Hey everybody, I find myself needing some help on what to do about my current game.

I just recently started playing Fallout 3 (regular edition on xbox) and I love it. I have just reached my level 20 cap and have just reached the Citadel with my scientists in tow. I don't know how close I am to the end of the main story but I do know that there are many places I have not yet explored on the map. I have just ordered the Game of the Year edition and was wondering what I should do when it arrives--I have heard that several of the expansions should be played "early" in the game because of what items you get. Unfortunatey, I do not know what "early" means in this case--level 1-5, 5-10, or starting at level 20 where I am currently sitting. I know that Broken Steel raises the cap to 30 and I want to keep getting XP for everything I do, but would I be better off just starting over from the beginning or installing all of the DL content and just continue playing from where I am at? Has any definitive order and playing level been agreed upon for when and in what order to play the DLC if you start from the beginning? I've put many hours into my current game and would like to continue on with it, but not at the expense of the overall experience the GOTY edition has to offer.

Thanks to any and all who take the time to help me out.

Broken Steel just continues the main story after the game ends and makes it open-ended ala Oblivion... As far as the others go I'd say its really up to you I'd just say make sure your a decent level 10-15 so you can enjoy the story of them without having to worry about dying..but basically just do whatever feels right to you.

I'd start a new game and play through the DLC's with a fresh character, more fun that way imo. Start with Operation: Anchorage is my suggestion you get a neat perk and some great armor/weapons, ammo to boot! Fairly easy to beat as well, though it is quite long and more FPS than RPG.

In general, here's what I recommend:

Operation Anchorage: ~5 (should be done not long out of the vault)
The Pitt: ~10 (if you do OA right after getting your Megaton home then you'll be the right level when you finish OA).
Broken Steel: ~20
Point Lookout: ~25
Mothership Zeta: ~30

As you can see, there is a pretty clear distinction between the first two and the last three. I give low levels for the first two because they can be done at this level with a moderate level of challenge, give really good gear that you can use for the rest of the game, and allow you to get through the tough early levels without having to worry much about your supplies (ammo, stimpacks, caps, etc.). All of these numbers can be lowered for second and subsequent play throughs as you will likely have a better character build and have a better idea of what you're doing.

However, while the tougher ones should wait for a higher level, there is no reason why the first two could not also be done at a higher level. My first time through the DLC I did pretty much what you're doing. Reached the cap of 20 in the vanilla game, then started getting and playing the add-ons right before the end of the main story line. OA and TP might be a bit too easy at that level, especially if you've got a well made character, but you can always boost the difficulty level if you're finding them too easy.

Ultimately these numbers are recommendations, not requirements. My recommendation for you would depend on how you answer the question "How likely are you to play this game again immediately?" If the answer is that you are likely to put the game aside and play something else for a while, then I would make a new character and play the add-ons in the order I listed above, with some time spent in the wasteland to get your level to around the right place. I say this because going through the earlier add-ons at a lower level will ultimately give you a better experience with them (IMO). However, if you think you are likely to turn around and make a new character as soon as your current one has done everything you can find to do then you might go ahead and play through the add-ons with this character. Most of the DLC have choices you can make that alter their ending, so with a new character you can make different choices.