Fallout 4 Cheaters Guide
Prologue
Within the Fallout 4 game, at least the PC version, there is something called a Console. This is actually somewhat common on many PC games and it allows one to issue commands to the game, mainly to fix game issues, bugs, and things that make no sense (no none would use the console to cheat after all).
However the problem with the console is you can only issue commands one at a time. In fallout 4 you can get around this restriction with what is known as a Batch file, with a .bat extension. Essentially this file allows one to string together a series of commands. While the Fallout 4 console does not care about white space and comments, they can be used to make ones Batch files more legible to humans.
In this article we will go through how to create your own Batch files, and then how to run them form in game.
Batch File Location
First things first. In order to run a Batch file, it must be located in your Fallout 4 program directory. This location can vary depending on how Fallout 4 was installed.
If you installed Fallout 4 from Steam, you can right click on the game in your library and select “Browse Local Files”.
On Windows based PC’s the directory is usually located at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\fallout4
If you are on Linux, the location of this directory will depend to a certain extent on how Fallout 4 was installed. For example, on Fedora using flatpak the directory is located at;
/home/user/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/
Steam/steamapps/common/Fallout 4/
Your best bet is to find it in any case, is to go through the Steam interface.
Batch File Naming
I have seen several posts where it was suggested to name a Fallout 4 Batch file as FileName.txt. However I have found that the extension is not that important. I usually use FileName.bat in my games, and it works fine.
I would give your batch file a somewhat short and somewhat descriptive name that you will easily remember. For example, lets say you create a batch file for crafting supplies. You might want to name it something like crafting.bat or crafting.txt (as stated the extension is not overly important).
Launching a Batch File
To launch a batch file from within Fallout 4, you need to bring up the console. This is done with the tilde key (~) in the upper left corner of most keyboards.
This will open the console at the bottom of the screen. Note that the console is semi transparent, so the game shows through.
To launch the batch file from above, crafting.bat, simply type the following;
bat crafting
You can add the extension or not. The file will be read into the console, and you will see it as it is printed. The executable commands will be run, and the rest of the file will be ignored.
Once finished, exit the console with the tilde key, and check the results.
What goes in a Batch File
Any valid console command can go into a Batch file. It can be a little tricky determining targets though. And all the commands must match the target or you will get errors when running a Batch file.
Note that Batch files are simple text files.
Below is an example of a specific case in which the Player Character inventory is expanded to include a combat riffle, several mods, and some ammunition. This was saved as CmbRifle.bat
// Add Combat Rifle, Mods, and Ammo to Player Inventory player.additem 000DF42E 1 // Combat Rifle player.additem 00185BE1 1 // 308 Receiver player.additem 00185BFB 1 // Long Ported Barrel player.additem 00185C04 1 // Large Quick Eject Magazine player.additem 00185bf7 1 // Long recon scope player.additem 00185c00 1 // Marksman's Stock player.additem 00185be0 1 // Suppressor player.additem 00185be0 1 // Suppressor player.additem 0001F66B 100 // .308 rounds
The first line contains no valid commands. We start it with a double slash tom indicate a comment.
The first entry in the commands designates the target, in this case the player, indicating the player character.
Then a period followed by the actual command itself which basically adds an item to the targets (player) inventory.
Next is a space then the form ID of the desired object. Most form IDs can be looked up on line. Note this might also be called a base ID.
Next is the quantity or number of items to add. If no quantity is used, the defaults to 1.
Finally there is an additional comment on each line specifying what it is. Note the console does not need the comments. However if you come back to this file sometime in the future, you might appreciate them.
Epilogue
We have covered the basics of a Fallout 4 batch file in this article. As a good followup you might want to read a few articles on Fallout 4 console commands. As any valid console command can be used in a Batch file.
After that, if you find yourself repeating a series of console commands over and over again, you might want to think about creating a batch file to simplify and speed up execution.