I am looking at adding mods to my New Vegas game. I have come up with some questions, if I may:

1) NVSE: Is it similar to SKSE? I have tried it out and I do not see "NVSE specific" save files and screenshots are not also taken with an "NVSE" title, like my SKSE screenshots did. For some odd reason, windows is messing up my "normal" screenshots as to being un-openable in anything but GIMP, and then they are http://i.imgur.com/1Bmw0v1.png. Same with Skyrim and Fallout 3 screenshots. I have to use "Steam's F12" for screenshots.

2) Body Mods: Type 3 or Type 6? Lots more Type 3 mods, but many of them rely on a "base mod" that is presently "hidden" by the author (Diamon66?). Many of the mods are really shiny, which to my eye looks plastic. I like the look of a Type 3 mod called "Skinny 6 with abs" (not linked due to nudity ), but when I use Nexus Mod Manager, I see no model difference. Many others go a bit overboard for my tastes with briast sizes

3) Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM)? Is it better then Nexus'? I tried it out and it seems quite different in functionality for me. I ended up "converting" many of my files to the FOMM format (keeping the original file).

4) Face and hair mods: I have tried a couple and see no "different" options when I am creating a new character. Are these meshes actually installed? How can I check?

5) Hair mods. I am finding the same trouble I found in most of Skyrim's hair mods: They just look "off" to my eyes.

6) 2 other "tools" I am wondering about, Mod Configuration Menu (MCM) and 4GB utility. Needed? Not needed?

The mods I desire to use from Nexus' site follow (so far):

YUP (unofficial patch)

Interior Lighting Overhaul

Fallout Character Overhaul (FCO) (This one I am unsure of. Are all the characters like the screenshots, ugly/scarred?)

Hi-Res Eye Replacer

Medium Beard Style

Novac Campfire

EVE

Hectrol ED-E Deluxe HR Retex

Hi-Res Chems and Health

Urban Food Re-Tex

Whitened Teeth

Poses (Action, For Few Poses More, Pinup, Realism)

ENB and Enhanced Shaders

Complete Vault Girl Interface (which installed nicely )

Weapon Retexture Project

Any thoughts? I do not want to lose New Vegas' "gritty" feel and many retexture mods I found are shiny and clean. Am I hopeless here?

1. NVSE is the same as any script extender: it's going to allow you to use an additional batch of mods. It's also required to use ENBs. They will not be NVSE specific files. You also need to dowload FNV4GB. It uses a Skyrim loader to better make New Vegas stable. If you're wondering how to pair NVSE to it, just PM me as it's kind of a pain in the ass.

2. I tend to focus on lighting and content mods more than body mods...With that being said, I believe I downloaded a type 3. It's been a while since I've used them, though.

3. NMM is hit or miss. Some people like how much it simplifies everything (like myself) and some people have gone to hell and back to get it to work properly. FOMM seems like a safer option but it's a little more of a pain to use.

4. Hmm...If they're character specific, it's because the download didn't work. For NPCs, I personally use Fallout Character Overhaul.

5. Can't help you here. I've never found the need to use a hair mod for New Vegas.

6. Get both of them.

I like your mod list. You've got a lot of good content which isn't game-breaking. I'm just now reading your comment on FCO -- eh...It does make everyone grittier. Which is what you're looking for, right? Not everyone is ugly and scarred, though. The giant scar belongs to the courier because it's supposed to resemble the bullet wound. It's a courier-specific face.

A few others I'd recommend:

1. Beyond Boulder Dome -- This is tied with New Vegas Bounties for the best content mod available for the game.

2. New Vegas Bounties -- Above

3. Project Nevada -- adds difficulty and so many neat features...It requires NVSE to run, though.

4. I'd download a weather mod... Most people are split between Project Reality and Nevada Skies. Project Reality makes the game a little more depressing and post apocalyptic while Nevada Skies is going to give you that giant, pure blue sky and unbelievable sunsets.

5. Graphics mods are also a big game-changer if your comp can handle it. NMC's Texture Pack is the best, which I would download in either low or medium quality -- high is going to be crash prone. If you use both it and Poco Bueno, the game looks unbelievable.

6. I can't remember the ENB I use, but it's incredible. I could probably try to dig it up and see which one I used if you'd like.

Other than that, I think you have most of your essentials. From here out it's going to be mostly experimenting on your part.

Hi ALBQ, I am probably newer to modding and less experienced that you but I will toss out my 2 cents anyways.

Many of the mods I wanted to try required the script extender so I use the NVSE and I found it pretty easy to install using Gopher's videos.

http://youtu.be/I-3c1a9cLL8

I also prefer NMM over FOMM. As a newbie to modding I found NMM so much easier to use.

Just recently I had some issue with Skyrim modded Dragonborn DLC and found LOOT identified my issues and gave me the solution to fix my problem. So that might be worth checking out also since it works for FO3 and NV.

hth

My mod list is not very big but I have found these are a lot of fun.

If you mean Dimon's Type 3, you can find it http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/4280/?

If that's the mod I think it is, click on that link with caution -- there's probably going to be nudity. I've tried that one in both Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas at some point...Unless it has changed drastically, it's way too shiny for a post-apocalyptic game.

ALBQ, if you want my mod list, I can give it to you, although I think it's approaching 60, which is a few too many for a non-performance computer.

If you have any questions to modding your game. Gopher. Whose link is in My Signature has plenty of guides to doing so. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0E5E8CA384409B11

Body Mods. Type 3 and Type 6 armors are fully compatible with each other. Since they use a similar mesh and texture. It's just the naughty bits that have any noticeable change. Look up BlackBlossom under the search tab of the New Vegas Nexus for her BEWARE OF GIRL Type 3 HiRez HiDetailed Replacer.

Mod Manager. I'd say https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7DlYarj-DcLS9LyjEqOJwFUQIIQewcK if far better. This second link is strictly for New Vegas.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7DlYarj-DftnSdXdqTuSGU06G2O90LL. The first link has more instructions as the second assumes you've already watched the first. It might be more complicated but with the installation and user guide that Gopher covered it's far easier to use now.

Are you using archive invalidation? I think meshes might not appear otherwise. Some Mod Managers like Nexus Mod Manager have a built in feature to activate it. But Mod Organizer has an automatic feature. It can also manage how you install mods and check that mods are installed properly.

Though I use a combination of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzoyWugzZAw&index=6&list=PL0E5E8CA384409B11 to sort my Load Order, because certain mods will and can be required to load last. Due to all the changes they make. It also lists any warnings that result in missing mods. http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/34703/? also does this as well but has more power. It's also needed to clean DLCs. Since they don't play well otherwise.

The MCM Menu can be assuredly useful. And much needed as well. I also suggest http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/44515/?. Often Mod Weapons sometimes cause bugs as you add modular equipment to them. Things like scopes and such. This mod fixes any issues you may have.

Archive Invalidation is only used for textures, meshes are not effected.

Right.. Knew it was something like that. MO handles all those things for me so i forgot which it was.

Will that work for New Vegas? The reason I ask is that quite a few body mods used this as a base for their own. Without it, they are no good.

This was what I was forgetting! Archive Invalidation. A lot of mods I read mentioned "turning this off." I tried in my Nexus Mod manager and got the "Can't write to Fallout.ini" error. I found some program that did it, I guess, http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/35935/?. Just for kicks, I tried again just in NMM and the ArchiveInvalidation checkmark is now gone Is that right, or do I want it checked?

Some more great responses and helpful tips. Thanks

Don't get impatient. Just watch Gophers tutorials for any technical advice and you should be good. Also BlackBlossom under the search tab of the New Vegas Nexus for her BEWARE OF GIRL Type 3 HiRez HiDetailed Replacer. Is the same thing as Dimon's Type 3. Just modified with a few extra options. You don't need Dimon's Type 3 if you use BEWARE OF GIRL.

Yes bodies, skeletons and most animation assets work so far from FO3 to NV

A clarification, if I may, about ArchiveInvalidation: In Nexus Mod Manager, in the "Tolls" drop down box, there a place to check, or not check ArchiveInvalidation. Should this be checked, or unchecked?

It should be checked.

OK... I have working right now the following mods:

NVSE

4GB Launcher

ENB 0264

Dynavision ENB

Nevada Skies

YUP

Novac Campfire

Real Smokes

NMC Retextures (light)

Poco Bueno

Hectrol's ED-E Retexture

Now, for the "big ones", I am looking at Project Nevada and Project Reality MkIv5. Any suggestions? I am not looking for any kind of "hardcoe reality" mode here

I am unsure about weapon mods, though. Some of them seemed good, especially the ones that allowed for "recipes" to create weapon upgrades. But when I tried looking at them, it seemed to be a nearly never-ending "this mod requires that mod" path...

My PC is a good one (4 years old?), not top of the line, but AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core Processor (8 CPUs) @ ~4.0GHz, 32GB memory and an nVidia GeForce 660Ti with 4GB memory.

PS: I gave up on models and faces. I could not get any of the models I tried to work and the faces in vanilla are fine for me

Project Nevada and Project Reality MkIv5?

Here's Gophers take on them with examples. hth

http://youtu.be/oCKdfHQ4IGI

I found both over the top for me. I went with EVE and Enb next gen.

Man the first time the wind picked up and dust was everywhere....and then my Rad Meter started chirping, I was sold on Nevada Skies.

Edit: Oh PROJECT Nevada, not Nevada Skies, I'm loving the sprinting and bullet time. Used some freeware to map then to a XBox One controller