So I just did a run of FO1, 2, and 3, and am starting FONV. Unless I burn out, I'm planning on trying out at least 3 characters with different mod setups.
The odd thing is that for FO3 I went with a crazy setup: FWW, MMM, EVE, WMK, RH Ironsights, and a lot of other mods. I barely spent time doing preparation, got into the game, and finished 115 hours later with very few CTDs or bugs. I ended with a bit of a love/hate issue for FWE, but that had nothing to do with bugs.
Then a week ago I started getting mods together for FONV, I've restarted several times with different mod setups, and I'm having trouble both getting to a good spot with mod balance, and with some bugs and possibly compatibility problems.
NVEC Complete: impressive mod with a lot of fixes, that also merges literally hundreds of other mods. But it includes the jsawyer mod, and playing on hardcoe with a timescale of 10 is insane. I have to eat or drink every few minutes in real time, and it's ruining the game. Altering the 3 settings in the MCM menu has no or very little effect. There have also been some odd little issues that have made me distrust the mod, and even though it includes hundreds of merges, there's only a handful that I actually care about. And finally, combat is too easy--the only danger in this wasteland is that you'll eat your 45 gecko steaks and still die of starvation before you've walked 5 miles to the next town.
AWOP + VVV + DFB - Random Encounters (from NVEC): I'd really like an MMM or Skyrim Immersive Creatures type of mod that randomizes and varies encounters. But I'd also like it to make sense and be relatively lore-friendly (also like MMM & SIC). Right now I get respawns whenever I reload or reenter an area, and it's overkill. VVV also adds over-the-top regen to geckos and radscorpions. I'm not sure yet if AWOP is part of the problem here, but it adds a lot of content, which worries me.
I'm probably going to switch back to Arwen's (used it in the past and loved it, but thought I'd try something different).
So my question is: anybody have recommendations for quality mods that enhance and improve the game, and bring life to the wasteland, without turning it into a circus? Ideally, mods that are known to work well together?