Sudden massive FPS loss during character creation : Fallout 3

» Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:08 am

I have spent the past two days, carefully installing this set up. I installed one or two mods at a time and tested in-game before installing any more.

Actually, I have been following Gopher's new Modding FO3 series. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77ECC4B6194E1685&feature=plcp

This is all starting with a fresh new install of FO3 GOTY. This is my base LO, without the merge patch shown. The only other mods I had installed were the Recon Stealth Armor, Gear, Nightvision, Trap Detection and the Armored Dusters. They are stand alone but I removed them anyway.

Spoiler

Fallout3.esm
Anchorage.esm
ThePitt.esm
BrokenSteel.esm
PointLookout.esm
Zeta.esm
CRAFT.esm
CALIBR.esm
Project Beauty.esm
aHUD.esm
iHUD.esm
ImaginatorFO3.esp
CINEMATECH.esm
EVE.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm
Mart's Mutant Mod.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Alternate Travel.esp
DarNifiedUIF3.esp
Project Beauty- Broken Steel.esp
Project Beauty- Point Lookout.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Followers Enhanced (BrokenSteel).esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Halftime.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional Restore Tracers (automatics only).esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Project Beauty (Followers Enhanced).esp
WeaponModKits.esp
WeaponModKits - FWE Master Release.esp
WeaponModKits - OperationAnchorage.esp
WeaponModKits - ThePitt.esp
WeaponModKits - BrokenSteel.esp
WeaponModKits - PointLookout.esp
WeaponModKits - Zeta.esp
EVE.esp
EVE Operation Anchorage.esp
EVE - FWE Master Release.esp
EVE - FWE Master Release (Follower Enhanced).esp
EVE - FWE Master Release (pulse fix).esp
EVE Anchorage - FWE DLC Anchorage.esp
EVE - FWE with WeaponModKits.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Master Menu Module.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Project Beauty.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + DLCs.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + Project Beauty.esp
F3ProjectRealityMkI.esp
DYNAVISION - Dynamic Lens Effect.esp
Directors Chair - Fallout 3.esp

Total active plugins: 59
Total plugins: 59

The issue : I am running at a solid 60 FPS all they way trough the tests. I start my true run and during the character creator, making face adjustments, I notice an instant stutter. After completing, my FPS dropped to below 30. Sometimes it gets down to in the teens.

I have tried starting a new game...again. Even using the alternate start. I am getting 23 FPS in that shack. The birth scenes are only 15 FPS.

Is there an ini that could have been reset or changed by the game? Where do I start looking. I am not apart from just starting over, but that takes me several hrs, even without extensive testing as I go.

I mean something happened and i'm sure it's just a setting...I hope.

The only thing I may have inadvertently done different, prior to the start of this main playthrough, was to hit the "LIVE" selection at the main menu. I don't even know what that is for.