The Midnight Ride

IMPORTANT:
If you run into any issues at any point in the guide, please be sure to check the FAQ.
If your issue is not addressed there, join the Discord for support.

Manual Downloads

Root Mods

The following mods, unlike most others, need to be installed directly into the game's Root folder, not through Mod Organizer 2.

Use the Manual Download and follow the instructions provided for each mod.

Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE)

Extends the scripting capabilities of the game.

Installation instructions

Main Files - Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) 0.6.23

Open the downloaded archive and move everything to the game's Root folder.

If you do not know what the Root folder is, read the Key Terminology.

The direct link to an older version is intentional to grant compatibility with the downgraded EXE.

Downloading through the link button above is especially important when the guide specifies the exact version, like for this mod and more later.

After proper install, your Root folder should look like this:

Making MO2 Detect F4SE

Once F4SE is installed as instructed above, restart MO2 and you should see a new option in the top right drop-down:

xSE PluginPreloader F4

Allows preloading F4SE plugins before the game initializes.

Installation instructions

Main Files - xSE PluginPreloader F4 0.2.5.1

Open the downloaded archive and move everything to the game's Root folder.

Simple Fallout 4 Downgrader

A simple one-click downgrader that doesn't require any login credentials.

Installation instructions

Main Files - Simple Fallout 4 Downgrader - for v1.10.984

Open the downloaded archive and extract everything to the game's Root folder.
Double-click on fo4downgrader.exe to run it.
A command prompt window will open and it should say:
Patching successful
Close the command prompt and backups with _downgradeBackup appended to their name should appear in the game's Root folder.

Mod Organizer Downloads

Managed

From now on, select Mod Manager Download to download mods - this will make the file appear in MO2's Downloads tab, ready to be installed according to the instructions earlier in the guide.

Creating a Separator in MO2

Right-click the empty space in the left pane of MO2 and select Create separator.
Name the separator Utilities.

Address Library for F4SE Plugins

Resource required by most F4SE plugins.

Installation instructions

Main Files - Address Library - All In One

Backported Archive2 Support System

Allows the downgraded executable to use the updated BA2 files.

Installation instructions

Main Files - BackportedBA2Support-1_0

Better Console - F4SE

Makes console menu show extra useful information.

Installation instructions

Main Files - Better Console

High FPS Physics Fix

All-in-one solution for smooth FPS-unlocked gameplay, mitigates stutter and reduces loading times massively.

Installation instructions

Main Files - High FPS Physics Fix 0.8.11 (2nd file)

Once the mod has been installed, double-click it in the left pane of MO2.
In the INI Files tab, open F4SE/Plugins/HighFPSPhysicsFix.ini
Change only the following options^[1]:

Set DisableBlackLoadingScreens to true (line 37).
Set PostloadingMenuSpeed to 3.0 (line 51).
Set OneThreadWhileLoading to false (line 84).
If you use VRR^[2], set InGameFPS (line 59) to a number you can reach across the majority of the game^[3], it has to be between 48^[4] and refresh rate - (refresh rate x 6.8%)
If you use fixed refresh rate (no VRR), set InGameFPS (line 59) to your refresh rate - 0.005 or divisors of your refresh rate, based on which is closest to your lowest FPS.

Some examples:

60Hz: 59.995, as it most likely won't have VRR.
144Hz: any value between 48 and 134 if VRR is enabled, 72 or 143.995 if using fixed refresh rate.
165Hz: anywhere between 48 and 154 if VRR is enabled, changing the refresh rate[5] to 144 is recommened if using fixed refresh rate.
240Hz: anywhere between 48 and 224 if VRR is enabled, 60 or 119.995 if using fixed refresh rate.

Obviously, when using 240Hz as example, you wouldn't lock it as high as 180 or 239.995 if you cannot reach those FPS in most of the game. The goal is to have a smooth experience, not to be hardware bound.

If you set InGameFPS to a value higher than 60, do the following as well:

Set DynamicUpdateBudget to true (line 291).
Set BudgetMaxFPS to the same value as InGameFPS (line 310).

Do not touch other settings unless you know what you are doing! For example you should know that:
- AllowTearing needs to stay enabled, it's a requirement for VRR and won't lead to tearing during gameplay - the mod turns off V-Sync only during loading, making it these results.
- Enabling DisableAnimationOnLoadingScreens will freeze loading screens and any overlay you use, this is intended and will speed up loading by about 40%. You can enable it if you don't mind frozen loading screens.
You can check if you are using VRR by going to the Nvidia Control Panel if you're on Nvidia or Adrenalin's Display Settings if you're on AMD. If the G-Sync tab is missing from NVCP, your display doesn't support it or doesn't have the feature enabled in the OSD.

Nvidia users need to make sure that G-Sync is set to Fullscreen and that Display Specific settings are enabled, the Windowed option is problematic due to it being a hacky method. Both of the settings are wrongly named so they do not actually directly refer to the display method.
You always want your FPS capped by a limiter instead of being hardware bound, this will reduce lag and increase power efficiency. It is also less jarring for the player when visual smoothness is the same across all scenes.
The VRR range on most monitors starts at 48, but it might also start at 30 or 1. You can check this on Nvidia's page or from your monitor's specifications. Windows 11 users can also check Display information in the Advanced display settings page.
You can set a custom resolution (and refresh rate) in the Nvidia Control Panel or Adrenalin settings. This is useful for monitors that don't have an evenly divisible refresh rate and if VRR is not available. For example, if your monitor has a refresh rate of 165Hz, you can set it to 144Hz and use 72 as limiter instead of 55.