The purpose of this project is to refine and improve upon Dracomies' Fallout New Vegas Redesigned 3 in terms of performance and compatibility, without making any (intentional) changes to its visual improvements.  I wanted to add a lot of really nice things about my opinion of the quality of those improvements here, but that's the single and only thing Dracomies won't let me do in regards to his mod.  Bah!

Anyway.  The mod has been in production for 8 years, since FNV was released, and it's never had a thorough cleaning.  Over the near-decade that Dracomies has spent working on it, the GECK added tons of wild edits (it does that), and there were even some obsolete values from before the Fallout Official Patches were applied back in 2010/2011 still lurking in the plugins.

In addition, NVR3 relied on both an ESM and an ESP plugin.  The main reason for the ESP is that when NPC Actor records are stored only in an ESM, you can get visual glitches such as what I call "whiteface", generally intense bright discoloration.  NVR3 also suggests setting bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles=1 in the various INI files to further help with this problem, but that setting is an intense resource hog (it generates textures for every character on the fly while in game), which is a lot to ask of your modded setup on what is already a fairly unstable engine.  There is a better way to resolve this though, using the "Export Face Textures" feature in the GECK (thanks to Roy Batterian for making me aware of the proper method to deal with the problem).


In the sections below, when I refer to "the 3 main plugins", I am referring only to "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esm", "Gomorrah Redesigned v2.esp" and "Bitter Springs Redesigned.esp".


INSTALLATION NOTES:

1)  This mod (henceforth referred to as QRNVR3) is an add-on to NVR3, not a replacement.  You still need to install both FCO 2.3.1 and NVR3 updated to version 4.4 as usual.  See the related article on this mod page for installation instructions if you don't already know how to install it correctly.

2)  If using MO2 (and why aren't you? It's awesome with FNV), place QRNVR3 below NVR3 in the installation order (left pane).  If using another mod manager, allow this mod to overwrite FCO and NVR3.  The only files that should actually be overwritten are plugins (ESMs and ESPs).

3)  In your plugin order, load the 3 main plugins after/below all your other ESM's, particularly after any ESM for which I've provided a compatibility patch.

4)  QRNVR3 contains an empty "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esp" plugin.  QRNVR3 makes NVR3 no longer require an ESP - all necessary records are in the 3 main plugins now.  This empty ESP exists to prevent problems by overriding the original in case people accidentally try to enable the original.  This ESP also serves a secondary purpose in that there are many patches for NVR3 out there that require "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esp" as a master.  This empty plugin can be used in place of NVR3's version to satisfy those patches' master requirement (however, if you are using an old patch that I've not already provided a replacement for (see the list below), I'd like to know about it so I can add an updated version to QRNVR3).  If you're not using any such patches, or you know how to remove the NVR3 ESP as a master from those patches in FNVEdit (use the Clean Masters function), then you can and should disable this empty plugin as well.  You can also delete the plugin from your mod installation folder altogether if you also make sure to delete it from your base NVR3 folder.

5)   As of version 1.6.0, there is a new MERGED version of QRNVR3 that uses only one plugin - "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esm".  This merged version is for use with NEW GAMES ONLY - do not install on an ongoing game.  For best results, prior to installing the MERGED version, shut down your mod manager and then manually delete these 3 ESP plugins from your base NVR3 installation:  "Gomorrah Redesigned v2.esp", "Bitter Springs Redesigned.esp", and "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esp".  IF YOU DO THIS CORRECTLY, the merged QRNVR3 installer will detect this and not install empty versions of these three plugins, keeping your plugin list clean and minimalized.  If you do not remove all 3 of those plugins from your base NVR3 installation, then the installer will detect this and install empty versions of the 3 plugins in order to safeguard against catastrophe were the base NVR3 versions of those plugins to be enabled alongside the MERGED NVR3 ESM.  You can and should still disable them.  Be aware, however, that even disabled plugins can potentially impact your performance, so deleting them altogether from your base NVR3 installation prior to installing the MERGED version of QRNVR3 is the recommended option.

6)  If you changed your bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles settings in your three INI files to 1 to get NVR3 to work for you, you should set them back to 0.  Obviously if you're using another mod that requires that setting be set to 1, you may not be able to do this, but at least *this* mod will no longer place that demand on the engine.


WHAT QRNVR3 DOES FOR YOU:


7)  Use FCO custom races and beards (but not eyes) FOR THE PLAYER ONLY without issues.  NVR3 advised to disable "FCOMaster.esm".  Previous versions of QRNVR3 replaced it with an empty version.  No longer!  I've pared down the FCOMaster.esm such that it now contains only the records needed for custom races and beards usable by the player character, without affecting NPC appearances in any way.  This feature is entirely optional - if you are not interested in custom player races, just leave FCOMaster.esm disabled as before.  But if you are in the middle of a game that had FCOMaster.esm enabled and were using a custom race from it, or if you want to start a new game and use FCO's custom playable races without affecting anything else in the game, you can enable "FCOMaster.esm" and shouldn't have any issues such as the previously reported "underground" glitch when adding this mod, and you should keep your player's custom race appearance.  If you were using custom eyes in your save game when you apply this mod over it, the eyes will not appear right.  Try using the console command "showplasticsurgeonmenu" to pick a working set of eyes, and please report how that works out.  Remember to save and reload after using the console to reenable achievements.

8)  Thousands of wild edits and other incorrect settings have been purged from the 3 main plugins from NVR3.  Most of those wild edits had no effect because the edited values were replaced by values from templates, but even those have been removed, vastly minimizing the number of conflicts you could have to deal with in FNVEdit.   If it's in the plugins now, it's intended or a bug.  There are hardly any edits that aren't purely appearance related left (less than half a dozen), and the very few there are are confirmed as intended minor tweaks.

9)  Thousands of settings of the "Can Be All Races" flag have been removed from records where it was not necessary.  Unnecessary settings of that flag can create additional overhead.

10)  Several hundred ITMs (identical to master) records removed for improved compatibility with other mods.

11)  All deleted references have been undeleted and disabled, which can help prevent instability and CTDs.

12)  As noted above, the "New Vegas Redesigned 3.esp" plugin is no longer technically required, and the one included in this mod is empty and mainly exists only to serve as a master for existing patches that require it to exist.  Textures have been added that will allow the NPCs to appear as intended even when they only exist in an ESM, and even with bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles set to 0.  Once you have all the patches you need in place and none of them require that ESP as a master, you should disable it.

13)  I repeat - The bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles settings should all be set back to 0, at least if NVR3 was the only mod you were using that required that setting.  This should increase performance and stability significantly.

14)  The fixes from YUP that are inarguably proper fixes that could be implemented into the ESMs without creating a dependency on YUP have been implemented into the 3 main plugins, and you will get the benefit of those fixes even if you don't use YUP.  This includes things like making sure all NCR troops have dogtags, that no dead characters can respawn and walk around if you return to them after a few days, incorrect classes and AI packages corrected, etc. etc.  This will make creating bug-free patches using QRNVR3 records as the base much easier going forward.  Using the full YUP package is still highly recommended, and a patch to be placed after the YUP "NPC Fixes" ESP is also provided which carries forward the fixes that *do* require YUP to be installed in order to work correctly.

15)  Some obvious additional fixes are implemented when appropriate, such as if NVR3 already had to modify a record that that had a character's charisma set to 219 in the vanilla game ESM (yes, this actually exists) I set it to 5 or 6 in my version of the NVR3 plugin.  Probably has no real effect, but I just couldn't stand seeing those crazy values in the plugins.  I only do this in records that already had to be edited anyway.

16)  A pervasive vanilla bug in New Vegas is mismatched race on body and head.... this often resulted in dark black skin with a caucasian face or vice versa.  This has been addressed on a global level, fixing hundreds of NPCs, and you should no longer see this with QRNVR3 installed.  I believe QRNVR3 is the first New Vegas mod that fixes this issue globally.  Note that this does *not* remove the global neck seam issues - that's pretty much unfixable in New Vegas.  But *totally* different skin color between body and face should no longer happen for you (though conflicting unpatched mods can of course always break it again).  If you want to see examples of what I fixed, click here.

17)  Extensive compatibility patch support.  As of Version 2.2.0, QRNVR3 has patches for the following mods:

YUP v11.6
JSawyer Ultimate Edition v3.31
A World of Pain v6.01
ADAM Reborn 4.5.1 (for ADAM Trooper Gloves plugin)
Arizona Slave Army - A Legion Overhaul v1
Armor Child NPC Replacer Fix v1.0
Caesar's New Regime Legion Overhaul v1.2
Electro-City - Relighting the Wasteland v12a
Equipment Restoration Project v3.0.0
Improved Companion Sandbox v3.2
Legion AI Combat Bark Fix v3
Legion Quests Expanded v1.21
Mojave Raiders v1.01
New Vegas Uncut Outside Bets v1.4
NPC Trooper Overhaul - Distributed v1.0
Project Nevada - Equipment v2.5
Spice of Life - Variety Armor and Clothing Robert Breeze Type3 v1.2
The Living Desert.TPCIPAM v1.57
Uncut Wasteland (only needed for Plus NPCs versions WITHOUT Freeside Open) v0.91b
Unofficial Patch Plus v2.04
Vendors Containers Respawn Fix - Simple (v1.1) and Elaborate (v1.4) versions
Weapons of the Wasteland v0.9b
Willow v1.10 (2 versions by Dracomies available)

The installer will automatically select them for you if those mods are installed.  If you would like to see any other patches made specifically for QRNVR3, just ask on the Posts page.



QRNVR3 is safe to add to an ongoing game, though if you previously had FCOMaster.esm enabled in your game, you will need to leave the version that comes with QRNVR3 enabled.  If you never had FCOMaster.esm enabled, and you don't want to spend a plugin slot just for custom FCO races for the PC only, you can and should disable it or better yet remove it from both the FCO mod folder and the QRNVR3 folder so that it no longer appears at all in your plugin list.  Remember that reinstalling either mod will bring it back!

We would really like feedback on this one, folks.  You can thank us for it most by reporting back your results, both positive and negative.

Also, if you find another mod out there with a patch for NVR3, best that I take a look at it and make sure nothing needs further refining.  Just let me know on the posts page.  Compatibility patches is what I do!

I hope you''ll enjoy, and please endorse if it works as described!

My Fallout New Vegas Mods:

QRNVR3 - Qwinn's Refined New Vegas Redesigned 3

My Skyrim Special Edition mods:

QUASIPC - Qwinn's Unified Automated Self Installing Patch Compendium
QRVAE - Qwinn's Refined Visual Animated Enchants
Improved Redbelly Mine Mist Fix  (Replaced patches for ELE-USSEP and Luminosity-USSEP)
QUARK - Qwinn's Ultimate Amulet Restoration Kit
QUSTR - Qwinn's Universal Skin Texture Replacer
Scoped Bows Compatibility Kit
IDRS - Improved Disabled Race Scaling
Critters Ain't Snitches - Animal and Monster Crime Reporting Fix
Interesting NPCs Amalee Customizer (by frogf, port only)
Interesting NPCs Zora Customizer (by frogf, port only)
TMBE Enhanced Body for SSE (by Robton, port only)
TMB Vanilla Armors and Clothes (by Robton, port only)

My Dragon Age Origins mods:

Qwinn's Ultimate Dragon Age Origins Fixpack
Tougher Merchants