Fallout 3 Add-On Conundrum
April 9, 2010 9:31 PM   Subscribe

How do I play the Fallout 3 Add-On packs now that I've (nearly) reached the end of the game?

Ok, I did a dumb thing, apparently. When I installed Fallout 3 (Game of the Year Edition) on my XBOX 360, I just installed the main game, because I wasn't sure how I'd really enjoy the game.

Weeks into it, I am hooked, so I finally decide it's a good point to install the extra content. So I do, but apparently I've installed the content at the exact last scene in my game, where I am trapped in a room, having to make the big decision as to whether to follow in my father's footsteps (so to speak) or send someone else to their doom. I cannot leave the area to explore the other content, and when I load a previous save game, the new content does not seem to exist. So, no matter what I do in this final scene, the game ends (unless there is a way out that I am missing, which is possible)

When I start a brand new game, the new content appears on my map, but I don't want to start over!

Am I missing something really obvious (I've got to be!)?
posted by newfers to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I don't know if this helps, but after you make the choice in the scene you're talking about, the games ends as it would without the expansions. After this original end of the game, the bonus material will automatically start. Does that make sense? You have to play through the original game to the end before the add-ons will start.
posted by Zosia Blue at 9:55 PM on April 9, 2010


It depends on which add-on you bought. The first two were Anchorage and The Pitt.

Broken Steel allows you to continue after finishing the main questline. It (should) also allows you to play Anchorage and The Pitt.

Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta came after that.

So, if you have an existing end-game, if you download and install Broken Steel and start the game, it should let you continue after you "died" in the final scene. FWIW, it worked flawlessly on the PC version (installed, loaded up, clicked resume or something). Hopefully you have your last saved game and the same memory card in the same slot in the XBOX.

---

Anchorage was intellectually interesting, but short and kinda dull. The Pitt was very very short - unless you wanted to be bored to death with tedious 'finding the last one.' Broken Steel was enjoyable, but annoying. Point Lookout had tons of potential but it encourages you to be "The Baddest Mofo in the Wastelands" and it made getting around the wastelands tiresome, rather than an adventure. Mothership Zeta was garbage (imo).
posted by porpoise at 10:07 PM on April 9, 2010 [1 favorite]


Oh, right - if you got Broken Steel - finish the game. Either choose someone in your place or go do "it" yourself. Make the decision, do the endgame. Broken Steel extends from that decision.
posted by porpoise at 10:09 PM on April 9, 2010 [1 favorite]


What everybody else said, plus, the additional content will show up as mission markers on the map and/or as prompts on the radio channels, depending. When I downloaded them, I kept waiting for some sort of cut scene to take me into the new content. The mission triggers are far more subtle than that.

If you're not familiar with this site already, check it out. It's very helpful.
posted by ga$money at 11:24 PM on April 9, 2010 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: huh. When I end the game, it seems to, uh, end. Perhaps I need to wait for the credits to finish to try the extra content...
posted by newfers at 11:32 PM on April 9, 2010


The Broken Steel DLC assumes you died.

So maybe you have to wait for the credits. I didn't dl it until after I finished the original so you should be fine.

The other expansion packs are do-able at any time. After level 20 is fine.
posted by bardic at 11:52 PM on April 9, 2010


I would like to point out, as someone who returned to the game after all the DLC became available: Mothership Zeta is completely doable as your very first foray out of Vault 101. You will be the meanest MF in the wasteland from Day 1.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:10 AM on April 10, 2010


Best answer: I don't know about the XBox 360 version, but on the PC version normally when you apply the DLC it doesn't become instantly available as soon as you enter the game. You actually have to start playing and after a minute or two in-game the content will become available and you'll receive a pop-up notification. Try just loading your save and then standing around for a few minutes (no more than 5) and see if you get any notifications. If they occur, you can't miss 'em. If this works you then should be able to finish the vanilla game and roll right into BoS and get back to the wastes where you can explore the new stuff. Good luck! Don't feed the yaoguai.
posted by BeerFilter at 7:13 AM on April 10, 2010


Response by poster: Thanks, BeerFilter.... I suppose I didn't have enough patience initially when I played an earlier save. I tried it again, and within several minutes, the new content notifications appeared!
posted by newfers at 10:17 AM on April 10, 2010


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