Thank you to everyone who downloads and supports my mods! Happy hunting!
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COMMENT SECTION COMMUNITY GUIDELINES (READ BEFORE POSTING)
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REMOVAL/EDIT/MODULARITY REQUESTS
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I am already managing multiple versions of the mod for use with the FOMOD installer. While I may decide to make some phobia patches in the future, I am not considering further modularity at this time.
CREATURE SUGGESTIONS
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I cannot guarantee I will be adding to this mod in the future. You can still make suggestions, though. Who knows where the road forward will take us?
REPEATED QUESTIONS
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I generally will not answer questions that have already been answered, or that are covered in the FAQ or mod description already. If you ask a question, and receive radio silence, that likely means you didn't do your due diligence and are being ignored as a result. It is, in fact, disrespectful to ask a question and take up someone else's time if they've already provided an answer somewhere - and you just didn't feel like reading or researching. Please, be respectful.
RUDE/RANTY/AGGRESSIVE COMMENTS
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This is something that has become a bit of a minor issue as my mods have steadily grown in popularity, so all-in-all I believe it's symptomatic of a good thing. With that said, however, this comment section is NOT a place for you to rant, rave, and air your grievances. Comments consisting of constructive criticism, bug reports, and/or opinion sharing are all welcome. Negativity is not. Be kind, courteous, and constructive with your comments or I will remove them. This applies to both comments about the mod, and responses to other users. Repeat offenders will be banned from my mod pages.
FEEDBACK
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If you encounter any issues or oddities, like missing collision, floating static objects (IE flora), or things of that nature, please report it with evidence! This is a big mod and I haven't been able to test everything!
USING SPOILER BRACKETS
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IF YOU POST IMAGES, LOGS, LOAD ORDERS, OR LONG QUOTES IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE PLACE THEM IN SPOILER BRACKETS. OTHERWISE, I WILL REMOVE THE COMMENT.
If you're afraid anything you may be posting might be a spoiler, just put it in spoiler brackets with a warning! I don't mind people sharing that kind of information so long as it is clearly marked.
LARGE REPLY THREADS
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Nexus comment sections are clunky, and not designed in the best way. Because of this, we must make concessions. Do not reply to towering comment reply threads with around 10 or more comments, and avoid responding to threads with 5 or more comments if you can help it. Reply trees are unwieldy and eat up a ton of the comment section when bumped by multiple people multiple times. Instead, please use the "Add Comment" function instead if a thread is too large. Going forward, I WILL be removing threads that get too big for their own good once they pass that threshold. I will not allow small groups of users to colonize the comments section - intentionally or not - with mountains of replies.
I realize this is more a shortcoming of functionality on comment section than anything else, but I have to do what I can to keep the comments clean and accessible.
LOAD ORDER/COMPATIBILITY ISSUES
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It is not my nor anyone else's responsibility in this comment section to help you with your personal load order. Some people utilize their comment sections for that type of troubleshooting, I do not. This comment section is for feedback on/discussion of the mod itself, and discussion of bugs/technical issues that may arise with said mod. It is NOT for you to document your journey on making my mod compatible with your LO. Or for you to witch hunt other mods as "good or bad" with my mod. Respectfully, take it to Discord, Reddit, or some other online space.
Now, If you believe my mod has tangible issues that are causing it to conflict with other mods, please provide evidence. Evidence is not your Buffout crash log or a passionately and frustratedly written tangent about how many times you CTD'd, and disabling my plugin magically fixed it. Evidence is offending files you found in FO4Edit or the CK. Evidence is a script property injecting a form into itself by mistake. Evidence is a vanilla file or script being present in the BA2 archives. Conflicting/overwritten cells or forms, or even corrupted DDS textures. THAT is evidence. These are things I can work with.
Evidence is NOT "I have been enabling/disabling mods and moving them around in my LO for hours and I have concluded your/someone else's mod is bad and wrong and needs work." That is, with all due respect, a trivial understanding of mod compatibility. It's also a type of claim nobody but yourself can replicate nor verify. Meaning it is, effectively, useless to everyone but you.
If you don't understand how to track down evidence to back up your hypothesis, or you're not proficient with the tools needed to do so, that's totally fine. Just don't make public claims you are not qualified to back up - a basic virtue that should be followed in most aspects of life. If my mod has a problem, either I will find it or someone qualified to go poking around in my mod will find it and point it out to me - evidence included. I understand the desire to help, but not everyone needs to take up the sword. I have, in fact, had multiple occasions of veteran mod authors reaching out to make me aware of issues that I was unable/unqualified to sniff out personally. So, trust me when I say that you can relax - everything will be okay.
And to be clear, when I speak of qualifications, I am not intending to demean anyone. Some of us are hobbyists, some of us are casual gamers, and some of us are developers. Some among us may even be industry professionals and veterans. There are users of all skill levels here, and no one is inherently better or worse than anyone else for it. My main intent is to prevent witch hunts and misinformation from mucking up my comments - that is the ultimate goal.
FAQ (READ BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS)
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Q: Is this an All-in-One? Does it contain everything from the old mods?
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A: Yes, duh. It could not be clearer from the mod description, screenshots, and file size/contents, but for those who are still somehow unclear - YES.
Q: Is it compatible with the old versions of the mod?
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A: What? No, absolutely not. Why would it be? Just download this one or use the old ones, you silly billy.
Q: Can I install this mod mid-playthrough, or replace the old ones with it?
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A: As a veteran mod author I am legally obligated to advise against this while on the record. There are precautions you can take, but it is never, ever a safe strategy.
Q: What are the differences between this and the Legacy version of Mutant Menagerie?
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A: There's a reason why there is no Legacy-to-LFAW changelog in this mod description. The differences are too numerous and intricate to list. Consider this mod an entirely different beast from the originals. Everything, right down to the very bedrock foundations of the mod, has been changed and overhauled. Welcome to the future, everything is chrome.
Q: Are there new creatures in this mod that weren't in the old ones?
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A: Yes. The number of new additions is roughly equal to the number of new creatures added by HOTDF or NS - it is a proper expansion.
Q: Why aren't creatures configurable?
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A: The way the mod implements creatures makes it impossible to disable them via something like an MCM. Most other creature mods just inject their creatures into a few vanilla LLs via script, and injection quests can be easily turned off. This mod is much more intricate and thorough. So it's all or nothing. If you think I'm blowing smoke up your sails, feel free to try it yourself.
Q: Why no MCM?
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A: The collectible recipe unlocks featured in this mod are used to hide a majority of the additive features of the mod. This allows you to enable features in the mod by playing the mod - in a way that is much more immersive than configuring menu options. Creatures and core progression, on the other hand, are not meant to be optional.
Q: What if I don't WANT all these creatures or bells and whistles?
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A: Then don't hit that download button, home skillet. It's totally fine if you're not the target demographic for this mod. I make my mods because I want to make them, and I design them the way I desire them to be. If that doesn't jive with you, just move along. It's all gucci. Acting as though you are entitled to compensation and/or satisfaction because I made a thing different from how you think I should've made it, however, is not. Unless we are talking about a thing you personally developed or a commercial market product that you have invested your hard-earned money into, that mentality is pure entitlement. In which case, I suggest introspecting, mentally maturing, and realizing the universe isn't centered around you and what you want.
Q: Can you remove or alter this creature or element of your mod, or make a patch for X, Y, or Z?
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A: Users are free to develop their own unofficial patches for the mod at will - through use of the CK or XEdit. I will not be managing more versions of this mod - I'm not interested in dying from a stroke at the ripe age of 27. Remember, if you create add-ons from this mod, read and respect the mod's Content Policy.
Q: I have a creature request. Can you add this creature or this model?
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A: I usually am always open to creature requests, but Mutant Menagerie is now complete. IE done, finished, finito. I cannot guarantee I will add new creatures to it going forward, but who knows? Feel free to drop suggestions in the comments.
Q: Where did you get the lore for this mod? Did you write all those entries yourself?
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A: I did my research, links to sources in the Credits Doc, and then I wrote an entire lore book. Over the last year. You're welcome. Some text for existing creatures is compiled from the Fallout wikis, but most of it had to be re-worded and consolidated. And yes, in case you were wondering, it did absolutely destroy my sleep schedule and recede my hairline. Again, you're welcome.
Q: Where did you get the creature ideas for this mod? I'm very picky, and probably know the lore better than you.
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A: The short answer is years of research into Fallout lore, the franchise's history, and the real-world ecosystems that inspired Fallout 4 and its DLCs. And I don't normally pull rank, modesty is the best policy and all that, but I absolutely wear the pants when it comes to Fallout lore, canon, and the many, many misconceptions wrought from such a fractured franchise history. Better than most people, especially those fibbers that proclaim to know the "deep lore" but then repeat the common misconceptions such as "all iguana is human meat lol" (it isn't) and "wanamingos are all extinct you nimrod" (only in Chris Avellone's expanded universe fanfiction).
If you need some abbreviated and oversimplified examples:
- Boombugs are based on Boom Bugs from Fallout Tactics.
- Wastewolves are based on the cut creature of the same name from Fallout 3 (some inspiration was taken from Fallout 76's Blue Devil after the fact, but my Wastewolves pre-date them, Bethesda stole my idea and monetized it conspiracy confirmed 2024).
- Riverlurks are based on Catfish Mirelurks - again, cut from Fallout 3 - and real-life blue and channel catfish, which is why neither appear in the fishing system.
- Raddlers are based on similar creature concepts from Van Buren and the real-life native species of timber rattlesnakes found along the coast of New England.
- Ravagers are based on real-life crappie fish (which is why crappie also don't appear in the fishing system), as well as loosely inspired by the mutant piranhas from Fallout Brotherhood of Steel, but are mostly inspired by the slaughterfish of the Elder Scrolls franchise - the gameplay niche of which is identical to Ravagers.
- Donkeys are straight-up canonical and have existed alive and well in the wasteland since the classic games. Bethesda just didn't feel like including them in any of their games because brahmin are the best and coolest or whatever.
The point is, every addition is based on a healthy level of thought and research, nothing was just thrown in, and it is all objectively lore-friendly. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Q: How stable is this mod?
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A: It is infinitely more stable than the original Mutant Menagerie mods. Less bugs, better performance, and much more reasonable implementation overall. The base ESM does not edit vanilla files, and is more deeply cleaned and better maintained than the old BGH plugin. I have personally tested all plugins on both PC and XBox and they work great. And while I am the mod author, I do not have a magic key that makes my mods more stable on my systems than they would be on yours. If they work for well me, then they work in general.
Q: I'm having issues with the mod in my heavily-modded game. Can you help?
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A: Short answer: GOD NO! Long answer: few mods can ever be free of conflicts or issues in heavily-modded load orders. There are elements that are susceptible to being touched or messed with by other mods. The Base ESM doesn't alter vanilla or DLC files or leveled lists, but it does USE a lot of them. The Full version of the mod DOES edit some of these vanilla files. And lots of other mods make unhealthy edits entirely by accident (and sometimes on purpose.) Modding is a lot, and mistakes are easily made.
Installing a lot of mods, in general, will make the game less stable. If you or I cannot replicate the issue in a light load order, then I will not be able to help you. Quality assurance and technical support ends when you install a lot of mods. I'm not saying you can't enjoy Mutant Menagerie in a modded playthrough, only that - if you run into issues - you're on your own. My recommendation for modding is to always keep it tight and light - especially if you want to use larger mods.
To be clear, I am not responsible for issues you may face while running a large load order.
Q: Where should I put the mod in my load order?
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A: My advice? Hang em' high. Mutant Menagerie uses an ESM for a reason. This mod is primarily an additive one, meaning it's generally okay to let mods that edit files to go below it - especially if you want those edits in your game. If you are unsure whether the edits another mod makes might cause issues with Mutant Menagerie, place Mutant Menagerie below that mod. Even MM's more intrusive ESMs do not make changes that should affect other mods (other than mods that directly edit vanilla creatures)
If you are using the ESPL Full plugin (MutantMenagerie_Scripts.esp) with the Base ESM, I recommend putting the ESPL plugin near the BOTTOM of your load order!
If you experience issues, there are various configuration options in the FOMOD that may make it easier to set up an installation that works with your Load Order.
Q: Why am I getting black screens/CTDs?
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A: If you are getting CTDs with the Full version of the mod, it is likely because of one of a few possible reasons:
- You have a mod/mods installed that edit leveled lists that these plugins also edit and/or script inject into. Fix that or use the Base ESM only.
- You have too many scripted mods and are overloading your game. If this is the case, lighten your load order and/or use the Base ESM only.
- Your load order is incorrectly assembled. Follow the installation instructions and triple check the composition of your wider load order.
- You may be trying to slot the plugins into a pre-existing save or quickly replace the legacy mods in your existing playthrough/LO. If you are, this is beyond irresponsible behavior. My only advice is to NOT do this. And clean your saves if you do. But mostly, do not do this.
Q: Does this mod break Precombines/Previs?
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A: Nope. I regularly clean, perform maintenance on, and error check my mods. I have also tested extensively on PC and XBox. If you're getting flickering and broken precombines, it most-likely isn't this mod.
Q: Will you be releasing creatures or features as standalones?
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A: Now that Mutant Menagerie is done, probably. Depends on how easy it is to separate content from the main mod. We'll see.
REGARDING XBOX
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Certain issues regarding the Far Harbor DLC on XBox cannot be resolved at this time. It is known that Far Harbor on XBox uses a different ESM than that of PC. There are discrepancies between the two that cannot be resolved, and these issues often both break precombines and previs, but also cause CTDs at random intervals. For anyone looking for a more in-depth explanation, I will refer you to this quote from the UFO4P official changelog:
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"Due to ongoing issues with the Far Harbor DLC, all worldspace edits (except the persistent records) have been removed from the XBox One copy of the mod. Until such time as the exact cause of the problems can be pinned down, this will remain the case for the foreseeable future. Please note that this is NOT because the patch had errors. It's because the master DLC file on XB1 is not the same one we have to build against on PC. There are mismatched cell headers which cause both previsbine errors and potential CTDs at semi-random locations. It's not the solution we would have preferred, but too many people are spending too much time in a blind black box to justify continuing without at least temporarily putting a stop to the problems. When ( or perhaps if ) we are able to figure out exactly which edits to remove, we'll reinstate the full copy and then remove only those parts.
This problem is not limited to the UFO4P either. ANY mod which makes edits to the main island worldspace will also run into these problems on XB1. This is a mismatch at Bethesda's level and only they can fix it permanently. [XBox Only - PC not affected]"
The Solution
I have designed a version of the ESM exclusively for XBox. It contains no Far Harbor worldspace edits, but is designed to still implement some features into Far Harbor. This means the following:
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- MM creatures are injected into existing, vanilla Far Harbor spawns through script injection and actor edits. Some Fog-Touched creatures (namely DLC creatures) are implemented through this method as well.
- All recipe schematics, bestiary entries, journal entries, etc. are gone.
- A copy of the Far Harbor bestiary book can be found in the Nakano residence. Adding this book to your inventory will unlock all cages, taxidermy, and other recipes tied to the Far Harbor DLC.
- Red hot blooms, a Deep Fog exclusive variant of aster, now have a 1-in-4 chance of being harvested from regular aster.
- HOTDF sea creatures are implemented into Commonwealth sea creature spawns, so you can still hunt them and craft items using the loot they drop.
While this solution may not be ideal for all users, it is the only way to GUARANTEE there are no CTDs on console in Far Harbor. Hopefully Bethesda addresses this problem when/if they finally release the next-gen version of Fallout 4 they promised us a year ago.
KNOWN BUGS, RECOGNIZED INCOMPATIBILITIES, AND KNOWN ISSUES (READ BEFORE ASKING ABOUT BUGS OR COMPATIBILITY ISSUES)
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Disclaimer: This is a massive, and I am one guy. I simply cannot test every possible outcome and occurrence, but I've done my best. As time goes on and I get more feedback, I may change this section to better reflect this mod. So get out there and be papa's little test monkey! DANCE MONKEY, DANCE!!
KNOWN BUGS, INCOMPATIBILITIES, ISSUES, AND FIXES:
Mutant Menagerie was built to be dropped into a reasonably-sized load order as a permanent mainstay with little digital footprint on your game. I regularly error-check the mod in FO4Edit, Bash, and Merge Plugins to make sure that the mod is clean and runs smoothly. With that said, the following list below outlines the documented issues and incompatibilities you may encounter when running Mutant Menagerie, and suggestions on how to resolve them based on the information available to me. If you have knowledge regarding one of these issues that may help others, please feel free to leave a comment.
- SCRIPTED KILL MODS.
According to SoundOfSnow and friends - who were kind enough to reach out - Replace Any Actor with Any Actor by SKK, and any similar mods that use scripts to kill actors, may crash the game when used with Mutant Menagerie. Due to the "torso" Bodypart Data of certain creatures lacking an Actor Value, a mod that attempts to kill an actor using that Bodypart Data via script can crash the game. As such, if is best to consider such mods incompatible with Mutant Menagerie.
- MODS THAT INADVERTANTLY AFFECT MM ACTORS/SKELETONS/ETC.
Some mods may attempt to work their proverbial magic on Mutant Menagerie additions that simply aren't compatible with their changes. Older versions of Classic Holstered Weapons, for example, would attempt to apply the mod's changes to incompatible skeletons used by Mutant Menagerie via CHW's scripts - causing crashes (yes, script extender mods AREN'T always compatible with everything.) This has since been addressed by the mod author, but other similar mods may remain.
Reports indicate that older versions of Fallout Emotions also present similar issues, and will cause CTDs when the mod attempts to apply itself to MM creatures. This issue can present itself when engaging certain creatures in combat, like mutant bee swarms. If you encounter this issue, set Fallout Emotions to only apply its changes to human NPCs via the mod's MCM.
- MODS THAT ALTER/ADD LOCATION DATA AND KEYWORDS USED BY RADIANT QUESTS & QUEST LIMITER MODS.
The few radiant quests added by Mutant Menagerie rely on the same system of locations and keywords that the vanilla game uses for its radiant quests. If you have mods installed that change location data or add/alter/remove the locreftype or enctype keywords tied to location entries, this can cause issues. For example, if you've been given to take out a Mutant Den at one of your settlements, you most likely have installed a mod that added an encounter type keyword to your settlement that the MM bounty quest relies on. Any mods that mess with this type of data should be avoided for most playthroughs that have quest mods which make use of the vanilla radiant quest system keywords installed.
Additionally, mods that limit active radiant quests or other quest types (especially Minuteman quests) will be affected by Mutant Menagerie's quests. As such, these mods should not be used alongside Mutant Menagerie. There are only a finite number of possible quest type labels that can be applied in Fallout 4, and as far as I am aware new types cannot be added. So many quest mods and mods that limit quests by type are destined to bump in ways that are often inconvenient (IE not being able to start a vanilla quest because your quest limit for that type was reached by modded quests.)
- OUTDATED/LEGACY PATCHES.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, use patches - official or unofficial - from previous versions of Mutant Menagerie with this mod. This mod and its assets have been retooled and rebuilt largely from the ground up. Therefore, not only will old patches not work as intended, they may cause issues like invisible or malfunctioning assets, such as invisible boombugs and other malfunctioning creatures. And no, re-tooling old patches in XEdit won't always work either - THIS IS A NEW, SEPARATE, AND DIFFERENT MOD. Treat it as an entirely different entity in your mind from the legacy versions.
- ODD PHYSICS.
Creatures may continue moving for a few seconds after death, launch into the air, or stutter and seize. These types of interactions are a product of the engine, are unavoidable and unfixable in many cases, and occur in most custom creature or creature-scaling mods to some extent. If it's too immersion-breaking, don't use the mod.
- WORLDSPACE EDITS.
Mods that edit the vanilla worldspace cells of Fallout 4 may experience issues. Mods that ADD to these cells, much like Mutant Menagerie, should be fine. Mods that EDIT and make changes to such cells are what may cause conflicts. Load Mutant Menagerie above such mods to ensure their changes take priority, and consider lightening your load order of such mods if you experience crashes.
- PERK OVERHAULS.
Mutant Menagerie uses vanilla perks as requirements for certain crafting recipes. Mods that remove or disable vanilla perks will conflict with my mod. If perks are outright deleted, the game will freeze-crash or CTD in the crafting menu. If a perk is disabled or made otherwise inaccessible by any overhaul mod you have installed, you may be locked out of certain crafting recipes. I personally don't expect this to be an issue with all or even most perk overhauls, but stay diligent!
- BASHED PATCHES.
Bashed patches, for some reason, revert leveled list changes made by Mutant Menagerie patches or addons. Disable any patches before building a merged patch, then re-enable them.
- WORKSHOP CONCESSIONS.
When using creature cages and traps, some creatures may spawn next to their cage when the cage is opened - instead of inside of it. This is an issue with cages being dependent on certain animation furniture that all creatures do not possess for all cage types. I did what I could to remedy this, but issues may still be present. Isn't a big issue, but may slightly break immersion.
If you encounter any odd collision or placement issue with any workshop objects, please report it.
- BODY PHYSICS CRASHES.
If you are experiencing crashes, it is likely related to incompatibilities with mods that add custom skeletons, body physics, or certain other interactions with skeletons or physics. Failure to disable conflicting mods can result in CTDs. Additionally, use the article linked below by TheSoundofSnow for troubleshooting - specifically the Body Physics Crash, Render Driver Crash, and/or Nvidia Driver Crash sections.
- REGARDING OTHER CRASHES.
I have sourced and fixed a few areas where the game may crash - and am always on the lookout for others. If you think you have found another bug I can squash, please double check that it is a result of this mod. The best way to find out if there's an issue or conflict with my mod, would be to follow the following steps:
1) Track down any recurring form IDs in your crash logs and verify if the problem elements are from my mod or are touched by my mod in any way. If so, what are they?
2) Run the crash log auto-scanner and read the output in detail. Identify the crash type, find it in the article below, and use your best reasoning to figure out if the issue seems sourced from my mod.
3) Replicate the crash under different circumstances. If the crash happens again, and log scanner yields similar results, you either have a conflict or you have identified a problem with the mod.
I welcome any help I can get in isolating potential issues with the mod. I want to make it as issue free as possible. Modding is hard, and I am thankful for the assistance I get from this community.
I have personally tested the following mods with Mutant Menagerie due to reports of incompatibilities:
- The Marshlands - Confirmed working with Full ESM. No issues.
- The Fens Sheriff's Department (Bleachers 1 & 2) - Confirmed working with Full ESM. The mod is cumbersome when paired with Mutant Menagerie (likely due to script bloat), load and performance impacts were noticeable during testing. Recommend only starting a new game with one of the two mods enabled, then activate the second after reaching the Commonwealth. Bleachers must be below all MM mods in LO, or the former will not properly activate. Given the amount of edits/additions Bleachers makes to the world and game, it may be possible that a compatibility patch between the two would maximize performance - but ultimately does not seem necessary for both to function properly.
INSTALLATION AND OPTIONAL FILES/ADD-ONS (READ BEFORE ASKING ABOUT INSTALLATION, FILES, ADD-ONS, AND PATCHES)
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Disclaimer: Do not plug in the more Full version into pre-existing, heavily-modded saves. It is never safe to install large mods mid-playthrough. It never will be. That is on you. If you do this, and you complain in the comments, you are just outing yourself as irresponsible. Additionally, if your load order is incompatible with the aforementioned version of the mod, that is also on you. The Base ESM is included in the FOMOD installer for a reason. Any issue that doesn't also occur on a vanilla-lite load order is not my problem. Period.
Mutant Menagerie is available in 3 separate texture editions - each of which contain varying levels of texture quality vs. optimization. Additionally, Mutant Menagerie comes packed in a FOMOD installer with various options and add-ons. This section will walk you through installation. Before installing, be sure to remove all legacy versions of Mutant Menagerie (including expansions) and any old patches - official or unofficial. If you use merged or bashed patches, redo those as well. Clean slate.
1) Download the MAIN FILES.
First, download the Main Files for the mod. This contains the FOMOD, the main BA2 archives for the mod, and all of the plugins and files for the mod and optional add-ons.
Next, install the package and choose an ESM.
2) Install the Main Files, choose your preferred ESM VARIANT.
The first decision you'll have to make when installing Mutant Menagerie is which version of the main ESM you would like to install. There are 2 versions available, each with different degrees of compatibility vs integration in mind.
- The Full version of Mutant Menagerie includes Scripted Integration and a range of minor vanilla file edits to better support Mutant Menagerie integration. Most edits are primarily fixes for critical bugs in actor files and leveled NPCs, while the other changes include the separation of leveled ambush NPCs into their own, separate leveled lists - in order to prevent creatures with incorrect animation sets being paired with invalid ambush animations. Additional examples include leveled Gatorclaws for the Safari Adventure quest and birds like crows and seagulls having a chance to drop bird meat on death. This file allows you to get the most out of Mutant Menagerie, but may also be the least compatible with larger load orders.
- The Baseversion of Mutant Menagerie is free of all Scripted Integration features and accompanying vanilla edits. While this file is the safest for larger load orders, it will severely handicap your experience with Mutant Menagerie. This version can be used with external, ESL-flagged ESP version of the Full edition (available in the Add-Ons section) to allow you to enable/disable the less compatible features of Mutant Menagerie at-will.
If you are using UFO4P, I recommend putting the ESM below it. If you are using PRP, it is recommended that you put the Mutant Menagerie ESM above PPF.
After this, you MUST select a texture package to download.
3) Download and install a TEXTURE PACKAGE.
Mutant Menagerie comes in 3 separate packages for textures. Pick one of these versions to install alongside the main files, and proceed with installation as you normally would through your favorite mod manager.
- Standard Textures includes primarily 2k and 1k textures - designed for optimal visuals and performance. This should most closely resemble a vanilla Fallout 4 experience.
-Performance Textures includes textures optimized for the XBox version of the mod - primarily 1k or lower. This provides the quickest download speed, lowest file size, and best performance in-game.
- HD Textures is entirely unoptimized. While textures are compressed for performance, most are 4k and 2k in resolution. For a game like Fallout 4 - which relies heavily on texture resolutions for performance - this will have the greatest impact on your game's performance. This version also far larger than the others.
4) Choose any Optional Add-Ons.
Mutant Menagerie comes with 4 possible choices for Add-Ons. They are optional, and are described below:
- The GrilledTurkey Critters Consolidated Optional Add-On will consolidate all creature mods by the GrilledTurkey developers into a single, integrated ESM that makes use of Mutant Menagerie spawns and scripts. Spawns have been reconfigured to make the more exotic creatures much rarer, and no longer get in the way. This plugin also includes many bugfixes and quality-of-life improvements to those mods.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:No unmodified files or assets from the original GrilledTurkey mods are included with this patch.
You must download ALL of the mods described below, disable or delete the main plugins, and either combine the Main and Texture BA2 Archives manually using a tool like BSArchPro, or extract them to your game's directory as loose files. Additionally, you MUST be using Mutant Menagerie's scripted integration for the scripts in this patch to function. Alternatively, you could extract the PEX script files to your data folder from the main archives, or combine them into the main patch archive if you are using the BA2 archive method described above. If the archives or loose files from the mods below are not in your data folder, this plugin WILL NOT WORK. If you do not know how to do any of this, you should not be using this patch.
Required Mods:
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CW Behemoths CW Centaurs CW Radscorpions CW Yao Guai DC Molerats Mojave Bighorner Mojave Cazadors Mojave Geckos Mojave Mantises Institute Centaurs Lamprey Floaters The Famished
- The Backwater Beasts Optional Expansion Add-On provides full Mutant Menagerie support for Point Lookout by the Capital Wasteland Project team! Expect to encounter Mutant Menagerie creatures in Point Lookout, uncover new items and recipes, and encounter some Point Lookout critters in the main world of Fallout 4. Point Lookout's frogs will wander the swamplands of southern Boston, and fireflies will be scattered throughout the world. This add-on also adds dart frogs to Nuka-World.
DISCLAIMER: No files from Point Lookout are included with this add-on, and Point Lookout is required as a master file for this add-on to function.
- The Full ESPL Optional Alternative Plugin is a light plugin that contains that contains all the scripted integration and additional changes and additions from the Full Version ESM, but as a separate plugin. This is for use with the Base ESM only, and allows you to place the plugin lower in your Load Order and for better mod configuration. It is recommended that you place this plugin closer to the bottom of your Load Order, so its changes are not overwritten by other mods.
Completing Installation.
Once completed, Mutant Menagerie should be successfully installed. Mod content should appear in your game and, if installing any version of the mod with Scripted Integration, you will receive the message "New mutants have been spotted in the Commonwealth!" in the corner of your game's screen upon loading a save or starting a new game.
Lastly, you want to support my work, you can do so by donating and/or following the link below:
If you are on a non-updated or downgraded version of Fallout 4 and you are encountering invisible creatures or scripts are not firing properly, either use the Backported BA2 Archive Support mod linked in the requirements section, or download the loose files package in the optional files section.
A vocal minority of users seem to be skipping right over stickied comments, mod requirement notifications, and file descriptions and rushing straight to the comments. Do not be one of these people. Being one of those people will only result in your comment being ignored.
Any idea what qualifies as an animal/sea creature? I'm having a heck of a time getting the last rank of hunter/angler, is it possible for it to bug out and not be obtainable?
im on version 1.10.163 and the creatures are invisible, but they werent the first time i downloaded this. Is there anyway to fix this besides downgrading to 1.41? Cuz that would cause a lot of issues and be unnecessary I feel
i have this weird bug that when i pick up the bounty of the hydra, it buggs out my quest screen a bit and the description of the quests is out of place
Still getting invisible creatures with the backport support mod. Even tried using the ba2 archive version patcher. The small starving stinkbug near vault 111 is still invisible. :(
Update: I uninstalled the mod, reinstalled, then tried the archive version patcher and this time it seemed to take? Fingers crossed I don't run into any more invisible enemies I guess?
so my mod manager says that the main files are for a diffrent game. i downloaded the optional file but the creatures doesnt show up in game. do i need both main and optional instaled at the same time (yes i have downloaded the textures as well)
1409 comments
(READ BEFORE POSTING)
REMOVAL/EDIT/MODULARITY REQUESTS
I am already managing multiple versions of the mod for use with the FOMOD installer. While I may decide to make some phobia patches in the future, I am not considering further modularity at this time.
CREATURE SUGGESTIONS
I cannot guarantee I will be adding to this mod in the future. You can still make suggestions, though. Who knows where the road forward will take us?
REPEATED QUESTIONS
I generally will not answer questions that have already been answered, or that are covered in the FAQ or mod description already. If you ask a question, and receive radio silence, that likely means you didn't do your due diligence and are being ignored as a result. It is, in fact, disrespectful to ask a question and take up someone else's time if they've already provided an answer somewhere - and you just didn't feel like reading or researching. Please, be respectful.
RUDE/RANTY/AGGRESSIVE COMMENTS
This is something that has become a bit of a minor issue as my mods have steadily grown in popularity, so all-in-all I believe it's symptomatic of a good thing. With that said, however, this comment section is NOT a place for you to rant, rave, and air your grievances. Comments consisting of constructive criticism, bug reports, and/or opinion sharing are all welcome. Negativity is not. Be kind, courteous, and constructive with your comments or I will remove them. This applies to both comments about the mod, and responses to other users. Repeat offenders will be banned from my mod pages.
FEEDBACK
If you encounter any issues or oddities, like missing collision, floating static objects (IE flora), or things of that nature, please report it with evidence! This is a big mod and I haven't been able to test everything!
USING SPOILER BRACKETS
IF YOU POST IMAGES, LOGS, LOAD ORDERS, OR LONG QUOTES IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE PLACE THEM IN SPOILER BRACKETS. OTHERWISE, I WILL REMOVE THE COMMENT.
If you're afraid anything you may be posting might be a spoiler, just put it in spoiler brackets with a warning! I don't mind people sharing that kind of information so long as it is clearly marked.
LARGE REPLY THREADS
Nexus comment sections are clunky, and not designed in the best way. Because of this, we must make concessions. Do not reply to towering comment reply threads with around 10 or more comments, and avoid responding to threads with 5 or more comments if you can help it. Reply trees are unwieldy and eat up a ton of the comment section when bumped by multiple people multiple times. Instead, please use the "Add Comment" function instead if a thread is too large. Going forward, I WILL be removing threads that get too big for their own good once they pass that threshold. I will not allow small groups of users to colonize the comments section - intentionally or not - with mountains of replies.
I realize this is more a shortcoming of functionality on comment section than anything else, but I have to do what I can to keep the comments clean and accessible.
LOAD ORDER/COMPATIBILITY ISSUES
It is not my nor anyone else's responsibility in this comment section to help you with your personal load order. Some people utilize their comment sections for that type of troubleshooting, I do not. This comment section is for feedback on/discussion of the mod itself, and discussion of bugs/technical issues that may arise with said mod. It is NOT for you to document your journey on making my mod compatible with your LO. Or for you to witch hunt other mods as "good or bad" with my mod. Respectfully, take it to Discord, Reddit, or some other online space.
Now, If you believe my mod has tangible issues that are causing it to conflict with other mods, please provide evidence. Evidence is not your Buffout crash log or a passionately and frustratedly written tangent about how many times you CTD'd, and disabling my plugin magically fixed it. Evidence is offending files you found in FO4Edit or the CK. Evidence is a script property injecting a form into itself by mistake. Evidence is a vanilla file or script being present in the BA2 archives. Conflicting/overwritten cells or forms, or even corrupted DDS textures. THAT is evidence. These are things I can work with.
Evidence is NOT "I have been enabling/disabling mods and moving them around in my LO for hours and I have concluded your/someone else's mod is bad and wrong and needs work." That is, with all due respect, a trivial understanding of mod compatibility. It's also a type of claim nobody but yourself can replicate nor verify. Meaning it is, effectively, useless to everyone but you.
If you don't understand how to track down evidence to back up your hypothesis, or you're not proficient with the tools needed to do so, that's totally fine. Just don't make public claims you are not qualified to back up - a basic virtue that should be followed in most aspects of life. If my mod has a problem, either I will find it or someone qualified to go poking around in my mod will find it and point it out to me - evidence included. I understand the desire to help, but not everyone needs to take up the sword. I have, in fact, had multiple occasions of veteran mod authors reaching out to make me aware of issues that I was unable/unqualified to sniff out personally. So, trust me when I say that you can relax - everything will be okay.
And to be clear, when I speak of qualifications, I am not intending to demean anyone. Some of us are hobbyists, some of us are casual gamers, and some of us are developers. Some among us may even be industry professionals and veterans. There are users of all skill levels here, and no one is inherently better or worse than anyone else for it. My main intent is to prevent witch hunts and misinformation from mucking up my comments - that is the ultimate goal.
(READ BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS)
Q: Is this an All-in-One? Does it contain everything from the old mods?
A: Yes, duh. It could not be clearer from the mod description, screenshots, and file size/contents, but for those who are still somehow unclear - YES.
Q: Is it compatible with the old versions of the mod?
A: What? No, absolutely not. Why would it be? Just download this one or use the old ones, you silly billy.
Q: Can I install this mod mid-playthrough, or replace the old ones with it?
A: As a veteran mod author I am legally obligated to advise against this while on the record. There are precautions you can take, but it is never, ever a safe strategy.
Q: What are the differences between this and the Legacy version of Mutant Menagerie?
A: There's a reason why there is no Legacy-to-LFAW changelog in this mod description. The differences are too numerous and intricate to list. Consider this mod an entirely different beast from the originals. Everything, right down to the very bedrock foundations of the mod, has been changed and overhauled. Welcome to the future, everything is chrome.
Q: Are there new creatures in this mod that weren't in the old ones?
A: Yes. The number of new additions is roughly equal to the number of new creatures added by HOTDF or NS - it is a proper expansion.
Q: Why aren't creatures configurable?
A: The way the mod implements creatures makes it impossible to disable them via something like an MCM. Most other creature mods just inject their creatures into a few vanilla LLs via script, and injection quests can be easily turned off. This mod is much more intricate and thorough. So it's all or nothing. If you think I'm blowing smoke up your sails, feel free to try it yourself.
Q: Why no MCM?
A: The collectible recipe unlocks featured in this mod are used to hide a majority of the additive features of the mod. This allows you to enable features in the mod by playing the mod - in a way that is much more immersive than configuring menu options. Creatures and core progression, on the other hand, are not meant to be optional.
Q: What if I don't WANT all these creatures or bells and whistles?
A: Then don't hit that download button, home skillet. It's totally fine if you're not the target demographic for this mod. I make my mods because I want to make them, and I design them the way I desire them to be. If that doesn't jive with you, just move along. It's all gucci. Acting as though you are entitled to compensation and/or satisfaction because I made a thing different from how you think I should've made it, however, is not. Unless we are talking about a thing you personally developed or a commercial market product that you have invested your hard-earned money into, that mentality is pure entitlement. In which case, I suggest introspecting, mentally maturing, and realizing the universe isn't centered around you and what you want.
Q: Can you remove or alter this creature or element of your mod, or make a patch for X, Y, or Z?
A: Users are free to develop their own unofficial patches for the mod at will - through use of the CK or XEdit. I will not be managing more versions of this mod - I'm not interested in dying from a stroke at the ripe age of 27. Remember, if you create add-ons from this mod, read and respect the mod's Content Policy.
Q: I have a creature request. Can you add this creature or this model?
A: I usually am always open to creature requests, but Mutant Menagerie is now complete. IE done, finished, finito. I cannot guarantee I will add new creatures to it going forward, but who knows? Feel free to drop suggestions in the comments.
Q: Where did you get the lore for this mod? Did you write all those entries yourself?
A: I did my research, links to sources in the Credits Doc, and then I wrote an entire lore book. Over the last year. You're welcome. Some text for existing creatures is compiled from the Fallout wikis, but most of it had to be re-worded and consolidated. And yes, in case you were wondering, it did absolutely destroy my sleep schedule and recede my hairline. Again, you're welcome.
Q: Where did you get the creature ideas for this mod? I'm very picky, and probably know the lore better than you.
A: The short answer is years of research into Fallout lore, the franchise's history, and the real-world ecosystems that inspired Fallout 4 and its DLCs. And I don't normally pull rank, modesty is the best policy and all that, but I absolutely wear the pants when it comes to Fallout lore, canon, and the many, many misconceptions wrought from such a fractured franchise history. Better than most people, especially those fibbers that proclaim to know the "deep lore" but then repeat the common misconceptions such as "all iguana is human meat lol" (it isn't) and "wanamingos are all extinct you nimrod" (only in Chris Avellone's expanded universe fanfiction).
If you need some abbreviated and oversimplified examples:
- Boombugs are based on Boom Bugs from Fallout Tactics.
- Wastewolves are based on the cut creature of the same name from Fallout 3 (some inspiration was taken from Fallout 76's Blue Devil after the fact, but my Wastewolves pre-date them, Bethesda stole my idea and monetized it conspiracy confirmed 2024).
- Riverlurks are based on Catfish Mirelurks - again, cut from Fallout 3 - and real-life blue and channel catfish, which is why neither appear in the fishing system.
- Raddlers are based on similar creature concepts from Van Buren and the real-life native species of timber rattlesnakes found along the coast of New England.
- Ravagers are based on real-life crappie fish (which is why crappie also don't appear in the fishing system), as well as loosely inspired by the mutant piranhas from Fallout Brotherhood of Steel, but are mostly inspired by the slaughterfish of the Elder Scrolls franchise - the gameplay niche of which is identical to Ravagers.
- Donkeys are straight-up canonical and have existed alive and well in the wasteland since the classic games. Bethesda just didn't feel like including them in any of their games because brahmin are the best and coolest or whatever.
The point is, every addition is based on a healthy level of thought and research, nothing was just thrown in, and it is all objectively lore-friendly. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Q: How stable is this mod?
A: It is infinitely more stable than the original Mutant Menagerie mods. Less bugs, better performance, and much more reasonable implementation overall. The base ESM does not edit vanilla files, and is more deeply cleaned and better maintained than the old BGH plugin. I have personally tested all plugins on both PC and XBox and they work great. And while I am the mod author, I do not have a magic key that makes my mods more stable on my systems than they would be on yours. If they work for well me, then they work in general.
Q: I'm having issues with the mod in my heavily-modded game. Can you help?
A: Short answer: GOD NO! Long answer: few mods can ever be free of conflicts or issues in heavily-modded load orders. There are elements that are susceptible to being touched or messed with by other mods. The Base ESM doesn't alter vanilla or DLC files or leveled lists, but it does USE a lot of them. The Full version of the mod DOES edit some of these vanilla files. And lots of other mods make unhealthy edits entirely by accident (and sometimes on purpose.) Modding is a lot, and mistakes are easily made.
Installing a lot of mods, in general, will make the game less stable. If you or I cannot replicate the issue in a light load order, then I will not be able to help you. Quality assurance and technical support ends when you install a lot of mods. I'm not saying you can't enjoy Mutant Menagerie in a modded playthrough, only that - if you run into issues - you're on your own. My recommendation for modding is to always keep it tight and light - especially if you want to use larger mods.
To be clear, I am not responsible for issues you may face while running a large load order.
Q: Where should I put the mod in my load order?
A: My advice? Hang em' high. Mutant Menagerie uses an ESM for a reason. This mod is primarily an additive one, meaning it's generally okay to let mods that edit files to go below it - especially if you want those edits in your game. If you are unsure whether the edits another mod makes might cause issues with Mutant Menagerie, place Mutant Menagerie below that mod. Even MM's more intrusive ESMs do not make changes that should affect other mods (other than mods that directly edit vanilla creatures)
If you are using the ESPL Full plugin (MutantMenagerie_Scripts.esp) with the Base ESM, I recommend putting the ESPL plugin near the BOTTOM of your load order!
If you experience issues, there are various configuration options in the FOMOD that may make it easier to set up an installation that works with your Load Order.
Q: Why am I getting black screens/CTDs?
A: If you are getting CTDs with the Full version of the mod, it is likely because of one of a few possible reasons:
- You have a mod/mods installed that edit leveled lists that these plugins also edit and/or script inject into. Fix that or use the Base ESM only.
- You have too many scripted mods and are overloading your game. If this is the case, lighten your load order and/or use the Base ESM only.
- Your load order is incorrectly assembled. Follow the installation instructions and triple check the composition of your wider load order.
- You may be trying to slot the plugins into a pre-existing save or quickly replace the legacy mods in your existing playthrough/LO. If you are, this is beyond irresponsible behavior. My only advice is to NOT do this. And clean your saves if you do. But mostly, do not do this.
Q: Does this mod break Precombines/Previs?
A: Nope. I regularly clean, perform maintenance on, and error check my mods. I have also tested extensively on PC and XBox. If you're getting flickering and broken precombines, it most-likely isn't this mod.
Q: Will you be releasing creatures or features as standalones?
A: Now that Mutant Menagerie is done, probably. Depends on how easy it is to separate content from the main mod. We'll see.
Certain issues regarding the Far Harbor DLC on XBox cannot be resolved at this time. It is known that Far Harbor on XBox uses a different ESM than that of PC. There are discrepancies between the two that cannot be resolved, and these issues often both break precombines and previs, but also cause CTDs at random intervals. For anyone looking for a more in-depth explanation, I will refer you to this quote from the UFO4P official changelog:
"Due to ongoing issues with the Far Harbor DLC, all worldspace edits (except the persistent records) have been removed from the XBox One copy of the mod. Until such time as the exact cause of the problems can be pinned down, this will remain the case for the foreseeable future. Please note that this is NOT because the patch had errors. It's because the master DLC file on XB1 is not the same one we have to build against on PC. There are mismatched cell headers which cause both previsbine errors and potential CTDs at semi-random locations. It's not the solution we would have preferred, but too many people are spending too much time in a blind black box to justify continuing without at least temporarily putting a stop to the problems. When ( or perhaps if ) we are able to figure out exactly which edits to remove, we'll reinstate the full copy and then remove only those parts.
This problem is not limited to the UFO4P either. ANY mod which makes edits to the main island worldspace will also run into these problems on XB1. This is a mismatch at Bethesda's level and only they can fix it permanently. [XBox Only - PC not affected]"
The Solution
I have designed a version of the ESM exclusively for XBox. It contains no Far Harbor worldspace edits, but is designed to still implement some features into Far Harbor. This means the following:
- MM creatures are injected into existing, vanilla Far Harbor spawns through script injection and actor edits. Some Fog-Touched creatures (namely DLC creatures) are implemented through this method as well.
- All recipe schematics, bestiary entries, journal entries, etc. are gone.
- A copy of the Far Harbor bestiary book can be found in the Nakano residence. Adding this book to your inventory will unlock all cages, taxidermy, and other recipes tied to the Far Harbor DLC.
- Red hot blooms, a Deep Fog exclusive variant of aster, now have a 1-in-4 chance of being harvested from regular aster.
- HOTDF sea creatures are implemented into Commonwealth sea creature spawns, so you can still hunt them and craft items using the loot they drop.
While this solution may not be ideal for all users, it is the only way to GUARANTEE there are no CTDs on console in Far Harbor. Hopefully Bethesda addresses this problem when/if they finally release the next-gen version of Fallout 4 they promised us a year ago.
(READ BEFORE ASKING ABOUT BUGS OR COMPATIBILITY ISSUES)
Disclaimer: This is a massive, and I am one guy. I simply cannot test every possible outcome and occurrence, but I've done my best. As time goes on and I get more feedback, I may change this section to better reflect this mod. So get out there and be papa's little test monkey! DANCE MONKEY, DANCE!!
Mutant Menagerie was built to be dropped into a reasonably-sized load order as a permanent mainstay with little digital footprint on your game. I regularly error-check the mod in FO4Edit, Bash, and Merge Plugins to make sure that the mod is clean and runs smoothly. With that said, the following list below outlines the documented issues and incompatibilities you may encounter when running Mutant Menagerie, and suggestions on how to resolve them based on the information available to me. If you have knowledge regarding one of these issues that may help others, please feel free to leave a comment.
- SCRIPTED KILL MODS.
According to SoundOfSnow and friends - who were kind enough to reach out - Replace Any Actor with Any Actor by SKK, and any similar mods that use scripts to kill actors, may crash the game when used with Mutant Menagerie. Due to the "torso" Bodypart Data of certain creatures lacking an Actor Value, a mod that attempts to kill an actor using that Bodypart Data via script can crash the game. As such, if is best to consider such mods incompatible with Mutant Menagerie.
- MODS THAT INADVERTANTLY AFFECT MM ACTORS/SKELETONS/ETC.
Some mods may attempt to work their proverbial magic on Mutant Menagerie additions that simply aren't compatible with their changes. Older versions of Classic Holstered Weapons, for example, would attempt to apply the mod's changes to incompatible skeletons used by Mutant Menagerie via CHW's scripts - causing crashes (yes, script extender mods AREN'T always compatible with everything.) This has since been addressed by the mod author, but other similar mods may remain.
Reports indicate that older versions of Fallout Emotions also present similar issues, and will cause CTDs when the mod attempts to apply itself to MM creatures. This issue can present itself when engaging certain creatures in combat, like mutant bee swarms. If you encounter this issue, set Fallout Emotions to only apply its changes to human NPCs via the mod's MCM.
- MODS THAT ALTER/ADD LOCATION DATA AND KEYWORDS USED BY RADIANT QUESTS & QUEST LIMITER MODS.
The few radiant quests added by Mutant Menagerie rely on the same system of locations and keywords that the vanilla game uses for its radiant quests. If you have mods installed that change location data or add/alter/remove the locreftype or enctype keywords tied to location entries, this can cause issues. For example, if you've been given to take out a Mutant Den at one of your settlements, you most likely have installed a mod that added an encounter type keyword to your settlement that the MM bounty quest relies on. Any mods that mess with this type of data should be avoided for most playthroughs that have quest mods which make use of the vanilla radiant quest system keywords installed.
Additionally, mods that limit active radiant quests or other quest types (especially Minuteman quests) will be affected by Mutant Menagerie's quests. As such, these mods should not be used alongside Mutant Menagerie. There are only a finite number of possible quest type labels that can be applied in Fallout 4, and as far as I am aware new types cannot be added. So many quest mods and mods that limit quests by type are destined to bump in ways that are often inconvenient (IE not being able to start a vanilla quest because your quest limit for that type was reached by modded quests.)
- OUTDATED/LEGACY PATCHES.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, use patches - official or unofficial - from previous versions of Mutant Menagerie with this mod. This mod and its assets have been retooled and rebuilt largely from the ground up. Therefore, not only will old patches not work as intended, they may cause issues like invisible or malfunctioning assets, such as invisible boombugs and other malfunctioning creatures. And no, re-tooling old patches in XEdit won't always work either - THIS IS A NEW, SEPARATE, AND DIFFERENT MOD. Treat it as an entirely different entity in your mind from the legacy versions.
- ODD PHYSICS.
Creatures may continue moving for a few seconds after death, launch into the air, or stutter and seize. These types of interactions are a product of the engine, are unavoidable and unfixable in many cases, and occur in most custom creature or creature-scaling mods to some extent. If it's too immersion-breaking, don't use the mod.
- WORLDSPACE EDITS.
Mods that edit the vanilla worldspace cells of Fallout 4 may experience issues. Mods that ADD to these cells, much like Mutant Menagerie, should be fine. Mods that EDIT and make changes to such cells are what may cause conflicts. Load Mutant Menagerie above such mods to ensure their changes take priority, and consider lightening your load order of such mods if you experience crashes.
- PERK OVERHAULS.
Mutant Menagerie uses vanilla perks as requirements for certain crafting recipes. Mods that remove or disable vanilla perks will conflict with my mod. If perks are outright deleted, the game will freeze-crash or CTD in the crafting menu. If a perk is disabled or made otherwise inaccessible by any overhaul mod you have installed, you may be locked out of certain crafting recipes. I personally don't expect this to be an issue with all or even most perk overhauls, but stay diligent!
- BASHED PATCHES.
Bashed patches, for some reason, revert leveled list changes made by Mutant Menagerie patches or addons. Disable any patches before building a merged patch, then re-enable them.
- WORKSHOP CONCESSIONS.
When using creature cages and traps, some creatures may spawn next to their cage when the cage is opened - instead of inside of it. This is an issue with cages being dependent on certain animation furniture that all creatures do not possess for all cage types. I did what I could to remedy this, but issues may still be present. Isn't a big issue, but may slightly break immersion.
If you encounter any odd collision or placement issue with any workshop objects, please report it.
- BODY PHYSICS CRASHES.
If you are experiencing crashes, it is likely related to incompatibilities with mods that add custom skeletons, body physics, or certain other interactions with skeletons or physics. Failure to disable conflicting mods can result in CTDs. Additionally, use the article linked below by TheSoundofSnow for troubleshooting - specifically the Body Physics Crash, Render Driver Crash, and/or Nvidia Driver Crash sections.
- REGARDING OTHER CRASHES.
I have sourced and fixed a few areas where the game may crash - and am always on the lookout for others. If you think you have found another bug I can squash, please double check that it is a result of this mod. The best way to find out if there's an issue or conflict with my mod, would be to follow the following steps:
1) Track down any recurring form IDs in your crash logs and verify if the problem elements are from my mod or are touched by my mod in any way. If so, what are they?
2) Run the crash log auto-scanner and read the output in detail. Identify the crash type, find it in the article below, and use your best reasoning to figure out if the issue seems sourced from my mod.
3) Replicate the crash under different circumstances. If the crash happens again, and log scanner yields similar results, you either have a conflict or you have identified a problem with the mod.
I welcome any help I can get in isolating potential issues with the mod. I want to make it as issue free as possible. Modding is hard, and I am thankful for the assistance I get from this community.
- How To Install Buffout 4 And Resolve Most Common Crashes
I have personally tested the following mods with Mutant Menagerie due to reports of incompatibilities:
- The Marshlands - Confirmed working with Full ESM. No issues.
- The Fens Sheriff's Department (Bleachers 1 & 2) - Confirmed working with Full ESM. The mod is cumbersome when paired with Mutant Menagerie (likely due to script bloat), load and performance impacts were noticeable during testing. Recommend only starting a new game with one of the two mods enabled, then activate the second after reaching the Commonwealth. Bleachers must be below all MM mods in LO, or the former will not properly activate. Given the amount of edits/additions Bleachers makes to the world and game, it may be possible that a compatibility patch between the two would maximize performance - but ultimately does not seem necessary for both to function properly.
(READ BEFORE ASKING ABOUT INSTALLATION, FILES, ADD-ONS, AND PATCHES)
Disclaimer: Do not plug in the more Full version into pre-existing, heavily-modded saves. It is never safe to install large mods mid-playthrough. It never will be. That is on you. If you do this, and you complain in the comments, you are just outing yourself as irresponsible. Additionally, if your load order is incompatible with the aforementioned version of the mod, that is also on you. The Base ESM is included in the FOMOD installer for a reason. Any issue that doesn't also occur on a vanilla-lite load order is not my problem. Period.
Mutant Menagerie is available in 3 separate texture editions - each of which contain varying levels of texture quality vs. optimization. Additionally, Mutant Menagerie comes packed in a FOMOD installer with various options and add-ons. This section will walk you through installation. Before installing, be sure to remove all legacy versions of Mutant Menagerie (including expansions) and any old patches - official or unofficial. If you use merged or bashed patches, redo those as well. Clean slate.
1) Download the MAIN FILES.
First, download the Main Files for the mod. This contains the FOMOD, the main BA2 archives for the mod, and all of the plugins and files for the mod and optional add-ons.
Next, install the package and choose an ESM.
2) Install the Main Files, choose your preferred ESM VARIANT.
The first decision you'll have to make when installing Mutant Menagerie is which version of the main ESM you would like to install. There are 2 versions available, each with different degrees of compatibility vs integration in mind.
- The Full version of Mutant Menagerie includes Scripted Integration and a range of minor vanilla file edits to better support Mutant Menagerie integration. Most edits are primarily fixes for critical bugs in actor files and leveled NPCs, while the other changes include the separation of leveled ambush NPCs into their own, separate leveled lists - in order to prevent creatures with incorrect animation sets being paired with invalid ambush animations. Additional examples include leveled Gatorclaws for the Safari Adventure quest and birds like crows and seagulls having a chance to drop bird meat on death. This file allows you to get the most out of Mutant Menagerie, but may also be the least compatible with larger load orders.
- The Base version of Mutant Menagerie is free of all Scripted Integration features and accompanying vanilla edits. While this file is the safest for larger load orders, it will severely handicap your experience with Mutant Menagerie. This version can be used with external, ESL-flagged ESP version of the Full edition (available in the Add-Ons section) to allow you to enable/disable the less compatible features of Mutant Menagerie at-will.
If you are using UFO4P, I recommend putting the ESM below it. If you are using PRP, it is recommended that you put the Mutant Menagerie ESM above PPF.
After this, you MUST select a texture package to download.
3) Download and install a TEXTURE PACKAGE.
Mutant Menagerie comes in 3 separate packages for textures. Pick one of these versions to install alongside the main files, and proceed with installation as you normally would through your favorite mod manager.
- Standard Textures includes primarily 2k and 1k textures - designed for optimal visuals and performance. This should most closely resemble a vanilla Fallout 4 experience.
- Performance Textures includes textures optimized for the XBox version of the mod - primarily 1k or lower. This provides the quickest download speed, lowest file size, and best performance in-game.
- HD Textures is entirely unoptimized. While textures are compressed for performance, most are 4k and 2k in resolution. For a game like Fallout 4 - which relies heavily on texture resolutions for performance - this will have the greatest impact on your game's performance. This version also far larger than the others.
4) Choose any Optional Add-Ons.
Mutant Menagerie comes with 4 possible choices for Add-Ons. They are optional, and are described below:
- The GrilledTurkey Critters Consolidated Optional Add-On will consolidate all creature mods by the GrilledTurkey developers into a single, integrated ESM that makes use of Mutant Menagerie spawns and scripts. Spawns have been reconfigured to make the more exotic creatures much rarer, and no longer get in the way. This plugin also includes many bugfixes and quality-of-life improvements to those mods.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: No unmodified files or assets from the original GrilledTurkey mods are included with this patch.
You must download ALL of the mods described below, disable or delete the main plugins, and either combine the Main and Texture BA2 Archives manually using a tool like BSArchPro, or extract them to your game's directory as loose files. Additionally, you MUST be using Mutant Menagerie's scripted integration for the scripts in this patch to function. Alternatively, you could extract the PEX script files to your data folder from the main archives, or combine them into the main patch archive if you are using the BA2 archive method described above. If the archives or loose files from the mods below are not in your data folder, this plugin WILL NOT WORK. If you do not know how to do any of this, you should not be using this patch.
CW Behemoths
CW Centaurs
CW Radscorpions
CW Yao Guai
DC Molerats
Mojave Bighorner
Mojave Cazadors
Mojave Geckos
Mojave Mantises
Institute Centaurs
Lamprey Floaters
The Famished
- The Backwater Beasts Optional Expansion Add-On provides full Mutant Menagerie support for Point Lookout by the Capital Wasteland Project team! Expect to encounter Mutant Menagerie creatures in Point Lookout, uncover new items and recipes, and encounter some Point Lookout critters in the main world of Fallout 4. Point Lookout's frogs will wander the swamplands of southern Boston, and fireflies will be scattered throughout the world. This add-on also adds dart frogs to Nuka-World.
- The Full ESPL Optional Alternative Plugin is a light plugin that contains that contains all the scripted integration and additional changes and additions from the Full Version ESM, but as a separate plugin. This is for use with the Base ESM only, and allows you to place the plugin lower in your Load Order and for better mod configuration. It is recommended that you place this plugin closer to the bottom of your Load Order, so its changes are not overwritten by other mods.
Completing Installation.
Once completed, Mutant Menagerie should be successfully installed. Mod content should appear in your game and, if installing any version of the mod with Scripted Integration, you will receive the message "New mutants have been spotted in the Commonwealth!" in the corner of your game's screen upon loading a save or starting a new game.
A vocal minority of users seem to be skipping right over stickied comments, mod requirement notifications, and file descriptions and rushing straight to the comments. Do not be one of these people. Being one of those people will only result in your comment being ignored.
Update: I uninstalled the mod, reinstalled, then tried the archive version patcher and this time it seemed to take? Fingers crossed I don't run into any more invisible enemies I guess?