Loading a modded save as unmodded

[Flyboy Connor]

[Start with general ramble about being cranky over Bethesda's 1.5 patch screwing up modding and achievements, with some accusations in the direction of Microsoft and Sony, and bad words for Bethesda management.]

I got mods working again using NMM, but I still wasn't sure whether I wanted to have mods or achievements. So, this morning I started Fallout 4 without any mods enabled, and loaded a game that was created with mods enabled. I noticed the following:

(1) Texture and mesh mods tended to be active still, probably because they copy files in Fallout 4's Data folder. So you can use CBBE even without enabling mods. The same will hold for many other mods, so players who are only interested in updating the visuals should be covered. Note that you can use NMM to install such a mod, after which you can load the game without enabling mods.

(2) Mods that made certain changes to weapons, e.g., changing the Legendary effect, still had the changes active. This is logical, because these changes are made to files, and no .esp file is needed to run them. The same held, of course, for standard items that were added using mods, e.g., certain settlement improvements that I normally could not add because I did not have the Local Leader perk.

Then I tried the following: I went into the console, and gave myself two levels. The perks of those I invested into pickpocketing. I then placed a mine in the inventory of one of my settlers, which exploded. This gave me the "Prankster's Return" achievement. Therefore:

(3) Loading a savegame created with mods without mods enabled turns it into an unmodded game, which allows achievements.

(4) Using the console does not disable achievements.

Just wanted to let everyone know, because I had been looking for information on this and couldn't find it.

[Grad]

This might be what you are looking for. Fixes the achievement lock back to what it used to be
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12465/?tab=1&navtag=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Ffallout4%2Fajax%2Fmoddescription%2F%3Fid%3D12465%26preview%3D&pUp=1

[Flyboy Connor]

I know about that one, but it requires F4SE, and there are two reasons why I won't use that:

(1) You have to get a new version of F4SE every time Bethesda releases a new patch, which they are bound to do in the coming weeks with the new DLCs coming out.

(2) You can be pretty sure that Bethesda will find a way to break F4SE, considering that it can be used to reactivate achievements and that is exactly what they do not want to happen.

Besides, my post still leaves intact the rather important information that you can still use the console in an unmodded game and get achievements.

[Killzone]

What will you do then when the best mods start requiring F4SE like FO3/NV requires fose/nvse?

One of the best mods already does 'Place Everywhere'.

[Flyboy Connor]

Considering that I do not like the whole "we must make Fallout more like Minecraft" thing, not much.

[Killzone]

What makes you think only settlement mods will require f4se in the future, its a script extender, and as functions are added and mods start taking advantage, that is were the real advancements in every area of a gameplay will take place (scripting).

[Flyboy Connor]

Considering that my OP was not about the advantages and disadvantages of using F4SE, I am not going to discuss those in this thread. If I have anything real to say about that topic, I will find an appropriate thread to do so.

My general attitude concerning mods, regardless whether they update visuals, add objects, or extend scripts is: trying to restrict the players' ability to work with mods is a boneheaded move of Bethesda -- they should let players decide for themselves how they want to play, once the game is bought.

[Grad]

Well script extenders have been in a lot of Bethesda titles in the past decade: Fallout 3, New Vegas, Oblivion, Skyrim, and now Fallout 4.

For Bethesda to disable achievements for modded games suddenly is ridiculous. I refuse to even entertain that thought as serious. They never had a problem with previous modded games but now they do for some reason.

F4SE gets updated pretty quickly, often within a couple of hours of a big update like this one. It's not that bad having to wait a few hours, but if that is a factor for you then that's your choice. I don't understand why you refuse to use it when it is extremely helpful.

[Flyboy Connor]

Never said that I refused it. I used FOSE. It is just that with the way Bethesda is behaving now, I am weary of using a script extender as I am pretty sure that Bethesda is currently working on a way to break it, considering that they want to disable achievements for modded games and F4SE can be used to re-enable them again..