Bedeage

FWE and FOOK are no longer compatible in their current forms - there are no compatibility patches for them. Therefore either use FOOK, or use FWE+MMM+WMK. If you just use FOOK you don't need FOIP patches obv. If you use the others, you need all the FOIP patches that apply to them - just look on the FOIP downloads page and get the ones you need. CALIBR comes with FWE, but there's no harm in adding it yourself either. Finally you would do well to move FO3 out of your Program Files folder if that's where Steam is installed, search for info on how to do that if necessary.

Thank you, that highlights something I had worried about. I can't find a FOIP patch for MMM and EVE :( Given that I d/led all the mods from the nexus at the same time there shouldnt be any version mismatches, but I'll look.

I've narrowed down the crash to being Mart's Mutant mod, but for the life of me I can't see why it's causing a CTD at startup. I checked and rechecked the load order against the FOIP recommended one and nothing seems to be missing or in the wrong place. And I always create new merged patches, as well as moving FO3 out of the Program Files folder (win7). [X] Fallout3.esm [X] Anchorage.esm [X] ThePitt.esm [X] BrokenSteel.esm [X] PointLookout.esm [X] Zeta.esm [X] CRAFT.esm [X] CALIBR.esm [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm [X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esm [X] CRAFT - Activation Perk.esp [X] Stealthboy Recon Armor - CRAFT.esp [X] DarNifiedUIF3.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp [X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Halftime.esp [X] WeaponModKits.esp [X] WeaponModKits - FWE Master Release.esp [X] WeaponModKits - OperationAnchorage.esp [X] WeaponModKits - ThePitt.esp [X] WeaponModKits - BrokenSteel.esp [X] WeaponModKits - PointLookout.esp [X] WeaponModKits - Zeta.esp [X] EVE.esp [X] EVE Operation Anchorage.esp [X] EVE - FWE Master Release.esp [X] EVE Anchorage - FWE DLC Anchorage.esp [X] EVE - FWE with WeaponModKits.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp [X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release.esp [X] update 4.esp << my most recent merged patch. I apologise for wasting your time if I'm making some noob error, but I have worked as methodically as I could towards finding a solution and I have no more ideas really. Do you have any?

That knife bug is so irritating. It only seems to happen to me when I'm sneaking up behind someone to knife them, so really I might as well headshot them, but I like the tags :D