New to FO3 but having constant CTD : Fallout 3

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:41 am

I'm new to FO3 but not the tools used for mods. I've used wrye bash for years with morrowind and oblivion, then new vegas. I'm having constant crashes, not actually CTD's but the game just freezes and I have to kill it with the task manager. I wondered if it was a load-order issue. I've used FOMM for archive invalidation, BOSS to sort the load-order, and Wrye Flash to create the merged patch. Other tools I'm using are Stutter Remover, and the 3GB patch. I've also swapped out the patched .exe with the original, and I'm still getting CTD's. So, that doesn't seem to be causing it. Anyway here's my load-order:

Spoiler

00  Fallout3.esm [CRC: C092218B]01  Anchorage.esm [CRC: 27FD366B]02  ThePitt.esm [CRC: B38B3E44]03  BrokenSteel.esm [CRC: 10A71AB5]04  PointLookout.esm [CRC: D92704D8]05  Zeta.esm [CRC: 1D017E23]06  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch.esm  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: A104CF58]07  RRCompanionVault.esm [CRC: 8425FEFA]08  RRGuards.esm [CRC: D0A016BF]09  RR5MoreMales.esm [CRC: F1102ABA]0A  RR5MoreFemales.esm [CRC: DE9512B2]0B  RH_IRONSIGHTS.esm [CRC: 2EE2065B]0C  arianaberniebrooke.esm [CRC: A04081EB]0D  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Operation Anchorage.esp  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: CA877E59]0E  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - The Pitt.esp  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: 9D96A8DD]0F  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Broken Steel.esp  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: C486896C]10  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Point Lookout.esp  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: A9245EB9]11  Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Mothership Zeta.esp  [Version 1.2.0] [CRC: 30C44BE5]12  James Invisible wall bugs remove V3.esp [CRC: C9396E9D]13  Sprint Mod.esp [CRC: 5693E6AB]++  RH_IronSights_Basic_VanillaPlugin.esp [CRC: B801247C]++  RH_IronSights_Basic_AnchoragePlugin.esp [CRC: 7EF88F51]14  RH_IronSights_Basic_PittPlugin.esp [CRC: F4974E27]++  RH_IronSights_Basic_BrokenSteelPlugin.esp [CRC: A1FEB067]15  RH_IronSights_Basic_PointLookoutPlugin.esp [CRC: 7578E98E]16  RH_IronSights_Basic_ZetaPlugin.esp [CRC: 9449EB44]17  RH_IronSights_Pitt_NewRifleSights.esp [CRC: A9268C1E]18  RH_IronSights_RemoveReticule.esp [CRC: BC65E0C9]19  RH_IronSights_PL_NewItems.esp [CRC: EE22209F]1A  RRWastelandPosters.esp [CRC: 5313355C]++  RR Vanilla Companion Integration.esp [CRC: 340E8634]1B  Bottle That Water.esp [CRC: A2DB1E9E]++  Fellout-pipboylight.esp [CRC: F5E44077]1C  Fellout-Full.esp [CRC: 3F40DD44]++  Fellout-Anchorage.esp [CRC: 3C103AD6]++  Fellout-BrokenSteel.esp [CRC: A2832075]1D  Fellout-PointLookout.esp [CRC: F33277F6]1E  Fellout-Zeta.esp [CRC: 10F67831]1F  Fallout 3 Master Fix - Higher FPS.esp [CRC: 24F146ED]20  Big and Small.esp [CRC: DF4093E2]21  BasicNeeds.esp [CRC: 5C699170]22  FollowerAmata.esp [CRC: 7BC52F36]23  arianaberniebrooke.esp [CRC: F38C29F6]24  Error Fixes V1.5.esp [CRC: B4DFC1A1]25  Error Fixes V1.5 - Fellout.esp [CRC: 2C0F5247]++  Weighted Bottlecaps [Normal Version].esp [CRC: C9ABBCDF]26  Bashed Patch, 0.esp [CRC: 68B757B2]

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:50 am

Not sure about your load order - A bit in-experienced myself with trouble shooting FO3

But I did notice you have not mentioned FO3MasterUpdate

Grab FO3Edit here http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=637

After un-packing, drop the two files in the same place you have FO3 Launcher. And rename FO3Edit as FO3MasterUpdate.

After sorting load order and building your bashed patch - Un-check your bashed patch (anything un-checked does not get mastered), exit Wrye Flash. Run FO3MasterUpdate. Go back into Wrye Flash and re-check the bashed patch.

See if that helps.

Wrye Flash can launch FO3MasterUpdate, but I find on win 7 it crashes if not run from its own icon.

Mastering I think became necessary after bugs were introduced with the 1.5 patch (I dont know the technical details - But it needs to be done).

One more note, if you use Fallout 3 Master Fix http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16665 - Uncheck those too when using FO3MasterUpdate.

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:53 am

I had problems when using this one

12 James Invisible wall bugs remove V3.esp [CRC: C9396E9D]

although I had version 2 so..... :shrug:

Also, you've not implemented and ini tweaks, as I found those caused a great deal of instability for me (except the fonts for DarN)

I use the FO3MasterUpdate but it really didn't make stability any better, just stopped NPCs having different coloured arms and faces :wink_smile:

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:27 am

Try tweaking your ini first if you haven't. Navigate to Documents\My Games\Fallout3 and open up the Fallout.ini. Search for the line bUseThreadedAI=0 and change the value to 1. Under that line add the following iNumHWThreads=2. This will limit the game to 2 cores/threads thus preventing an engine bug that causes freezing.

Using FO3MasterUpdate nowadays is debatable. I know I've tried using it a a couple of times and it didn't seem to make my game anymore stable (or unstable) than usual. And I haven't experienced mismatched colors on NPCs either when not using it. Where's Psymon or Red Eye they'd give a better information on whether or not to use MasterUpdate

Since you're using the Unofficial Patch which is horribly outdated but still quite usable you need a fixed Broken Steel patch. There's a few floating around out there but there were more fixes that needed to be done and these weren't released. I have a fixed version, http://www.4shared.com/file/truSYFDX/Unofficial_Fallout_3_Patch_-_B.html that followed an outline on the UOP's discussion thread on Nexus adding further fixes. I used it in my recent play-through and didn't have any trouble in the "problem" areas that the original patch introduced.

Also don't use Fallout 3 Master Fix - Higher FPS.esp with James Invisible wall bugs remove V3.esp or Error Fixes V1.5.esp/Error Fixes V1.5 - Fellout.esp, this "Master Fix" incorporates both of those mods. I haven't used the Master Fix myself yet but I have used the Invisble Wall Remover mod before and I didn't like the some of the changes it makes. The mod messes up some "triggers" around the game world that are used for some scripted battles and I believe it caused problems during the first main quest in Point Lookout with the cursed gas bottles not appearing. Heck there's even a screenshot on the mod's Nexus page showing that the author made changes to that particular area further enforcing my belief it messed up the quest. Just my 2 caps.

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:04 pm

Thanks peeps! I followed all of the advice, and no more freezing. Guess I should have done it incrementally so I could report on which piece of advice fixed it. :facepalm:

» Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:04 am

Glad it's working for you now, more than likely it was the ini tweaks that fixed your freezing. The plugins I mentioned that shouldn't be used together would have probably caused some horrid CTDs eventually if not right away. Have fun exploring the wastes