Could someone explain 'loose files'

[Doom Sayer]

All I know currently is i should avoid anything labeled that like the plague. Figured out what was responsible for game not starting like 90% of the time.

[firestorm]

models/textures/scripts that are not packed into a archive .ba2/.esm/.esp/.esl file.

Loose files are not inheritantly a bad thing,
If modding they are a must! (and by that I mean the creation rather than the use)
End users of the mod, yep avoid as much as ya can...

EDIT: should have added this, to enable loose files add this to the archive section of Fallout4Custom.ini, if the archive section isnt already there (wont be with 1'st run)
Add that also as shown below.. Should also solve load problems..

Forgot also, couple loose files here & there wont hurt anything.

[Archive]
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1
sResourceDataDirsFinal=

[✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠]

Originally posted by Depravity:

All I know currently is i should avoid anything labeled that like the plague. Figured out what was responsible for game not starting like 90% of the time.

Loose files make your load times go up with large mods, so pack them if the mod author hasn't. E xample of a mod that needs to be packed 3DNPC or interesting npc's.

Small follower mods don't typically need to be packed, because the game can check them pretty quickly, unless you have a 100 then i would try mergeing them and then packing.

P.S.
To answer your question flat out.

Loose files means unpacked which allows you to edit them.
Packed which is putting loose files into a packed state into a bsa which can't be edited till you unpack them.

[Ilja]

Loose files are resource files. They are often packed in to BA2 archives, which are loaded according to respective plugin (ESM, ESP or ESL) in your load order.

Loose files are resource files that are shared separately from plugins. They will always win all resource priority conflicts against files packed in to (BA2) archives.

Benefit of loose files is that they are never related to plugin loading archive and are usually direct replacements for official files from Main/DLC files. Not always, but often.

Downside is that large amount of loose files will increase your loading times. Conflicting files will also physically overwrite each other, unless you are using a mod manager with virtual system, like Mod Organizer 2 or Vortex.

[Bladerunner]

Thanks guys for the answers, I've been wondering what "loose" files meant for a long time now and finally decided to educate myself on it. I'm gonna look up some guides on packing some of these loose files to clean things up a bit IF it's needed.

[Felix]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but so can someone please clarify:

How do I know if I need to enable Load Loose Files (this is a question for FO3, not FO4, but is on the same topic as this thread)? Is it: if I downloaded a mod that didn't come with a .esp/.esm, then I need to have it enabled?

[Doom Sayer]

Originally posted by Felix:

Sorry to necro an old thread, but so can someone please clarify:

How do I know if I need to enable Load Loose Files (this is a question for FO3, not FO4, but is on the same topic as this thread)? Is it: if I downloaded a mod that didn't come with a .esp/.esm, then I need to have it enabled?

If I recall you can just make a esp/esm and put them in using most mod managers. Been a while as I have been building a skyrim mod list off and on for a year or two. I cant fully recall how FO3 and NV work. Just be careful setting up FO3 if your doing that super complex setup.
-RH_Ironsights
-First person mod
-Eve
-Weapon retexture
I always recall that being complicated to setup as when i did it MO2 and vortex werent a thing and required specific and multiple patches. Luckily for you using MO2 or vortex nothing overwrites in terms of actual files so messing up is almost impossible. Honestly I dont think there is any good reason to use loose file except maybe for load order limits.

Oh and make sure you use correct file extension. I forget what older bethesda games use but now there is esm/esp/esl. At this point there has to be a insane number of guides most are fine just ignore everything sinitar (on youtube) says and only use him and find out about mods at most lol.