Fallout 3 Quickstart Guide | Windows 10 | 2020

This guide is fool proof and easy quickstart guide for 2020

Work In Progress

WIP
Next time i play fallout 3 i will update.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PLAYING ON WINDOWS 7 or setting compatibility for windows 7 or xp
good site for fixes for games[www.pcgamingwiki.com]
also imo playing the gog version of fo3 and nv are just better in general. so many extra issues with steam.

Getting past 'Play' option in launcher

Install 7zip[www.7-zip.org] if you don't have it already...

If you have any ini files in 'documents/my games/fallout3' delete them

Install the game

Install gfwlivesetup[go.microsoft.com] Dont worry it will be disabled with FOSE later.

if that fails try this offline xlive installer[drive.google.com] the one to use is the xliveredist

or try installing the one the game has in the install path , might not work for everyone.
steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty\GFWLive. At first XLiveRedist01.02.0241.00.exe (its the older file) and then xliveredist.exe

If those cant install extract this dll into fallout 3 goty directory, this way will work 100% but its a quick and dirty cracked dll that disables xlive from games that use it xlivedll[drive.google.com]


Run the game once, hit PLAY and go to new game, once you know it can run the intro vid and the being born scene plays, just exit after you see the doctor and we'll add more stuff to make it more stable. If you cannot make it past the Play option and you installed the updated gfwlsetup.exe from xbox.com or the dll i provided theres something else going on. Maybe run as admin or compatibilty settings for vista or 7 or go to HERE[www.pcgamingwiki.com]

install FOSE v1_2_beta2 or 1.3[fose.silverlock.org] Alot of mods need this including ones that help with FPS.
IF YOU WANT STEAM TO LOAD FOSE:
+>We want steam to boot fose_loader.exe so we are going to pretend its the FalloutLauncher.exe.
1> add .bak to the end of the original just in case you need to use it again.
2> Rename fose_loader.exe to FalloutLauncher.exe

Getting Stable Performance + High FPS

Vortex from Nexus Mods[www.nexusmods.com] IMO its the best mod manager since its integrated with the nexus mods website when you download mods

Fallout Mod Manager[www.nexusmods.com] Works for Fallout 3 and Fallout NV.
You can use this to:
Install Mods
Change load order for mods

I RECOMMEND INSTALLING NEXUS VORTEX over any other mod manager but its here cuz some people live by this one for some reason

UPDATED Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch[www.nexusmods.com]Download the manual one and this should fix most Crashes. Make sure to say yes to enabling threadedAI=1 and whatever else it says.

Fallout Stutter Remover[www.nexusmods.com]Makes the game not stutter every second like it normally does. This mod can cause crashes on windows 10 when loading a new area if you dont change the following in the ini file associated with the mod:

bHookCriticalSections = 1
bHookLightCriticalSections = 1
To :
bHookCriticalSections = 0
bHookLightCriticalSections = 0

Better Game Performance Mod[www.nexusmods.com]Gets rid of useless items in the game like cave rocks and burnt books

One Tweak[www.nexusmods.com]Allows proper borderless fullscreen, etc. Use VORTEX to install this i couldnt get it to work manually

FO3 Configurator[www.nexusmods.com] A good way to configure settings.

4gb patch[www.nexusmods.com] I only use the 4gb patch file nothing else. Makes fallout 3 have 2x more memory so less crashes, use on fallout3.exe and foseloader.exe

Essential Gameplay Mods

Makes the Game just better...

FOV

Open FALLOUT.INI found in C:\Users\user\Documents\My Games\Fallout3
At the bottom of the [Display] section add the line:

fDefaultWorldFOV=90

The below changes how much of your hands and weapons you see in first person. You can find this line near the bottom of the [Display] section.

fDefault1stPersonFOV=75.0000

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AIMING

Auto Aim Fix - Headshot Deluxe Edition[www.nexusmods.com]This makes auto aim gone and stops bullets from rising. Problem is is that your bullets dont go to the middle of the screen anymore without auto aim. We need some way to make the gun models aim at the center of the screen.....RH_ironsights to the rescue!

RH_ironsights[www.nexusmods.com] This mod makes me cry for how good it is. Allows Aim Down Sights like in modern FPS games AKA It makes the guns model aim at the middle of the screen!

Gun Follows Crosshairs in First Person View[www.nexusmods.com]

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GENERAL

Sprint Mod[www.nexusmods.com] You know you need this....
I use these in the console:
set sprintspeedmult to 3
set sprintapmult to 0
xx025889 - Tackle perk
xx025888 - Charge! perk
player.addperk xxyyyyyy


Bullettime Mod[www.nexusmods.com]Use AP to Slow down time !
Below is a list of items needed by DK_BulleTime and their ids. The 'XX' of each id will need to be replaced by the order in which the mod is loaded. Remember this value is a Hexidecimal number so, if DK_BulletTime is added as the 20th mod, then XX becomes '14' which is 20 in Hex.

XX07FE14 [Bullet Time Config] (Aid Item)
XX015166 (Aid Item, non-FOSE version only)
XX00080A Bullt Time Tool (Misc Item)

make sure to input:
set dkbtusingfose to 1
if you dont get the set keybinding option

To add an item:

1. Go to the console
2. Type player.additem xxxxxxxx 1
3. leave console and look for a " added" message.

Enhanced Camera Mod[www.nexusmods.com] See your body in First person !!

Alternate Start[www.nexusmods.com] Skips alot of the starting vault 101 stuff and puts you right where you get out of vault 101. it does seem to skip getting the medicine bobblehead though, probably because of how its added to the inventory.

HUD MODS

Darnified UI[drive.google.com] +I RECOMMEND USING THIS HUD MOD OVER THE OTHERS+
Arguably the best HUD mod, but requires some tweaking. includes readme. I usually install this right after fose and test to make sure it works before i go further since one time it really messed up my whole fallout 3 install. Some people say If you get issues with this mod delete all your 'documents/my games/fallout3' ini files and start up fo3 again to get new ones that arent corrupted.

aHUD[www.nexusmods.com] Move HUD elements where you want them to !! Make sure to read the description carefully of this mod to get the right version. There is one for MTUI and one for Darn UI, etc.

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Vanilla Plus[www.nexusmods.com] I use this for the stuff that MTUI doesnt get at, mostly the OPTIONAL remapped keybinds.

MTUI[www.nexusmods.com]Clean intuitive HUD...I usually do V+ then merge MTUI with it

If you wish to revert to the original black texture without uninstalling the mod, open ...\Menus\dialog\dialog_menu MTUI\dialog_menu.xml with a text editor and replace
MTUI\background.dds 
with
Interface\Shared\Background\solid_black.dds
If you wish to remove dialog menu backgrounds altogether, use the optional transparent texture instead:
MTUI\empty.dds

Immersion

Ragdoll Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]

Quality of Life Mods

Leave Conversation Anytime[www.nexusmods.com] Best mod ever
More Map Markers[www.nexusmods.com] Adds convenient Map Markers
999 Carry Weight[www.nexusmods.com]
No Fall Damage[www.nexusmods.com]
Power Cell Converter[www.nexusmods.com]Convert energy type ammo
Alien Blaster uses zeta ammo[www.nexusmods.com]
Personal Terminal[www.nexusmods.com]cheat terminal that also has barter and 100 repair shop
5x Faster Waiting[www.nexusmods.com]
Perks have no prerequisites[www.nexusmods.com]
Better Almost Perfect Perk[www.nexusmods.com]
Marts Mutant Mod[www.nexusmods.com] enemies respawn and new enemies plus more

Gameplay Overhaul Mods

BEWARE THESE TYPE OF MODS ARE KNOWN TO CREATE CONFLICTS

Make sure you use compatibilty patches

FOIP - Fallout Interoperability Program[www.nexusmods.com]helps with compatibilty for some mods.

Blackened[www.nexusmods.com] Another compatibility bridge project

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THE MODS

FOOK2 - FallOut Overhaul Kit[www.nexusmods.com]Adds a bunch of useful mods and stuff. Sometimes i dont put it on since it changes alot of stuff.

FWE - Fallout Wanderers Edition[www.nexusmods.com]same idea as FOOK. Big overhaul.

WMK - Weapon Mod Kits[www.nexusmods.com]Adds ability to mod weapons like in FONV.

CRAFT - Community Resource to Allow Fanmade Tinkering[www.nexusmods.com] allows custom schematics without conflictions. FWE comes with this already.

MMM - Mart's Mutant Mod[www.nexusmods.com]Adds new monsters and options on spawning and difficulty.

EVE - Energy Visuals Enhanced[www.nexusmods.com] Makes energy weapons more cool..or hot depending on how you look at it.

RH_ironsights[www.nexusmods.com] This mod is on the essential list but it needs compatibility patches with these other overhauls so i put it here as well.

[Sephiroth]

i second getting the gog version i personally play the tale of two wastelands and its setup for stuff now

[nincompoop shooter]

also DO NOT RENAME FOSE it will simply update the file back to the original launcher and not work

[nincompoop shooter]

this is a guide from 2 yrs ago and idk why it didnt work. but just a heads up, had to find a youtube video that gave me a link to the GOG version of fallout 3 launcher and fallout 3 exe. even if you downgrade to 1.7.0.4. FOSE simply DOES NOT WORK with the steam exe. it does not downgrade this EXE. you have to steal just the GOG exe... lol...

[Sephiroth]

one of my fixes was what you said to do in gif form.......-_-

[Seal Man]

So in summary,

If you are having the problem of the game crashing immediately after clicking play on the launcher.

Try right clicking and going to display settings
Go down to Graphic Settings
Go to choose an App to set preference and click browse
Go find your Fallout 3 goty or Fallout 3 folder
Select the Launcher EXE and main game EXE
Set the preference for these to High Performance

and it should work out.

[Seal Man]

What I had to do was manually navigate to display settings and graphic settings, then browse through to find the folder holding the launcher EXE and the main game's EXE, then select them and select the High Performance Option. My folder path looked something like this when finding these files.

D:\Steam Library\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty

It may be different for others because this is where I had mine placed, but this seemed to work just fine for me. I think this probably stood out for me because I tried going through all the other common solutions like the multi-core fix and whatnot, and nothing worked even after doing several fresh installs. So it's something with the new update itself that's requiring a manual selection like this. Hope it helps out as I think this is what is causing such a difficult issue.

[Seal Man]

Yeah so I think I figured out what my problem was. Apparently for some people when you try and launch the game from the launcher and it just immediately crashes. I believe the reason for this is because the game just doesn't seem to be able to find the graphics card you are using if you are running Nvidia. I'm not sure if this is just random or a completely consistent thing with everyone, but it seems to have been the case with me.

[Sephiroth]

also as with testing any game try windowed mode first.
you can figure out resolution and fullscreen and stuff after you know it boots.

[Sephiroth]

first i would delete all fo3 config files
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\

if that doesnt work

try this fix
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2627373721

or try this mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/17209/

otherwise check the main pinned discussion post.
my guide is mainly for things ive noticed and fixed personally on various installs ive done over the years and issues i can replicate.
that other guide seems to be aiming to be a guide where it has all the fixes even if they dont know why it works.

im personally just playing the gog version until things get more known and stable.
this is bethesda were talking about tho, so that could take 7 years.

[Seal Man]

Yeah so just as a quick bit, I know this update came out only recently and I'm not expecting an insta-fix given that a lot probably changed. But for some reason I can't even get the game to start up now whatsoever, the most I get is the launcher and whenever I click play it just immediately crashes. No Black Screen, No error code, nothing. I've tried a complete clean install with no leftovers and it still won't run correctly, which makes me think there's something wrong with the new version of F03 itself. Not sure what your thoughts are since you seem to be a guru on this game, any help would be appreciated once this new patch has been gone through with a fine-toothed comb.