Disclaimer
This guide is NOT about how to install mods. There are plenty of guides out there that can show you how to do just that in much greater detail. However, many mods in this list depend on one or multiple of the mods listed below:
(Please install all of these to prevent errors from missing plugins)
Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE)
https://f4se.silverlock.org/
(Keep in mind that this is not a traditional mod, but an alternate game launcher. You will have to launch the game from the file location or through a shortcut to the .exe in order for mods depending on F4SE to work.)
Armor and Weapon Keywords Community Resource (often abbreviated as AWKCR)
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/6091
Armorsmith Extended
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2228
Better Armor and Weapon naming and sorting
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/5605
Better Item Sorting
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/897
Better Locational Damage
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3815
HUDFramework
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/20309
Mod Configuration Menu (may be written as MCM)
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/21497
New Calibers
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/8588
Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4598
(not required, but will help with many of the issues that mods often cause)
Weaponsmith Extended
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10737
Workshop Framework
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/35004
Recommended Quality-of-Life Mods
Achievements
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12465
Allows you to get achievements with mods enabled. Requires F4SE.
Automatic Lowered Weapons
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/20093
Lowers your weapon when not in combat. Can sometimes be annoying, but does clear up a lot of screen space when you’re just holding your gun outside of combat.
Barber and Surgeon Camera Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12739
Fixes some issues with camera-related bugs when in barber or surgeon chairs.
Better Warning for Settlements Being Attacked
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4106
Gives you a full message box instead of a miscellaneous quest marker when a settlement is under attack, making it much harder to miss.
Classic Holstered Weapons
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/46101
Shows weapons on your hip or back when they are undrawn.
Compact Crafting
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/18264
Adds mini versions of all the workbenches (including the power armor station) that fit in much tighter areas.
Companions Go Home
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10029
Allows you to send companions to their place of origin (Nick Valentine to the detective agency, for example) or to Home Plate.
Consistent Power Armor Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11234
Makes power armor paint jobs (granted they are unlocked) applicable to any type of power armor. Solely cosmetic.
Console Commands Compilation
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10589
Adds many new console commands. Useful for fixing bugs, and for listing out all the console commands. Requires other mods, like BRUTALITY (found later in this guide), to enable the console command in Survival.
Eating Off the Floor
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/17945
Allows you to eat or drink food or beverage items that are lying around without having to pick them up first by pressing R on them. Very helpful in survival.
Fallout 4 Configuration Tool
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/102
Makes a very simple way to change game settings, such as graphics, sensitivity, FOV, max framerate, gameplay difficulty settings, and much more. Similar to F4SE, must be launched from the .exe or a shortcut to work.
Full Dialogue Interface
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1235
Gives the full lines of dialogue that your character would say instead of a one to two word snippet. Sometimes doesn’t display the full line, but not really a big deal.
Glowing Animals Emit Light
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/9239
Does what it says.
Higher Settlement Budget
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/818
Greatly increases the maximum object budget for settlements.
Improved Map with Visible Roads
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1215
Gives you a better map. There are plenty of map mods out there, so find one that you like best. This is simply the one I use.
Insignificant Object Remover
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/9835
Removes many static world objects that, for some reason, have been duplicated. Improves FPS.
No Aggro Impact Landing
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/9019
Makes it so that NPCs do not become hostile when you land near them while wearing power armor.
No Dot Dot Dot
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/425
Writes the full name of longer items in the Pip Boy instead of abbreviating them with three dots.
Mobile Mechanic
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/18262
Allows you to take a portable workbench with you. You can use it to scrap items or modify/craft items, given you have the right kit and at least one rank in the workbench type’s respective perk. Also works as a power armor station.
Moddable Robot Settlers Compilation
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11976
Allows you to modify named robot NPCs. Requires the Automatron DLC.
More Where That Came From
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/637
Adds 111 new songs to Diamond City Radio, all fitting the theme. Very good songs, but some are in low quality due to age of the recording, and most are copyrighted.
Move (Get Out the Way)
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4062
Makes NPCs and companions get out of your way faster.
Optimized Vanilla Textures
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1204
Optimized the vanilla textures to take up less space and increase FPS with minimal quality loss.
Place Everywhere
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/9424
Allows you to place anywhere within the workshop or outside the boundaries, or make minor adjustments to the rotation and placement of objects. More useful in settlement building playthroughs, but still useful for placing objects in tight spaces in Survival.
Protectrons Expanded
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12932
Adds new Protectron mods. Requires the Automatron DLC.
Quieter Settlements
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2819
Lowers the volume of generators, turrets, water purifiers, and other settlement machinery that make sound.
Raw Input
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/27019
Removes mouse acceleration. Highly recommended.
Rusty Face Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/31028
Fixes a bug that causes your face or NPC’s faces to be covered in rust.
Settlement Management Software
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12032
Makes it much easier to manage your settlers, like giving them jobs or moving them between settlements. Similar to the Vault Management Terminal included in the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC, but more complex.
Scrap Everything
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/5320
Allows you to scrap absolutely everything. This includes trash, terrain, grass and shrubs, and even bodies. Use at your own risk, and save often. Terrain is irreplaceable if you scrap it accidentally.
Take Cover
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10875
Allows you to take cover behind objects and peek out to shoot while in third person, similar to the Grand Theft Auto cover system. Somewhat buggy and hard to use, but still a fun mod for indoor combat.
Difficulty Balance
Arbitration
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2037
Greatly improves the unpredictability of enemy combatants. They have dynamic tactics such as flanking, they are more methodical in combat, they don’t spam grenades, and certain combat and movement mechanics are tweaked. Could overlap or mess with features of other mods listed, although all options are configurable.
Better Locational Damage
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3815
Makes hits more realistic, both on you and enemies. Headshots are insta-kill with a powerful enough round, but helmets can counter that (F4SE required). Shotguns also stagger, and melee weapons have new combat moves.
BRUTALITY Hardcore Rebalance
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11657
Weapons are rebalanced, making it so that practically any weapon is viable against an appropriate enemy. Character builds made around things such as Luck or Intellect are more useful. Enemies go down easier but so do you; protecting your head will become a priority.
Deadly Commonwealth Expansion
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/24980
Overhauls most major enemy factions in the Commonwealth. Adds new variants of enemy NPCs, boss fights, unique weapons corresponding to specific boss fights, and new encounters and enemy locations.
Durable Vertibirds
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2857
Gives Vertibirds extra health. Can be customized to increase their health, the pilot’s health, or both.
Immersive Fallout
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/30151
Makes movement more realistic and removes the auto-compensation of recoil. Power armor acts more heavy and slow, and many creatures move faster.
Legendary Modifier Rebalance
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/5406
Rebalances most of the weapon modifiers to be more equal, like nerfing some of the more powerful legendaries and buffing some of the weaker ones.
More Durable Power Armor
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3852
Gives power armor more health. 75% by default, but can be adjusted to different values during installation.
Raider Gangs Extended
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/42414
Adds many new raider gangs, new named raider mini-bosses, and more locations that raiders can be found at. This increases the number of raiders at pre-existing raider locations like Concord, and adds raiders to new areas like around the outskirts of Boston. Very hard when combined with the other mods in this section due to the sheer number of enemies you will encounter.
Search and Destroy
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/5852
Makes enemies look harder for you, for longer. They will also detect you from a further range.
Some Assembly Required
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12050
Makes finding power armor pieces much harder. Several locations which normally guarantee a set of power armor will be replaced with a loot chest. Finding power armor is much more rewarding, especially with other power armor mods.
Super Mutant Redux
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11853
Adds Nightkin, and makes all the members of the Super Mutant family (Normal super mutants, Behemoths, and Hounds) MUCH stronger in terms of health, to be consistent with older games.
Immersion
Arbitration
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2037
Greatly improves the unpredictability of enemy combatants. Enemies have dynamic tactics such as flanking, are more methodical in combat, don’t spam grenades, and certain combat and movement mechanics are tweaked. Could overlap or mess with features of other mods listed, although all options are configurable.
Campsite – Simple Wasteland Camping
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11734
Allows you to build and place campsite equipment, ranging from tents and sleeping bags to cooking pots, lanterns, and GPS beacons that mark your campsite on your map. Very useful in Survival because you can save pretty much anywhere, as long as you have a sleeping bag. Has a patch for extending the amount of time you can sleep in Survival as well, but may also break some immersion.
Choice Chopped
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10434/
Allows you to make food and drink items out of many types of junk food and other aid items.
Combat Zone Restored
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/21498
Reworks the Combat Zone to work as intended. You can bet on NPC fights for caps, or fight in the arena yourself for caps. Lore-friendly, as multiple lines of dialogue suggest that this was originally the way that the Combat Zone was supposed to work.
Darker Nights
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/191
Makes nights darker. You can adjust by how much during installation. Use with Pip Boy Flashlight.
Diamond City Swat
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10893
Makes the Diamond City guards more powerful and gives them new faces and outfits. They now use Swatters, headgear, and different weapons.
Everyone’s Best Friend (Dogmeat and Companion At Same Time)
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/13459/
Allows you to have both Dogmeat and another companion equipped. Lore-friendly, as most companions have unused dialogue lines that suggest this was originally a feature. Has a bug that makes markers for both companions when one gets downed to revive them, but more of an annoyance than a game-breaking bug.
Fallout 2287 – Nuclear Winter
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/37988
For those who want a challenge. You will be required to wear warm clothing, monitor your body temperature, and prevent yourself from succumbing to ailments as a result of the cold. Features mechanics such as water freezing and food getting cold in your inventory after a while. Many options for changing aspects of the mod with MCM.
Fallout 2287 – Gas Masks of the Wasteland
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/17491
Adds several new types of gas masks. Has multiple presets relating to difficulty, with the hardest requiring that you wear a gas mask whenever you are outside and keep a clean filter on it, and the easiest only requiring you wear one during radstorms. All NPCs will wear gas masks at appropriate times too, and will drop filters and gas masks. Dirty filters can also be used as a source of aluminium. Combine with Nuclear Winter for best results.
Immersive Fallout
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/30151
Makes movement more realistic and removes the auto-compensation of recoil. Power armor acts more heavy and slow, and many creatures of the wasteland move faster.
Interiors Enhanced
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/8768/?
Reduces the fog of interior cells, but also makes further areas darker as a tradeoff. Fun with other light and dark-related mods.
Lootable Cars and Trucks
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/13139
Makes intact cars and trucks (cars that are only a frame do not work) lootable. The loot found inside is not entirely random; it matches what a vehicle of the type would likely have inside.
NAC – Natural and Atmospheric Commonwealth
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/7657
Overhauls weather and allows for the configuration and use of different filters and visual effects in-game. Might require some experimenting and messing around to get configured to your liking. Incompatible with some visual effects mods.
Natural Expression Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/19307
Makes the facial movements of human talking animations less of an eyesore.
Pip Boy Flashlight
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10840/
Converts the Pip-Boy light from a spherical light radiating from the center of your person into a flashlight beam which either comes from your Pip-boy or head. You can change the look of the light, change how shadows project from the light, and center the flashlight when you have a gun equipped.
Project Reality Footsteps
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/35904
Makes footsteps sound much more realistic, and adds noises for gear shuffling. Optional snow version for use with Nuclear Winter or other winter-related mods.
Radiant Clouds and Fogs
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/735
Overhaul to distant clouds and fog, making them much more realistic in appearance.
See Through Scopes
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/9476
Adds new scopes with new magnifications and customizable reticles. Can either add the new scopes or replace the scopes in the vanilla game.
South of the Sea
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/27870
Overhauls the Glowing Sea. Adds over 65 new locations, new enemies, and new loot. Very difficult, but very fun.
Wasteland Imports
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3793
Adds items and mechanics from some of the older Fallout games. (Super Stimpaks, Doctor’s Bags, craftable weapons, clothing, etc.) Also integrates items from Fallout 4’s DLCs into leveled lists and loot lists in the main game.
Weapons of Fate
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12986
Overhauls the way that ballistic weapons work. Bullets have travel time based on caliber, drop over distance, and each type of ammunition will have a different trajectory according to their realistic size and weight.
We Are The Minutemen
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/6443
Reworks the Minutemen to become stronger as you gain more settlements. You can place Minutemen command centers at settlements, which can be used to buy Minutemen soldiers or outfits. The Minutemen that show up when you shoot a flare will be stronger based on how many settlements you have allied.
Non-Immersive, but Recommended
Additional Shop and Guard Position
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4027
Adds new craftable rugs that settlers can be assigned to for guard or shop positions. Useful for making custom shops that don’t use the diner counter or wooden stand style, or for putting multiple shops in a small area.
Another Life – Alternative Start Mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/14253
If you are sick of playing out the vanilla intro to the game or want to roleplay as someone other than Nate or Nora then you will probably like this one. Allows you to start out normally or in a synth lab. In the lab you can choose your lifestyle or profession, which can give you a special perk or make you automatically allied with specific groups. Will start you somewhere on the map relative to the lifestyle you chose to start with.
Craftable Legendary Modifications
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4042
Allows you to craft legendary modifications on weapons and armor, including power armor. For most immersive results, use the Hard version where you must scrap legendary weapons in order to craft new legendary modifications.
Crafting Mastery
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/17849
Lets you make workbenches that can craft any item respective to the type of workbench. Many of these items are unique, so this may ruin the point of getting them. If you intend to use this for crafting armor and ammo, however, it is a good mod for Survival.
Flyable Personal Vertibird
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/47187
Allows you to craft your own Vertibird and fly it around. You can fly it yourself, or let the AI pilot take over and give them commands. Has mounted weapons and an interior for storage or companions. May be immersive due to the difficulty of crafting it in the first place, but still VERY powerful for a Survival playthrough. If you do choose to install it, there are some mod add-ons that include an interactive pilot NPC and new paintjobs.
No Settlement Attacks
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11317
Disables settlement attacks. Not entirely lore-friendly, but removes the annoyance of having to go out of your way in Survival.
Minutemen Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/13115
Similar to We Are The Minutemen, except this mod goes WAY further. There are new faces for the Minutemen, new ranks, outfits, backpacks, and patrols. They also have Vertibirds. It pretty much makes them a new BoS, but if you like the Minutemen, or if you have completed the With Our Powers Combined quest, it could be pretty fun.
Start Me Up – Alternate Start and Dialogue Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/18946
Similar to Another Life, but changes your pre-war life less. Allows you to skip the intro sequence, and changes dialog options that relate to your previous life. More lore-friendly than Another Life, but gives you fewer options.
Survival Configuration Menu
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/37599
Lets you change most of the elements of survival, like adding a timed autosave, fast travel, or allowing companions to pick themselves up outside of combat (recommended). Don’t install if you don’t want to change anything about vanilla survival changes.
Vertibird Landing Pads
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/34340
Allows you to place Vertibird landing pads at settlements for Vertibirds called in with signal flares to land on. They are expensive and take up a lot of room, so make sure you have the resources for them. Could work well with other Vertibird mods as a landing space, but auto-landing is not compatible.
Workshop Plus
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/35005
Changes the mechanics of the workshop mode and adds in a few of its own mechanics, such as blueprints, layers, saved builds, and flight while in workshop mode.
Weapons and Crafting
*all of these weapons will spawn in load lists unless specified
10mm Revolver
www.nexusmods.com – https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/16129 mod to be found naturally in the wasteland.
M1911A1 Handgun
www.nexusmods.com – https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10406.
Power Armor Materials and Paints
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4619
Allows you to have both a material and a paint job equipped on power armor. Works well with Consistent Power Armor Overhaul.
Service Rifle
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/32361
Adds the service rifle from New Vegas into the game. Comes with its own set of animations and a vast amount of modifications. Textures and customization are very impressive. Starts appearing at level 10 in leveled lists and in vendor inventories.
Upgradable Army Helmet
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12055
Allows you to modify the Army Helmet like a Combat Helmet with paint jobs and resistance upgrades.
Weapon Overhauls
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/41344
Completely reworks nearly all of the vanilla weapons to have more modification options. Changes models and/or textures of some weapons.
Hope you enjoy the Guide about Fallout 4 – Modlist for the Most Realistic (and painful) Survival Experience, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!
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