Fallout 3 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Fallout 3 is a pretty good game on its own and for many it will work out of the box but this is not the case for everyone and even if it does run without any mods like any bethesda title it has lots of bugs that can lead to crashes and all sorts of other headaches down the line. This guide will get your game not only stable but perform very good on modern hardware while avoiding the minefield of broken mods that for some reason people continue to push on their outdated mod lists (with additional QOL and recommendations if you fancy). Fallout 3's modding community may not be as robust as NV or 4 but over the years some of the NV features have trickled down into 3. And here's hoping even more of it shows up!

Requirements

Please have the GOTY edition for this game if possible before starting this guide. The game goes on sale fairly often for a good price. You can still use this guide with the base game but certain mods are intended to be used with all dlc so if said mod doesn't have base game options I would avoid downloading the mod. This guide/mod list was also tested on pretty much exclusively on windows 10 (previously 7) and is also for the steam version of this game. Should work with gog as well. Not sure how it will fare with EGS variants as everyone I know that has games on that terrible store complains about modding.

You'll need an unzipping tool for manual mods as not every mod will be MM compliant. I use winrar[www.win-rar.com] but many people prefer 7zip as usual use what you prefer. And of course you'll need a mod manager. Now most people today will use Vortex or MO2. I personally cannot recommend either even if the general population rides it. I understand why people may want to use those other two managers specifically as they don't touch your data folder unlike NMM that actually installs the mods into your folder but I personally think thats where problems arise and if you know what you are doing you'll never need to worry about that. I have used Nexus Mod Manager[github.com] for nearly a decade on many games not just bethesda titles and with very little to no issues. I cannot say the same for the other two managers with my personal experiences. It is also a common misconception that NMM is abandoned as it gets community updates regularly. Use what you prefer of course but I cannot help you troubleshoot very well if you use Vortex (which is probably the worst thing to use other than like FOMM) or MO2. NMM also has the easiest form of Archive Invalidation compared to any other mod manager as it is a simple toggle. Im not 100 percent sure how to use trigger it on MO2 or Vortex for this specific game but people seem to use this mod[www.nexusmods.com] and follow u/Fursoft instruction in the comments if its not working. You'll want to do this after installing all of your texture mods.

Alongside that stuff you may want to grab LOOT[loot.github.io] especially if your planning on heavy load orders. I generally will sort using loot and then manually move anything that needs to sit anywhere specifically. This tool works with all bethesda titles so its pretty damn useful. Use after finishing your load order and then move any specific esps as needed.

Finally you'll need a nexus account so you can download the mods on there. Nexus website for Fallout 3[www.nexusmods.com]



I'll do my best to keep this guide updated if any mod becomes outdated and i haven't tweaked feel free to notify me. Whenever you download a mod whether its from this guide or on your own volition check the requirements and make sure you meet them ahead of time as some of these essential mods require files that aren't on nexus but they will give you a download link.

1. Splash Screen + BethINI

Install your game. Preferably on a ssd to reduce load times. Once installed launch your game and once you get to the splash screen pick all your settings out. You can always return here or even change settings in the ini files but I always like to do a base setting setup. If you have a decent or even good rig you should be able to pretty much max everything out especially on 1080p. 4K users can max out if they have a 4K rig or even a high end rig.

You do not need to actually play the game but I personally like to launch the game itself and just start it up briefly before exiting of course thats optional and does not matter at all it is something I do out of habit. Manual ini tweaking is optional as there are many mods that will handle that for you but if you want to get certain things out of the way you can go into your documents folder C:\Users\(Your username probably)\Documents\my games\fallout3 and once there remove the read only options by going into the properties of fallout.ini and falloutprefs.ini (bethINI can do this as well)

Now I could sit here and list all the things you should change yourself but ill do you one better considering the manual setup of the ini is completely optional as BethINI[www.nexusmods.com] basically lets you set things up without having to manually knowing values and what things do. This is for beginner modders and/or lazy modders (lol it be like that even I use it sometimes) Do not install this through a mod manager and I recommend the standalone not the other option. Pick whatever you fancy in the settings and you technically don't even need to actually do anything in the splash screen options wise when you use this tool as its going to overwrite all those settings. This tool is also pretty much available on almost every bethesda title and I recommend you use it for your other beth games modded or not. Make sure your inis are generated before you start messing around with bethINI or even modding.

2. Fallout Anniversary Patcher & FOSE

So currently there's an occassional bug that even when you install a fresh Fallout 3 from steam sometimes zeta files get corrupted so once you do a fresh install of the game verify your game files before proceeding. And then I would suggest running the ESM Patcher. Even before the anni patcher and adding FOSE. Then you can proceed accordingly. This doesn't happen to everyone but it happens sometimes.

So back in October of 2021 bethesda released an update that actually removed GFWL. This was both a pro and a con. The pro was that it kind of revived the fallout 3 modding community a bit as TTW sort of killed off most of it tbh (I also would avoid that mod like the plague super unstable as hell if your looking to mod the crap out of both games and it contributed to a weakened FO3 modding community.) Big con was it broke everything basically. Including the important FOSE. It also was like 13 years too late as the modders had already fixed this. Either way the damage was done but our boi lStewieAl blessed up with a tool that basically downgrades back to the previous version before said update while automatically including 4GB patch, mod limit fix and GFWL removal. All things that had to be done on your own. Also will launch FOSE from steam without file naming replacements. So you can do FOSE first than the patcher if you want less steps. Grab FOSE here[fose.silverlock.org] Make sure you grab the latest version which is currently 1.3 b2 and then install manually by drag and dropping the files into your fallout directory. It can be found easily by clicking on your game on steam going to properties and selecting the local files location. Then you can grab The fallout anniversary patcher.[www.nexusmods.com] Download manually and run the patcher inside your directory it should handle everything and downgrade your game while also removing GFWL and installing the 4gb patcher. Your game is now ready for modding and has FOSE installed. You must also launch your game from Fallout3.exe or rename that exe to FalloutLauncherSteam.exe (steam users) in order for fose to launch do not launch with fose_loader (rename the original to falloutlaunchersteamold.exe for safe keeping if u need to switch it out for any reason) to Fallout3Launcher.exe (steam users) in order for fose to launch do not launch with fose_loader (rename the original to fallout3launcherold.exe for safe keeping if u need to switch it out for any reason This will allow you to launch FOSE through steam.

If you are having CTDs this early on please check section 9 for possible solutions.

3. Essential Performance & Stability Mods

This section is all mods to boost performance and also maintain stability to minimize crashes. If for whatever reason you want to play a vanilla experience for this game you still need the mods i'll be listing here as it is all essentials to keep the game from breaking and bug fixes that beth never bothered to deal with themselves. Also ironsights ! as this game did not have ironsights. Also I can't believe I even have to say this for this game considering the mod is not even for this game but people do use it. DO NOT USE NEW VEGAS ANTI CRASH or the stutter remover variant for fallout 3 as just like its sister mod on new vegas it causes CTDs

Command Extender[www.nexusmods.com]
Bug fixes, ability to use falloutcustom.ini and a dependency for other mods.

Unofficial Fallout 3 ESM Patcher[www.nexusmods.com]
New requirement for UUF3P. Manually install by dropping files into your directory and run the .exe
Ensure that all mod tools and folders related to the game are closed before running the ESM patcher. Iif running into issues there are troubleshooting solutions in the FAQ/bug fixes section.

Has Alternative FO3 WAV Converter[www.nexusmods.com]
The other new requirement for UUF3P. This increases your game size by 10gb. If you do not want this than you must get the OGG variant for the following mod (That is what I did. the BSA ogg files are located on the old files for UUF3P) I strongly suggest using the OGG variant over this converter as it is buggy and some people have reported audio problems when using it.

Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch[www.nexusmods.com]
Business as usual. Always gotta grab that unofficial patch. Numerous bug fixes. I suggest using the OGG variant to avoid using the wav converter. You save space and some people have reported running into problems when trying to use the WAV route YMMV. Install order for OGG users is BSA OGG then Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - OGG then the ESM Hot fix. Be wary of updating to this new version on a ongoing save if you were using an older version. I did it because I've ran this game a bunch of times if I botch the save so be it. I will let you guys know the results when I can. So far the save boots fine and I haven't ran into any issues as of right now.

OneTweak but Really Updated[www.nexusmods.com]
Allows you to alt-tab without the game crashing. Might want to skip this one if you are using a multi monitor set up.

lStewieAl's Tweaks[www.nexusmods.com]
Probably the most important mod in this guide. Make sure to download the ini file as well. This mod has a lot of built in tweaks that render other extremely important mods redundant ie. tick fix and out of memory fix.

I will list Mandatory tweaks that need to be turned on for a stability, performance and any fixes with a E and QOL tweaks with a Q. Anything I do not list is up to your discretion. You can find the ini inside your directory Fallout 3 goty\Data\fose\plugins. Please make sure you have all tweaks listed as E turned on !

[Tweaks]

Q; add RGB sliders for the main HUD color to the settings menu
bAddRGBSliders = 1

Q; remove the movement penalty while aiming
bAimingSpeed = 1

Q; allows activating while performing another action, e.g. start reloading, open a door and finish reloading on the other side
bAllowActivateWhileAnimPlays = 1

Q; adds a background to the console
bConsoleBackground = 1

Q; add support for the numpad buttons /*-+., enter and 0-9 to be used in console
bConsoleKeypad = 1

Q; allow deselecting of the active quest in the PipBoy quests tab
bDeselectQuests = 1

E; removes fog from interiors
bDisableInteriorFog = 1

E; prevents mirroring of VRAM textures in RAM to save memory
bDontMirrorTexturesInRAM = 1

Q; decrease the delay after a successful hack by 2.5 seconds
bFasterHackingTransition = 1

Q; increase the hour countdown speed while waiting or sleeping
bFasterSleepWait = 1

Q; remove the wait for the Fallout 3 logo to be at full alpha
bFasterTitleMenu = 1

E; list missing mods in the "Content is Missing" popup when loading a save
bListMissingModsOnLoad = 1

Q; make melee and unarmed damage use body part damage multipliers
bLocationalMeleeDamage = 1

E; eliminate NPC speech distortion caused by headwear
bNoAudioDistortion = 1

E; remove the black loading screen when loading an interior cell, and prevent actors being faded in
bNoInteriorBlackLoadingScreen = 1

E; increase the initial heap size (helps performance in containers)
bPatchHeapSize = 1

E; significantly improve semi-auto weapons by queueing a shot if clicking in the last 700ms of the anim, and fix a bug where they wouldn't fire if clicking at the end of the anim
bQueueSemiAutoShots = 1

Q; remove the useless downloads button from the main menu
bRemoveDownloadsButton = 1

E; adds support for New Vegas' ##SightingNode system for ironsight aiming
bSightingNodeSupport = 1

E; make the player and companions collision box shorter when sneaking
bSneakBoundsFix = 1

E; fixes the 59hz microstutter bug
bTickFix = 1

[Heap]

E; heap size, capped at 768
iHeapSizeInMB = 400

[Tick Fix]

E; exit the game instantly when closing
bFastExit = 1
bFastResolution = 1

E; fix 59hz microstutter bug
bGetTickCountFix = 1

E; removes an unnecessary critical section to improve performance
bRemoveRCSafeGuard = 1

[True Iron Sights]

Q; keep the crosshair visible when aiming weapons with true ironsights
bKeepCrosshair = 1

If you do not want to do this manually my ini file is available for download on my YT/Modding Discord[discord.gg]

ActorCause Save Bloat Fix (FOSE)[www.nexusmods.com]
If using NMM install manually by dropping the actorcausesavebloatfix.dll in ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty\Data\fose\plugins as NMM will install this mod in the wrong location.
Improves save/load speed and decreasing save size 10-30% depending on playthrough length by fixing an issue related to actors.

Iron Sights Plus[www.nexusmods.com]
Use this in conjunction with the sightnode tweak from lStewieAl's Tweaks. Make sure to load after any weapon texture packs and impact as it broke the aiming for certain unique weapons for me if I did not do that. You'll lose out on certain unique skins like for the wazer wifle if you are using WEP vanilla uniques but the other skins still work for me.

FO3LODGen[www.nexusmods.com]
Just grab the resources we need the esp for the next mod.

FO3 NMC's Pre - Generated LOD[www.nexusmods.com]
Even tho this is to be used with the NMC texture pack this mod will boost performance with no more pop ups as everything is already generated.

zlib Updated - FOSE[www.nexusmods.com]
Faster zlib for better load times and less stutter.

4. Essential Performance & Stability Mods (Cont.)

Optional FO3 BSA Decompressor[www.nexusmods.com]
This may give you a 20% increase in performance and the trade off is doubling the size of your BSA files. About 1.5gb according to the mod author. I do not use this mod because I already have amazing performance and this mod requires your game not to be installed in your PC's main program files folder (I also know that's a debatable big no no but I do not feel like moving file paths and all my beth games are there lol. I suggest you avoid installing your game in the program files as even advanced users can have issues) So if your game still has some hiccups or you are trying to squeeze a little more performance you can give this a shot.

Optional Fallout3 WinXP-7-8-10 Multicore Threading 4GB LAA with 4GB FOSE Setup - MCTF[www.nexusmods.com]
So this used to be essential before the Anniversary patch but that pretty much takes care of the 4gb patcher aspect of this "mod" but the ini files are still totally usable and while it may be redundant to use those after using bethINI doesn't hurt at all to use them as this mod does change values bethINI doesn't. You could use bethINI than the inis here or these inis than bethINI. See what nets better performance if it even makes a difference. But again this is now optional.

And with that all said and done your game should be performing a lot better while being more stable and having ironsights. If you were simply looking to have your fallout 3 running in tip top shape while you play vanilla this is the end for you. But for those who want those juicy QOL and attempt at modernizing (hey we trying there's not much to work with here) stick around for the next section in the guide.

5. Quality of life mods + Modernization

These mods are all optional but will make the game feel more modern both in appearance and mechanics and also may just make the game more comfortable for more players. You can always cherry pick the mods you want if you do not want them all of course. Whenever you install new texture mods always disable and re-enable (or just enable if its your first time) Archive Invalidation. If you are using Nexus Mod Manager like myself click on tools and it'll be the last thing on the drop screen. Other MM users you can use this mod[www.nexusmods.com] and follow u/Fursoft instruction in the comments if its not working.

Appearances & Textures

High Resolution Screens F3[www.nexusmods.com]
If using NMM install manually by dropping the HDpipboy.dll in ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty\Data\fose\plugins as NMM will install this mod in the wrong location.
Screens are rendered at 720p this mod allows them to render at the res you are playing the game.

NMCs_Texture_Pack_for_FO3[www.nexusmods.com]
Increases the graphical fidelity for many textures.

Weapon Enhancement Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
Weapon retextures that are just so damn gorgeous. Also has optional mod for unique weapons. (You'll lose out on some of them when you load the iron sight mods after this one but hey aiming is more important right ?)

Fallout 3 Redesigned - Formerly Known as Project Beauty[www.nexusmods.com]
Face replacers for npcs. IMO essential as them potato faces are rough. Also heres a patch for UF3P[www.nexusmods.com]
UUF3P FO3Redesigned (Project Beauty) Patches[www.nexusmods.com]

DIMONIZED TYPE3 female body[www.nexusmods.com]
Body replacer for female characters. It is nsfw so you'll have to look for another replacer or just don't use it if you don't want nudity. Use the TYPE3 BODY V3dot5 variant.

Type V Female Body and Armor Replacer[www.nexusmods.com]
I grab this for the armor meshes as it works well with the previous body replacer. But if you like the proportions better than dimonized feel free to get the body and the armor. (Or if you are having a hard time with the type 3 body).

IMPACT[www.nexusmods.com]
VFX overhaul for ballistic weapons. Eve exists for energy weapons and after I had a rough time with it in NV I did not bother in this game either. Don't forget to grab the all dlc patch.

Gameplay Overhauls & changes

Visual Objectives (FOSE)[www.nexusmods.com]
Super useful mod. Great for beginners as well considering how disorientating DC ruins can be.

The Megaton Walkway[www.nexusmods.com]
Remaster of that goated mod. You think this is not necessary until you use it.

Ultimate Perk Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
I use pack 1.

Sprint Mod[www.nexusmods.com]
There is a newer mod than this one but people report problems with it. This thang still working like a charm even if there is no animations and that shake is hella annoying. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Maybe the JAM series will make its way over one day.

No Degradation by request[www.nexusmods.com]
Similar to fallout 4 no more degrading for your weapons or armor or even both. You'll still need to repair things as there is no auto regen like NV.

Hacking terminals is easier[www.nexusmods.com]
3 different variants from some word removals to full on 1 word pass. I see this as a anti save scum mod. Very useful for vets that have replayed this game to death. Only use one of the ESPs!

Playstation 4 Button Icons[www.nexusmods.com]
For my controller brethren that use dualshock or dualsense rollers.

Discord Rich Presence (FOSE)[www.nexusmods.com]
Customizable discord rich presence. If you want the toggles to work in the ini file move the discord ini file from the plugins folder (same one to edit the tweaks) to the main directory for some reason it just doesn't work when its in the plugin folder like in NV and 4.

Anchorage Skip[www.nexusmods.com]
Another great mod but it is now hidden on the nexus. Fantastic for replays as anchorage is a very buggy mod prone to CTDs and its just kinda boring. Its fun the first 2-3 times but it becomes stale real fast. I advise people to go play it as soon as you leave the vault to try and minimize glitches. But then you have the best gear in the game so early. (You could always put it away for later).

Ultimate Companion Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
Great mod but it is deleted from the nexus. I have yet to find a good replacer for this.

Currently testing Level 50 Cap - ESPless[www.nexusmods.com]
Sets cap to 50.

If you cherry picked or grabbed everything in this section of the guide your game is officially "modernized" and has a lot of QOL improvements to make your experience more enjoyable and less frustrating. I know not a lot to work with but the modding community for this game is semi dead and slowly reviving. Heres hoping there will be more mods I can put here in the future! The next section of this guide will basically be a few more mods that I personally think enhance the game even further and are truly optional so if you were simply looking for stability, QOL and modernization your done ! But if you want a few extra mods that I think are really good and continue to work with this load order check out the next section especially since it contains Quo Vagis ! One of my favorite questline mods of all time.

6. Extras/Personal Recommendations

If you've stuck around to this part of the guide these are mods that don't exactly fit the bill above but I still recommend and they have been tested with the mods above so they will work.

Extras/Personal Recommendations

Quo Vagis[www.nexusmods.com]
My favorite modded questline for fallout only rivaled by its sequel Coito Ergo Sum and the thuggyverse mods for fallout 4. This mod has you manage a brothel/bar/magazine company that has a interesting secret while you also scour the wastes for models for the magazine to produce a good profit. Has a few new locations while adding hours of high quality content with a good story and produces a good base for its sequel mod on New Vegas known as Coito Ergo Sum. Don't forget to grab Quo Vagis Combined DLC Crossover[www.nexusmods.com] which adds dlc support for the models. Theres also a cleaned variant[www.nexusmods.com] of this mod as some things came up on xedit that could lead to CTD. You will need the base dlc mod for the original files.
Theres also this Quo Vagis - Take Me Back[www.nexusmods.com] mod in where you will be teleported back to where you got the model from. Very useful. I wish coito had this mod as well. And if you want some higher res magazine covers this mod [www.nexusmods.com] has you covered.

50s Pin-up Posters[www.nexusmods.com]
Gives off more of that 50 aesthetics fallout is known for.

Seducing Women[www.nexusmods.com]
Makes lady killer a more useful perk.

Wasteland Player[www.nexusmods.com]
A modular mod for seducing and even pimping out certain characters if your looking to be evil. Can cause a black screen bug with seducing woman mod but I do run both and don't get that bug often. If you don't want to risk it just get this mod as it is more robust.

Filmy Lingerie for Type3[www.nexusmods.com]
Some lingerie based outfits.

Abandoned Safehouse[www.nexusmods.com]
Decent player housing close to megaton's player housing for those of us that want more space.

7. Replaced/Unused mods

Titans of The New East[www.nexusmods.com]
Resizes power armor closer to fallout 1-2 & 4. Essentially an older version of ToTNW.
So this mod has some caveats to it which is why I'm not including it in the guide.
Your left arm is missing when in third person and look inside the armor cavity. This is pretty immersion breaking. This also throws off shooting and equipping weapons as sometimes it does not register. And you must disable the mod on a new game (until the you leave the vault) and before you enter tranquility lane otherwise you will have a CTD. I really like the resizing despite how barebones it is to TOTNW but there is a lot of small things with the mod that just make me not want to use it. It's honestly pretty great if you don't wear PA at all or stay in first person (minus the whole shooting/equipping thing if you are using PA) but it did get annoying so I stopped using it.

8. FAQ & bugs/errors solutions

FAQ & bugs/errors solutions

Q: I need further 1 on 1 help and this comment section won't cut it.

A: The random FRs are killing me so here is my YT/Modding Discord[discord.gg] I will be able to help you out much further if the situation is beyond comments and if you gotta upload photos for better support.

Q: TTW?

A: Yeah I am not a fan of TTW. I think its pretty unstable when trying to do a big modlist that does stuff for both titles. Also not happy that it essentially killed the modding community for fallout 3 as everytime someone asks for something fo3 related the answer is USE TTW. At least the fo3 community is finally making a comeback. If you want to use TTW go for it but I like my 3 and NV separated personally.

Q: On a new game my screen is black but my hud is displaying?

A: Your ini files are not generated. Either regenerate them by deleting your current inis, get them from a friend or ask for my files I will give you mine. You can avoid this by ensuring they are generated before you begin modding and/or using bethINI. They will be located here C:\Users\(your username)\Documents\my games\Fallout3

Q: FOSE says "unknown version" of Fallout 3

A: You must Launch the game either via Fallout3.exe or rename Fallout3.exe to the exe you are looking to use. ie for steam users you would rename Fallout3.exe to FalloutLauncherSteam.exe (rename the original to FalloutLauncherSteamold.exe incase you ever need the splash screen again)

Q: How can I launch via Steam and/or have steam track my hours when using FOSE ?

A: See the answer to the previous question.

Q: NMM sucks use MO2

A: You couldn't pay me to use MO2

Q: LOOT does not work

A: LOOT does work just use it as intended.

Q: How to play above 60 fps?/why is my game running super fast with bad lipsyncing and/or physics problems?

A: This game should not be played above 60 fps it doesn't have true supplementary mods that fix things properly. There is a method using Fallout stutter remover but that's a outdated mod so you may be trading frames for other problems (I've also never personally tried that method as I play everything at 60 anyways not a big deal for me). Some people have reported being able to play above 60 to even 144 by setting their fMaxTime to their hz/frames & then disabling their iFPSClamp by giving it a value of 0 (which is typically default. Some people have set this value to their frames/hz as well but again I've never done this.)

for those who want to try here's the time table

fMaxTime=0.0166 is for 60fps
fMaxTime=0.0133 is for 75fps
fMaxTime=0.0111 is for 90fps
fMaxTime=0.0083 is for 120fps
fMaxTime=0.0069 is for 144fps
fMaxTime=0.0042 is for 240fps

Q: Insert question related to any messed up textures or ironsights not working

A: Make sure archive Invalidation is turned on and make sure to turn it off and back on when adding new textures. This applies to ironsights but make sure you have the ironsight mod and the module turned on in the stewie tweaks.

Q: How to fix the white faces on black bodies glitch?

A: in the fallout.ini make sure the background load section has bLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1 and the general section has bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles=1. Also make sure archive invalidation is turned on.

Q: i get Error has occured:XD3_INVALID_INPUT /* invalid input/decoder error */ when trying to use the ESM patcher

A: Make sure all modding tools are closed beforehand and that your masters are untouched. If your masters have already been tampered with you will have to either reinstall the game or verify your steam files.

Q: My radio station music stutters any fixes?

A: Go into settings then apps and select default apps. Then select choose default apps by file type. Change .mp3 and .Ogg to windows media player. If windows media player does not show up for .Ogg you must download K-Lite Codec Pack Basic[www.codecguide.com] then you can install the codec for ogg and restart your pc.

You can also do this with the above or try this before the above. Go into your fallout.ini folder and change iRadioUpdateInterval=250 to iRadioUpdateInterval=1024. Then change iAudioCacheSize=2048 to iAudioCacheSize=4096. If stuttering persist pause and unpause the game while the radio is playing usually once or twice fixes it. This fix is not consistent but sometimes works.

Q: Why do I need to do so much work to play this game. This is ridiculous

A: Technically you only need to do sections 1-3 for the game to work just fine. That does not take a long time. Its not a lot of work. You know what is a lot of work. Figuring out what mods work together, testing mod combinations for hours to make sure they work together and troubleshooting to fix any issues. Or better yet the people that actually sat down to create these mods and the tools to use them. It is a privilege to mod our games and it is very nice of the creators of these mods to not only make these mods for free (as some of them eventually start to gate their mods through paywalls) but to maintain these mods, update them, and keep working on them to make them better and reduce bugs on their own time. So no I wouldn't call it so much work.

Q: Why are there "Sex mods" in this guide?

A: There are zero sex mods in this guide nudity does not equate "sex". You need full blown animations for that and this guide does not have this. This is a rated M title so if you are "afraid" of nudity or just don't like it you can just not get the mod wow I know right? Don't need a whole paragraph on why some pixels on a screen enrage you.

Q: X mod isn essential this guide sucks.

A: All mods after section 3 are not mandatory. The guides in my essential guide collection are named so due to the fact that the first 3 sections are Essential. Anything in those sections are required with the exception of one or two mods that are included as they improve performance but are not required for stability.

Q: This guide helped me how I can show my thanks?

A: Leaving feedback and a Thank you is more than enough for me. I made these guides to help people so by leaving feedback you make the guide more visible to more people that could use the help. And if that's not enough for you I do make content on YT checking out a video would mean a lot to me but do not feel obligated to do so. As I said before feedback and a thank you is already more than enough.

Q: Can I use X mod with this guide/LO?

A: I won't always have an answer for that some mods are new and I've never used them or I just don't have experience with x mod. But it does not hurt to ask. Generally you'll want to pick the comments apart and look to see if any major issues are going on or if it clashes with a mod you already use. Also there are just certain older outdated mods you shouldn't be using period. Comments will sometimes reflect that. Other times there will be notoriously older broken mods most users know about.

Q: Can I clean X ?

A: I strongly suggest against cleaning anything.

Q: Still crashing (or perma minimizing) when alt-tabbing and I have onetweak installed.

A: If using multiple monitors onetweak is known to have issues such as not being able to lock your cursor into the windows and other issues like crashing. Some multi monitor users can get it working others cant. YMMV with how inconsistent it is. I suggest to avoid Onetweak if you do have multi and run into issues. Pausing the game before alt tabbing is a popular trick that works for some people. Steam users also use the shift tab trick to avoid problems as well.
If you have crashing with onetweak on a single monitor not sure what you could do other than toggling windowed mode on and off and seeing if your able to get it working that way.

9. FAQ & bugs/errors solutions (cont.)

Q: How to get rid of neckseams?

A: You can't neckseams are going to be a thing until you play skyrim and fallout 4. You can get neckseam necklace mods to hide them if it bothers you that much.

Q: Can I update mods mid save/playthrough?

A: I've done it so many times with no issues (recently I did brick a skyrim save tho) but you always risk ruining a save file so only do it knowing the risk that it may work out, you might have bugs later or you may lose the file.

Q: Can I remove mods or add mods mid save/playthrough?

A: See previous question. Certain mods though are safe for removal mid run and the mod author will make note of that. YMMV at the end of the day.

Q: Can you make a modding guide for X game?

A: If there is demand for it and I have experience modding the game. Yes I will. Just bear in mind these guides are a massive time sink and helping people troubleshoot does take a lot of time so you guys gotta let me know. Put the demand into it. You want a modding guide for a game please comment, let me know on the discord etc. The more demand it has the higher it will go on my radar and I will see to it that it is handled.

Q: Wabbajack?

A: Don't know how to use or create anything with wabbajack. Not looking to learn how to use wabbajack either as a mod manager is already more than enough for me in terms of "assisting tools". If somebody wants to make a wabbajack with this modding guide feel free to do so. I will gladly add a link to it in the guide for those that don't want to actually learn how to mod but want to reap the rewards and credit you provided it has the full LO. Obviously I will not be able to give any support on this matter with any bugs or issues if someone actually were to do this.

Q: Where are the BSA OGG files?

A: Like I've already stated in the guide before it is located on the UUFO3P page. It is labeled BSA OGG and is the second file in the old files section.

Q: My mouse speed is too high in all menus any fixes?

A: Open the file fallout.ini in the documents. Find the line bBackground Mouse=0 and change the 0 value to 1 Under the line bBackground Keyboard=1 add
fForegroundMouceAccelBase=0
fForegroundMouseAccelTop=0
fForegroundMouseBase=0
fForegroundMouseMult=0

then locate the iPresentInterval=1 and change the 1 value to 0

Q: I am having CTD on a new game any fixes?

A: It could be a number of things especially if this was occurring before you started to add mods. Sometimes it could be the game selecting the wrong gpu if you've got a intergrated gpu or bad ini values so you could try deleting all your inis and renderinfo in the fallout 3 documents folder to regen your inis on launch or try different configs on bethINI like enabling windowed mode. If those do not work many people have had success using FO3 New Game Crash Fix[www.nexusmods.com] or Intel HD graphics Bypass package[www.nexusmods.com] despite the anni patcher already having a variant of the bypass. You could also try setting the game to run on XP3 compatibility or even setting the game to run on two cores.

Another possible fix that has worked for some people is to go to settings, then system, select graphical settings, then browse and select your fallout3.exe set it to high performance. Repeat with the FalloutSteamLauncher.exe (you may need to repeat this if you decide to use the rename trick to launch from steam.)

User u/SumDizzy reported that changing the name of fallout3.exe to something else for whatever reason allowed their game to launch so you can try that as a last ditch effort if nothing else works.
"To get the steam launcher to work I compiled a quick executable to run the new executable, so "FalloutSteamLauncher.exe" => "Fallout3.exe"(custom) => "Fallout3_New.exe"(patched)".

Wrap up

And thats about it for now at least. May add or remove things as time goes on. But all the mods that aren't labeled untested have had many hours put through them with little to no issues. So in theory you guys should be good. But mods don't get installed properly sometimes or more often than not another mod that a person has from their own order can clash. Having a bad load order can cause issues. Or even just missing one little step can sometimes cause a bug.

So if you do run into issues feel free to drop a comment I'll do my best to help troubleshooting but if you are not using NMM there won't be much I can do unless its a simple fix as these MMs work differently and can cause different issues. Thanks for reading everyone and I hope this helped your Fallout 3. Whether you came here for the whole enchilada or 1 small piece of information or mod thats enough for me knowing I helped you out just a little.



As I write more mod guides ill link below:

Morrowind 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Oblivion 2024 Essential Modding Guide

New Vegas 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Fallout 4 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Skyrim SE 2024 Essential Modding Guide

Starfield 2024 Essential Modding Guide (WIP)

Baldur's Gate 3 2024 Modding Guide (WIP)

The Witcher 3 2024 Modding Guide

Cyberpunk 2077 Modding Guide

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

Very cool to see advancements for fallout 3 love to see it hopefully I can come back soon give a proper update!

[Optimus Prime]

Hello again :) so I've got a note for your guide - instead of titans of the new east, users who want the resizing effect could go with power armor revisions. I also provide a patch for it. I need to check back on a script from around that patch environment, but so far all looks good ingame 🙂

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

Vortex had a alpha in 18' and was fully released by 19' so it's only been about half a decade but I understand a good amount of people use it. My main gripe with the patch team is they get rid of their older versions because they don't want to support it. But its literally like man anyone who doesn't stick to the latest version understands they are on their own why take away that version especially if its a major jump (im mainly talking about fallout 4 before its next gen update and after)

[Optimus Prime]

Hey, just now re-reading your guide! I'm searching how to prevent my mouse from leaving my windowed, alt-tab-able first monitor. I read it somewhere... Anyhow, your guide WORKS REALLY GREAT. I was lucky to come back to the game when you had just put it together :))

I'm on Vortex. Don't know NMM. Vortex works pretty well, has done for a decade. So I'm with you there.

About control - yes, I will not update my skyrim anymore and luckily found a way to prevent it from forge- updating via the appmanifest. I'm on 1.6.640 so i miss out on a big fix in the latest Unofficial patch, and I'm angry about it. And sad. I put a lot of work and time into making my games better and keeping it clean. I don't play many, so these matter. It's sad the patch team doesn't stand up to Bethesda. Every few years they force a fleshless update to break thousands of mods, right when the mod community got back on their feet after the one before. Long as the patch team goes along with it, it won't stop.

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

Thank you for the kind words I will definitely add a link to your patches whenever I get the chance to update (or I may just add it in and worry about a real update later) I do not know anything about bethesda modding drama other then the infamous unofficial patch team trying to be control freaks and forcing everybody to the latest version of the game ( and I suppose the whole small controversy of my own guides going against the old school meta guides in bethesda modding due to my blatant support of NMM)

[Optimus Prime]

Hello, many thanks for the guide. I like how it is kept to the minimum-yet- necessary. I like how it doesn't waste time and focus with self- advertising and useless blabbering. I... do not support the mention of BethIni. Over on the Skyrim modding scene it has a really bad reputation for all documented reasons.

Anyway, I am making patches for big mods to go with UUFO3P. maybe it is worth a mention?

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/26793?tab=files

[Drake Platinum THE WORLD]

np call. Idk if there is collections for titles this old but I personally don't support them as they kill the modding scene (and the collective skill around it). And I like to be able to do what I want instead of being confined to a set list.

[Zau]

I am NOT reading allat.

[RLCGames]

It is a bit time consuming to start, but worth it. I played FO3 for the first time recently as well. Fantastic game despite the aging.

[@CallMeInfinitay]

I really want to play FO3 for the first time and I want performance mods, but not being able to one-click install and run the mods is a little off-putting. I wish there was a more minecraft-like mod scene for the game where you can just install and run a modpack. Thanks for your work OP. I'll give this a try later if I decide to stop being lazy.