So I just got Fallout 3...

[Ironman126]

Beat the vanilla game. Then go to http://www.fallout3nexus.com/, sign up, and download mods. It makes the game better in way you can't even imagine. And if you need help getting around Steam, there are forums for that on the site. Again: http://www.fallout3nexus.com/

Edit: Mods are free...

 

[RandomWords]

Spoiler

not really, I'm not that mean

 

[BlumiereBleck]

You're gonna get bored of it fast. Just sayin it now, before you feel like you didn't get your money's worth.

 

[CD-R]

Heres a pretty good guide to installing mods.


As for Windows 7 installing Fallout 3 in another folder other than crogram files seems to fix most of the problems. There's also something else you have to do if you have a multicore cpu. The video explains it.

 

[Jiggabyte]

Roleplaying makes the game a lot deeper. If you want it easy you can balance out karma by donating caps from stealing things... don't take a full 10 SPECIAL and don't take any stat to 100 due to skillbooks and perks... keep your equipment well maintained (repair is pretty amazing if you're OCD about collecting equipment... as is strength)
Make a lot of saves, and back your saves up. Fallout 3 is notoriously... crashy. In fact my latest save crashed and make me a naked male in the middle of a desert just a few days ago. Huzzah!
Oh, I don't see much need in mods in this game to be honest, but Fallout 3 Nexus is cool. Don't try it until you've gotten through the regular game... my favourite DLC is The Pitt, but the best is probably Broken Steel. You should have gotten Game Of The Year because all of the DLC is fantastic... then again the "vanilla" game is pretty amazing too.
Oh, and save before a speech check. Reload saves and charisma/speech skill is pointless.

 

[Dana22]

My tip is, dont use fast-travel too often. Exploration was biggest fun for me in f3.

 

[TheSkaAssassin]

get the bobbleheads! Use a guide if you have to, but get the bobbleheads, they make leveling your skills so much easier.

 

[Counterwise]

The first 3 post are so ridden with hypocrisy and contradictions. Anyway, my advice(i got it about a month ago) is play it. Do whatever you like, that's the point of the game.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

I still don't have it, but I'm gonna borrow it off a friend and see if I can create a forum game based on people here making my decisions for me. I'm expecting a horrendously gimped character who makes awful decisions at every turn. It could be fun!

So you're going to do a Let's Play like a hunded others have done before? Clearly, you are a genius.

 

[Phoenixlight]

Play the game fresh without letting a forum full of people spoil the goings on of the game.

My game, I shall play it as I wish to.

Ok then,
-Your father (and mother) were originally from outside the Vault.
-Your father left the vault to build a water purifier
-Your father sacrifices himself and kills several Enclave soldiers by overloading Project Purity's main chamber with lethal amounts of radiation
-The enclave want to use the purifier to distribute a massive modified FEV virus that will kill anyone with any kind of mutation.
-Doctor Braun tortures the people constantly and they can't die for real because of a fail-safe so when you use the Chinese Invasion program it overrides the fail-safe so you kill them for real and release them from their misery.
-The end of the game let's you decide whether you want to turn off the purifier and die or get this other woman to do it.
Enjoy.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

I still don't have it, but I'm gonna borrow it off a friend and see if I can create a forum game based on people here making my decisions for me. I'm expecting a horrendously gimped character who makes awful decisions at every turn. It could be fun!

So you're going to do a Let's Play like a hunded others have done before? Clearly, you are a genius.

I've never seen a let's play before, so I apologise for rehashing an old idea.
Also, no. I'm not telling the story of my playthrough, I'm letting everyone else tell the story of my playthrough - so a let's play with far less effort on my part, I guess.

 

[Zackary Yakumo]

I still don't have it, but I'm gonna borrow it off a friend and see if I can create a forum game based on people here making my decisions for me. I'm expecting a horrendously gimped character who makes awful decisions at every turn. It could be fun!

That's actually a good idea. And a bad idea at the same time. If you do, I want in on that.

as do i. damn your character will be messed up beyond all hell though.

 

[DaggerOfCompassion]

Play the game fresh without letting a forum full of people spoil the goings on of the game.

My game, I shall play it as I wish to.

Ok then,
-Your father (and mother) were originally from outside the Vault.
-Your father left the vault to build a water purifier
-Your father sacrifices himself and kills several Enclave soldiers by overloading Project Purity's main chamber with lethal amounts of radiation
-The enclave want to use the purifier to distribute a massive modified FEV virus that will kill anyone with any kind of mutation.
-Doctor Braun tortures the people constantly and they can't die for real because of a fail-safe so when you use the Chinese Invasion program it overrides the fail-safe so you kill them for real and release them from their misery.
-The end of the game let's you decide whether you want to turn off the purifier and die or get this other woman to do it.
Enjoy.

Wow. Fuck you man. OT:Started playing game, finished beginning shit in vault 101, started exploring, totally immersed, game crashed. Anyway, now that I have a feel of it I figure I'll be good, also, I forgot completely to mention in the OP that it is GOTY edition, so yeah. Thankyou everybody who gave helpful advice and shit.

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

Rabidly attack and feed on the modding community.
Well, I'd suggest getting some mods from the Fallout 3 Nexus [http://www.fallout3nexus.com/].
That is what I did, and it makes the game so much more interesting. Thousands of mods to choose from.
But if you do choose to mod it, I'd suggest getting the Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM). Makes installing mods so much easier.

If he is getting it from Steam, I don't think he will be able to use FOSE (Fall Out Script Extender) because of the DRM/encryption of the .EXE. Almost all mods need FOSE to operate, so he may be shit out of luck in the department.

 

[Steppin Razor]

Rabidly attack and feed on the modding community.
Well, I'd suggest getting some mods from the Fallout 3 Nexus [http://www.fallout3nexus.com/].
That is what I did, and it makes the game so much more interesting. Thousands of mods to choose from.
But if you do choose to mod it, I'd suggest getting the Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM). Makes installing mods so much easier.

This. Also, if you plan on running mods you will almost certainly need the Fallout Script Extender - http://fose.silverlock.org/

A large number of mods require it otherwise they won't load properly.

 

[Steppin Razor]

If he is getting it from Steam, I don't think he will be able to use FOSE (Fall Out Script Extender) because of the DRM/encryption of the .EXE. Almost all mods need FOSE to operate, so he may be shit out of luck in the department.

FOSE works with the Steam version of Fallout 3. Just not the direct 2 drive versions and the Russian version supposedly because they use StarForce and to crack it would be illegal, something the FOSE guys don't want any part of.

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

If he is getting it from Steam, I don't think he will be able to use FOSE (Fall Out Script Extender) because of the DRM/encryption of the .EXE. Almost all mods need FOSE to operate, so he may be shit out of luck in the department.

FOSE works with the Steam version of Fallout 3. Just not the direct 2 drive versions and the Russian version supposedly because they use StarForce and to crack it would be illegal, something the FOSE guys don't want any part of.

Ah, my bad. Well then have fun modding!

 

[Ken Sapp]

I have windows 7 and I can't play the game, contacted bethesda support, they say no patch is on the way so windows 7 can run it

I run it without problem on Windows 7 x64. Have you checked all your settings and drivers?

just having windows 7 doesnt help.you need to have it unstalled.go do it NOW!

And the point of that comment is what? I am having trouble deciphering your opinion.

 

[Ken Sapp]

ye, downloaded the unofficial patch, same problem, but I'll take a look at that steam link you got there

No problem, let me know how it works out for you.

 

[therandombear]

ye, downloaded the unofficial patch, same problem, but I'll take a look at that steam link you got there

No problem, let me know how it works out for you.

I actually got farther this time, got the BB gun and then it stopped, reloaded after starting again, and stopped when I went to the GOAT test, it seems to work for everyone but me>.<