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 would have to see what you are doing step-by-step so I would know what is missing.
Maybe there is a chance the correct 32-bit libraries are not installed? Who knows...
I'm glad you are testing it because it sounds like a pain! Mint 32-bit gets the job done for me 95% of the time.

 

Hi,


I bought the "game of the year edition" (with all DLC), and I'd like to install it on my recently upgraded linux computer (I already played the game on my brother's xbox 360...But he took it back before I can finish the game).

But apparently, fallout 3 is not in POL list anymore, or to be more specific, it appears only if I check "no-cd required" option in the game list. I don't really understand what it means. Do I need extra software ?

The weird thing is that fallout 3 DLC appears in the list.

I'm using ubuntu 12.04 64bit.


thank you for your help.

 

Ok, then as with my other Guides, try doing a manual installation instead.
Instead of searching for Fallout 3, just click "install a non-listed program"
Then follow the steps for manual installation....

Here is a basic run-through

Manual Installation:

1. Launch PlayOnLinux
2. Click Install
3. Click “Install a non-listed program”
4. Click Next
5. Select “Install in a new virtual drive”
6. Name your virtual drive (no spaces)
7. Select all three options:
   - Use another version of Wine
   - Configure Wine
   - Install some libraries
8. Select Wine version
9. Set Windows version
10. Graphics Tab:
    - check “automatically capture mouse...”
    - check “emulate a virtual drive”
    - Desktop size: 1024x768
11. Click Ok
12. Select libraries to install
    Standard Libraries:
    - core fonts
    - d3dx9
    - msxml3
    - Tahoma
    - vcrun2005
13. Install game from CD-ROM, DVD, or Browse for downloaded exe
14. Select exe for shortcut
15. Name the shortcut
16. PlayOnLinux Configure
    - Set Display Options
    - Reboot Windows

 

I'll try this tonight or tommorow, and come back here for results. Thank you !

 

Don't rush yourself. Please post any questions or bugs you might have.
Manual installation can be harder in troubleshooting a game.

 

OK I got it up and running fine...Had a few sticking points along the way. need to add the Patch. Then It got stuck in the Birth scean, but after a reboot got past it. Basically I had to Re-boot windows several times and reboot Mint 15 once and all my problems disappeared...OH! I had install .Net all versions (who knows which is being used.)I used Manuale install and your instructions...Thanks Boo! ":O}

Odd thing, never asked for a game code or the second disk. I'm using the Game of the Year Edition...any Ideas as to what Disk two is for?

 

Yeah, I had a lot of crashing at the very begining when there was the speech bug.
Also does your water look screwed up? Maybe just white?

Are you using Windows XP as your Windows Version?
At this point Mono is just as good as dotnet but you can't install them both. There could be conflicts.

I think the second disk is special features and junk.
I don't remember ever entering a key either...

 

I've only gotten to the first save point after the Birthday party and receiving the holy BB gun...":O}

But haven't noticed any funny waters.

Yes it defaulted to XP. I'll look at the second disk tomorrow, maybe some extra maps...?

Had a sound glitch as well reboot seems to have made it right.

 

Isn't 2nd disc a DLC (extra content) disc, with the special extra campaigns ("operation anchorage", etc...)?

 

Oh yeah, I forgot. I wasn't impress with Operation Anchorage, but The Pitt is pretty cool.

Keep playing and let us know if you have further glitches.
Its a really addictive game.

 

So what do I do with Disk two that won't make people laugh at me? ":O}

 

1. Enter Disk 2 into the DVD drive
2. Launch PlayOnLinux
3. Click Configure
4. Click the Miscellaneous Tab
5. Click "Install an exe in this virtual drive"
6. Navigate to your Disk2 DVD
7. Find the Setup.exe
8. Click Open
9. Follow Installation Directions

 

Thanks! I'm beginning to think you actually know your way around Linux gaming. ":O}

 

Nah, its just an illusion... I don't even use Linux

 

Made it to the great wide outdoors! Water seems milky/grayish. I lost sound and had to restart... Can't play more than a half hour, bad wrist....But I got to kill the Big guy before leaving! ":O}

 

Cool, yeah that is how the water looked for me... not a "game changer" but the real water looks much cooler.
I'm glad you are trying to play at least.
Sooner or later the controller support will get better with demanding gamers.

 

I just installed it with wine 1.6 (apparently on wine appdb, the game is working this way, and no graphics bugs are noticed), and....POL crashed. LOL.

 

I would have to install Fallout 3 again to test in a newer version of Wine.

 

Yes, apparently it's working. But I'm not sure to understand everything in the wine appdb description (it's speaking about 64bit, dll, etc...).

Following your guide + newer version of wine, it's not working. But perhaps it worths the try, to avoid the water problems and all (nothing about it in wine appdb).

the link is :

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=14322

 

Dang, not sure why that happens, but someone has to take the time to test these games on newer versions of Wine.
Post the Debug and we can take a look. Maybe there is a specific error that can point us in the right direction.

Geesh, after reading on WineHQs, it reminds me why we use PlayOnLinux. So many stinking instructions with Wine alone.
I was also reminded that Fallout 3 requires Windows Live, but you don't have to use it, just install it.