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Overview

This mod adds over 60+ NEW and LORE-FRIENDLY creatures, of all shapes and sizes, to the world of Fallout 4! Through the use of hand-placed spawns, randomized leveled lists, and scripted integration, you can expect to experience a full, systematic overhaul of Fallout 4's ecosystems. Encounters with mutants in Fallout 4 should now be much more dynamic and interesting. Additionally, you will find dozens of new fish and flora in the world to catch and harvest, respectively. New collectibles, perks, crafting recipes, workshop objects, and so much more all come together to establish a true sandbox RPG experience for your character. Become a hunter, beast tamer, fisherman, forager, or even a wasteland chef! Hunt deadly world bosses, complete all 5 volumes of Dell Lincoln's in-game bestiary, or just play Fallout 4 as usual with new wildlife in the background. The options are almost endless!


Why did I make this mod?

This is a loaded question, so allow me to unload a hefty response.
I realize this version of Mutant Menagerie is quite different from what dropped way back in 2021. The design philosophy was always to use creatures to overhaul Fallout 4's ecosystems and improve combat variety. What changed was less of a focus on elements of the original mod that the game couldn't handle, and more on what it could. The engine is old, and it cannot manage many actors on-screen or loaded in the background. Especially compared to the games that inspired this mod (like RDR2, for example.) So my approach to ecosystems narrowed, and my approach to mechanics expanded. The result is something much more like what you'd expect from a Bethesda game. For fans of Big Game Hunting, I feel you. But the mod was just too cumbersome for its own good, and volume is often a game of diminishing returns when working with an aging engine. 


Now, the design philosophy - from a systems perspective - is very in-favor of the sandbox RPG style. I am personally tired of the tarkovification of Fallout modding, and all the ultra-realism/immersive sim/hardcore overhaul mods we've been flooded with in recent years. To be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with those types mods or the developers that make them, I just think they dominate the modding scene a bit too heavily at the moment. I prefer mods and games that lean into the more esoteric hallmarks of RPG design, rather than strip those elements out. This is Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role Playing Game. It's wacky, it's zany, and it believes in radiation magic. Fallout is the Dungeons & Dragons of the post-apocalypse genre - and I love it for that. Classic RPG franchises, at their core, exaggerate and embellish aspects of reality in ways that allow you to adapt otherwise intangible human experiences from our real world onto a digital (or tabletop-based) world. They are not meant to be realistic, and that's okay. So instead of gutting Fallout 4 and entirely replacing mechanics or adding arbitrary changes and tedium for the sake of realism, I wanted to design a full systematic overhaul for a part of the game that was additive in its implementation. Mutant Menagerie is my attempt to respect what is there, and fix issues through addition rather than subtraction or alteration. 

When it comes to implementation, I personally care about whether the systems of a game are fair, fun, engaging, and rewarding for the player. And THAT is where Fallout 4 was lacking. So that is where I have attempted to fill in some gaps. This mod doesn't shy away from that gamey RPG magic that people so-often like to criticize. It aims to make the game more difficult, but also more rewarding and engaging in ways that are streamlined, largely optional, and that don't introduce an overbearing amount of tedium. Shoot (or tame) monsters, unlock perks, build things. Find recipes, shoot (or tame) bigger monsters, build better things. No configuring intrusive menu options or anything like that, just plug it in and enjoy a more Fallouty Fallout 4. Let's embrace the magic together, shall we?





Features

1)New Creatures and Creature Types

This mod adds a wide roster of 65(ish) new mutants to the game world - including expansion worldspaces – most of which are nonhumanoid and as lore-friendly as possible. Great care was put into researching both Fallout lore and the real-life locales of the game to put together a roster of critters that feel like they truly belong. Many new ambient creatures roam the Commonwealth avoiding hungry mutants and trigger-happy hunters, while new hostile monstrosities scour the dusty wastes in search of prey. Most creatures are designed to fulfill roles and archetypes not included in the vanilla combat sandbox, in order to challenge the player in ways vanilla Fallout 4 doesn't. The new creatures of Mutant Menagerie have levelled variants, legendary variants, and all yield resources of increasing quality in conjunction with their rarity and/or difficulty.

Looking to spice up your DLC experience a bit more? Well you're in luck! With Mutant Menagerie, you'll also encounter entirely new categories of creatures. In Far Harbor, you'll encounter the ghostly, eldritch Fog-Touched: mutants that've been forever changed by their exposure to the Deep Fog. In Nuka-World, you'll encounter the vibrant and dangerous Quantum Mutants: deadly, blue-glowing monstrosities infused with Nuka-Cola Quantum! They represent ever-present endgame challenges to help round out the final hours of any Fallout 4 playthrough, and yield unique, valuable materials which can either be scrapped, sold, or used for crafting unique items! Both vanilla and Mutant Menagerie creatures alike are included in these new systems, so there are dozens of possible endgame monstrosities to encounter in the game's DLCs.   

But the fun doesn't end there! Many vanilla creatures have new variants to help fill out their leveled lists and bring them closer to the difficulty level of Mutant Menagerie creatures. Some are weaker variants of DLC creatures - intended to be encountered in the early game. Others, however, scale higher than their vanilla equivalents. These new variations, like the acidic gulper, will pack a serious surprise wallop later in the game. Some of these creatures are region-specific as well, and aid in further diversifying the ecosystems of Fallout 4.

2)New Fish and Flora

This mod adds 30+ new breeds and variations of flora and 50+ new species of fish to the world - all with totally new and optimized assets. All of the new fish and flora are based either on existing Fallout lore or months of research into the real-world ecosystems of Massachusetts - sometimes a bit of both! The various new ingredients gathered from this new flora are used in Mutant Menagerie's many, many new recipes. Fish can be interacted with and potentially caught - a system not dissimilar to that of Skyrim. Some of these new additions are commonly found throughout most of the world, some are largely regional, and others still are quite rare. A lot of care and thought was put into researching and building a proper biosphere for this post-apocalyptic world, without stumbling into the territories of either absurdity or redundancy. So get out there and get foraging! 

Not enough for you? Not looking to soak up all those soggy rads? Well, with Mutant Menagerie, you can now craft functional fishing rods and fishing bait and choose to catch your food in a more proper, sporting fashion. Through the fishing system, you can catch all of the breeds of fish found in the world using specific types and tiers of rods. All fish have multiple variants as well, from sickly and irradiated to flawlessly healthy. Craft the best rods and bait to increase your chances of catching more, better fish. This system is inspired by Commonwealth Fishing, but built around Mutant Menagerie and its creatures and mechanics. Get out on the water, land a true wasteland lunker, and mount it on your wall! Just be careful not to catch the attention of any opportunistic hunters that may be waiting below the water's surface.

STILL not enough? Looking for more of a simple life? Well, have I got news for you! All of the new flora found in Mutant Menagerie can be grown at your settlements! Additionally, ALL flora from the vanilla game that was previously inaccessible can be grown at settlements as well! The rarer and more wild the plant, the heftier the requirements for growing it at your settlement. Put your settlers to work growing the rarest and wildest mutant herbs and spices in the Commonwealth! Set up the farming empire of your dreams, kick your feet up with an ice cold Nuka-Cola, and relax while your underlings do the rest!



3)Perks and Progression

Progression in Mutant Menagerie is tied to all-new perks added by the mod. Unlike vanilla perks, these are not acquired through the perk menu, but through playing the mod.  By hunting and killing various creatures of different archetypes, you will unlock new perk rewards. These perks not-only provide benefits in the form of increased damage to specific creatures, but are also tied to the numerous new crafting recipes contained within Mutant Menagerie. To craft the best recipes and rewards in Mutant Menagerie, you will need to unlock perks through gameplay. This system, similar in concept to the challenge system in Fallout New Vegas, is the backbone of Mutant Menagerie, and acts as its primary progression system. Now, if you choose to roleplay a wasteland hunter, the game will reward you for doing so - as any good RPG should!

Additionally, most of the new features of Mutant Menagerie must be discovered and acquired through exploration. New schematics, guide books, and magazines are scattered throughout the map for you to find! This keeps the menus of crafting stations and settlement workshops uncluttered for players that don't wish to engage with these systems, while adding a new scavenger hunt for players that want to unlock everything contained within this mod. So get exploring, and discover all the hidden goodies Mutant Menagerie has to offer!


 
4)Crafting

Players can cook new recipes, scrap or sell creature parts, and roleplay the wasteland hunter of their dreams. Exploring the Commonwealth’s wilderness and hunting with Mutant Menagerie is meant to provide a viable alternative to the dungeon crawling, resource collecting loop that Fallout 4 is known for. Creature hides or equivalent resources generally vary in quality from poor to perfect. Their meat, on the other hand, usually comes in two categories – regular meat and high-quality meat (prime, plump, or succulent). Mutant Menagerie dares you to explore the wild, gather a wide array of resources and ingredients, and embrace your inner hunter-gatherer extraordinaire!

Mutant Menagerie introduces new recipes that expand on existing systems from the vanilla game. Craft powders and poultices with unique effects, cook dozens of entirely new food recipes, and even construct new weapons and ordinance. These recipes use both mod-added resources and existing fallout 4 ingredients, allowing you to use previously boring items from the vanilla game in new ways. Most crafting recipes for Mutant Menagerie equipment can be found under the new "Campfire Crafting" menu via the Cooking Station, while food recipes can be found in their respective vanilla menus. New recipes will require more time and effort to craft, and the benefits for your creations will be top-tier. So get out there and get crafting!



5)Wasteland Workshop

While some may seek to hunt and slaughter the creatures of the wastes, others may seek to master them. In Mutant Menagerie, you can craft cages for nearly all creatures - including both DLC creatures and new Mutant Menagerie creatures - using the system added in the Wasteland Workshop DLC. Build a wasteland zoo, a gladiatorial arena, or even tame and conquer captured beasts! But, maybe you wish to simply hunt from the convenience of your settlements? New types of cages, called Traps, can be crafted at your settlements. These special creature cages have a chance to capture wide varieties of mutants from specific categories. Set up a major trapping operation and get your settlers involved in a Commonwealth-wide fur trade! Cages, scale with creature-friendly perks like Animal Friend, while traps require ranks in Mutant Menagerie's all-new hunting perks to build.

Additionally, for the true mutant slayers amongst us, you can now embrace your inner trophy hunter! Mount the heads of mutant creatures and monstrosities on your workshop walls. Gather unique trophies from world bosses and display them for all to see. You can even mount the various fish species you catch while fishing, giving your settlements a truly rustic decorum. Mounting options for DLC creatures and non-standard creature variations are also included, allowing you to truly get in-depth in how you decorate your wasteland hunting lodge!

Lastly, you can also craft new, thematic equivalents to scavenging stations at your settlement workshops. Build a hunting station to allow your settlers to gather creature parts and increase your settlement food rating! No longer do you have to focus entirely on agriculture to provide for the local peasantry.



6)In-Game Bestiary

Everyone loves lore, and most of us love a good scavenger hunt! Mutant Menagerie combines both by introducing a full bestiary written by wasteland biologist and self-proclaimed radiozoologist Dell Lincoln. The pages are scattered across the wastes, with each entry providing valuable information on the creatures that populate Fallout's wasteland. Encompassing 82 entries across 5 volumes, the Mutant Menagerie series includes information on MM creatures AND all vanilla/DLC creatures! Entries for existing creatures contain concise, consolidated breakdowns of lore from both Fallout 4 and the wider Fallout universe, while entries for the new additions possess detailed, custom-written lore that directly ties into established canon. Not only is the bestiary useful for learning about the creatures of Mutant Menagerie and their roles in the sandbox, but also for reading about the world of Fallout IN the world of Fallout!

By collecting Dell Lincoln's bestiary pages, you will be able to craft the Mutant Menagerie bestiaries. Each volume is a full book, complete with unique assets for better presentation. Alongside the bestiary entries, you'll also find Dell Lincoln's Mutant Files! Each Mutant File unlocks new recipes at settlement workshops and crafting stations. Through these files, you'll unlock new creature cages, more options for taxidermy, and even new equipment - like throwable weaponized boombugs! Trace the steps of Dell Lincoln's quest to understand and catalogue all the creatures of the wasteland, learn his tricks and secrets, and acquire unique rewards!





7)World Bosses

Mutant Menagerie introduces 24 new World Bosses to the world of Fallout 4. Each one is a unique, high-level enemy, and all are designed to sufficiently challenge endgame players. Taking most of them on before level 70 is not recommended. Once World Bosses are killed, they are gone from the game - they do not respawn. They are scattered throughout the wastes - including the DLC world spaces. Information on each boss can be acquired by exploring the game world and stumbling upon their associated mini-quests. Some may be wanted by local authorities, while others are known only through vague whispers and urban legends. Many of these titans of the wastes exist along the fringes of the wasteland - often far beyond the threshold of civilization. And while you may be able to find clues and local lore, you will NOT be given quest markers. These elite hunts are just that - so good hunting!

Details

Dynamic Spawns




Scripted Integration




Full DLC Integration



Custom Soundscape



Unique Rewards
























 
Installation and Optional Files




FAQ



Known Bugs, Recognized Incompatibilities, and Known Issues




Performance



Lore-Friendliness Policy

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Lore - "A body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth." - OxfordLanguages Dictionary

"a particular body of knowledge or tradition" - Merriam Webster

Popular synonyms/similar words include: Mythology, Folklore, Backstory, History, Legends

What constitutes Lore-Friendly is something a lot of people are very, very opinionated about - often pointlessly so. I say pointlessly because Lore-Friendly (most-often) isn't a matter of opinion. Lore is backstory, legend, and history. Things are factually Lore-Friendly, and adhere to mythology and backstory, while other things are not, and contradict mythology and backstory. There is a line where conjecture and open-interpretation must be considered and a judgement call must be made, but that is very rare. The fact of the matter is, whether you like it or not, lore-friendliness is not up to the individual. The following criteria below are my rules for determining mod canon, and the criteria that I use to determine whether a creature is, in fact, lore-friendly:

1) The franchise owner/current-producer is the arbiter of canon.

If you own the rights to something, you have the sole right to define (or redefine) its canon and lore. For my mod, canon is defined by the one holding the keys to the kingdom. That means Bethesda is in charge - like it or not. If they say something is de-canonized, it is. If they make a retcon, that retcon is the new canon. If they add new information to the world, it must be considered and accepted - even the information that post-dates Fallout 4 (IE: Fallout 76). The minute you start picking and choosing what's canon based on which franchise variation's interpretation or presentation you liked better, that's the minute in which you lose any objective determination for what constitutes lore-friendly.

2) Something is either lore-friendly or it isn't. There is almost never an in-between.

Lore-friendly simply means that something doesn't contradict lore or break pre-existing canon. Period. It does not mean whether or not something is tonally or thematically consistent with the setting, or whether it breaks established conventions within franchise. Those are other issues entirely - ones that allow for the interjection of opinion and artistic interpretation. Whether or not something "works" in a fictional universe, from a worldbuilding standpoint or otherwise, is a very personal discussion that varies greatly based on who's doing the discussing. But none of those feelings or personal beliefs apply to the discussion of lore-friendliness.

The most frequent examples of such tonal debates being disguised as lore debates would be the discussion around artistic changes in the newer Fallouts. In the world of fictional universes, artistic interpretation and lore-friendliness are two separate discussions. You may not like the new power armor design or gameplay changes associated with it, but that argument does not belong in the lore-friendliness debate. Artistic interpretation is an accepted feature of the video game and wider entertainment industry - and especially so at Bethesda. It is important to respect that, rather than be distracted by it.


3) Pre-existing, canonized lore matters, but must be properly interpreted.

Jumping off from the first point, existing lore and canon make up the bulk of how we determine lore-friendliness. In a situation where canon on a topic exists, you must use critical thinking to analyze the information as it is presented. For example, In Fallout: New Vegas, Robert House states cats are extinct as part of a snide joke about skinning cats. If we didn't know what we knew post-Fallout 4, how would we analyze House's statement from a lore implicative perspective? Would we say that all cats in the franchise are extinct? Of course not, because how could Robert House possibly know that?

Without supporting evidence or affirmatory statements from others, the most that we could conclude concerning the cat question is the following. Either cats are either extinct worldwide, extinct in the American Southwest, or exist in such sparse numbers in the American Southwest that one of the smartest men in the world, with an incredibly advanced and well-established surveillance state, could be tricked into thinking they had died out. Since there is no definitive evidence or corroborating statements in-game to verify or dispute House's claim, we cannot call the existence of cats in, say, the Commonwealth, a canon-break from a logical standpoint. It is objectively lore-friendly given the context. We could, however, say that a sudden, healthy population of housecats in the Mojave Wasteland would be lore-breaking - given that it is within House's domain of influence. When in doubt, use the Socratic method.


4) If there is no information, it is a blank slate.

This may seem obvious to some, but it must be stated anyway. If no information exists on a subject, then it is an open book. If something isn't expanded upon in the existing canon, then any interpretation is objectively lore-friendly. If your fan project involves raccoons being extinct, and raccoons have never been mentioned in the history of Fallout franchise canon, then your project is lore-friendly. If your fan project features a mutant species of raccoon as one of its frontrunners, then again, your project is lore-friendly. No information doesn't mean you decide whether something's lore-friendly based on your feelings. Rather, this means that any  interpretation of an untapped subject is lore-friendly. You are free to interpret such topics how you wish.

To take this a step farther, let's look at the radtoads from Mutant Menagerie. Radtoads are an established creature in Fallout 76, but their fate after the first 20-something years of the apocalypse is unknown in the lore. So, using the logic we just laid out, determining that radtoads may have mutated further into giant walking tanks 200 after Fallout 76 is a valid, lore-friendly interpretation. Deciding they remain unchanged, have gone extinct, or are entirely exclusive to Appalachia are ALSO a valid, lore-friendly interpretations. Do not waste time arguing about what isn't there. You'll live longer.


5) Cut or de-canonized content that hasn't been retconned or replaced is not law, but is still a valid interpretation.

This one is a little tricky, because it requires an understanding of the rules we laid out beforehand. Basically, if something, especially game content, has been declared non-canon, but has not been overwritten, it falls into the category of "valid interpretation". Elements of both Van Buren and Fallout Tactics, for example, have been canonized sparingly in later iterations of the franchise - despite both being separated from the lore by Bethesda. What this means is that while the content of something like, say, the Fallout Bible cannot be used to declare something non-canon, much of it (the bits that have not been overwritten or retconned) still represent valid, lore-friendly interpretations of certain subject matter. Even Bethesda still pulls from the Fallout Bible and other de-canonized material occasionally.

What this means is: while it may no longer be canon that wanamingos went extinct after Fallout 2 (as stated in the Fallout Bible,) and that information can no longer be evidenced to disprove their existence in future/fan material, if your fan project involves wanamingos going extinct as a major plot point, then that is a valid, lore-friendly interpretation of the Fallout universe. This is a very helpful rule for effectively utilizing supplemental materials that have live somewhere in-between canon and the dumpster.


6) Real-world logic matters when it does, and doesn't when it doesn't.

Fallout is one of those franchises where it takes logic and real-world inspiration incredibly seriously in some places, but is essentially a cartoon in others. For the sake of determining lore-friendliness, it's important to take into account when and where the franchise gets serious with its logic and where it gets goofy. Energy weapons, for example, are treated very cartoonishly and purposefully disobey the laws of physics and reality. Lasers can kick like a shotgun when fired because the universe isn't concerned with the realism of many of its more-pseudoscientific elements- it's more about the rule of retrofuturistic cool. Human issues, on the other hand, are usually treated realistically, with questions about politics, ethics, and the human condition being at the core of the Fallout franchise's writing and quest themes - and largely inspired by real events. This all borders very closely on the realm of "artistic interpretation" that we outlined in Rule 2, but uniquely has lore implications when it comes to certain elements of Fallout.

Creatures, specifically, tend to be taken quite seriously in Fallout. Outlandish designs aside, each creature tends to be consistent with a known real-world counterpart that fits ecologically within an environment. They usually have deep backgrounds, clear real-world and/or pop culture inspirations, and play crucial roles in their ecosystems outside of killing/fleeing from the player. Knowing that the franchise takes the topic of its creatures seriously, we could determine that lore-friendliness is strengthened when adhering to the ecology of real-world animals and creatures. Various exceptions do exist, however. This is primarily because pet stores, zoos, and wildlife sanctuaries exist - allowing for conjecture.

In summation, this is a rule that is best used for strengthening lore-friendliness and adherence to tone when creating, rather than declaring something to be lore-friendly or not. If your entire argument for declaring something a lore-break boils down to, "Its pre-War counterpart isn't native to this environment and climate," you are going to be very disappointed when, as a counterargument, your adversary submits a twenty-page backstory detailing a 200 year-long Galápagos tortoise migration - the ending of which outlines their colonization of Washington DC and their sudden turn to cannibalism. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Can you disprove it? No. Because tonally-inconsistent interpretations of the world are still, objectively, lore-friendly interpretations of the world. So long as they adhere to, and exist within the confines of, existing lore, everything's gravy. The correct description of this type of content is setting-inappropriate or tonally-inconsistent - not lore-unfriendly. Breaking the themes of a setting or its established tone is different from breaking its lore - IE mythos, history, and/or backstory.

Credits, Content Usage Policy, and Distribution Permissions

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This uses a lot of publicly-available assets and modder's resources. I have heavily altered most of these assets, but the REAL credit goes to all the content creators who have released their work to us on public platforms. The document below is a comprehensive list of all assets used in the mod - with all links and attribution credits provided.

FULL MUTANT MENAGERIE CREDITS DOCUMENT

The vast majority of assets used within this mod are publicly available under the CC4.0 Attribution license. Therefore, these assets are open for use and cannot be protected or withheld by myself (not that'd I'd ever want to - open source modding is the only way to properly mod in my opinion.) With that said, there are some licensed assets purchased from asset marketplaces, a few modders' resources, and some community contributions. There are even a few assets that were created by me - or modified from existing Bethesda assets.

Below is a comprehensive list of everything you need to know about asset usage with Mutant Menagerie. This is MY content policy only, for use with my mods, and must be used in conjunction with and adherence to Nexus's content policy.


1) REGARDING CREATIVE COMMONS ASSETS

All CC4.0 content is available for free use, and cannot be protected or restricted. This seems to be something of a point of confusion for users on the Nexus. Under the CC4.0 Attribution license, anyone can use, publish, modify, and profit from CC content - no permission needed - so long as proper attribution is applied. What this also means is that you MAY NOT, under any circumstance, restrict content that is derivative of or iterative upon CC4.0 content. When something is released into Creative Commons, you cannot take it out of Creative Commons. It doesn't matter if you edit the asset. It doesn't matter if you make it unrecognizable from its original form. If you build a house on Creative Commons' property, the CC owns that house - which means EVERYONE owns that house. What this means is:

- You may use all the assets in this mod that were released under CC4.0, no credit or permission needed, even if the assets were modified or altered from their source material. You can credit me if you choose, but I won't make a stink about it either way.

- You may not release a mod that denies or restricts others from using these assets, even if you modify or alter them.

- You must provide proper credit for the assets to the ORIGINAL creator, not myself, and must not imply in anyway that the original creator endorses your product or work if they have not explicitly done so.

Final Note: I've seen modders on Nexus take CC4.0 content, use it in mods, and then try to restrict the permissions of the mod and claim the assets belong to them. This is incorrect, this violates the CC4.0 license. See the above link yourself for more information. If I catch anyone doing this with any of the assets from my mod, I will personally report you. Creative Commons is an objective and unabashed good - the talented, selfless creators that contribute to it will not be disrespected on my watch.


2) REGARDING BETHESDA (FALLOUT 4) ASSETS

All Bethesda-based content is available for free, open use within the confines Fallout 4 modding, and cannot be protected or restricted. The assets provided to us for modding Fallout 4 by Bethesda do not - and cannot - belong to you. We are all free to use them, and we cannot legally restrict others from doing so. Nifbashed assets do not belong to you. Mesh/Texture edits do not belong to you. Modified vanilla scripts do not belong to you. If it is based off of Bethesda's existing work, you cannot claim the asset as your own. It belongs to the Bethesda and/or the artist, designer, or programmer on Bethesda's payroll that designed it. We are allowed to play with their toys and enjoy them - we are not allowed to claim them as our own and lock others out. What this means is:

- You may use all the assets in this or any mod that equate to modified, altered, or morphed Bethesda assets - so long as it adheres to Bethesda's modding and content policies. You do not need to ask for permission.

- You cannot claim you own any asset from Fallout 4, even if you modified it, and may not restrict others from using assets you do not legally own.

- You may not release a mod that restricts anyone from using a vanilla asset, even if was modified by you or someone else. It is not your property. 

- You can modify and use any of the assets I've altered from their vanilla state - no credit or attribution needed. They weren't mine in the first place. They belong to the working-class designers and artists that helped bring Fallout 4 into reality. I don't want to steal credit they all deserve simply because I used Outfitstudio and GIMP to turn dogmeat into a coyote or a yao guai into a giant badger. The flexibility of the vanilla assets speaks to their talent, not mine.

- You may not convert any of these assets to work in other games - even if they have been modified beyond recognition. These assets were provided for Fallout 4 modding, you cannot legally remove them from this game and put them in another. The only time this cross-game asset usage is legal are under rare circumstances where multiple games are combined into a singular, combined release - IE Halo: the Master Chief Collection.

Final Note: I've seen people morph NIFs or make small texture edits, release them as mods, and restrict permissions on these assets. From what I understand, this is incorrect. You do not own those assets. These are commercial assets from a AAA game. They are yours to use, but they are not your property. I don't know what Nexus's position on this is, but there are mod authors on this platform that do this. If Nexus does find this acceptable behavior, that is their prerogative. But as far as I am concerned, you are only allowed to use my modified vanilla assets if you release your mod with open-permissions. Because sharing is an objective good.


3) REGARDING LICENSED ASSETS

All licensed assets purchased from asset marketplaces must also be purchased by any mod authors that seek to use them. Some of the assets within this mod were acquired via the purchase of a content usage license. These assets are legally mine to use, but they are not yours. I have the receipts to prove it - you do not. If you wish to use assets from this mod that are based on licensed assets, you may only do so AFTER you have also purchased the license yourself. Anything less is legally considered theft. And not Nexus-level mod theft, where there may be conjecture on who owns what and who can legally protect which asset, and wherein the biggest punishment you can face is having your mod deleted and your account banned. We are talking about easily provable, legally-punishable commercial asset theft. So buy the license - they're all relatively reasonable in price, I assure you. What this all means is:

- You cannot use a licensed asset without first purchasing the license for yourself. Violation of this simple rule is punishable by law. Someone may take legal action against you, and I am not responsible for it if they do. That's on you, my dude.

- You cannot release an addon for my mod that includes licensed assets, even if you require the main mod as a master. If you include these assets as loose files or in separate archives, you're committing a crime! This isn't something I have any involvement in either, it is between you and the artist on CGTrader you just stole from. So don't re-release those assets without purchasing the license yourself. No one can help you if you do.

- If you have purchased the license for these assets, all the versions of these assets from my mod are free to use. As long as you have paid the piper, you're free to use licensed assets from this mod - no permission needed. Just be sure to read over the asset license upon purchasing the asset for yourself, and ensure you do not violate it.

Final Note: Seriously guys, this is something that could get very bad if you aren't paying attention. Mod authors use licensed assets all the time, but we all purchase the licenses before doing so. If you just rip assets from this mod, assume it's okay to use, and then accidentally release the asset in a way that constitutes selling or redistributing the asset openly without a license, you could face legal ramifications! It's such an easy situation to avoid, so please ensure you do your research!

Licensed Assets are separated into their own category in the Credits Doc. They are clearly labeled as such,
so you have NO excuse for misusing them!

4) RELEASING PATCHES/ADD-ONS

You may make add-ons for Mutant Menagerie, but you must release them with open-permissions. This mod is intended as a platform to move the community forward, as most big mods should be. In the spirit of that sentiment, you may not create add-ons, expansions, or patches for my mod if they are not also released as modders' resources. You must allow others to use the assets and content contained within freely, without having to ask permission, including use of assets in mods that earn Donation Points and the possible use of your mod in mod packs. Essentially, you must use an identical content policy to my original mod. Exceptions to this rule, of course, include licensed assets - like those mentioned above. What this means is:

- In order to release retextures, overhauls, patches, or other forms of add-on content, you must release them open-source. You may not restrict permissions or set options to "ask permission first." The only exceptions to this condition would be converting files to other games or mods being sold for money.

- If your add-on uses licensed content, you must link to those assets, in very much the same way as I have.

- I will not approve of any add-on content that isn't pro-sharing, pro-collections/mod packs, or pro-open source. 

- You are allowed to earn Donation Points and donations from add-on content.

- You are NOT allowed to release add-on content to mirrors that are not BethesdaNet or Nexusmods, and you may NOT lock add-on content behind any sort of paywall.

- You may release translations, add-ons, and patches for Mutant Menagerie without asking for permission (obviously.)

Final Note: When it comes to my personal ethics, I very much possess a community-oriented 'everything should be public domain' view on modding (at least until actual mod marketplaces and career modding become a thing.) My policies will reflect that. I won't try to sway you one way or the other when it comes to your own content and pursuits. Everyone has their own views, and I'm not here to tell anyone those views are wrong. But with my mods, everything related to them will be done in the public domain.


5) MIRRORS AND ALTERNATE PLATFORMS

You may not reupload my mods on any alternative platform - they are only available on BethesdaNet and Nexusmods. If there is one thing I DO want full control over, it is WHERE my mod is distributed. If you see my mod on a platform other than the main two listed above, please report it. At the end of the day, this is something that is hard to police. Just know that if you come across my mod on other 3rd party websites, it isn't guaranteed to be safe to download, and doesn't support my work.

If you like my work, and want to support me and my endeavors, feel free to donate through nexus, use the link below, or sign up for my new Patreon. HOWEVER, none of this is necessary. Please do not feel pressured to donate - your support and enjoyment of the mod is more than enough. I will continue to create new things and share them with the community for as long as I am able!

FUTURE PLANS

This mod concludes Mutant Menagerie. It's been a long road, but the mod is finally complete. There's still more I could add in the future, but there will be no more expansions or large-scale releases in the foreseeable future. I may break up some of the content and release mini standalone mods in the future. Independent creature releases, standalone mods for certain features - there are plenty of options. 

I'd love to keep modding, and plan to continue creating new content. I have plenty of ideas for Fallout 4, a few for the Elder Scrolls, and I will certainly be keeping my eye on Starfield. I may also try to dip my toes into other games. Maybe Cyberpunk, Baldur's Gate 3, or even return to Halo and try modding the MCC. I'd love to diversify and try out new things. Despite my reputation as the creature guy, I do in fact have a myriad of interests.

To be frank, I've loved learning, expanding my skills, and creating content that others enjoy. I make the mods I want to make first and foremost, but the fact that I can bring joy to others through that work really makes it all worthwhile. 



The future is bright. Thanks for coming along with me on this wild adventure. 

Conclusion

That's it, folks! I know usually there is a bestiary in the main mod page, and this mod is lacking that. Fret not, the full transcript of the in-game bestiary is available in the articles section! Check that out if you're looking to get a taste of what to expect on the mutant side of things.

I've done my best to do a general overview of the mod. It's a big project, so I'm uncertain as to where I should focus the majority of my efforts on this mod page. In the future,  I may add more to this page based on feedback. I may dive deeper into the mod's features or publish an FAQ. We'll see how things play out from here.

Thanks again for taking the time to check out this mod. Enjoy!