Hard Freeze when choosing FWE alternate start

[wats6831]

I have been modding Fallout 3 for a few years now. Recently reinstalled it to play through again. I am using GOTY edition with all DLC. I modded it with FWE, MMM, WMK, EVE, and Project Beauty following the steps in the videos. I also am using all FOIP patches and using the load order laid out in FOIP. I also have used FO3edit to create my merged patch. ArchiveInvalidation is working via the stand along program. I am running through FOSE newest version as well.

 

The problem is: the game starts fine, everything runs fine until I choose the Alternate Start from FWE. It crashes within seconds of loading though the sound continues to play. It's a hard hang and program must be stopped in Task Manager.

 

I also tried running Fallout3.exe in Win XP SP3 compatibility mode. No dice. I have tried with and without DarnUI and with/without the DarnUI .ini edits.

 

Any ideas? Load order is as FOIP, all masters are present, merged patch is created.

[yoyoma64]

Have you edited the fallout ini according to the FWE faq?

 

"A: This is a vanilla Fallout problem. Fallout 3 has issues with multicore processors(which kinda everybody has nowadays...), but there is a fix:

 

Open the folder My documents / My Games / Fallout3

Open the file FALLOUT.ini in a text editor.

Inside FALLOUT.ini look for a group called [general].

Inside the general group, after all the configuration parameters(just above the [display] group), just copy and paste the following 2 lines:

bUseThreadedAI=1

iNumHWThreads=2

 

 

Now close and save the Fallout.ini"

 

Try this first if you haven't already. Oh and if you haven't turned off your autosaves, turn them off and use CASM (fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/3729). Let me know if this fixes it or not, cause I have another method you could try as well.

[wats6831]

That seems to have gotten it working thanks!

 

Do you think I should try to add Darn UI now? I'm kinda scared of editing the .ini even though i used to do it all the time. Any other .ini tweaks you reccomend? I usually tweak it to allow up to 4GB of RAM (I have 8GB), though I don't think cache thrashing will be an issue since i"m running it on an SSD.

[yoyoma64]

Well if you were using texture packs I'd recommend using the 3gb large address enabler. You could also use the fallout 3 stutter remover, but honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between before and after I used it.

 

Darn UI shouldn't cause any problems with your mods if you install it correctly. Here's the link: http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1077483-wipzbeta-darnified-ui-f3/ (towards the bottom of the first post are the downloads) in case you need it. Be sure to install it as the FOMOD, then install the dui hotfix, and THEN install the FWE dui hotfix. I believe the FWE dui hotfix is located on the FWE download page.

 

I cannot stress this enough: use the CASM autosave otherwise after a couple hours of playing and saving/autosaving, your game will crash. I didn't feel like using CASM (for what reason I have no clue) for a while but once I decided to give a shot, it worked well.

 

I don't do any other ini tweaks besides the one fwe recommends.

Edited July 4, 2012 by yoyoma64

[wats6831]

Well if you were using texture packs I'd recommend using the 3gb large address enabler. You could also use the fallout 3 stutter remover, but honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between before and after I used it.

 

Darn UI shouldn't cause any problems with your mods if you install it correctly. Here's the link: http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1077483-wipzbeta-darnified-ui-f3/ (towards the bottom of the first post are the downloads) in case you need it. Be sure to install it as the FOMOD, then install the dui hotfix, and THEN install the FWE dui hotfix. I believe the FWE dui hotfix is located on the FWE download page.

 

I cannot stress this enough: use the CASM autosave otherwise after a couple hours of playing and saving/autosaving, your game will crash. I didn't feel like using CASM (for what reason I have no clue) for a while but once I decided to give a shot, it worked well.

 

I don't do any other ini tweaks besides the one fwe recommends.

 

Ok thanks. Yep I'm having the save issue right now after about 3 hours of gameplay. I installed CASM and now my game just crashes at any save be it timed or event based. I tried messing with the number of saves etc etc.

Edited July 6, 2012 by wats6831

[yoyoma64]

Hmm, well FOIP is kinda outdated and I personally don't use it. I didn't want to recommend this before, not cause its a bad mod (cause its actually the opposite: its a great mod), but because you had alrready made a merged patch and master updated.

 

You should probably try out Fallout Remastered: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/16928

 

I can give you instructions if you want, but you should post your load order so I know what mods you're working with. Fallout Remastered has recent compatibility patches between large mods like FWE, MMM, PB, EVE, etc. They work well, and I've had very few crashes. I had the same problem with the FOIP setup that you're having with my saves. I try to enter a cell and the game crashes. But, for me, Fallout Remastered works.

[wats6831]

Hmm, well FOIP is kinda outdated and I personally don't use it. I didn't want to recommend this before, not cause its a bad mod (cause its actually the opposite: its a great mod), but because you had alrready made a merged patch and master updated.

 

You should probably try out Fallout Remastered: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/16928

 

I can give you instructions if you want, but you should post your load order so I know what mods you're working with. Fallout Remastered has recent compatibility patches between large mods like FWE, MMM, PB, EVE, etc. They work well, and I've had very few crashes. I had the same problem with the FOIP setup that you're having with my saves. I try to enter a cell and the game crashes. But, for me, Fallout Remastered works.

 

Reading about it now. I will try it. Do I have to start over and reinstall? Or can i just uninstall FOIP and EVE? Thanks.

[yoyoma64]

well, its more time consuming to reinstall Fallout 3, but thats usually what I do when I have a major problem. In your case, I'd recommend starting over. Just 2 things about Fallout Remastered: 1. DONT use FOIP patches alongside it and 2. DONT merge or masterupdate Fallout Remastered Plugins.

 

Note: It is possible to make a merged patch for your other mods, just uncheck the Fallout Remastered plugins in FO3edit if you do. I haven't found it necessary to make a merged patch though. But do not, under any circumstances, masterupdate with Fallout Remastered. It will undo all the good they try to do.

 

I will post more tomorrow, I have to go now. Good luck.

Edited July 6, 2012 by yoyoma64

[wats6831]

well, its more time consuming to reinstall Fallout 3, but thats usually what I do when I have a major problem. In your case, I'd recommend starting over. Just 2 things about Fallout Remastered: 1. DONT use FOIP patches alongside it and 2. DONT merge or masterupdate Fallout Remastered Plugins.

 

Note: It is possible to make a merged patch for your other mods, just uncheck the Fallout Remastered plugins in FO3edit if you do. I haven't found it necessary to make a merged patch though. But do not, under any circumstances, masterupdate with Fallout Remastered. It will undo all the good they try to do.

 

I will post more tomorrow, I have to go now. Good luck.

 

Ok thanks. I'm going to reinstall but I"m seeing several problems with what the Remastered folks are reccomending. Many of the compatibility patches are .esp but are marked as ESM so there is no way to put them in the load order requested with NMM.

[yoyoma64]

See, I don't use NMM. I'm not even sure how it works. What I do is download manually, install manually (except for the fomods, of course). In fomm, they shouldn't be marked as esm files. If you haven't already, you should probably use BOSS. It's an load order autosort program. Just download the archive version here: fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/10193/

 

Extract the BOSS folder into your Fallout 3 directory. Not the data folder, but where Fallout.exe is. Then go into the BOSS folder and use BOSS.exe and it'll autosort your files. You may still have to move some of them manually in fomm, say if one of them is an esp marked as an esm.