There’s a reason it’s one of the most downloaded mods for the game, though be aware there are other overhaul mods out there, this one just fits the bill perfectly for me, their Trailer video tends to show why.
I’d say its a must download really, the rest are up to personal preferences but this one really is epic.
Nevada Skies
As I mentioned last time, Nevada Skies is a weather mod that adds random weather events (or allows you to set up a playlist or specific weather pattern you prefer). Actually for a weather mod it’s hard to show precisely what it adds to the game, but if you’re looking for something that will increase your immersion in the world then this is it.
The Someguy Series New Vegas Bounties I and II
Those looking for more to do in the wastelands can’t go wrong with New Vegas Bounties by someguy2000. The first one is a nice linear bounty quest storyline whilst the sequel introduces random bounties and wanted posters for the missions as well as some unique events. He also released a mod called the inheritance, but I couldn’t get it to work with the base game as it needed Gun Runners Arsenal DLC (which I’ll get eventually some steam sale in the future). Based on the Bounties missions though I’d have checked it out if I could. Definitely worth a snoop.
Alternative Start
As the name suggests, Alternative Start allows you to begin the game in a different location and your own back-story rather than the courier (though some NPC dialogue still refers to you as such), but its a nice way to begin a new game with your own personal touch.
A World of Pain
Wow, where to start with this one. Essentially this adds a whopping 114 new locations to the map. If you’re sick of revisiting the same places all the time A world of pain is the mod for you. There’s also a massive underground area and a home in Goodsprings for you to buy. This is a must download.
CONELRAD 640-1240 – Civil Defence Radio
One thing that always bugged me about New Vegas in comparison to Fallout 3 was the overly repetitive nature of the radio stations, whilst funny in commentary and having a good selection of tunes there simply isn’t enough content really meaning any play-through you either shut it off altogether or listen to Mr New Vegas announce Johnny Guitar for the Nth time. Fortunately there are some rather clever folks out there that have made their own radio stations. This one is a port of a mod for Fallout 3 with a lot of old school nuclear info and some decent tunes. It’s worth a download and fits the game perfectly.
Wasteland Flora Overhaul
It’s one thing to change the Radio, or add weather or even locations, but what about giving the Nevada desert a bit of a spruce up? Well this is the mod for that. The Wasteland Flora Overhaul is a mod that makes the overworld a little more ‘purdy’. Reasoning is simply your bread and butter adventuring is done in the wastes so why not make them look rather decent while you do it.
Companion Sandbox Mode
Well another part of the game is your sidekick, from Boone to to Ed-E you’ll probably utilise a companion on at least one playthrough. The companion sandbox Mod gives them a bit more freedom as well as offering them the opportunity to change how they look dependant on whether you’re in combat or not. Time for Veronica to break out a pretty dress you found for her for instance. I haven’t used it to its fullest but its at least a good step towards a bit more interaction and autonomy with NPCs which I’m kind of hoping Fallout 4 addresses in more detail.
Mikoto’s Beauty Pack
This mod adds a number of hairstyles and different eyes to Npcs around the Mojave. Its a minor improvement but worth it for more diversity.
Invisible Wall Remover
Do I really need to describe this? IWR does what is says on the tin. It’s by no means perfect but it does at least solve a lot of the more obvious wall bugs.
Weapons Mods Expanded
Quite simply this is one of those ideas that was so good that even the developers took note. Weapons Mods Expanded expands upon the modding system developed into New Vegas that Obsidian added after seeing the original mod for Fallout 3. You couldn’t make it up. Essentially this mod expands upon the system that they conceived into the series. Mods within games within mods. Inception.
Conclusion
I suppose I could go on, mentioning mods such as the More Perks mod or mods that add extra content to the game such as Run the Lucky 38, which lets you run a casino on the strip, but I think one of the great things about modding is to each their own. You can mod the experience of your game how you please. A great place to start with Fallout New Vegas is nexus mods’ top list. My mod picks may not necessarily be your own. What I did want to point out though through this article is what a benefit mods can be to a game, why games (and especially sandbox games) should have some sort of mod support by default (trust me when I tell you this Mr Games Company as it’s a very simple concept; mods=more base game sales).
You’re not going to lose money by letting the community improve upon your game you’re simply inspiring more people to buy your game. Create better mod tools, release them promptly and then watch the dollars accumulate. The next time your developer wants to release mod tools to the community just think about this one simple thing, rather than “lost DLC money”, because frankly it wasn’t yours to begin with as you weren’t going to fund development. I can’t overstate this enough so I’ll say it one more time just to hammer this home, think about zero development costs versus more game sales, think about a community building around your game spreading word of mouth about how awesome it is, or in other words;
“Mods means money.”
Just dwell on that concept. Thanks.