Finally Playing Fallout 3

[Deleted472477User]

I couldn't afford a decent enough computer until now. But I am really enjoying this game, aside from some quibbles here and there. I played Fallout and Fallout 2, and I didn't fall victim to the toxic goings-on regarding Fallout 3 over at No Mutants Allowed.

 

Mods are taking me getting used to them. They install very differently from TES mods, and it's a confusing bunch of rigamarole for one used to a far easier process. Is there anything to make it easier, or is it just a 'suck it up and learn it' process? I have trouble telling where to put things, mostly.

 

I did have issues with the game suddenly zooming way out, as if I'd hit F, and not letting me go back to first person, and scrolling in menus wouldn't allow me to scroll all the way through. I solved this with a new mouse.

 

Overall, the game runs great, technically due to a slow processor it should run at all but it's quite smooth and things look decent.

 

Are there any mods you'd absolutely recommend, once I get more comfortable with installing them?

 

Also, I can tell the game was made with people who are really good at FPS games in mind. I am not, though I'm slowly getting better. Any tips?

[Shantih]

I've been using a gamepad. It takes some getting used to when it comes to aiming (mouse is more accurate) but it really helps moving around if you're not used to playing this sort of games with a keyboard.

 

As far as mods are concerned it's not too hard, most of the time you have to extract the esp and the meshes and textures folders in the data folder and then enable the esp.

 

Make sure you have archive invalidation and since the UI is horrible you should get Darn UI.

 

Fallout 3 is a really good game that was the closest thing to a real modern Fallout game until Fallout New Vegas came out. Some things may irk old fans (like me) but it's still a fun game to play.

 

I have a number of mods I could recommend. I haven't played the game for more than a year so I haven't been keeping track of more recent mods.

 

Have a great game! :thumbsup:

[7thsealord]

Lots of threads about recommended mods. As always, a lot depends on your own preferences.

 

To state the extreme obvious, make sure you have FOSE (Fallout Script Extender) installed, which a great many mods need. And do not forget the 'Unofficial Fallout 3 Patches', which fix a great many problems with the game. FOMM (Fallout Mod Manager) is also very useful.

 

My own recommended mods?

 

DC Interiors. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5573 ) Gives interiors and a whole bunch of extra "stuff" to houses and other places all over the DC area. If I could only put ONE mod into the game, this would probably be it.

 

Enclave Hideout. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13982 ) Very very nice roomy house, with all mod cons. If you like running with several Companions, this is a great hangout.

 

Tec-Vault. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13517 ) Quest mod, fairly tough. You need to be well-armed, armoured and skilled to do this one - and really need to check the walkthrough. The reward is a Vault of your very own (much nicer than the Vault-Tec vaults, I must add, and frickin' HUGE) with helpful and friendly staff ready to assist you.

 

700 Nitro Express. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10687 ) One of my favourite weapons. One-shot kills on most monsters up to mid-range, and makes anything nastier sorry they met you. Steady, but limited, ammo supply to stop you getting too carried away.

 

Despicable Dashwood. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13883 ) Adds a bunch of extra material to do with Herbert "Daring" Dashwood. Including a range of new weapons to find.

 

Victoria. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14971 ) Companion who specializes in Heavy Weapons. Good to have at your side.

 

Sydney. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=9320 ) Turns one of the game's more interesting NPCs into a dern good Companion.

 

Combat Eyebots With GNR. ( http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7781 ). I love these little guys - extremely useful as guards, cargo-carriers and mobile fast travel markers.

 

There are a bunch of others, and I am sure other people will have recommendations to make as well.

 

Good luck. ;)

Edited December 31, 2011 by 7thsealord

[Jeoshua]

Check the Top 100 mods list on the site. Those mods are popular for a reason. There are some glaring omissions for newer mods, or mods which do the same job as one that has been around for 2 years and does it better but just doesn't have the endorsements and downloads to be placed as high on the Top 100, but overall it's still a good resource. You can modify the search once you find something you like, to get the compatibility patches, as well.

 

Basically any listing is going to be biased in one way or another. But I would like to point out a few things:

 

Fallout Wanderers Edition: Very popular overhaul. It's really great and contains a lot of awesome features. Compatibility-wise it's very well supported, and most mods which would conflict with it have patches.

 

FallOut Overhaul Kit (FOOK): Very popular as well, and goes straight past every other mod in terms of how much it changes. It cannot be used with most other mods, tho, since it's more of a Total Conversion than an Overhaul. Many people prefer it, but it does have it's issues.

 

Xepha's Dynamic Weather/Darkened Interiors: Possibly the best weather and lighting mods in existance. Some people prefer others, but I really don't know why.

 

My mods: I like them but won't waste your time pimping them. It's too biased of me.

[Xenobuzz]

Installing mods properly can take some getting used to, especially if you're not much of a software/hardware tweaker like me. When things work, I don't mess with 'em unless I have to!

 

As for FO3 Mods, these are the ones I use and I LOVE them!

 

Fallout - Remastered - A must have. Too many fixes to list, but it's great.

 

GNR Enhanced - adds a huge variety of songs to the station, so you don't get sick of the vanilla five.

 

Fellout - Removes the green tint from the game so you can see blue sky and brown dirt and all the other colors in the rainbow.

 

DC Interiors - New places to explore with new items to collect. What's not to like?

 

Mart's Mutant Mod - adds a huge variety of new creatures to the landscape, with new bits to collect and sell. I love this as it necessarily makes exploring the wasteland a more cautious process. The greater number of creatures has resulted in LOTS more clashes between them and NPCs. I hear distant gun battles all the time now! It's great, makes the Wasteland feel more inhabited and dangerous.

 

Xepha's Dynamic Weather - A must have. Simply brilliant.

 

What's Your Brand? - adds real world tobacco brand textures to the vanilla cartons and boxes. I love details like this!

 

Books Debunked - adds a nice variety of textures to make all those scorched and burned books more interesting.

 

**UPDATE** - I should slap myself in the baby bag for half an hour for forgetting to mention NMC's Texture Packs!

 

NMC's Texture Packs - Depending on whether your PC is a Volkswagen, Camry or Lamborghini, these texture packs will greatly enhance every surface of the Wasteland! After I dl'ed and installed the Performance Pack (which suited my setup) I spent the next half hour gawping in amazement at the transformation. Phenomenal work by a very dedicated individual! I'm still thrilled at how the game (even after five to six play-throughs) feels fresh and exciting with these enhanced and greatly detailed textures!

 

Dave S.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Xenobuzz

[panzersharkcat]

I very strongly recommend Mothership Zeta Crew. There's Vault 101 Revisited. There's a mod in the MZC minis page combining the two. Antistar's Dragonskin armor is worth a look. So is Better Power Armor. An Evening With Mister Manchester, A Note Easily Missed, In the Shadow of the Swamp, and The Mantis Imperative are all wonderful, too. Then there's Cube Experimental, darNified UI, and the Readius. GNR Building Redux, which fortifies the GNR building and adds a few merchants there. Project Beauty makes NPCs not so horse-faced. Find Ingots helps a lot when looking for them. Enclave Advanced Power Armor MKIII by Lautasantenni. Firelance quest. Ashara's Batman and Catwoman items. Of course, there are also mine, but like Jeoshua said, it would be a waste of time pimping my own stuff. Really, I could go on and on.

[M48A5]

A couple of things you should have to make loading mods easier are FOMM (Fallout Mod Manager), FOSE (Fallout Script Extender), B.O.S.S. (Better Oblivion Sorting Software) and FO3 Edit.

For appearance mods, I tried FOOK and had to give up on it and switched to FWE and I am using Fallout Remastered and Clean Deluxe. For a companion, try Brisa Almodovar, a fully voiced partner for your travels in the wasteland. And do like Jeoshua suggested and check out the top 100 and also the files of the month. You can also check by catagory and choose what you want.

[nisen]

with your last qn, how to get around poor aiming, try using vats to line targets up, then release it and fire manually, but if the enemys lining you up allready, use vats to go for an arm

 

best mods to start with would be FWE, MMM, and NMCs texture packs. I wouldnt recommend a particular weather mod, but look at them all to see which youd prefer.

 

oh and Jeo might be too proud to tout his own mods ;) but im not, i just released a killa map mod that shows all the terrain when you zoom right down, usually theres nothing to see, cause full zooms equivalent something like 800% on a 1024x1024 map, depending on FOV and screen size. its called Better high detail map

Edited January 19, 2012 by nisen

[slimhouse]

Hi... nyx ' your last line of your post spoke of FPS gaming (not as good as you'd like)

 

I pass on my 'Keyboard Config' to you in the hope it may give you the 'Edge' again..!! (mouse in your Right Hand)

 

First Pro Gamers like to use the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON as their MOVEMENT FORWARD KEY (your middle finger)

FIRE naturally is the LEFT MOUSE BUTTON

MIDDLE WHEEL/BUTTON is (can be) Alternate Fire/Secondary Fire and Cycle Through Weapons

MOVE LEFT / RIGHT is KEY 'C' + 'V'

~LEAN~ LEFT and RIGHT KEYs 'X' + 'B'

BACK... is LEFT ALT KEY

CROUCH is LEFT Ctrl KEY

GO PRONE (lie flat on floor) is 'Z' KEY

OPEN MAP 'M' KEY

RELOAD 'R' KEY (obvious but it does help)

TOGGLE RUN make it your 'X' KEY (only when X is not used for LEAN LEFT)

BINOCULARS 'B' (again if not used)

NIGHT VISION 'N'

JUMP ...I like to always use SPACEBAR

 

 

That about covers the Basics... Apolo's if you knew some of this there are many different Combo's

Gamers Use... have fun experimenting..!!

Edited January 31, 2012 by slimhouse

[Sarissi]

I use Darnified UI, Apocalypse Armory, Weapon Mod Kits, Energy Visuals Enhanced. Those are my primary mods. Then I have Tec Vault, Alpine Heights, Sanctum (aka Sanctuary), Mini Hide Vault 77, Megaton House and Theme Overhaul and its update, Unfair Advantage, Vault Armory, Cool Lasers, Escape Redux, Alien Rifle, Shogo 20mm Bozar, Weapons of the Shogunate, Laser Sub machine gun, Bittercup Companion mod (she is in Big Town), and Fallout Streetlights.

 

There are the essential tools: The GECK (provided by Bethesda), FO3Edit, FOSE and FOMM. FOMM's package manager is extremely useful and saves you tons of headaches. FOMM is also necessary to get the Load Order correct.