7thsealord

When unrecruited or when told to 'Stay', Frazzle and the Sarge can always be located via their Fast Travel markers on the World Map. They are resilient (and Essential, therefore indestructible) but, like other Companions, may occasionally wander or not appear in a building you go into. One time, I thought I had lost the little guy forever (along with a bunch of loot) in Rivet City, only to have him show up a while later (WITH the loot). He should rejoin you of his own accord soon enough. If you want him back quickly, there are three things that work well: 1) Wait. As in use the 'Wait' command for about 1 hour. I often have to do this when exiting Megaton via the gate instead of using Fast Travel. He usually rejoins then. 2) Fast Travel. Doesn't have to be far, could be a fast travel marker you are very literally standing on. He will almost always appear with you. 3) Change Cell. As in, there is a door that says 'Entry To George's House' or whatever. Use it, and he will very likely reappear inside with you. If not then, excellent chance he will when you use the 'Exit To The Capital Wasteland'. This is just me, but level 2-3 seems too early for long-distance expeditions, even at Easy difficulty and accompanying friendlies. At around that level, I am still doing odd jobs in Megaton and occasional scav runs into Springvale (vacuum up everything possible, then sell it). My first big step is wiping out the Raiders in the Springvale School. This gives assorted items, weapons and armors to either use or sell to bankroll trips further afield. But your method (tailgating the Traders) certainly is an alternative. Only problems I see here is that the Traders are not that heavily armed (at least to start with), won't help if YOU fall into difficulties, and it takes a long while for them to regenerate cash. Note that the early parts of Moira's 'Wasteland Survival Quest' are an excellent way to ease into things (plus get caps and useful stuff via either loot or reward). The Arefu quest from Lucy West makes for (IMO) a very good 'graduation exercise' (and it's on the Caravan route anyway). This provides a few different things to fight at different points, plus various people and situations to deal with in varying ways. If/when you complete this quest, you should (experience-wise) be fairly good to go most places in the Wastes. From there, go to the Anchorage DLC for the rewards - lots of weaponry and cool stuff to be had when you complete this one. At which poiint, you should be fairly bad-ass. Compared with other games, there really isn't any requirement to "join" any specific faction in FO3 (except maybe for the BOS late in the game). There are several that you will get more friendly with depending on which quests you complete and how you do so. But most of the groups that are going to kill you will do so regardless of your other affiliations. Note too that very few quests and jobs in FO3 are time-critical. That is, most times you can pick up a quest and then ignore it until you decide to take it on. AFAIK, the only exception to this is the 'Reilly's Rangers' quest. The Grayditch quest is a bugger that should be deferred until you have serious firepower, good armor, plenty of Stimpacks and maybe a friend or two.

You're welcome. You may also find this useful - http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_console_commands . Note the section on NPC manipulation, which has ways to make NPCs Essential. You can also resurrect NPCs (other console commands can be used to T-Port dead NPCs to you for processing). Just handle with care because, if mishandled, there is stuff here that will break your game. Actually, I would instead strongly recommend using one of various mods to make Traders (and possibly other NPCs) Essential, because that saves you the trouble of looking up IDs and "Essential-izing" each of them in turn. Less chance of error, too. I use this one - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/1385/? Regarding Armor, shop around. There are a lot of good mods out there, for all tastes. Could be wrong, but it sounds to me like you are either carrying w-a-y too much other stuff and/or have VERY low Strength. Even Strength 5-6 should be enough to wear Power Armor, lug along a few decent weapons and other items - and STILL have room for a fair amount of loot. Remember that old line about "You can't take it ALL with you". Everybody has their own approach - mine is to leave all Heavy Weapons (Minigun, Missile Launcher, Fat Man, etc.) at home unless I have a very good and extremely specific reason to take one along (and/or a bunch of friends to help with carrying stuff). Otherwise, I carry one Melee weapon, one short-range weapon (SMG, Shotgun or Pistol), one medium range weapon (Hunting or Assault Rifle) and one long-range weapon (Sniper Rifle). Have a good Repair skill, and repair your stuff (and anything acquired) at every oppurtunity. Rather than carry six crappy-quality Hunting Rifles for eventual use or sale, use Repair to merge them into 2-3 better weapons that weigh less, are worth about the same caps in total and actually are useful in combat. Same goes for any Armors you pick up (reselling Raider Armors is one of my early sources of Caps).

Thank you for putting this up.

Flapping body parts and people buried in things does happen in the game now and then, but not as often as seems to be in your case. Might be something seriously amiss there. On other subjects, there are several mods to make Companions and/or Caravan Traders essential (unkillable). Nope, if they are Non-Essential and they die, that's it. No replacements. For cargo hauling, I find these two little guys extremely useful - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/7781/? Not only can they carry a fair bit, they are helpful in combat (without being unbalancing), are basically Essential anyhow, and have built-in Map Markers. So you can park one of them anyplace you consider interesting and wish to return to, and it will basically stake that spot out until you return. Note there are also a few Backpack mods around, and some other mods for your own Pack Brahmin. Regarding armor, there are any number of mods for this, depending on your own preferences. Plus there is always the option of salvaging and repairing the stuff you find.

My character (Leanne Walker, founder / leader of the 'Springvale Ghosts'; top of the Enclave's and Talon Company's hate list; friend to Megaton, Rivet City, Arefu, Meresti, Underworld and Vulture's Rest) quietly wrestling with an important decision. Specifically, the Noodles or the Iguana?

EDIT: I was wrong (yeah, I can't believe it myself). CREBSOR fixed the problem - the fault lay in my not sitting through the closing monologue (because I assumed it would change somehow). Silly me. Thank you, BlackRampage and others for all your help. Excuse me while I go to place an endorsement for CREBSOR

Unsure what you mean, since the pool is in the vanilla game. At least, on the stretch between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The stretch between the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building was converted into fortifications and trenches.

Guess an obvious question is, what systems are you guys using?

Included in a merged patch? Too risky. Just place it all the way at the bottom, even under your patch. Understandable, but at this way you can check if one your mods is the culprit. Just make a savegame before entering the rotunda cell, disable all mods, check if BS starts. If it does, start enabling about 2 or 3 mods, then check again. With luck, you can pinpoint the exact mod which causes your issue and lose next to nothing of your stuff. R-i-g-h-t. I'll try what you suggest as regards CREBSOR later tonight, and see how I go before considering the other things. Thanks muchly for all your help, and here's hoping.

Only the Merged Patch is below it in load order. I presume CREBSOR should be included in that? As for the rest... yes, that would be a way to go. But continuing to "play" through the same scene umpteen more times (and then "reacquire" all the modded stuff) just to get past five @#$%^& minutes of mostly cutscene is NOT what I consider ideal.

Going to try killing off a bunch of mods and seeing if that makes any differance. Not optimistic, though. Having viewed the Wiki entry for this quest, I note that Colonel Autumn appeared the first time I entered the Rotunda, but went straight to combat instead of engaging in dialogue. The last few times I tried this bit (starting back at the Citadel each time), he did not appear at all. I've also realized that a few of the minor "tweak" mods I installed have not appeared at all (the fate of Gary23, the Lamplight Access, No Theft Comments, and possibly a couple of others). Not sure why, but very conceivably part of the same problem. Using console commands to get over this section and into the next phase (Broken Steel) might be a (last resort) option. If anyone can help out here, thank you in advance.

My thought also. Moving up close or even level with him usually does the trick.

Agreement on the merge patch - never forget that. I realize some people swear by BOSS, but it gave me nothing but trouble. The following mod is a handy aid for doing load orders manually but, even if you don't use it, the advice the mod creator gives in the description about load orders is absolutely worth reading - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/18721/?

Totally unrelated, but I had no idea the monologue was done by Ron Perlman. From now on I'll be seeing Hellboy's face whenever I hear that monologue :tongue: The guy gets around, what can I say?

Other than Type 3 Body, no. And this was previously used with no apparent problems. Still, I'll give this a try (along with a couple of other things I've thought of) and see how it goes, thank you. EDIT: Nope, the above mod hasn't helped. Other thoughts / advice / comments still sought.

Reinstalled my game after a very long hiatus. Been playing it through for the first time in what seems like forever. Given what I have picked up about load order (and an especially good graphics card)., the game has been working much better than previously. ..... Until I got to the endgame with the Water Purifier. My character enters the chamber to fix the problem ... and dies. Immediate cut to Ron Perlman's closing monologue, etc. rather than waking up much later in the Citadel as should happen. Retry from last save and attempt to talk Fawkes into doing the deed (he won't). Broken Steel IS installed and seems to be functioning in other respects - I got the Broken Steel Level Cap message upon exiting 101, there are various other (working) mods that use same AND I had encounters with Broken Steel units (Hellfire Armor troops with Hvy Incineraters) after exiting Raven Rock). It may be that this is a very well-known problem that has been previously covered in depth - please direct me to the appropriate thread, if so. Load order follows. Entirely probable I messed up big time somewhere in that, but am clueless as to where. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Fallout3.esm Anchorage.esm ThePitt.esm BrokenSteel.esm PointLookout.esm Zeta.esm Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch.esm Point Lookout Reborn by Jcro25.esm CALIBR.esm DCInteriors_ComboEdition.esm BackToAnchorage.esm The Librarian.esm tubrrCompound.esm RZW_SlotMachine.esm JHBCloverPlus.esm Hunters Ridge V4.esp Sydney Follower.esp jasmine.esp HatHair.esp BusworldV1.05d.esp GreenWorld.esp BeefedUpCitadel.esp Moira 100 Repair.esp Ghoulified Cromwell.esp HalfReaverhp.esp specialbobblesmoved.esp TimeScaleTo15.esp Lamplight Backdoor Exit.esp lessviewdistance.esp IncreasedWeaponDurability75.esp IncreasedArmorDurability50.esp Clean-Deluxe GOTY.esp Dogmeat_WaitMegaton v1.1.esp Sensible Dismemberment Lite.esp NoTheftComments.esp No Blur Effect.esp Clear Cell Buffers (no message).esp Dree Perks.esp BenTweaks-FO3.esp level100mod.esp WastelandMastery.esp The Groovatron.esp The Groovatron_DLC_Anch_Addon.esp The Groovatron_DLC_Pitt_Addon.esp The Groovatron_DLC_PL_Addon.esp Realism Poses.esp FacialExpressions.esp Feng Shui.esp BA_Repair_GOTY.esp BA_Repair_GOTY_Xtras.esp BA_WRM.esp Better Companions Ess.esp Fawkes-warmachine.esp BoudicaVoicedCompanion.esp Uncle Leo Companion.esp Companion Chiaki Kurosawa.esp bittercup_comp.esp Victoria.esp Companion Zhao Jiao.esp GaryCompanion.esp slaveraider.esp slaveraider_newlook.esp Sgt. Rock.esp Frazzled.esp Better Caravans.esp MegatonOutdoorShower03.esp VulturesRest.esp Vault-tec Labs.esp FreddyFear.esp BauPetSupplies.esp Museum.esp Moriarty's Saloon Fen chui Mod.esp ParadiseLost.esp Northern Enclave Base.esp CommonWealth of the North.esp PeachCreekRuins.esp Vianna Beach House Additions.esp MamaDolceBetter.esp CanterburyCommonsInteriors.esp tubRRCompound.esp Rivet City Merchants With Point Lookout.esp JeffersonMemorialREDUX.esp The Traveler Project.esp WEP Pack 1.esp WEP Pack 2.esp The White House Rebuilt.esp Bonds GNR Studios.esp Talon Outpost Expansion - Arlington.esp Talon Outpost Expansion - Rivet City.esp Talon Outpost Expansion - Canterbury Commons.esp Talon Outpost Expansion - Megaton.esp Talon Outpost Expansion - Takoma.esp ActionFigures.esp EnclaveHideout.esp TecVault.esp CharliesSpaceLounge.esp Newoffice.esp HamiltonArmory.esp EyebotTechnician.esp Backpacks_witheffects.esp UncleShubsSaladScissors.esp Warblade.esp Gary23sfate.esp DecoShampooAndSoap.esp Portable Turrets.esp Wild Bill is Awesome.esp 0vdsgingame.esp TCMdivingsuit.esp 01Tucu'sBandanas.esp New Toys - Aerospace.esp Mannequin.esp 1alexscorpionsnipergear.esp 700NE rifle.esp Neunens Axes.esp Lee Enfield Rifle.esp AlucardCasull.esp Tactical Flamer.esp vaultgirlrp.esp Persona_and_Secret.esp TecknicaCyberpunk.esp colossus T51c.esp GhostArmor HGEC - Conversion.esp GhostArmor HGEC - Conversion FN92 VATSCAM.esp Tailor Maid.esp Tailor Maid Anchorage.esp Tailor Maid PITT.esp Tailor Maid Brokensteel.esp Tailor Maid ZETA.esp Tailor Maid Black Retex.esp Despicable Dashwood v2.esp Regulators.esp Boosted Raiders.esp RaiderMercenaryExpanded.esp Not alone in the Wasteland anymore.esp JHBCloverPlusOverride.esp Sydney Follower - Load Order Fix.esp zzzMergedPatch0012.esp Total active plugins: 137 Total plugins: 137

Myself, I stay the heck away from BOSS - had a bad experience with it and never went back. But I know there are those who swear by it. Regarding load order. I very highly recommend reading what is said in the description for this mod - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/18721/? . The mod itself is worth having, but the general advice given there about load order is simple, clear and absolutely golden - having followed it, my own game has never run better.

Thank you!

Would like to see someone mod a pair of glasses to also have bushy eyebrows, large moustache and big false nose. Obviously, this is a not-very-serious-at-all idea. I'm in THAT sort of a mood, I guess. But. let's face it, we could all think of individuals in the DC Wastes who could only be improved by having this item Groovatroned or reverse-pickpocketed to them.

From all accounts, absolutely nothing.in the vanilla game. One can infer that there were plans for something more while the game was being developed, but these were presumably dropped.

Sorry. You probably think that is very clever, and maybe even with good reason, but I am completely clueless.

Thought there was already. Pretty sure I saw a Dashwood Companion on the Nexus a while back, but maybe it's gone.

Interesting. Thanks for that, Purr4me. Hmmmm. "Mr Smith" (with quotes, even)? NO WAY that can be an alias. :wink:

Who's to say? As with various other things in the game, I have to wonder if the devs actually thought it through.

I hadn't considered James as a possibility - that's a good one. Like you, the biggest problem I see there is him having enough cash to pay RR. If so, he presumably kept instructions to RR very general ("Go out and map the Wastes", as distinct from "Find all the things on this detailed list."), so as to help maintain secrecy. Also presumably, payments are handled via go-betweens and maybe some kind of escrow thingummy, given that the contract remains in effect even when James is MIA or, later on, dead.