Vortex Gaming

Amazon Prime's live-action TV series adaptation of the game, 'Fallout,' has been well-received, and interest in the original game has continued for about a month. Among them, 'Fallout 4,' which was released 8 years ago and maintained around 20,000 concurrent Steam users, recorded over 187,000 users last weekend.

Whether Bethesda Studios was deeply impressed by this chart reversal of 'Fallout 4,' they suddenly proceeded with a 'next-gen' update. It included 21:9 resolution support (finally!), optimization, and some new items and quests, intending to reward gamers who want to enjoy the old game.

However, ironically, existing gamers were not at all happy with the next-gen update of Fallout 4. This is because most of the 'mods' they had been using had stopped working due to the original update.

'Mods,' which apply user-created content to the game, are mostly not of much interest in most games, or there are rumors that they have been 'banned' by the developers. Depending on the game's distribution method, it is difficult to apply mods to many parts, so it is generally used to change the appearance of characters as desired.

However, Bethesda's games are different. As many gamers already know, Bethesda Studio's open-world RPG franchises, 'The Elder Scrolls (mainly Skyrim)' and 'Fallout,' are called the 'two major mountains' of the global mod community. There are about 55,000 mods for 'Fallout 4' on the world's largest mod community, 'Nexus Mods.' It has reached the point where it can create a 'new' game beyond just changing the appearance of the character a little.

The feature of Bethesda games that allows for a very wide range of mods to be applied played an important role in explosively growing the mod community, and especially the open world based on high freedom became a good nourishment for realizing players' imaginations. Gamers who felt lacking in the original game have been 'making' the game themselves one by one. Modders have long found the answer to the 21:9 resolution that is officially supported 8 years after its release, and have been devising more diverse ways to optimize the original, which was full of bugs.

It is understandable that many fans resent the developers for carrying out the update only now, as the efforts of the mod community, which has been fixing the game and adding new content for many years, have been shaken by a single 'next-gen update'.

Now that the official next-gen update has been applied, I reinstalled the game to find out how the 100,000 players who are enjoying Fallout 4 are enjoying the game (and the mods).

"Ah!!! I told you I don't need the next-gen update?"

As of the time of writing, the top 2 hottest mods in the Nexus Mods Fallout 4 community were mods that prevent the 'next-gen update' from happening. One is to skip the next-gen update from proceeding, and the other is to 'downgrade' the already existing update.

This alone showed how the official update prepared by Bethesda to coincide with the drama's success was being received in the mod community. In addition, since ESDs such as Steam automatically update unless settings are set separately, it is easy to see that the mod has been ranked at the top due to the continued footsteps of players who want to downgrade.

However, the above mod requires you to enter your Steam account information (ID and password) when running it, so it is not a recommended method in the community. You can downgrade and change your password, but entering personal information into a mod is very sensitive and uncomfortable.

So recently, users are using Steam's console function to download the data of 'Fallout 4' before the update and overwrite it in the folder where the game is installed. It sounds complicated, but you can prepare the game to the state before the next-generation update more easily than you think.

The biggest reason why many gamers who use mods do not like the new update is that the 'Script Extender', which is the basis of most mods, does not work. Because it expands the ability to use user-created scripts in the game, without it, many of the 55,000 mods uploaded to the Fallout mod community cannot be used.

Recently, the developer who developed F4SE (Fallout 4 Script Extender) said through the forum that "We are developing a version that corresponds to the next-generation update," but added that it is impossible to guarantee how much longer it will take. For now, the only alternative is to go back to before the update.

I'm trying to do mods for the first time, what should I do?

I've used a few mods even after its release, but the 'Fallout 4' mod community that I found again was really vast. It is true that it is difficult for basic game players who do not know where to start, what to do, and how to do it. However, since a fairly large mod community has been formed in Korea, you will be able to take your first step into the world of mods without difficulty with a simple search.

It is impossible to handle all 55,000 mods, and the world of mods is not easy enough to utilize all of them. Here, we will briefly look at the introduction of basic mods and what parts of the basic game can be changed through mods.

■ Mod essentials, 'Mod Manager' and 'F4SE'

First, in order to utilize the vast mods shared by the Bethesda Studio game mod community, a 'mod manager' is required. Typically, there are Vortex, which was developed directly by the Nexus Mods community, and 'Mod Organizer'. These 'managers' not only help to install mods more easily, but also make it easier to deal with problems later because they build mods separately in a place other than the path where the basic game is installed.

F4SE, the script extender mentioned above. It is an essential element because it is the basis of almost all mods. 'Skyrim', which has a huge mod community like Fallout, also requires the installation of a script extender called SKSE to take a step into the world of mods.

■ I was frustrated, so I made it instead of the developer, unofficial optimization patches

As many game fans already know, Bethesda Studio's open-world RPG is far from optimized from the basic game. Therefore, the modder community traditionally conducts QA (?) and discloses the elements necessary for optimization. Even if it is not a mod that adds new content, installing these patches alone can guarantee considerable stability in the basic game.

■ Character appearance, costumes, and weapons to install according to your taste

This is the field that has led many gamers to choose mods because the appearance of Bethesda's basic game characters is not very likable. You can install character appearances, new weapons, costumes, etc. shared by various modders in the game, and you can easily call them through the console in the game to complete your own character. Gamers' tastes are very diverse, so find and install mods that suit your taste in various communities such as Nexus Mods.

■ Animations, sound effects, and even graphic mods that increase immersion

Without stopping at just changing some appearances, the modder community has released mods that completely change the animations of the basic game. You can put in reloading motions, which play a fairly important role in FPS, motions for characters walking or running in 3rd person view, and even healing animations that are not in the basic game.

In addition, it is also possible to change the somewhat bland basic game gun sound to a more realistic or exciting sound. If you change the graphics using ENB, etc., you can play 'Fallout 4' with a different charm from the basic game just by doing this.

■ If it's a 'survival' game, it should be more difficult! Gameplay improvement mods

Some gamers also wanted 'Fallout 4', which depicts a post-apocalyptic background, to be more difficult. You can find as many mods as you want to satisfy these gamers' tastes. There are mods that make the camera move violently every time you are hit, and even mods that make it difficult to see the front because blood is smeared on it, and mods that greatly increase the headshot damage coefficient so that you can cross the Yordan River the moment you are careless. It is also possible to apply improvements in various fields, such as further subdividing the injury status so that it cannot be treated with general restoratives.

■ If you don't know much about mods, it is also recommended to use a 'integrated pack'.

The disadvantage of mods is that you have to find and apply the necessary elements one by one until the game looks the way you want it to be. In the process, it is common for the time spent searching, applying, and checking whether the game is causing errors to be longer than the actual game play time.

For light users who do not want to worry too much about modding (?), various communities also distribute mods that match a specific concept in the form of 'integrated packs'. It is also a fun experience to see what the creator of the integrated pack wants 'Fallout 4' to look like.

Many communities in Korea also share integrated packs of 'Fallout 4'. Representative examples include the DC Inside Gallery and the Arca Live Channel. In addition to the packs, they also kindly share basic operation methods and play methods, so if you are a Morin who is still having difficulty building your own mod, it is a good idea to look for an integrated pack.

I also tried the 'Debadpol' integrated pack, which is being shared by the Arca Live Channel community, while newly installing Fallout 4 this time. I was very impressed that I could install about 700 mods without worrying, and I was amazed at how it transformed Fallout 4 into a thrilling survival action game.

The biggest enemy of mod entry is 'patience'

Various mods created by a vast community gathered together for the purpose of making the game more enjoyable. It is very enjoyable to install various elements and create an experience that suits your taste, but the process is not smooth.

When you actually start modding, you may encounter many unexpected problems, but the biggest problem is the fatal error created by the twisting and twisting of various mods. Among them, CTD (Crash to Desktop), where Windows crashes, is what many mod beginners fear.

Therefore, if you have decided to enjoy 'Fallout 4' with mods, it is most important to have patience. Overcoming the frustration when Windows suddenly goes out, finding out which mod array is wrong and causing this, and running the game again with the feeling that 'it will be okay this time'. All of that process is the path of mods.

Because of these characteristics, it has become something that everyone who has been in the mod community has experienced at least once: "I couldn't even play the game, but I was messing with mods and the morning sun came up." I was the same when I reinstalled it after watching the Fallout drama. I don't know how many troublesome things there were: if I installed this mod, that mod was a problem, and even if I deleted that mod, the problem didn't disappear.

However, there is no need to be too afraid. Most of the problems faced by people who are new to mods are things that previous mod users have already experienced. If you search the community well, you can find users who have explained in detail how to deal with the symptoms. Making the game together while sharing the same concerns, and sharing the game you made with others and enjoying it together. Perhaps the driving force behind the growth of the mod community comes from this charm.

I hope that the mod scene will be one where developers and the community can laugh together.

In the past, the perception that 'mods' were just 'their own play' enjoyed by a few people who liked a specific game was much higher than it is now. Today, the development of technology has gradually lowered the barriers to development, which is also having a great impact on the growth of the mod community.

Although there are not many cases yet, some mod communities are increasingly presenting completely new games based on the original game. Earlier this year, the fan-made mod game 'Portal Revolution' appeared and gave new fun to Portal fans, and 'Fallout London', which was postponed due to the recent 'next-generation update', also received a lot of attention as a large-scale mod project.

It is expected that these mod communities and mod games will continue to expand their influence in the future, but there are also issues that need to be paid attention to in the process. Some indiscriminate mods created under the name of fandom and deviating from social norms can potentially damage the original game, and if the developer sanctions mods to prevent this, the mod community's position may be narrowed.

It is not easy to determine what is the 'appropriate line' that developers and the mod community can compromise on. Assuming that both sides are looking for 'enjoyment' of the game, wouldn't it be a desirable future to find a balance between the activation of the mod community and the developer's control over mods?

That's not to say that this next-generation update of 'Fallout 4' is completely ignoring the existing mod community. Bethesda Studios said through various SNS that "We have paid the utmost attention to compatibility with existing mods," but it was simply not enough.

The mod community exploration that started with the Fallout drama was an unexpected journey, but thanks to it, I was able to confirm how sincerely and diligently so many gamers were making one game more enjoyable. For 8 years after its release, which is not a short time. Also, sometimes the lesson that the developer staying still may be for the sake of the gamer.

Webzine Inven김규만 기자
2024-05-05