Broken Steel bugs

Bugs and glitches/exploits in the Fallout 3 DLC pack Broken Steel.

Important note: Please try to use correct grammar and spelling when posting a bug/glitch. If you have a legitimate issue, don't be ashamed. By all means, post your issue--your posts help improve this game. If you see an error on a post, edit it. Also, for the convenience of others and for yourself, be sure to include the game version in which the bug/glitch occurred (i.e. Xbox 360, PC, PS3) in parenthesis at the end of your post. Remember, this is a public site. Act professional and refrain from using the wiki as a source of "trolling." Thanks.

Installation

 * Several noted gameplay bugs are due to users not having installed the latest Fallout 3 patch before playing with Broken Steel installed. Broken Steel does not enforce the 1.5 patch, but it does need it for full compatibility. Check your version: From the title screen, select Settings, then Display. In the lower left hand corner, you'll then see the update number.


 * May 5th, 2009 - PC release downloads via Microsoft Games for Windows Live. Upon completion of download in the G4WL client a message may read: "Install of item Broken Steel failed. Not a cryptographic message or the cryptographic message is not formatted correctly. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8009200D)" This will happen after repeated downloads and the 'retry' button on the G4WL client will not work. Upon investigation of the DLC files themselves (located in C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\GFWLive\Downloads the winrar archive containing the DLC is corrupt and will not extract with Winrar or 7z. Note that this renders the whole DLC unusable. The DLC is currently not available to download from G4WL possibly due to this fault. Hopefully there will be more information after a day or two as to whether it's fixed or not.


 * Some users at the official forums have reported success downloading the DLC while Fallout 3's game client was running in the background. With Fallout 3 minimized, return to the GFWLive client, open 'My Media' tab, select 'Entire History' and download Broken Steel again.  This seems to only work for some in the United States with more sporadic results elsewhere.

There also seems to be a temporary mod fix for a specific part of the DLC, but as no one can actually get a hold of it at this time, it isn't much use yet.


 * if you have it installed, you may need to take off the unofficial patch that stops you from completing the game before installing Broken steel (Windows only)


 * May 7th, 2009 - PC release is once again available for purchase through Games for Windows Live.

Gameplay

 * May 5th, 2009 - A bug after the download of Fallout 3: Broken Steel is if you have not completed The American Dream, you may freeze within 5 feet of Elder Lyons and be unable to talk or move. The quest does not continue, and Elder Lyons does not speak.  Weapons cannot be draw upon entrance to laboratory.
 * To fix this, tell Sentinel Lyons that you aren't ready. Go out to the courtyard, and come back in to say that you are ready (needs conformation).


 * May 5th, 2009 - Attempting to gain the laser pistol next to the mini nuke at the end of  the Presidential Metro results in the player becoming stuck and unable to get out without loading to the most recent save.


 * May 5th, 2009 - After installation of Broken Steel, and completion of original story line, some characters do not reward XP. (Ex: Super Mutant Behemoth at Capitol Building, and his companions.)


 * May 5th, 2009 - After installing Broken Steel, Scribe Rothchild becomes glitched while trying to complete the quest, Picking up the Trail. He tells you to follow him to gain information about Vault 87, but he does not move and you cannot speak to him again.
 * I had this happen without the DLC right after the 1.5 update. I pushed Rothchild out to the map and once he got there, he started talking and the quest proceeded normally. Rothchild was in the area behind the map in a room with a sleeping soldier; it was the first time I had seen him there at that point of the quest, and wondered if the game couldn't figure out how to get him to the map automatically.


 * May 6th, 2009 - Attempting to start a new game - after completing the events of when the main character is 10 years old, the game stops responding, yet the player can still look around. Rather than Jonas taking the picture leading to a cutscene, the flash occurs and after that you are permanently stuck standing there with your father.


 * May 6th, 2009, reported incidents of an "invisible barrier" appearing any certain points i.e., the utility door up the earth mount and the door to tesla coil leaving players trapped if they jumped in, this bug is on the Xbox 360 version, only one barrier appears to have dodgy coding and blocks important in-game places


 * May 6th, 2009 - After getting the Puppies! perk, there is a reported incident of no longer being able to hire any follower other than Dogmeat's Puppy, even if the puppy is dead or outside Vault 101. Someone has created a mod fix for users of the PC version: http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6208. A related incident found that--on at least one occasion--if the player character kills Dogmeat's Puppy, even accidentally, the puppies appear to stop respawning and the player still will not be able to add any other followers. It's possible that the player may have to wait weeks for a puppy respawn, but theory hasn't yet been tested. (Xbox 360 & PC) (confirmed)


 * May 6th, 2009 - Fawkes disappears after the end of Take It Back!
 * Look for him outside of Project Purity. If you fired him before you went inside the chamber you can find him at Project Purity rather than the Museum of History.


 * May 5th, 2009 - After completing Take it Back!, everybody uses dialog for when the Purifier is taken by the Brotherhood such as, "The Purifier is ours!" and will make it hard to talk to them about quest related things.


 * May 7th, 2009 - After the Two Weeks Later screen, character wakes up under the gurney. Game gets stuck at this point--it doesn't freeze, but the camera just stays there under the gurney and nothing happens.
 * Possible fix for PC in patch 1.5.


 * May 8th 2009 - After the Two Weeks Later screen, regardless of your decision, you get stuck with no HUD visible obviously waiting for Lyons to approach you but he gets stuck on his way and you cant do anything. Just make sure you have latest patch installed and it works no problem.


 * May 8th 2009 - If you have not completed the mission to escort Dr. Li and other members of Project Purity to the Citadel, you find a pulse barrier in the door that pass from sewers to enclave subs, and Three Dog (a RG) speaks about pure water in two weeks.


 * May 8th 2009 - After emerging on the Air force base side of the presidential metro, pulling up the world map shows that you are still in the capitol wasteland, under the White house. However, leaving the metro and heading outside brings up a new world map for the air force area itself.


 * Upon making any choice at the Purifier (Sacrifice, Send Lyons), the ending cutscene plays, a loading screen comes up, but then the games crashes.


 * May 9th, 2009 - After leaving Old Olney in the "Shock Value" quest, the game crashes when trying to quick, auto, or normal save.
 * Problem solved by installing correct language version of the 1.5 update (PC)
 * I have experienced similar problems exactly as described above. However, correct language version of the patch is already installed, with no improvement. (PC)

just say he has no time for you
 * May 9th 2009- when going back to the citadel to turn in the cords Rothchild will not open a talk frame and


 * May 9th 2009 - When you beat the final chapter, ending movie shows and after that 2 weeks later screen never appears, player just keeps lying on the floor of rotunda.(PC)
 * this is probably because of custom race mod. changing your race to a normal one before starting the purifier should solve this problem.


 * May 9th 2009 - When getting into the Tranquility Lounger in Vault 112, the screen flashes as usual but the player is never taken to Tranquility Lane, remaining stuck sitting in the lounger unable to do anything but look around.


 * May 9th, 2009 - When entering Tranquility Lane, Doc is immediately hostile. After Activating Failsafe Terminal, if you exit Tranquility Lane, you stay the child, and have no Pip-Boy, just a watch.


 * May 9th, 2009 - When talking with MARGoT, approximately one-third of her lines have no voice-over, and are skipped after a split-second, and at least one dialog tree causes a game crash. (PC)


 * May 10th 2009 - After Sarah's "So much for celebrating" dialogue if Fawkes is told to enter the code, his dialogues are not heard, and when he enters the room, he just stands at a place until there is the explosion. Also when the player himself enters the code, he wakes up below the bed and hence unable to get up. (PC)


 * May 10th 2009 - Game crashes when selecting a perk at level 23. (PC)


 * May 10th, 2009 - After speaking to Elder Lyons about the events of the past two weeks, he directs you to Scribe Rothchild. After asking Rothchild for an update on the situation, he tells you to follow him to the map, but he fails to lead you there, instead carrying on with his daily routine. Similar to Locating Vault 87 Glitch

Minor Glitches

 * May 5th, 2009 - GNR may begin playing information about the completed Project Purity, discussing plot details ahead of time. (confirmed Xbox 360, PC)
 * May 5th, 2009 - Liberty Prime may not hit the wall to the relay station, and the wall may just fall apart without any motion from Prime a few seconds later.
 * May 5th, 2009 - Follower could not leave the room that the player appears in after Take It Back! Pushing the follower through the open doorway fixes the problem.
 * May 6th, 2009 - Some followers do not appear beside your bed when you wake up after completing take it back. This happened to me with Charon and  Butch. To repair this you can exit the area, re-enter and they will be waiting beside your hospital bed in the citadel.
 * May 6th, 2009 - Star Paladin Cross refuses to follow you when she appears beside your hospital bed in the citadel after you've completed take it back. After telling her to follow you she stays put, yet her dialogue options change as if she was following you. The only way to repair this is to fire and re-hire her.
 * Not a glitch, as the purifier has only just started cleaning the water in the basin, which hasn't affected the whole basin let alone the wasteland yet.


 * May 6th, 2009 - If you kill the Feral Ghoul Reaver with an Alien Blaster, the screen may turn green until the Reaver is an ash pile.
 * May 6th, 2009 - while outside the enclave mobile platform, dropped a Heavy Incinerator from the Pip-Boy. After exiting Pip-Boy, Incinerator became attached to characters leg and pulled him up into the air to the ceiling of the level. If you pick the object back up it will cause your character to fall to it's death.
 * While in the Citadel, things can get extremely glitchy at times. During Broken Steel, for example, when going into third-person view character may not display properly.
 * May 7th, 2009 - Mind controlled deathclaws that are obeying you sometimes die for no apparent reason. Fortunately the optional quest event to use the deathclaws is still completed even if you have only had one follow for a few steps.
 * That is because Scribe Vallincourt says that she is uncertain about what is going to happen if you get too far away from the deathclaw that you are controlling.


 * May 7th, 2009 - Paladin Bael, the unnamed boss paladin and the Sentry Bot in front of the Citadel main gate disappear after Take It Back! quest is completed. (Xbox 360 & PC versions) Raider will Spawn when fast traveling to citadel and attack you and continue to respawn every three days.(PC)
 * May 8th, 2009 - The game freezes upon reaching level 21, distributing skill points and picking a perk. Possible freeze occurring at lower levels on PC.
 * May 8th, 2009 - Sometimes Enclave Soldiers will be seen around the Capital Wasteland without having reached the appropriate stage of the main quest. This author found Enclave Soldiers around Dukov's Place without having made it that far in the main quest, and experienced the GNR plot details bug mentioned above. (confirmed Xbox 360 & PC)
 * May 8th, 2009 - Most if not all edibles that previously gave your character radiation have the effect stated as "+0 rads." For example, Nuka-cola's description is similar to "+10 HP, +0 rads."
 * May 9th, 2009 - After installation of both the official 1.5 Patch and the Broken Steel DLC, GNR disappears from the radio menu and will not play on any of the radios in the Wasteland. Radio will be silent, yet Three Dog himself is not affected in anyway
 * May 10th 2009 - After downloading the DLC (and correct patch), I proceeded to complete it using a Good character I had made before the DLC was released. At the purifier, I told Fawkes to put in the code. It happened successfully and I woke up in the Citadel hospital with Fawkes waiting for me. I then proceeded to do the rest of the DLC and completed it, with Fawkes in tow the whole time. Then I went into my Bad character and again, went straight for the 'final' mission. With no companion with me, I ordered Sarah to activate it (after putting the FEV virus in first). Once I had awoken I was shocked to see a dead Fawkes in the hospital with me. I had killed Fawkes in vault 87 before downloading the DLC. Thinking nothing more of it, I proceeded to complete the DLC with Dogmeat on my side. He died in the White House Metro Tunnels (I had the puppies perk so wasn't too worried). I completed Broken Steel the Evil way (destroying the Citadel). After that, I went on to do the Pitt DLC, once again on the 'Evil' side (helping Ashur). Once I used the cart to RETURN to the Capital Wasteland, the message came up saying Fawkes has returned to The Museum Of Natural History. Curious, I traveled there. Behind one of Griffons signs was again Fawkes body, complete with the Super Sledge which I never looted. As far as I know, there are no bad effects on the game.
 * May 10th 2009 - Cannot select Quantum Chemist perk at level 23. Requirements state level 22 only.  Possible requirement extras not mentioned?
 * May 10th, 2009 - (Following up GNR disappearing from menu) Upon completion of Agatha's Song, she normally offers the player the frequency to her radio station. Upon completion in this run-through, she offers the radio frequency, but much like GNR and Enclave radio, the frequencies do not appear in the Pip-boy radio list.
 * May 11th, 2009 - Fawkes will only lose the first notch of health, and after that be completely invincible.
 * May 11th, 2009 - Dogmeat dialog has 'Goodbye, Dogmeat' instead of 'Let s go, Dogmeat'. No biggie, but I made a quick save before clicking it for the first time. Not sure if it s 1.5 or BS (Confirmed PC).
 * May 11th 2009 - Hand grows very long as if wearing Deathclaw gauntlet when said gauntlet is not equipped (Unsure of cause. Clearing hard drive cache solves this glitch.)
 * May 11th 2009 - Holy Water Pamphlet : If you stand in front of your door house and take & read the note saving the game and then reloading the game, the note will appear again. The same will appear on any other door that the note exist. Found out on Xbox 360 and PC versions.
 * May 11th 2009 - After finish the last quest Who Dares Wins and your back on Citadel. Go on Lab section and you will find Liberty Prime body parts. His head is near the two Tesla Cannons. If you go back to Satellite Relay Station he's head will still be there too and you still talk with Prime. Result that there are two Liberty Prime Head in the game meaning that this is a bug. Found out on PC version
 * May 12th 2009 - When fast traveling to megaton with a mind controlled deathclaw it will appear alongside you and will attempt to kill the inhabitants (and will most likely succeed). (PC)
 * May 12th 2009 - Feral Ghoul Reavers upper bodies may start spinning around with such speed that they cannot be manually targeted, while lower body behaves and moves normally. Most likely related to the glitch that they cannot be damaged. (PC, 1.5)
 * May 12th 2009 - Aqua Pura crates were in front Evergreen Mills, even though the purifier hadn't been activated yet - James hadn't even been rescued from Tranquility Lane. (Xbox 360 and PC)

Installation

 * Several noted gameplay bugs are due to users not having installed the latest Fallout 3 patch before playing with Broken Steel installed. Broken Steel does not enforce the 1.5 patch, but it does need it for full compatibility. Check your version: From the title screen, select Settings, then Display. In the lower left hand corner, you'll then see the update number.
 * NOTE (Xbox 360): The most annoying glitch seems to be when you try to save the game, or simply autosave. As frequent as 1 in 10 times throughout the wasteland the game freezes after you input the save action. Also once the Xbox is restarted the save is logged, but cannot be loaded without the game freezing again - most frustrating!

Gameplay

 * May 5th 2009 - Broken Steel has a big bug on the Xbox 360. When you beat the final chapter, the "2 weeks later" never appears, and the "Settings" menu, and downloads area, become "sticky" and glitchy.
 * Download it again and wait a bit it should say Broken Steel has been loaded cap raised to 30


 * May 5th 2009 - Broken Steel has a bug on the Xbox 360 version, stopping players from activating Project Purity. Sarah Lyons becomes stuck on dialogue (when you choose not to kill col. Autumn) and does not initiate the dialogue choice of who should activate the purifier. Alternatively, if you do, she simply states "Let's make sure the control is secure before we do anything else," and will not continue. However, it is still possible to level up to level 30 and the improved enemies can still be found throughout the Wasteland.
 * It seems many people who experiencing this bug have not yet updated to version 1.5.


 * May 5th, 2009 - Broken Steel has a bug on the Xbox 360 version, greatly impeding progress for the players to reaching Project Purity. The Enclave soldiers apparently become invincible and do not take any damage unless inflicted by Liberty Prime, Sarah Lyons, or car explosions. Liberty Prime may also disappear.
 * May 6th, 2009 - during the "Shock Value" quest after entering Old Olney and shooting a deathclaw with a plasma rifle. All deathclaws in the local vicinity proceeded to fly directly up in the air (about 6 in all) (Xbox 360)
 * Confirmed not to happen in all cases - i.e., not seen.


 * May 6th, 2009 - Using multiple followers (neutral-karma RL3 Wait-Fire-Rehire glitch), this player fired all but RL3 just prior to entering the Rotunda and engaging Col. Autumn. Upon waking up from the coma (beginning of Broken Steel's main quest line), only RL3 returned home at any point, and Charon could be seen standing on an inaccessible roof atop the Jefferson Memorial.  The other two companions (Butch and Clover) were nowhere to be found. (Xbox 360)
 * May 6th, 2009 - After getting the Puppies! perk, there is a reported incident of no longer being able to hire any follower other than Dogmeat's Puppy, even if the puppy is dead or outside Vault 101. Someone has created a mod fix for users of the PC version: http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6208. A related incident found that--on at least one occasion--if the player character kills Dogmeat's Puppy, even accidentally, the puppies appear to stop respawning and the player still will not be able to add any other followers. It's possible that the player may have to wait weeks for a puppy respawn, but theory hasn't yet been tested. (Xbox 360 & PC) (confirmed)
 * May 7th, 2009 - After Broken Steel update, during Those! quest while in Marigold Station, player can become permanently stuck in VATS while action continues very slowly in background. (Xbox 360)
 * May 7th, 2009 - Clover vanished after the events of Take it Back!, much later in the Broken Steel quest line a message said she returned to Paradise Falls, but cannot be re-hired, possibly related to the above Puppies! perk error, however, upon re-loading an earlier save and zoning in and out of the hospital, Clover was there and working as usual. (Xbox 360)
 * May 7th, 2009 - The FEV virus  is considered "put in" if it is in your inventory upon entering the Rotunda rather than you having to put it in the console by the entrance to the Purifier (Xbox 360)
 * This doesn't seem to be a general problem; a sample of four saved games on three 360's did not see this bug.


 * May 8th 2009 - In the tunnels on the way to Adams air force base, Feral Ghoul Reaver's glitch so that you cannot damage them, and if suffering knock back from the Gauss Rifle their mesh stretches through the wall and down the tunnel. they seemingly cannot damage your companion if glitched in this way. (Xbox 360) (Confirmed)
 * May 10th 2009 - After giving Scribe Rothchild a camera to help fix Liberty Prime, Rothchild disappears from the Citadel with no explanation. (Xbox 360)
 * May 10th 2009 - Overall instability when going between areas. For instance: cannot enter the elevator in Tenpenny Tower. Click "A" to get on the elevator, screen goes black, loading radar spins, eventually freezes. Factors which may be related to this bug: Apartment in Tenpenny Tower. I'm carrying 2 bobbleheads. The same thing happens then I try to get into the mill to sell found ingots. (Xbox 360)
 * May 11th, 2009 - After completing the mission Take it Back! on one account the radio dialogue will play on another as if the player had already completed the quest. This can spoil the story line for players. (Xbox 360)
 * This bug actually happens regardless of whether or not you complete the game on a separate account. I was playing through on my first character after downloading Broken Steel and while working on Finding the Garden of Eden, I heard radio dialogue referring to the end of the original story.

Minor glitches

 * May 5th, 2009 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXtFfZDqD3w Adams Air Force Base Map Glitch, walk outside the map on Xbox 360
 * May 5th, 2009 - GNR may begin playing information about the completed Project Purity, discussing plot details ahead of time. (confirmed Xbox 360, PC)
 * May 5th, 2009 - Unable to save games in Fallout 3 after Broken Steel has been downloaded (Xbox 360 version). Doing so creates "Disc is Unreadable" error.  Autosave still works.  After getting the "Unreadable" error, cannot get to the loading screen to load another saved point.
 * May 5th, 2009 - Reported incident of Lyons' Pride, apart from Sarah Lyons, refusing to cross the bridge en route to Project Purity. (Xbox 360)
 * May 6th, 2009 - Once you have beaten the game and move on to the "2 weeks later" section the Pip-Boy display stays blank. Saving and reloading the game fixes this minor glitch. (Xbox 360)
 * May 6th, 2009 - After Take it Back!, water in the Capital Wasteland still radiates you. (Xbox 360)
 * May 7th, 2009 - Dead bodies out on the Adams AFB turf disappear and are not able to be looted. (Xbox 360)
 * May 7th, 2009 - Enclave mind-controlled deathclaws attack PC even if the player has the deathclaw mind control device on them. (Xbox 360)
 * May 7th, 2009 - Paladin Bael, the unnamed boss paladin and the Sentry Bot in front of the Citadel main gate disappear after Take It Back! quest is completed. (Xbox 360 & PC versions)
 * May 8th, 2009 - Sometimes Enclave Soldiers will be seen around the Capital Wasteland without having reached the appropriate stage of the main quest. This author found Enclave Soldiers around Dukov's Place without having made it that far in the main quest, and experienced the GNR plot details bug mentioned above. (confirmed Xbox 360 & PC)
 * May 8th, 2009 - Upon Entering Craterside Supply; Billy Creel, Harden Simms, Moira Brown and the Mercenary all fell through the floor. Upon moving in any direction, your character will fall through the floor. (Xbox 360)
 * May 10, 2009 - You can not leave the Tenpenny Tower penthouse without the game locking up. (Xbox 360- Needs confirmation)
 * May 11th 2009 - Holy Water Pamphlet : If you stand in front of your door house and take & read the note saving the game and then reloading the game, the note will appear again. The same will appear on any other door that the note exist. Found out on Xbox 360 and PC versions.
 * May 11th 2009 - After completing all the main story quests on Broken Steel I had Fawkes with me, and I went back to my Tenpenny Tower Suite where I had Dogmeat and Charon waiting and they had disappeared. After a few days had passed in the game a note popped up on the screen saying Dogmeat's puppy is waiting at Vault 101 (I have the Puppies perk) but Charon was still gone. I decided to go to The Pitt and when I got to The Pitt a note popped up on the screen again but this time it said, "Fawkes is waiting in the Museum of History", "Dogmeat is waiting at Vault 101" and "Charon has returned to the Ninth Circle". All of my companions have reappeared now, not sure if this is a glitch. If this has happened to anybody else please confirm. (Xbox 360, 1.5 patch, Operation Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel DLC)
 * May 11th 2009 - After completing Take It Back!, woke up in the Citadel with Fawkes (my companion). The game now freezes every time I try to fast travel and about 75%, if I try to leave the Citadel via the front door. Additionally, after starting a new game, it froze every time I talked to Wally Mack during the birthday party scene. (Xbox 360, 1.5 patch, with The Pitt and Operation: Anchorage downloaded previously with no problems.)
 * May 11th 2009 - There's a glitch to where when you hit level 30. After distributing your skill points and Perk, if you check your Pip-Boy, your level cap will be level 31. It doesn't effect gameplay, can be frustrating. This may be caused by entering a building when you just level up. (Xbox 360)
 * May 12th 2009 - I have noticed that my second save (Xbox 360, Anchorage, Pitt complete, Main Quest unfinished (Following In His Footsteps)) appears to have a bug with the +0 rads stat on consumable items, Pip-Boy states "+0 rads" but on consumption in-game display reads "+1 rads". I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the Armory south of Regulator HQ (Lawbringer Perk) as when I noticed the +1 I was looting the highly radiated area of the armory and was using and Advanced Radiation Suit, Food Sanitizer, Rad-X and copious amounts of Rad Away. Continued after leaving Armory and the affects of drugs wore off and armor switched to Chinese Stealth Armor with Shady Hat and Filtration Helmet. (Xbox 360, most recent patch, Anchorage, Pitt & Broken Steel loaded)
 * My guess is, it has something to do with rounding to closest integer. It looks as if there are 2 formulas, slightly different.
 * It was the same with 20 level cap, before BS. I guess, it s simplified programming of interface.


 * May 12th 2009 - Aqua Pura crates were in front Evergreen Mills, even though the purifier hadn't been activated yet - James hadn't even been rescued from Tranquility Lane. (Xbox 360 and PC)