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About this mod
Alternate Start Alpha is a mod in the early stages that allows you to start the game in a variety of different situations. Currently you can start as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a cool Atom Cat, a caravan merchant, a raider, a ghoul, a super mutant, or even a synth!
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
Hey guys, as you've probably noticed by the lack of updates, I've stopped working on this mod. There are currently two other mods on the Nexus that do what I was doing here but better, so check those mods out. I'm still leaving mine up here in case anyone prefers .bat files for some reason though.
Alternate Start - Infinite Answer by Glacknarf
Another Life - Alternative Start Mod by Xylozi
-------------------------------------------------------------
Update 1.5.0 Diamond City Citizen and Railroad
Update 1.4.0: Atom Cat and Minuteman
Update 1.3.0: MUTANTS AND CARAVANS!
Update 1.2.0: SYNTHS!
Update: I'm currently working on a hopefully simple solution for getting new followers that should make these alternate starts even better! Also I just released to Raider start. I set it up so you start at war with the three main factions and the two main cities. Let me know if there's any other specific groups I should add to that list.
--------------------------------
Hey guys! Thanks for being active in the Fallout 4 modding community this early in the game!
I've always considered "Alternate Start" mods to be one of the first things to download. Since no one else has uploaded one yet I figured I might as well take a crack at it. I was inspired by a mod from the early days of Skyrim that used .bat files to set up different characters in that fashion. (by the way, if you made that mod and you're reading this, you're awesome)
This is currently in very early stages as I try to get different console commands to work as I would like. If anyone has a lot of experience with the way .bat files work for these games you should send me a message. There's a few things that I would like to be able to do but I'm not quite sure if it's possible currently.
If anyone has any suggestions for different starts or variations/tweaks on the ones I already have feel free to shoot them my way.
OVERVIEW
This is a fairly simple mod that takes advantage of the games ability to read text files into the console in order to change the starting situation of the game. Some of the situations will be fairly close to the vanilla experience though some of them may change the way you play the game dramatically. (at least in the early stages)
INSTALLATION
Extract the .txt files to your Fallout 4 directory, default is usually something like
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Fallout 4
Extract the .fos save files to the directory where your game stores the save files, usually something like
C:\Users\YOURNAME\Documents\my games\Fallout4\Saves
INSTRUCTIONS
(press tilde ~ to open and close the console on English versions)
Either start a new game and play through the beginning up to the point you step outside of the vault or load one
of the included save files. You can either load them through the option menu or while already in game, type into the console
'load altstartm' for a male character or 'load altstartf' for a female character. Select your name, appearance, and stats and then exit the vault.
Once you are out of the vault, type into the console 'bat [the name of whichever start you want to use]'
For example 'bat brotherhood' or 'bat ghoul'
The names are the same as the .txt files you downloaded, and will be listed in the descriptions as well.
Some starts will require additional instructions and will be listed under the description. Make sure you do those as well.
DESCRIPTIONS
Atom Cat Poser:(bat atomcat1, and then bat atomcat2 for the power armor. If you can't enter it, re-position yourself and run bat atomcat2 again)
You're the coolest cat around, at least that's what your mom always told you. No one ever argued that fact with you either, though that's most likely due to the suit of power-armor you wear. You heard of some far-out dudes and dudettes called the Atom Cats that share both your love of power-armor and your love of great hair. You made your way to their garage to see if they really are the cat's meow.
Brotherhood of Steel Hopeful: (bat brotherhood)
You have heard rumors that members of the Brotherhood of Steel have been spotted in the Commonwealth.
After picking BoS distress signal originating from the Cambridge Police Department you decided to check it out.
Believing that your ideals match up with those of the BoS, this might be a great start to getting on their good side.
Caravan Merchant:(bat caravan)New This Version
Read the readme in the Caravan Extras folder for instructions on how to get the companions to work
EDIT: Something isn't working quite right with how I have it set up. Either download this mod or put the console commands in manually that I have in the folder for the Brahmin. The Brahmin will work as intended but the guard doesn't seem to want to follow.
Enjoy the Commonwealth the nomad way! Comes complete with your own Brahmin companion!
Your first job is to take your cargo to Bunker Hill. Hopefully the caps you make will be worth it. You've got a map with the destination marked here
Diamond City Citizen: (bat diamondcity)
You've inherited a house in Diamond City that is known around town as the Home Plate. Well, more accurately you've been squatting in it ever since you found the key under the mat after the previous owner disappeared. If you want to officially own it you will have to talk to Geneva, the Mayor's secretary, and pay her for the house.
Escaped Synth: (bat esynth)
What do you do about all these memories flashing through your mind? Memories of a time past and family lost. You know they aren't yours but they were real. For now you can't let them distract you. Your life is in imminent danger. You must make it to the Mega Surgery Center in Diamond City to make your face unrecognizable. Only then will you finally be safe... for now at least.
Gen 1 Synth: (bat g1synth)
Required: Some method of changing your model(best current method)
DIRECTIVE 1: KILL
DIRECTIVE 2: OBEY THE INSTITUTE
Ghoul: (bat ghoul)
(warning, sets your race to ghoul which may or may not actually effect anything, this still needs to be tested)
(Unless you want to do some testing for yourself, stick to face1 while creating your character.
Some of the presets don't put the ghoul effects on properly. You can edit anything else you want though some things may not carry over)
Currently adds 70 rad resist, Ghoulish Perk Rank 1, and a -4 charisma modifier (this won't affect your perk selections)
War, war never changes. You know this better than most people. You've been around for a while. A long while.
But not in the Commonwealth. You heard Ghouls were welcome in a town called Goodneighbor so you decided to head
there where there was less of a chance of some stupid smoothskin shooting you on sight.
Minuteman:(bat minuteman)
You were in Colonel Hollis' squad at the Quincy Massacre. After the town fell to the Gunners, the Minutemen had disbanded. You were the only member of your squad to survive the attack, or so you though until you received a Distress Signal from Preston. You rushed over to where he was holed up in The Museum of Freedom, hopefully in time to save him, and the Minutemen.
Raider: (bat raider11)
Start as an enemy of most factions and towns. Take settlements by force and start your own raider empire. You come equipped with a minigun and a shredder attachment (some assembly required)
(Optional: bat raider12 -- Gives you Raider Power Armor and two fusion cells. Try to face forward on a flat surface before you use it because sometimes the armor gets stuck at weird angles)
Railroad: (bat railroad)
You hate the Institute but you don't think that all Synths are evil. Following up on some rumors you had heard about a group that is fighting the Institute and helping runaway Synths has lead you to an old church. You have a feeling that the word "Railroad" is going to be important.
SUPER MUTANTS
I currently don't have a method for changing your texture to resemble a Super Mutant but I can change your size and adjust the stats. All of the variations come with a full body armor so none of your skin is showing. I recommend setting your body type to full muscle and then adjusting to heavy a bit. Download this mod (or something that adds similar functionality) to be able to upgrade the armor. Type in
"set RailroadClothingArmorModAvailable to 1" in the console to unlock the armor upgrading if you aren't planning on doing Railroad quests.
Mariposa Super Mutant:(bat westmutant) New This Version
(mostly immune to radiation - no stat changes)
You've traveled a long way to the Commonwealth in hopes to see if the rumors about a new breed of Super Mutant cropping up were true. You just hope that they aren't all complete savages. Though The Master may have died, his dreams for the future live on.
Reformed Super Mutant:(bat nicemutant) New This Version
(mostly immune to radiation - +2 Strength, +2 Endurance, -2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence)
Fist take friend Strong. Strong good friend. Fist weak leader. You kill Fist. You save Strong.
Super Mutant Brute:(bat meanmutant)New This Version Can't figure out what faction Super Mutants belong to.
Recommended Mods: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? DOWNLOAD AND ENDORSE THESE!
No Essential NPCs -- Specifically for the Raider start
Full Dialog Interface -- Because this should have been in the game
No Player Voice -- In case the default voice doesn't mesh with the character you want to play
Armorsmith Extended -- Don't sacrifice style for safety! Type in "set RailroadClothingArmorModAvailable to 1" in the console to unlock the armor upgrading if you aren't planning on doing Railroad quests
Recruit Two Followers Mod -- For figuring that out!
Creature Follower ESP Version -- Mutant Hound would be great for Super Mutant, Raider Dog for Raider, etc
Who Are You? -- Easy way to change a settler's appearance!
Settler Renaming - Rename Settlers and NPCs -- Easy way to rename NPCs!
Compatibility:
No known issues yet!
Known Bugs/Issues:
FIXED(mostly)The Ghoul appearance doesn't look quite right, especially the male version which has some weird neck thing going on. It's probably as good as it's going to get unless someone is able to fix the textures.
Save your game, exit to desktop, and reload. It should fix the neck texture.
Current To-Do List:
Planned
Alternate Start - Infinite Answer by Glacknarf
Another Life - Alternative Start Mod by Xylozi
-------------------------------------------------------------
Update 1.5.0 Diamond City Citizen and Railroad
Update 1.4.0: Atom Cat and Minuteman
Update 1.3.0: MUTANTS AND CARAVANS!
Update 1.2.0: SYNTHS!
Update: I'm currently working on a hopefully simple solution for getting new followers that should make these alternate starts even better! Also I just released to Raider start. I set it up so you start at war with the three main factions and the two main cities. Let me know if there's any other specific groups I should add to that list.
--------------------------------
Hey guys! Thanks for being active in the Fallout 4 modding community this early in the game!
I've always considered "Alternate Start" mods to be one of the first things to download. Since no one else has uploaded one yet I figured I might as well take a crack at it. I was inspired by a mod from the early days of Skyrim that used .bat files to set up different characters in that fashion. (by the way, if you made that mod and you're reading this, you're awesome)
This is currently in very early stages as I try to get different console commands to work as I would like. If anyone has a lot of experience with the way .bat files work for these games you should send me a message. There's a few things that I would like to be able to do but I'm not quite sure if it's possible currently.
If anyone has any suggestions for different starts or variations/tweaks on the ones I already have feel free to shoot them my way.
OVERVIEW
This is a fairly simple mod that takes advantage of the games ability to read text files into the console in order to change the starting situation of the game. Some of the situations will be fairly close to the vanilla experience though some of them may change the way you play the game dramatically. (at least in the early stages)
INSTALLATION
Extract the .txt files to your Fallout 4 directory, default is usually something like
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Fallout 4
Extract the .fos save files to the directory where your game stores the save files, usually something like
C:\Users\YOURNAME\Documents\my games\Fallout4\Saves
INSTRUCTIONS
(press tilde ~ to open and close the console on English versions)
Either start a new game and play through the beginning up to the point you step outside of the vault or load one
of the included save files. You can either load them through the option menu or while already in game, type into the console
'load altstartm' for a male character or 'load altstartf' for a female character. Select your name, appearance, and stats and then exit the vault.
Once you are out of the vault, type into the console 'bat [the name of whichever start you want to use]'
For example 'bat brotherhood' or 'bat ghoul'
The names are the same as the .txt files you downloaded, and will be listed in the descriptions as well.
Some starts will require additional instructions and will be listed under the description. Make sure you do those as well.
DESCRIPTIONS
Atom Cat Poser:(bat atomcat1, and then bat atomcat2 for the power armor. If you can't enter it, re-position yourself and run bat atomcat2 again)
You're the coolest cat around, at least that's what your mom always told you. No one ever argued that fact with you either, though that's most likely due to the suit of power-armor you wear. You heard of some far-out dudes and dudettes called the Atom Cats that share both your love of power-armor and your love of great hair. You made your way to their garage to see if they really are the cat's meow.
Brotherhood of Steel Hopeful: (bat brotherhood)
You have heard rumors that members of the Brotherhood of Steel have been spotted in the Commonwealth.
After picking BoS distress signal originating from the Cambridge Police Department you decided to check it out.
Believing that your ideals match up with those of the BoS, this might be a great start to getting on their good side.
Caravan Merchant:(bat caravan)New This Version
Read the readme in the Caravan Extras folder for instructions on how to get the companions to work
EDIT: Something isn't working quite right with how I have it set up. Either download this mod or put the console commands in manually that I have in the folder for the Brahmin. The Brahmin will work as intended but the guard doesn't seem to want to follow.
Enjoy the Commonwealth the nomad way! Comes complete with your own Brahmin companion!
Your first job is to take your cargo to Bunker Hill. Hopefully the caps you make will be worth it. You've got a map with the destination marked here
Spoiler: 
Show
Diamond City Citizen: (bat diamondcity)
You've inherited a house in Diamond City that is known around town as the Home Plate. Well, more accurately you've been squatting in it ever since you found the key under the mat after the previous owner disappeared. If you want to officially own it you will have to talk to Geneva, the Mayor's secretary, and pay her for the house.
Escaped Synth: (bat esynth)
What do you do about all these memories flashing through your mind? Memories of a time past and family lost. You know they aren't yours but they were real. For now you can't let them distract you. Your life is in imminent danger. You must make it to the Mega Surgery Center in Diamond City to make your face unrecognizable. Only then will you finally be safe... for now at least.
Gen 1 Synth: (bat g1synth)
Required: Some method of changing your model(best current method)
DIRECTIVE 1: KILL
DIRECTIVE 2: OBEY THE INSTITUTE
Ghoul: (bat ghoul)
(warning, sets your race to ghoul which may or may not actually effect anything, this still needs to be tested)
(Unless you want to do some testing for yourself, stick to face1 while creating your character.
Some of the presets don't put the ghoul effects on properly. You can edit anything else you want though some things may not carry over)
Currently adds 70 rad resist, Ghoulish Perk Rank 1, and a -4 charisma modifier (this won't affect your perk selections)
War, war never changes. You know this better than most people. You've been around for a while. A long while.
But not in the Commonwealth. You heard Ghouls were welcome in a town called Goodneighbor so you decided to head
there where there was less of a chance of some stupid smoothskin shooting you on sight.
Minuteman:(bat minuteman)
You were in Colonel Hollis' squad at the Quincy Massacre. After the town fell to the Gunners, the Minutemen had disbanded. You were the only member of your squad to survive the attack, or so you though until you received a Distress Signal from Preston. You rushed over to where he was holed up in The Museum of Freedom, hopefully in time to save him, and the Minutemen.
Raider: (bat raider11)
Start as an enemy of most factions and towns. Take settlements by force and start your own raider empire. You come equipped with a minigun and a shredder attachment (some assembly required)
(Optional: bat raider12 -- Gives you Raider Power Armor and two fusion cells. Try to face forward on a flat surface before you use it because sometimes the armor gets stuck at weird angles)
Railroad: (bat railroad)
You hate the Institute but you don't think that all Synths are evil. Following up on some rumors you had heard about a group that is fighting the Institute and helping runaway Synths has lead you to an old church. You have a feeling that the word "Railroad" is going to be important.
SUPER MUTANTS
I currently don't have a method for changing your texture to resemble a Super Mutant but I can change your size and adjust the stats. All of the variations come with a full body armor so none of your skin is showing. I recommend setting your body type to full muscle and then adjusting to heavy a bit. Download this mod (or something that adds similar functionality) to be able to upgrade the armor. Type in
"set RailroadClothingArmorModAvailable to 1" in the console to unlock the armor upgrading if you aren't planning on doing Railroad quests.
Mariposa Super Mutant:(bat westmutant) New This Version
(mostly immune to radiation - no stat changes)
You've traveled a long way to the Commonwealth in hopes to see if the rumors about a new breed of Super Mutant cropping up were true. You just hope that they aren't all complete savages. Though The Master may have died, his dreams for the future live on.
Reformed Super Mutant:(bat nicemutant) New This Version
(mostly immune to radiation - +2 Strength, +2 Endurance, -2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence)
Fist take friend Strong. Strong good friend. Fist weak leader. You kill Fist. You save Strong.
Super Mutant Brute:(bat meanmutant)
Recommended Mods: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? DOWNLOAD AND ENDORSE THESE!
No Essential NPCs -- Specifically for the Raider start
Full Dialog Interface -- Because this should have been in the game
No Player Voice -- In case the default voice doesn't mesh with the character you want to play
Armorsmith Extended -- Don't sacrifice style for safety! Type in "set RailroadClothingArmorModAvailable to 1" in the console to unlock the armor upgrading if you aren't planning on doing Railroad quests
Recruit Two Followers Mod -- For figuring that out!
Creature Follower ESP Version -- Mutant Hound would be great for Super Mutant, Raider Dog for Raider, etc
Who Are You? -- Easy way to change a settler's appearance!
Settler Renaming - Rename Settlers and NPCs -- Easy way to rename NPCs!
Compatibility:
No known issues yet!
Known Bugs/Issues:
FIXED(mostly)The Ghoul appearance doesn't look quite right, especially the male version which has some weird neck thing going on. It's probably as good as it's going to get unless someone is able to fix the textures.
Save your game, exit to desktop, and reload. It should fix the neck texture.
Current To-Do List:
- Fill out this page more and format it better
- MORE STARTS
- Take suggestions and attempt to fix any bugs
Planned
- EVEN MORE STARTS
- More convenient way to go about doing this with less steps
- Figure out a way to create a more specific starting locations
- Test starting at different states in quests without breaking too many things