Launching to a black screen with HUD showing

[se7enex]

 

Spoiler

0 0 Fallout3.esm

1 1 Anchorage.esm
2 2 ThePitt.esm
3 3 StreetLights.esm
4 4 BrokenSteel.esm
5 5 PointLookout.esm
6 6 Zeta.esm
7 7 Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch.esm
8 8 CALIBR.esm
9 9 Advanced Recon Tech.esm
10 a Point Lookout Reborn.esm
11 b Mart's Mutant Mod.esm
12 c ArefuExpandedByAzar.esm
13 d Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow.esm
14 e iHUD.esm
15 f Project Beauty.esm
16 10 aHUD.esm
17 11 DCInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
18 12 AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
19 13 EVE.esm
20 14 Mothership Crew.esm
21 15 Simply Uncut.esm
22 16 3DNPC_FO3.esm
23 17 RH_IRONSIGHTS.esm
24 18 TheInstitute.esm
25 19 Vault 101 Revisited.esm
26 1a RHKBrisaAlmodovar.esm
27 1b Xepha's Dynamic Weather.esm
28 1c 3DNPC_Chapel.esm
29 1d 3DNPC_FO3Generic.esm
30 1e 3DNPC_Factory.esm
31 1f GeorgetownExpansion.esm
32 20 DocLeskosResearch.esm
33 21 3DNPC_QuantumGravity.esm
34 22 3DNPC_LittleBoBeep.esm
35 23 3DNPC_DotsDiner.esm
36 24 3DNPC_Room404.esm
37 25 3DNPC_IRS.esm
38 26 3dnpc_ClaraBella.esm
39 27 RiversideCafe.esm
40 28 3DNPC_Spider.esm
41 29 Crowded Cities Redux.esm
42 2a 3DNPC_Cosmos.esm
43 2b 3DNPC_Village.esm
44 2c 3DNPC_Mortar.esm
45 2d 3DNPC_Slasher.esm
46 2e WastelandGuards01.esm
47 2f 3DNPC_Zynx.esm
48 30 CRAFT.esm
49 31 FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm
50 32 Detect Traps.esm
51 33 tubrrCompound.esm
52 34 xCALIBR.esm
53 35 UF3P - Exotic Caravans.esm
54 36 FCOMaster.esm
55 37 DarNifiedUIF3.esp
56 38 Advanced Recon Tech - Detect Traps.esp
57 39 Detect Traps - DLC.esp
58 3a Detect Traps - Perk.esp
59 3b STDG.esp
60 3c MetroCars.esp
61 3d DC Moods.esp
62 3e FortIndependenceRedesigned.esp
63 3f ArlingtonRestoration.esp
64 40 DCStreet - BS.esp
65 41 Realistic Interior Lighting.esp
66 42 Temple of the Union Overhaul.esp
67 43 The Mantis Imperative - Jello.esp
68 44 HeirApparent.esp
69 45 Another Interior Mod.esp
70 46 FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp
71 47 Advanced Recon Tech FWE.esp
72 48 Advanced Recon Tech.esp
73 49 Advanced Recon Range Finder.esp
74 4a Flashlight-LOS.esp
75 4b JIP Selective-Fire.esp
76 4c PittGalStatsFix - DarnUI.esp
77 4d DynamicCrosshair.esp
78 4e CASM.esp
79 4f The Mantis Imperative - Nasty Zeta No Scaling.esp
80 50 TiesThatBind.esp
81 51 PointLookout Moods.esp
82 52 01AtM - Firefly Ranch.esp
83 53 The Mantis Imperative - Mantis.esp
84 54 FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp
85 55 FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp
86 56 FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp
87 57 FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp
88 58 PiPBoy Light Range x2.esp
89 59 UUF3P - FWE Patch.esp
90 5a tubRRCompound.esp
91 5b A Little Mutant Problem.esp
92 5c Fo3HirezdLincolnRepeater.esp
93 5d Enhanced Weather - Weather Sounds in Interiors.esp
94 5e Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Dynamic Sneak Bonus.esp
95 5f Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Green Tint Remover.esp
96 60 Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Rain.esp
97 61 Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Sandstorms.esp
98 62 Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Weather Machine (Start Game Added).esp
99 63 krzymar-MoonSize_080%.esp
100 64 DCInt_ARoomWithAView.esp
101 65 DCRWAV-FWE Patch.esp
102 66 Flora Overhaul.esp
103 67 K9BreedsPatchDLCPitt.esp
104 68 FeralGhoulTest.esp
105 69 RagdollOverhaulFo3.esp
106 6a Merc Adventurer Armor - eng.esp
107 6b Real Radiation Suit FO3.esp
108 6c Tribal_DX.esp
109 6d EVE Grenade Explosion.esp
110 6e EVE Grenade - FWE Patch.esp
111 6f Millenia_AKS74U.esp
112 70 schematics2.esp
113 71 GNR Enhanced.esp
114 72 Barkskin.esp
115 73 Zeta Turret Drone Karma Fix - MMM Merged.esp
116 74 (TWPC) RIL-UUF3P-DM Patch.esp
117 75 WeaponModKits.esp
118 76 RH_WMK_Bridge.esp
119 77 WeaponModKits - FWE Master Release.esp
120 78 IMPACT.esp
121 79 Blackened FWE + MMM + EVE + Project Beauty.esp
122 7a WeaponModKits - FWE Talon Loot Crash Fix.esp
123 7b RHKBrisaAlmodovar - DLC.esp
124 7c The Pitt Moods.esp
125 7d K9Breeds.esp
126 7e K9BreedsPatchMMM.esp
127 7f lexx_brahmin-variant-Fo3.esp
128 80 RHKBrisaAlmodovar - FWE.esp
129 81 WeaponModKits - BrokenSteel.esp
130 82 WeaponModKits - ThePitt.esp
131 83 WeaponModKits - Zeta.esp
132 84 Chems and Meds Re-Textures Pack.esp
133 85 overhead.esp
134 86 WeaponModKits - OperationAnchorage.esp
135 87 GaryIterrogationHolo.esp
136 88 WeaponModKits - PointLookout.esp
137 89 DIFF WMK.esp
138 8a DIFF.esp
139 8b Blackened RH + FWE + EVE.esp
140 8c FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp
141 8d PLweightadjust.esp
142 8e ChopShopModv13.esp
143 8f NotSoFast.esp
144 90 MoreMapMarkers.esp
145 91 3DNPC_FO3_BrokenSteel.esp
146 92 FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional Restore Tracers.esp
147 93 BaileysCrossingMetro.esp
148 94 CALIBRv14 Ammunition Schematics for FWE-WMK-CRAFT-V1_3-18639.esp
149 95 Shadows and Dust - Southwest DC - Public.esp
150 96 Compiled fixes for Fallout 3 ( compatible with UOFO3P ).esp
151 97 BauPetSupplies.esp
152 98 BBBackpacks-v1-1.esp
153 99 TrentonTowers.esp
154 9a UrgeWashingtonBoS.esp
155 9b K9BreedsMoreDogs.esp
156 9c Dragonskin Tactical Outfit.esp
157 9d Advanced Recon Gear.esp
158 9e Detect Traps - The Traponator 4000.esp
159 9f Museum.esp
160 a0 PotomacSteamworks.esp
161 a1 Tinker Joe fix for UOF3P.esp
162 a2 Dree Perks.esp
163 a3 CanterburyCommonsInteriors.esp
164 a4 A Trail of Crumbs.esp
165 a5 MegatonClinicRefurb.esp
166 a6 RHKBrisaAlmodovar - Custom - PB HD.esp
167 a7 Exeter-Type3-armor.esp
168 a8 BornAgain Outcast v3.esp
169 a9 DragonskinBonusPack.esp
170 aa HKG3.esp
171 ab ZL-ACR.esp
172 ac Paradise Lost - Unique Texture and Icon.esp
173 ad FO3 Wanderers Edition - More Gore.esp
174 ae Armor Repair Kits PL - FO3.esp
175 af Brahmin Dairy Products.esp
176 b0 megalight.esp
177 b1 Dragonskin_for_FWE_2014.esp
178 b2 ACRforFWE.esp
179 b3 (TWPC) BBB-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
180 b4 (TWPC) PLR-UUF3P-ISS Patch.esp
181 b5 Boulevard of Broken Dreams.esp
182 b6 Radio Ownership Fix Fixed.esp
183 b7 IntoTheDeepWoods.esp
184 b8 Existence 2.0.esp
185 b9 Newoffice.esp
186 ba Radio_Neutron.esp
187 bb House.esp
188 bc ZL-SVD-CALIBR.esp
189 bd SVDForFWE.esp
190 be FWEAlienWorkBenchFix.esp
191 bf CouncilSeatFix.esp
192 c0 IntoTheDeepWoods-Forested Overhaul Patch.esp
193 c1 ArefuExpandedByAzar-Radio.esp
194 c2 NewMall.esp
195 c3 3DNPC_Radio.esp
196 c4 Bornagain Zeta Combat Armor Texture Patch.esp
197 c5 MusTechGenRoom.esp
198 c6 RockopolisRebuilt.esp
199 c7 Safe - Safe Regulator HQ.esp
200 c8 PAL - MERGED.esp
201 c9 MTCBigTownRobotFix.esp
202 ca Better RC Church.esp
203 cb FO3NeckChains.esp
204 cc Double barreled shotgun fix.esp
205 cd Conelrad 640-1240.esp
206 ce (TWPC) BBD-FWE Patch.esp
207 cf (TWPC) BFO-MMM-EVE-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
208 d0 (TWPC) BRCC-PB Patch.esp
209 d1 (TWPC) BVR-FWE Patch.esp
210 d2 (TWPC) CMRP-FWE Patch.esp
211 d3 (TWPC) DIFF3-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
212 d4 Fo3HirezdFlamer.esp
213 d5 Fo3HirezdMinigun.esp
214 d6 WinterizedT51bDX.esp
215 d7 Deathclaw Gauntlet Man Opener Armor Piercing Restored.esp
216 d8 (TWPC) GE-UUF3P Patch.esp
217 d9 (TWPC) K9B-MMM-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
218 da (TWPC) MMM-EBTMGFWE-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
219 db (TWPC) PLR-MMM Patch.esp
220 dc (TWPC) RRE-PB-FWE Patch.esp
221 dd (TWPC) TMI-FWE Patch.esp
222 de (TWPC) WD-DIFF3-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
223 df (TWPC) WMK-UUF3P-FWE Patch.esp
224 e0 CPD_General_Patch.esp
225 e1 CPD_Ingestible_Patch.esp
226 e2 YearlingBooksBrisaAlmodovar.esp
227 e3 Mart's Mutant Mod - DC Interiors.esp
228 e4 DeNerfing Colonel Autumns Laser Pistol.esp
229 e5 Xepha's Dynamic Weather - Main + DLC Merged.esp
230 e6 (TWPC) DM-UUF3P-DW Patch.esp
231 e7 PLFewerItems.esp

These are all exclusively from the STEP guide. The issue however is that If I try to launch the game with all of them enabled it just kicks out of the main menu to black screen with some HUD elements showing. I have tried disabling chunks of the plugins and it will then load the menu normally however it seems to be an overall issue as the plugins disabled dont seem to matter as long as "enough" of them are. 

Things I have done;
Cleaned all dirty mods including DLC (Deleted navmeshes still exist for all, uncertain on how to resolve) 
Unpacked all BSAs except vanilla, DCinteriors and FO3UP.

Things I haven't done;
Create a bashed patch
Correct deleted navmesh records

 

[se7enex]

You should be able to load up to 254 plugins with Fallout 3, although I seem to recall that all *.esm and *.esp files use a slot even if the file is not in your load order. This shouldn't be an issue unless you have something like 90 or more inactive plugins in your load order.

 

You might also read the posts in Plugin Limit? and Hitting earlier mod limit of 144 that discusses a similar plugin limit issue.

I resolved this by using the new "Mod limit remover" or whatever it's called on the FO3 Nexus, that thing is a life-saver. 

[se7enex]

After some various attempts it would seem I have a plugin limit of 162. Weird. Any ideas? (It doesn't matter what I enable or disable as long as it's 162 or lower it loads) 

[Greg]

You should be able to load up to 254 plugins with Fallout 3, although I seem to recall that all *.esm and *.esp files use a slot even if the file is not in your load order. This shouldn't be an issue unless you have something like 90 or more inactive plugins in your load order.

 

You might also read the posts in Plugin Limit? and Hitting earlier mod limit of 144 that discusses a similar plugin limit issue.

[Greg]

I see Mod Limit Bug Fix right at the top of the hot mods section, but this is really curious because I don't remember having run into a mod limit with Fallout 3. I know Fallout New Vegas had a mod limit of around 140 or so plugins due to a bug in the game engine that Bethesda never fixed, but I didn't know this was a thing in Fallout 3 as well.