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| {{++}} Various reports indicate properly activating the game, to result in better stability of the game, and resolve some of the down-sides of the NoDRM fix indicated below. | | {{++}} Various reports indicate properly activating the game, to result in better stability of the game, and resolve some of the down-sides of the NoDRM fix indicated below. |
| {{--}} The game still has a chance to crash when using throwables, but due to a more rare occurrence not affiliated with the DRM. | | {{--}} The game still has a chance to crash when using throwables, but due to a more rare occurrence not affiliated with the DRM. |
| + | {{--}} Previous owners of the Steam version can no longer get their CD key due to the feature of viewing it getting removed. The only way to activate the game would be to use your CD key if you backed it up or use another key entirely. |
| }} | | }} |
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Postal III is a singleplayer third-person action, FPS and shooter game in the Postal series.
The game is known for its instability and poor optimization, to the point of being officially disavowed by series creator, Running With Scissors,[1] and even being delisted off Steam in November of 2022. On September 26, 2023, 11 years after the last update, the ZOOM Platform version received the Fart Gun DLC and a set of fixes for multiple long-standing issues, including crashes when throwing items or grabbing a human shield.[2] Few weeks later, on October 13, 2023, the game returned back to Steam with the DRM removed and the bug fixes from the ZOOM Platform release.[3][4]
Versions outside of the original Russian retail release and the DRM-free releases require a workaround to bypass the ActControl DRM; see Use the updated Starforce domain for ActControl DRM activation.
General information
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
- ActControl DRM[5] was removed from the Steam release on October 13th, 2023.
- Retail disc copies released outside of Russia no longer install on Steam via the CD/DVD installer feature, requiring you to download it through Steam itself, or extract it manually.
Version differences
- Russia received 3 different special edition versions. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, a soundtrack CD, a "making of" DVD, a map of Catharsis, and a magnetic Krotchy. The Collector's Edition, in either a big black or pink box, includes the same as the Deluxe Edition but now has an added copy of the Postal movie, an artbook, and a Krotchy plush doll.[6] The Gama-Gama exclusive Гама-edition has the soundtrack, "making of" movie, map of Catharsis, and artbook now in digital form, but also includes other bonuses like a cardboard pattern, the Fart Gun DLC, early access to playing the game, and +1622 bonuses added to your Gama-Gama account.[7]
- Japan received a Special edition which includes the game alongside a pink Krotchy mousepad.[8]
- The game received 3 more updates under Akella's control. Official patch notes (alongside a translated version) here.
- Latest Steam version is slightly different compared to v1.12, most notably being compiled at a later date (January 24 2012) and the cat upgrade icons for certain weapons not showing up.
- The ZOOM Platform 1.2 version includes the Fart Gun DLC weapon and multiple bug fixes, most notably fixing the main issues caused by the No DRM patch, throwing items and taking human shields crashing the game.[2]
- The Steam update from October 13th, 2023 includes the bug fixes from the ZOOM Platform 1.2 version but does not include any of the bonus material, including the Fart Gun.
Monetization
DLC and expansion packs
Name |
Notes |
|
Fart Gun / Гамамет |
An exclusive bonus weapon that was for sale from the Russian digital game key store Gama-Gama, either for pre-ordering Postal III Гама-edition[9] or by buying it individually.[10] The weapon is also available in the retail copies released outside Russia, with an official UI translation into English. Added to the ZOOM Platform version on September 26, 2023.[2] |
|
- A free remake of the addon with both the English and Russian UI translations are available here.
- Doesn't work on every version of the game, it was officially accessible to the player in the v1.10 update if the files were installed.
Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
Delete or rename files[11]
|
Delete or rename logo_1_akella.bik , logo_2_RWS.bik and logo_3_TMS.bik in <path-to-game>\p3\media , and SOURCE_LOGO.bik , NVIDIA.bik in <path-to-game>\p3_english\media . If using the Russian translation, go to p3_russian instead and also delete WARNING.bik in <path-to-game>\p3_russian\media .
|
- Updates released periodically after the original retail release from Russia, previously hosted on both Akella's and Running with Scissors' websites.[12]
- Unnecessary if playing off the Steam or ZOOM Platform release, as those are already updated to the most recent patch.
- Requires an activation key for the Russian version for the DRM, which makes it incompatible with every other version.
- This unofficial patch fixes many mission script issues and bugs, re-balances some weapons and missions, adds extra unused and new voice lines for Postal Dude, as well as missing sound effects for weapons and unused loading screens for several missions.
- Beta Mod Pack and Improvement Mod are incompatible with this patch.
- Effectively an unofficial patch of sorts; fixes many of the game's issues whilst also re-implementing some of the game's missing features/beta content.
- Alternative to the Improvement Mod.
- Fixes various game issues, while focusing on the restoration of beta content.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
Video
In-game general video settings.
In-game advanced video settings.
Input
In-game key map settings.
Audio
Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
Separate volume controls |
|
|
Surround sound |
|
|
Subtitles |
|
Certain languages (such as German) only have subtitles in the FMV cutscenes. |
Closed captions |
|
|
Mute on focus lost |
|
|
Royalty free audio |
|
Licensed music is used throughout the game, but can be disabled by muting the music through options and skipping the FMV cutscenes. |
Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
|
|
|
All translations (except Russian) use English as a base, so they will have English audio and UI assets. |
Brazilian Portuguese |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. |
French |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. |
German |
|
|
|
|
Italian |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. |
Japanese |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. The official Japanese localization is currently lost, and is not in any version, despite official media showing it was translated.[13] |
Polish |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. To fix the characters, follow this guide. |
Russian |
|
|
|
|
Simplified Chinese |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. |
- The ZOOM Platform version as of v1.2 has removed all the extra Source Engine localization files from the game, leaving only the English and Russian localization files. In order to use other languages, you would need to get them from another Source Engine-related project, such as a game or the official SDK, and copy them over to
<path-to-game>\p3\resource
.
Issues fixed
Game doesn't launch
- Postal III has issues with it’s DRM, which has been one of the main suspected reasons for its removal from Steam.
- Doesn’t apply for the current Steam and ZOOM Platform versions.
Use the updated Starforce domain for ActControl DRM activation
|
- On the DRM activation window, select manual activation.
- Then, proceed the activation as usual, but using https://proactive.star-force.com/2.0/activate.php instead of the outdated link specified.
- If you're not getting a prompt window by launching the game (Via Steam or booting up
p3.exe directly), boot up acpc.exe , or boot up p3.exe while holding down either ⇧ Shift or Ctrl. Then you press the manual activation button and continue from there.
- Various reports indicate properly activating the game, to result in better stability of the game, and resolve some of the down-sides of the NoDRM fix indicated below.
- The game still has a chance to crash when using throwables, but due to a more rare occurrence not affiliated with the DRM.
- Previous owners of the Steam version can no longer get their CD key due to the feature of viewing it getting removed. The only way to activate the game would be to use your CD key if you backed it up or use another key entirely.
|
Use the Postal 3 NoDRM patch
|
Use Postal 3 NoDRM.
- Various game mechanics such as throwing items using human shields can crash the game with the NoDRM fix.
- Some of the crashing issues caused by the patch are now fixed with the current Steam version and ZOOM Platform v1.2 update[2] and is preferably recommended to use those versions rather than this patch.
|
FPS is unstable/game is laggy
Edit the autoexec.cfg[14][15]
|
- Go to the configuration file(s) location.
- Open
autoexec.cfg (if it's not there, launch the game once).
- Change
mat_queue_mode -2 to mat_queue_mode 2 .
- Next, add the following lines anywhere you'd like:
physx_enabled 0 (the only noticeable thing this does is that it make the Postal Dude's jacket less flappy but it'll still move about, prevent animation problems and give the user a decent performance boost).
r_threaded_particles 1 (this allows for the game's particle system to be multi-threaded)
r_threaded_renderables 1 (this allows for the game's rendering system to be multi-threaded)
snd_mix_async 1 (this allows multi-core CPUs to run the sound engine with the renderer simultaneously)
ai_expression_optimization 1 (disables NPC expressions whenever those NPCs are off-screen)
-
mat_queue_mode determines the threading mode the material system uses. A value of -1 uses the default for your system, a value of 0 uses synchronous single thread, 1 uses queued single threaded mode, and value of 2 uses multi-threaded mode. The default value is -2, and reading the translated Russian within the default configuation files reveals that this was intentional: multi-threading breaks Postal 3's PhysX implementation when turned on (the coat detaches from the protagonist, along with other physics bugs).
- Doesn’t apply for the ZOOM Platform version as they are included by default inside both
autoexec.cfg and zoom_p3_fix.cfg , alongside a few other commands.
|
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
Direct3D |
9.0c |
|
Shader Model support |
2.0, 2.0b, 3.0 |
|
Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows |
|
|
|
Middleware
Mods
- Allows you to play the game in first person mode. Paste the script in your autoexec.cfg.
System requirements
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
XP |
Vista, 7 |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz Dual Core 2.0 GHz | |
System memory (RAM) |
1 GB |
2 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
13.5 GB | |
Video card (GPU) |
Support for Pixel Shaders 128 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible | |
Notes
References