How I almost failed at modding

Not Everything Needs to Be About Work. Life encompasses so much more.

For years, my attention has been on work—design, strategy, and problem-solving. Each project had its own goal, purpose, and anticipated result. However, not everything in life needs to be centered around productivity or using time efficiently. In truth, some things are the complete opposite: enjoying time! Occasionally, you simply need to create for the joy it brings to your heart.

I’ve always wanted to make my own mods for Fallout 4. A couple of years ago, I took my first shot at it. I downloaded the Creation Kit, opened a few tutorials, and quickly realized I was in over my head. Too many systems, too many interdependent mechanics, too many ways to break the game. I gave up.

Have you ever tried something and given up?

• 0%Yes
• 0%No

I tried again last year, thinking maybe I just needed a fresh perspective. Same result—I got lost in the complexity and quit.

Then, this winter, I tried again. But this time, I approached it differently. Instead of getting frustrated and walking away, I embraced learning the process, step by step. I watched countless videos, read articles, and leaned on gen AI whenever I got stuck. I took notes. I experimented. I made mistakes and actually debugged them instead of giving up. And eventually, I created something I’m proud of: More Chems. Take a look:

you're into games, especially into Fallout 4, give it a shot.

Starting Small: The Birth of More Chems

At first, I kept searching for something meaningful to create—some grand idea that would redefine gameplay. But my ideas were too complex for my skill level. I wanted to create new AI behaviors, rework the combat system, and introduce new mechanics. I kept hitting a wall.

That’s when I realized: I needed to start small.

I thought about modularity. Instead of building a massive overhaul mod, I could create something simple and expandable—something I could improve as I learned. That’s how More Chems started.

A single chem.

Then three.

Now, I have nine unique chems, each with distinct effects, from super speed to magnetizing weapons to summoning a friendly Deathclaw. And I can keep adding more.

Challenges and Solutions

1. The Learning Curve

When I first opened the Creation Kit, I felt like I was staring at an alien language. The interface was clunky, the errors were cryptic, and the documentation was outdated. But I learned to break it down.

Instead of trying to understand everything at once, I focused on one small goal at a time.

• How do I create an item?

• How do I apply a temporary effect?

• How do I script an event?

Each time I solved one problem, I moved on to the next.

2. Debugging the Chaos

Modding isn’t just about adding cool things to a game. It’s also about not breaking the game in the process.

Some of my early chems had… unintended side effects. One of them crashed the game every time I used it. Another made NPCs start attacking each other for no reason. At one point, I managed to accidentally teleport all the enemies into the sky.

I learned to use Papyrus scripting logs to track errors and figure out what went wrong. Every bug was a puzzle, and solving them felt just as rewarding as adding new features.

3. Making Effects Feel Good

It wasn’t enough for my chems to just work—they had to feel good to use. A speed boost wasn’t exciting unless it was fast enough to feel exhilarating but controlled enough to avoid breaking the game.

I tweaked values, adjusted animations, and experimented with VFX. I wanted each chem to have gameplay impact, not just be a gimmick.

• Punchaps makes melee combat feel powerful, sending enemies flying.

• Jumpaps turns you into a super-powered kangaroo, letting you reach places you normally couldn’t.

• Dartaps lets you teleport-dash toward an enemy for a surprise attack.

4. Managing a Suite of Tools

One of the biggest hurdles in creating More Chems wasn’t just learning one tool—it was learning an entire ecosystem of tools, each with its own quirks, bugs, and limitations.

To bring my mod to life, I had to juggle multiple software applications, each serving a different purpose:

• Creation Kit – The main tool for designing items, scripting behavior, and implementing mechanics.

• NifSkope – Editing and optimizing 3D models for custom chem boxes.

• Archive2 – Packing everything into a .ba2 archive so the game could load assets correctly.

• Photoshop – Creating and editing textures for chem packaging.

• ElevenLabs – AI-generated voice lines for chem descriptions and effects.

• Audacity – Editing and cleaning up sound files.

• Shell Commands – Filtering and analyzing logs to debug scripts efficiently.

• GitHub – Version control, ensuring I didn’t accidentally break something I couldn’t undo.

• xEdit (FO4Edit) – Cleaning and fine-tuning mod records to avoid conflicts.

• OBS Studio – Recording footage for testing and showcasing changes.

Each tool had a learning curve, and integrating them into a smooth workflow took time. At first, I was constantly jumping between programs, manually transferring files, and losing track of changes.

Solution: Creating an Efficient Workflow

To keep everything manageable, I established a structured workflow with automation and organization:

1. Source Control with GitHub – Every major change was committed, so I could roll back if something broke.

2. Batch Scripting – I wrote shell scripts to automate packaging, log filtering, and file management.

3. Dedicated Workspaces – Organized assets in clearly labeled folders, preventing file conflicts.

4. Standardized Naming – Every asset followed a consistent naming pattern to avoid confusion in Creation Kit.

5. Pre-Testing Before Importing – Edited models in NifSkope, tested sounds in Audacity, and reviewed textures in Photoshop before adding them to the game.

6. Incremental Testing – Instead of making tons of changes at once, I tested one new feature at a time.

7. Modding Documentation & Notes – Kept a personal wiki with troubleshooting steps, useful console commands, and modding tips.

Once I had a repeatable process, everything became faster and smoother.

Now, when I add a new chem, it’s no longer an unstructured mess—I have a clear system that lets me prototype, test, and refine efficiently. Managing multiple tools is no longer an obstacle—it’s part of the fun.

Each chem adds a new layer of fun to combat.

Lessons Learned

The most important thing I’ve learned? Creativity requires persistence.

I failed at modding twice. But the third time, I pushed through the frustration and learned how to tackle problems piece by piece.

More than that, I learned that not everything has to be work. It’s okay to create something just because it’s fun. It’s okay to experiment without a roadmap. And it’s okay to take your time learning something new.

I started this journey just trying to make one chem. Now, I’ve built an entire system that I can expand indefinitely. And the best part?

I’m still having fun.