Fallout 3 loading but... not? "Boots", but doesn't show menu, just plays music

[Szmerlokkk]

Hey there!

I've been fighting with F3 for around 20 hours altogether, trying to make it work. It did before I changed my hard drive to an SSD. I've downgraded to 1.7.0.3, have fose and all the necessary mods, alongside NVAC. The latter helped to "load" the game - before installing it, the game would just crash (steam launcher works fine, the game on both there and vortex not).||

I'm all out of ideas on what to do. Tried my best, editing files, disabling all mods, all that stuff. Could anyone please help me?

Thanks in advance!

[Pagafyr]

I remember I had to use the original launch so the original pop up appeared and make the settings for it and launch it from there the first time after moving everything.

If you're on in the Offline game playing that was what I had to do to get to work.  After doing it that way, setting up Data putting check marks in all the listed stuff in the Data folder, even the games main file will appear and with important files, the upgrade installed too.  If that doesn't work : If you're using the Steam version so it doesn't require the Fallout 3 disk in the drive do a Verify files in the games settings in Steam to see if the files are all installed.

[Szmerlokkk]

20 hours ago, Pagafyr said:

I remember I had to use the original launch so the original pop up appeared and make the settings for it and launch it from there the first time after moving everything.

 

Did that, changed the settings and all, but nothing changed.

20 hours ago, Pagafyr said:

If you're on in the Offline game playing that was what I had to do to get to work.  After doing it that way, setting up Data putting check marks in all the listed stuff in the Data folder, even the games main file will appear and with important files, the upgrade installed too.  If that doesn't work : If you're using the Steam version so it doesn't require the Fallout 3 disk in the drive do a Verify files in the games settings in Steam to see if the files are all installed.

Also did all of that, nothing has changed. The game still boots, music plays (but not main menu music) and the screen is black. I'll try waiting some time, maybe it will change, but as of now it doesn't seem like anything will

[Pagafyr]

Hm?  Your game is in the load screen while the music is playing.  Clearly the load screen bink is being blocked or is missing in the folder for them.

Have you got any mods that load a different load screen?

I remember that happening and I started pressing the keys that would ready the window to launch a new game.   Somehow I got lucky and got the menu to do it because I pressed the keys that would open the menu and start a new game.  Even though I couldn't see the load screen.  The game launched and I was able figure out what I did that caused it to give me a black load screen blank. 

[Szmerlokkk]

No, it's not even in the load screen, nor the menu. The screen is just striaght up black after I turn on the game, with various ambient music playing. Maybe it's something I messed up on my way trying to get it to start, but I have no clue as what to do.

I have no mods loaded, besides some that patch the game or are fixes:
Command extender; FOSE; Fallout aniversary patch;  FO3 Edit 4.1.5 Experimental; NVAC; Out of memory fix; Unofficial Fallout 3 ESM Patcher; Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - OGG

Please help :C
 

[Pagafyr]

Do you have the LOOT app?  It can be used to discover conflicts so you can solve these kinds of problems.  LOOT for Fallout 3  https://loot.github.io/

[M48A5]

Was the first launch of the game with FalloutLauncher.exe?  Did you start the game before you added any mods to ensure the game would start and run.  Did you install the game in "Program FIles"?  If you did you will have to move it to another location.

Did you manually install FO3Edit to the game folder and not the data folder.  It belongs in the folder Fallout3, not the Data folder.  And, why are you using an experimental version when there is a final version available?

Did you install FOSE, NVAC, Command Extender and Out of Memory Fix  manually to ensure they were installed correctly?

Since NVAC, Command Extender and Out of Memory Fix are FOSE plugins, they belong in the DATA/FOSE/Plugins folder.

Unless things have changed doubt), VORTEX has been the worst mod manager to use for FO3.

[Szmerlokkk]

On 5/8/2024 at 7:11 PM, Pagafyr said:

Do you have the LOOT app?  It can be used to discover conflicts so you can solve these kinds of problems.  LOOT for Fallout 3  https://loot.github.io/

Yes, I do have it, have been using it with Fallout New Vegas and it works flawlessly

On 5/9/2024 at 11:47 PM, M48A5 said:

1. Was the first launch of the game with FalloutLauncher.exe?
2. Did you start the game before you added any mods to ensure the game would start and run.
3. Did you install the game in "Program FIles"?  If you did you will have to move it to another location.
4. Did you manually install FO3Edit to the game folder and not the data folder.  It belongs in the folder Fallout3, not the Data folder. 
5. And, why are you using an experimental version when there is a final version available?
6. Did you install FOSE, NVAC, Command Extender and Out of Memory Fix  manually to ensure they were installed correctly?

Since NVAC, Command Extender and Out of Memory Fix are FOSE plugins, they belong in the DATA/FOSE/Plugins folder.

Unless things have changed doubt), VORTEX has been the worst mod manager to use for FO3.

1. No, used the Vortex launcher
2. Well, I did not. Thing is, the game worked on my HDD, so when I switched to SSD I thought it would work too
3. No
4. I think I did install it into the folder of the game, but will check it again
5. I didn't know that there is one that isn't experimental
6. I used the download by vortex installation

What do I use then if I want to play FO3 modded, instead of Vortex? Old Nexus Mod Manager?

[Pagafyr]

Mod Organizer 2 is the root of which both NMS and Vortex were built from.   Might be your better choice. 

[M48A5]

I have been using FOMM (Fallout Mod Manager) since I added my first mod to the game 13 years ago. I never had any use for the added bells and whistles that come with the newer mod managers.  It is the only mod manager that was designed, specifically, to work with Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

You have a new installation of the game, you need to start it from the FalloutLauncher.exe to set the graphics and other settings before anything else.  And, while you have the game started from the launcher, play through the opening until just before you exit the tunnel and make a hard save.  Then when you exit the door, make another hard save.  From this point you can starting adding mods, checking in the game after each addition, to ensure the game will run properly with the just added mod.  It will take a while, but getting a stable game is worth the work.

Any mods that require to be installed in FOSE/plugins should be installed manually.  Not all mod managers will install them correctly. 

FO3Edit https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/637