Mods for a Survival themed Fallout

Yeah, another one.

Why I'm here

Hello there, feeling in the mood for an apocalyptic fallout experience in Survival mode? Perhaps you want some mmph in survival mode gameplay? Well I could be of some help with that. I’ve been playing alot of survival mode which I personally believe it’s the best way to play the game. Though I find the base survival experience pretty tiresome, like there just needs to be some QoL features to enhance it. So that’s a list of mods I wanna provide to you today. In my list, I want to recommend you guys a List of mods that’ll help give your game a more atmospheric and interesting experience and most importantly, a lore friendly one.

I will not be providing the base of the mods so if you want a stable foundation for your mods, I highly recommend following the Midnight Ride Guide
https://themidnightride.github.io/

DISCLAIMER: I recommend you SKIP Commonwealth Climate and Lunar Fallout Overhaul because I have recommendations for those categories.

PS: An alternative to Preston Garvey No Radiant Settlement Quest mod is WE ARE THE MINUTEMEN https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/6443/

PLEASE INSTALL BOTH GAME CONFIGURATION MENU https://zzyxzz-mods.de/fallout-4-mods/game-configuration-menu/ SURVIVAL CONFIGURATION MENU https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/37599 AND UNLIMITED SURVIVAL MODE https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26163

Visual mods

Calamity Weathers[www.nexusmods.com]

“A weather mod?”

Yes! I chose Calamity Weathers specifically because not only does it add more atmospheric weathers into the game, it also makes radstorms hit harder, meaning you’ll HAVE to care about radiation. As well as dark nights so lmfao no need for darker nights here. Also changes the weather to seem bleak but you will get some colorful weathers.

https://youtu.be/z3M-8U7Pjpw

Want some more color? Try Dawn ENB for Calamity Weathers! https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/33710

Can’t run an ENB? Try Calamity Weathers Vibrant Tweaks! https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/45940

Any Flora mod. I think it enhances the mood as well. I personally use

• Aspen Commonwealth[www.nexusmods.com]
  +
  
• True Grass[www.nexusmods.com]
  It gives off a green look without being too over grown. I tweaked the density of True Grass to 30 to give me less grass, helps with FPS.
  
  I also recommend
  
• Natural Grasses and Groundcovers[www.nexusmods.com]
  If you don’t like greenery. It’s pretty performance friendly too.

Gameplay

A LevelUpMenuEX Perk Overhaul. I personally recommend either

• Hot Diggity[www.nexusmods.com]
  OR
  
• Be Exceptional[www.nexusmods.com]
  +
  
• ReBalance (New Vegas Style)[www.nexusmods.com]

Start Me Up Redux[www.nexusmods.com]
A Classic mod reborn. Choose your own backstory for your playthrough!

Loot Logic and Reduction[www.nexusmods.com]
Makes logical edits to how you get loot as well as reducing said loot to give a sense of scarcity. I would recommend the Ammo shortage variant to further enhance this.

Smokable Cigars[www.nexusmods.com]
+ Less OP Patch[www.nexusmods.com]
This not only gives you a method of saving, but also a small AP bonus. Great for roleplay. Mixed with Saving Holotapes, you have reliable methods to save. HOWEVER, smoking a cigarette can give you a chance of an addiction. Willing to smoke that Cig to save and risk an addiction?

Now… Depending on how you wanna handle damage, I have 2 options

“I want to have Equal Damage (Ie: 1.5x vs 1.5x damage)” Wasteland Ballistics:
https://youtu.be/T9m9AfFJuCw
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/42757
Adds a wound and armor penetration mechanic to the game based on CALIBER. Depending on the bullet type, it can either hit like a pea or hit like a truck on certain enemies. It also incorporates a bleeding and Bullet speed system. Highly compatible and not AS hardcore. It has a mod that you use alongside it but I’ll cover this soon. As for the next option

“I don’t mind the base damage system for survival (IE 1x vs 2x) _Balance_:
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/44263
This will give the game a lightweight locational damage system that takes advantage of fallout’s cripple system. Crippling someone’s chest or head will give them a lethal damage hit, most likely killing them. Meaning if they have a helmet, it may take a couple shots, however without one? They’re as good as dead with a well placed head shot or a couple of chest shots. It sounds easy until you take account that enemies will try to flush you out using grenades or Molotovs so you’ll most likely be scrambling to hit them and hit them in the leg as you run away. It makes things fair and interesting. This only applies to NPCs but there’s a version that makes it apply to YOU as well.

Arbitration[www.nexusmods.com]
This will make the AI very aggressive towards you. They will now actively use cover and melee characters will bumrush you. I HIGHLY recommend you get the Modular Version so you can tweak the game to your liking, but ALWAYS get Better Combat AI

Adrenaline Rush Redone[www.nexusmods.com]
Keep doing damage and you'll be rewarded with a damage Resistance buff! Only for a short duration.

Molotovs Burn[www.nexusmods.com]
This is to not get a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ headache from playing. It Nerfs molotovs logically. Instead of getting a huge chunk of explosion damage, it’ll hurt you abit and then it’ll burn you as it should. I recommend getting the Burst option for those using Equal damage or Moderate version for those playing on Vanilla-Esque Damage.

Uneducated Shooter[www.nexusmods.com]
Adds in a proper leaning and gun inertia in the game!

LEMME EXPLAIN LEMME EXPLAIN

Fallout 4 *HAS* a leaning mechanic but it’s janky as ♥♥♥♥. It’s one found in something like Battlefield 4 but unreliable as hell. Plus enemies can get behind cover and blind shoot you, why can't you have something reliable as well?

Items

Wasteland Medic[www.nexusmods.com]
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/51497 THIS is the mod I was referring to that was meant to pair with Wasteland Ballistics. It adds in more methods of healing but also have methods of stopping bleeding, as well as some other nice stuff. Read the description, it’s short but WILL tell you everything you need to know.

Wasteland Woundcare[www.nexusmods.com]
A more simple but dynamic healing system. Rebalncing stimpacks and giving you multiple ways of Healing such as bandages, stimcraks, RAIDER CHEMS and others. This will change the way you think about healing. Also has a patch to work with Wasteland Ballistics! https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/55909

Immersive Animation Framework[www.nexusmods.com]
You’re gunna be walking around alot, and you do get hungry and thirsty, why not watch yourself eat and drink. Play some radio tunes and have some water! Or watch yourself heal, this also adds in a level of difficulty into your game in combat! BE SURE TO GET THE VAULT 13 CANTEEN PATCH
Patches for Other mods[www.nexusmods.com]
atch for Wasteland Medic if you’re using it[www.nexusmods.com]

Literally all of Bludwolf’s mods[www.nexusmods.com]
Yes, all of them. They offer really nice auditions for survival such as energy drinks and caffeine pills. And a nice looking retexture for water! Get the patches for Immersive Animation Framework if you have it, they'll be available during mod installation.

Canteens of the Commonwealth[www.nexusmods.com]
+
Vault 13 Canteen[www.nexusmods.com]
Both mods offer a method of getting water outside of just filling it through water sources. They also look nice. They do it in different ways however so read the description.

Optional: Refill Patch for Canteens of the Commonwealth: [www.nexusmods.com]
You can refill your canteen using water pumps but it makes bottles unfillable, meant for hardcore survival playthroughs.
(CANTEENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH HAVE A IAF PATCH PROVIDED IN THE IAF PATCH RESPITORY)

Settlements:

Build with Purpose[www.nexusmods.com]
Gives you more bonuses for building decorations!

CVC Dead Wasteland + DLC 3[www.nexusmods.com]
Adds lots more stuff to build and DLC 3 will add trailer parks.

Workshop Power Pack[www.nexusmods.com]

Pipboy

Flashlight: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10840
Duh

• Black and White Pipboy[www.nexusmods.com]
  OR
  
• Pip-Boy MK 2000 VI[www.nexusmods.com]
  

I think the base Pipboy color is ugly as hell. I think in the best interest for anyone running scavenger playthroughs... or anyone, I think either of these pipboys fit the aesthetic. Black and White Pipboy is very nuetral so it fits with practically anything. HANDHELD Pipboys are starting to become more and more known to be buggy so I’ll recommend these Wristmounted ones.

Audio:

For your earz

• Project Reality Footsteps[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Reverb and Ambiance Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Unobtrusive XP Sound[www.nexusmods.com]
  OR
  
• Old School XP Sound[www.nexusmods.com]
  Provides Better feedback than the dumb Cash Register sound.
  
• Classic Level Up Sound[www.nexusmods.com]

Enemies

All about Raiders!

• Boston Bandits[www.nexusmods.com]
  Adds more variation to Raiders as well with more armors and raider variants!
  
• Horrors of the commonwealth[www.nexusmods.com]
  Adds in a Feralizing ghoul Raider gang!
  
• Raider Gangs Extended[www.nexusmods.com]
  +
  
• 4estGimp Edit[www.nexusmods.com]
  Adds in NEW raider factions! Makes SURE you read the instructions on the 4est Gimp Edit.
  
• More Feral Ghouls[www.nexusmods.com]
  Adds in many Variations to Ghouls, you may wanna tweak it with xEdit if you want because it adds some ghouls that some may find tasteless like a Ghoul kid and a…Ghoul baby….yeah….
  
• NPCs Travel[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• DC and West Coast Supermutants[www.nexusmods.com]
  You cannot hide from them. They followed you all the way from the commonwealth

Weapons

Realistic Aesthetic Weapon LEVEL LIST replacers[www.nexusmods.com]

This will not replace but rather INTEGRATE weapons into the Vanilla Leveled List which will enhance Variety and give you a fresh new experience in the game. ALL OF THEM are weapons that came from previous games or Lore Friendly/Fictional weapons with a fallout twist on them. You will be seeing returning weapons like the AUG, the Glock 86, the CAWS and a few others! READ THE MANUAL. I MEAN IT, READ IT, IN FACT HERE’S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE ORDERED.

Weapon mod
Patch
RAW-LLR.
LootLogicAndReduction
Wasteland Woundcare

Some weapons aren’t included in the leveled lists but are great inclusions for weapons as well. PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION as you may like his weapon choices. I have a couple more I wanna recommend

• VUWR[www.nexusmods.com]
  A mod dedicated to Uniques, giving them a nicer look as well as cooler but balanced effects, get the Immersive edition.
  
• Battlefield 1 Hunting Rifle Animation Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  This will make the hunting rifle feel so much nicer to use which will be great because it’s still in the leveled lists
  
• N99 FNV 10MM Pistol[www.nexusmods.com]
  The LL replacer replaces the 10MM leveled list so here’s the COOLER 10MM pistol for some nice Nostalgia :)
  
• Select Rapid Machinegun[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Select Assault Rifle: 1.0.2[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Select Marksman Rifle[www.nexusmods.com]
  I refuse to explain why you should. All I’m gunna say is get it and you’ll thank me later
  
• Yet another single shotgun Mod[www.nexusmods.com]
  Just to fill in some Shotgun space.
  
• MP5 Simple[www.nexusmods.com]
  A great MP5 mod without going overly tactical.
  
• Nimrout's Sidearms[www.nexusmods.com]

Armors:

Well…Everyone has different tastes honestly but a couple I can recommend is

Eli’s Armor Compendium: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/22431

Backpacks of the commonwealth: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/29447

Wearable Backpacks and Pouches: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3258

Faction Armors in the LOOK AT ME Series by S4iS3i: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/82552163?tab=user+files

Just choose any armor sets you like for your playthrough!

Areas + QoL:

Hunkered Down[www.nexusmods.com]
This will change up areas of the commonwealth to feel like people ACTUALLY LIVE THERE. This has the added Bonus of adding in Extra Sofas and Beds allowing you to sleep on short notice. Best paired with

Sofa Surfer[www.nexusmods.com]
This allows you to sleep on Couches. Plain and simple. Why sleep on an ugly ass mattress when you have a clean couch right there.

Commonwealth Wilderness Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
Adds some nice little setpieces around the world to add some atmosphere to your game. Simple, Effective, Performance Friendly

Simple Bounties[www.nexusmods.com]
Short on Caps? Head over to Goodneighbor and do some quick dirty work.

Bonus

MUSIC MODS!

Postapocalyptic Soundtrack by Orkus[www.nexusmods.com]
OR
Faded Glory[www.nexusmods.com]

These change up the music. Orkus’ soundtrack is by far MY FAVORITE. Faded Glory is another excellent choice as well if you still wanna keep the vanilla music.

Before playing

Make sure you go into the mod Configuration Menu (Assuming you followed the Midnight Ride) And tweak your survival experience to your liking.

Results:

Images shown are using Calamity Weathers VIBRANT TWEAK. Also apologies for the potato quality. I run this load order on my laptop so I can play at university.

Final Words

Hey so I hope you were able to pick up some mods and by the end, your survival gameplay transformed. Been having a blast with this load order (When I'm not dying) and I hope you will too. Thank you so much for reading!

Remember to Endorse the mods you enjoy!

[awsumturtle **********.com]

Really awesome stuff mate

[Nightwisher]

@Diacute Thanks for replying, i really liked Wasteland Ballistics and already patched some weapon mods myself in FO4Edit. I will do some testing to balance incoming and ongoing damages. I just wanted to know if armor piercing and damage effects are scaled in favor of NPC's in Wasteland Ballistics, if that is not the case then i shall endure without tweaking as that is what mod authors intended

[Diacute]

@Nightwisher
Try Hit Em' Where it Hurts + Wasteland Medic + Stimpaks don't heal limbs. Makes it more like New Vegas Combat. The first mod is a locational damage mod

[Nightwisher]

I really liked the visuals, they remind me of my older days in Stalker.
Sadly there is one more thing that reminds me of my stalker traumas, with full combat armour pipe pistols one or two shot me and i can not deal the same damage to armored enemies like gunners. Armor does not matter for me right now, is this supposed to be like this? I want equal field in survival, what settings should i make to achieve what i want?

[sillybanana]

thank you, I combined this list with my own, tweaked some things and I now have the ultimate IMMSERIVE gameplay experience

[Diacute]

@Snail Man
Follow the Load Order Framework by Odd little turtle. It’s not foolproof but it should get you stable.
Also I’d recommend removing DefUI, Lunar Fallout Overhaul and Commonweakth Climate if you have em installed as they’ll conflict with this list

[frankk]

Should I just use LOOT?

[frankk]

The modlist that I've built up from this and TMR scares me a bit, any help deciding where this should all go?

[KeatonBoss425]

You did a good job on the modlist! As you said, it was purely a gameplay list. I don't have any idea why somebody would comment on the graphics. 🤣🤣🤣

[Diacute]

He called me an autist because I kept telling him my screens look a bit scuffed because they were taken on a low end laptop with the same modlist lmfao