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Mass Effect Andromeda
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Kahmu

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About this mod

A quick tutorial how to use mods for Andromeda, along with a list of good mods which I personally use.

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Changelogs
Mod Manager Tutorial

1.1 First Installation
Start the game at least once to make sure that everything is installed correctly.
Download the Frosty Mod Manager from here or here.
Unpack the downloaded archive to a destionation of your choice (this should not be the game directory).
Start the FrostyModManger executable.
Click "Scan for games" in the bottom left.
Select "Mass Effect Andromeda" from the list.

Version <= 1.0.6.2:
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In the menu bar, click "Tools" > "Options"
Switch to "Launch Options"
Check "Platform Launching Enabled" and select the platform you are using.

Versions (<1.0.6.0):
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If you use a platform other than Origin (Steam, EA Desktop, etc.), use FrostyFix.
Start the FrostyModManger executable.
Create a new configuration by clicking on "New".
Navigate to the location where you have installed Mass Effect Andromeda (probably "C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\" or something similar). Select the "MassEffectAndromeda.exe" executable.
Now select the Andromeda configuration. If you don't use the Mod Manager for any other games, check the "remember choice" in the bottom left. This way you can skip the configuration selection in the future.
Finally, press the "Select" button.

1.2 Installing Mods
To install a mod, drag & drop the archive of the mod onto the Mod Manager. Alternatively, use "Import Mod(s)" in the lower left to select the archive.
Mods are only active if they are applied. To apply a mod, double-click on it or select it and click "Apply Mod(s)". The mod now appears on the right side under "Applied Mods".
Note: Frosty has problems with archives packed as ".7z". To fix this, unpack the archive and add the ".fbmod" file directly.

1.3 Managing Mods
The right side of the window displays all currently applied mods. However, only the mods which have their box checked are actually active. You can switch mods on and off with just one click.
The Mod Manger allows you to create multiple profiles by using the menu in the upper left.
Each profile has its own list of active mods. For example, you can create one profile that you use in Singleplayer and one that you use in
Multiplayer. (If you don't need this, simply use the "Default" profile.)

1.4 Playing with Mods
To start the game with mods, press "Launch" in the upper left corner.
You must always launch the game this way to use mods. If you launch it using the regular launcher (Origin etc.), all mods are disabled.

1.5 Conflicts
You can use the buttons on the right to change the order of the applied mods or remove a mod from the Applied list.
The order of the mods is important if two mods conflict, which means they both change the same file. In this case, the mod that is lower on the list overwrites all changes made by mods above it. This means that you should put your most important mods to the bottom.
You can use the "Conflicts" tab to check whether your active mods have conflicts. If there are any, you will see a list of conflicting files.
If a file is marked with a red cross for a mod, the changes made by this mod (to this file) are discarded. Only the mod with the green checkmark correctly applies its changes.

Note: In newer versions of the Mod Manager, the conflicts tab has been renamed to "Actions". In case a file is modified by multiple mods (marked as "R"), the rightmost mod will be used.

Conflicting files do not necessarly mean that you can't use these two mods together. Maybe they make the same change, or the discarded change is not that important.
Sometimes conflicting files can break mods completely or even crash the game. But they will never cause any permanent damage, so just deactive one of the mods in this case.

1.6 Updating the Mod Manager
If someone created a mod with a newer version of Frosty, you'll have to update your Mod Manager if you want to use their mod. To do this, get the newest version of the Frosty Mod Manager from here.
Copy (or move) the folder "Mods" from the the folder of the old version to the folder of the new one.

To upgrade from version 1.0.5.x to 1.0.6.x, open your current mod profile. This should be in a file called "FrostyModManager MassEffectAndromeda.ini" in the mod manager directory.
Copy list of mods after
[Profiles]
Default=<your_modlist> Now open the mod manager config file at C:\Users\<your_username>\AppData\Local\Frosty\manager_config.json.
and paste the mod list into the quotes after the "Default":
"Packs": { "Default": "<your_modlist>" }

2. Troubleshooting

If you use Frosty v1.0.5.x and a platform other than Origin (Steam, EA Desktop, etc.), use FrostyFix. If there is no specific reason to use that specific version, ugrade to the latest version (see above).

While installing a mod, I get the error "File is not a valid Frosty Mod"/"Archive contains no installable mods".
  • This may happen if the mod is provided as an archive with file type ".7z". To fix this, unpack the archive and add the ".fbmod" file (per drag & drop).


I get a black screen when I start the game. Sometimes my entire computer freezes.
  • I have experienced this issue and have pinned down the problem to ReShade, a post-processing tool I also use. The game only freezes when ReShade is activated, although it still works most of the time. My current solutions is to deactivate ReShade when I'm trying out new mods and have to restart the game frequently. When I'm ready to play, I reactivate ReShade. I have never experienced any problems while the game is running, only at startup, so just restart the game until it works.


The game starts, but the mods don't work.
  • Try the following steps (try launching the game after each step):
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  • If some of your mods work and others don't, you may have conflicting mods installed. Check the "Conflicts" section above.
  • Launch the game at least once without using the mod manager.
  • Make sure you are starting the game using the "Launch" button of the mod manager.
  • See note about FrostyFix above.


After clicking on 'Launch', the game does not start or I only get a black screen.
  • Try the following steps (try launching the game after each step):
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  • Launch the game at least once without using the mod manager.
  • See note about FrostyFix above.
  • Use a fresh install of the Mod Manger to guarantee that none of the installed mods are the problem. Make sure to use 7-zip to unpack the archive. Don't put the Mod Manager into the game directory or the Windows "Program Files". Put it into your user files (e.g. Documents).
  • Make sure that you have administrator rights.
  • Go to your Andromeda game directory and delete the folder "ModData" and the files "bcrypt.dll"/"Cryptbase.dll" (if they exist).
  • Try running the Mod Manager as administrator.
  • Download the files from here and put them into the game directory.
  • Uninstall any post-processing tools if you use them (like ReShade or SweetFX).
  • Disable the Origin in-game overlay.
  • Disable your anti-virus program (temporarily).
  • Repair your game files with Origin.
  • Update your graphic card drivers.
  • Upgrade Visual C++ and .NET Framework Version. See here (Solution 4) for more infos.
  • Uninstall Origin (the hard way) and reinstall it on your system drive (usually C:).
  • Reinstall Andromeda on your system drive.
  • Use the Windows Safe Mode.
  • Try an older version of the Mod Manager from here. Keep in mind though that new mods won't work with older versions, so I don't recommend a version lower than 1.0.5.6.
  • Try the Frosty Discord.
  • If none of these things work, try running DxDiag and ask in the EA help forum.


Frosty displays an error message.
  • You can find a list of common errors and possible solutions here.


3. FAQ/Tips
If you are experiencing slow "Building Shaders" during loading and are not using ReShade or even just run the Vanilla game, turn off the Origin in-game overlay for MEA.

Will I get banned for using mods in Multiplayer?
  • Cosmetic mods (textures, camera, interface, etc.) should not cause you any trouble. When using mods that change gameplay, you should keep to private lobbies.


Do mods work with existing saves or do I need to start a new game?
  • Almost all mods should work with existing saves. If you want to use any mods that change the powers (like Power Overhaul), reset you powers before activating the mod.


Recommended Mods

In this section I give a list of mods that I personally use and recommend. I put the mods into three categories: Gamplay (Weapons/Powers/Equipment/etc.), Quality of Life (HUD/menus/audio/camera/bugfixes/etc.) and Textures. For each category, I sort the mods into "Essential" (highly recommended, clearly improve the game), "Nice to Have" (good mods, but not absolutely necessary) and "Matter of Taste" (mods that change some aspect of the game, but some may not like the changes).

1. Gameplay
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Essential


Nice to Have


Matter of Taste
  • Replace Profiles with Classes
    Adds a class system, where each class gets access to a limited set of powers.
  • Favorite Swapping Overhaul
    Rework of Favorites. Powers persist after swapping them out(e.g. Singularity, Assault Turret). Changes how some cooldowns work, e.g. Singularity immediately starts its cooldown, not only after it ended. Needs a patch to work with Power Overhaul. Use only one of this and No Profile Switching Cooldown.
  • Better Loot
    Replaces loot drops with money, therefore reducing the need to constantly manage your inventory.
  • Reduced Inventory
    Reduces the inventory size, because you don't need to reserve space for loot if you use Better Loot. Forces you to stop hoarding unnecessary stuff.


2. Quality of Life
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Essential


Nice to Have


Matter of Taste


3. Textures
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Note: I have added a screenshot that shows the list of texture mods that I'm personally using.

Essential


Nice to Have


Matter of Taste


Order of Installation
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For the most part, all of the mods listed above are compatible. There are some minor conflicts, so I'll give my recommended mod order. As mentioned earlier, putting mod A above mod B in the mod list means that in case of a conflict, the changes of mod B take priority. So the least important mods should be at the top. Always put a compatibility patch below the two mods it is related to.

I put 'MEA Fixpack' to the top, because it changes a lot of files but they are mostly minor fixes.
For other mods that conflict, I use this order: (A > B means A is above B)
- Profiles Reworked > Power Overhaul > Replace Profiles with Classes
- Fast Mining > Road Rage > Road Rage Mobility
- Suvi Tweak > Suvi Hair Options
- Young Sloane > Fia's Female Complexion Edits

Finally, I put all mods that change multiple characters (e.g. Crew Armor Bundle, Initiative Security & Soldiers) above the character specific ones (e.g. Vetra Red Face Marking, New Armor for Cora).