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About this mod
FROST is a hardcore total conversion mod set in the years following the Great War of 2077 that aims to eliminate all vanilla quests and NPCs to create a freeform survival experience.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
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Translations
- Spanish
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Mandarin
- French
- Donations
FROST is the successor to the much beloved and much hated DUST Survival Simulator for Fallout: New Vegas.
The goal of FROST is to transform the world of Fallout 4 into a free-form survival game with an emphasis on lore and visual storytelling. This mod will offer a mix of survival mechanics and realism with unleveled NPCs and loot. Most vanilla NPCs have been removed or changed beyond recognition. Set in the years following the Great War of 2077, you will see new lore, challenging new enemies, and many overhauled gameplay systems. Many areas in the game world have been visually overhauled as well.
Do not expect a 100% realistic gameplay, but a more realistic, difficult and fun experience than the vanilla game. Due to how Fallout 4's engine and AI was designed, FROST can not offer a 100% realistic experience, but a well thought out trade-off of realism, survival mechanics and unleveled loot and NPCs.
Set in the years following the Great War of 2077, you will see new, replaced lore, challenging new enemies, and many overhauled gameplay systems. Many areas in the game world have been visually overhauled as well.
In FROST, the goal is less about completing quests and joining factions. It tells its stories via visual storytelling and quests. Although FROST's focus is the survival aspect, it has a main story, several side stories, a few voiced characters and quests, and a lot of other things.
Discover hidden conspiracies, piece together the lore by reading connected journals and notes, and learn the fate and history of the survivors and factions that are trying to survive the Nuclear Winter in the year 2082 (five years after the Great War).
FROST is a total overhaul of Fallout 4, and therefore can not be put into an arbitrary vanilla-eque mod setup.
Make sure to check out the FAQ down below, or to join the FROST Discord if you have any questions.
Recommended Installation
It is highly recommended to read the Below Zero Guide in order to make a proper FROST setup.
All you need to know is mentioned in the guide.
Not-Recommended Installation
It is way easier if you just use the Below Zero Guide to make a FROST setup.
We recommend using a separate Vortex Profile or MO2 Instance for making a FROST setup.
Fallout 4 needs to be downgraded to its pre-next-gen version 1.10.163 (GOG version of Fallout 4 is already downgraded by default).
In order to have a proper FROST setup, the absolute minimum requirements are:
- Fallout 4 and all its DLCs (except the High Res DLC)
- Simple Fallout 4 Downgrader or the GOG version of Fallout 4
- Fallout 4 Script Extender
- Backported Archive2 Support System
- Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
- FROST Survival Simulator
- FROST Official Updates (Redux)
- FROST Plus
- FROST UFO4P Compatibility Patch
- FROST Cell Fixes (FCF)
FROST is a total overhaul of your gameplay experience, and I mean total.
Just about anything that alters stats, leveled lists, weather or NPCs will conflict and requires a patch.
However, a lot of mods don't conflict with FROST. You can read more about compatible mods here.
Keep in mind that FROST is set 200 years before vanilla Fallout 4, so most quest mods are not compatible due to technical and immersion reasons.
The Below Zero Guide already contains additional optional mods that you might want to use, and which are compatible with FROST or have a patch. Additionally, the guide has a section with other optional recommended and compatible mods.
F4SE .dll mods
FROST requires the old-gen version of Fallout 4 (version 1.10.163).
If you want to use F4SE mods with .dll files, you need to check if they work with the old-gen version or download an older version of the respective F4SE .dll mod.
Luckily, almost all F4SE .dll mods have a mod version that works with the old-gen version of Fallout 4.
Creation Club Mods
FROST is not compatible with most Creation Club quest mods, we recommend to not use any CC mods together with FROST unless they are simple weapon/armor skin mods.
Mods to avoid
The following mods are incompatible and should not be used with FROST:
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/articles/3393
The following FROST mods are either badly made, outdated, or redundant. It is not recommended to use them:
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/articles/3392
Lethal Combat
Enemies will kill you in just a few hits and you will do the same to them.
Your best bet is to take cover and to use everything at your disposal.
Chems, guns, melee weapons and explosives are all very important if you want to win fights.
You do do less damage than your enemies at level 1. Take perks, git gud. As would make sense in real life, the player and all human NPCs receive the same damage... with guns and explosives. Melee weapons depend entirely on the skill of the user. When you start the game you are a malnourished, half-dead prisoner. You're weak, you don't do as much damage with a pipe as a hardened Cannibal or Survivor would do. Taking the appropriate perks and equipment will put you on the same level as your enemies. Play smart, use everything at your disposal!
Unleveled Loot and Enemies
At level one you have a chance of running into Level 50 Deathclaws and veteran enemies. It's rare, but possible. At the same time, you also have a chance to find guiding missile launchers and heavy combat armor. Don't get discouraged if you run into an enemy that is extremely difficult to kill. It may be out of your league to kill at the current moment, but that doesn't mean that everything is. As you level up, the world will not level with you. You'll be more able to handle situations you were once forced to run from.
Scarcity
Ammo, meds, and other useful things are very rare. To find them in large quantities you'll have to go to where it'd make sense for them to be (i.e. medicine is more often found in hospitals). Get familiar with crafting recipes, and craft explosives, ammo and medicine in order to survive.
Radiation
Radiation is now far more deadly. Not only are all sources of radiation amped up, the new Atmospheric Radiation system gives all players constant rads if they dare to explore the outdoors without a protective gas mask.
Settlement Overhaul
Hi-tech workshop items require schematics to build, which can be scavenged and collected in the world. Settlements have also been nerfed to be much more difficult to protect and will function more as personal bases. Recruiting settlers is more difficult, and requires more investments into Charisma.
Gameplay Adjustments
Enemies use ammo, and vary in accuracy. Lower level enemies will spew rounds to the wind while expert marksmen will take you down from across the battlefield with one well-placed headshot.
No more god-like weapons (except for a handful of uniques)!
You'll use what you can get your hands on and be happy with it.
Carryweight has been dramatically lowered (assuming you're playing on Survival mode and not one of those Easy-mode milk-drinkers).
You will only carry the necessities.
Enemies have special abilities and stats, making them all unique in some form, and require different strategies.
Perk Overhaul
No more simply picking meat off of bodies! Invest in the Hunter perk to harvest goods from your kills.
Or take the edited Rifleman, Commando, and Gunslinger perks to increase your range and accuracy with their respective guns.
Reworked Items and New Gear
New weapons, armors and items have been added for more diverse factions, enemies and gameplay.
Existing items have been altered to provide a more grounded experience.
Reworked and New Locations
FROST adds newly implemented Subway System with over 22 large new cells (including 1 friendly city) that connects each of the vanilla Fallout 4 subway stations. Use the subway tunnels to travel between key points.
Several locations have been overhauled and changed.
Lore And Stories
FROST takes place just after the Great War. As such, the lore, world, and enemies reflect this change.
- Hundreds of new notes and terminal entries detailing the extensive new lore of the world. Follow notes and discover stories from survivors, cannibals and remnants of the US Military
- A handful of voiced quests
- Find journals and notes about the fates of new and old characters, from the real Nick Valentine to new characters like Arthur Gannon!
- 8 distinct new factions to interact and battle with! These completely replace all vanilla factions.
- Many revised and edited vanilla cells
We currently only offer support for the downgraded version of Fallout 4 (= version 1.10.163). There is a more extensive FAQ and other information sources over at the FROST Discord. Make sure to check them out as well if you want to know more!
Q: Does this mod require a New Game/Save file?
A: FROST is a complete overhaul of the game, which means you can't just install it mid-game.
You also need to build your load order/mod setup around FROST, or else you will run into problems.
After installing everything correctly, start the game through your mod manager via F4SE, and select "New Game".
Q: Is there a guide or tutorial on how to make a proper mod setup with FROST in it?
A: Yes, we made the Below Zero guide which shows you how to install MO2 and how to install FROST and some additional mods (ranging from bug fixes, performance mods and visual mods).
It is not mandatory to use MO2 as a mod manager for FROST—Vortex works fine.
It is highly recommended to follow the guide to set up FROST!
Q: Which mod managers can install FROST?
A: All popular mod managers (Vortex, MO2, Nexus Mod Manager [Community Edition]) can install and manage FROST.
The Below Zero guide shows how to install FROST with MO2, but you can also follow the guide and use Vortex if you already have basic modding knowledge and know how to use Vortex.
Q: Does this work for Fallout 4 VR?
A: No, FROST doesn't work properly for Fallout 4 VR. The reason is that Bethesda messed up some things for Fallout 4 VR, and the FROST Official Updates (Redux) mod doesn't work for Fallout 4 VR.
Q: My game crashes, this sucks!
A: That means you messed up your load order. Please make sure to follow our FROST modding guide.
We worked very hard to make FROST as stable as possible. If you follow our modding guide, you will not experience any crashes at all.
If you experience any crashes, they are unrelated to FROST and caused by something else.
You can also visit the FROST Discord Server if you need help.
Q: Will there be a X-Box or PlayStation version of FROST?
A: No, because it isn't possible to port it over due to artificial technical limitations on consoles.
Q: Is FROST only about survival and doesn't offer more?
A: Although FROST's focus is to provide a survival experience, it also has new characters, lore, notes, journals, and even a main quest.
Most of FROST's story and lore content is told via visual storytelling, terminals, and notes.
Q: Do I need all of the DLCs mentioned in the "Requirements Section" from above?
A: Yes, they are hard requirements. All major DLCs except Creation Club content and the High-Res DLC are required.
Q: Will there be a non-DLC version of FROST?
A: No, there will not be such a version.
All major DLCs except Creation Club content and the High-Res DLC are required.
Q: Do pirated versions of Fallout 4 work with FROST?
A: Not really. Pirated versions tend to not work properly with mods.
Buy the game, please. Using a pirated version of a game from 2016 is just a dick move...
Q: Why do I need the mods above just to play FROST?
A: It isn't easy to overhaul a game completely with just one plugin/mod.
There are development and technical reasons to keep certain stuff separated.
For example, the Frost Cell Fixes has to be kept separate and at the end of the load order because of how the engine of Fallout 4 handles performance technologies like preculling.
Other reasons are because the FROST development was split among the FROST developers so that each developer can develop certain aspects of FROST at their own pace.
It also isn't really possible that multiple people work properly on the same plugin at the same time.
Q: Can I still play the "original" FROST from 2018?
A: Yes, you can. You can still download the save files and just this mod and play it.
However, you will encounter bugs, exploits, severe FPS problems, glitches, and in some cases even CTDs.
Those were all fixed in the newer development of FROST, which also includes extensive vanilla bug fixes (especially regarding performance).
You would also miss out on tons of new content. All changes that have been made to FROST since 2019 are trying to stay as true as possible to Naugrim's original vision for FROST, and even add stuff that he wanted to add, but never did.
If you don't like certain new changes, feel free to join the FROST Discord Server and mention your suggestions there.
Q: Any Nexus Collection for FROST?
The FROST Development team explicitly does not endorse or recommend any FROST Nexus Collection.
Most FROST Nexus Collections are broken and beyond repair. People who made them include broken mods, redundant mods, and conflicting mods, don’t update the collections, or have no clue how to make proper load orders for Fallout 4.
Q: Any Wabbajack for FROST?
No, there are currently no Wabbajacks for FROST. If you want to help us make one, feel free to join the FROST Discord and talk to us!
Q: Anything else I need to know?
Further common questions and their answers can be found on the FROST Discord in the FAQ channel.
FROST is now community-driven, and the add-ons created by the community have helped complete the project.
If you dislike certain design choices, join the FROST Discord and share your thoughts respectfully.
Remember, FROST and its add-ons are free, amateur creations. They didn’t cost you time or money to try.
The design reflects what we enjoy—angry rants won't change that, but thoughtful feedback might.
How you engage with others matters.
Thank you.
TEXTURES & MESHES
- MADMAX713 – Raider Overhaul assets
- Horus05 – Commonwealth Scavvers assets
- tookiejones – Survival Go Bags assets
- textures.com – snow textures
- Herofonts (dafont.com) – Bronx Bystreets font
- Jonathan S. Harris (dafont.com) – True Lies font
- ghostfc3s – Subway Runner station resources (modified for Concord/Lexington stations)
- killshots2 – Ghoul Masks, Wendigo model/textures, fix for Angel's Hood model
- Gogy28 – Bear Hunter Armor
- WickedRhyme – Homemade Explosives
- m150 – TochAndLantern
- Derpsdale – Spirit Forms assets
- DSJ – Federation/Alliance Armors, Alliance/Themis Flags
SCRIPTING
- Dan – Hallucination Scripting Extraordinaire
WRITERS
- Sojak246
- Your401Kplan
- SeraphimDreams
- JackOfHearts
- Dman51
MUSIC
PAGE MANAGEMENT
- RedMetalShield (since 2021)