Fallout:4 getting started
Getting started modding Fallout:4
Before anything else
Do these steps before you start on anything else, as they are the basis for successfully modding.
Archive Invalidation
In the Fallout4Custom.ini file that is located in My Documents\My Games\Fallout NV\fallout.ini
[Archive]
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1
sResourceDataDirsFinal=
Choosing a mod manager
For Fallout 4 you have a few options as to what to use to manage your mods.
The official mod manager by the Black Tree Gaming Ltd (NexusMods), very useful and friendly to new users.
More versatile than Vortex but has a Higher learning curve and less flashy UI.
Knowledge Base
The section of the guide is for concepts that you must understand before doing any installing or troubleshooting of mods.
Load Order
The load order is the hierarchy in which mods and content is loaded by the game. Mods need to have the correct load order so that they may function properly with what they are over writing. Lets give a examples
1st in load order / Fallout4.esm has Charlie npc
2nd in load order / Charlie.esp makes them a companion and gives them quests and voice
3rd in load order / Charlie_ATF_Patch.esp gives them a nude body + ero options + uses everything from Charlie.esp
In order for any of this to work, Fallout4 needs to first load Fallout4.esm, then Charlie.esp, then Charlie_ATF_Patch.esp . If it does not, you will have a broken mod (or more). There are many cases where mods will be dependent on 4-5 mods and the DLC to be loaded before it does, be aware of this.
In most cases, you will not have to worry about this by using a program called LOOT or the inbuilt LOOT for Vortex. Essentially what it does is smartly organizes the content. Although if anything is broken, makes sure to manually check where each broken mod is in the load order.