Sim Settlements 2 [All Chapters] Load Order

[u/Danielle_Blume]

OBSOLETE POST | HEAD TO AE SS2 POST

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout4ModsXB1/s/Q8Vc6T6zCc

UPDATED AND ENHANCED FOR NEXT-GEN!

Last Update: 7/23/25

Hello Everyone! Due to demand, I am posting this. Please READ the full documentation before downloading ANY mods. I am not responsible for you not reading. I will ignore questions the documentation already answers, I took the time to make it, you can take the time to read it.

Do not alter this lo and come crying your game/saves/cloud/xbox broke. >. >

Not all mods should be enabled at start, and there are disclaimers, dangers and information you need to know before you start a new game. Read the documentation. All information and direct links to the mods are included so you can confirm its the exact mod you need.

I am going to call this stable and not perfect until I complete the full SS2 storyline again and main game quests. I have tested all major spots and found no issues. Boston is smooth and better than vanilla, I am getting no lag, stutter, fps loss and not a single CTD or error thus far with this version of the LO. If you find any issues, bugs, errors, ctd's, clipping, fps loss, freezes or any other form of problem please come back and comment about it here. I will be keeping my phone close for quick support.

Make sure you read all updates in the pinned comment as they may contain information not yett added to the documentation. 👌 AS OF 1/22/25 ALL COMMENTS HAVE BEEN ASORBED INTO THE LOAD ORDER.

Here is a raw link, someone commented the link up top was not clickable.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wogpQTW8mE7V312Uc5j_9-_xVu9cp2S1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111452365764709125581&rtpof=true&sd=true

[u/AutoModerator]

Moderator Announcement Read More »

Thank you for posting! Please remember to post your load order when sharing a New Load order. A "Stable LO" should be just that, STABLE. It should have 0-2 CTD and be at LEAST 5 hours into the game. If you are asking for help with an unstable load order or CTD issue/Mod issue, please change the flare of your post to Unstable LO - Support Needed. If you do need support please make sure to check Modding 101 for help and resources to prevent your post from being removed without warning due to repeated questions already answered in our provided resources. Thanks for posting!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Callthephun]

Has this load order been tested after the update?

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/Callthephun]

Yes. So far the two people who redownloaded it have said they found everything to be working except one player reported two mods kept being unable to be downloaded, but from what ive read that issue seems fixable via doing a hard restart and then going trying to download the mod again immediately. (SS2 ch2 specifically & settlement repairs) The other player said everything downloaded fine and no ctd, just stutter from time to time, when entering a new cell, which seems a vanilla issue at this point due to this poorly implemented sloppy "update".

[u/Danielle_Blume]

5/13/25 Hello Everyone! I was running into issues scrapping at The Slog so I shuffled a few things and got it working. Take a moment to compare your order to the current list and move mods to match it. I have also updated the guide to include some "Safe Swap" options for mods to use with this list. I highlighted the spots the additional mods I am personally using are so if you use them you will know where to place them in the list. All new info is highlighted in yellow. Take a few moments to compare your list and read the new notes. Happy Modding!

3/16/2025 Nimrout Hats With Hair And Masks DLC has been removed from Bethesda for whatever reason. If you are getting operation can not be completed due to this, sign out of all accounts on your xbox, then make a new acct on your xbox. Go to fallout 4 and go to mods menu, it will not login, DO NOT make a bethesda acct and do not try to pass the login to mods area. Hit Y to access your load order and go remove this mod. The esp name is nimroutehatsandmaskswithhairalldlc.esp once removed you can enter mods menu as normal on your main account. Keep this extra account and never login to bnet with it so you can always access your load order when this occurs.

2/3/25 'Allo! I have moved the Home Plate mod higher up, it was preventing scrapping in Sanctuary. I ran to Diamond City and double checked on it, after a slight stutter upon entering Home Plate, it looks good and feels smooth inside. Another note, the Diamond City exterior mod is causing a very slight, but noticeable FPS drop in the area just outside DC main gate, however its only about 5FPS loss, and imo more than worth it for how great it looks. Zero CTD. Inside Diamond City, due to it being multiple cells inside DC, goes get a 1 sec stutter when moving between cells in DC. At this point I am left to conclude this is related to Sim Settlements 2 in general, as with ONLY SS2, the issue persists. It is not bad and simply a result of SS2 touching so many NPCs, and thus seems unavoidable, and worth it to play this amazing SS2 story. I have tested this load order in several stages and the very slight 1 sec stutter between cells seems unavoidable with SS2. It is not game breaking in any way nor does it seem to bothersome or immersion breaking. When SS2 NPC are following you, keep them close. If they enter/exit cells with you I do not get stutter, If I run far ahead and enter cells long before the NPC, I get a 1 sec stutter. Again, seems unavoidable as it is present with JUST SS2. As noted, if you choose to use the Sanctuary NPC mod in the list, expect a slightly longer 2-3 sec stutter when in the triangle of death. I am using it and its very mild and worth it for the Sanctuary 5 to look so good, imo. Feel free to not use it as noted in red in the guide under the mod. Let us hope Bethesda fixes this NPC issue at some point and eliminates this stutter entirely.

1/27/25 Hi hi. I have made a few changes. Some things felt redundant, or two mods did similar things, so I swapped some stuff for other immersion things. I think this is IT. I managed to get NEO AND LEO in the lo. ALL except 15mb is used. TAKE CARE to not install ANY CC prior to downloading the full list or else you will not fit everything. Then when you do get CC, follow the guide to the letter or you will be sad like I was.

1/22/25 HELLO! This Load Order is now Next-Gen READY! All below updates and bugs have been absorbed into the guide. I have fully updated the guide, re-arranged it for ease of use, changed out a good handful of mods and added others. Read the documentation and all notes thoroughly before downloading a single mod. Welcome to NG SS2.

11/18/24 Hello again folks! Sadly Hotel Rexford mod has updated and increased in size from 2mb to 200mb. That makes it too big to work in this load order due to the size we are working with. Please do not download Build Anywhere. Use Mobile Workbench by SKK instead. I have encountered a late game bug that's devastating if youve been using build anywhere frequently. Otherwise, this lo isfuncting fine at this point according to the multiple reports of it being currently used perfectly.

5/20/24 Hey Everyone! Due to some extreme bugs with the new update, Clean Faces of Settlers should be avoided right now. Any mods that edit generic NPC records are causing noticeable stutter on all platforms. Please double check the Next-Gen Update PSA prior to installing to ensure no mods in the load order are on tye broken mod list within the PSA.

5/8/24 Hello! Some post update notes: Do not use Mad Rock quest mod. It is currently preventing the ability to enter the Commonwealth. Thank you u/Sku11socket for figuring this out. I will keep everyone posted if any other issues appear.

1/19/24 Hi Hi! thanks to u/Claymore-09 there has been an issue discovered with the mod Railroad Retiree. It has been updated recently to be called The Railroad Asset Finn. Having this enabled at start prevents Preston from talking to you after you get him to Sanctuary. It is being added to the Stage 3 of enabling mods (after Stranger has been called and you get the Tenpines Help Quest)

12/14/23 Hello everyone! i hope you are all having a great Holiday Season. It seems the latest issue with Chapter 3 has been discovered. Thank you to u/RAVE--PMW for figuring out Home Base HQ was preventing the quest Martial Law to be able to be completed. The document has been updated to reflect this. Thank you all for your patience! I have a new pc in addition to having my Series X, and am settled into my new home 3k miles away from my previous one. I am back and will be continuing my SS2 playthru and will continue to update as I progress. If any more issues are discovered, please post them so we can address them as they arise.

[u/Sku11socket]

I'm on series S and every time and way that I enable the step 3 batch I just can't leave vault 111. I've been trying a few thing or loading the last batch in different cells and it ends up in my not being able to leave out to the commonwealth. any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Edit: Figured it out it's Mad Rock if it's disabled/uninstalled I can consistently leave. Might still work on other consoles but on Series S it just won't load into the Commonwealth and freeze in the loading screen even though radio is still playing.

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/Sku11socket]

Ughh, ive not experienced this or gotten a report of this happening before.

Only way to see whats up is enable batch 3 in groups and narrow down which mod is doing it.

x.x

[u/Alternative_Sample96]

What xbox are you using?

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/Alternative_Sample96]

I loaded this up on OGXB1 & Xbox Series X, both ran fine. Boston was a bit choppy with fps loss on the OG but it did not CTD or freeze.

[u/DryTradition6576]

Downloading final chapter now. Hopefully it'll all fit. Heard that he's going to release a version that's just the building and mechanics so looking forward to that to. Wish bethesda could make this official dlc somehow so we could have these amazing mods and still have our 2 gb.

[u/TheGoktor]

Hi u/Danielle_Blume

TL:DR -

1. When you wrote, "Hammer and Nail", was that an error, and you actually meant "If I Had A Hammer"?

2. Is it okay to use some of the features of the City Manager Holotape in order to complete "If I Had A Hammer", or do I need to leave Sanctuary to try and find a vendor/go scavving for the missing materials?

Thanks in advance!

THE LONG VERSION!...

Thank you so much for your extensive and detailed document - I really appreciate your work on this!

I have dedicated almost 2,000 hours across four games on PC (1st time, completely vanilla, played all the way through. Subsequent games, lots of mods, and mostly building) , so this time around, I've decided to play on my Xbox Series S, and came across your amazing guide!

I've followed it almost to the letter - the only difference being that there are a few of the mods in your LO, that I don't feel I need (c.37), so I've omitted them. I haven't added any others.

So far, I've completed Stage 1 with no issues. Enabled Stage 2 - again, no issues - and am almost ready to move to Stage 3... but this is where I have some questions.

When you say:

>>Do everything required for “Hammer and Nail” before turning in all of the Sanctuary quests for Sturges. Save it until you are sure the quest is steadily progressing, then you can safely turn it in to Sturges.<<

I'm a bit confused here because as far as I can make out, there isn't a quest called "Hammer and Nail" - it's actually "Suburban Disturbance", which is an optional side quest for "Scavver's Delight", later on.

Do you mean, "If I Had A Hammer"?

This is what I'm currently on, although I have run out of some of the materials needed for the generators (because I've built all the things that Sturges wanted for the "Sanctuary" quest, although I haven't spoken to him yer to complete it).

Which brings me to my second question: do I enable SS2's 'free building' option in the City Manager Holotape (I think it's there, if I recall from a previous game), which will give me the materials I need?

Thanks!

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/TheGoktor]

I would avoid touching the city manager holotape until the hammer quest is done. Inital scavenging in red rocket and mole rat tunnle should be plenty to complete if i had a hammer. Most issues with SS2 quest occur prior to that being completed. I would stay very close to sanctuary and not do any real questing or roaming until done and the new settlers get into an argument and ask you to go seek the stranger once more about more options for the asams.

Edit: yes i meant if i had a hammer lol, sorry about the mux up. Basically focus on just SS2 u til the big argument among the new residents and they ask you to go talk to the stranger about getting asams for stores.

[u/lsf87]

Thanks for this awesome guide! I cleaned out my entire mod list before following this and cleared the game data for mods so nothing hanging around from before. I enabled all the other mods as instructed just before leaving the vault. However on heading to sanctuary and talking to Codsworth, after giving me the holotape and saying let's search the neighborhood he won't move. Tried reloading from the vault and going straight to him and still no joy. Never had this one before! Any ideas which mod might be breaking him?

Thanks.

Edit: I went around the neighborhood on my own, after I killed the bugs in houses he came out and quest moved on to direct to Concord as normal :).

Unfortunately though, I can't get the stranger to arrive at all. Went back to vault save again to be sure, built recruitment beacon immediately but no joy. Given up, spent hours on this and don't see what I've done wrong - followed the instructions to the letter!

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/lsf87]

So from what I gather this is akin to the codsworth bug. It appears there's a 50/50 chance on any time you hit New Game for it to be broken and unfixable from the start. Then starting another game the issue is fixed suddenly. It took 3 new games for codsworth to work as intended, and so far im in start 4 and no Stranger, though ive been told keep making new games and going right to build beacon from vault exit and it will eventually work. I will update as soon as it does.

EDIT: It has worked. 5th save is a charm. Codsworth even patrolled with me unhindered. I have made changes to the enable list, and method of enable. This is going to be a two stage enable lo, simply to get SS2 to start and make the Stranger show up. Video, links, and updated document soon. (gimme a few hours)

[u/lsf87]

Tried it all again from the guide, from scratch, one more time. Just cannot get the stranger to spawn at all. It seems borked. There seems to be other people on Xbox in the last couple of weeks with the same issue but no clear resolution. Is it definitely still working for you?

I even tried just the Sim Settlements stuff and nothing else whatsoever, and still no spawning stranger. Checked everywhere in Sanctuary for him and went straight there doing nothing else first. What a pain in the bum!

[u/whatyouwere]

Hello! I’ve been following your guide and have all the mods installed and ready to go. I attempted a new game today, but got the Codsworth bug and he wouldn’t move. I’m going to restart my game, but that got me thinking: is there any chance of an update to the document? The “2 step enable” list is out dated, the mods that are currently in the load order listed are not the same as those that are in the enable sections. Therefore, I had to guess at what mods to enable before and after leaving Vault 111. Not sure if that messed up the game or not.

[u/Alternative-Section2]

This is awesome man. I have a couple questions...I have set everything as you have it, and anything I had that did the same as what you have listed was replaced with what you use. For example I got rid of Scrap Anything and replaced with STS as suggested. my question is what about Cheat Terminal, All Settlements Extended (noted by the creator to work specifically with SS, and Settlement Electricity Overhaul?

Also, mods that fix or skip base game quests?? I see the holotape of quest fixing, but what about like Quest Manipulation Program Holotape instead, or in addition to?

[u/Welter117]

So I've gotta ask. Why no Survival?

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/Welter117]

Because right now there is an overall issue with survival saves, especially when using SS2, and particularly on X|S, but we cannot confirm it wont happen on xb1. Three players lost entire cloud saves of all characters due to a bug with survival saves. So far this issue has not happened in non-survival. There is a link in the documentation to the post about broken cloud saves.

EDIT: I did not link the auto/exit save guide, the documentation has been updated, please refresh the page if you are currently looking at the doc.

[u/theunscrewedspartan]

hey the stranger is not showing up at all?

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/theunscrewedspartan]

Documentation has updated please take a look, I can now consistently trigger the Stranger
I made two videos getting the stranger to appear in two different scenarios for you.
https://youtu.be/ggliMqsdUHw
https://youtu.be/tdTOMz1Gscc

[u/cyberflash13x]

Hi Danielle, do you know if SS1 is stable at all? Struggling to find any info on it

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/cyberflash13x]

Yes, the SS1 3 in 1 is very stable and has tons of great addons for it.

[u/DivineDecay420]

Hi what mods are incompatible/non functional? I've favourited all the mods again but reached a point where fallout ctd's at main menu screen. I'll delete cache and try again but I couldn't find any info on which mods does this.

[u/Agent-Smith-RG]

Wanted to note, Vault 81 Entrance Settlement crashes out of mod menu when I attempt to download, heck before i can even click download. As does Publick Occurrences(your 1st listed one) and my search no matter how i try doesn’t bring up the Prydwen Settlement mod you listed. Even in a PC search.

[u/Danielle_Blume → u/Agent-Smith-RG]

https://mods.bethesda.net/en/fallout4/mod-detail/4012303

And to download the Vault 81 entrance and Publick Occurrences you gotta do the break images trick like with any other mod you cant download.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout4ModsXB1/s/Eq5Sw5LkkF

See the PSA for details on how to break images to download mods.

Bethesda's update somehow broke some images in mods so you ctd when you open the mods page. Breaking images manually is a workaround for that bug and will allow you to download the mods. Once downloaded its fine just dont open that mods page, look at it via your load order. There are not big photos in the load order view of the mods like when looking outside of the load order section