New Vegas 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Fallout New Vegas is a great game. But its easily the most unstable beth game on pc and the vanilla is prone to crashing often and having serious problems. This guide will get your game not only stable but perform very good on modern hardware (with additional QOL and recommendations if you fancy). I'm mainly creating this guide as many of my friends have come to me for modding help and while I have no issues with a 1 on 1 this is something that can help anyone especially when im not available. I've used many of these mods for years and have had good feedback with numerous people so these mods should not cause any issues unless installed incorrectly or clash with other mods that you install on your own.

Requirements

Please have the ultimate edition of this game before using this guide. This game goes on sale very often for very very cheap so if you don't have any dlc could you use this guide ? Sure but some of these mods are intended for all dlc and will not work properly so use at your own risk. This guide/mod list was also tested on pretty much exclusively on windows 10 (previously 7) and is also for the steam version of this game. Should work with gog as well. Not sure how it will fare with EGS variants as everyone I know that has games on that terrible store complains about modding. Viva new vegas is a fairly popular modding guide that while it may work for many I think they include far too many non needed extras in their essential section and is built around using MO2 so for non MO2 users this is def the guide for you. (Yes even Vortex guys). They also bash LOOT which is kinda dumb because LOOT is a supplement you are not suppose to just rely on it. Sort with LOOT then you make adjustments based on your needs and knowledge.

You'll need an unzipping tool for manual mods as not every mod will be MM compliant. I use winrar but many people prefer 7zip as usual use what you prefer. And of course you'll need a mod manager. Now most people today will use Vortex or MO2. I personally cannot recommend either even if the general population rides it. I understand why people may want to use those other two managers specifically as they don't touch your data folder unlike NMM that actually installs the mods into your folder but I personally think thats where problems arise and if you know what you are doing you'll never need to worry about that. I have used Nexus Mod Manager for nearly a decade on many games not just bethesda titles and with very little to no issues. I cannot say the same for the other two managers with my personal experiences. It is also a common misconception that NMM is abandoned as it gets community updates regularly. Use what you prefer of course but I cannot help you troubleshoot very well if you use Vortex (which is probably the worst thing to use other than like FOMM) or MO2. NMM also has the easiest form of Archive Invalidation compared to any other mod manager. Don't believe me ? Zzjay's Archive Invalidation's guide is pretty accurate.[www.nexusmods.com]

Alongside that stuff you may want to grab LOOT[loot.github.io] especially if your planning on heavy load orders. I generally will sort using loot and then manually move anything that needs to sit anywhere specifically. This tool works with all bethesda titles so its pretty damn useful. Use after finishing your load order and then move any specific esps as needed.

Finally you'll need a nexus account so you can download the mods on there. Nexus website for new vegas[www.nexusmods.com]



I'll do my best to keep this guide updated if any mod becomes outdated and i haven't tweaked feel free to notify me. Whenever you download a mod whether its from this guide or on your own volition check the requirements and make sure you meet them ahead of time as some of these essential mods require files that aren't on nexus but they will give you a download link.

Downloads for tools covered in this section:


Winrar Download[www.win-rar.com]

Nexus Mod Manager Download[github.com]

1. Splash Screen + BethINI configs

Install your game. Preferably on a ssd to reduce load times. Once installed launch your game and once you get to the splash screen pick all your settings out. You can always return here or even change settings in the ini files but I always like to do a base setting setup. If you have a decent or even good rig you should be able to pretty much max everything out especially on 1080p. 4K users can max out if they have a 4K rig or even a high end rig.

You do not need to actually play the game but I personally like to launch the game itself and just start it up briefly before exiting of course thats optional and does not matter at all it is something I do out of habit. Manual ini tweaking is optional as there are many mods that will handle that for you but if you want to get certain things out of the way you can go into your documents folder C:\Users\(Your username probably)\Documents\my games\falloutnv and once there remove the read only options by going into the properties of fallout.ini and falloutprefs.ini

Now I could sit here and list all the things you should change yourself but ill do you one better considering the manual setup of the ini is completely optional as BethINI[www.nexusmods.com] basically lets you set things up without having to manually knowing values and what things do. This is for beginner modders and/or lazy modders (lol it be like that even I use it sometimes) Do not install this through a mod manager and I recommend the standalone not the other option. Pick whatever you fancy in the settings and you technically don't even need to actually do anything in the splash screen options wise when you use this tool as its going to overwrite all those settings. This tool is also pretty much available on almost every bethesda title and I recommend you use it for your other beth games modded or not.

2. xNVSE and 4gb Patcher

Both of these are mandatory and need to be installed manually (they say you can install xNVSE through vortex but I do not recommend nor support installing these types of mods through a MM especially when your dropping right into your directory). Download the FNV 4gb patcher[www.nexusmods.com] manually and as verbatim to the mod page Place the exe in your Fallout New Vegas game folder and run it as administrator It will patch the game and make a backup of the original executable. Your game directory will most likely be located @ C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas (this can vary depending on what drive you install your game on). If you don't want to dig you can always right click on your game on steam go to properties and browse the local file location it'll take you right there. Remember that file path as whenever I ask you to go to the directory ill be referring to that location. GoG users already have the 4gb patch so they technically don't need this patcher but the nexus variant allows auto loading of xNVSE. So I still suggest it.

You can download xNVSE Here[github.com]. If you ever decide to download xNVSE on your own make sure you grab that and not the original NVSE that is now outdated and no longer maintained. Install it by unzipping the file and dragging the files into your fallout directory the location. If you want to trust the mod manager go ahead I personally won't not for this mod at least.

The following is now optional as the 4gb patcher allows xNVSE to load via the standard Launcher. Once you have done that xNVSE is installed and is good to go repeat the process whenever it gets updated. If you want to continue to launch your NV through steam and not through a MM or a shortcut (like myself) take the exe called FalloutNVLauncher.exe rename it to FalloutNVLauncherold.exe (for whenever you need to pull up the splash screen if you ever need it again) and then take the exe called nvse_loader.exe and rename that to FalloutNVLauncher.exe you will now launch xNVSE through steam 😊.

This is the first step into a stable New vegas.

3. Essential Mods for stability

This section is all mods you need to play this game without it constantly crashing or having serious problems. If for whatever reason you want to play a vanilla experience for this game (I really do not recommend that) you still need the mods i'll be listing here as it is all essentials to keep the game from breaking and bug fixes that beth never bothered to deal with themselves. Please please please avoid New Vegas Anti Crash and New Vegas Stutter Remover !!!!! Lots of modding guides and even other modders will recommend them but they are both extremely outdated and do nothing but cause problems. Don't listen to those kappers those two mods have given me and many other people so much grief over the years. I will be including much better alternatives below. Those mods may work for older hardware but I would not take the chance it is not worth the risk especially with these newer mods that are now available.

FNV Mod Limit Fix [www.nexusmods.com]
Even if you don't plan to have lots of mods get this as this can boost performance while increasing your mod limit.

Yukichigai Unofficial Patch - YUP[www.nexusmods.com]
Every beth game basically has one of these and its an essential mod for every single of one them. Fixes lots of bugs.

JohnnyGuitar NVSE[www.nexusmods.com]
Another bug fix mod with some script functions and also a requirement for many other important mods.

JIP LN NVSE Plugin[www.nexusmods.com]
Yet another bug fix mod with additional toggles in its ini file.(toggle-able via ..\Data\NVSE\Plugins\jip_nvse.ini

ShowOff xNVSE Plugin[www.nexusmods.com]
adds new functions and engine-level tweaks

lStewieAl's Tweaks and Engine Fixes[www.nexusmods.com]
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ batman another bug fix mod ! This one has massive features as well that can be toggled in its ini file which also resides in that NVSE data folder. Also grab the ini file download in the optional downloads section if this is your first time getting the mod. Also can tweak the settings in the tweak options in settings ingame. There is an optional file to get a perk every level don't forget to grab it unless you want the Alt mentioned in section 7.

New Vegas Heap Replacer[www.nexusmods.com]
Essentially the modern day New Vegas Stutter Remover. Use this over that. Install manually !
Some people report 4.2 gives them issues while 4.1 the previous version still works like a charm. I got no problems with 4.2 so YMWV. Some users also report that disabling Steam Shader Pre-caching helps with crashes.

NVTF - New Vegas Tick Fix[www.nexusmods.com]
Another important stability mod and fixes high fps issues with the game.

OneTweak but Really Updated[www.nexusmods.com]
There are many different onetweaks out there most of them are outdated and this is the latest/ most stable variant. This allows you to alt tab the game without a crash.

ActorCause Save Bloat Fix[www.nexusmods.com]
If using NMM install manually by dropping the actorcausesavebloatfix.dll in ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Data\nvse\plugins as NMM will install this mod in the wrong location.
Improves save/load speed and decreasing save size 10-30% depending on playthrough length by fixing an issue related to actors.

lStewieAl's Engine Optimizations[www.nexusmods.com]
Rewrites some functions for faster load times + performance.

zlib Updated - NVSE[www.nexusmods.com]
Faster loading & less stutter.

Optional DXVK[www.nexusmods.com]
Install Manually Don't use this mod unless you have Vulkan installed. This essentially wraps the game in Vulkan and while optional I think everyone should install this and see if you get performance boosts especially on new GPUs. If it doesn't give any benefits to you (Or your running into issues related to physics I suggest removing this mod and checking to see if this was the issue before proceeding with further troubleshooting) just remove the files and it'll be back to normal.

The Mod Configuration Menu[www.nexusmods.com]
This is not required for stability but I am adding it here as its a base mod and pretty damn important for a lot of other mods. If you have issues installing it with your MM do it manually.
See the notes section in wrap up for thorough instructions on manual installation.

MCM Extender[www.nexusmods.com]
Essential MCM add-on

kNVSE Animation Plugin[www.nexusmods.com]
This is not required for stability but im putting it in this section as its a essential base mod for many others and you will need this if your planning on modernizing your game with animations.

Optional FNV BSA Decompressor[www.nexusmods.com]
Decompresses your BSAs and Sound files for better performance. I don't personally use this because I already have really good performance and my game is located in program files x86. Your game cannot be installed in a OS system folder if you want to use this tool. (It is good practice to not install in that type of folder.)

And thats a wrap on the essential side of things. Your game should now be stable and run fine. There may be a crash once in a while but hey it is new vegas the most unstable game bethesda ever made. The next section will be QOL mods that are not needed to get the game running like above but I think you should consider using to make the game feel more modern and/or less tedious. If you simply wanted your game to run stable with no issues and are planning to do your own mod list or just want a vanilla experience this is the place to stop.

4. Quality of life mods + Modernization part 1

These mods are all optional but will make the game feel more modern both in appearance and mechanics and also may just make the game more comfortable for more players. You can always cherry pick the mods you want if you do not want them all of course. Whenever you install new texture mods always disable and re-enable (or just enable if its your first time) Archive Invalidation. If you are using Nexus Mod Manager like myself click on tools and it'll be the last thing on the drop screen. Other MM users you can use Zzjay's guide[www.nexusmods.com]

Improved Console (NVSE)[www.nexusmods.com]
You can script inside the console now.

Appearances & Textures

High Resolution Screens[www.nexusmods.com]
If using NMM install manually by dropping the HDpipboy.dll in ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Data\nvse\plugins as NMM will install this mod in the wrong location.
Screens are rendered at 720p this mod allows them to render at the res you are playing the game.

Clarity - An Orange Tint Remover[www.nexusmods.com]
This game is in a desert there is sand everywhere and the sun is always beaming. There really is not a reason to have a orange tint but this game has one and man it looks like ♥♥♥♥. This mod removes it completely. IMO I consider it essential but did not include it in the previous section as its not needed for the game to run.

NMCs_Texture_Pack_For_New_Vegas[www.nexusmods.com]
IMO essential texture mod that gives better graphical fidelity to the game. Don't forget to grab the new vegas patch in the updated files section and to grab NMC's Pre-Generated LOD Updated[www.nexusmods.com] for a bit more performance.

Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks (Interior Lighting for FNV and TTW)[www.nexusmods.com]
Performance friendly lighting overhaul.

New Vegas Redesigned 2 Revised[www.nexusmods.com]
Another personal essential mod. This gets rid of most potato faces and granted its not grand changes its enough to get the job done. NVR3 has better faces but requires more work to get up and running so I always recommend this. You can always try your luck with NVR3.

NVR BNW REDESiGNed - TYPE4[www.nexusmods.com]
I used type 3 for years but i've been using this for some time its just better and still has support. Install this after NVR2R and before the type 4 body and armor mod.

TYPE4 - Body and Armors[www.nexusmods.com]
Install this after the prev. This and the last mod have nudity. If you don't want nudity there is a way but it involves changing files manually check the comments for additional help if you want to even attempt this.

Roberts Male Body FNV[www.nexusmods.com]
Male body replacer. If you are not cool with schmeat in your game there is a non nude option.

B42 Holstered Offensive Tools and Bouncy Natural Boomsticks[www.nexusmods.com] Spiritual successor to Armed to the teeth with more sockets and customization with bounce. Requires KEYWORDS[www.nexusmods.com]

The Long Road Ahead - Armor Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
Unique armor that grows with the courier's journey through upgrades. Grab this[www.nexusmods.com] if you want to also be able to downgrade the armor.

Titans of The New West 2.0[www.nexusmods.com]
Power armor is supposed to be massive like in the old games. Fallout 4 brings this back and this mod aims to bring it back as well considering the engine it has to work with. If using armed to the teeth grab the patch right under the main file as well and install that patch after ATTTR and TOTNW are installed. Disable JVS ESP as well.

188 Veronica[www.nexusmods.com]
This is def a preference thing but I always liked this mod for Veronica. She rocks with silver hair tbh.

IMPACT[www.nexusmods.com]
Don't forget to grab the patch for JIP LN here[www.nexusmods.com] VFX overhaul for ballistic weapons. Eve is for energy weapons but I don't use it as it gives me crashes you could always try that mod as well.

WAP Year One and Bonus[www.nexusmods.com]
Weapons texture replacer as the WRP mod is considered outdated by some users.

Gameplay Overhauls & Changes

Classic Fallout Weapons Remastered[www.nexusmods.com]
Classic fallout weapons now in NV.

Invisible Wall Remover[www.nexusmods.com]
This game has a lot of invisible walls in places there really should be any. This is essential in my eyes.

Convenient Fast Travel Markers[www.nexusmods.com]
This adds some well needed fast travel markers.

UIO - User Interface Organizer[www.nexusmods.com]
Base for UI mods.

Easy Unlocking - Easy Hacking - Guaranteed Pick Pocket[www.nexusmods.com]
Some will see this as a cheat mod and I guess it comes down to how you see it. I see it as a time saver/ anti save scum mod as realistically what does everyone do ? We save and basically try to get it done if we fail we load and repeat till its done. This saves you time and imo I think its essential for anyone whos ran this game so many times they are in the double digits such as myself.

No Repair Needed-Less Repair Needed[www.nexusmods.com]
Another debatably cheat-ish mod. This mod has three options. One option straight up repairs everything on a equip and has no more degrading. Basically a fallout 4 experience for those who prefer it. The other has no degrading but you will have to repair anything you find & the final one has degrading at a half scale to the base game. in 3/NV every degrades really fast to the point where you often will have to carry multiples of a weapon to keep your stuff up to snuff. This will keep your inventory cleaner and have less headaches. Also nice for the people who have beaten this game numerous times and want a less micromanaged experience. This mod comes with 3 ESPs that will clash with each other Only enable the one you want to use !

More Perks Reimagined[www.nexusmods.com]
additional perks to choose from alongside base pool.

Save Cass[www.nexusmods.com]
This lets you save Cass and not fail birds of a feather with a speech check of 30. I sometimes still wipe out the van graffs as they are just annoying.

5. Quality of life mods + Modernization part 2

Ran out of space in the previous section so we continue.

Less Obnoxious Brotherhood of Steel Air Filtration Quest[www.nexusmods.com]
This is a obnoxious quest that this mod aims to help be a bit less annoying. All of the parts will be located in every location so you only have to go to one.

Willow - A Better Companion Experience[www.nexusmods.com]
IMO the best modded companion in the game and shes great for beginners too as once you get her weapon back in the first quest you get from her she can really help you out in firefights.

Christine Follower[www.nexusmods.com]
A mod that turns Christine into a companion very cool mod imo as she is one of the coolest characters in fallout NV.

FPGE - Functional Post Game Ending[www.nexusmods.com]
Lets you keep playing after the second battle of hoover dam while actually changing things based on the events of the battle. IMO essential especially if your looking to keep playing after you beat the game.

Intimacy Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
This is a rated M rpg right ? This mod basically gives a text box after a "intimate encounter" and will buff or debuff you depending on what happened in the encounter. Has many patches for lots of mods that add encounters ie. coito ergo sum or willow.

Gameplay Overhauls & Changes continued

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Companions[www.nexusmods.com] Allows you to romance your companions granted you are their type. Has a patch for intimacy overhaul.

No Main Story Line Ultimatums[www.nexusmods.com]
Allows you to further progress faction quests before you have to pick a side. Not by much but it helps a little. If planning to go pro NCR maybe avoid this mod as a user has reported this mod locked him out of finishing the game as NCR due to Eureka! not starting.

BrotherhoodHouseAlliance[www.nexusmods.com]
Allows the brotherhood to be spared during house always wins V.

Brotherhood and Legion Truce[www.nexusmods.com]
Allows the brotherhood to be spared during Render Unto Caesar.

3rd Person Camera Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
Adds a superior TPS camera. Requires FOV Slider[www.nexusmods.com]

Playstation 4 Button Icons[www.nexusmods.com]
Playstation button prompts for any dualshock (or dualsense) users that are tired of xbox prompts.

Discord Rich Presence (NVSE)[www.nexusmods.com]
Customizable discord rich presence.

Lonesome Road True Faction Allegiance[www.nexusmods.com]
Fixes the way the faction detection is determined in the final dlc and gives you the proper duster.

JAM - Just Assorted Mods[www.nexusmods.com]
Honestly this mod is very important if your looking for a modern experience This includes all of the Just mods in one pack and adds a lot to the game making it feel much more fresh and modern.

JAM or Just Sprint animation replacers[www.nexusmods.com]
Sprint replacer that works better with custom weapon animations.

Animations

ISControl Enabler and Ironsights adjuster (now ESPless)[www.nexusmods.com]
This is another base for some of the mods in this category.

Smooth True Iron Sights Camera[www.nexusmods.com]
This removes the aggressive snap to ADS this game has.

Weapon Mesh Improvement Mod[www.nexusmods.com]
Weapon fixes. Have any animations and textures override this mod in your load order otherwise they may not take effect. This mod will have slight bugs with certain mods like hitmans animations but they are not game breaking and do not apply to every weapon. As usual use your best judgement and discretion I use both mods together.

Enhanced Movement[www.nexusmods.com] & Enhanced Locomotion[www.nexusmods.com]
Massive movement overhaul that includes proning & proper locomotion for power armor.

Viewmodel Shake Fix - NVSE[www.nexusmods.com]
Dependency for ISA

New Vegas Animation Overhaul - Guns[www.nexusmods.com]
Hitman's & rockbiter86 weapon animations. All in one mod! Install Iron Sights Aligned[www.nexusmods.com] afterwards. FOMOD settings are at the users discretion depending on the mods in use.

JIP Companions Command and Control[www.nexusmods.com] Overhauls companion system with many new features including multiple companions.

If you cherry picked or grabbed everything in the part 1 and 2 of this section of the guide your game is officially "modernized" and has a lot of QOL improvements to make your experience more enjoyable, less frustrating and with certain mods (not all of them) even more lore friendly. The next section of this guide will basically be a few more mods that I personally think enhance the game even further and are truly optional so if you were simply looking for stability, QOL and modernization your done ! But if you want a few extra mods that I think are really good and continue to work with this load order check out the next section especially since it contains the sequel to debatably the best fallout 3 quest mod ever Quo Vagis ![www.nexusmods.com]

6. Extras/Personal recommendations

Extras/Personal recommendations

If you've stuck around to this part of the guide these are mods that don't exactly fit the bill above but I still recommend and they have been tested with the mods above so they will work.


Coito Ergo Sum[www.nexusmods.com]
My favorite quest mod of all time in the fallout series only rivaled by the thuggyverse for FO4 and its previous mod Quo Vagis.[www.nexusmods.com] This mod basically lets you run a brothel/saloon/magazine company (later holovids if you do the questline a proper way) in where you collect models for the wasteland publish magazines and make a profit. It also has a main storyline that branches off into different paths relating to a murder mystery, and a interesting duo located in the basement of the saloon and even predicted certain aspects of FO4. Many new locations and it only adds to new vegas doesn't take anything away. There are patches for roberts male body and another mod that adds dlc support Coito Ergo Sum DLC Crossover.[www.nexusmods.com] This is a great mod for NV vets that want some spice to their run and even beginners as this mod can help them make money early on and give them additional objectives to make the experience of this game more full. Also has that wacky vibe that fallout is known for. This is a nsfw mod so if you want to still experience this great mod but do not want any nudity there is a additional patch in the downloads. And if you want higher res magazine covers this mod[www.nexusmods.com] has you covered.

The Living Desert - Travelers Patrols Consequences Increased Population and more[www.nexusmods.com]
User Solreaper34 suggested this mod as a replacement for BOS patrols as itll add them post bunker lock down and alter the world as you play it.

Dry Wells - Legion Expansion[www.nexusmods.com] & Long 15 - NCR Expansion[www.nexusmods.com]
Land + quest mods that expands on the two dlc locations Dry Wells & Long 15. Long 15 repeatedly CTD on me nearly constantly without the use DXVK (alongside all the other essential mods) so be sure to have it installed & working before playing. Dry wells crashed a few times as well but nothing like that. After installation crashing dropped down significantly.

Women of New Vegas - Billboards - Loading Screens - Posters - Paintings[www.nexusmods.com]
This ones for my NSFW brethren that don't mind a little extra in their titles. I like this mod a lot because its just not generic stuff but actual photos from the Nexus Modding Community it just feels more authentic considering the photos are from the game itself and it just gives NV a bit more of a seedy vibe that the game already does have. Also has options if you don't want the all in one.

7. Obsolete/Phased out mods

This section is for mods that have been made obsolete due to other mods but still officially work and I will leave them for anyone who wants to use them for whatever reason) Feel free to sub them out for the mods they will eventually replace provided they pass my testing phases.

Brotherhood of Steel Patrols[www.nexusmods.com]
This is a good mod for anyone who is pro brotherhood. I would just avoid installing and/or activating until you are friendly with the brotherhood otherwise these patrols will attack you. Not very lore friendly though unless you install this after their questline and head canon that they begin to patrol again after your help.

More Perks[www.nexusmods.com]
I never really had any issues with this version in fact i'm currently still using it as you aren't supposed to hot swap this mid game with the other mod it can cause problems according to some digging. But the newer mod does better balancing and fixes some bugs. If for whatever reason you like this one better in theory it should work as i'm literally using it but the other mod is newer and has some fixes.

Perks every level with or without level cap increase[www.nexusmods.com]
lStewieAl's Tweaks has a optional file that makes this mod redundant. But this mod still works just fine if you do not want the optional file. Or if by some strange scenario the optional file is giving you issues.

House & brotherhood truce[www.nexusmods.com]
Great mod but it's been removed. It allowed you to spare the brotherhood while working with house.

Hit's Anims - Season 1[www.nexusmods.com],season 2[www.nexusmods.com], and season 3[www.nexusmods.com]
All of hitmans animations bundled together in 3 seasons. Fantastic weapon animations.

Armed to the Teeth - Redux[www.nexusmods.com]
Instead of one main holster now you can have two shoulder holsters plus two hip holsters. Obviously optional but really cool and adds to the game. You will need a compatibility patch if using with titans of the new west and that will be on that mods page.

Hit - Locomotion[www.nexusmods.com]
Animations for the player and makes power armor feel weighted similar to fallout 4.

8. FAQ & bugs/errors solutions

Common questions & bugs/errors solutions
Q: I need further 1 on 1 help and this comment section won't cut it.

A: The random FRs are killing me so here is my YT/Modding Discord[discord.gg] I will be able to help you out much further if the situation is beyond comments and if you gotta upload photos for better support.

Q: On a new game my screen is black but my hud is displaying?

A: Your ini files are not generated. Either get them from a friend or ask for my files I will give you mine. You can avoid this by ensuring they are generated before you begin modding and/or using bethINI. They will be located here C:\Users\(your username)\Documents\my games\Falloutnv

Q: 9mm based guns are invisible when using WAP

A: Not sure why it might have to do with TOTNW but I have also run into this bug. Its very inconsistent though as sometimes it does not trigger at all and works fine. My suggestion for now is to either disable the scripts like I mention in the notes section, do not used 9mm weapons at all, Or save/ quick save before you switch/use a 9mm weapon as this bug will lock you out of pausing and pipboy so you'll have to restart your game. It is a pain but sometimes this doesn't happen for a long time I really don't know what causes it and I notice that the bug happens way less on the newest update of WAP.

Q: VNV is better I rather use that.

A: Okay so go use it ? This is alternative for people who are not a fan of the modlist or want a more friendly modding guide for NMM/Vortex as that is a MO2 based guide.

Q: What is the main difference between this guide and VNV?

A: VNV is MO2 based so its not straight forward for people who use other managers. And if your looking to compare the full guides for both VNV uses more game overhauls that changes a lot of the balancing of the game significantly. Me personally I'm not looking to change much of the core game. I mainly tackle bug fixes, add additional content and QOLs not massive game overhauls. At least for this specific guide. I also do not agree with their stance on LOOT or NMM.

Q: So which one should I use?

A: I suggest you look at both guides and pick the one that you wish to use simple as that. Compare the mods we do have some of the same mods as there are just mods that are required for this game but when it comes down to post essential our mods are very different. The only time I would actually recommend my guide over VNV no questions asked is if you are not using MO2 or if you are not looking to overhaul the game significantly and are looking to bolster the core.

Q: NMM sucks use MO2

A: You couldn't pay me to use MO2

Q: LOOT does not work

A: LOOT does work just use it as intended.

Q: How can I launch via Steam and/or have steam track my hours when using xNVSE ?

A: Just run the game normally off of steam. 4gb patcher allows xNVSE to run from multiple methods of launch (steam, NMM NVSE option, FalloutNV.exe, or renaming nvse_loader to FalloutNVLauncher.exe).

Q: Insert question related to any messed up textures

A: Make sure archive Invalidation is enabled and make sure to turn it off and back on when adding new textures.

Q: MCM does not want to install via the MM.

A: Have UIO (user interface organizer) installed beforehand. When your on the site just pick the DL manually option. When you open the zip its going to be FOMOD file. Move that file onto your pc somewhere then right click on it and open with winrar. The files themselves should be exposed now. Copy and paste all those files into the data folder of your game. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Data (your file path may be different). The ESP should appear on your NMM now and the mod itself should be installed now. The mod isn going to appear in the regular install section of the MM but as long as the ESP is there you know everything went well.

Q: Can I clean X?

A: I strongly suggest against cleaning anything.

Q: How to get rid of neckseams?

A: You can't neckseams are going to be a thing until you play skyrim and fallout 4. You can get neckseam necklace mods to hide them if it bothers you that much.

Q: Why do I need to do so much work to play this game. This is ridiculous

A: Technically you only need to do sections 1-3 for the game to work just fine. That does not take a long time. Its not a lot of work. You know what is a lot of work. Figuring out what mods work together, testing mod combinations for hours to make sure they work together and troubleshooting to fix any issues. Or better yet the people that actually sat down to create these mods and the tools to use them. It is a privilege to mod our games and it is very nice of the creators of these mods to not only make these mods for free (as some of them eventually start to gate their mods through paywalls) but to maintain these mods, update them, and keep working on them to make them better and reduce bugs on their own time. So no I wouldn't call it so much work.

Q: Why are there "Sex mods" in this guide?

A: There are zero sex mods in this guide nudity does not equate "sex". You need full blown animations for that and this guide does not have this. Mods like coito ergo sum or ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ companions still don't fall under this category as again where are the animations ? Fade to black means nothing that's already part of the base game and is extremely common in rpgs. This is a rated M title so if you are "afraid" of nudity or just don't like it you can just not get the mod wow I know right? Don't need a whole paragraph on why some pixels on a screen enrage you.

Q: X mod isn essential this guide sucks.

A: All mods after section 3 are not mandatory. The guides in my essential guide collection are named so due to the fact that the first 3 sections are Essential. Anything in those sections are required with the exception of one or two mods that are included as they improve performance but are not required for stability.

Q: This guide helped me how I can show my thanks?

A: Leaving feedback and a Thank you is more than enough for me. I made these guides to help people so by leaving feedback you make the guide more visible to more people that could use the help. And if that's not enough for you I do make content on YT checking out a video would mean a lot to me but do not feel obligated to do so. As I said before feedback and a thank you is already more than enough.

Q: Can I use X mod with this guide/LO?

A: I won't always have an answer for that some mods are new and I've never used them or I just don't have experience with x mod. But it does not hurt to ask. Generally you'll want to pick the comments apart and look to see if any major issues are going on or if it clashes with a mod you already use. Also there are just certain older outdated mods you shouldn't be using period. Comments will sometimes reflect that. Other times there will be notoriously older broken mods most users know about ie. project nevada.

Q: Can I update mods mid save/playthrough?

A: I've done it so many times with no issues (recently I did brick a skyrim save tho) but you always risk ruining a save file so only do it knowing the risk that it may work out, you might have bugs later or you may lose the file.

Q: Can I remove mods or add mods mid save/playthrough?

A: See previous question. Certain mods though are safe for removal mid run and the mod author will make note of that. YMMV at the end of the day.

9. FAQ & bugs/errors solutions (continued)

Q: I still crash after getting the stability mods/I crash in Coito Ergo Sum locations any fixes?

A: You are most likely running out of vram change bModifyDirectXBehavior = 0 to 1 in NVTF ini. That does the trick for many. And as always launching the game on a fresh ram reload can help as well.

Q: My mouse speed is too high in all menus any fixes?

A: Open the file fallout.ini in the documents. Find the line bBackground Mouse=0 and change the 0 value to 1 Under the line bBackground Keyboard=1 add
fForegroundMouceAccelBase=0
fForegroundMouseAccelTop=0
fForegroundMouseBase=0
fForegroundMouseMult=0

then locate the iPresentInterval=1 and change the 1 value to 0

Q: I have a infinite loading screen every time I try to load a game any fixes?

A: So a bandaid is to make a new game and then load your game. The fix though is to go to ...\Documents\My Games\Fallout New Vegas\ and right click the Saves folder and open properties. Uncheck the read only checkbox and click ok.

Q: TTW?

A: Yeah I am not a fan of TTW. I think its pretty unstable when trying to do a big modlist that does stuff for both titles. Also not happy that it essentially killed the modding community for fallout 3 as everytime someone asks for something fo3 related the answer is USE TTW. At least the fo3 community is finally making a comeback. If you want to use TTW go for it but I like my 3 and NV separated personally.

Q: Can you make a modding guide for X game?

A: If there is demand for it and I have experience modding the game. Yes I will. Just bear in mind these guides are a massive time sink and helping people troubleshoot does take a lot of time so you guys gotta let me know. Put the demand into it. You want a modding guide for a game please comment, let me know on the discord etc. The more demand it has the higher it will go on my radar and I will see to it that it is handled.

Q: Wabbajack?

A: Don't know how to use or create anything with wabbajack. Not looking to learn how to use wabbajack either as a mod manager is already more than enough for me in terms of "assisting tools". If somebody wants to make a wabbajack with this modding guide feel free to do so. I will gladly add a link to it in the guide for those that don't want to actually learn how to mod but want to reap the rewards and credit you provided it has the full LO. Obviously I will not be able to give any support on this matter with any bugs or issues if someone actually were to do this.

Wrap up

And thats about it for now at least. May add or remove things as time goes on. But all the mods that aren't labeled untested have had many hours put through them with little to no issues. So in theory you guys should be good. But mods don't get installed properly sometimes or more often than not another mod that a person has from their own order can clash. Having a bad load order can cause issues. Or even just missing one little step can sometimes cause a bug. This actually happened the other day with my friend when I was helping him and he did not deactivate the JVS ESP for Titans of The New West 2.0 and so his animation was broken once we found it was still on we disabled it and had him uninstall the master for that plugin.

So if you do run into issues feel free to drop a comment I'll do my best to help troubleshooting but if you are not using NMM there won't be much I can do unless its a simple fix as these MMs work differently and can cause different issues. Thanks for reading everyone and I hope this helped your new vegas. Whether you came here for the whole enchilada or 1 small piece of information or mod thats enough for me knowing I helped you out just a little.

I have removed the frontier mod after testing it is just far too unstable for me to recommend to anyone. Grab it at your own risk !

Notes
WAP currently for whatever reason has a problem with any 9mm based weapons. Sometimes it works sometimes the pistol is gone. Not sure what is causing it but if your looking to keep using the mod you can disable the 9mm scripts in FNV edit so the stock remains or just don't use any weapons in that family for now. Im currently looking into it myself. This also softlocks the game as you cannot switch weapons, or open the pipboy or pause the game. Typically happens after removing power armor and using a 9mm. Very inconsistent as sometimes the bug will trigger other times it works fine. I suggest to either continue to not use 9mm based weapons or quicksave before you swap to one just in case you never know.

Since this is asked nearly every week and nobody reads older comments here is how to install MCM manually when installing VIA any MM is causing an error.

If MCM does not want to install through a Mod manager install manually like I have mentioned in the guide. Have UIO (user interface organizer) installed beforehand. When your on the site just pick the DL manually option. When you open the zip its going to be FOMOD file. Move that file onto your pc somewhere then right click on it and open with winrar. The files themselves should be exposed now. Copy and paste all those files into the data folder of your game. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Data (your file path may be different). The ESP should appear on your NMM now and the mod itself should be installed now. The mod isn going to appear in the regular install section of the MM but as long as the ESP is there you know everything went well.

If you want to see somewhat of a showcase I have a full walkthrough of a modded New Vegas right here with full commentary. I say somewhat because this walkthrough was made way before this guide so it will not have every mod featured in this guide. But it does have a good portion (especially towards the end) I also did not include Coito ergo sum because youtube is shot.


As I write up more mod guides ill link them below:

Morrowind 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Oblivion 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Fallout 3 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Fallout 4 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Skyrim SE 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Starfield 2024 Essential Modding Guide (WIP)

Baldur's Gate 3 2024 Modding Guide (WIP)

The Witcher 3 2024 Modding Guide

Cyberpunk 2077 Modding Guide

Oblivion "Remastered" Modding Guide (WIP)

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

I dont see why it wouldn't. It only effects two scripts related to dead money. I'd give it a try.

[Uncle_J]

After reading this guide, I think I will nuke my Viva New Vegas M02 install of FNV and start over and follow this guide.

There is one mod that I can’t live without I don’t see on the list. “No poison cloud damage or collar explosion” for Dead Money. Will this mod work with the mods on this list?

[kids66799]

It just works

[BWEKFAST]

Did anybody else encounter the Problem where Item Names and Dialogue options just became non-sense? Just random letters

[Quickshot1]

Thanks for the info

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

Its been down for a hot minute i dont know why and I have yet to find an alternative download or mod.

[Quickshot1]

Hey, it seems like the Women of New Vegas mod is down. Any insight as to why? I checked for an alternative location to download it but had no luck.

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

I need salt on everything. Doesnt matter how good the food is or the ingredients. I do see your reasoning though. My big thing is ive never seen modding take away from a game. Only add to it. There are a lot of games that I played vanilla for decades. Post modding not only I cant go back its just so much better.

[Wolfram593]

@Drake Platinum THE WORLD

It's not always you have to put salt in your food for it to taste good. Sometimes, the food's so excellent you simply don't need any salt

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

This guide is like 70 mods. If your gonna make a trash joke at least be accurate.