#fallout 4 mod help

[conkreetmonkey]

In the process of attempting to create an incredibly basic Fallout 4 mod, I've realized that Bethesda games are needlessly hard to mod. Like, let me tell you about my journey so far:

(long one... yet another ConkreetMonkey wall of text, this one bemoaning Bethesda's spaghetti code and lack of decent modding resources)

First off, I should probably explain what the mod is intended to be. The Sanctuary bridge (known as the Old North Bridge, which is a real and historically significant bridge irl, mentioned by Preston Garvey upon seeing it for the first time) has always bugged me. It's half-collapsed, and cannot be repaired in the base game, despite seeing a lot of use as the main entry point to an important settlement. There is no mod fixing this that I like, as none remove the collapsed part without replacing the entire model. I've always wanted to see the thing repaired in an immersive way, but no matter how many workshop mods I download or in-editor changes I attempt, the collapsed part is baked into the model. The mesh itself needs editing.

The plan was simple: extract the model, make my 10-minute edit removing the broken planks and supports in Blender, and replace the original version with my slightly different new one. Since all I was to do was delete chunks of the model without leaving any open holes in the mesh, theoretically, the same texture should still work. The UV map would not need edited, as nothing I didn't remove changed in size or position. After replacing the model with this modified one, I would then either "repair" it in-game with Place Everywhere and some mods that add planks and support beams, or "repair" it in the official editor. It would finally look like the broken parts were removed and replaced with salvaged, mismatching wood, which is what would realistically happen. The "cleanest" way to do this would be to save a version of the plugin with just the edited model, and then one with my immersive repairs made in the editor, both uploaded to Nexus so others can benefit. They say to make the mods you want to see, and this one was both at the top of my list and felt very doable. I shouldn't even need to edit the navmesh or pathfinding because I'm not replacing any parts of the bridge NPCs actually walk over.

Roadblock no. 1: extracting the model. You can't just download it from the editor (to my knowledge), you have to extract it with a third-party tool called Bethesda Asset Extractor (BAE). So I download BAE and start sifting through the filenames of all the models in the game.

Roadblock no. 2: the filenames and organization are hot garbage, probably making sense to the devs but not to me, and there's no way to know what the model is of aside from the vague hint the name gives you. It's already become abundantly clear that this game was not initially programmed with modability in mind. I go on Reddit, and am informed by a helpful soul named u/ChaoTikPranXter that I can just open the editor, select the bridge, and see what its filename is that way. Of course! I do so, get the name, go into BAE, and extract the asset.

Roadblock no. 2.5: Bethesda's in-house engine apparently uses a weird-ass file format for 3D models called a .nif. Blender was unable to open these files. Thankfully, there exists a plugin that allows it to, which I downloaded and installed. When I tried to open my new .nif that way, however, only chunks of it displayed. The walking surface, the planes representing the alpha-channel bolt decals on the supports, and some bits of railing. This could not be right. The model was complete when opened in Nifskope, a 3D software that could open .nifs I downloaded when manually sifting through assets in BAE to check what they were (Nifscope, unfortunately, does not actually allow you to edit the models aside from rotating or resizing them along the XYZ axes, so it was useless to actually carry out the edit I wanted, which required the deletion of polygons). Apparently Blender was still struggling with the file format? With no other options, I used Nifskope to convert the .nif to an .obj (which took a few attempts, as the selection system in that program was hard for me to figure out).

Finally, after much trial and error, I had a full, unbroken version of the bridge that I could open in Blender. A compromise, since I'd have to convert it back to a .nif to get it back in the game (just adding more possible points of failure), but it was done. I had successfully opened the model in Blender after hours of trial and error, and downloading 3 third-party pieces of software.

Roadblock no. 3: Apparently converting a .nif to a .obj causes some eccentricities. The model is so massive it is not all visible at once as it far exceeds the render distance, and is also rotated 90° on its side for some reason, and is also positioned just below the "ground." Really hard to work with. I had to reposition it, which will definitely fuck things up down the line.

Roadblock no. 4: Also, BAE can't rip textures, just meshes. It's a known issue and I couldn't find any fixes or workarounds online, just forum posts reiterating that it's how things are. It's not terrible, I can work with a pure white model for my purposes because it's an inanimate object made of wood so it's pretty clear what's what, but now I'm going to have to figure out how to reapply the texture in-engine, which I assume will be a nightmare. Every time I want to move a file from one program to another it feels like I'm at the DMV.

Roadblock no. 4.1: Not really progress-stalling, just another example of Bethesda-ness: the groups on this model makes no sense. The walking surface is grouped with a random few bits of railing for some reason. Not all the railings, just some. All parts of the model are like this, mixed in with a little bit of everything else like the steam trays at a crappy buffet. Like, no shade towards whoever modelled that thing, but... why? Why did you organize it like this? Do 3D artists have the same esoteric approaches to object grouping as 2D ones have to layers? Am I even using the right terminology here? The only thing I know how to do decently in Blender is remove the hair from game characters downloaded from The Models Resource to see them bald (which, coincidentally, is all I should need to know for the edit I want to make).

So I, finally, after HOURS of toil, an entire afternoon, finally get to start making the actual edit.

It takes like 10, maybe 15 minutes.

This could have been so much easier.

I'm hesitant to even attempt adding my new model into the game. Is it really worth the time and effort? This was the easy part. Who's to say the model doesn't flip out again once I convert it to a .nif? I'm assuming the editor will let me copy/paste the size, coordinates and rotation from the vanilla bridge, but is that too optimistic? Will the textures want to cooperate, if there even is a way to reapply them within the Creation Kit? I had to download 3 third-party programs already just to open a mesh file in Blender. Now I'm seeing forum posts about how Outfit Studio is the best way to get .nifs into the game, so I guess make it 4. I think my best bet is likely to get a more experienced modder to help me out with this. I just hope I can find one who also wants to see this mod be created, because none I've found really do commissions, just requests they find compelling (understandable tbh, not shitting on them for that).

In conclusion, Godd Howard has abandoned us. If you're pro-mod, make your games easy and intuitive to mod. Modding is never simple, I know, but this is ridiculous.

[wasteland-wrecker]

Guys…… whoever…..created these posters… caught me off guard…. 😭😭😭

Mod:

[wetsocksinbed]

in light of Fallout being popular again, this is a list of things I wish Bathesda had done in Fallout 4:

made a way to side against the railroad without having to kill Deacon. Even if you send him to the most distant settlement, he still spawns in the RR HQ and you MUST shoot him. I don’t like it :(

have the option to remove Danse from power armour after saving him from the BoS. It doesn’t make sense that he’s an enemy of the BoS and still walks around in their power armour. Especially since the armour he wears until Blind Betrayal becomes yours if you side with the Brotherhood. It’s physically impossible for you to own it while he’s wearing it.

on that note, I wish Bathesda had written Danse’s dialogue differently once he’s revealed as a synth. He’s still calling himself a solder of the BoS/acting like he’s a part of the BoS months after the BoS kicked him out and literally said they’d kill him on sight. It doesn’t make sense for him to keep speaking that way. I know he sees himself as a solder, but the things he says counteracts everything you do in Blind Betrayal

adding more to that, I wish some of Danse’s romance dialogue was…nicer. Spamming “Thoughts?” only gives you TWO romance lines and they’re both very vague. Nick says nicer things to me and he isn’t even a romance option

MAKE NICK A ROMANCE OPTION

make Synth Shaun a companion 🥺

dialogue between Codsworth and Synth Shaun about pre-war life/Codsworth talking about Nate/Nora (whichever spouse died) to Shaun

i wish you could REPAIR NICKS FACE??? Like Nick has the same face as the Gen 1’s, and you kill plenty of them. How hard would it be to remove a Gen 1 face and give it to Nick so that he isn’t falling apart. You’re telling me that DiMA looks absolutely fine and Nick has to stay looking like someone threw him into a shredder? Bullshit.

personal quest for Hancock, that includes a decent amount of dialogue if you’re romancing him

interactions between the character you’re romancing and Synth Shaun, specifically them treating him like family

[woods-and-adlers-left-hand-dude]

I NEED FALLOUT 4 MODS FOR BUILDING STUFF PLEASEEEEEEE,

I played fallout ages ago and I'm playing through it again and I just want to make my own little houses and stuff in settlements so I can bring the companies back to it(mostly Hancock and valantine) like different walls and stuff or door frames and floors,so please surgest mods and there names for xbox in the comments

[twosides--samecoin]

long time running x @yeehawgust day 23: rocky mountain high

He was born in the summer of his 27th year Comin' home to a place he'd never been before He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again You might say he found a key for every door When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away On the road and hangin' by a song But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long But the Colorado Alberta Rocky Mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky

[shatinn]

Fallout 4 - DANSE 💖

[rebelangelsims]

Fallout 4 players I am new to Fallout 4 on the PC.

Is there like poses for the game? and what is the best way to get mods for Fallout 4 on the PC?

tagging @wastelandwhisperer but don't know if they are on often.

[fallout4reacts]

I think Danse is the only one who can cure me. I think taking care of him would distract me enough to not crave death. AND I know if I said anything at all about how I’m feeling bad, a switch would flip inside of him and he would care me.

[aliteralgrizzlybear]

I've been looking for a certain kind of mod for some Bethesda games, and honestly I feel like I should just explain the context first.

Okay, so you know how in a lot of action-focused games, your character will say one-liners when an enemy shows up, when you kill that enemy, etc. Usually, these are for the sake of making your heroic character sound cool, or giving you a confirmation that the enemy is dead in case it's ever unclear.

I'm looking for the opposite of that. I know there's a one-off line about the giant radroaches once you get out of cryo-sleep, and there may be a few offhand dialogue tidbits sprinkled throughout the tutorial sections, but I want the undignified screaming fear of someone who is one muscle spasm away from soiling their pants when they see a mirelurk, a deathclaw, or a yao guai, as befits someone who hasn't lived their whole life in the Post-War wastelands. I want a protagonist who is definitely Being Brave, but not able to be Dignified or Stoic. Someone who, when the adrenaline starts flowing, and the Fight or Flight part of the brain is supposed to make a decision, that decision is "Yes."

[typosandtea]

Was looking for some references in my broken saves screenshots folder and found this rather cinematic shot from the deathclaw playercharacter mod I found in this Nerbit youtube video. it is alot of fun beating up raiders as a deathclaw

[veshialles]

nooo, please let me tell these cops to fuck off, kinggath i thought you were cool what the hell guys

[commonwealth-operator]

10 Nov 2289 / Lynn Subway

New and improved Rat Patrol working a missing persons case alongside Minuteman remnants (right at beginning) when we came across a fire team guarding the entrance to Revere Beach Station. Eavesdropped for a second and took a careful head count before making a fire plan and acing the whole group without needing to reload.

[actual-corpse]

Mad that the only way you can appreciate Fallout 4 is when you have the option to Fast Travel removed.

And I mean like, physically disabled. The game will not allow you to fast travel (except for using the Vertibird grenades).

I was so sad by the distress call from Fallon's (even though I allowed it to loop for 30 minutes as I tried to get a Perfectly Preserved Pie). Listening to the crying of the woman trapped in the Jewelry Department safe.

Her final words were about how thirsty she was.

I left her skeleton a can of purified water and closed the door.

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Is there a new intimidation tactic that I am not aware of? Because all I can think of is the Ghostbusters theme song lol.

[twosides--samecoin]

Can I trace your screenshots to draw my OCs? Totally cool if not

of course! that's quite an honour, thank you for asking :) have fun!

[vault81]

Found a mod that adds Scribe Haylen as a settler, it makes her available after the Blind Betrayal quest! Which makes perfect sense ofc, she’s not massively into the brotherhood anyway but after what they did with Danse I could see her easily being persuaded to leave them behind to follow wherever Danse went to, or maybe just to join a new group like the Minutemen or Railroad.