Respawn rate in the game is controlled by two things:
Encounter Zone's form via flag "Never Respawns" in GECK
Game Setting variable called "iHoursToRespawnCell"
Encounter Zones are mostly interiors areas. They respawns themselves after certain amount of a time defined by game setting variable "iHoursToRespawnCell". Or they never respawns if the flag "Never Respawn" was set.
Not all interiors are considered as Encounter Zones. For instance, Bethesda Ruins is not an Encounter Zone.
Most Encounter Zones in the Fallout 3 have the flag "Never Respawns" is set.
THINGS THAT THE MOD DOES
After you have installed the mod you will received a consumable called as "Zone Control" (see it at "AID" page in Pip-Boy Menu). When you use it there are two different things may happened:
1. If you are in the Capital Wasteland you will receive the message "UNKNOWN ZONE". It's means that you are NOT in an Encounter Zone.
At the moment of writing this document, the mod is supports only all 130 Encounter Zones of the vanilla game without DLCs support (it will be added later).
2. If you are in well-known Encounter Zone you will be asked about changing respawn rate for the cell.
Also, you will see your current value of "iHoursToRespawnCell" variable.
CAVEATS
Issue #1: An interior cell does not respawns!
Solution: After you have enabled respawn for the cell you have to wait outside of the Encounter Zone some time. This time depends on the value of game settings variable "iHoursToRespawnCell".
You may change it by entering into console mode by pressing "`" (tilde) key and typing the next command:
SetGS "iHoursToRespawnCell" "XXXX"
Where XXXX is a number of hours to respawn cells. Note that this variable also affects all non-Encounter Zones areas too (read this as 'whole game world', including DLCs and third-party mods).
Quotes in the command above is necessary.
Note that Game Settings variables are not persistent across your save files. You have to type the command above every time you have started the game. Or you may to look around for the mods that changes this variable to value you would like.
And most important note. The game counts the moment to respawn a cell starting from the moment of your FIRST visit the cell. So, if you have very high value of "iHoursToRespawnCell", e.g. years and later you've changed the value to, let's say, 24 hours, then the cell will be respawned immediately! Even if you have visited the cell months ago.
Issue #2: Deaths, reloads, starting the game...
Solution: Because of the fact that the flag "Enable/Disable Respawn" of Encounter Zones is not persistent across the save files the mod automatically updates the settings for all cells when the game has been started.
So, you have to wait about 5-10 seconds before re-entering the cell after restart/reload. This should not be issue unless you have heavy modded game or a low-spec computer.
Issue #3: The mod says that the cell has enabled (disabled) respawn, but this is NOT true!
Solution: Because of the fact that there is no way to get/retrieve the actual value for Encounter Zone except using GECK/Fo3Edit, the mod when its started takes into account the value which is defined by the vanilla game.
You may have mods that changed Encounter Zones permanently, and you have to ignore what this mod says you. Just do whatever you want and the mod will store your choice for the next time.
Ah, yeah, one more important thing about compatibility with mods that changing Encounter Zones. Well, I am sorry, but there is no way to say the mod that this or that cell have enabled (disabled) respawn flag. So, you will start playing with default settings for all Encounter Zones while using the mod. BUT, you may change the behavior of cells when playing at any moment :>
WHY?
This mod was started as a part of my private small overhaul to solve own tasks, but instead I have created this "tool". I hope it will be useful for you :>
INSTALLATION
If you are using Nexus Mod Manager, Mod Organazer, FOMM, etc you will install it as usually. Otherwise, extract the content of the archive to the "Data/" game directory. Do not forget to activate the mod in the list of your mod manager.
UNINSTALLING
Open the console by "`" (tilde) key and type the next line:
SetStage staticaZoneQuest 255
After that close the console and save the game. Now, you may exit from the game to complete last step.
If you are using any well-known mod manager just de-activate the mod. Otherwise, delete the next files from the "Data/" game directory:
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