This article explains what 'load order' is, how you can adjust and how it should be.

A plugin load order optimiser for TES IV: Oblivion, TES V: Skyrim, TES V: Skyrim Special Edition, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4. Setting the right load order for your mods is a crucial step to enjoying a stable modded game. The Load Order Optimisation Tool ( LOOT) can help with that, by providing automated load order sorting that. Mod Manager features. Separate lists for available and active mods. Create and delete local copies of steam mods. Create and load mod list backups. Load mod list from save games. (Mass) subscribe to Steam mods. Proper search filtering. Drag and drop activation and reordering. Keyboard navigation. Mod and mod list colouring.

Importance of Load Order and when you should start adjusting it

Load order can be extremely important, it can be the difference between 'playing the game' and 'crashing every time you run the game'. You probably won't have to adjust the load order often if you run like 2-3 mods but if you've got 5+ mods you may have to adjust it, load order isn't just for people that create mods, it's mostly for people that USE mods.

Tools needed to adjust the load order

Grab Timeslip's Fallout Mod Manager here, not only is this tool vital to adjusting load order but it's also very handy when managing or making mods.

What is Load Order

Load order is like the name suggests the order your mods are loaded into the game in, the mods at the top of the load order will be loaded into the game first, the mods at the bottom will be loaded last.

How does Load Order work

For example, let's say you put a piece of white paper down on the floor, then you put a rock on top of that, if you placed the objects in the 'White Paper -> Rock' order you will be able to see both the rock and the paper at the same time.

If you however place the rock down first, THEN the piece of white paper the paper will cover the rock and you won't be able to see the rock. That's basically what load order is, the piece of white paper is Fallout3.esm and the rock is YourPlugin.esp, you've got to adjust the load order so you see all your objects.

Let's say you use a mod that gives Moira Brown of Megaton a blue hat, then you have Fallout3.esm which basically creates Moira and gives her a brown hat, if you load the plugin that gives moira a different hat FIRST then what will happen is:

WRONG Load Order:

1. YourPlugin.esp: Loads, Moira doesn't exist, she doesn't get the blue hat.
2. Fallout3.esm : Loads, Creates Moira, Gives Moira a brown Hat.

If you load Fallout3.esm first, then YourPlugin.esp:

RIGHT Load Order:

1. Fallout3.esm : Loads, Moira is Created, is given a brown hat.
2. YourPlugin.esp: Loads, overwrites Moira's brown hat, gives her a blue hat.

Example Load orders of a few popular mods / DLC

RIGHT Load Order:

1. Fallout3.esm :Loads, creates all the vanilla weapons, gameplay options etc.
2. Fallout Overhaul Kit (FOOK) :Loads, modifies all vanilla weapons, gameplay options etc

WRONG Load Order:

1. Fallout Overhaul Kit (FOOK) :Loads, tries to modify all vanilla weapons, gameplay options etc
2. Fallout3.esm :Loads, creates all the vanilla weapons, gameplay options etc, overwrites everything FOOK did.

When SHOULDN'T Fallout3 be first in the load order?

Those are only in extremely rare cases, it should be specified by the author, I'm not sure if there are any mods so far that have to be loaded first.

Mods that require other mods to run

If you've got mods that require other mods to run then the mod required to run should be loaded before the mod that requires that mod to run.

Example:

1. Fallout3.esm
2. WeaponModKits.esp
3. WeaponModKitsADDON.esp

More example load orders:

1. Fallout3.esm
2. DLC's.esm
3. Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch.esp
4. FOOK.esm
5. MMM.esm

Well, I think that's all, PM me if you see any errors

References

Bethesda's Fallout 4 isn't quite the advancement everyone was hoping for. Sure, it's a great game, but we wanted a new engine and everything else that goes along with it. Still, much like Skyrim, Fallout 4 uses the Creation Engine and it supports 64-bit, which makes it perfect for modding. All softbizscripts nulled cracking. And since the tools are similar in more ways than one, it didn't take long for the talented community to publish amazing addons on Mod Nexus.

Here's a quick guide to get started installing Fallout 4 mods on PC. We'll be using the Nexus Mod Manager, which is universally recommended to keep things organized and to make installing larger packages an absolute breeze.

Nexus is a dedicated platform for modders to release and update their mods for various titles, including Fallout 4. As well as publishing content, Nexus also enables for discussion, feedback, support and more. The website is fairly easy to navigate with most mods correctly categorized for convenient filtering.

Install Nexus Mod Manager

1. Register an account on the Nexus website.
2. Download the Nexus Mod Manager (NMM).
3. Install and then run NMM.

4. Confirm the location of Fallout 4.

5. Select Fallout 4.
6. Hit OK.
7. Choose where you wish to store downloaded mods (default drive is the one with Fallout 4 installed).
8. Hit OK if an alert window shows.

We need to run Fallout 4 to the main menu before activating mods, so give the game a boot to initial menu and then quit. This will create the much-needed .ini file for editing and will ensure we don't run into issues with mods not working correctly at a later date.

Install Mods

1. Search for mods on the Nexus website.
2. Carefully read through the description of each mod.

3. Choose the Files tab.

4. Select 'Download with Manager' on the correct file(s) you need for the mod.
5. Wait for the mods to download in NMM.
6. Select a mod you wish to install and choose 'Install'.

Once you have a few mods downloaded you may notice the load order start to populate. This list is important because some mods and files need to be loaded by the game in a specific order. Mod authors generally offer information in mod descriptions on the Nexus should their files require to be configured in a set order, and there are even tools available that can check to see if there are any problems with your setup.

Download and install LOOT, which we strongly recommend you run each and every time you edit your load order or install/remove a mod. Modders create and release extra content for fun and for the love of scripting, but leaving an endorsement or even a donation can provide much-needed feedback, especially if you've enjoyed hours of entertainment because of said mod(s). Leaving a few dollars can really make their day, but do consider at least leaving a comment and endorsing their work.

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