I'm playing Fallout 3 GOTY with all the DLC add-ons installed. I got to level 20 and my pipboy says experience points are at MAX and is not going any further. I read on the fallout 3 wiki that once Broken Steel is installed you should start earning experience points and go on to level 30 even if you haven't finished the main quest. So why am I stuck on level 20?

Console or PC?

If it's on console not a clue.
If it's on PC did you make sure the DLC was activated? (Genuinely don't know if it has to be, I played Oblivion on PC and IIRC it needed to be turned on?)

If it's not that then I have no idea, sorry.

I'm playing on PC. What do you mean activated? I installed the main game and all the add-ons at the beginning. Didn't know I needed to do something else?

Well, I'm on 360, but if my memory is correct, you need to activate your data files in the pc doohickey wangdangle thang. There should be checkboxes you check.... ring any bells?

You need to make sure they are checked (activated).

I use the FallOut Mod Manager (FOMM) for that. But you can do it with the installed game using the data button when starting the game (before loading a save). In particular, to raise the level cap the Broken Steel pluggin needs to be selected. Then you should get a message saying that the level cap has been raised when you start the game.

This kind of advice doesn't do anyone any good at all. You shouldn't bother posting unless you can give someone some real information they can actually use.

When you first left vault 101 did the screen flash up that broken steel was loaded and the level cap had been raised to 30?
It would also have told you that the other 4 DLC's were loaded (telling you the riverboat had docked for point lookout etc).
If not then you probably have the DLC's installed but not activated, to do so you need to load the game,from the main menu click on data files, it should give you the list of the 5 available DLC'sm click on each one to activate them, then start a new game as normal.
Think that's how you do it. :goodjob:

To be more specific, there are 2 ways of starting the game. One is through the shortcut which brings you directly to the game's play menu, and the other is with the launcher, which brings up the same screen that you got when you first installed the game and had your your settings applied. That's the screen you want to use for activating your data files. Or you can get FOMM and use that instead.

*scratches head*
But...you just...you made a post about the lack of aid someone else's post gave to the OP...
Pot, meet kettle?


As for the checkboxes, they were the ones I was thinking of, I haven't played on PC for a while and IIRC I used a mod manager when I did... I would have thought they would be readily activated once installed, but then I suppose you may not want them...curious.

Well first of all, I wasn't directing that post to the OP. Secondly, a couple of posts later I added some real information that he/she could actually use.

May I join this discussion with a question? I got Broken Steel and Point Lookout for Xmas. I loaded them and began a new game but did not get any messages telling me they were loaded or that I was raised to level 30. I didn't realise I was supposed to check off any boxes. And I started a game in the usual manner. Do I now have to start a new game after doing the checkbox thing? Or can I do something where I am now to activate things?

You can continue from your current point. Restarting isn't neccesary.

Thanks DevenTarn. What specifically do I need to do to activate the add-ons?

Start the game from the Fallout Launcher, click on "Data Files", then check the little boxes beside the name of each DLC's .esm (Broken Steel.esm, PointLookout.esm, etc). Start your game and you should get popup messages for each DLC.

when i enter the data file i dont have any boxes next to broken steel etc. what do i do?

You should have the option to check off DLC .esm files from within the launcher, if you select "Data Files" from the menu. If you don't, then something must have gone wrong during the installation.

I would suggest reinstalling the DLC disc (Disc 2) and seeing if that gives you option to select the DLC data files.