I brought the GOTY a couple weeks ago. My previous install was very stable, I could often play a 2+/- hour session without a single CTD...

I decided to wipe my previous install clean, and reinstall from the ground up for a couple reasons. I was previously funning a FOOK2+WMK+XFO+MMM setup with BLTC, and RiPn tossed in. I wanted to try out FWE, which incorporates XFO, BLTC, and RiPn. Also, I had been having issues with random cells becoming corrupt, and had hoped that reinstalling would solve that.

Now, I'm getting CTDs about every 5 minutes. Random locations, random activities, and the CTDs are not repeatable. They occur most often in exterior cells, or when moving from an interior to an exterior cell (or vise versa).

Here is my load order:

[X] Fallout3.esm[X] Anchorage.esm[X] ThePitt.esm[X] BrokenSteel.esm[X] PointLookout.esm[X] Zeta.esm[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch.esm[X] CRAFT.esm[X] CALIBR.esm[X] FOOK2 - Main.esm[X] FOOK2 - [[censored]] World And Neighbourhood Kit.esm[X] FOOK2 - [DIK] DLC Improvement Kit.esm[X] Project Beauty HD version.esm[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm[X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esm[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Operation Anchorage.esp[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - The Pitt.esp[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Broken Steel.esp[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Point Lookout.esp[X] Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Mothership Zeta.esp[X] Error Correction.esp[X] Error Correction - All Transparency & Trees.esp[X] DarNifiedUIF3.esp[X] CRAFT - Activation Perk.esp[X] CALIBR Ammo Schematics - CRAFT.esp[X] Piplight - +200%.esp[X] Piplight - White.esp[X] Replenishment.esp[X] Gifts4Kids.esp[X] SelfSurgeryKit.esp[X] Existence2.0.esp[X] Fellout-Full.esp[X] Fellout-BrokenSteel.esp[X] Fellout-PointLookout.esp[X] Fellout-Zeta.esp[X] FOOK2 - Main.esp[X] FOOK2 - [DIK] DLC Improvement Kit.esp[X] FOOK2 - [EVE] Energy Visuals Enhanced.esp[X] MyFOOK2 - Black & White Tranquility Lane.esp[X] FOOK2 - Mothership Zeta.esp[X] Fook2MeshFix-P94-95.esp[X] FOOK2-Twilight Zone [Utility Tunnel].esp[X] FOOK2-Sally Fix 2.1.esp[X] [DIK]_DLC_Transition_Hotfix.esp[X] NVG_Activator_Crash_Fix_[Experimental].esp[X] PB FOOK2 - Main.esp[X] PB FOOK2 [DIK].esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - UFP Support.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty.esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty (HD Addition).esp[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - FOOK Support.esp[X] FWE - FOOK DLC Support.esp[X] WeaponModKits.esp[X] WeaponModKits - ThePitt.esp[X] WeaponModKits - BrokenSteel.esp[X] WeaponModKits - PointLookout.esp[X] WeaponModKits - OperationAnchorage.esp[X] WeaponModKits - Zeta.esp[X] WeaponModKits - FOOK.esp[X] Project Beauty- Point Lookout.esp[X] Project Beauty- Broken Steel.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FOOK2.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FOOK2 - DIK.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Project Beauty.esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Project Beauty (HD Addition).esp[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Project Beauty + FWE.esp[X] PB MMM HD.esp[X] Arwen_MMM_Patch.esp[X] WMKAA12Shotgun.esp[X] GunnySack.esp[X] Ssenkrad'sSecretStash.esp[X] MaintenanceShed.esp[X] Ssenkrad'sMegatonHouse.esp[X] Ssenkrad's[BigTownGuns]Mod.esp[X] Ssenkrad's[AA12]Tweaks.esp[X] Ssenkrad's[Fallout3]Tweaks.esp[X] Ssenkrad's[AmmoNames]Mod.esp[X] Choose your own hairstyle (load this last on FOMM).esp[X] MergedPatch.esp[ ] Fook2-Simms'AmmoFix.esp[ ] FOOK2-Force Start The Pitt.esp

I'm also running 4Aces texture pack, and FOSR.

This is basically the same layout I had before, only with FWE replacing XFO. I'm stumped. What did I do wrong here?

hmm, might be time to try that masterupdate (search that term for thread discussions) from FO3edit and see if the crashes go away. It does not work for all mods (trial and error) , but I had an ever growing frequency of crashes and tried it. Some of my mods crash more with it done such as Megaton Snipers, or perform other oddities. However, I excluded those mods from the masterupdate process and the game immediatly became more stable. The excluded mods will then load last, but in my case it was not a problem.

Arwen_MMM_Patch.esp !!! What is THAT doing there by itself, I thought Arwen had a larger array of supporting mods...

I am running MasterUpdate on my mod list. However, I'm toggling all my mods over to ESMs, not being selective about it as you suggest. What criteria do you use when determining which mods to ESM'ify, and which to exclude from the process? I've never heard of this sort of modus operandi... fill me in.

I picked up the Arwen_MMM_Patch.esp around the end of January when I was having an issue with CTDs on cell loads. See Kai Hohiro's post in http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1070525-ihourstorespawncell/page__view__findpost__p__15559869 for his explanation of what it does.

Addendum:
While going over in my head what I could possibly be doing differently on this install that would cause the CTDs, I remembered that I had set the Large Address Aware flag previously, but not on my current Fallout3.exe file. I just now did it, and I'm off to play test to see if that may be the culprit. I'll update with my observations shortly...

Make sure you have the multicore fix installed.
Also FOOK and FWE compatibility is currently limited at best, since the Merger files haven't been updated in awhile.

Also I personally dont use UFP anymore since it seems to increase CTDs quite a bit.

Yeah, I verified that my OS was up to snuff when I ran the LAA on my previous install. The MS web updater reported that the fix wasn't applicable to my system, so I assume that meant it had already been installed... :shrug:

And as for FOOK2+FWE compatibility, I realize there is a lapse in the FOIP merge patch versions. I just looked through my bookmarks to try and confirm what merge patch I'm using, but I obviously failed to grab the link when I downloaded it. The ESP file's header says Aja-Armay is the author of the FO3 Wanderers Edition - FOOK Support.esp file I am using. I looked in the 7Zip archive to see if it specified the supported versions of FWE+FOOK2, but it didn't. I'm 99.5% sure that I read in a description of this file that it IS configured to merge FWE 5 and FOOK2 RC1. I just cant backtrack my steps far enough to confirm it positively.

You're not running the UFP? I just downloaded http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11745, which is a continuation of the UFP, but not a replacer...
What sort of issues does the UFP have?


I just played a hour long session without a CTD, but the game froze requiring me to CTRL-ALT-DEL out and force it to end. This is an issue I had in my previous install, it comes and goes, sometimes not happening for several hours of game time. Looks like the LAA tweak was the problem. 4Aces' texture pack is a monster, so I was probably running out of memory and causing the CTDs.
It's too soon to be absolutely sure the issue is resolved, but the game is running better than it was earlier this after noon....

I ment the Fallout3 Multicore Fix, google it if you haven't applied it to your ini


The only current FWE FOOK merger is http://fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10167 and it's not 100% compatible with FWE 5.x


Nah Mez and I have both stopped using it awhile back. The Broken Steel UFP patch is broken, but aside of that UFP also seems to have other issues, but I never bothered pinpointing them. UFP isn't bad, but it's also not a perfect fix, if you backtrack through it's changelog you'll see that UFP has often accidently added bugs of it own.
Most of the fixes are only of minor cosmetical nature, so I dont consider UFP essential at all.

uh...nope, hadn't seen that one. It's done now tho... thanks!


I just downloaded that one, and compared the files. That is the compatibility patch I am using. I coulda' swore it said FWE 5!!!
(thus, my sig says "Your love of the halfling's leaf has clearly slowed your mind.") :facepalm:


'nuff said. Considering the sources of the information, I'll unplug the UFP and see if I notice a difference....

I assume you also have Enclave spawning fully equipped, since you do not use the UFP. How have you fixed this? Or do you merely avoid them?

I'll try out the Arwen's patch since it was discussed MMM can cause CTD's under various
circumstances and I've seen this type of situation before when I tried to enter an outdoor
cell in Springfield near one of the Megaton roadside signs. Removing saving reloading and
readding MMM seemed to have solved it. ANYthing to remove a source of CTD's.

Megaton Snipers is one of my favorite mods and it came out prior to the 1.5 update which
caused numerious mod problems. Masterupdating was introduced and because I happen to spend
some time around Megaton, and like to circle the town overwatched by the manned sniper
towers ( neverending source of action since the mod spawns its own raider attackers to give
the illusion of a town continously under siege,), after master update, i noticed ctds when
circling it. When the esm flag is off for that mod (not masterupdated), i can go around the
whole town and it seems reletivly stable. The downside is NPC's created by this mod have
different color skin tones from their faces (annoying at first, but the mod is far toomuch
fun to go without).

Logic- Since this was the only mod I had installed that affected Megaton, it seemed
reasonable that Megaton Snipers was the culpret and only ctd'd after masterupdate. If ctd's
seem to occur frequently in an area,
I would imagine,
-- first turn off any mods affecting that area, if ctd's go away
--then toggle the masterupdate feature (on the removed mod)
--and readd the mod to see if any difference occurs..

My one word thought is - FO3MasterUpdate.

It fixes a multitude of ills.

They don't spawn randomly, those BS spawns only appear in certain locations, so it's easy enough to avoid them.
Other than that it's also simply enough to get one mini nuke early on. Use that with some frag mines, lure them into your carefully laid trap, and voila you got yourself some power armor and energy weapons.