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![[v008] Modified fungal forest, less generic emmitance, but emmitance per fungus applied as addon node to the mesh itself.](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1701130125-1966725318.jpeg "[v008] Modified fungal forest, less generic emmitance, but emmitance per fungus applied as addon node to the mesh itself.")
![[v008] Modified fungal forest, less generic emmitance, but emmitance per fungus applied as addon node to the mesh itself.](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1701130125-422986471.jpeg "[v008] Modified fungal forest, less generic emmitance, but emmitance per fungus applied as addon node to the mesh itself.")
![[v008] Before harvest](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1701130133-1882827698.jpeg "[v008] Before harvest")
![[v008] After harvest](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1701130133-1332176452.jpeg "[v008] After harvest")
![[v001] Lighting plays a fundamental role, many warm lighting was replaced by plain raw white (255).](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1700692386-1984694278.png "[v001] Lighting plays a fundamental role, many warm lighting was replaced by plain raw white (255).")
![[v007] Alternative Key meshes have been added which remove the key fob.](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1700727289-1306286168.png "[v007] Alternative Key meshes have been added which remove the key fob.")
![[v001] Dark Commonwealth includes the LOD Light fix plugin which disables super lights in exterior environment.](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1697906739-1824737508.png "[v001] Dark Commonwealth includes the LOD Light fix plugin which disables super lights in exterior environment.")
![[v001] fallout4custom.ini - character lighting off](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1700405356-1861174006.png "[v001] fallout4custom.ini - character lighting off")
![[v016] Take a Light Source and delit the environment.](https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1151/images/thumbnails/62338/62338-1730242222-2071082857.gif "[v016] Take a Light Source and delit the environment.")
About this mod
Makes the game dark and desolate and more difficult to master.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
-
Translations
- Changelogs
This mod is hardcore and largely inspired by CDDA, Doom 3, Fallout 1/2/T/3, Splinter Cell, Thief, and else.
Preface
Created out of curiosity what will happen when light sources disappear or simply have less room to play. But also because i never really understood why NPC bath in light so the player can see them from miles away, while blending themself to see literally nothing.
Many locations are highlighted via light, many rare items have a candle light environment, alot of mist glows by magic in the dark and cause an omnipresent foggy environment even years after fallout. All of this needed revision and the game needed to mutate into a dungeon crawler with dark and creepy locations.
The engine is ideally suited for such excursions and the Creation Kit offers everything to make this possible. In fact the engine has so much potential that the real beatuy of the game was lost doomed to the poor image space setup, fog placement, mist usage, ambient coloring, effect lighting, and else.
What will happen if most of the immersion breaking objects are gone?
The drawbacks of trying to explore and engage in combat while in a condition of realistic darkness are part of the point; it adds to the logistics element of exploration, forcing the player to consider whether it's worthwhile to continue onward in the night-time or to seek shelter where they can rest and return in the daylight. This also encourages planning and preparation on the part of the player, to avoid being caught outdoors in the night. Unfortunately, developers nowadays shrink from using logistics in general, being unwilling to constrain players in any way, which is to the great detriment of exploration. Logistics encompasses inventory limitations, encumbrance, stamina/fatigue, need for food, need for water, need for sleep, realistic lighting, a day/night cycle, Vancian magic memorization, weapons/armor deterioration and repair, etc. and is a core aspect of RPG mechanics.
— Zed Duke of Banville @ Why are developers so afraid of making night actually *dark*?
Overview
The mod is split into various parts. Plugins you can use all together or standalone. None requires the other although i recommend to use all of them. For a visual only experience use the light (main) plugin. Load order and mod compatibility in the post section.
PLUGIN: Main | Lighting
Spoiler:
Show
All objects that are related to light, fire, electricity have been modified, often disabled. Almost all vanilla lights have been disabled and only the essential kept to lit the environment. This covers approx. over 50.000 lights (most disabled, few enabled) to greatly improve performance and user experience.
All lights and effects were hand picked and modfied, this will also cover all kinds of effects (FX) such as mist, glow, steam, water but also textures, sound, and anything else generating ambience.
To keep load on the plugin and during gaming to a minimum and instead of adding new objects, this mod sticks to the principle to override vanilla objects as much as possible. To also help VR (Virtual Reality) users since the total number of records thus will never exceed the magical 000800 FormID mark.
As of version 016 all 300+ interior cells are overhauled, vanilla and DLCs but also exterior cells. Yet there is still alot of untouched material and whenever something feels off please do not hesitate and let me know.
Now, grab a strong light, the game may feel very dark!
All lights and effects were hand picked and modfied, this will also cover all kinds of effects (FX) such as mist, glow, steam, water but also textures, sound, and anything else generating ambience.
To keep load on the plugin and during gaming to a minimum and instead of adding new objects, this mod sticks to the principle to override vanilla objects as much as possible. To also help VR (Virtual Reality) users since the total number of records thus will never exceed the magical 000800 FormID mark.
As of version 016 all 300+ interior cells are overhauled, vanilla and DLCs but also exterior cells. Yet there is still alot of untouched material and whenever something feels off please do not hesitate and let me know.
Now, grab a strong light, the game may feel very dark!
PLUGIN: World | Loot
Spoiler:
Show
Many objects have been disabled, most of them directly tied to power such as fusion generators, power armor, robots, turrets, terminals, etc. Swapped by invisible replacer or detoriated equivalents.
This will also cover vehicles, flora, plants, misc items of all kind, etc.
Loot will be rare and clever crafting routines should be part of later versions.
This will also cover vehicles, flora, plants, misc items of all kind, etc.
Loot will be rare and clever crafting routines should be part of later versions.
PLUGIN: Interface
Spoiler:
Show
To force player char, more into situations which require better preparation and skills the HUD elements have been largely altered, swapped or disabled. Such as huge text bars, compass decoration, cartoon bobbleheads, etc.
The Pip-Boy effects, such as glow and color have been disabled also. To unifiy the HUD elements better.
The former SPECIAL book chart was swapped by a raw crushed paper background.
The Pip-Boy effects, such as glow and color have been disabled also. To unifiy the HUD elements better.
The former SPECIAL book chart was swapped by a raw crushed paper background.
PLUGIN: Sound
Spoiler:
Show
Various sound files are different, or have been removed. E.g. the terminal now should not play a fan sound when close, instead an HDD sound will be played when logging in, the combat sound was disabled. There are many such little tweaks and this will be extended in future versions.
Since most sounds in FO4 destroy every last bit of immersion and flare, this stuff is gone. Less sound is used more globally, some sound files have been swapped. There was applause for everything, now sound files "talk" only when needed.
Same logic applies with more progress to voices. Characters will talk less and only a few dialogues will remain.
Since most sounds in FO4 destroy every last bit of immersion and flare, this stuff is gone. Less sound is used more globally, some sound files have been swapped. There was applause for everything, now sound files "talk" only when needed.
Same logic applies with more progress to voices. Characters will talk less and only a few dialogues will remain.
Installation
Can be installed mid-game, but its no secret that you shouldnt install such a project for the first time mid-game.
- If your new, install fresh
- If you use an existing DC, override
Compatibility
Load last to take full effect. If loaded somewhere in between your mod list, most likely fog settings and other cell specific changes will not be used properly. This is important to know since it will affect a large part of the atmosphere ofthis mod.
▲ Higher
► Base
▼ Lower
▲ Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch - UFO4P by Arthmoor is fully patched and must be loaded before
▲ Dark Commonwealth: Sound Addon
▲ Dark Commonwealth: World Addon
► Dark Commonwealth: Main File
▼ Previsibines Repair Pack Stable Branch - PRP by BenRierimanu must be loaded after World, Main which will cause a conflict with the interior cell overhaul (therefore, use the Image Space Project and load the CELL plugin after PRP)
⠀⠀▼ Image Space Project - use the CELL plugin which is required to patch PRP
▼ NAC X - Legacy Edition by l00ping - patch available in the files section
▼ Dark Commonwealth: Interface Addon
▼ Extended Dialogue Interface - XDI's DialogueMenu.swf must be loaded after, e.g. override the DC in order to function. All i did was to disable the Charima Pipboy animation. It is also possible to extract the XDI SWF into "Fallout 4\Data\Interface" folder.
▼ Other interface mods
NOTE: ANY other lighting OR weather mod is incompatible, patches are not required, considered, nor supported. There might be exceptions uploaded only to this page.
Technical Issues
- Glowing light bulbs of Construction Lights are impossible to hide and will glow
- Glowing light bulbs of High Tech Ceiling Lights are impossible to hide and will glow
NOTE: DC uses clever techniques to avoid seeing the glow though. If there is glow in the dark, upload an image to this site via the "Add Media" button.
Tutorials
- How to Remove Fog from Interior Cells by Glass1411
- Bethesda Tutorial Lights and FX by ck.uesp.net
- LightingWeathersPostProcessing by Kesta
Credits | Special Thanks | Respect
This mod combines most of my work but would never have happen without the following ...
- Bethesda
- FO4Edit Team, ElminsterAU, for their invaluable tool
- Research on image space, shp, HDR, Bloom, etc: SirGreenThumb
- zlostnypopolnik, everything
- Nexus Community, for help, feedback, bug report, motivation: AlinaFaas, AsaRuth, BenRierimanu, boblimovo38, chrispy1717, Cjo92, drevviken, EdwardStrange, EM117, fadingsignal, FoxiShandris, GrankNutt4, insaneplumber, masterhamper, NeinGaming, PresidentKoopa, PHANTOMHATE, sakura9, Scaphism, Shiny428, the1holy, timeline67, Timmy2ww, Trazibol, willief23, Wyrnox, zed140
- ousnius, for the Material Editor
- Niftools team, for nifskope
- jindrapetrik, for JPEXS
- Raxdiam, for MultiXwm
- Darkfox127, endless informative content
- Kesta for outstanding guides on stepmodifications.org
- Necrocytosis for Tutorial How to use AddonNodes For lights
- Topol774 for Performance optimization guide - mod list and tweaks
- DoubleYouC for Fallout 4 Default Values for All Valid INI Settings
- mm137 for Realistic Death Physics
- atlassys8 for No Sneak Indicator
- KeyC0de for Advanced AI Tweaks
- Goomashroom for How to make a custom UI by editing HUDMenu.swf
- Aizekku for Scarier Geiger Counter Sounds
- cat_woman1989 and RoNin1971 for help with transparent textures
- fadingsignal for the Dufflebag sound fix
FAQ
Q: Where?
A: In the posts section.