I decided to give Wanderer's Edition a go, since it's all the craze in New Vegas (and I haven't bought NV yet). However, the https://sites.google.com/site/fo3wanderersedition/installation has me a bit confused about certain steps, so I need some help.

I have never used a Mod Manager before, not for Morrowind or Oblivion. Now it seems that I have to and the installation guide on FWE's site assumes that I know how things work.


.. but never mind the fact there are three different files?

- FWE_Master_Release_6-0_-_Part_1-2671
- FWE_Master_Release_6-0_-_Part_2-2671
- FWE_6-03a_HOTFIX_PATCH-2761

Sure, ok. Nothing in the documentation tells me if the hotfix is included in the Master Release, or if the hotfix is only needed if you're upgrading from an older build. I threw my lucky dice and decided that it was not included! Moving on.

Trickier than I thought it would be, but done.

You got it!

Uh.. what button is that? Okay, there's a few possibilities there, but nothing overly obvious. Let's check out 'Add FOMod' instead. New window!
...
But there are three files, like I mentioned in the beginning? And apparently I can click on all of them? The installation guide mentions 'the file' so I'm assuming I'm not doing this right. Fine, let's start with part one.
...
Oh wait, I can do this for all of them. And now.. the second one is suddenly called.. Part 2 Assets? The installation guide doesn't mention anything about any assets. This can't be right. Maybe the archives are supposed to be extracted first before I do anything with FOMOD? But then I just get a bunch of normal mod files and such, nothing specific. Err.. I don't like this, this is too confusing. I need help! =/



(Parts I didn't get to: )

Minor addition: I just read about the 'merged patch' thing, just underneath. What I don't get is if I need to make a merged patch instead of all the installation steps, or if I can make a merged patch safely after I'm done installing FWE. I have The Pit and Broken Steel DLC's.

Install all of them.

Install part 1, install part 2 then after install the fix.


Ok, the rest:

FOMOD:
Select Package manager. A screen pops up.

This should show where you keep all your installed Datafiles.

Select `Add FOMOD`. This should take you to where you downloaded all your Mods. You did select a `downloaded Mods` file location I hope?

Browse and pick the downloaded Mod. the rest is straight forward.

The merged patch is the last thing you should make after yo have all mods you are going to use in your Load Order

This stuff does take a bit of getting used to... Tip: if a mod instructs you to use a separate tool, such as FOMM and FOSE, search and read about that tool!

1. The hotfix is needed. That 6.03 is greater than 6.0 indicates this.

2. Sounds like you may have installed FOSE. If "fose_loader.exe" and "fose_1_7.dll" is in the top level of your FO3 directory, where Fallout3.exe is located, then you've done it right.

3&4. You need to create a separate FOMOD from each Part 1, Part 2, and the hotfix.

The best way to do this is to, for example, extract the Part 1 archive to your desktop. Now you have a folder called "FWE_Master_Release_6-0_-_Part_1-2761". Take a look in there and you'll see another folder called "fomod"... this is a script specially created by the FWE authors to tell FOMM how to organize the files/folders that constitute FWE, and to give you easy to use menu options during the FOMOD activation--> not all mods have a script like this!! It takes extra work on the modder's part. If a mod does not have a fomod script, in order to make a functional FOMOD you need to choose what files (ex. many mods have optional .esp files, meshes, textures, etc) you want to use and organize them correctly. When FOMM applies a FOMOD to your game, it does so directly to *Your FO3 directory*\Data. So you have to organize a FOMOD in the same way the Data folder is organized. Like this:

\Data\esp and esm files
Meshes\
Textures\
Sound\
etc...

From the FOMM package manager click "Create From Folder" and select the "FWE_Master_Release_6-0_-_Part_1-2761" folder on your desktop. Do this same thing for Part 2 and the Hotfix. Then activate each FOMOD respectively.

5. Create the merged patch after FWE is installed.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1173426-little-help-setting-up-mmm-fwe/ recent thread may provide some more guidance.

Ok, by install I think: 'Put into the data folder'. Is that correct?


Yeah, I went through that. At first I extracted them before I went into FOMOD, but it just added to the confusion. The fact that there are three files involved while the manual only mentions one made me doubt if I was looking at the right file. But I will go over it right now.



Okay. Does that include all .esp's FWE adds to the data directory? And all DLC related files?

_earthling_, reading your post and trying to redo things at the same time. More will follow later.

My amazement is only offset by stupidity. After eight or so hours I think I finally see how this thing needs to be done.

Currently (I'm moving at a snail's pace today), I am selecting components/plugin. I do have a little question about that. I have to choose between two VATS plugins. VATS Halftime promises to half the animation playback speed, but how is that different from the default setting? It doesn't appear to say in the manual.

Edit: Dealt with this question at Tesnexus

:tongue: You'll get it right eventually! Using mods requires some patience and diligence... :read:

Lol! I've been managing tons of mods for Oblivion and Morrowind for nearly ten years. This new thing has me completely stumped though.

Speaking of which, I did something wrong again.. I think. I may have to restart this thing once more. It's a pretty slow going.

Something that might help here is the rather excellent http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13111, made by none other than FWE's Kai Hohiro.

He does a really good overview of installing Fallout 3, mods, etc. as well as FWE. I found it an invaluable guide, even when I thought I knew what I was doing with mods.

Install by FOMOD. The FOMOD will put it all into the datafolder for you. Just do each part 1, 2 and the fix one at a time by FOMOD as explained earlier.

Good luck.

Thanks Shield Watcher!



Great, I will watch it today. Thank you.

Thanks for all the help thusfar, I can't thank you guys enough. Those videos are perhaps the best help yet, but I do have one question about video 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueEh38BUP2w

At 0:35 when he goes through Darn installation, he mentions that a series of plugins are NOT required to be activated since they are already in the MMM and FWE FOIP patch. However, I am not really interested in installing MMM at all, so I should just go ahead and install those plugins anyway?

I am not installing FOIP either, since I don't want any of the other mods that relate to FOIP either (aside from FWE itself).

By 0:35, it looks like he's already done with the Darn install, and is on to MMM. It's a real quick install - blink and you'll miss it. :blink:

Of course, skip over anything you don't need/want. It'd be good to watch it all, if only for educational purposes, I suppose. I think the FWE install is a little further on in that video. Couple that with a read over of the FWE readme files so you know which optional extras you want, and you *should* be okay.

Ah, I see now. Thanks for clearing that up.

Apologies, due to the size constraints on nexus we had to split the 6.x package into two parts. This hasn't been reflected properly in the install instructions, which are still based on a single package install (I'll have to update this one of these days..)
But what everyone's been saying in this thread is correct

Thanks for answering too.

I got it working last night, though spend many more hours tweaking FWE afterward. I really like it, it's like a completely new game. Thanks so much for all the work.