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About this mod
This is a guide on how to mod Fallout 3, crash-free, every time.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Donations
WELCOME!
This is a guide on how to mod Fallout 3 in 2024!
*THIS MODDING GUIDE IS BASED OFF OF REAL EXPERIENCES. I HAVE BEEN MODDING FALLOUT 3 FOR A VERY, VERY, LONG TIME*
(I don't claim to know everything, but I've seen a thing or two. If I missed anything, please contact me via private message and I will add it. I worked on this for 6 hours trying to fine-tune this as well as I could, I was obviously going to leave a couple things out.)
YES, I KNOW NOT EVERYONE DOES IT THIS WAY. WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. THIS IS FOCUSED ON NEW, OR STRUGGLING PLAYERS!
NOT VETERAN MODDERS!
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IMPORTANT:
There will be a link to the latest version of FOSE below in the FOSE: section.
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If you have an SSD, or NVME drive, install Fallout 3 there. Doing so will boost your load times significantly, contrary to installing Fallout 3 on a HDD.
MAKE SURE FALLOUT 3 IS INSTALLED OUTSIDE OF PROGRAM FILES, PROGRAM FILES (x86)
(i.e. (C:) "Folder")
Mine is located in (E:) Games/Fallout 3
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MOD MANAGER AND REQUIRED FILES FOR MODS:
Download Vortex Mod Manager and install it on the same drive Fallout 3 is installed on to make certain that Vortex finds Fallout 3 successfully. This will also ensure the deployment in which Vortex will install your mods. (Vortex Staging Folder)
You will be greeted with a search bar that asks you to find the game you're wanting to install mods with. Type in Fallout 3 and Vortex will set everything up for you.
Make sure you have Winrar or 7zip downloaded to your computer. This will ensure that you can open these mod files and either manually install or copy them to your mod manager.
If Vortex does not find Fallout 3, look down the list, find Fallout 3 and click the 3 dots on the top right of the game, and click manually set the location where you installed the game. Don't worry about the other "error" messages that will pop-up on vortex, they will fix themselves.
Note: When prompted "loose files may not be loaded" press FIX.
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STABILITY MODS: (REQUIRED)
(Wait to install the main stability mods until the installation section)
As many of you know, Bethesda released an update that changed Fallout 3 to a version that was unsupported by Fallout Script Extender, as well as removed GFWL. A Nexus-Mod's author by the name of |StewieA| alleviated this issue by creating a mod called Fallout Anniversary Patcher. What this does, is that it reverts Fallout 3 from the Anniversary Update 1.7.0.4, back to 1.7.0.3.
How to install
Extract all the contents to your main Fallout 3 folder and run the executable titled Patcher.exe. This will install automatically.
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If you're playing Fallout 3 on STEAM, I'm sorry to tell you this but you're playing it on the wrong site! Now let me explain. Steam is great don't get me wrong,
but...
When it comes to Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, that is not the case. With the steam version you have to do quite a few more steps to get started before you can even attempt to start modding, and It's not even guaranteed to run out of the box! Granted, this is just the experience I have had with Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas on Steam, but you may have had different experiences. Anyway, GOG GALAXY is the spot to be. GOG, or Galaxy of Games, patches both Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas right out of the box, but they are incompatible the way they sit due to the Anniversary Patch Bethesda came out with, hence why you need Fallout Anniversary Patcher. GOG's version of Fallout automatically comes with the 4GB Patch and other .ini tweaks already pre-installed to boost performance and longevity of your playtime, as Steam's version does not. Now, the GOG version isn't perfect by any means, but Fallout 3 wasn't made to run on Windows 10, let alone anything that is above Windows XP.
which is why we have some stability mods to download first!
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NVAC, or New Vegas Anti Crash, is a mod that works really well with not just Fallout New Vegas, but Fallout 3. It does a really good job at keeping your game from crashing, or whatever. I don't know all the fancy lingo, go ask the mod author. Now, I know what you're thinking. iTs FoR fAlLoUt NeW vEgAs?! Don't ask questions... It Just Works.
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Moving on... This next mod fixes an issue related to actors detecting the player, improving save/load speed and decreasing save size by 10-30% depending on playthrough length. It also optimizes the hashing algorithm for save cleanup, resulting in faster save times.
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This next mod is called lStewieAl's Tweaks, and it comes jam-packed with a bunch of stuff, and for the sake of time I will list a few that are super important for performance and stability, even if you have a decent or great computer.
In stewie_tweaks.ini located in Fallout3/Data/FOSE/plugins after you install StewieAI's Tweaks there are many tweaks and fixes you can choose from, but for stability and performance, make sure you enable these as shown below. You will have to scroll down the list and find these or find them by tapping CTRL+F and typing the first word of each tweak. (i.e. "bDont" or "bQueue.")
(1 is enabled, 0 is disabled.)
bDontMirrorTexturesInRAM = 1
bNoXPBarInCombat = 1
bPatchHeapSize = 1
bQueueSemiAutoShots = 1
bTickFix = 1
[Heap]
iHeapSizeInMB = 512
[Tick Fix]
bFastExit = 1
bFastResolution = 0
bGetTickCountFix = 1
bRemoveRCSafeGuard = 1
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The last stability mod on my list is Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch. This mod fixes in-game errors and bugs in Fallout 3 plus all of its DLCs. It's designed to optimize Fallout 3 with decompression for better performance. Cut content is reviewed/restored only if fixable and able to blend into the game perfectly.
Sometimes this mod can be picky with other mods, so before you go downloading, make sure It's not incompatible, and if it is, download the necessary UUFO3P Patch sometimes supplied by the mod author.
Now, I do have some optional stability mods that I use but your mileage may vary.
DOWNLOAD AT YOUR OWN RISK
I HAVE ALL OF THE OPTIONAL STABILITY MODS AS WELL AS THE REQUIRED MODS INSTALLED AT THE SAME TIME, AND MY GAME RUNS PERFECTLY FINE. YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, SO EXPERIMENT WITH WHAT WORKS BEST!
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FOSE: (REQUIRED)
Now that the stability portion is out of the way, let's get to MODDING!
BEFORE YOU START MODDING, MAKE SURE TO PATCH THE FALLOUT EXECUTABLE WITH THE MOD FALLOUT ANNIVERSARY PATCHER IN THE STABILITY MODS: SECTION!
This will ensure that FOSE is supported with Fallout's version.
Download the latest version of FOSE (1.3 b2) located here:
Fallout Script Extender
Extract all contents to your Fallout 3 folder. NOT YOUR FALLOUT 3/DATA FOLDER
RUN THE GAME AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MOD!
Open the game at least once. This will generate your .INI files. When it reaches to the point where it asks you to start a new game, you can exit safely back to Desktop.
This will configure the necessary files in order to make modding Fallout 3 possible without issues.
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THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP!
First and foremost, install Fallout 3 Anniversary Patcher and follow the directions given in the mod author's description, or read-me.
Once you're finished installing Anniversary Patcher, download ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated and copy all contents to your Fallout 3 folder. NOT FALLOUT 3/DATA.
Run the executable and click ACTIVATE. This will allow textures and other things to load as the "base" Fallout 3 textures, meshes, etc... instead of vanilla.
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After you're finished, install all of the aforementioned Stability Mods listed above. I advise learning how to install them manually via each and individual mod author's description page to ensure they have been installed correctly.
(The optional files listed above are not required, but you can install them if you'd like. I use them without issue, but your experience may vary.)
NOTE: Install Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch via Nexus Mod Manager.
Launch the game with FOSE.exe and make sure the game works properly before going any further. You can download this optional file as well to make your life a lot easier with this step.
Saved Game Just Before Leaving Vault 101
Place the save file in Documents/my games/ Fallout 3/ saves
Your game will recognize this save-file and you can load it upon start. Once you're finished, close your game.
YOU WILL HAVE TO START A NEW GAME WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED TO PREVENT ANY ISSUES WITH TEXTURE LOADING, OR GAME-BREAKING BUGS/ ISSUES
You can also take a look at my FOV Guide for Fallout 3 to make your experience even better!
Now, let's have some fun...
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DIRECTX: (Recommended)
MAKE SURE YOUR DIRECTX IS UPDATED TO THE LATEST VERSION!
This will check to see what version of DirectX you have.
At the bottom of the page, you will see DirectX Version: and the version your computer has installed. (i.e. DirectX 9, DirectX 10 or DirectX 12)
The latest version of DirectX is 12.
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IF YOUR DIRECTX IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION FOLLOW THESE STEPS
Don't run through this part or you'll be stuck with an annoying Bing bar.
Download DirectX and run the executable. Accept the agreement and click next. You will be prompted with a "Free Bing Bar." Disable that crap. Press next once again and it will automatically install.
If your DirextX is up to date you will get a message that states as following.
"DirectX setup has determined that a newer or equivalent version of DirectX has been installed already. No installation is necessary."
The executable will download the necessary files you need if it's not updated to the latest version, automatically.
Here is the link to download the DirectX updater.
Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer
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ENB: (Optional)
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
MAKE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR FALLOUT.INI AND FALLOUTPREFS.INI to ensure you always have vanilla files to revert back to if installing a mod goes horribly wrong. Run the game via the default launcher once. NOT FOMM, FOSE, OR ANY OTHER MEANS
This is very important because ENB's won't work properly unless you disable these settings via Fallout 3's launcher.
These ENB's handle both Anti-aliasing and Antistrophic filtering.
For further stability when using ENB's, disable overlays, such as Nvidia's, or AMD's, to minimize, or diminish CTD's. (I don't necessarily see a benefit to doing this, considering I've never crashed due to an overlay being active.)
Make sure to also enable HDR as they will not work properly without it.
MAKE SURE TO CHECK NVIDIA CONTROL PANEL, OR AMD CATALYST TO MAKE SURE FORCED ANTI-ALIASING IS NOT SET TO FORCED ON. MAKE SURE THAT ITS SET TO "USE APPLICATION SETTINGS."
With the lack of shadows on the ground, it's a good idea to have as much grass around as your computer can handle. Try tweaking your Fallout.ini to contain the following lines under the [Grass] section. You can alternatively press CTRL+F and type each individual command line to tweak them.
iMinGrassSize (This will change how much grass the landscape has. The lower the value, the thicker the grass. If you're having performance issues, tweak it a little bit. Find the sweet spot. I use iMinGrassSize=30)
DO NOT CHANGE THESE
GrassPointLighting=1
bDrawShaderGrass=1
iGrassDensityEvalSize=2
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=4
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ENB'S can be scary to install, but they're 100% worth it.
I will show you how to install it fast, and easy.
I have two favorite ENB's for Fallout 3. Midhrastic ENB and Chromatic Melancholy. The subtle colors and deposition of quality of either one of these ENB's make your game look absolutely FANTASTIC with proper landscape, weapon, and armor retextures.
First, you're going to want to download ENBSeries v0.451. Open ENBSeries v0.451, navigate to WrapperVersion, and copy or extract d3d9.dll and enbhost.exe to your main Fallout 3 folder. NOT FALLOUT 3/DATA
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INSTALL ENB'S MANUALLY, DO NOT USE VORTEX OR ANY OTHER MOD MANAGER!
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MIDHRASTIC ENB:
Open the download and copy/paste the following:
To uninstall, simply remove all files that were put in your Fallout 3 folder.
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHROMATIC MELANCHOLY ENB:
Open the download and copy/paste the following:
To uninstall, simply remove all files that were put in your Fallout 3 folder.
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Launch the game via Fallout 3.exe and you should be greeted with a message in the top right that tells you the version of ENBSeries you're using and other bits and pieces including what graphics card you're currently using.
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TEXTURE PACKS: (Optional)
ENB's are best used with texture packs!
There are many texture packs to choose from on Fallout 3's Nexus, pick one that best suits your needs!
If you're a veteran like me, you can go through Fallout 3 HD Overhaul and Legacy Reborn to rig up your own texture pack like I did.
(In my personal opinion, I like Legacy Reborns' landscape textures better than I do Fallout 3 HD Overhauls.)
IF YOU WANT TO MERGE BOTH OF THESE MODS TOGETHER, I CAN SHOW YOU HOW, BUT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CTD'S, TEXTURE OR PERFORMANCE ISSUES YOU MAY EXPERIENCE DUE TO NEGLIGENCE!
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INSTALL THESE MODS IN THIS ORDER
Install Fallout 3 HD Overhaul using Vortex. Once that is completed, install Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut. You will be asked to change the dependencies of each file that were the same in both mod. Anything that says Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut, make sure to select after when prompted before or after. This will ensure Legacy Reborn overwrites Fallout 3 HD Overhauls' landscape and other files and will minimize texture issues in-game.
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LIGHTING MODS: (Optional)
ENB's also benefit from good lighting!
These are the two that I HIGHLY recommend.
Install using Vortex or manually.
Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch has a patch for Fallout 3 Wasteland Realistic Wasteland Lighting
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THE HARD PART IS OVER!
Give yourself a pat on the back, you're ready for your crash-free, ENB, texture-pack goodness!
You can play your game now, or you can stick with me for some more goodies!
Make sure to open the game with FOSE.exe and not Fallout 3.exe, or Fallout Launcher.exe. Create a shortcut of FOSE and paste it to your desktop, or games folder for easy access the next time you want to play.
If you choose not to stick around, thank you for being patient and doing things the correct way. You will enjoy it, I promise!
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WEAPON RETEXTURES: (Optional)
Everyone knows that the vanilla weapon textures are very dated, especially when it comes to games like Fallout 4, or Call of Duty.
(Two very separate genres I know, but you get the point.)
Here are some weapon-retexture mods you can download to bring new life to those dated vanilla weapons!
and many more that can you find yourself just by searching Fallout 3's Nexus!
If you want a specific texture for said weapon, but you want to keep the other textures from another mod. Install that said mod texture manually to your Fallout folder. (i.e. FO3-WRP covers the Chinese Assault Rifle, and so does Weapon Enhancement Pack, and Xamies Chinese Assault Rifle. If you wanted Xamies version, you would overwrite the existing files that were downloaded through Vortex, with said mod manually.)
IF THE MOD HAS A FILE THAT SAYS DATA, COPY OR EXTRACT IT TO YOUR MAIN FALLOUT FOLDER. IT WILL OVERWRITE THE FILES YOU WANT TO KEEP. IF THE MOD HAS ONLY TEXTURES, OR MESHES, COPY OR EXTRACT IT TO FALLOUT/DATA AND OVERWRITE.
Install them via Vortex, or manually.
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ARMOR RETEXTURES: (Optional)
You don't have to worry about the NPC clothing, or even the player armors such as the leather armor, vault security, and vault jumpsuit.
Fallout 3 HD that you installed above retextured those armors with crip 2 - 4k quality textures, and more armor such as power armor that you will overwrite with these armor-retexture mods.
Power Armor Visual Enhancement is a collection of ALL the Power Armor's the Capital Wasteland has to offer. It was originally intended for Fallout New Vegas, but here recently it has found its way to the Capital Wasteland. Not only does it retexture every power armor in the game, but it also retextures both the BOS and Outcast Recon Armor and Helmets!
INSTALL PAVE FIRST
INSTALL THIS PATCH
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MORE ARMOR RETEXTURES: (Optional)
Bornagain is a collection of armor retextures that cover combat armor and certain power armors. Hence why I gave you PAVE instead. Some of these mods will require DLC content. This mod retextures all combat armors in the game, including DLC!
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OPTIONAL FILES:
These are optional for download. They're mods that I personally use and enjoy.
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THANK YOU!
I hope you enjoy your newly modded Fallout 3! Have fun in the Capital Wasteland. if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, my messages are always open.
This is a guide on how to mod Fallout 3 in 2024!
*THIS MODDING GUIDE IS BASED OFF OF REAL EXPERIENCES. I HAVE BEEN MODDING FALLOUT 3 FOR A VERY, VERY, LONG TIME*
(I don't claim to know everything, but I've seen a thing or two. If I missed anything, please contact me via private message and I will add it. I worked on this for 6 hours trying to fine-tune this as well as I could, I was obviously going to leave a couple things out.)
YES, I KNOW NOT EVERYONE DOES IT THIS WAY. WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. THIS IS FOCUSED ON NEW, OR STRUGGLING PLAYERS!
NOT VETERAN MODDERS!
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IMPORTANT:
- LIMIT YOUR FPS TO 59 IN NVIDIA CONTROL PANEL OR AMD ADRENALINE TO MINIMIZE STUTTERS OR FPS BASED CTD'S.
- FOSE, OR BETTER KNOWN AS FALLOUT SCRIPT EXTENDER IS REQUIRED! MOST MODS USE IT ANYWAY. DOWNLOAD THE LATEST VERSION. (v1.3b2)
There will be a link to the latest version of FOSE below in the FOSE: section.
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If you have an SSD, or NVME drive, install Fallout 3 there. Doing so will boost your load times significantly, contrary to installing Fallout 3 on a HDD.
MAKE SURE FALLOUT 3 IS INSTALLED OUTSIDE OF PROGRAM FILES, PROGRAM FILES (x86)
(i.e. (C:) "Folder")
Mine is located in (E:) Games/Fallout 3
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MOD MANAGER AND REQUIRED FILES FOR MODS:
Download Vortex Mod Manager and install it on the same drive Fallout 3 is installed on to make certain that Vortex finds Fallout 3 successfully. This will also ensure the deployment in which Vortex will install your mods. (Vortex Staging Folder)
You will be greeted with a search bar that asks you to find the game you're wanting to install mods with. Type in Fallout 3 and Vortex will set everything up for you.
Make sure you have Winrar or 7zip downloaded to your computer. This will ensure that you can open these mod files and either manually install or copy them to your mod manager.
If Vortex does not find Fallout 3, look down the list, find Fallout 3 and click the 3 dots on the top right of the game, and click manually set the location where you installed the game. Don't worry about the other "error" messages that will pop-up on vortex, they will fix themselves.
Note: When prompted "loose files may not be loaded" press FIX.
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STABILITY MODS: (REQUIRED)
(Wait to install the main stability mods until the installation section)
As many of you know, Bethesda released an update that changed Fallout 3 to a version that was unsupported by Fallout Script Extender, as well as removed GFWL. A Nexus-Mod's author by the name of |StewieA| alleviated this issue by creating a mod called Fallout Anniversary Patcher. What this does, is that it reverts Fallout 3 from the Anniversary Update 1.7.0.4, back to 1.7.0.3.
How to install
Extract all the contents to your main Fallout 3 folder and run the executable titled Patcher.exe. This will install automatically.
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If you're playing Fallout 3 on STEAM, I'm sorry to tell you this but you're playing it on the wrong site! Now let me explain. Steam is great don't get me wrong,
but...
When it comes to Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, that is not the case. With the steam version you have to do quite a few more steps to get started before you can even attempt to start modding, and It's not even guaranteed to run out of the box! Granted, this is just the experience I have had with Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas on Steam, but you may have had different experiences. Anyway, GOG GALAXY is the spot to be. GOG, or Galaxy of Games, patches both Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas right out of the box, but they are incompatible the way they sit due to the Anniversary Patch Bethesda came out with, hence why you need Fallout Anniversary Patcher. GOG's version of Fallout automatically comes with the 4GB Patch and other .ini tweaks already pre-installed to boost performance and longevity of your playtime, as Steam's version does not. Now, the GOG version isn't perfect by any means, but Fallout 3 wasn't made to run on Windows 10, let alone anything that is above Windows XP.
which is why we have some stability mods to download first!
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NVAC, or New Vegas Anti Crash, is a mod that works really well with not just Fallout New Vegas, but Fallout 3. It does a really good job at keeping your game from crashing, or whatever. I don't know all the fancy lingo, go ask the mod author. Now, I know what you're thinking. iTs FoR fAlLoUt NeW vEgAs?! Don't ask questions... It Just Works.
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Moving on... This next mod fixes an issue related to actors detecting the player, improving save/load speed and decreasing save size by 10-30% depending on playthrough length. It also optimizes the hashing algorithm for save cleanup, resulting in faster save times.
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This next mod is called lStewieAl's Tweaks, and it comes jam-packed with a bunch of stuff, and for the sake of time I will list a few that are super important for performance and stability, even if you have a decent or great computer.
- Out Of Memory Fix
- Increased Heap Allocation
- Tick Fix
In stewie_tweaks.ini located in Fallout3/Data/FOSE/plugins after you install StewieAI's Tweaks there are many tweaks and fixes you can choose from, but for stability and performance, make sure you enable these as shown below. You will have to scroll down the list and find these or find them by tapping CTRL+F and typing the first word of each tweak. (i.e. "bDont" or "bQueue.")
(1 is enabled, 0 is disabled.)
bDontMirrorTexturesInRAM = 1
bNoXPBarInCombat = 1
bPatchHeapSize = 1
bQueueSemiAutoShots = 1
bTickFix = 1
[Heap]
iHeapSizeInMB = 512
[Tick Fix]
bFastExit = 1
bFastResolution = 0
bGetTickCountFix = 1
bRemoveRCSafeGuard = 1
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The last stability mod on my list is Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch. This mod fixes in-game errors and bugs in Fallout 3 plus all of its DLCs. It's designed to optimize Fallout 3 with decompression for better performance. Cut content is reviewed/restored only if fixable and able to blend into the game perfectly.
Sometimes this mod can be picky with other mods, so before you go downloading, make sure It's not incompatible, and if it is, download the necessary UUFO3P Patch sometimes supplied by the mod author.
Now, I do have some optional stability mods that I use but your mileage may vary.
DOWNLOAD AT YOUR OWN RISK
- Zan AutoPurge Crash Protector (You probably don't need this now because of the updated stability list, but it works with all of the aforementioned stability mods.)
- Purge Cell Buffers
- OneTweak for FO3 (This is especially useful because it allows you to ALT+TAB out of your game and be able to get back in it. If you try to ALT+TAB out without this fix, your game crashes, and not always to Desktop. Which is a HUGE pain in the butt, because it locks your whole computer up.) Don't ask how I know...
I HAVE ALL OF THE OPTIONAL STABILITY MODS AS WELL AS THE REQUIRED MODS INSTALLED AT THE SAME TIME, AND MY GAME RUNS PERFECTLY FINE. YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, SO EXPERIMENT WITH WHAT WORKS BEST!
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FOSE: (REQUIRED)
Now that the stability portion is out of the way, let's get to MODDING!
BEFORE YOU START MODDING, MAKE SURE TO PATCH THE FALLOUT EXECUTABLE WITH THE MOD FALLOUT ANNIVERSARY PATCHER IN THE STABILITY MODS: SECTION!
This will ensure that FOSE is supported with Fallout's version.
Download the latest version of FOSE (1.3 b2) located here:
Fallout Script Extender
Extract all contents to your Fallout 3 folder. NOT YOUR FALLOUT 3/DATA FOLDER
RUN THE GAME AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MOD!
Open the game at least once. This will generate your .INI files. When it reaches to the point where it asks you to start a new game, you can exit safely back to Desktop.
This will configure the necessary files in order to make modding Fallout 3 possible without issues.
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THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP!
First and foremost, install Fallout 3 Anniversary Patcher and follow the directions given in the mod author's description, or read-me.
Once you're finished installing Anniversary Patcher, download ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated and copy all contents to your Fallout 3 folder. NOT FALLOUT 3/DATA.
Run the executable and click ACTIVATE. This will allow textures and other things to load as the "base" Fallout 3 textures, meshes, etc... instead of vanilla.
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After you're finished, install all of the aforementioned Stability Mods listed above. I advise learning how to install them manually via each and individual mod author's description page to ensure they have been installed correctly.
(The optional files listed above are not required, but you can install them if you'd like. I use them without issue, but your experience may vary.)
NOTE: Install Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch via Nexus Mod Manager.
Launch the game with FOSE.exe and make sure the game works properly before going any further. You can download this optional file as well to make your life a lot easier with this step.
Saved Game Just Before Leaving Vault 101
Place the save file in Documents/my games/ Fallout 3/ saves
Your game will recognize this save-file and you can load it upon start. Once you're finished, close your game.
YOU WILL HAVE TO START A NEW GAME WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED TO PREVENT ANY ISSUES WITH TEXTURE LOADING, OR GAME-BREAKING BUGS/ ISSUES
You can also take a look at my FOV Guide for Fallout 3 to make your experience even better!
Now, let's have some fun...
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DIRECTX: (Recommended)
MAKE SURE YOUR DIRECTX IS UPDATED TO THE LATEST VERSION!
- If you're on Windows 10, 8, or 8.1, type dxdiag in the search box and press enter.
- Check DirectX Version on the first page of the report in the System Information section.
- If you're on Windows 11, open settings by pressing Windows Key+i, select Windows Update on the left hand menu and press Check For Updates.
This will check to see what version of DirectX you have.
At the bottom of the page, you will see DirectX Version: and the version your computer has installed. (i.e. DirectX 9, DirectX 10 or DirectX 12)
The latest version of DirectX is 12.
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IF YOUR DIRECTX IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION FOLLOW THESE STEPS
Don't run through this part or you'll be stuck with an annoying Bing bar.
Download DirectX and run the executable. Accept the agreement and click next. You will be prompted with a "Free Bing Bar." Disable that crap. Press next once again and it will automatically install.
If your DirextX is up to date you will get a message that states as following.
"DirectX setup has determined that a newer or equivalent version of DirectX has been installed already. No installation is necessary."
The executable will download the necessary files you need if it's not updated to the latest version, automatically.
Here is the link to download the DirectX updater.
Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer
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ENB: (Optional)
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
MAKE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR FALLOUT.INI AND FALLOUTPREFS.INI to ensure you always have vanilla files to revert back to if installing a mod goes horribly wrong. Run the game via the default launcher once. NOT FOMM, FOSE, OR ANY OTHER MEANS
This is very important because ENB's won't work properly unless you disable these settings via Fallout 3's launcher.
- Anti-aliasing
- Antistrophic filtering
- Water Displacement (If you forget to turn off this setting, you will see water through the ground and some textures will fail to load properly.)
These ENB's handle both Anti-aliasing and Antistrophic filtering.
For further stability when using ENB's, disable overlays, such as Nvidia's, or AMD's, to minimize, or diminish CTD's. (I don't necessarily see a benefit to doing this, considering I've never crashed due to an overlay being active.)
Make sure to also enable HDR as they will not work properly without it.
MAKE SURE TO CHECK NVIDIA CONTROL PANEL, OR AMD CATALYST TO MAKE SURE FORCED ANTI-ALIASING IS NOT SET TO FORCED ON. MAKE SURE THAT ITS SET TO "USE APPLICATION SETTINGS."
With the lack of shadows on the ground, it's a good idea to have as much grass around as your computer can handle. Try tweaking your Fallout.ini to contain the following lines under the [Grass] section. You can alternatively press CTRL+F and type each individual command line to tweak them.
iMinGrassSize (This will change how much grass the landscape has. The lower the value, the thicker the grass. If you're having performance issues, tweak it a little bit. Find the sweet spot. I use iMinGrassSize=30)
DO NOT CHANGE THESE
GrassPointLighting=1
bDrawShaderGrass=1
iGrassDensityEvalSize=2
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=4
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ENB'S can be scary to install, but they're 100% worth it.
I will show you how to install it fast, and easy.
I have two favorite ENB's for Fallout 3. Midhrastic ENB and Chromatic Melancholy. The subtle colors and deposition of quality of either one of these ENB's make your game look absolutely FANTASTIC with proper landscape, weapon, and armor retextures.
First, you're going to want to download ENBSeries v0.451. Open ENBSeries v0.451, navigate to WrapperVersion, and copy or extract d3d9.dll and enbhost.exe to your main Fallout 3 folder. NOT FALLOUT 3/DATA
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INSTALL ENB'S MANUALLY, DO NOT USE VORTEX OR ANY OTHER MOD MANAGER!
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MIDHRASTIC ENB:
Open the download and copy/paste the following:
- Copy all files, except for the Data folder within Midhrastic to your main Fallout 3 folder.
To uninstall, simply remove all files that were put in your Fallout 3 folder.
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHROMATIC MELANCHOLY ENB:
Open the download and copy/paste the following:
- enb series folder
- enb local.ini
- enbseries.ini
To uninstall, simply remove all files that were put in your Fallout 3 folder.
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Launch the game via Fallout 3.exe and you should be greeted with a message in the top right that tells you the version of ENBSeries you're using and other bits and pieces including what graphics card you're currently using.
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TEXTURE PACKS: (Optional)
ENB's are best used with texture packs!
There are many texture packs to choose from on Fallout 3's Nexus, pick one that best suits your needs!
- Fallout 3 HD Overhaul
- NMCs_Texture_Pack (Decent texture pack, but It's pretty dated compared to the other two mentioned.)
- Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut
If you're a veteran like me, you can go through Fallout 3 HD Overhaul and Legacy Reborn to rig up your own texture pack like I did.
(In my personal opinion, I like Legacy Reborns' landscape textures better than I do Fallout 3 HD Overhauls.)
IF YOU WANT TO MERGE BOTH OF THESE MODS TOGETHER, I CAN SHOW YOU HOW, BUT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CTD'S, TEXTURE OR PERFORMANCE ISSUES YOU MAY EXPERIENCE DUE TO NEGLIGENCE!
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INSTALL THESE MODS IN THIS ORDER
- Fallout 3 HD Overhaul
- Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut
Install Fallout 3 HD Overhaul using Vortex. Once that is completed, install Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut. You will be asked to change the dependencies of each file that were the same in both mod. Anything that says Legacy Reborn - Capital Cut, make sure to select after when prompted before or after. This will ensure Legacy Reborn overwrites Fallout 3 HD Overhauls' landscape and other files and will minimize texture issues in-game.
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LIGHTING MODS: (Optional)
ENB's also benefit from good lighting!
These are the two that I HIGHLY recommend.
- Fallout 3 Realistic Wasteland Lighting ONLY USE ONE .ESP! (preferably the GOTY one.)
- RADiant Light Overhaul
Install using Vortex or manually.
Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch has a patch for Fallout 3 Wasteland Realistic Wasteland Lighting
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THE HARD PART IS OVER!
Give yourself a pat on the back, you're ready for your crash-free, ENB, texture-pack goodness!
You can play your game now, or you can stick with me for some more goodies!
Make sure to open the game with FOSE.exe and not Fallout 3.exe, or Fallout Launcher.exe. Create a shortcut of FOSE and paste it to your desktop, or games folder for easy access the next time you want to play.
If you choose not to stick around, thank you for being patient and doing things the correct way. You will enjoy it, I promise!
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WEAPON RETEXTURES: (Optional)
Everyone knows that the vanilla weapon textures are very dated, especially when it comes to games like Fallout 4, or Call of Duty.
(Two very separate genres I know, but you get the point.)
Here are some weapon-retexture mods you can download to bring new life to those dated vanilla weapons!
- Weapon Enhancement Pack (You can also download the optional files labeled WEP Vanilla Uniques, and WEP Vanilla Unique for the Pitt for more diverse retextures among the unique weapons vs. vanilla.)
- Fallout 3 Hirezd (The Minigun and Flamer have their own files as well as a very crisp 2k retexture labeled Deluxe. Install the original files first, and then overwrite them with the deluxe files.)
and many more that can you find yourself just by searching Fallout 3's Nexus!
If you want a specific texture for said weapon, but you want to keep the other textures from another mod. Install that said mod texture manually to your Fallout folder. (i.e. FO3-WRP covers the Chinese Assault Rifle, and so does Weapon Enhancement Pack, and Xamies Chinese Assault Rifle. If you wanted Xamies version, you would overwrite the existing files that were downloaded through Vortex, with said mod manually.)
IF THE MOD HAS A FILE THAT SAYS DATA, COPY OR EXTRACT IT TO YOUR MAIN FALLOUT FOLDER. IT WILL OVERWRITE THE FILES YOU WANT TO KEEP. IF THE MOD HAS ONLY TEXTURES, OR MESHES, COPY OR EXTRACT IT TO FALLOUT/DATA AND OVERWRITE.
Install them via Vortex, or manually.
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ARMOR RETEXTURES: (Optional)
You don't have to worry about the NPC clothing, or even the player armors such as the leather armor, vault security, and vault jumpsuit.
Fallout 3 HD that you installed above retextured those armors with crip 2 - 4k quality textures, and more armor such as power armor that you will overwrite with these armor-retexture mods.
Power Armor Visual Enhancement is a collection of ALL the Power Armor's the Capital Wasteland has to offer. It was originally intended for Fallout New Vegas, but here recently it has found its way to the Capital Wasteland. Not only does it retexture every power armor in the game, but it also retextures both the BOS and Outcast Recon Armor and Helmets!
INSTALL PAVE FIRST
- Power Armor Visual Enhancement (PAVE) (delete the .esp)
INSTALL THIS PATCH
- Fallout 3 Power Armor (Use the .esp)
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MORE ARMOR RETEXTURES: (Optional)
Bornagain is a collection of armor retextures that cover combat armor and certain power armors. Hence why I gave you PAVE instead. Some of these mods will require DLC content. This mod retextures all combat armors in the game, including DLC!
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OPTIONAL FILES:
These are optional for download. They're mods that I personally use and enjoy.
- KDS Feral Ghoul Retextures (When prompted to overwrite armor, don't, use Bornagains' files. They're so much better.)
- Deathclaw 4K
- Rustic Grass - 4K Retexture (Much better than the vanilla grass. It's so lush and beautiful, especially with the .ini tweaks we did!)
- Dog 2K (C'mon now, you didn't think I'd leave out Dog-Meat, did you?)
- Icons for Vendors and Doctors
- Animated Flies Swarms
- Animated Logos
- Animated Traffic Lights
- Animated tent
- Animated Utility
- Animated Destroyed Fences
- Animations For Not Animated Containers
- Animated Interior Decorations
- Animated Raider dressings
- Animated Immersive Lanterns and Animated Immersive Lanterns English Translation
- Animated Pylon wires
- Animated Park Equipment Pack
- Animated Public Phones Screen
- Animated Fan
- Fallout 3 Re-Animated
- Fallout 3 - Enhanced Camera
- EXE - Effects teXtures Enhanced
- All Weapon Sounds Overhaul Modern Edition - A.W.S.O.M.E
- Better High Detail map and Icons
- Pip-Boy 2501
- Fallout 3 - Weapon Animations and Sound Overhaul (Download the optional file Just Weapon Animations.)
- Better Balanced Backpacks
- Ambient Wasteland 2
- Fallout Street Lights and Fallout Street Lights - Wasteland
- Accurate NASA Stars
- HD Moon 2K - NASA Satellite Images
- Interior Draw Distance ENB Fog Fix (ENB FIX)
- No Glowing Vultures for ENB (ENB FIX)
- Mr Handy ENB Jet Fumes Fix (ENB FIX)
- Water for Enb (ENB FIX)
- Remove Interior Floating Dust (REQUIRED FOR MOST ENB'S)
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THANK YOU!
I hope you enjoy your newly modded Fallout 3! Have fun in the Capital Wasteland. if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, my messages are always open.