Whispering Chills - A Horror Overhaul Modding Guide at Fallout 4 Nexus

DLC name
Automatron
Wasteland Workshop
Far Harbor
Contraptions Workshop
Vault-Tec Workshop
Nuka World

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As with any modding guide, you must first have a clean and fresh install of the game. Uninstall Fallout 4 through Steam then proceed to Documents/My Games/Fallout 4 in File Explorer and delete everything inside that folder. Then navigate to wherever you have installed Fallout 4 (steam/steamapps/common/Fallout 4) and delete everything left inside that folder. Now you must install Fallout 4 in a non-Windows Protected folder (NOT within Program Files, Program Files x86, Documents, Desktop, or any other other protected folders on the OS/C Drive). The default install location for Steam games is in a Windows-protected folder Program Files (x86) which we do NOT want as it can cause many issues with permissions and read/write access to your game files. If you already have a Steam Library set outside this default location, you can simply install Fallout 4 there. If you currently only have a Steam Library created with games being installed to the default Windows-protected folder on your C drive, please follow the steps below based on whether or not you have a separate hard drive from your OS drive.

If you have another hard drive in addition to your OS drive:

Open Steam and click on Steam in the top left corner then click on Settings. Go to the downloads tab listed on the left panel that opens and select the Steam Library Folders option.
When the popup appears, choose to Add Library Folder. Add this folder wherever you wish on a SEPARATE hard drive. Exit out of the settings menu when finished (reference image).
Navigate to the Library section of Steam where all of your games are listed and click Fallout 4 then choose to Install Fallout 4 as per usual, but when prompted to choose an install location, specify the new SteamLibrary folder you just created on a separate hard drive instead of the default location on your OS drive and proceed to install as per usual.

If you only have one hard drive for your computer (the OS drive) and your Steam games install to the default location in a Windows-protected folder:

-Use this tool to create a new Steam library in a non-protected location on the same drive as your current library. By default, Steam only allows you to have one Steam library instance to install games to on a single drive so this is the only safe way to create a new library outside protected folders for those who only have a single hard drive. After the new Steam library is created, install Fallout 4 from the Library section of Steam where all your games are listed and specify this new library folder as the install location.

In either case, make sure you LAUNCH Fallout 4 through steam when installation is finished to allow the game to set registry keys and create the initial game configuration ini's. You should see a popup notifying you that the launcher is configuring your settings based on a preset that matches your hardware. After clicking OK to the popup, click on Options in the Launcher and select whichever graphics preset best matches your hardware, but NEVER choose the Ultra preset. The Ultra preset adds and configures settings that ruin FPS for little to no noticeable visual improvement in-game. Consider the High preset your highest option! Launch the game and exit once you see the main menu.

Lastly, right-click on the listing for Fallout 4 in the Library tab of Steam and select Properties... Under the opening General tab UNCHECK the box next to enabling Steam Overlay in-game. Under the Updates tab set the first drop-down for update method from Automatic Updates to "Only update this game when I launch it" so that any potential game updates don't mess with your modded setup.

Before starting, it is highly recommended you download and install a dedicated program that can read and extract archives. Since all manual Nexus downloads come compressed in a zipped archive, there will be many cases where such a program will be necessary. I highly recommend using 7-Zip if you don't already have a program installed for this.

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Mod Organizer 2 has a slight learning curve when compared to old-school mod managers like Wrye Bash, Nexus Mod Manager, and Fallout Mod Manager. To unlock the full true potential of MO2 usage, it is highly recommended you at least glance over the opening page of the STEP guide for Mod Organizer usage or follow through the legendary Gamer Poet's video series on how to use MO2 if you're more of a visual learner. If you don't feel like digging that deep into MO2, don't worry. I have laid out all the most important things to know about MO2 in the spoiler section below. It is vitally important that you read through the following if you are new to Mod Organizer 2, or if you are proficient in its usage already feel free to jump ahead to setup. Please still follow the provided instructions for setting up a new portable MO2 instance even if you are a more experienced modder.

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-In using a Portable instance of MO2, the mod manager becomes entirely independent and self-contained. All of the modded files related to your game setup are contained locally within the folder that you extract from the downloaded archive and where the Modorganizer.exe is stored. This is considered a virtual directory because unlike mod managers of the past, it does not modify any game files directly within the location that you installed Fallout 4. Installing/uninstalling and disabling/enabling mods can be done with ease without having to worry about MO2 leaving traces of mods in your game folder and potentially corrupting data or entirely ruining your game install. You can now consider your modded setup and the base game itself as two separate things (for the most part) that should have no impact on one another as long as you set up MO2 correctly.

-MO2 has a left pane and right pane that must be separately maintained. After associating Nexus links with MO2 in its settings, any mods you download using the Download with Manager button on the Nexus site will download and be listed under the Downloads tab in the right pane of MO2 (reference image). Just double-click the mod as its listed under the Downloads tab in the right pane of MO2 to install it. If there is any BAIN or .fomod installer that comes with the mod, it will appear as a popup upon installing just like any other mod manager and then the mod will appear listed in the left pane of MO2 with a blank/unchecked checkbox next to it. Checking or unchecking the checkbox next to a mod in the left pane of MO2 operates just like enabling or disabling mods in NMM or any other mod manager. When the box next to the mod listed in the left pane is unchecked, none of its files will be added to your virtual directory including any loose files or plugins (.esp, .esl, or .esm). After installing a mod, you must check it in the left pane of MO2 to enable it, and then any plugins from the mod will appear under the Plugins tab within the right pane of MO2 (reference image).

-The plugins tab in the right pane of MO2 shows your load order and lists any plugins associated with mods that are enabled/checked in the left pane of MO2. All plugins listed here should be checked as well. Load order is important because it determines in what order the contents of a mod will be prioritized in the game's initialization. Luckily for you with this mod guide, you do not need to worry about the order of plugins under the plugins tab in the right pane as a text file will be provided to you toward the end that automatically sorts the order of your plugins without you having to manually sort any. In any other situation you would have to be mindful of load order yourself and load plugins based on conflicts and the advice given in the descriptions of the respective mods you've chosen to install.

-The Data tab in the right pane of MO2 shows your virtual Data directory. This is essentially a mirror of your Fallout 4/Data folder with all modded files added in. The beauty of MO2 is that if you navigate to the location where you installed Fallout 4 in File Explorer and look inside your Data folder, you should only see vanilla files from the base game and none added by mods you have installed (reference image). As mentioned earlier, MO2 maintains all modded files within this virtual Data directory and seamlessly adds and removes contents from it as mods are added or removed which eliminates the risk of corrupting the base game due to a bad mod install.

-Mods can also be installed manually via archive in MO2. If you manually download a mod from the Nexus site you can add and install it directly in MO2 by clicking on the archive button along the top-left toolbar (reference image). Then you just select the downloaded mod archive from wherever you manually downloaded it to and install like any other mod. The mod will then be listed in the left pane of MO2 and will not appear in your Downloads tab within the right pane.

-Profiles are a key feature of MO2 usage, but not something you have to worry about in using this guide. You can think of MO2 profiles like save profiles or playthroughs in Fallout 4. You want to create and use a new MO2 profile for every unique playthrough of the game. Having separate profiles allows you to check or uncheck certain mods in the left pane of MO2 on one profile without it affecting another profile. Say, for example, you have a set of 10 mods you want to have installed and active on one profile but only 5 of those mods active on another profile/playthrough. You would simply click on the profiles drop-down and switch to the profile that would have fewer mods enabled and uncheck those mods you don't want to use with that profile and that's it! The files and plugins from those mods will not be added/active when using that profile and will have no effect on any other playthroughs/profiles. This effectively removes the need to have to add/remove mods constantly and allows you to be running multiple consecutive playthroughs using variations of similar modded setups. That being said, all profiles share the same Mods folder, so any mods you install in or remove from MO2 will appear in/disappear from ALL profiles. The key is to install all the mods you want to use across all profiles and then check or uncheck to enable/disable the mods you want to have active in the left pane of MO2 for each profile. For the purposes of this guide, profiles are not something you necessarily need to worry about. We will simply use the Default profile provided by MO2 and you will not need to know how to create separate profiles for our purposes. This is something covered in greater detail within the tutorials linked above, and we are always happy to answer questions related to general MO2 usage in the Whispering Chills Discord server. I'm only providing context on profiles here because many people often feel unnecessarily overwhelmed by the concept of profiles when it really has no bearing on the workflow of modding in MO2 unless you are a more proficient modder who has reason to make use of profiles.

In order to "install" or set up MO2, download from MO2's mod page the latest Mod Organizer 2 (Archive) version, NOT the installer version (yes this is hosted on the Skyrim Special Edition Nexus, but it works and is used on all Bethesda games). There are many ways to extract an archive. If using 7-Zip, I recommend using the Extract Files… option. Right-click the downloaded archive for Mod Organizer 2 (named something along the lines of Mod Organizer 2 (Archive)-6194-2-3-2-1597663207.7z) and under the 7-Zip option select Extract Files… For Extract To… set the location where you want to extract the archive to (on the same drive as where you have Fallout 4 installed) then click ok to extract. There should now be a folder at the location where you chose to extract the archive to with the same long name as the downloaded archive. MO2 and Fallout 4 must be installed on the same hard drive!

Rename the extracted folder from the MO2 archive to Whispering Chills for personal reference so you know what this MO2 instance is dedicated to. Within your extracted folder now renamed to Whispering Chills, there should be several folders and files that pertain to your MO2 instance, one of which will be a file called ModOrganizer.exe. Double-click this file to run it and initialize setup for MO2.

In the popup that appears, choose Portable for your instance. Do NOT choose New (reference image). When prompted to select a game to manage choose Fallout 4 and make sure the path shown under Fallout 4 is the correct path of where you now have Fallout 4 installed. If a popup then appears claiming your INI files are read-only, choose to Remember My Choice and then clear the read-only flag. The next popup should ask whether you are a new user that wishes to go through a tutorial on how to use MO2. Select NO. When prompted to register or connect to Nexus, select YES! You may be asked to log into and authorize your Nexus account for it to link up with MO2.

After these selections are made, MO2 should open in full. If you click the wrench/settings icon (reference image for all primary MO2 toolbar icons; click the wrench icon) you can configure settings related to MO2. Important changes and things to verify include how under the General tab you can change the style of MO2 from the generic white background to something more fitting to your personal taste, under the Paths tab make sure everything looks correct in terms of pointing to the correct file paths (reference image; Managed Game should be pathed to FO4 install folder and Base Directory should be pathed to the extracted and renamed MO2/Whispering Chills folder), and finally make sure MO2 says you are connected to Nexus under the Nexus tab. This is necessary in order to be able to use the Mod Manager Download button for mod downloads on the Nexus site and have them appear in the Downloads tab within the right pane of MO2, so if it says Disconnected under the Nexus tab click the Connect to Nexus button and then log into Nexus and Authorize the login as requested by any popups that appear.

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Visual C++ Redistributables - Buffout 4 and MO2 require the latest VC 2019 Redistributables. Download and run the following executables to update this on your computer.  Restart your computer after you finish installing these.

x64 - Download and run to install
x86 - Download and run to install

F4SE - Download the archive by following the link then extract its contents using 7-Zip or whatever program you use to extract archives. From within the extracted folder, copy the Data folder, f4se_1_10_163.dll, f4se_steam_loader.dll, and f4se_loader.exe to the folder where you have installed Fallout 4 (which I will now refer to as the Fallout 4 root folder; i.e. Steamapps/Common/Fallout 4). In order for MO2 to recognize F4SE as an executable, you must double-click the f4se_loader.exe file from within your Fallout 4 root folder after it is placed there. Immediately exit the game after doing so then close and reopen MO2 and F4SE should appear as an option in MO2's executables drop-down (reference image). You must run the game using this F4SE executable option within MO2 from now on! No more launching through Steam or from the game directory!

Address Library for F4SE Plugins - Manually download (not using the download with manager option) the main file and extract the F4SE folder from the archive to your Fallout 4/Data folder (the Data folder within the folder where you have Fallout 4 installed; i.e. steamapps/common/Fallout 4/Data).

xSE Plugin Preloader - Manually download the main file and extract both files within the downloaded archive to your Fallout 4 root folder where you have the game installed. After doing so, open the xSE PluginPreloader.xml file you extracted in a text editor and change the load method name on line 14 from OnProcessAttach to OnThreadAttach (click here for a visual reference of what to change; ONLY change this one line!).

Buffout 4 - Manually download both main files (Buffout 4 and TBB Redistributables). Extract the F4SE folder in the main Buffout 4 archive to your game's Data folder (steamapps/common/Fallout 4/Data) and extract the tbbmaloc.dll from the main TBB Redistributables file to the Fallout 4 Root folder (steamapps/common/Fallout 4).  This mod implements several fixes, memory optimizations and, most importantly, a crash logger. If your game ever crashes, crash logs can be found in Documents/My Games/Fallout 4/F4SE and will be named something along the lines of crash-2020-12-04-23-32-30.log. Share these in the Whispering Chills Discord server for troubleshooting assistance.

FO4Edit - Using 7-Zip, extract the downloaded archive to your Fallout 4 root folder where you have the game installed (steamapps/common/Fallout 4) and rename the extracted folder to FO4Edit.

You need to set up FO4Edit as an executable in your Mod Organizer 2 application. To do this, click on the Gears/Executables icon (reference image for all primary MO2 toolbar icons; click the gears/executables icon). A new window will pop up. Now click on the Plus Sign (Add an Executable) and select Add from File. Another window will pop up. In this window, navigate to Steam Games Library/SteamApps/Common/Fallout 4/FO4Edit folder and double click on the FO4Edit.exe file. Then click on the OK button in the Modify Executables window (reference image).

Now we need to clean the DLC .esm's using FO4Edit's quick auto-clean tool. Make sure MO2 is closed! In Windows Explorer, navigate to the FO4Edit folder you placed in your Fallout 4 root folder (i.e. steamapps/common/Fallout 4/FO4Edit) and notice the FO4EditQuickAutoClean.exe inside the folder. We are going to use this executable to clean out our Official DLC ESM’s from having duplicated ITM Records and Undelete needed Records. When running this, you can ONLY clean ONE plugin at a time! We will need to run this .exe for each plugin.

Now, double click on the FO4EditQuickAutoClean.exe and ONLY tick the box in front of DLCRobot.esm, then select OK (reference image). Wait for it to finish (no more lines should be written to the right pane of FO4Edit and end with a line that reads "Background Loader: Finished" with a time stamp). Exit the Program.

Double click on the FO4EditQuickAutoClean.exe again and select ONLY the next plugin, DLCWorkshop01.esm, then select OK. Wait for it to finish. Exit the Program.

Repeat double clicking on the FO4EditQuickAutoClean.exe, selecting the next plugin, clicking OK, waiting for it to finish, and Exiting the Program until you have completed cleaning the following:

DLCCoast.esm
DLCWorkshop02.esm
DLCWorkshop03.esm
DLCNukaWorld.esm

You should no longer need to use the FO4EditQuickAutoClean feature or FO4Edit in general after finishing this step.

NVIDIA Profile Inspector - [NVIDIA Users Only to Improve game Performance] – Download the nvidiaProfileInspector.zip from the Latest Release 2.3.0.12 section. Using 7-Zip, extract the nvidiaProfileInspector.zip archive anywhere.

Next, download the FIRST file under the last section of the Files tab for the BRB guide (Miscellaneous Files) - NVIDIA Inspector Profile - FO4.  Using 7-Zip, extract the 1. Nvidia Inspector Profile - FO4-23556-1-0-1559298967 archive. Double click on the extracted 1. Nvidia Inspector Profile - FO4-23556-1-0-1559298967 folder and right click on Fallout 4 Nvidia Inspector.nip file and select Copy. Now go back to where you extracted the FO4 Nvidia Profile Inspector archive, double click on FO4 Nvidia Profile Inspector folder to open it, then right click on an unused space and select Paste (Copy and Replace – if asked).

Now that you have the FO4 Nvidia Profile Inspector folder open, double click on the nvidiaProfileInspector.exe file. In the application, on the Profiles Search Bar in the top left corner, type and select Fallout 4. Between the Icons line on the Middle Top click on the icon with a green arrow pointing down, then select the Import Profile(s) option and find the inspector profile you downloaded from the BRB guide page (reference image). Now if in the Green Bar on top of the Nvidia Inspector window you see the f4se_loader.exe (as shown in the image) you can click the big green Apply Changes button in the top right corner and close the program. If it's not there, click on the Middle Top icon with a little green plus and find the f4se_launcher.exe file that should be in your fallout 4 main folder, then click Apply Changes in the top right corner and close the program.

FO4 ENB Libraries - Scroll to the bottom of the page for the latest ENB version v0.428 and click the Download button. Extract the download archive and then from within the Wrapper Version folder inside the extracted archive copy the d3d11.dll and d3dcompiler_46e.dll files to your Fallout 4 root folder. These files are necessary to have in your Fallout 4 folder for using any ENB preset so even if you are playing with other ENB presets, these two files must always remain in your Fallout 4 folder for ENB to run.

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BethINI - Manually download the main file and extract the BethINI Standalone folder from the downloaded archive to your Fallout 4 root folder where you have the game installed (steamapps/common/Fallout 4). Close MO2 before running BethINI! Double-click to run the BethINI.exe within the BethINI Standalone folder in your Fallout 4 root folder. Upon opening BethINI there will be a popup asking for permission to modify custom files. Click YES! Moving from left to right along the tabs at the top of the BethINI application window I will walk you through all that needs to be set to correctly configure your game's INI files for a stable playthrough.

Starting with the left-most Setup tab, configure settings in each drop-down to match this image exactly (reference image). Ensure that game path is set to the folder where you have installed Fallout 4, Mod Organizer path is set to the Whispering Chills folder location that contains all of the files from your MO2 install, and the INI path is set to your default Mod Organizer profile (Mod Organizer > Default from the drop-down). When you set your INI path to Mod Organizer > Default as shown, MO2 will restart and upon reopening there will be a popup asking for permission to modify custom files. Click YES!

Next, move on to the Basic tab and do the following:

-Check the box in front of Recommended Tweaks (this only has to be done once even if it appears as unchecked later)
-Select a graphics preset based on your hardware that is in line with the preset you usually select when configuring options in the game launcher (NOT the Ultra preset)
-Check the boxes next to Always Active and Always On Top
-Uncheck the box next to VSync and set Anisotropic Filtering to None favoring the settings from NVIDIA Profile Inspector instead
-Set Antialiasing to TAA if it isn't already set to that

Under the Gameplay tab do the following:

-Check the box next to Sprint Fix

Under the Detail tab do the following:

-Set Decal Quality to Medium
-Set Particles to 750
-Set Shadow Resolution to 2048 (for Medium and High presets) or 1024 (for Low presets)
-Set Exterior Draw Distance to 8000 (for Medium and High presets) or 3000 (for Low presets)
-Set Ambient Occlusion to None in favor of ENB AO
-Uncheck the boxes next to Bokeh and Motion Blur

Under the View Distance tab do the following:

-Set Preset to Low under the right-hand Distant Object Detail section
-Set Decal Fade to Low under the right-hand Distant Object Detail section

These view distance changes are optional but can save 5-15 FPS on average in exteriors by reducing LOD (distant texture) details which aren't noticeable anyways due to Whispering Hills' vision-obscuring fog that masks distant objects.

Under the Visuals tab do the following:

-Set Grass Density to 50

Under the Custom tab select each section from the first drop-down as shown and then select each setting from the second drop-down as listed and set its value to what is shown (reference image). You must click the Save button at the bottom of the Custom tab window after you change EACH setting or it will be reverted!:

Display Section:
bMultiThreadedRendering=1
fBlendSplitDirShadow=96
iDirShadowSplits=3
iMaxFocusShadows=3
iMaxFocusShadowsDialogue=3
uiOrthoShadowFilter=2

Imagespace Section:
bDoRadialBlur=0

Interface Section:
iHUDColorB=240
iHUDColorG=250
iHUDColorR=255

Gameplay Section:
iDifficulty=5

General Section:
bForceUpdateDiffuseOnly=0
iNumHWThreads=4
iTextureDegradeDistance0=1600
iTextureDegradeDistance1=3000
iTextureUpgradeDistance0=1200
iTextureUpgradeDistance1=2400
sStartingConsoleCommand=bat WC

Papyrus Section:
fExtraTaskletBudgetMS=2.4
fUpdateBudgetMS=2.4
iMaxAllocatedMemoryBytes=307200
iMaxMemoryPageSize=1024
iMinMemoryPageSize=256

Pipboy Section:
bPipboyDisableFX=1
fPipboyEffectColorB=1
fPipboyEffectColorG=1
fPipboyEffectColorR=1

Make sure you clicked the Save button at the bottom of the Custom tab window after changing EACH setting!

When you are finished making the specified changes in each tab of BethINI, go back to the Basic tab and click Save & Exit.

For those with a NVIDIA RTX GPU you MUST make one final change to your INI files. Click on the puzzle icon (reference image for all primary MO2 toolbar icons; click the puzzle icon) for the INI Editor in MO2. If you need to, always use this INI Editor from within MO2 to change INI settings from now on. You should no longer need to open BethINI again. Under the Fallout4Prefs.ini tab search for the [NVFlex] section header and set the line bNVFlexEnable to 0 if it isn't already. Your game will suffer from constant crashing if you don't disable this setting by turning it to 0 while you have a NVIDIA RTX GPU. Click the Save button when finished editing this INI (reference image).

WC.txt - In the Custom tab of BethINI, one of the settings you configured was a line called sstartingconsolecommand in the General section which you set to bat WC. In this step we will create a batch text file that will run every time the game starts to automatically configure several settings on startup that will help balance performance. Navigate to your root Fallout 4 folder where you have installed the game then right-click on any open space and create a new Text Document. Open this new text file in any text editor and then copy and paste the following lines into the text file:

gr off
cl rim .002
fov 90 90
setgs iTerminalDisplayRate 1200
setgs fWorkshopWireMaxLength 2200
setgs fGunShellLifetime 150
setgs fGunShellCameraDistance 12800
setgs iDebrisMaxCount 375
setgs iHoursToRespawnCell 720
setgs iHoursToRespawnCellCleared 2160
setgs iHoursToClearCorpses 10
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadComplexCount 50
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadCount 50
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadComplexTotalActorCount 65
setgs iRemoveExcessDeadTotalActorCount 50
taa on
taa sharp 0
taa lf 0
taa hf 0.7
taa ps 0
taa po 0.3
fxaa off

When finished, save this file and name it WC.txt. Make sure you name it WC.txt and not WC.txt.txt (a common mistake that can be avoided by making file extensions visible in File Explorer) so that the game can recognize it on startup. The text file must be named exactly as WC.txt to be recognized by the game on startup.

Please visit the BRB Guide page for more context on what each line does as this process and its optimization decisions are derived from his methods.

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Before starting this section, please note that it is entirely OPTIONAL and can be done at any time. It is easily the single most time-consuming part of any guide setup, but it is extremely worth it in my opinion for those who want a perfect quality-performance balance in their textures. Using this method of retexturing the game will not only improve loading times and FPS but also make the game look better overall without having to download and install 100's of individual texture mods. This innovative approach from the BRB guide is truly the golden standard of retexturing Fallout 4 because it does it in a way that packs the textures from several high-quality texture mods into your game's original .ba2 archives where all base game textures are stored. Using this tool will retexture nearly every object in the game with a higher-quality equivalent, and by baking these textures into your .ba2's you will experience little to no performance loss as compared to installing them loose as mods individually. Best of all, you can install all of your own texture mods over these texture packs as you please because they are now treated as the original base game .ba2's and allow for any texture mods you install to overwrite what is present in your base game texture archives without conflicts. When it comes to textures in Fallout 4, nothing is better than the texture optimization process from the BRB guide.

Overall, this process can take anywhere between 90 minutes and 4 hours to complete, primarily based on whether you run this process on a HDD or SSD. If you want to simply continue on with the guide and actually start installing mods then you can proceed to do so without any issues and return to this step at any time! This process requires a great deal of space to run it successfully (up to 120GB), however after finishing you should be able to remove many of the intermediate files to significantly reduce the size of its related files. Once you are ready, CAREFULLY follow through each step below. It is easy to make mistakes if you are not paying attention, however this is not a process you want to make mistakes on as doing so can result in lots of wasted time and frustration for you!

BRB Guide Texture Optimization Packs

Start by manually downloading the FIRST Main File from the Files tab of the BRB guide - Workbase. All files to be downloaded for this section will come from the BRB guide Files tab linked above. Extract the folder from the downloaded archive to a hard drive that has a lot of space on it (requires at least 120GB; doesn't need to be extracted on the same hard drive as the one you have installed Fallout 4 on) and rename the folder to Workbase. Within the Workbase folder, there are 3 important folders we will be working with. Let's start with the originalBA2 folder.

In File Explorer, navigate to your Fallout 4/Data folder within the location where you have Fallout 4 installed and find the following 15 .ba2 texture archives from the base game and COPY them from your Fallout 4/Data folder to the originalBA2 folder inside Workbase (reference image)

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Once your 15 original .ba2's are placed inside the OriginalBA2 folder within Workbase, you must decide which texture repacks you want to make use of. Under the Main Files and Optional Files sections of the BRB guide files you will find 3 parts for the Main Repack, a single part Performance Overhaul, a 2 part Quality Overhaul, and a single part Restyle pack. The main repack is to be considered essential as it is the core of the retexture process and covers the most objects in-game. Performance, Quality, and Restyle packs are all OPTIONAL. Whether you use these other packs is really up to your preference and hardware. Here is my recommendation (as derived from BRB's suggestions):

-If you have a lower-end system (graphics card as powerful or less powerful than a GTX 1060), use only the Performance and Main texture packs.

-If you have a higher-end system (graphics card as powerful or more powerful than a GTX 1660Ti) and want to maximize graphical fidelity of textures, use the Main and Quality texture packs (and optionally the Restyle pack as well)

The combination of packs to be used is up to you. I personally use all four packs for a great quality-performance balance! You can look at the Credits section at the bottom of the BRB guide page to see what all mods are included in each texture pack to help guide your decision. Once a decision has been made, proceed by following the step below. These texture packs are large so do consider spending the $3 to purchase Nexus Premium for a month for uncapped download speeds so this does not have to take any longer than is necessary. Please note that no matter which texture packs you use, they must be downloaded and extracted IN THIS EXACT ORDER (Performance - Main - Quality - Restyle)!:

(OPTIONAL) If you are using the Performance texture pack, download the FIRST file under Optional Files from the BRB guide Files tab - Performance Overhaul. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder.

Download the SECOND file under Main Files from the BRB guide Files tab - Main Repack - Part One. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder. Say Yes to All for any overwrites!

Download the THIRD file under Main Files from the BRB guide Files tab - Main Repack - Part Two. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder. Say Yes to All for any overwrites!

Download the LAST file under Main Files from the BRB guide Files tab - Main Repack - Part Three. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder. Say Yes to All for any overwrites!

(OPTIONAL) If you are using the Quality texture pack, it has two parts so start with the first part and download the SECOND file under Optional Files from the BRB guide Files tab - Quality Addon - Part One. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder. Say Yes to All for any overwrites! Then download the THIRD file under Optional Files - Quality Addon - Part Two. Extract the Textures folder from within the downloaded archive to the PatchedFiles folder within your Workbase folder. Say Yes to All for any overwrites!

(OPTIONAL) Lastly, if you are using the Restyle texture pack, download the LAST file under Optional Files from the BRB Guide Files tab - Restyle Pack - Fomod using the Download with Manager button! This texture pack must be installed within MO2 if you are using it because it uses a FOMOD installer where you can choose which textures it includes. After downloading, the Restyle pack should appear under the Downloads tab in the right pane of MO2. Double-click to install it as a mod in the left pane. During the installer popup that appears, select which texture options you would like to use and click the Install button at the bottom when finished choosing. Now a mod listing called "3.Restyle Pack" should appear in the left pane of MO2. Double-click 3.Restyle Pack in the left pane and a separate window will open. Click on the File Tree tab and then click on the Open in Explorer button within it (top left). In the new File Explorer window that opens, copy the Textures folder that appears from the Restyle Pack to your PatchedFiles folder within Workbase. Say Yes to All for any overwrites! Close the File Explorer window and the mod window for Restyle Pack in MO2 then right-click the mod listing for 3.Restyle Pack in the left pane and click on Remove/Uninstall to remove this mod from MO2. Since we have moved its files to the Workbase folder, we no longer need it installed in MO2!

The three important folders within your Workbase folder that I mentioned earlier are OriginalBA2, PatchedFiles, and PatchedBA2. At this time, OriginalBA2 should have your 15 original .ba2 archives copied from your Fallout 4/Data folder. PatchedFiles should now have only a Textures folder inside of it which contains the textures from each of the texture repacks you decided to use (extracted and overwritten in the exact specified order of Performance - Main - Quality - Restyle). PatchedBA2 will have 15 .ba2 archives inside of it when this process is finished that are named exactly the same as the .ba2 archives you placed in the OriginalBA2 folder but significantly larger in file size (since the textures from the PatchedFiles folder are packed into them). Ensure the OriginalBA2 folder and PatchedFiles folder are set up exactly as specified above and then look for the file called installer.bat inside your Workbase folder and double-click to run it.

This process can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on whether you are running it on a HDD or SSD. Step away from the computer and try not to have any intensive processes running in the background as this is a very resource-intensive process itself! Do not worry about any messages within the command prompt window as it is running. Check back after some time has passed, and once you receive a message telling you that the program ran successfully, you can close out of the window! In the interest of keeping things concise, please direct any questions or issues to the Whispering Chills Discord server or the Posts tab of this Nexus page if you do run into any. If you follow these instructions exactly as they are laid out (and have a legal, non-pirated copy of the game), you should have no issues whatsoever!

After installer.bat finishes running, close the command prompt window. Navigate to the PatchedBA2 folder within your Workbase folder and there should be 15 .ba2 archives shown that are named the same as the 15 you placed in the OriginalBA2 folder, only these should all be larger than the original archives. If everything seems to be correct, copy these 15 .ba2 archives from PatchedBA2 to your Fallout 4/Data folder where you copied the original 15 .ba2 archives from. We are copying these 15 patched .ba2 archives to your Fallout 4/Data folder so that they can overwrite the original vanilla ones, so when prompted to overwrite, say Yes to All! (reference image)

Voila! You are done with the texture optimization process. It is recommended you keep your vanilla archives in the OriginalBA2 folder as backups just in case of any issues, and you should also for convenience keep the patched .ba2 archives in your PatchedBA2 folder so that if you ever decide to start over or reinstall the game, you don't have to rerun installer.bat and can simply copy these 15 .ba2 files from your PatchedBA2 folder back to your Fallout 4/Data folder and overwrite the original .ba2 archives again easily! To save on space, you can delete the Textures folder from within the PatchedFiles folder which should free up a good amount of storage space.

All credits for this amazing process go to BiRaitBec himself who spent years of his own personal time developing the tool and obtaining permissions from each texture mod author to include their textures in his repack process. A true legend!

It is highly recommended you try starting your game now by using the F4SE option from the executable drop-down in MO2 and clicking the Run button (reference image). Get through the opening prologue outside of Vault 111 and make sure everything looks and plays as it should and then proceed onto actually starting to install mods in the next section!

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Congrats! You've made it through the most difficult part of the guide! Relatively speaking everything should be smooth sailing from here on out. (Repeating this from the texture optimization section in case you decided to skip it) It is highly recommended you try starting your game now by using the F4SE option from the executable drop-down in MO2 and clicking the Run button (reference image). Get through the opening and outside of Vault 111 and make sure everything looks and plays as it should and then proceed onto actually starting to install mods in this section! The installation of mods will all be happening through MO2 and should be fairly straightforward from here on out! Be sure to carefully read the install instructions for each as there is sometimes more that goes into installing a mod than simply downloading and installing it through MO2.

Important note before starting...Sorting mods in the left pane is just as important as sorting plugins under the Plugins tab in the right pane. Left pane order determines the order of priority between loose files from mods (i.e. files that aren't packed into .ba2 archives or plugins) and right pane Plugins order determines the load order of mods and which changes override from each mod in case of conflicts. If you follow this exact installation order, you should not have to move any mods in the left pane as you go. Nevertheless, a list of how the left pane mod priority order should appear as well as a text file that will automatically sort your plugins in the right pane will be provided toward the end of the guide, so you don't have to worry about manually sorting anything in MO2 until then (and if you follow this guide exactly you shouldn't have to manually sort any mods at all)! You are welcome to try launching and testing the setup as you go, however you may run into issues until the left and right pane is sorted correctly after all the mods are installed.

To help simplify the process, mods exclusive to Whispering Chills will be intermixed within the install order for mods from the BRB guide. Since this is a fork of the BRB guide, it requires installing several mods from the BRB guide as part of its foundational setup. To help clarify between both groups, mods from the BRB foundational setup will be followed by (BRB) and mods exclusively added by the Whispering Chills guide fork will be followed by (WC). All context mini-descriptions on what the BRB guide mods provide are from the BRB Tribute Edition guide revision made by CyberDanz available now on the BRB Discord server. All context mini-descriptions for WC-exclusive mods are written by me.

A popup will often appear after installing a mod in MO2. You can just click OK in every case (or you can rename the mod in the popup before install) unless a custom installer pops up for which additional instructions will be provided on what to select for the mod.

Mod Configuration Menu - MCM (BRB) - Get ready to install the first mod of the guide in MO2! Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button. Always use this button to download mods through MO2 unless specified otherwise. The mod should now appear in the right pane of MO2 under the Downloads tab. Double-click the mod file downloaded for MCM under the Downloads tab to install it.

A listing for Mod Configuration Menu should now appear in the left pane of MO2 with the checkbox next to it unchecked. Check the box next to Mod Configuration Menu in the left pane to activate it. You must check the box next to every mod you install in the left pane to activate it and add its contents to your virtual data directory! Any mod that is left unchecked will not load when you run the game. After doing so, you will notice there is no plugin added under the Plugins tab in the right pane.

Not all mods you install will have a plugin to add here, however all mods at the very least will have file contents to add to your virtual Data directory under the Data tab in the right pane (reference image). You can double-click any mod in the left pane of MO2 and click on the File Tree tab to examine its contents. You will follow this exact, simple method of download (with manager) and install from the Downloads tab for almost every mod, but some mods require a few extra steps to install completely so please read carefully!

Private Profile Redirector (BRB) - This mod speeds up game start by storing INI files in memory instead of opening, parsing and closing the file each time some value from it is needed.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Faster Workshop (BRB) - Faster Workshop is a F4SE plugin that optimizes workshop loading times by replacing some of the most expensive and inefficient regions of workshop loading code with far more efficient versions. Also provides a hotkey to instantly enter Workshop mode and fixes workshop icon load lag.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch (BRB) - A comprehensive bugfix mod for Fallout 4. The goal of the Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch (aka UFO4P) is to eventually fix every bug with Fallout 4 not officially resolved by the developers to the limits of the Creation Kit and community-developed tools, in one easy-to-install package.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Flicker Fixer (BRB) - Flicker Fixer fixes most of the exterior flickering aka z-fighting in the game, particularly in the Boston and Cambridge areas.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears do not change any options just click the Next button at the bottom and then the Finish button.

Workshop Framework (BRB) - Framework to open the settlement system to editing by the community!

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Raw Input (BRB) - Disables Mouse Acceleration, Horizontal/Vertical Parity, Scalable ADS Multiplier, and gives Normalized Sensitivity.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears do not change any options just click the Finish button at the bottom.

Follower Stealth Distance Fixes (BRB) - A simple change that prevents your companion from charging up your posterior at full speed whenever you enter stealth. Also slightly increases their follow distance. Now also prevents Dogmeat from entering player crosshairs every damn time you stop!

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears do not change any options just click the Finish button at the bottom.

Looks Menu Customization Compendium (BRB) - Special Note: The Looks Menu Requirement (when viewing LMCC requirements) is not a real one! It is abusing the Nexus category just for simple crediting. Do not install Looks Menu thinking it is required, just this mod.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Merged Fixes - Custom (BRB) - Download the first file under Update Files Merged Mods - Fixes - Fomod under Update Files and install in MO2. When the installer opens choose the Select Mods option (NOT ALL-IN-ONE) and on the next page ONLY check the boxes next to:

Water LOD fix
Smooth first person sprint
Fixed alpha maps
3rd person beard fix
MystiriousDawn's HD Lensflare
Console Enabler for Survival

When finished checking these options click the Install button at the bottom of the installer window. A listing for Merged Fixes should now appear in the left pane. For naming consistency, you can optionally right-click the Merged Fixes mod in the left pane and click Rename and name it Merged Fixes - Custom or Merged Fixes - WC, otherwise leave it named as it is by default.

Armor and Weapon Keywords Community Resources - AWKCR (BRB) - AWKCR creates a standardized framework of keywords for: armor and weapon records for use by dynamic naming mods (and other mods that utilize these keywords to do cool things), crafting menus, and a color swap & decal swap framework. It standardizes apparel slot usage to prevent conflicts between mod authors creations to increase inter usability. It creates standardized armor, weapons, ammunition, and explosive workbenches to be utilized for crafting items added by mods. Lastly, it creates a collection of object modifications for blade weapons to recreate blade tempering from Skyrim for use by weapon mod authors.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears do not change any options just click the Next button at the bottom until you reach the last screen and then click the Install button.

Armorsmith Extended - AE (BRB) - Armorsmith Extended expands on AWKCR even further by changing many things. There are sixteen specifics that Armorsmith Extended targets. They are too many to list here. Please read the description page on the Nexus for the full details!

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

SKK Fast Start (WC) - No more vault prologue! You are no longer a person desperately looking to avenge their significant other and locate their missing child. This mod trims away the added grind time of the prologue and allows you to jump right into role-playing as whatever character you wish.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

HUD Framework (BRB) - A UI framework that makes it possible for mods to add new UI elements to the HUD in a conflict-free way. Stats, time, widgets... and more!

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Immersive HUD - iHUD (BRB) - The aim of iHUD is to provide the immersive feel you get from having no HUD, whilst keeping the usefulness of having one. It takes the permanently visible HUD elements like the compass and crosshair, and hides them when not needed. Hence the motto: HUD when you need it and HIDE when you do not!

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Alex's Male First Person Camera Height Fix (BRB) - This fixes the eye height when playing as a male character since the game keeps it at the height of the female character.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

QuickTrade Redux (BRB) - Adds an option to quickly trade with merchants without going through tedious dialogue.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

FallSouls - Unpaused Game Menus (WC) - An essential mod for the setup that makes it so that the game doesn't actually stop running when you pause or open the pip-boy. The pip-boy is no longer a safe means of catching your breath in the middle of combat, but rather a death sentence for those foolish enough to try opening it in the middle of a fight. Setting hotkeys is very important when using this mod!

Download and install the main file via MO2. Double-click Fallsouls - Unpaused Game Menus in the left pane and navigate to the INI Files tab then set each line equal to 0 in BOTH ini's listed on the left (e.g. bConsole=0, bTerminalMenu=0, etc.). Click the save icon above the right-side INI editor for both when finished making changes then close the window (reference image). We will re-enable these later after configuring holotapes in-game so that you are not being attacked while trying to configure the game.

Improved Maps With Visible Roads (WC) - The commonwealth is massive! Given the added emphasis on open exploration in this guide setup, it's nice to have a pip-boy map with some actual fine details to help you navigate!

Download and install the main file via MO2. During the installer just select the Default option and click the Install button at the bottom. Then download and install (in this order, from the Optional Files section of this mod's Files tab) IMVR - Nuka World (Default) and IMVR - Far Harbor (Default) within MO2.

Classic Holstered Weapons System - CHWS (BRB) - Finally, a proper engine-level system for showing holstered weapons on characters, with various customization options. The dynamic nature of this mod allows for it to just work on any weapon, including any mod added weapon as long as they are consistent with the implementation standards of vanilla weapons.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Tactical Flashlights (BRB) - Adds wearable flashlight equipment to the Commonwealth. Each piece occupies different armor slots, has different stats and bonuses, and some allow mods to be applied.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears click the Next button at the bottom of the installer and then on the second screen select 100% + Shadows and then click the Install button at the bottom.

Weapon Additions (WC) - This section contains several high-quality weapons that I love using in all my playthroughs and have tested as being compatible with this guide. Check the linked mod page for each and only download and install the ones you personally like (or none if you only want vanilla weapons). I have narrowed this list down to primarily semi-automatic and not-too-overpowered weapons as this is meant to be survival horror not a shoot-em-up FPS (just play the base game for that). You are welcome to install any additional weapon mods and place them at the bottom of the guide weapon mods in the left and right panes (Plugins tab right pane), however I cannot guarantee their quality, balance, or stability with the guide setup and they may require patches! I recommend you visit the Whispering Chills Discord server to offer suggestions on weapons to add to the guide (that fit the tone of the setup) instead. Download and install the weapon mods you wish to use from the list below in this exact order:

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Some Assembly Required - DLC - AWKCR (WC) - Power armor begone! You are playing a gritty survival horror overhaul so power armor has no place here! Some Assembly Required seeks to remove as many instances of power armor frames and pieces in the game as possible, however some have to be left in place due to scripted dependencies. Nevertheless, I highly encourage you NOT to make use of any power armor you find in the game!

Download and install the SECOND Optional File Some Assembly Required - AWKCR Support file via MO2.

Immersive Fallout - Custom (BRB) - A Fallout experience that feels realistic, rewarding, and ultimately much more fun. Step out of the vanilla fantasy and step into some reality.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. During the installer that appears, select Custom on the first screen and then DLC under Movement, Standard (DLC) under Recoil, DLC under ADS, ONLY Realistic Jumping under Misc., and lastly RAW INPUT under Patches then click the Install button.

A listing for Immersive Fallout should now appear in the left pane. For naming consistency, you can optionally right-click the Immersive Fallout mod in the left pane and click Rename and name it Immersive Fallout - Custom or Immersive Fallout - WC, otherwise leave it named as it is by default.

Better Cooking Stations (BRB) - Overhauls the vanilla cooking stations with better effects and features and adds several new ones including a working kitchen stove, BBQ grill, and Super Mutant cooking pot.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. Then download the FOURTH file under Optional Files - Better Cooking Stations v2.0 Far Harbor plus Nuka World patch and install it in MO2.

Better Cooking Stations Immersive Patch (BRB) - Improves the sounds of the cooking station along with several levelled item changes.

Download the FIRST main file - Better Cooking Stations Immersive Patch and install in MO2.

Better Explosives Redux (BRB) - Rebalances the damage, radius and force of explosions making them more effective and realistic.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Survival Options (WC) - Provides a comprehensive configuration hub for survival settings that we use to adjust everything from needs to ingoing and outgoing damage. Settings related to this mod will be configured at the very end of the guide during the Holotape/MCM Configuration section.

Download and install the main file via MO2. Select none in the installer that appears.

Night of the Creeps (WC) - Adds an extra layer of tension to nights (and gives you another reason to never go outside at night) by randomly spawning especially strong, black-colored feral ghoul variants called creeps as well as black-colored creepy Yao Guai variants.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

No VATS Overhaul (WC) - Let's face it...VATS is a gameplay mechanic we all cheat and use as a crutch to sway the outcome of a combat encounter in our favor. It has no place in a realistic survival horror playthrough and as such makes combat encounters more challenging; encouraging you to instead consider stealth or avoid fights altogether early-game.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Commonwealth Cuts (BRB) - Collection of conversions from Skyrim's KS Hairdos and ApachiiSkyHair.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

The Eyes of Beauty (BRB) - Replaces the default textures with high resolution ones for both male and female. The textures are 512x512 in resolution, meaning that it's twice the resolution of Fallout 4 Vanilla's.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears do not change any options (leave all options at their defaults) and just click the Next button at the bottom of the window until Install appears and finally click Install.

Eye Normal Map Fix (BRB) - Enhances normal maps for the eyes.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Merged Appearance - Custom (BRB) - Download and install the SECOND file under Update Files - Merged Mods - Appearance - Fomod via MO2.  When the installer opens choose the Select Mods option (NOT ALL-IN-ONE) and on the next page ONLY check the boxes under the Animations Mods section:

Merged Alternative Animations
10mm Pistol Reanimation Pack
Laser Weapons 1st Person Reposition
Fiddler's Deliverer Animation Replacer
Revolver Animation Pack
Hunting Rifle Animation Replacer
Reanimation Pack for Combat Shotgun and Rifle
DoubleBarrel Shotgun Reload Animation
Right-handed Submachine gun

When finished checking these options click the Install button at the bottom of the installer window. Due to the file naming structure of BRB merged mod packs, you may receive a prompt to merge, replace or rename after installing merged appearance. If you do, select Rename and name the mod Merged Appearance – Custom then click Ok. A listing for Merged Appearance - Custom should now appear in the left pane.

Stay Focused Son (BRB) - Replaces the pistol relaxed animation in 3rd person.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Automatically Lowered Weapons (BRB) - This mod uses a script to automatically lower your weapon when you are not in combat. By default, it is configured to have a delay of 3 seconds before lowering your gun.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Grab the Damn Mag (BRB) - This mod fixes a lot of the massive clipping issues (for weapons that have that M4/M16 - AK/FAL layout) happening with the animations, mainly with the mods that have that animation with the mag going in sideways.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Hollywood Bullet Tracers (BRB) - Ballistic bullets will have bright tracers for the player and NPCs. Please note that this mod will change bullets from vanilla instant hit scan to very fast projectiles, which is how the tracers are made to be bright and visible.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Hollywood Laser Bolts (BRB) - Lasers will become laser bolts and glow bright to the color of the laser for the player and NPCs. Please note that this mod will change lasers from vanilla instant hit scan to very fast projectiles, which is how the tracers are made to be bright and visible.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

WET (BRB) - Enhances all water and water-related effects and textures in the game.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. When the installer appears select WET Assets with Rain and WET Clearer options then click the Install button at the bottom.

Ultra Interior Lighting (BRB) - This is a comprehensive lighting mod that brings you many more shadow lights and a general improvement to overall lighting, ambience and fog to the interiors of the Commonweatlh, Far Harbor and Nuka World. When used with the darker ambience plugin it makes interiors properly creepy and eerie where you can only see clearly around light sources.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2. Then download and install in MO2 the Optional File - Darker Ambience Plugin.

Survival Saving - Holotapes Save the Game (WC) - Download and install the main file via MO2. During the installer that appears, select Enabled for LList Integration. When using this mod, the only reliable means of saving apart from beds is by loading "Recordable Holotapes" you find in the Commonwealth into your pip-boy or a terminal. It is a perfect medium between using a cheat mod to enable manual saving in survival and the all-too-harsh punishment of only being able to save at beds in a Bugthesda game that is prone to crash no matter the setup.

With the holotape settings specified in the very last section of this guide you will be able to keep and reuse any Recordable Holotapes you place into a terminal to save with, but you will use and dispose of any Recordable Holotapes you place directly in your pipboy to save with. This will place you in difficult situations where you will have to scrounge through containers more often to find more and will also have to frequently make the decision to save in your pipboy just in case you die (and then lose the holotape) or wait until you can find a terminal to save and keep the holotape to use again later.

Swinging Animated Meat Bags (BRB) - This mod adds a new swinging animation to all the hanging meat bags in the game, with swinging sound, dripping blood and swarming flies effect. It also fixes all meat bags so their loot will respawn. Swarming flies are also added to fallen meat bags, including craftable ones.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

Road Flares (WC) - A necessity when hunkering down and hiding during an unexpected Otherworld encounter! The only downside is that the duration of the flare is extremely short which is no easy xEdit fix. They can be crafted or found in containers or on enemies via levelled lists, however you can offset the lack of proper flare duration by spawning some in via console the same way you would spawn in weapons from the weapon additions section of the guide (help flare 4 weap -- player.additem XXXXXXX).

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Dark Sci-Fi Vault Retexture (WC) - A terrific retexture of vaults that makes them appear more cold and claustrophobic.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Gritty Subway Stations (WC) - Retextures subway stations to match the tone of the guide setup. It's the little things that make all the difference!

Download and install EITHER main file (not both) choosing between 2K and 4K depending on the desired quality-performance balance. I personally use 4K with virtually no performance impact.

FallEvil Zombie Dogs (WC) - Replaces all mongrels in the game with a more horror-oriented variant inspired by T-virus infected dogs from Resident Evil.

Download and install the main file and the optional file in MO2.

Creepy Mannequins (WC) - Retextures mannequins to have a more terrifying and sinister look. When paired with Whispering Hills let's just say it's a killer combo. As if mannequins weren't creepy enough already!

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Glowing Animals Emit Light (WC) - Glowing creatures will now produce a visible halo of light on the ground (and even in the fog surrounding them) adding that extra spook factor especially as they draw toward you from a distance.

Download and install the FIRST main file - Glowing Animals Emit Light - ALL DLC via MO2.

ENB Lights Overhaul (WC) - Overhauls light meshes in a way that looks amazing when using ENB; offering unique lens flares and HDR glare.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Lighting Series All-in-One (WC) - Let there be light! The first in a series of mods used by the guide that seek to restore lighting to various objects and buildings including Red Rocket, Starlight Diner, and bus stops.

Download and install the second main file - -Lighting- Series - AIO - MAIN with IllBill ALL DLC via MO2.

Radioactive Signs Lighting (WC) - Store sign decals and billboards across the Commonwealth will help light the way. Trust me...With this guide setup you will want all the light sources you can get!

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Wasteland Illumination (WC) - The most important means of navigation in urban areas...Street lights! You will slowly come to appreciate the stark contrast between relatively well-lit urban areas and the cold, lightless desolation of the rural countryside.

Download and install the third main file - Wasteland Illumination DLC .ESL via MO2.

Immersive Windows (WC) - As a final touch to exterior lighting additions, some buildings will now emit light from windows running along them.

Although you can choose your preference here (all will work) I highly recommend the second main file Windows (Dim) for the best balance of window lighting that doesn't look fake. Download and install via MO2.

Ultimate Window Overhaul (WC) - With this mod windows will finally look less like flat 2D textures and more defined, even utilizing specific means of screen space and cubemap reflections to dynamically reflect light. A minor addition...But an awesome one especially at night when your flashlight and its reflection off of windows is all you can see clearly.

Download and install the main file via MO2. During the installer select Loose Files on the first screen and the top/first option Screen Space Reflections + Cubemap Fake Reflections (Recommended) on the second screen.

Ultra Exterior Lighting (WC) - Exterior light sources now cast dynamic shadows and many exterior physical light sources have been overhauled to provide a more immersive exterior lighting setup.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

FO4 Sun (WC) - Replaces...The abomination Bethesda placed in the sky with an actual celestial sphere capable of emitting light which we call the Sun. An essential mod when all you can see in the sky other than fog is the sun.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Enhanced Blood Textures (WC) - A key facet of horror...Pools of blood!

Download and install the first main file EBT_Basic v101 via MO2. When the installer appears, leave all installer options at their defaults on the first page then choose High, Default Color for resolution and color on the second page and click Install at the bottom.

Blood Mist Overhaul (WC) - Blood will now spurt and spray from enemies as you gun them down.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Fixed Flickering Puddles (WC) - Although No More Fake Puddles below will remove water puddles, this mod should fix any issues related to flickering white blood decals from the pools of blood produced by Enhanced Blood Textures.

Download and install the main file via MO2. During the installer that appears select Nuka World under DLC support, Loose Files under File Type, and Enhanced Blood Textures under Compatibility.

No More Fake Puddles (WC) - Once upon a time Bethesda decided it would be a good idea to plop cheap-looking puddles every 5 feet along roadways to cover texture seams and as an added joke decide to make it so that they flicker uncontrollably as you walk by them. Now it's on the rest of civilized humanity (or rather the author of this mod) to fix that terrible mistake. Puddles begone!

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Less Annoying Water Rain Ripples (WC) - Download and install the main file via MO2. For the installer that appears, Transparency Level is up to your preference. I do level 3 personally. This mod is necessary in order to remove obnoxious rippling water effects in large bodies of water when it's only snowing (water applies the same ripple effect for rain and snow in-game).

Pip-Boy Flashlight (BRB) - No more radial pip-boy light with limited range. Light the way ahead with casted shadows to provide an eerie sense of tunnel vision allowing you only to see what is immediately in front of you (works great in the Otherworld!)

Download and install the SECOND main file - Pip-Boy Flashlight v6 BETA 3.02 via MO2.

Digital Nightmare (WC) - Download and install the first main file Digital Nightmare Main v1.10. Then download and install the second main file Far Harbor Music Addon. This mod is entirely optional and should only be used if you want consistently creepy and eerie background/ambient music while exploring the Commonwealth. Even when choosing the Always Silent Hill Music option from the Whispering Hills installer below, it fails to cover all regions of the map resulting in you having to listen to a lot of vanilla ambient music that doesn't fit the tone or atmosphere of the horror overhaul in my opinion. By installing Digital Nightmare and placing it before Whispering Hills, Digital Nightmare's music will only override vanilla music wherever Silent Hill music doesn't and also keeps Silent Hill music intact where it has been specifically assigned such as in battle or during Otherworld encounters.

SKK 4-76 Open World (WC) - The first absolutely core and essential mod of the this guide setup (with the second being Whispering Hills). To me, just adding scary creatures and weathers to a world full of characters, quests, and gameplay elements that directly contradict the element of horror wasn't enough. This mod provides the ability to clear out the entire commonwealth of all humans and synths leaving behind a more desolate wasteland to be explored freely a la Fallout 76 (minus the microtransactions). As the introduction of the guide states, survival is your primary goal, and you will no longer be bothered or distracted by the needs of others or any gameplay elements that would seek to otherwise provide you with comfort. You are alone (unless you choose to spawn survivors to fight using SKK Random Encounter Manager below), so let the fear sink in baby!

Download and install the main file via MO2.

SKK Random Encounter Manager (WC) - Download and install the main file via MO2. This mod is entirely optional as it is a very subjective addition based on personal preference. By default with SKK 4-76 Open World and Whispering Hills only Whispering Hills NPC's, vanilla creatures, and super mutants will be found in the Commonwealth, and as a result it feels a bit empty with several areas that have few to no combat encounters. By adding this mod, you will encounter groups of enemies more often. Please carefully read the information regarding the SKK Random Encounter Manager Faction Override Patch as part of the very last listed guide mod - CyberDanz Whispering Chills Optional Patches when you get there to help decide whether you want to use this mod and whether you will need that patch for it.

Whispering Hills (WC) - The second absolutely essential and core mod of this guide setup that forms the foundation of my vision in creating this guide. Everything in this guide was built from the ground up to enhance and accommodate the horror elements it offers that are great on their own but even better when paired with similarly spooky horror-themed mods. Please visit the mod page for more details regarding all that it changes and adds to the game.

Download and install the main file via MO2. During the installer that appears, ensure both DLC patches for Nuka World and Far Harbor are CHECKED. Under Alternative Addons ONLY check Pipboy flashlight patch.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whispering Hills has an .ini file with a sstartingconsolecommand line that will override the settings of your WC.txt from the guide setup steps unless you comment it out. Double-click the Whispering Hills mod in the left pane of MO2 and click the INI Files tab. Select the Whispering Hills.ini and then in the right pane that shows all the text lines in the .ini file line 2 should currently read sStartingConsoleCommand=cl off. Place a // in front of this line so that it reads as:

//sStartingConsoleCommand=cl off

Be sure to click the small SAVE icon just above that before closing this window (reference image).  If you don't do this step you will get terrible performance and unintended visual bugs among other things.

Choose only one flora option from below to download and install in MO2.

A Forest (WC - recommended flora option) - Simply one of the best flora mods to ever exist which enshrouds the rural areas of the Commonwealth with thick, luscious trees, grass, and other foliage. This mod singlehandedly amps up the horror levels to 11. When exploring rural areas this mod makes it even more difficult to see what all is hiding in the fog and shadows. Hell, you might even mistake Sirenhead for a tree like I often do.

The above link redirects you to the Discord server where this mod is now stored privately. In order to use this mod you must create a Discord account and then join the Discord server as linked above and then click this link to be taken to a Discord message from 1/3/2021 where you should see a link for a MEGA File containing the archive for A Forest 0.7 (in the #death-by-kitty-and-oynlen-mods channel). Install the downloaded archive via MO2 manually using the install mod from archive option (reference image). Please note that the FPS hit in areas with dense tree coverage can be as great as 20-30 FPS, however to me it is well worth it for those who have FPS to spare as it greatly enhances the horror factor overall and higher-end systems will still be able to maintain above 60 FPS almost everywhere.  I recommend at least trying this out and if you find your average FPS to be too low, remove this mod and try an alternative flora option below. Either way, you don't necessarily need a flora mod at all if you don't want one as the bare, vanilla trees are creepy enough on their own and the dense fog prevents you from seeing ugly, distant, and bare landscapes and LOD that is normally visible in vanilla.

OR

The Aspen Commonwealth + True Grass (WC - Better performance flora option) - A solid grass and tree combo that covers the commonwealth with dense grass and aspen trees which does a good job emulating the look of A Forest but is much more performance-friendly. Download and install both via MO2. The guide provides a modlist and load order based on using A Forest, so if you decide to use this instead you will have manually sort The Aspen Commonwealth and True Grass in the left and right panes of MO2 into the exact position that A Forest otherwise would be (between Whispering Hills and Merged Audio) after finishing the load order section of the guide.

OR

Boston Natural Surroundings (WC - suitable alternative flora option) - Another popular flora option that may suit the tastes of those who don't care for the other two flora options above. The guide provides a modlist and load order based on using A Forest, so if you decide to use this instead you will have to manually sort Boston Natural Surroundings in the left and right panes of MO2 into the exact position that A Forest would otherwise be (between Whispering Hills and Merged Audio) after finishing the load order section of the guide.

Important Note: Many other flora overhaul mods exist, however A Forest is the intended one for the guide and the other two are ones tested and known to work with the guide as well as fitting the aesthetic. Other flora mods may break precombines thereby destroying your performance or may present unforeseeable issues in terms of mod conflicts with other aspects of this guide. I highly recommend you stick to the provided options for flora.

Mutilated Dead Bodies (WC) - Adds a new questline, special weapon, and lots of gory, brutal bodily displays to special areas across the commonwealth. Not for the faint of heart!

Download and install the main file in MO2.

Merged Audio - Custom (BRB) - Download and install via MO2 the FOURTH listing under Update Files - Merged Mods - Audio - Fomod.  When the installer opens choose the Select Mods option (NOT ALL-IN-ONE) and on the next page ONLY check the boxes next to:

Project Reality Footsteps FO4
Barefoot Footsteps
Better Automatic Weapon Sounds
Commonwealth Gunfire Overhaul
Immersive Squeaky Doors
Inner City Ambience
Decreased Subway Announcement Sound
Reverb and Ambience Overhaul
Reverb and Ambience Overhaul - Vault Reverb Patch
Radio Reverb Fix

When finished checking these options click the Install button at the bottom of the installer window. Due to the file naming structure of BRB merged mod packs, you may receive a prompt to merge, replace or rename after installing merged audio. If you do, select Rename and name the mod Merged Audio – Custom then click Ok.  A listing for Merged Audio - Custom should now appear in the left pane.

Commonwealth Explosions Overhaul (WC) - A new audio overhaul from the author of the Commonwealth Gunfire Overhaul mod already included in BRB's merged audio pack which supersedes the Cinematic Explosions mod from his pack in terms of quality.

Download and install the first then second main file (in order, CEO - Commonwealth Explosion Overhaul then CEO - Special Explosives) via MO2.

Horror Ghouls Sound Pack (WC) - For those few feral ghouls you do come across...You'll wish you never did. The sounds of their screeches alone just might make you jump out of your seat!

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Sinister Ambient Sound (WC) - People tend to underestimate the level of anxiety and tension that simple audio tweaks and additions can provide to a modded setup. This mod will leave you constantly on the edge of your seat wondering whether you are about to be attacked or simply just hearing things in the distance.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Murder Death Scream (WC) - Screams of terror will now ring from the mouths of humanoid enemies if you choose to have them spawn when using SKK Random Encounter Manager. Especially gratifying to hear when they are attacked by Whispering Hills enemies.

Download and install the main file in MO2.

Existence 2.0 (WC) - Dark industrial ambient music with an awesome radio DJ to boot! Perfect to mix things up on occasion if Digital Nightmare or the Silent Hill music is starting to get repetitive. A Fallout modding staple for the past 11 years (ever since its initial release with Fallout 3).

Download and install the main file via MO2.

Silent Protagonist (WC) - Roleplay your way! No more idiotic mutterings or random exclamations of your son's name.

Download and install the main file via MO2.

UFO4P for Silent Protagonist Patch (WC) - Download and install via MO2 item 38 under Optional Files 38.Silent Protagonist n' UFO4P - BA2.

Boston FPS Fix (BRB) - Significantly improves FPS in downtown Boston and the surrounding areas to the extent that it is able. Downtown Boston will still suffer FPS drops due to poor base game optimization, but this mod does what it can to free up some FPS in the worst areas.

Download and install via MO2 the FIRST main file - Boston FPS Fix - AIO. Then download and install via MO2 the FOURTH optional file PaladinBaileyRedRocket.

Boston FPS Fix - Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch Hotfix (BRB) - An ESP replacer for Boston FPS Fix that takes into account the most recent changes from the Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch to more efficiently offer its optimizations.

Download the main file using the Mod Manager Download button and install it from the Downloads tab in MO2.

High FPS Physics Fix (BRB) - An essential mod I recommend in any playthrough even if you don't have a high FPS monitor. If you play above 60 FPS this mod is ESSENTIAL as it normalizes animation speed and fixes related bugs. It also reduces loading time (significantly if playing on SSD), which is the main reason why we use it. With the ini optimizations offered below, loading screens should take no more than 10-30 seconds depending on your hardware!

Download and install via MO2 the FIRST main file - High FPS Physics Fix. It is a performance booster and significantly increases loading times on all systems, even if you don't have a high FPS monitor. After installing this mod, double-click the High FPS Physics Fix mod in the left pane, click on the INI Files tab, select the HighFPSPhysicsFix.ini on the left and then on the right side where all lines from the .ini are displayed ensure the following lines are set as specified for the best performance boost (and to uncap FPS):

<line 14> EnableVSync=false

<line 19> DisableVSyncWhileLoading=true

<line 68> DisableBlackLoadingScreens=true - black loading screens will appear frozen with no animated loading icon so don't panic (your game did not crash) as this should significantly increase loading times

<line 73> DisableAnimationOnLoadingScreens=true - no more animated loading screens for longer loads just static background and text, but this should significantly increase loading times

(Reference image on what to change and where) - line placement/numbering may change from this exact image between updates but the lines to edit remain the same

Whispering Chills CyberDanz Patches - A series of patches that correct all overriding changes between mods to make them work together without conflicts or crash states. These patches are ESSENTIAL for use in order to ensure a smooth, stable, and expected Whispering Chills experience. Download and install in MO2 the 1st main file under the Files tab for this mod page - Whispering Chills CyberDanz Patches just like any other mod. Check the box next to this mod listing in the left pane and you should see several plugins appear at the bottom of the Plugins tab in the right pane.

Any patch plugins which say required must stay enabled in the right pane. All others are optional and dependent on specific mods from the guide, but you must disable certain patches if you aren’t using the mod they are for. Each patch has a very specific description and reasoning as to why you would disable it. For example, if you aren’t using any weapon or quest mods, or are only using certain weapon or quest mods (not all) then you must disable the patches for those mods which you do not have installed by unchecking the box next to each one in the right pane.

If you installed every mod in the guide you can leave everything as is and don’t have to disable any patches. If a patch is missing its corresponding master file (the mod it’s dependent on) then a warning symbol will appear next to the plugin listing in the right pane (see reference image). This means you either forgot to install the mod that patch depends on or the patch is for a mod you intentionally chose not to install, and therefore you should uncheck that patch in the right pane.

Some patches are highly subjective but do things that fall in line with our vision of how the guide should play, and you can optionally disable these if you do not like what they do. This includes the SKK REM Faction override patch which prevents spawning of bosses and synths when using SKK REM (covered in more detail during the holotape configuration section of the guide), longer nights patch, heavy fogs patch, remove ada patch, and lower lying figure damage patch all of which are all very subjective and you can disable them if you prefer.

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By installing each mod in the exact order specified, your left pane should be listed in the following order (with some variation depending on optionals and weapon mods). Don't forget to check every mod listed in the left pane to enable them!! Move mods in the left pane to match this if they aren't already in order:

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Loadorder.txt - For your actual plugin load order under the Plugins tab in the right pane of MO2, download the 3rd main file listed under the Files tab of this mod page Whispering Chills Guide Load Order and extract the loadorder.txt file within the downloaded archive to Whispering Chills (your MO2 folder)/profiles/Default and replace the existing loadorder.txt file. Open the loadorder.txt file directly in a text editor to see the intended order and compare against your plugins in the right pane of MO2. Compare the order of plugins in loadorder.txt to the order of plugins under the Plugins tab in the right pane of MO2 to see if anything is different and then adjust your right pane to match it by dragging plugins up and down if necessary. It should be an exact match with nothing out of order but any unrecognized plugins will be sorted out of place to the bottom meaning you may have downloaded the wrong version of a mod or something along those lines so it's good to double-check!

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Whispering Chills - A Horror Overhaul Modding Guide

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