NG or Pre-NG?

[Anunya]

I'm looking at getting into FO4, but I'm not sure if I should go for NG or pre-NG.

 

Any advice or suggestions? What's best for LL mods? Is there anything awesome or useful you're giving up by going pre-NG or going NG?

 

Any insight would be appreciated  

[Simpossible_xx]

Take a look here!

 

 

[Anunya]

1 hour ago, Simpossible_xx said:

Take a look here!

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

This looks like a great guide, thanks for putting it together

Edited April 27, 2025 by Anunya

[MrGrey]

Content

get more content with NG because of the creation club content. The Halloween one doesn't "just work". You gotta use a cheat code to start it.   The ones where you get Enclave power armor ... once you get Enclave power armor the attack you by spawning right behind you. That's just wrong. So avoid starting those until you murder the Enclave. The content is "meh". 

 

Mods

Most mods have been upgraded to NG. The only one that doesn't work is Pip Boy Storage (PBS). It will sometimes bork your game. Most people don't use it. The OLD Tardis mod is a suitable substitute for most of what PBS does. (the New Tardis mod is for hard core Doctor Who fans... screw that) AAF has been upgraded, FO4SE, so you can use the FallUI again... 

 

Summary

I have both 163 from GOG and 198 from steam. Played GOG version until the mods were updated to 198.  I'd go with the NG version right now, but they have too many ways of getting the new power armor. 

 

[katrina.balanchuk]

I am on .163.

Still a great many of my favorite mods either dont work as well, if updated, on NG, or at all.

 

.163 is/was peak Fallout 4, stable, many good mods exist.

[Samuraitech]

I typically don't update anything unless I must due to game or software you use will no longer work.

It was not my decision to upgrade a 10 year old game that was working perfectly fine, with mods.  

Most of the mods I use are still working with 163.

[Battletooth]

Im playing NG just fine, i have small/moderate mod list, LL content on with couple small animations packs, using FG and custom player race, everything works plus some bugfixes (not all). Lot of weapon mods thou.

Most mods are updated to NG, if not, there is usually some other option, and if you play .163, there is usually older version archived in nexus, so basically both options are fine.

With NG you get some extra CC content, stability seems to be similar, both versions crashes sometimes, same engine glitches excists in both version, but for PC NG version doesnt offer anything extraordinaly. And im using vortex, while most modders like to use mo2.

I updated my whole PC this year, before that i had .163 version, but im fine with choosing NG version now. had to basically abandon skyrim LE, old FO4 and many other modded games, which i did mod for years and with some personal mods(i made backups, but new installation...)

Heh i may ask similar in skyrim forums someday im thinking installing AE edition after like lots of years break from skyrim(played last legendary edition)

[deff.]

I want to wake up dead topic - since my downgraded game refuses to work (don't ask me why, something was fcked up while I experimented with NAF and AAF) I'm thinking about setting up a NG Fallout 4. It's not about "Is it will be better or not?". It's about mod compatibility. What's the situation with the mods right now for NG version? 

 

And I heard that physics refused to work on NG, is it true or not?

[izzyknows]

1 hour ago, deff. said:

I want to wake up dead topic - since my downgraded game refuses to work (don't ask me why, something was fcked up while I experimented with NAF and AAF) I'm thinking about setting up a NG Fallout 4. It's not about "Is it will be better or not?". It's about mod compatibility. What's the situation with the mods right now for NG version? 

 

And I heard that physics refused to work on NG, is it true or not?

Mod compatibility is pretty much a non issue if you use Backported Archive2 Support.

You also need to make sure you're using the correct version of F4SE for 163 and not the NG version. Along with LL Fourplay version 46. 

Messing with NAF and AAF 1.0+ is not recommended, unless you know how to remove the malicious code in AAF. Using the NAF Bridge eliminates AAF altogether and is safer that way.

[deff.]

11 minutes ago, izzyknows said:

Mod compatibility is pretty much a non issue if you use Backported Archive2 Support.

You also need to make sure you're using the correct version of F4SE for 163 and not the NG version. Along with LL Fourplay version 46. 

Messing with NAF and AAF 1.0+ is not recommended, unless you know how to remove the malicious code in AAF. Using the NAF Bridge eliminates AAF altogether and is safer that way.

 

I know about game versions and F4SE versions, thank you   I didn't even understood what happened - I've done it several times (switched from AAF->NAF->AAF in mid-game). After last switch I couldn't load a game with AAF, it just simply CTD without crashlog. 

[izzyknows]

8 hours ago, deff. said:

 

I know about game versions and F4SE versions, thank you   I didn't even understood what happened - I've done it several times (switched from AAF->NAF->AAF in mid-game). After last switch I couldn't load a game with AAF, it just simply CTD without crashlog. 

I wouldn't be swapping mid game. Lot less headaches and CTD. LOL 

[MrGrey]

If you have NAF installed, CTD is just AAF working as the author intended. 

You need the old version for NAF. 

You need the new version for AAF, unless you like dead supermutants just standing there that you can't loot. More of an annoyance until you play America Rising 2, and need to send them to the Oil Rig with the magic stick.