Note: The original URL was jewelofthecommonwealth.com. I allowed it to expire because real life kept me busy. I assumed (naively, maybe) that I would simply find the domain available to register. Nope. Someone decided to cybersquat on it, and since I don’t engage in extortion, I registered jewelofthecommonwealth.xyz. For less than a dollar. Suck it, URL kidnapper. Anyway, if you come across jewelofthecommonwealth.com used as a Fallout 4 modding guide, it’s bogus, ill-gotten, and not me.
This is a guided mod list for Fallout 4. The mod manager in use is Mod Organizer 2 (MO2). What is a guided mod list? I used to call this site a modding guide, but with this update I’m going with guided mod list for accuracy. This guide will instruct you to install specific mods and show you some useful stuff, such as how to create simple conflict resolution patches. There are real modding guides out there that go into much more technical detail, and those were where I learned how to do stuff. The goal here is to create an overhauled, stable wasteland experience. Credit is very happily given where due. This guide would absolutely not be possible without all the fantastic people who have worked hard to figure everything out.
About me: I’m just a fan of Fallout 4 who loves adding mods to the game. I’m not an experienced mod author. I’m not a computer programmer (any more). I’m not really an expert in anything except enjoying the game. What I am is conscientious about writing this guide, as well as happy to help in any way that I can if you run into trouble with anything this guide instructs you to do.
Just let me know if something in this guide didn’t work for you, and I’ll do my best to help.
Just a random note: If you play Mass Effect and use ME3Tweaks, be prepared for ME3Tweaks to grab onto Nexus links and never let go. I have to download everything manually for MO2, because ME3Tweaks won’t stop grabbing Nexus downloads even with the option turned off. I suspect the fix might be manually editing the Windows registry. If you have a fix, please let me know so I can share it.
Guide Conventions
- This guided is meant to be followed with a clean install of Fallout 4, installed outside of Windows-protected folders such as Program Files.
- This guide is intended to be followed completely unless you know what you’re doing. Whatever you do differently may not be something I can help you with, especially if it concerns a mod I do not personally use. If you ask for support on Discord, please be clear about anything at all that you’ve done outside the scope of this guide, otherwise my best efforts to help could be meaningless.
- This guide requires all of the DLC to be installed, except for the High Res DLC. It is advised that you not use the High Res DLC at all due to known performance and compatibility issues.
- For the most part, prerequisites are listed in this guide before mods that require them, so you don’t need to worry about tracking down requirements listed in popups on Nexus.
- When there are choices between different texture resolutions, this guide generally goes with the 2k option. This is because unless you have a large 4k monitor, the 4k is just wasted on your machine. You won’t see it even if it doesn’t slow your game down. If you have such a monitor and the hardware to handle it, definitely go for it.
- After completing each section of this guide, I recommend starting a new test game. (Don’t load a save.) Skip the war intro, create a quick character, select a place to start, and run around for a minute. This is just to make sure whatever you just did doesn’t cause any trouble starting a new game. Don’t get invested in any test character you make because you’ll be deleting all those test saves at the end of the guide before you start a game for real.
- Whenever MO2 asks you whether to Merge or Replace, always use the Merge option unless this guide directs you otherwise.
- Most of the mods are found on Nexus Mods; however, some are found elsewhere.
- If you are a the author of a mod in this guide and the URL is not okay with you, just let me know and I will fix it.
- All mods in this guide had working links when they were added. If you notice that a link is now dead, please let me know.
Support
This guide has its own channel on the Collective Modding Discord server. If you have not joined, go here and then find the jewel-of-the-commonwealth channel.
Please note that Creation Club content is not only not used in this guide, but is not supported. You’ll have to ask elsewhere if a CC mod is causing issues. Nothing against CC – I just don’t use it myself so I can’t offer support for any issues CC causes.
Credits:
- ScreamingLake for absolutely fantastic and useful feedback on this guide.
- CyberDanz for being so awesome about fielding questions about patching and other technical stuff – and for giving this guide its own channel on Collective Modding.
- Optimization Guides Collection 2 (https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/50005) for INI tweaks.
- Every single mod author whose mods are in this guide.