Fallout 3 Guide

Fallout 3 is an immersive Post Apocalyptic Role Playing Game where humanity struggles to survive in a radioactive, mutated wasteland of the United States. Following suite with Bethseda's previous Elder Scrolls titles, they explore a Sci-Fi genre and upgrade the same engine used in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion while retaining our favorite Role Playing aspects to keep us playing for 100's of hours.

Naturally I wanted to see if Fallout 3 would run in Linux. Follow my guide and lets see if it will run for you as well...

Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Fallout 3 in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the Retail version of Fallout 3. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained

Mint 16 32-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.2
Wine: 1.7.15

Installing Wine

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"

Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.15
Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right

Click Next

Downloading Wine

Extracting

Downloading Gecko

Installed

Also try newer Wine 1.7.28 for better results

Wine 1.7.15 is installed and you can close this window

PlayOnLinux Setup

Launch PlayOnLinux
click Install

Click "Install a non-listed program"

Click Next

Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next

Name your virtual drive: fallout3
Click Next

Check all three options:

• Use another version of Wine
• Configure Wine
• Install some libraries

Click Next

Select Wine 1.7.15 (or newer 1.7.28)
Click Next

Note: If you are running a 64-bit system, PlayOnLinux will prompt if you want to use a 64-bit or 32-bit virtual drive.
Always select 32-bit virtual drive.

Configure Wine

Applications Tab
Windows Verion: Windows 7
Click Apply

Graphics Tab
Check "Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows"
Check "Emulate a virtual desktop"
Desktop Size: 1024x768
Click OK

Installing Packages

Check the following packages:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_cc580
• POL_Install_dxfullsetup
• POL_Install_msvc80
• POL_Install_quartz
• POL_Install_vcrun2005

Click Next

Installing Fallout 3

Click "Select another file"
Click Next

Click Browse

Navigate to your Retail DVD
Select "Setup.exe"
Click Open

Click Next


Click Next


Check "I accept the terms of the license agreement"
Click Next


Click Next


Click Install


Installing


Uncheck both options
Click Finish

PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select "FalloutLauncher.exe"
Click Next

Name your shortcut: Fallout 3
Click Next

Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next

Configure PlayOnLinux

Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure

General Tab
Wine Version: 1.7.15
Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine. Click the down-arrow to select other versions of Wine

Display Tab
Direct Draw Renderer: opengl
Video memory size: The amount of memory on your video card
Offscreen rendering mode: fbo

Installing Patch

Go to: Fallout 3 1.7 English Patch

Download 1.7 patch
Save it on your Desktop
Click Save

Back to PlayOnLinux Configure

Miscellaneous Tab
Click "Run a .exe file in this virtual drive"

Navigate to your desktop
Select "Fallout3_1.7_English_US.exe
Click Open

Click OK

Installing

Note: When the patch is done the Fallout 3 Launcher will automatically launch

First Launch

Hardware Detect

Click Options

Select Aspect Ratio

Select Resolution
Note: Select the same resolution as your Linux desktop for the game to appear full-screen
Click OK

Click Play and the game should crash.

Windows Live dll

Go to: http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?xlive
Click "Download zip-file"

Navigate to your desktop
Click Save

Double-click the zip file and open in Archive Manager

Select xlive.dll
Click Extract

Navigate to: /home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/fallout3/drive_c/windows/system32/
Note: enter your "login" in place of "username"
Click Extract

If it asks to overwrite, click Yes

Launch Fallout 3

Back to PlayOnLinux
Select Fallout 3
Click Run

Fallout 3 Launcher
Click Play

Optimization

Click Settings

Click Display

Use the slider to gain performance in Fallout 3
Slide right to increase view of objects
Slide left to decrease view of objects

Conclusion:
Fallout 3 ran pretty smoothly on my GeForce 550 Ti. A few stutters here and there and "touchy" mouse behavior in the dialog boxes. But really good frame rates outside in the streaming world of Fallout. Experiment with newer versions of Wine 1.7.28

IMPORTANT!
If Fallout 3 crashes every once in a while, its because of the in-game music. Go to the Fallout 3 game folder and rename the music folder. This will disable in-game music, but will also protect your game from crashing.

 

I honestly don't know. Since you have the proper drivers, 32-bit Mint and tried different Wine versions, it must be a limitation of the Video card.
I would guess, follow the guide again step-by-step and see if the exact same problems exist.

Do you have a budget to pickup a newer Video Card? Are you using a laptop?

 

I have a budget to buy a new computer, but it worked once in Linux on this computer and I don't really need a new one, so I try to find something that works... so its to less RAM?

 

Agreed, you really don't need a new computer.
I can't remember if you were able to play other games?

If you want even better performance, a GeForce 750 Ti is fairly priced... around $100 or so and won't require any extra power

 

The games which are running perfect under wine on my system are:

Dawn of War II - The last Standalone
NaaC (No Argument, I know )
PAYDAY 2
South Park - The Stick of Truth
Diablo II - The Lord of Destruction
Alien Swarm

 

Sounds like everything is setup correctly since you have many games working just fine.
If you install Fallout 3 again, please launch it with "debug" and then copy paste it in a new post here: PlayOnLinux
It still might be related to Games For Windows Live and that xlive.dll
Are you installing the Fallout 3 patch as well?

 

First I tried it totally by the guide.

Then I left the patch away because I own the GOTY Edition so I don't need it.
Then I left xlive.dll away because it worked otherwise...
Maybe I should try again and follow the script step by step.
On which point should I install the DLC Disk?

 

Oh you have the GOTY edition? Is it through steam or retail?

 

hmm, leave the DLC out of the installation for now.
I just want to know if the game runs... even with the strange water.
If you can play without serous crashing or lagg, then its a success.
If you add the DLC and it starts causing problems, then we know its related to that

 

Well, ok I'll try. With Patch and without DLC. Just as close as possible to this guide. Without Uncut or NoCD Patch. And then Step by Step. You'll hear from me
If I take my savegames back in the new installation, can the problems be related to the savegames?

 

There might be problems with the save game if it expects the patch and DLC
This is getting quite complicated, no wonder Wine is having problems:

1. Vanilla Fallout 3
2. Patch
3. GFWL
4. DLC
5. NoCD crack

I was not able to test Fallout 3 with all of those circumstances, specially the No CD crack. I was able to play with the DVD in the drive just fine, but let me know if you have problems with that as well.

This is another reason Steam is so great! They just include everything on the list for you in one single download.

 

I've done so.... I can move around water, but the game still freezes when I actually touch it...
Also I found the X Server Settings. How to configure the GTS 250? xD

 

Ok, at least you can play it. I don't remember a lot of water quests anyways. I guess steer clear of water for now.
I've never messed with X Server Settings, but you can try messing with Nvidia 3D settings for your card.

 

Well, I turned off all water effects now and it seem to work. Looks very Bad (water is just a flat coulor, around the bomb Megaton is nothing) but hey, better than crashing I think. I'll try the DLC and the Bloodpatch now and post again.

 

Good, at least you can play without crashing.
There are a few games I've had to tweak like this because Wine and driver compatibility have some buggs.
You can always try to update your video driver, but I've stuck with the stable Nvidia 331 and haven't had a lot of problems.
Sorry about the lack of solutions... if you keep researching, something might eventually come up.
Also post this problem on WineHQ's and someone will eventually find a fix.

 

So, I have a new question. my Audio has stoppend working completely.
In some other virtual drives, it works.
I looked up the drivers. working is winepulse.drv and not working is winealsa.drv.
I googled aleready how to set it from winealsa.drv to winepulse.drv. But with no answer... -.-
Can you help?

 

So, I have a new question. my Audio has stoppend working completely.
In some other virtual drives, it works.
I looked up the drivers. working is winepulse.drv and not working is winealsa.drv.
I googled aleready how to set it from winealsa.drv to winepulse.drv. But with no answer... -.-
Can you help?

I get this in every bethesda game once in a while. Make sure you have xact and xinput installed/activated. Don't ask me how they have anything to do with sound, it's microsoft.

Thats been the fix for me.

 

So, I have a new question. my Audio has stoppend working completely.
In some other virtual drives, it works.
I looked up the drivers. working is winepulse.drv and not working is winealsa.drv.
I googled aleready how to set it from winealsa.drv to winepulse.drv. But with no answer... -.-
Can you help?

This game have trouble with music* (mp3 files) however in lastest test stay testing lavfilters and works good with mp3 (no crash in tests until now)

*Rename music folder helps, for example change music to music.a (thanksfully linux allow add extensions to folders)

 

It's not just this game.... it's a couple of virtual drives...

None of the two possibilities worked....

 

I have similar problems with Fallout 3 and Skyrim.
I've been replaying skyrim in Mint 17.1 and the audio will sound perfect, but then after a few minutes I start hearing those pulseaudio "crackling" sounds with music and voices. If I restart Pulseaudio then everythings fine, but after a few minutes it happens again.

Cronyk: Have you messed with the daemon.conf for pulseaudio yet?

 

Ok... no.

How to do so?