9/17/2021 - Dear Reader, the previous name for A Vault Dweller's Survival Guide to Load Orders was Fallout 4 Mod Load Order Master List: A “Living” Load Order FAQ and Framework. If you're reading the changelog this far back, then good luck. Logs were sporadic.
Overview
I’ve once again begun updating the Fallout 4 Mod Load Order Master List: A “Living” Load Order FAQ and Framework. The Bethesda.net community (all of like 20 of them anyway) voted last year to have the Master list updated only by me and take it off community editing and then I ran out of time. I’ve been working on this document since February 2017, and it’s been a long journey. I’ve met many wonderful people on the load order thread and Discord, and I’ve met a lot of noobs as well. ;P
Test Your Mods Before Playing with Them
I’ve also met a lot of people who expect someone to just give them a load order and it work without them having to test it. I’m sorry. It just doesn’t work that way. Testing mods prior to adding a mod to the main save is simply part of the modding experience on console. Each console has a different configuration and some mods simply do not work well with others.
Anyway, I’ve updated the document only twice this year, and I plan to keep it updated on a monthly basis just as before. If someone asked me to add something and you don’t see it on it, it probably means I’ve either not had time to add it or forgot about it completely. I don’t mind a little poke every once and a while as a reminder as long as it isn’t everyone, their mother, their dog, and their cow yelling at me to update a thing. I’ll try to be better at keeping up with this blog in case anyone is actually following me. Stalkers. :p
I should amend that major updates, like new mods or new sections to the FAQ, happen on a monthly basis but little things like grammar edits or wording happen when I think about it.
Parent Thread
I usually post the changelogs to the Bethnet load order FAQ (called the Parent Thread in the document). The how-to stuff should be mostly current, however the mod list itself is only a framework since I’ve not played FO4 since September of last year. I do plan on sitting down for a play through with some of the mods that Chucksteel has ported over to consoles to add them to the list and DAmanding shared with me a list of settlement mods she put together for PC users that I’ve not had the time to add since I’m not currently playing, but actively modding.
The last Changelogs for this year, cross posted from Bethesda.net:
Changelog: 3/29/2019
The Load Order FAQ and Framework Master List got some love, grammar corrections, much needed updates on a few things, and some info about power grid corruption, the scrap crash, and what you can do to prevent it. The section is still under construction and needs more editing so that it’s more coherent, but my eyes are crossing. Hopefully it makes sense.
Changelog 4/22/2019
Added Definitions
- Cached Data, Creation Engine, Creation Kit, Fallout 4 Script Extender, ITMs/dirty edits, leveled lists, LOOT, Papyrus, Reference, and xEdit.
Updated definitions
- Precombination Data, Mod/Object Mod, Plug-in, INI file
- Realized I hadn’t added AFKMods or xEdit mod/comments pages as some of my sources and fixed that. Unfortunately most of the threads are discontinued in lieu of chat rooms like Discord so information will be lost later when the next chat room program grows more popular than what’s currently available. :/
New Sections
- Added a new section to Warnings, Cautions, and Other Information to include a caution statement about possible mods whose OMOD records (craftable weapons/armor upgrades/robot armor/upgrades) were created/updated with only xEdit prior to 4.0 (it was discouraged by the xEdit team because the records had been improperly decoded). xEdit 4.0 and up is now a required update since it is now more up-to-date with records’ definitions than version 3.2 had, especially where object mods are concerned . The section is relevant to console users using abandoned mods that were created with only xEdit prior to 4.0’s release date of Dec. 10, 2018. Otherwise, not something to worry about for current mods unless a MA hates using the CK and hasn’t updated from 3.2 to 4.0 and disregarded the discouragement from the xEdit team about OMODs or a n00bie did not know the records hadn’t been decoded properly. I am not a part of the chat room (I prefer forums) so did not realize how important the update was.
Updated the following sections
- What Is This Document?
- What Are “Scripted” Mods?
- Miscellaneous spelling and grammar edits cuz I spel gud and grammar like a mug.
- Formatting edits (whomever was reading it while I was editing the doc was probably really ticked off at all the bouncing around… apologies!)
- Table of Contents finally got it’s own page(s)
- Introduction begins on a shiny new page after the Table of Contents
- Few other miscellaneous formatting things like “Searching This Document” and italics on mod names to draw the eye to Important Info – Regarding Creation Club where AWKCR and Armorsmith are concerned.
- Updated the Parent Thread link to point to the current URL since the wording still directed users to “Post 1.9 Patch”.
- Forgot a thing, fixed the thing, then forgot what that thing was to include it in the changelog.
Addendum
A few days ago, I added a new definition for Optimization since I found an article from a while back that made it clear that most gamers don’t know that it means very basically “to achieve the same outcome with fewer computations.” But programmers do. “Optimization” gets thrown around a lot when games are modded to hell and back and things are breaking. >_>;