Fallout3 Cant activate console.

Called bethesda tech support and they say it is a vista problem. My system specs are,

Manufacturer: Gateway
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) 9600 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
Memory: 4 gig CRUCIAL DDR2 PC2-6400
Hard Drive: 488 GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Monitor: 22" Widescreen HD Monitor
Sound Card: Realtek High Definition Audio
Speakers: Logitec 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speakers
Headset: Creative Fatality
Keyboard: Logitec G15 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse: Logitec G9 Gaming Mouse
Mouse Surface: Cheap One
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070627

I found a problem with people having the console come up off screen but mine just isnt coming up at all. Please Help

Do you have a controller attached by any chance? I had a 360 controller attached and the console wouldn't show until I switched to keyboard/mouse.

No sir I do not, I play with the keyboard.

Noone has any ideas? It isnt that big a deal but I have played and beat the game 2 times now the normal way. I didnt even think about enabling console but I was talking to another Fallout3 fan and they said there is some cool stuff you can do with the console. I love the game and want to try it. Everywhere I have checked on the matter I get nothing. I just want some suggestions, things to try, maybe I am a noob and missing something simple. :D Please help

This is from this site:
Fallout 3 console commands - Fallout Wiki - The Vault

For Vista:
C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\Fallout.ini Open the file in a text editor like Notepad. Search for "iConsoleText".

• Set iConsoleTextXPos to 200 or so. Higher figures move console text to the right. This is the main problem.
• IConsoleTextYPos should be approx. 100 or 200 less than your Y resolution. Lower figure moves it up (0 is the top of the screen).

An example for a 1280x1024 (XxY) 5:4 display:
Setting Default New Setting Notes
iConsoleTextYPos 940 900 Y (up/down) pos is 100-200 less than your Y res (here, 1024)

iConsoleTextXPos 30 200 X (left/right) position is higher (which moves it to the right)
You can use a command like help to see if the console works. Even though you can't see the editing line or the cursor, it will flood the console with text.
Alternatively you can repeatedly press TAB before entering a command, this way the text gets pushed to the right and will be readable without affecting the entered text.

Click to expand...

Hopefully this will point you in the right direction

CoolDaddy78 said:

Called bethesda tech support and they say it is a vista problem. My system specs are,

Manufacturer: Gateway
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) 9600 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
Memory: 4 gig CRUCIAL DDR2 PC2-6400
Hard Drive: 488 GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Monitor: 22" Widescreen HD Monitor
Sound Card: Realtek High Definition Audio
Speakers: Logitec 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speakers
Headset: Creative Fatality
Keyboard: Logitec G15 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse: Logitec G9 Gaming Mouse
Mouse Surface: Cheap One
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070627

I found a problem with people having the console come up off screen but mine just isnt coming up at all. Please Help

Click to expand...

I think I should be able to sort this one for you.

when you press the ~ [tilde] does the game pause?

I need to clarify this first as if the game isn't pausing then the console isn't initiating and I know several potential problems and their fixes. If the game does pause then your answer is similar to what smarteyeball mentions.

No it does not pause. It acts as if I did nothing. The game goes on and does not pause.

CoolDaddy78 said:

No it does not pause. It acts as if I did nothing. The game goes on and does not pause.

Click to expand...

The tilde key [~] problem is usually linked to a device driver called eHome MCIR and / or ENE Infared Transmitter /Reciever. This has mainly been seen on systems that have Windows Media Centre installed and have a Microsoft looking remote control (kinda like a dvd player remote) for use within the media centre. Basically the driver of the remote re-assigns several keyboard functions however within windows you shouldn't really notice this an example would be that opening notepad you'd still be able to enter the tilde [~] key.

To clarify if this is the problem you need to open device manager either type 'device manager' in the vista start menu or get to it any other way that you see fit and expand the keyboard section and human interface devices. if you have any of the above within the list simply right click them and uninstall them. You should then be able to open the console within Oblivion.

A work around for the eHome driver is to click update and manually change the driver to "HID-compliant device" this should end the problem without needing to uninstall the device all the time. I've not tested this method personally as I don't really mind uninstalling the device.

Let me know if this fixes the problem for you.

DUDE YOU ARE AWESOME. That worked, now I have the problem with it opening off screen. I can fix that one. Thank you so much man. That was a frustrating little bugger. I am an auto motive technician by trade, specializing in Hondas. If you need any info on them Let me know. :D Thanks again bud.

No worries a pleasure to help Fallout 3 is a great game; in fact the fix above will also work for elder scrolls oblivion as they run on pretty much the same engine.

Hi i have the same problem, but if i uninstall the drivers, wont that cause me other troubles? i mean generally in windows?

Well not really I've been doing the very same thing everytime I play fallout 3 or oblivion as soon as your laptop/pc is rebooted the drivers will be re-installed the only thing it will really effect if the eHome remote control but as I mentioned rebooting will repair that.

I see, i just tried it out, and let me put it this way:

U just got yourself a fan

(made a real rancy heart-thingy, but the spaces got mesed up:D)

Bladtman242 said:

I see, i just tried it out, and let me put it this way:

U just got yourself a fan

(made a real rancy heart-thingy, but the spaces got mesed up:D)

Click to expand...

Glad to hear if you aren't familiar with the usage of the console within fallout 3 or even oblivion just type help and it will give you a good starting point. There are quite a lot of sites that list commands also.

Anyways good luck playing around with fallout 3

Thanks for the tip:D i've been using "the vault" = fallout.wikial.com

Bladtman242 said:

Thanks for the tip:D i've been using "the vault" = fallout.wikial.com

Click to expand...

You could always try downloading GECK [Garden of Eden Construction Kit] its basically the same as the Construction Kit for Oblivion / Morrowind (albiet seriously updated from morrowind ).

GECK is always good for making a weapons that don't jam etc. In fact as Oblivion had the TestingHall cell for storing all of the items/armour/weapons/everything else so does Fallout3 have a testing hall however it is named edifferently "TestQAItems".

If you open up the console and type "COC TestQAItems" without the quotes you will be transported to the testing area. its worth remembering the COC command(translates as 'Centre On Cell') as it will allow you to travel anywhere as long as you have the cell name.

Is the GECK something you download? i thought it was some you achieved ingame?

Is the GECK something you download? i thought it was some you achieved ingame?

Click to expand...

It's both while there is the mission involving an item known as the GECK the idea behind that item is what the Construction Kit actually is.

If you checkout the GECK portion of the Bethesda website Main Page - GECK

You will notice a briefcase on the banner that briefcase is the same style as the GECK item in the game so essentially the GECK within the game is a reference to the Construction Kit.

So downloading it and getting it in-game would result in the same thing?

Bladtman242 said:

So downloading it and getting it in-game would result in the same thing?

Click to expand...

Not exactly; while there is a quest item known as the G.E.C.K. this is merely an object within the game there are hints at what can be achieved with the G.E.C.K. (the item) however, you would still need to download the Garden of Eden Construction Kit to actually mod the game this is where the tie-in lies as the GECK software is what is hinted at by the GECK item as with the software you can redevelop the world in fact because the GECK software is practically the same as the Oblivion Construction Kit with patience you'd be able to re-write the end of the game so that the world of fallout 3 became a tropical paradise. Though it'd spoil the fun lol.