Some people play the game, others tinker with it. Fallout 4 has only just been released but modders are already hard at work on Bethesda's latest RPG, tinkering, tweaking, and reshaping the game. Official mod tools aren't due until next year, but here's the best of what we've seen so far.
Make sure you read installation instructions on each mod's page closely: many of them require command lines to be typed in the game's console to get them working. We'll be updating this page regularly as more mods arrive.
Fallout 4 Configuration Tool
Fallout 4 shipped without an option to alter your field of view. While there's a way to do it by editing an .ini file, The Fallout 4 Configuration Tool makes it much simpler. Launch it and you can punch in your custom FOV for both third- and first-person views. Then save, and it'll update your .ini file for you. The tool also allows other tweaks to mouse acceleration and sensitivity, the disabling of intro movies, tweaks to resolution, and more. Created by modder Bilago, you can download it here.
Higher Settlement Budget
The size of your Fallout 4 settlements is restricted: they can only get so big and use so many objects. That stinks, though, if you're building a big 'ol base and suddenly have to stop. The Higher Settlement Budget mod fixes this. Once installed, a console code will remove the size restriction and let you keep building. You'll find it here, along with a short video tutorial on how to set it up.
Craftable Ammunition
You can build a lot at your workstations, everything from weapon mods to medical items to grenades. Why not ammo? This mod lets you craft every single type of ammo in the game at your chemistry stations: shotgun shells, flares, mini nukes, flamer fuel, fusion cells... you name it, you can craft it. You'll still need higher level Gun Nut, Science, and Demolition perks to be able to craft the really powerful stuff. Find it here.
Creature Follower Mod
You've probably already got a favorite Fallout 4 companion, but it doesn't hurt to add a few more names to the guest list. The Creature Follower Mod lets you pick from a number of new companions, including deathclaws, supermutants, synths, wild dogs, and those gross irradiated bears whose names I'm not sure how to pronounce. You can even have a cat follow you, though it won't do anything in combat. Typical lazy cats! After installation it just requires a couple console commands to summon your new pal. Find the mod and instructions here.
Rain of Brass
Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. This mod makes shell casings from firefights visible from greater distances (500 meters) and stay where they fall for longer (an hour). It's not a big change, but it adds a little realism to the game. After a big fight, the ground would be littered with shell casings, and now it will be. Find the Rain of Brass mod here. It might go nicely with this mod that makes bullet impact decals longer-lasting and visible at greater distances.
FO4 Rain
Speaking of rain, someone has retextured Betheda's somewhat wimpy and barely visible raindrops. Now the droplets are thicker and chunkier, making you feel much more like you're in a post-apocalyptic downpour. The ripples caused when the raindrops hit water have also been retextured. You can watch a comparison video here, and download the mod itself here.
Lowered Weapons
Annoyed that your character, with his weapon drawn, will point it in front of him at all times when in first-person view? Seems like it would make your arms tired, frankly. This little immersion mod lowers your gun when you're not actively in combat but still have it in your hand. Grab it here.
Stars Texture Overhaul
Stars have been upgraded from 1K to 4K resolution, making them brighter, crisper, and even giving them a bit of a glimmer when you're moving around the wasteland. You can choose from a few different versions of the mod, one which adds a few bigger and brighter stars, making the sky a little more interesting in the evenings. Find it here. The same modder has also re-textured the moon.
Enhanced Wasteland Preset
While the look of Fallout 4 is certainly more colorful and less greenish than Fallout 3 was, it's still a bit washed out. This ReShade/SweetFX preset brings more color an vibrancy to the surface. You can check out some before and after pictures here, which demonstrate that the changes aren't especially drastic but still make the visuals pop quite a bit more. Download and installation instructions here.
Stalker Lighting
On the other hand, maybe you don't think the post-apocalypse should be quite so vibrant and colorful. Stalker Lighting bleeds away the colors, making the world look more harsh, more unforgiving, more bleak. It is the end of the world, after all. Now it'll actually look like it. Find it here.
