Win7 + Steam + Fallout 3

[Markbnj]

I noticed a warning attached to Fallout 3 on Steam, saying that it is "not optimized" for Windows 7. Anyone know what the issues, if any, are?

 

[DaveSimmons]

I played through at least once on windows 7 32-bit.

It's Bethesda and their buggy Gamebryo engine, so it does crash just like Oblvion. A common one is you go to VATS mode for a shot and the game locks up solid. And if it hasn't crashed from VATS within a couple of hours, the memory and/or resource leaks will crash it eventually.

Just be sure to do real saves often (not quicksaves) and keep many save slots.

It's a fun game well worth playing despite the crashes. Fallout New Vegas is even better since it was written by Obsidian instead of Bethesda, but you should probably play FO3 first so it's not a step backwards if you play it after New Vegas.

 

[biostud]

I couldn't get it to run on win7 x64, Vegas worked fine.

 

[Markbnj]

Ok, thanks for the tips. I already played New Vegas, but Fallout 3 looked good and I was thinking of grabbing it for $10. But if it won't run reliably on Win7 I'll give it a pass.

 

[shortylickens]

Fallout 3 crashes plenty on XP so I dont think it really matters.

Interestingly: New Vegas with NO installed plugins works great on XP.
But when you add in 23 different mods it can get a little wonky.

 

[beach2nd]

I am currently playing fallout 3 on Win7 64 bit with about 20 hours in and no crashes. The only thing I did before starting is to modify the ini file to only use 2 cores - do this if you have a quad core processor.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328904

 

[futurefields]

I am currently playing fallout 3 on Win7 64 bit with about 20 hours in and no crashes. The only thing I did before starting is to modify the ini file to only use 2 cores - do this if you have a quad core processor.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328904

+1

 

[KeithTalent]

I was never able to get this game running (I'm on Win 7 too) and I had both the Steam version and the physical disc version. Was a complete waste of money.

KT

 

[Fallen Kell]

I've only ever played Fallout 3 on Windows 7 64bit. It can crash a lot in the very beginning, but once you get out of the initial Vault, I havn't seemed to have much of a problem (only crashes occasionally if I alt+tab out of it and back).

I also found that running it in XP compat mode as well as admin make it a lot more stable.

 

[Phynaz]

I am currently playing fallout 3 on Win7 64 bit with about 20 hours in and no crashes. The only thing I did before starting is to modify the ini file to only use 2 cores - do this if you have a quad core processor.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328904

This x100.

 

[futurefields]

It's also a far better game than New Vegas.

 

[Markbnj]

I was never able to get this game running (I'm on Win 7 too) and I had both the Steam version and the physical disc version. Was a complete waste of money.

KT

Bummer. Not a good outlook. I mean, it's only a $10 risk, but still. Were you running Win7/64?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

It's also a far better game than New Vegas.

HAHAHHHHHA. Oh man, you crack me up.

Less bugs, 10x more quests, a non-retarded storyline, many features that were left out in FO3 brought back, harder.

There is no aspect on FO3 that is better than NV.

 

[Elcs]

I was never able to get this game running (I'm on Win 7 too) and I had both the Steam version and the physical disc version. Was a complete waste of money.

KT

IIRC, it was a Steamworks game.

 

[Dankk]

IIRC, it was a Steamworks game.

Fallout: New Vegas was a Steamworks game. Fallout 3 was not.

I do have Fallout 3 on Steam though, and I played it on Windows 7 x64 with no problems. Well... maybe except for the occasional crash. It's a Bethesda game though, so that's about par for the course.

 

[KeithTalent]

Bummer. Not a good outlook. I mean, it's only a $10 risk, but still. Were you running Win7/64?

Yes I was/am. I would offer you the discs, but I already gave them away.

KT

 

[Phynaz]

HAHAHHHHHA. Oh man, you crack me up.

Less bugs, 10x more quests, a non-retarded storyline, many features that were left out in FO3 brought back, harder.

There is no aspect on FO3 that is better than NV.

Chill dude.

The setting for FO3 is much better than NV. So is the story.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Chill dude.

The setting for FO3 is much better than NV. So is the story.

Because going through the same looking metro over and over is a great setting.

Also the story was so damn full of plotholes, that is was ridiculous.

I also notice you didn't touch on the massive dump that FO3 was combat/gameplay wise.

 

[werepossum]

I played it on Windows 7 64 bit; as Shorty says, it's hard to see much difference in crash rates. It crashes a LOT as originally released, almost unsuable, but do some research and install some mods and you should see greatly improved stability. I have almost two hundred hours in two play-throughs, so obviously the stability problems have been solved for me. I recommend going through the Gopher modding vids on Youtube - takes awhile, but your game will be much prettier, more atmospheric, and more stable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SAeXsA6Nt8

Two caveats here though - I do not use VATS, and I did not buy this game through Steam.

Make absolutely sure you get the Game of the Year edition as many great mods require all the DLC and it can get expensive to buy it individually.

 

[Markbnj]

Yes I was/am. I would offer you the discs, but I already gave them away.

KT

NP, man. Thanks though. I will probably give it a try, but I have a few others queued up first. Saint's Row Third is one, and also finally playing GTA IV through .

 

[smackababy]

I have never had a problem with it on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. I guess it had a few crashes, but it was a Bethesda game. It wouldn't be the same without it crashing every couple of hours.

 

[futurefields]

Because going through the same looking metro over and over is a great setting.

Also the story was so damn full of plotholes, that is was ridiculous.

I also notice you didn't touch on the massive dump that FO3 was combat/gameplay wise.

Fallout 3 is just the better game for me. I prefer the post-apocalyptic world, the borderline survival-horror feeling, and the emphasis on exploration, versus the zany, kind of whacky world of New Vegas which is more linear in it's world design.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Fallout 3 is just the better game for me. I prefer the post-apocalyptic world, the borderline survival-horror feeling, and the emphasis on exploration, versus the zany, kind of whacky world of New Vegas which is more linear in it's world design.

Of course, you forget, New Vegas is much less linear than Fallout 3. You could literally go to New Vegas in the first hour of the game, even though you're only "supposed" to get there mid-late game. You just had to be good at sneaking past deathclaws. Also there are 10x as many side quests than Fallout 3. NV had actual rewards in terms of quests than Fo3, which had very very few.

Fallout 3, good luck with that, that doesn't really exist. Much more linear because you HAVE to go through the damn metro tunnels to get to many places.

 

[Markbnj]

Also there are 10x as many side quests than Fallout 3. NV had actual rewards in terms of quests than Fo3, which had very very few.

My main issue with New Vegas was the same issue I had with Skyrim, basically that I feel compelled to look in every container I come across, and there is never anything good in any of them . Not as brain-dead as Far Cry 3's "loot" system, but close. Oh, look, another piece of scrap copper!

 

[shortylickens]

My main issue with New Vegas was the same issue I had with Skyrim, basically that I feel compelled to look in every container I come across, and there is never anything good in any of them . Not as brain-dead as Far Cry 3's "loot" system, but close. Oh, look, another piece of scrap copper!

The best thing about New Vegas is the crafting system. I downloaded several mods that added a bunch of recipes to the workbench and fires.
Almost all the junk in game is now useful, especially when you include The Sink and its ability to turn garbage into goodies. Muggy, toaster, book chute, the kitchen sink. And dont forget the plant processor. That was awesome. Make a shitload of brocs and xanders, I had over a thousand stimpaks by the end of the game.