[OUTDATED] How to Install Mods + Recommendations

Overview

Want to make Fallout: New Vegas an even better game? Do you want to clog up your game with ridiculous nude furry mods? Well then this is the guide for you! This guide covers everything from installing mods as well as mods that are worth picking up. The list will be constantly updated with new releases/suggestions so check back every now and then!*UPDATE* 12/4/2017:*This guide is preeetty outdated, at some point I’m going to go back and update it with some newer mods and a more indepth guide to installing certain specific mods, such as nvse and add-ons to that.

Introduction

So you want to adventure into the modding world of New Vegas? Well, have no fear as this guide will teach you everything you need to know about modding your game!

It is actually pretty simple for the most part to install basic mods (such as just normal .esps) but there is always a few people who ask how to install mods.

Keep in mind this tutorial is for installing mods, not making them, I might cover that in the future but for now this is it.

The Essentials

There is a few very important things that you should first get before installing mods, as they make installing mods much easier or are essentially required.

1) Archive Invalidation
This is one is VERY important, you really need to do this or else your game will act weird with mods installed. Fallout Mod Manager has a built in feature that allows for Archive Invalidation.

2) A Mod Manager
– Fallout Mod Manager – [link]
– Nexus Mod Manager – [link]

Mod managers are very important because they allow you to change the load order of .esp and .esm files, which are essentially what is used for most mods. Proper load order is relatively simple to keep, just listen to any requirements that the mod author has and you will be fine. It also helps keeps things nice and organized as well if you go overboard on mods. You only need one, I personally prefer Fallout Mod Manager but either will work fine.

3) [Optional] New Vegas Script Extender – [link]
NVSE allows for a lot of the more complex mods to work properly and is generally something you are going to get no matter what if you are doing a modded run.

The instructions for installing NVSE is on it’s respective site, but just incase, here they are:
“1. Copy the .dll and .exe files to your Fallout NV directory. This is usually in your Program Files folder under SteamSteamAppscommonfallout new vegas. If you see files named FalloutNV.exe and FalloutNVLauncher.exe, this is the correct folder. Do not copy these files to the Data folder as with a normal mod.

2. Launch NV via running nvse_loader.exe. Enabling the Steam Community option (enabled by default) will allow you to launch the game via Steam’s standard UI.”

So, now that you got those ready, lets move on to the fun part, mods!

Adding Mods

NOTE: You will need a program such as 7zip or WinRAR to extract files!

Mods generally either come in two different forms, fomods and .esp/.esm files. If you installed a mod manager, fomods should automatically install once double clicked and require little work on your part besides possibly changing the load order.

.esp/.esm files on the other hand are a bit more complicated.

As an example, we are going to be installing a relatively simple mod:
NCR Rearmanent – [link]

After downloading the file follow these steps:
1) Of course, open it and see how the mod is set up. You will notcie that within the NCR Rearmanent folder is a folder labeled “Data”. This is the folder that contains your mod.

2) Now that you have the Data folder ready, it is time to start extracting! Genreally, where you will want to extract it to is: C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonFallout New Vegas
2.1) Some mods do not have that Data folder and instead have folders such as meshes/textures and possibly an .esp/.esm, these would simply be extracted to C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonFallout New VegasData instead!

3) Now that you have extracted the mod, it is time to enable it! Go to your mod manager of choice and make sure that the .esp/.esm for your mod shows up. If it doesn’t you installed it wrong or you need to restart your mod manager. Once it shows up, activate it by double clicking on it!

4) Run the game and see if it works! If it does, congratulations! You now know how to install basic mods!

NOTE: Keep in mind some mods are way more complex in installation (Example: Tale of Two Wastelands). Do not worry though, as mods with unusal install instructions generally always come with useful instructions on how to properly install them.

And now the fun part…

so now that you know how to install mods it is time to get installing! I would highly reccomend not going overboard at first and getting used to the process so that your game does not become an absolute mess.

So, with the boring part aside, lets list out some mods that are definitely worth checking out!

Vital Mods

These mods will help to make New Vegas run better, prevent crashes, and all that good stuff. Picking these up is a must!

CASM – [link]
Damn this is useful! It is a very improved autosave function that really will help when you forget to save when a crash inevitably comes.

Yukichigai Unofficial Patch – [link]
Bug fixes, lots of bug fixes and ONLY bug fixes, unlike Mission Mojave.

NVAC – [link]
This mod has really helped with crashes for me. When I install this, I rarely ever have a crash in my game. Definitely get it!

NVSR – [link]
Helps stop frame rate issues and stuttering, definitely pick it up if you are experiencing such issues!

FNV 4GB – [link]
An essential mod that helps improve the way New Vegas runs and prevents memory issues.

Core Mods

These mods really change the core gameplay, whether it be increased difficulty, new mechanics, etc. These mods will make New Vegas feel fresh once again.

Project Nevada – [link]
An amazing mod that adds a lot more in terms of difficulty, contents, and mechanics! Definitely worth checking out!

More Perks – [link]
More Perks allows for even more perks(duh) when you level up, making for a nice variety of options, maybe even perhaps an overwhelming amount. Goes great with Perk Every Level [link]

Tale of Two Wastelands – [link]
Play Fallout 3 in New Vegas! A bit complicated to set up, but it can definitely be worth it. Please note however a lot of the mods here are by default incompatible and need to be patched or other such things. You also of course need to have Fallout 3.

Realistic Weapon Damages – [link]
Ever wanted more challenging combat? Then this mod is worth checking out, it makes those fights with some random Powder Gangers way more intense and less of a cake walk. I’ve been playing with it on my latest playthroughs and I can assure you that it truly does make combat much better.

JSawyer’s Mod – [link]
From one of the makers of Fallout: New Vegas comes one of the best rebalance mods out there, huge improvements and bug fixes to the game everywhere! Be warned, though, it requires all DLCs in order to work.

Monster Mod – [link] & [link]
Adds a boat-load of new monsters! However, be aware that it is pretty poorly balanced, so you will need to find a fix to that if you have issues with such things.

Sprint Mod – [link]
Sprinting is definitely a welcomed addition in Fallout and it’s nice to see it implemented so nicely, definitely check this out if you want to sprint but don’t want to pick up Project Nevada.

Factions Reloaded – [link]
A wonderful set of mods made by TheScout201 that adds more content to factions that are otherwise lacking in such.

Quest Mods

These mods are all of the best quest mods out there.

Someguy’s mods – [link]
Someguy makes some of the best quest mods out there and all of them are worth checking out, he has also made 2 different companions. Some highlights of his are the New Vegas Bounties Series and Russell.

The Couriers Cache – [link]
A short and sweet mod with a hilarious quest and some sweet armor and weapons, definitely worth trying out.

A World Of Pain – [link]
A very huge mod that adds tons of new places to explore and new quests. While it can be unbalanced and poorly written, there is patches to fix this and make it fit into the vanilla game better.

New Vegas Railroads – [link]
Trains! And quests and stuff! Very neat mod that’s definitely worth checking out.

War Trash 1&2 – [link] &http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/57565/
A great NCR-based quest mod, though 2 is incompatible with New Vegas Bounties 2, a mod I recommended earlier.

Weapon and Armor Mods

These mods help spice up the wasteland with some more weapons and armor.

Weapons of the New Millenia – [link]
Millenia’s weapon pack is amazing. The weapons are very high quality and extremely well done. If you were to get one weapon mod, this should be it.

AG Supplemntary Uniques – [link]
If you are like me, then you love collecting all of the unique weapons in the wasteland. This mod helps fuel this desire with a wopping total of 150! Pretty much all of them are of very high quality and are worth searching the wastes for.

Courier’s Weapons – [link]
Adds some neat looking unique weapons into the wasteland that don’t look out of place in the regular
game.

Gas Masks of the World – [link]
Self explanatory, adds some high quality gas masks to the game, which I’m surprised didn’t already exist.

Wasteland Warfighter – [link]
Ever wanted that cool military look without destroying the lore of the game? This mod is for you if so. Adds some high quality military gear that goes over vanilla outfits perfectly.

Leather Backpack – [link]
This really is something that should of been in the default game, but now you can fix that with this high quality mod. It doesn’t just add carryweight, it has some interesting effects as well!

Companion Mods

The companions in vanilla New Vegas are great but sometimes you wish that you could have some more options. Luckily enough, there are some great companion mods that fit well into the game.

Unlimited Companions – [link]
If you are going to be installing companion mods, chances are you are going to want to remove the default limit.

JIP Companions Command and Control – [link]
This mod is amazing in that it lets you control your companions on a whole new level as well as letting you recruit anybody in the wasteland! I 100% recommend this.

Sunny Smiles – [link]
Decent companion mod if you want an early game companion, just don’t expect the same depth as vanilla companions.

Niner – [link]
A very well done custom companion. Niner fits well into the game and can be pretty hillarious at times to. Warning though: He does NOT shut up.

Russell – [link]
One of someguy’s companions, Russell is a great addition to the game and comes with his own challenging quests. Hands down one the best companion mod out there.

RobCo Certified – [link]
Robots! Who doesn’t love robots?

Baby Deathclaw Commander – [link]
Grow your own Deathclaw! This mod is neat as it lets your raise a tiny baby deathclaw into a powerful companion!

Axe Man – [link]
This mod is rather silly, but I can’t help but love it, comes with its own rather strange questline. The quests are complete, but voice acting is still being worked on

Ulysses Companion – [link]
Lets you recruit Ulysses if he survived Lonesome Road, definitely a welcome addition to the game.

LegionH’s Companion Mods – [link]

This guy has made some awesome companions out of Vanilla characters, definitely check them out!

Cosmetic Mods

These are just some mods to spice up how your game looks! Won’t be writing descriptions for these.

Note on ENBs: ENBs can visually enhance your game greatly at the cost of performance. I will not be covering them in this guide as I do not have much experience in handling them. If anybody makes a guide I will provide a link here.

Fellout – [link]

Imaginator – [link]

DynaVision 3 – [link]

Electro-city – [link]

Fallout Character Overhaul – [link]

Enhanced Camera – [link]

Conclusion

Welp, that’s about it for now! Hope this guide helped you, but if it didn’t leave questions or add me and I’ll be sure to help you to the best of my abilities!

Know a underrated mod or a really good mod that I left out? Put it in the description and I’ll add it to the guide! Please note that I won’t include mods unless they are actually good, so if you are giving me a mod that adds a Varmit Rifle that does 999 damage then it won’t be on the list.