In need of explanation...

[rkel038]

I recently attempted to mod fallout 3 after stumbling upon the FWE page on this site, but have come to the end of my wits attempting to do so. I have attempted to mod the game in the manner that is listed lower on the page : http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2761 (this is the FWE mod page on this site) where it outlines a combination of mods that seem to fall under the FOIP: http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4968. Before I launch into my tirade of issues, I will say that I have trawled through the forums and many FAQ's in an attempt to find a solution to prevent anyone spending time on my problems... unfortunately I have been unsuccessful :(

 

I have downloaded the MMM, FWE, WMK, PB, EVE mods, the 'compatibility patches' on the FOIP page's download section, along with the most recent versions of the script extender, Fallout Mod Manager, ArchiveInvalidated Invalidated, and of course the FO3Edit application (http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=637) for the merger file.

 

I have all of the 5 expansions, as well as updated the game with the most recent patch available from the Bethesda official site (in order to make sure that the FOMM works with my game).

 

After doing all of this I attempted to get the mods working in the manner that I have interpreted to be correct from the combination of readme files and mod page descriptions, but the sheer volume of these instructions along side my somewhat limited computer skills have left me flustered after my attempts amounted to a game that crashes very quickly after starting a new game (the birth scene, JUST after you select your character's sex is where it crashes).

 

I am running into several issues:

 

1. After putting ALL of the files in the places that they are meant to go (as in, the mod files go into the DATA section of the fallout directory on my computer, and the mod manager and the FO3Edit go into the main section of the fallout directory) and attempting to 'install' the FWE mod as directed by going through the FOMM's Package Manager section, I managed to get this to work. But are any of the other mods in this FOIP package (MMM, WMK, PB, EVE) meant to be 'installed'? What about the 5.02 patch for FWE? Does this patch need to be installed individually? Any explanations on this would be greatly appreciated as I would have assumed the files to be installed after putting them into the data directory.

 

2. Some of the .esm files (such as the one for PB) are simply not appearing into my FOMM order list. I cannot deal with issues of load order without the PB .esm being absent in the first place. (ALSO: the note at the top of the FOIP page: "IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL PROJECT BEAUTY COMPATBILITY PATCHES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR THE TIME BEING BECAUSE THEY ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE LATEST PB VERSION" is confusing to me. Does this mean that I should simply not use the mod at all as it will cause issues? I have no issue with doing so, PB sounds pleasant but it is easily the important mod to be of the bunch.)

 

3. The FO3Edit application and the manner in which I am meant to make a merged patch is intensely confusing to me. The program seems to be searching for the fallout directory inside of the Program Files -> Bethesda Softworks directory on my computer (which I removed the Fallout 3 directory from and put into main directory for the drive that the game is installed on, as per the requirements for the FOMM to work). Can I change the location that the FO3Edit application searches for the directory? Or, to circumvent this issue should I move the Fallout 3 directory back into the Program Files -> Bethesda Softworks directory for the duration of making a merged patch, then put it back into the drive's main directory so that I can again access the ability to use the FOMM? (I will be honest: I tried this method but to no avail; the FO3Edit application COULD see mod files, and I COULD make a merged patch, but after I shut FO3Edit and saved the new .esp file that is is supposed to generate, the FOMM was not showing it as it supposedly does automatically).

 

 

I will give more detail on my attempts in the hope that someone may recognize what I have done wrong. These are the EXACT steps I have taken in an attempt to get this to work.

 

1. Install the main game.

 

2. Put the data from all of the expansions into the DATA folder.

 

3. Install the script extender.

 

4. Install FOMM.

 

5. Move the Fallout 3 directory FROM 'Program Files -> Bethesda Softworks' to the main directory of the drive (so you can see Fallout 3 as a folder next to other folders like Program Files).

 

6. Install ArchiveInvalidated Invalidated and activate it.

 

7. From there I put the mod files into their place in the DATA directory of the Fallout 3 directory. I put them in in this order: FWE 5.0, FWE 5.02 patch, MMM (Marts Mutant Mod 1-RC5 FOMOD), the EVE files (first was 'EVE 096 Beta Main', 'EVE 096 UPdate', 'EVE 096 Hotfixes' then 'EVE - Operation Anchorage'), WMK ('Weapon Mod Kits', 'WMK Operation Anchorage Compatibility Patch', 'WMK The Pitt Compatibility Patch', 'WMK Broken Steel Compatibility Patch', 'WMK Point Lookout Compatibility Patch', 'WMK Mothership Zeta Compatibility Patch'), then PB ('Project Beauty HD Resources', 'Project Beauty HD version 2_70'), then FINALLY the 'compatibility patches' from the FOIP page (which I believe the one for FWE - PB is out of date and hence useless?) which were ('FOIP - EVE v96 Package for FWE', 'FOIP - Marts Mutant Mod RC5 package', 'FOIP - WMK Package for FWE').

 

8. I went into the Package Manager section to install the FWE mod as per the instructions in the readme file. After some mucking around it managed to appear and I installed the mod successfully (I assume - is there perhaps something I should do to check whether this did indeed install? There was no error message and it appears to be installed).

 

9. I then moved the entire directory back into the Program Files -> Bethesda Softworks directory so I could install FO3Edit. I ran the application and attempted to create a merged patch. It could see the mod files and the load order (which I had then adjusted to the order described on the FOIP page). The merged patch was apparently created as it asked me to name this new .esp file, which I then saved when prompted upon closing the application.

 

10. I moved the Fallout 3 directory back into the main directory of the drive it was installed on and then ran FOMM again. The merged patch was nowhere to be found. If there is a method I am meant to use to make it appear in the load order section of the application I am unaware of it. The readme for the WMK section says it will already be loaded last in order by default but I assume this would fact would be displayed on the FOMM screen.

 

After all of this, I have tried running the Script Extender to run the game, but it will crash, as I described earlier when starting a new game.

 

Any and all help would be appreciated, or if you know of any resources I can turn to educate myself in how to figure this situation out would be appreciated. I am not afraid of a hard fight to get these mods working but I simply do not know where to turn from here.

 

Thanks