Poll: I'm about to play Fallout 3 for the first time, and I'm in a bit of a pickle...

[GonzoGamer]

I would agree with the others here: play the game bare bones first. Then when you want to play it again, mod it up and it's like a whole new game.

 

[Furbyz]

I would check out Wanderer's Edition for your second playthrough. I just got New Vegas and consequently got back on the Fallout train, only this time I decided to check out mods. Haven't actually used this one, but it looks like it would be good for increasing the challenge and it's all configurable.

http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/2761

 

[octafish]

Mod out GFWL for starters, then there are some simple little mods like adding actual descriptions for items that I would recommend. Consider running the Unofficial Fallout 2 Patch too.

 

[mad825]

Mod out GFWL for starters.

GFWL is optional by default.

I would suggest at least having the MTUI mod. It increase the size of the dialogue window and slightly deceases the size of the font.

Spoiler

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I'd say add some graphical mods (high res) and the dc interiors someone mentioned.

Then at least your adventures will feel extra shiny.

Oh and play as a woman because the extra damage to male enemies perk kicks ass.

You just can't make a comment that isn't gender related, can you?

Ha!

Well you know it's true

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Be sure to get some patches and fixes before playing.

Nothing that changes the game radically mind you, just some performance enhancers and stuff that fixes goofs that slipped by beta testing.

 

[sora91111]

I played it all the way through pure vanilla no dlc no mods nothing. I find it just great just get immersed in the world.

 

[kingthrall]

I forgot to mention get the Fallout Mod Manager and then install the mods after because it will save you a lot of trouble if there is an issue it will get addressed and show you and conflictions.


Fook adds pretty much a new optional economy system, the guns, balanced more weapons, dialog fixes and smaller texture re-duxes. Its basic a conjuction of around 50 mods in one.

I reckon get this, play the game with it because you dont want to be fiddling around for 5 hours and then have to play all the rest from the start again. Or pick up from a save missing what could have been changed.

Fook is also good with about 90% of all other mods

 

[Palfreyfish]

Mod out GFWL for starters.

GFWL is optional by default.

I would suggest at least having the MTUI mod. It increase the size of the dialogue window and slightly deceases the size of the font.

Spoiler

Well that'a good because GFWL is bad and it should feel bad. And that UI mod looks nice, I'll look in to that, thanks

I forgot to mention get the Fallout Mod Manager and then install the mods after because it will save you a lot of trouble if there is an issue it will get addressed and show you and conflictions.


Fook adds pretty much a new optional economy system, the guns, balanced more weapons, dialog fixes and smaller texture re-duxes. Its basic a conjuction of around 50 mods in one.

I reckon get this, play the game with it because you dont want to be fiddling around for 5 hours and then have to play all the rest from the start again. Or pick up from a save missing what could have been changed.

Fook is also good with about 90% of all other mods

Yeah, the latest version of the Nexus mod manager can be set to handle Fallout 3 and NV mods as far as I know. In regards to the economy system, does this mean prices change due to supply and demand, or something different entirely?

I'd say add some graphical mods (high res) and the dc interiors someone mentioned.

Then at least your adventures will feel extra shiny.

Oh and play as a woman because the extra damage to male enemies perk kicks ass.

May add some graphical mods if my computer can take it and my eyes can't... And I was thinking about playing as a woman for a change, are there any downsides to being either gender, or is it literally that perk that separates the two?

 

[unstabLized]

I usually play the main story first, then start modding. Did that with skyrim. Didn't touch anything else but the main quest. Once that was done, I started causing havoc. Got like, 40 mods. If you want, you can add some graphical mods and whatnot to make the game look better, but I probably wouldn't add any gameplay changes to the game the first time playing. Also, if the game I'm playing is a bit unbalanced in anyway, I try to find a mod to sort of balance the game out. A good example of that would be the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games.

 

[KoudelkaMorgan]

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

 

[Palfreyfish]

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

I got the GOTY edition in the summer sale, so I might as well play all the DLC all the way through at least once

 

[Pink Gregory]

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

I got the GOTY edition in the summer sale, so I might as well play all the DLC all the way through at least once

If yer gon' go for any before mods, I'd recommend Point Lookout, and maybe The Pitt.

Operation Anchorage is combat based, so would be improved with mods, Broken Steel doesn't really add much more than an increased level cap and an arduous main quest, and I've heard Mothership Zeta kinda sucks.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Considering the ending choices are different if you add the mods I would say add them, but don't do Broken Steel (is that it? Its been a while) until the end as it you can grab armor that makes the rest of the game ridiculously easy.

 

[targren]

Personally, I would use at least the FOOK, even on my first playthrough. Bethesda makes really nice open-world modding platforms, but as games, they tend to leave something to be desired (i.e. consistency, stability, that sort of thing), and leave it up to the community to fix (which, in the case of FO3, FONV, and especially TES4, the community did admirably)

 

[Palfreyfish]

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

I got the GOTY edition in the summer sale, so I might as well play all the DLC all the way through at least once

If yer gon' go for any before mods, I'd recommend Point Lookout, and maybe The Pitt.

Operation Anchorage is combat based, so would be improved with mods, Broken Steel doesn't really add much more than an increased level cap and an arduous main quest, and I've heard Mothership Zeta kinda sucks.

Fair enough, there's a Mothership Zeta mod for when you've finished the DLC, so I may as well kill some aliens

Considering the ending choices are different if you add the mods I would say add them, but don't do Broken Steel (is that it? Its been a while) until the end as it you can grab armor that makes the rest of the game ridiculously easy.

Isn't Broken Steel the one that adds more to the ending of the main game? Although I remember seeing stuff about game breaking armour and Operation Anchorage, so that could be the one you're thinking of, don't hold me to that though, I'm not entirely sure...

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

I got the GOTY edition in the summer sale, so I might as well play all the DLC all the way through at least once

If yer gon' go for any before mods, I'd recommend Point Lookout, and maybe The Pitt.

Operation Anchorage is combat based, so would be improved with mods, Broken Steel doesn't really add much more than an increased level cap and an arduous main quest, and I've heard Mothership Zeta kinda sucks.

Fair enough, there's a Mothership Zeta mod for when you've finished the DLC, so I may as well kill some aliens

Considering the ending choices are different if you add the mods I would say add them, but don't do Broken Steel (is that it? Its been a while) until the end as it you can grab armor that makes the rest of the game ridiculously easy.

Isn't Broken Steel the one that adds more to the ending of the main game? Although I remember seeing stuff about game breaking armour and Operation Anchorage, so that could be the one you're thinking of, don't hold me to that though, I'm not entirely sure...

Maybe it ws Anchorage... it was the one that you end up in a virtual world in Alaska.

 

[Palfreyfish]

Spoiler

I played FO3 a few times, I would say fairly extensively, and so I say for your first time you should play it vanilla.

That way you can really appreciate how much better the mods are because the vanilla game gets pretty old pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend ANY of the DLC aside from Broken Steel which sadly is pretty much a requirement if you want to get the most of your game.

I got the GOTY edition in the summer sale, so I might as well play all the DLC all the way through at least once

If yer gon' go for any before mods, I'd recommend Point Lookout, and maybe The Pitt.

Operation Anchorage is combat based, so would be improved with mods, Broken Steel doesn't really add much more than an increased level cap and an arduous main quest, and I've heard Mothership Zeta kinda sucks.

Fair enough, there's a Mothership Zeta mod for when you've finished the DLC, so I may as well kill some aliens

Considering the ending choices are different if you add the mods I would say add them, but don't do Broken Steel (is that it? Its been a while) until the end as it you can grab armor that makes the rest of the game ridiculously easy.

Isn't Broken Steel the one that adds more to the ending of the main game? Although I remember seeing stuff about game breaking armour and Operation Anchorage, so that could be the one you're thinking of, don't hold me to that though, I'm not entirely sure...

Maybe it ws Anchorage... it was the one that you end up in a virtual world in Alaska.

Yeah, that sounds like the description of Operation Anchorage

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Do what ever you want. Its up to you, dont know why you even care what any of us recommend.