Fallout 3

About this mod

This module turns Fallout 3 into a survival horror sandbox like none other.

Requirements
Permissions and credits
Changelogs
I should have done this years ago, but, better late than ever.
Feel free to modify this. It has other people's assets in it, so use this mod as a requirement as opposed to repacking stuff here and getting yourself banned.

But yeah, modify stuff. Go mental. It's yours.






==> !!!Please read the FAQ if you have a bug/questions!!! <==
We will not answer questions/problems covered by the FAQ
Seriously. I even said please. We are tired of people still failing to do this






Obscurum is a Fallout 3 overhaul with a twist for horror and survival, laid out in a sandbox style.
What once was a gratuitous shooter with assured victory, is now an actual horror simulator.
Obscurum drags you out of your comfort zone and tells you you're no longer the big shot ruling the Wasteland



You are alone now. No more traders, vendors or settlements.
There's just you, the wildlife, cannibals, anomalies, and a legion of many more monsters ready to take your life or scare you lifeless.
And boy, are they good at what they do.

Whereas in the past, 50% of your enemies died by one shot to the head, and 75% by the second in head or torso, you'll find that percentage dropped five times at least. And those cannibals aren't alone, and they aren't all pushovers. Ever heard of pack mentality?

Every bullet counts, and stealth and evasion are skills vital to your survival.
No more Raiders or Enclave that are nothing more but walking ammo-refills.
Resources are scarce, and the only enemies you can loot are huddled up in places that make sense.
Don't expect to find a stray cannibal. They own the towns now, and you're not invited.



A flimsy "realism" mod that claims game-breaking changes while just changing game values such as bullet damage or loot lists.
Obscurum doesn't attempt to change your game by twisting the cogs and chisel your experience a little.
It changes the game completely, to the point that you no longer recognize the experience you were so used to.

Obscurum also doesn't come with a primary needs system of sorts. It's your choice to install one.
Foods aren't changed in any way, so it's perfectly compatible. You'll just have a harder time finding nourishment.



Most quests, including the Main Quest, are gone. This is not an overthrowing of the lore.
Obscurum is simply intended to be experienced as a true Sandbox Survival game. You make your own goals, which shouldn't be too hard.
One hint: You'll need bobby pins, guns, lots of ammo and various other supplies.

Anomalies now roam the Wasteland, and they're difficult to fight.
Seeing as they are beings defying the laws of physics, a low level player would be wise to avoid or flee from them upon detection.

Insect swarms infest some of your enemies. Upon the death of their host, they will be released and attack you instantly.
Most commonly with Ghouls and lesser Mutants. Being tiney creatures, guns are very ineffective, giving new purpose to explosives and flamethrowers.
(removed in Beta.11 due to instability)

Many of the new enemies have custom scripts, giving them a much more interesting, and challenging experience than you are used to.
We'll try not to spoil any of them, but rest assure: they're a nasty surprise.

Cannibals are now a large part of the game. They are inspired by "The Road".
A film I never liked due to how depressing it was, but a good idea is a good idea.
Cannibals are, besides you, the only humans left and are a kind of sub-human beings who have devolved due to generations of poor nourishment, illiteracy and inbreeding. You'll notice how their faces are generally malformed.

Weapons now do six times their damage. Much like real life weapons, it makes them quite more deadly.
This also affects mod-included weapons, so no need to worry about other mods ruining the balance.

This mod is generally compatible with anything. But most standard things have been replaced or removed.
So the mod itself might not play as big of a role as it should.
But strictly performance-wise: I see little problems unless it's heavily scripted. All heavily scripted mods tend to cause problems with one another.

Also, speaking of performance:
All NPCs are removed from the game through a script which dumps them into a dummy cell, and gives them a script package to stay put.
This is a very safe way to do it and should not cause crashes.



Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition


OR

Fallout 3 with all of the DLC


Indeed, all of the Fallout 3 DLC (yes, all five)


A method to enable plugin files/mod manager (see below)



- More spooky effects -
- More improvements for the player house -
- More bosses to ruin your sleep -
- Implementation of DLC resources in an unusual way -
- A revamp of the karma system into something completely different -
- More scares, horrors and all that good stuff -
- New Alternate Start (this'll make any other Alternate Start mods incompatible) -
- New Hunger System -
- ?????????? ?? ???? -
Obscurum is far from done with you.





If you use no Mod Manager at all:
- Drop the files in your data folder (Fallout 3/Data)
- Open your Fallout 3 launcher and go to Data Files
- Tick on Obscurum - Unnatural Selection.esp

If you use the Nexus Mod Manager
- Click the Download With Manager button
- Double click the installed mod in the 'Mod' tab

If the Nexus Mod Manager is being annoying regarding downloading (NMM is in Beta, it happens) and you don't want to wait for it to clear up, use the method below.
- Download the file
- Start your Nexus Mod Manager up for Fallout 3
- Go to the 'Mods' tab
- Click the drop down menu next to the first puzzle piece and select Add Mod from File
- Navigate to the downloaded file and double click it
- It should show up in your Mods list, double click it there to install, NMM handles the rest


Alternate start mods !!!HIGHLY suggested!!! as the original vault quest is untested and reportedly buggy up until Beta.11
Alternate start 0.2 - Roleplayers plus Grognak the Barbarian: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/3339
Alternate start 0.3 - Roleplayers: http://games.softpedia.com/dyn-postdownload.php?p=53500&t=4&i=1
(v0.3 is linked in the v0.2 comments section and is suggested if v0.2 crashes/bugs out on you)

IMPORTANT: Beta.12 WILL feature it's own Alternate Start!
Running an Alternate Start mod and Beta.12 may crash/bug/screw your game.
Don't say I didn't warn you.


Mods that give you primary needs
RI - Primary Needs: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/2125
IMCN - Imps More Complex Needs: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/11418
(use only one!)

Medical realism mod Creating real consequences for injuries and crippled limbs
Real Injuries: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/834

Music Replacer that fits the mood Scary/dark/creepy is the way to go
Existence 2.0 - Robot Radio: http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/5612


Q: Is this mod compatible with Fallout Wanderers Edition?
A: It's supposed to be. Past experiences have shown it to be. Whether it will continue to be... Well, maybe.
FWE is outdated and largely unsupported by their creators, while Obscurum still sees active development.
On the other hand, the modding technologies for Fallout 3 have stagnated. Meaning there's no odd update that'll shock and change the modding technology.
In short words: It might be, it should be, but there's a chance some stuff might pop out of an unexpected corner. And since everyone's load order is unique to them, it'll be up to you then to figure out whether it's Obscurum, FWE, or something else causing the bug or crash.

Q: I have a mod that adds certain NPC's to certain locations (Like, say, Megaton). How will they be affected?
A: They will probably have no problem being placed, but they'll likely be attacked by Cannibals or other predators.
Expect them to die fast, unless they're overpowered. In which case, they'll ruin the balance of your game.
Either way, it's a good idea to turn off mods that add NPC's unless they're in a secluded location.

Q: Where is the Player Home?
A: It's called the Secret Player Home. And it's secret. So I can't tell you, so don't bother asking in the comments.
(PSSSSSSSSST, I heard someone gave a clue somewhere in the comments. Someone with a powdered wig on his head and a little short on sanity.)
(Just @#$%&ing look for all the posts by RJ the Shadow in the topic - you can use advanced search for that - and you should see me give a VERY obvious hint somewhere.)

Q: How do I do a 'clean save'?
A: It's really simple and barely a bother:
1. You disable the .esp file in your load order. You should know by now how to do that.
2. Load your savegame. When it says that there's a plugin file missing, ignore it and just continue. That's perfectly normal.
3. Save your game right after its loaded.
4. Enable the .esp file and load your savegame.
5. You're now able to sleep again.

Q: Any guns below a certain repair percentage get an ungodly amount of jamming.
A: That is an intended feature, but it's effect has been nerfed somewhat in Beta10.
Keeping your gun in shape is a vital task during survival, encouraging you to see melee as another option while assessing a hostile situation.
Be it because your gun is unreliable, or to preserve it's precious state and keep it for a moment you'll really need it.

Q: Obscurum would be way better without requiring all of the DLC.
A: First, no. Second, again no. Third, read the question below.

Q: I crash when enabling only Fallout3.esm and Obscurum - Unnatural Selection.esp
A: Obscurum requires all of the Fallout 3 DLC. There's no way around it as Obscurum uses DLC resources and plans to put them to well use.
If this is your one complaint about Obscurum, rest assure, we've heard you.

Q: Something happens/goes wrong during the original Vault quest/character creation
A: Either do the Vault/character creation quest with the mod disabled until you're out, or scroll up a little and use an alternate start mod per your preference. As it stands, the original Vault quest bugs out on some people, reporting strange behaviour. You can try, but at your own risk.

Q: I am encountering another problem/bug that's not listed
A: Make sure to narrow it down to Obscurum actually causing the bug.
To test this, you can use the Clean Save method. Disable Obscurum, load your save, but create a new save this time. (consider it your 'testing' save)
With Obscurum disabled, try to replicate the bug or simply cause it again.
If it does, it's clearly not Obscurum causing it, and you can revert to using your earlier save without losing any Obscurum progress.
If it doesn't, then you're either dealing with a genuine bug (which you should report in the comments) or an incompatibility.

Running a lot of mods will not only hinder operation of other mods, but also possibly damage your savegame.
Don't forget that corrupt saves happen more often than you think.
It takes only a few mistakes from a modder to cause permanent damage to your save, and you'll only be able to tell when it's too late.
So be sure to check other mods from unexperienced modders.

Yes, even a simple gun-mod can cause savegame damage if it's not properly compiled or put together.
So starting a new game to replicate a bug is commonly one of the best methods.

Q: The anomalies keep shaking/killing me!
A: Try sneaking away from them. Or when running, try using your environment in your advantage.
Remember that Enemy AI in Fallout 3 is COMPLETELY INCAPABLE of doing any jumps whatsoever. It's true, go try it!

Q: How do I join the Testing Team?
A: Mention in the comments that you want to be part of the Team (but say more than that. Make your post worthwhile!) and create an account on our forums. Once we've caught on within a few days, your account should be approved and you'll have access to the rest of the Forums and be part of the Testers team. From there on out, you can read what you can/need to do.
Everything's up in the air right now, please stay tuned to the comments section if you are interested.

Q: I'm scared! I've fallen and I can't get up...
A: That's what the Duck edition is for, under Optionals. It features only the disappearing NPC's.
WARNING: Not officially supported and probably out of date, since our Beta focus is on the whole package right now.
Obscurum was kind of meant to be cruel...

Q: I have this great idea, namely [Insert Idea Here], whatcha think?
A: Glad to see you bringing ideas! Be sure to post them in the comments section so it doesn't go to waste.
As said, this is Beta and we're still very much in the growing phase. We have our own plans though, so we can't guarantee your idea will make it in, but we'll sure try.

Q: Are you guys looking for good screenshots?
A: In short: YES!!! :D
Really, we love it when people show pictures of their Obscurum experience.
Especially the ones that show the atmosphere from unique and beautiful angles.
But either way, don't be shy to share them!

Q: You guys s*ck. Obscurum is mean and unfair!
A: We speak with no sarcasm when we say thank you for the compliment.

Beta11 (and older) related questions

Q: The Player Home has invisible walls.
A: Our bad! Expect this to be fixed in the next version.
Actually, no, that's not true. In reality, the walls are made out of sub-dimensional matter and will protect you against radioactive Metal Unicorns. They insta-kill you. With their HORNS.

Q: The Plague Doctor keeps having this red <!> error around him
A: That's a missing mesh error in Beta.9. You can download and install the original Plague Doctor armor and it should be fixed, you don't even need to enable it's .esp file if you don't want to. You can also simply update to the latest Obscurum.

Q: After some playing, I suddenly can no longer sleep. (which is bad news if you're using a Primary Needs mod of sorts)
A: That's another small bug, or accident rather in Beta.9. It occurs when you seek healing from the Plague Doctor while suffering from The Pestilence. What was intended to be a script dealing 9999 damage to you over 8 seconds, was swapped to 8 damage over 9999 seconds. The easy way to fix this is to simply create a clean save.

We do not 'officially' provide support for older versions of Obscurum and the Duck version.
We still might if we're in a good mood though.





Atmospheric pics vault
Click for full-size (middle click to open in a new tab)





Handpicked by us, requirements:
- atmospheric enough
- no HuD
- only have NPC's of the mod itself (unless they fit in well enough)
- no stuff from other mods (unless they fit in really, really well)