In every guide I have read regarding modding FO3, I keep reading the same thing. Load order is important, load order is important, load order is important. So, I'm kinda starting to get the impression that load order might be important :thumbsup:

However, I'm finding it very hard to distinguish which order I should actually install mods in, or which mods textures/meshes/sounds should be overwriting anothers. Example. I'm using the Advanced Recon Thermal Vision and Range Finder mods in my game. However I am also using Darn's UI. These mods change some of the same files, so which order should I install them in? Another example. EVE and Hi Res Weapon and Ammo Textures modify some of the same files. Which should be installed first, and which should overwrite the others?

TL;DR

I have all the mods I am using setup as FOMM ready FOMODs. Before I even consider my load order, I'm getting overwrite requests just activating mods. I'm not sure which mods should overwrite, and which should be overwritten. In what order do I install them? Is load order the same as installation order or am I just missing something really simple?

Thanks for your time.

You make an excellent point, I always feel slightly worried when I'm installing a large mod and I get the overwrite prompt but I usually just sigh, allow it to copy and things generally work out.

Regarding UI mods: There's a mod called the http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15771.

Regarding something like Eve and Hi Res weaps: Install the Hi Res first. EVE uses custom meshes for its textures to work, so let it overwrite the Hi res files.

Regarding mods in general: First ask your self "What do I want to actually see in action?" Then, load that mod last. Texture replacers generally fall in this area, as do weather replacers.

Load order is not the same as Install order. BOSS will help you in this regard, as will Bash(BOSS for general sorting, Bash to figure out what order mods want their masters in). Note: Always always ALWAYS load your Merge/Bash patch last, and your ESM files first.

That's what I've been doing, but I'm worried I've buggered something up. I got this weird crash when I let Mister Burke kill Lucas Simms that happenned every time I reloaded




That makes sense, and it's what I thought I should be doing but wanted to be sure of.

Thanks for the heads up on the Unified HUD Project (pun intended), I wasn't aware of it before now!

I'm using BOSS and a merged patch, but not Bash. I'll look into that aswell.

Thanks for your replies to my questions guys, I appreciate the help!

The installers tab of Wrye Flash (BAIN - BAsh INstallers) is what you want, as it allows you to see file conflicts between mods, i.e. files (being textures, meshes, sounds) with the same name in you mod package, the highest one being the one which actuall ends up in your data folder and is used in-game. This is the advantage BAIN holds over FOMM, but scripted installs don't work for BAIN (which is FOMMs advantage over BAIN)

Three important thing to remember about load order.

1. All files with the .esm extension (masters) must load before you load any files with the .esp extension (plug-ins). The plug-in files look for data in the master files, and if they can't find it (because they've loaded before their masters), you generally get an instant CTD when loading the game.

2. The last mod you load will take precedence over mods loaded earlier. So if you have two mods that, say, make changes to your Megaton house, the changes made by the mod that loads last (further down the list) are the ones that are going to show up in the game. This is where tools like FO3Edit and Wrye Bash come into play - you can look to see what changes are being made to the game by your mods, which changes conflict with one another, and make adjustments to get the results you want.

3. Finally, most mods come with readme files that give installation instructions, and the larger ones (such as the overhauls) will usually suggest load orders for that mod plus the other more popular mods available. You should always read these before you install any mod.