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Posted by: Voran Oct 24 2010, 05:23 AM

Figured I'd start this thread just as a holding point for any commentary/reviews/impressions of the newest Fallout game. Shall we go for spoiler free?

General impressions. I have this game on PC, as opposed to Fallout 3, which I have on 360. Unlike my earlier Lament on how crappy my experience trying to get Front Mission Evolved to run was, New Vegas runs well on all the ultra settings at my preferred 1680x1050. Some reviewers have noted slowdown with many NPCs on screen, but I haven't.

The release version had some issues with quicksaves/autosaves that since appear to be resolved, but its still recommended to use manual slot saves frequently.

I'm around level 21 right now, I believe the cap is 28. I haven't really touched the main story mission too much, just the stuff that eventually leads you to New Vegas itself. For the mostpart I'm exploring the wastes doing sidequests, and the like.

Playing Hardcore mode, which isn't quite as difficult as I expected. In this case, Hardcore difficulty is a setting that adds sleep, thirst and hunger needs as well as weight to things such as ammo, as opposed to combat difficulty. Still, I have enough water and food and since stimpacks are still weightless, its pretty simple to keep track of. Since you either have to use doctor bag consumables or visit doctors to repair limb damage, you actually tend to visit towns more often than to just sell off your gear. I kind of like it, though I'm pretty sure the majority of my weight carried is still ammo Hardcore mode also makes it possible for companion NPCs to die, so I've had to reload a save or two at times, especially when fighting deathclaws or mutant wasp things.

As for companions themselves, hm, I still have mixed feelings. I welcome the assistance, and it appears you can run with 2 companions. At present I'm using the eyebot and sniper dude. Companions also come with a 'companion perk' while in your party. For the most part I'd say pick companion based on your combat needs (in terms of what attacks they have) as opposed to what perks they bring. Sniper dude companion is long range, much like me, so we tend to blast things from extreme range.

On combat, this version of Fallout introduces iron-sight mechanics similar to FPS, which in some cases appear to override your normal hit percentages. For example, in VATS, at loooong range, its possible for my sniper shot to have 0 to 2 percent chance of hitting. However, at that same distance with manual sighting in a scope, I can blow your head off most of the time. The way I use it, I start off with manual sighting shots, then if I haven't cleared the mob pack, slip to VATS to finish them off when they get into appropriate range. VATS remains useful for fast moving creatures you'd have a harder time manual sighting (things that fly, for example).

Weapons: More variety than Fallout 3, but also oddly not as much at the same time. How? Well, sure there are a bunch of different types of weapons, but because of the new addition of 'threshold' to damage, you often end up with a bunch of different weapons, many of which would be like using a spitwad on a car. So you tend to have to go with the hardest hitting things you can find, which then leads you down a relatively limited path. Its unfortunate, because some of the less effective weapons seem really nice. Weapons can be modded to a degree, but don't expect to find mods on a regular basis, they appear infrequently in store inventories for purchase, but not for all weapons at the same time. Special variants or 'named weapons' appear within each class again, usually superior in 1 or 2 ways to the generic version of that weapon.

It is my hope that in the future the community will add some weapon packs to help expand options a bit.

Armor: I find it odd, but I'm still running in Reinforced Leather armor, which is fairly low tier and low protection. I'm using it largely because I like the way it looks in 3rd person. The NCR ranger armor looks pretty good, and has better protection, but for the time being I don't want to run around in faction armor, as it can influence interactions by parties you meet. Yes New Vegas has more types of armor than Fallout 3, but again, because the way armor attributes are placed, especially on helmets, you tend to find a good piece (like say...a beret that gives +1 Perception and +5 crit chance) versus a goathorned helmet that just gives +1 Perception, even if said goat helmet might look better. Like Fallout 3, Power Armor requires training to wear, which can take awhile, depending on how you go about your game.

They missed an opportunity to make armor modifiable as well. Likewise I find it unfortunate you can't mix and match pieces like say, boots, legs torso, arms, etc. But I can see why due to limitations of the combat setup.

Crafting: Crafting has been tinkered with in New Vegas. Your Survival and Repair skills affect what types of ammo crafting you can do, as well as foodstuffs. Repair is such a vital skill in any Fallout game that its not a chore to build up, but the flipside is that Survival is rather difficult to invest in, especially with the less skillpoints availability in New Vegas. Unfortunately that means most of the miscellaneous foodstuffs you pick up will be not very useful as food recipes have skill minimums. You might have all the ingredients for 'superduperawesome chili' but if you don't have the skillpoints in survival, you can't bake it, even if you 'have' the recipe in your list.

As such, crafting is kinda hit or miss. Can be useful for certain types of ammo. Handloads tend to do more damage. But it also appears not all ammos are unlocked. I can buy incendiary ammo but apparently i either dont have the recipe for it, or simply can't do it. Nor can I make grenade rounds (for launchers), but I'm not sure if thats a factor of my explosives skill or what.

Posted by: Voran Oct 24 2010, 06:00 AM

Music: I like the music, though I wish the playlist was much larger than it is, again, since I'm on PC, at some point the community will come up for an appropriate mod for it. I'm not sure if its because I have the radio on all the time, but it does seem the DJs repeat their news/blurbs far more frequently than I recall from Fallout 3. It may also be because I haven't really tackled the main quest line yet, so its mostly scattered sidequests that make the news.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 24 2010, 06:01 AM

So, I've only gotten to level 6 so far in this game (taking it slow, grandparents visiting) but I can tell you that there are recipes in some form out there in the wastes. I haven't actually found any, but I know there are some perks that give them to you. I'm not yet entirely sure if you can get them without the perks though.

I'm having some serious slowdown issues, but I suspect that has much more to do with my laptop than the game (Though I do find it weird that it goes the slowest when I'm in conversations).

I'm also playing on hardcore, and haven't found it to be particularly difficult thus far. I have maybe 15 pounds in ammo, but more like 200lbs in random junk that I'm waiting to find recipes for (Toy cars for example). The food is usually taken care of by my normal healing needs, the water is an occasional pain as I'm running low on purified water and the game lacks a way to combine an empty bottle and a source of water into transportable water. The sleep seems to build up exceedingly slow, as I haven't slept yet and I think at least 3 days have passed in game. Maybe I drank some soda or something without noticing that reduced my sleep. I do love how several drinks (Whiskey, soda, etc) actually make you thirstier.

Sunset Sarsaparillas are awesome. I didn't notice at first, but they heal an amazing 25 damage and only have a rad or two in them. At 1 lb each, they aren't stimpacks, but they are darn handy to keep around. Makes me sad that I sold a stack of about 40 of them before I noticed this.

Lets see... what else... Oh yeah, I love caravan! It took me a while to figure out that you had to move the card down to play it, but once I figured that out, I started making money left and right with it. For fun, you can buy a bunch of stuff from a merchant that plays caravan, then challenge them. The amount they bet is based on how many chips they have, so you fill them up with chips, then win them all back in a few hands of caravan.

Okay, bunch of random ramblings I know, but overall I'm enjoying it greatly so far. I was afraid it was just going to be a big Fallout 3 mod, and I admit for a large part it is, but it manages to make some great changes. The +10 temporary skill books are a great addition, and I like the flat skill requirements in conversations, instead of the old % chance where you could get burned with high skill, or reload over and over with low skill. It makes you have to think all that much more about how to spend your skill points, especially since you get 10+.5*int instead of the old 10+1*int per level. All hail the perk that gives you an extra 2 points a level that you can get at level 4.

Oh, one last thing, game caps at 30.

I'm hoping the multiple factions make for good multiple playthroughs. I'm currently playing a 'good' (kelpto) character, likely join up with NCR. Then likely go through with an 'evil' character and join the Legion (I'm assuming those are the two main groups, not 100% sure yet). Heck, maybe my good character will end up joining the Legion, they might not be as bad as NCR makes them out to be.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 24 2010, 06:06 AM

"Big iron on his hip~
Big iron on his hip~"

I love the music. He does seem to repeat himself a fair bit, think it is a combination of not many reports to start the game with, and a smaller number of 'catch phrases' than Big Dog had

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 24 2010, 10:59 AM

I am having very much fun with my toon and his bumper sword so far ^^
Also, after one day of normal mode to get back into the game, i switched to hardcore mode . .
And holy shit is this shit hardcore . . hlf the time i am suffering fro poison, radiation, hunger or thirst.
The other half i need to leave things like power armour on the ground because i can't carry it x.x

Posted by: Karoline Oct 24 2010, 12:35 PM

What is a bumper sword?

Posted by: Voran Oct 24 2010, 12:48 PM

Best way to describe it....well maybe not best...imagine Cloud's Buster Sword from Final Fantasy 7, being used by a Supermutant. But more literally, its a sword made out of a bumper of a car, used by a supermutant (generally).

Posted by: Karoline Oct 24 2010, 01:01 PM

Awesome. And that is viable for puny humans?

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 24 2010, 10:20 PM

Some weapons have minimum strength requirements in fallout new vegas.
but generally, everything is available to everybody else too . .
be carefull about dropping expensive or strong weapons anywhere <.<
others will loot it and if they are fighting you allready, use it against you too.


Ok, after some days of hardcore playing i have successfully butchered my way up to be the overlord of vegas and owner of the dam.
i got me artillery, rocket strikes, orbital laser cannon, a loaded up flying fortress and a whole army of robots. *nods* sounds good.
the ending itself on the other hand, basically showed what would happen if i did this. anarchy, crime and violence rule both vegas
and the wastelands. but me, i am sitting snug like a bug way up there on top of my own pimpin ivory tower. *tips hat and walks off
slowly towards the sunset with his power armored bodyguards in tow*

Posted by: Karoline Oct 24 2010, 10:37 PM

Sounds like you got the good ending to me.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 24 2010, 11:42 PM

Sounds good. I'll get it eventually...my HD is full of games I still need to play/master!

Selling off gear with the weight problem being mostly from ammo? Sounds like my experience with Fallout 2.

Hunger and thirst! Yay! I no longer have to play Burntime in order to experience that!

Sounds really terrific!

Posted by: Karoline Oct 25 2010, 03:14 AM

I found cybernetics!

Yes, this one has cybernetics. One for each stat, an armor one, and a regeneration one. They limit how many you can get based on (I think) endurance. Not sure if it is 1 per point of endurance or what, but they are 4k each for stats, 8k for armor, and 12k for regeneration.

Given the fact that you can cheat fairly easy and make infinite money once you hit NV (Or so I assume, save, gamble, load if you lose, save if you don't), it doesn't seem like much of a cost, but I'm trying to avoid that. I currently have about 10k, so working on that regeneration one so I don't have to worry about healing between fights any more.

Posted by: Tiralee Oct 25 2010, 04:40 AM

Ok, got Fallout Vegas day 0 with a Raging headcold/flu that had me seeing chesspieces in shadows, so a really awesome way to start the game:)

Platform, XBox 360 (as my pos PC would curl up and die if I showed the DVD to it)

Zero: PATCH GAME. There's a day 3 patch that stops the 1-2 hour random system hangs, also some of the more gigantic plot quest errors are seen to. Very sloppy work on their final QA, expect to see a few people made to walk on these. Also removes the a few of the "free money/xp" glitches that people abused. Save errors are expected if you don't patch - I had to restart because of a few.

First: Characters have improved, in both voiceacting quality (Although Marcus Aurilius again makes his appearance) and in general, well, feel. Everyone's dirty and dusty, until you hit vegas. Then they're slimy. Bringing back some old Fallout 2 faces/voices was nice, but even better they didn't slap you in the face with it.

Second: Factions have depth. Not at first, they're faces in the mob (or dust) but they have more of a feel as you get deeper.

Third: This isn't Fallout 3, you get those delicious perks every 2nd level and your skill points don't come as easy, either. So play cautiously in the desert and come back to sell your ill-gotten gains AFTER raising that barter/speach/repair or you're not going to see anything like the money you'll need later on.

Forth: Critter's ain't friendly (unless, of course, you went that perk route, see above for the those limitations) and they may have friends. Deathclaws hunt (And kill - the gun you brought along isn't big enough, you need a bigger one.), radscorpions kill, giant ants are fine from a distance (note: biiiig distance from fire ants.), Geckos are cute, like those insurance adsARRRGK, Bighorns aren't too bad and those flying, wasp-like things are poisoned, armour-ignoring cliff-racers (Remember Elder Scrolls?) but fly twice as fast as you can run and come in groups.

Fifth: Be aware of where the hell you are. Nothing like killing a few punk-ass Fiends and laugh at the one coming at your pistol-totin' badass with a poolcue, apart from the 20 or so of that guy's friends with laser and PLASMA weapons. (Cue non-stop swear). Find places to hole up in if you need to, explore and be ready to run like hell.

Sixth: Enjoy yourself. Hate the music, but it's authentic. Hate Sarsperilla, but it's authentic. Hate the atrocity-farming Caeser's Legions, but they managed to stick a lot of historical accuracy in there as well.

7th: don't play it with guests in the house.


-Tir

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 05:28 AM

No, it was NOT the good ending. Well, at least not from the game point of view. It was the egoist ending.
Biggest Change i have found as of yet is the simple fact of how those magazines work . .
You don't get skill points, you get a skill boost for some time, when you read one.
Well, if you don't go perk route, at least . .
In F³NV it's basically:"There's a perk for that"
There's one metric shit load of places to go too . .
And sadly, none of those really good looking vehicles work <.<
Seriously, i spent about 5 minutes figuring that one out after seeing the 3 more or less brand new motor bikes . .

Posted by: Karoline Oct 25 2010, 05:38 AM

Yeah, quite a few launch bugs, but they fixed them quickly, very nice.

Did Sunny look familiar to anyone? I swear she reminds me of someone from Fallout 3. I keep thinking it is that survival guide person, but I'm not entirely sure. I do agree, the characters are great. I absolutely love the 'suave' guy you run into just outside the strip. 10 of Spades seems to gain and lose his stutter, and you do still get the occasional disconcerting switch from people being angry at you to giving a very passive or even chipper 'goodbye'.
Haven't gotten that far yet I think. I did enjoy finding the FotA in the solar plant, made the factions seem a bit more dynamic. Still looking for the darn enclave so I can put the two suits of power armor I found to a use besides selling for caps.
Yeah, the skill points are a notable change, but even more notable is the fact that you only get perks ever other level instead of every single level. Makes planning for your even levels all the more important because you don't get to adjust your skills so you can pick up the perk you want on an odd level.
Didn't really remember them being friendly in 3. Or do you mean more deadly? I did notice it was kind of crazy when that fly thing killed my (eyebot) companion in 1-2 hits from full health.
Haven't quite had this problem, though I did manage to run into some trouble with the nightkin, kept backing myself into corners or running into a second one.

I love the music. It's one of the many reasons I love Fallout. Even though I've heard the Texas Ranger song dozens of times already, I still perk up every time it comes on. And Jingle Jangle is great too.

Guess I've been messing up the last few days. Though to be fair, I was using headphones.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 11:04 AM

basically, i sat down on friday afternoon and started playing and got up and went to bed monday morning at 1 o'clock.

Posted by: Mäx Oct 25 2010, 11:21 AM

Thats not a change, those magazines are a completely new item type.
The old skill books that give a permanent boost of +3(+4 with the perk) are still there.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 11:42 AM

Ah, okay, i did not notice that.
After i first figured that out i simply did not bother with them at all anymore ^^#

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 25 2010, 02:15 PM

Fallout: New Vegas is to Fallout 3 as Fallout 2 was to the original Fallout.

I love it. All of it. The visuals, the metaplot, gun modifications, higher-output laser weapons - ALL OF IT.

Okay, maybe not -all-. I'm not impressed with the crafting skills. I rarely have the materials to reload my own rounds, so I spend most of my time recycling energy cells and fuel tanks. A sniper rifle + a silencer is a powerful beast against just about anything, and the iron sights are a lot of fun as well. Still, being able to cook a billion Dog Steaks, Gecko Steaks and...Ant Steaks was nice. I may try to pick up more reloading materials on my next playthrough as well as the associated "I know all the recipes" perks so I can figure out what does what. Since I run a high-Repair build in most everything I do, the reloading recipes could be a lot more interesting.

Silenced weapons make the AI stupid, and it amuses the hell out of me. Bloody Mess + Sniper Rifle + Silencer = Ludicrous Gibs. This made things difficult on some bounty missions (apparently the shock blows off all the limbs when I remove a leg), but changing it up with a low-power sidearm tended to do the job right.

I found myself listening to Black Mountain Radio most of the time. Tabetha is hilarious. NCR and the Legion are now the Two-Headed Bears and the Battle Cattle from today unto the end of days. RNV was good, but I heard the same song four times in a row, swapped the station to Mojave Free Radio and it was the same damn song. ARGH.

First playthrough conquered the Wasteland for Mr. House. We'll see what happens with the second - may go NCR, may go just for me, and the third will go for the Legion. I found myself murdering anyone who said 'Kai-Czar' instead of 'See-zar', so the Battle Cattle weren't terribly happy with me throughout the game.

Posted by: Tanegar Oct 25 2010, 05:20 PM

By great Cthulhu's naughty tentacles, why did they halve the number of skill points you get?!

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 05:33 PM

Because otherwise you maxed out too quickly.
They Raised the Level Bar from F³ with one of the DLC's allready.
Dunno if they raised it again with New Vegas. But with the DLC and raised level Cap, you could max out skills before Levels, if i remember correctly.
Especially when using tricks like Books and early on perks for more skill points as you levelled up. There even was a bug where you could not go on
when levelling up, without spending all of your skill points . . Which is kinda hard to do, if you managed to get all skills up to 100 and still had some
points left over . . They patched that, but the Problem of getting skills up too high too fast still existed. It made the game not progress slowly and
evenly. If you concentratred on one or two skills, you went from bloody beginner to master of disaster in 4 levels basically . .
For example, do that with energy weapons. If you had it as a tag skill in the beginning, you start out with a laser pistol and can find a second one
and some energy cells in the docs house immediately after character generation. You left the house with 35 points in energy weapons then.
Next level you get 15 Skill Points. Now you're at 50 points. Halfway there! You only need 50 more, which is 4 Levels, as those 4 Levels will net you
60 skill points. And if you repair your maintain your weapons and maybe upgrade them a bit, then energy weapons is hands down the best skill
you will ever have. There is no situation that can NOT be solved by applying copious ammounts of focused energy into vital body parts of obstacles.
So at level 4 you have Energy Weapons at 100, a fully boosted laser pistol, maybe even something stronger allready. You can sloughter your way
through basically anywhere, if you are smart enough to use te right perks you have by then too . . And you are only at Level 4. The Levels go up
to 30 i think. And the game's difficulty concerning enemies goes up accordingly to your own gear if i remember correctly.
So basically, you are level 4, with still poor gear, aside for one or two energy weapons, which you wield like a god from the future yet to come.
And the game thinks you are still weak. But you sloughter anything it can throw at you because your weapon of choice is just that effective.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 25 2010, 06:14 PM

FORMATTING AUGH

I think it's meant to ensure you can't have a "I AM PERFECT AT EVERYTHING" build as was possible in previous games. I personally prefer regular guns over Energy Weapons because of all the neat pieces you can find in the game, like the lever-action .357's and .44's, although the Laser RCW is a sweet find.

Anyone go check out the Canyon Wreckage to the west of Primm after talking to the Express rep there? It's...interesting. Very interesting.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 06:31 PM

No, i am still thinking about what i am gonna play through as next . .
I did the high STR Close Combat Monster who slaughtered himself through the world and up to te top and took vegas for himself . .
Maybe the sneaky sniper type? Or the talky one? Or the Cowboy?

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 25 2010, 06:37 PM

I had a combination talky/shooty since I focused on guns and speech. Both are nice!

I do recommend having a holdout at all times, though. The Silenced .22LR is a good working weapon, though if I ever had to pull a piece it was the largest hand-cannon I could afford. That happened to be the .44 mag on my last playthrough.

Posted by: Critias Oct 25 2010, 06:53 PM

Hurry up, Christmas.

Mrs. Crit, you better appreciate me not buying everything I want, to leave you some low-hanging, easy, gifts.

Hurry up, Christmas.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 07:10 PM

*snickers* poor Critias ^^
And i think the largest hand gun is the plasma protector . .
And the strongest is the alien blaster with single shot damage of 111 and 501 DPS . .
And i fucking hate that they have the stat DPS in there <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 25 2010, 07:20 PM

Yeah, I find the DPS stat rather worthless. May try a cowboy approach next run: Lever-action shotgun or rifle, revolver, knife, light armor and a cowboy hat. Sunglasses if/when I find them. Could just use the Sheriff's set from Primm... Yeah. I'd go with:

Cowboy Repeater
.357 Magnum
Sheriff's Hat
Sheriff's Jacket
Sunglasses
Knife

I like the thought of that. Both weapons use the same ammo, even. It would make carry weights in Hardcore mode slightly more manageable.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 25 2010, 08:53 PM

Wanna really skimp . . there's an energy pistol that does not need any ammo . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 25 2010, 09:04 PM

Meh, don't want to go that route yet. I could just as easily stick with the Plasma Defender and Laser Pistol for the entirety of the game, or the Q35. I like the regular guns. A lot.

Posted by: CanadianWolverine Oct 25 2010, 10:49 PM

Steam Holiday Sale? That is what I am waiting for.

Posted by: Critias Oct 25 2010, 11:13 PM

Nah, I'll probably be getting it for the 360. It's just a thing I've got to do, thanks to a September birthday, an October anniversary, and Christmas, where I basically don't buy myself anything awesome from July or so on...in order to make sure there's stuff my wife can grab me, to feel like the cool wife that buys the cool gifts.

So I'm pretty much stuck waiting for Christmas, for this one.

Posted by: Backgammon Oct 26 2010, 02:15 AM

Yeah, I made the decision to get Fable 3 before New Vegas, mainly because wifey enjoys the Fable but not the Fallout. Going to be a while before I get to it. Hopefully that will be BEFORE Deux Ex, otherwise I'm going to have a tough choice. Then there's also the new Dead Space... ahhhhh!

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 09:41 AM

Deus Ex 3,
Tron Legacy.
There's at least two more games that are probably gonna be released shortly before christmas i guess.
Maybe some more too.

Posted by: Voran Oct 26 2010, 12:57 PM

Ugh, but yeah, you get what you pay for. Though the pistol seems ok, the recharger rifle is a piece of crap. Heavy, weak...terrible. Still, Id only use the recharger pistol for stuff like shooting the wayward critter, but even then its mostly for the weaker stuff you could just melee to death (even with minimal melee skill investment).

Still, I generally felt the game did an ok job of scaling appropriately. Your early levels are 9mm and 20 gauge, mixed in with 5.56 with the varmint rifle, you notice an upgrade when cowboy repeaters and .357 ammo starts showing up, etc.

Tho in terms of personal preference, I wish 12 gauge showed up earlier. By the time decent 12 gauge weapons started dropping, you were already past the level where you should be farting around with shotguns, except for giggles. I've got near 100 in firearms, but for the mostpart even rolling with 12 gauge slug on my hunting shotgun isn't really useful (I also have shotgun surgeon perk), especially when I have .308 hand load jsp almost coming out of my ears.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 01:36 PM

Mmm, .308. Point, click, mans explode. i want to see just how much I can trick out a sniper rifle now.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 01:49 PM

Wait, there's a recharger RIFLE?
I thought the closest was the modded Laser RCW . .

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 01:50 PM

Silencer and Carbon Fiber Parts.
There's a .50 BMG Sniper too.
Use that one. Or the Gauss-Rifle, if available.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 01:56 PM

I'll pick up the BMG this playthrough; I didn't catch it previously. I was hoping for a Gauss Rifle, but I didn't know where to find it! I stuck with the .308, it did the job but nicely.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 02:10 PM

Both can be gotten from the BOS

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 02:22 PM

They weren't offering much when I blew up their bunker. >.>

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 02:58 PM

You need to do some quests for them of course O.o
Yeah, maybe i should have done that too blowing up thing too, after they had made me a member and tought me how to wear their power armor and gave me some nice and shiney weapons . . but nah, i thought they would have a change of mind . . of course they did not and refused to step in line behind my grab for power <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 03:19 PM

Oh no, I did all the major quests - I just didn't check out their stores and exploded the bunker.

This time around I'll refrain from detonating until I take their delicious weaponry. Mmmyes, mmmyes.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 26 2010, 04:50 PM

Kind of reminds me how they want you to destroy a weapon cache with thermite for one of the quests. I just kept thinking 'Why can't I just take all the weapons instead of destroying them'. I don't know, maybe you can. I talked the guy into destroying the boxes for me. Likely not a great idea overall since he dies in the process and I figure I might have been able to get some good guns from him if he survived. But maybe not. Oh well.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 04:56 PM

If you do it yourself, you pick up about six assault carbines out of the deal - and blow the room to pieces!

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 05:00 PM

STEAL the guns, tell him to blow up the crates himself, see if he notices them being empty. if yes, place them back in and decide wether or not you want to blow it all up yourself you maniac, or if you want to go down on your knees and scream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWphqA1Slrw after he has done the deed.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 26 2010, 05:14 PM

The new barter exploit! I was disappointed that they got rid of it (I thought) in Fallout 3. Getting your barter skill up high enough that you could swindle a merchant for all his caps and the good stuff (leaving him a handful of caps) was pretty sweet.

--



That was how I would get people to kill themselves in Fallout 3 and Oblivion without suffering negatively.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 05:24 PM

I just planted the occasional frag grenade.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 26 2010, 05:52 PM

That would get you negative karma.

I can't remember how I did it in Fallout 3, but in Oblivion casting Berserk(?) on the target and letting them hit you allowed you to kill the target without punishment.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 05:56 PM

ookaay . . just for shits and giggles i tried F³NV with Hardcore Mode AND Difficulty at VERY HIGH . .
Let's just say BAD THINGS HAPPEN! . .
Seriously, a lone Scorpion or ANYTHING really poses a very real threat to a level 1 character . .

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 26 2010, 06:25 PM

I'm level 12 and I still run away from Giant Radscorpions on Hardcore.

Oh god. I was running around NE of Goodspring (near the Yangtze memorial) and I headed north from there trying to sneak around a Giant Radscorpion. I get past it and woops, I see a giant radscorpion and 2 regular radscorpions to my right. I'm thinking "Oh shit, oh shit. Put my gun away and run away since they can only keep up but not hurt me. Eventually they chain back to their places. Then I encounter at least 2 more Giant Radscorpions and 4 more regular radscorpions as I'm trying to evade that group of three. I must have hit a nest. So I'm following this ravine, not seeing any obvious ways out (the kind where I know I'm not going to get stuck and die if I try it) so I follow a gulley downward. Then a big flying insect starts chasing me and killed me. Bah. That was at level 7 though.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 06:33 PM

You realize, of course, that the hardcore mode you are asked about in game when leaving the house of the doc has NOTHING to do with the difficulty level?

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 06:47 PM

North of Goodsprings and west of Primm are the radscorpion capitols of the Wasteland.

The northwest side from Goodsprings past Vegas is the Cazador capitol of the Wasteland.

These are places you should not be.

Play it safe. Snipe ants from the safety of the Tipton Highway. Shoot a Viper Gunslinger in the face.

For money. For .357 lever-action rifles. For a napalm launcher.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 06:55 PM

Oh, there is a place near the hidden valley of the BOS called SCORPION GULCH.
One dozend big ones and 3 dozend small ones i think.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 07:01 PM

The only way I'm walking in there is with a Mini-Nuke launcher.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 07:02 PM

I can actually tell you where to find one of those, if you think you can live to tell . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 07:03 PM

I'm sure I can. If I could survive REPCONN's HQ and get the Q35, and survive most of the Vaults - I can survive the MNL.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 07:17 PM

Remember where you started?
Good Springs?
And when you went south and then right along the road to primm further down south?
Go back there, but don't go south, follow the road north. do the quest that asks you to take out a pack of deathclaws in the quarry.
there in one of the two big radioactive ponds, you should find a man. dead, of course. who should have in his belongings the fatman.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 07:25 PM

Wait, the quarry where the Khans have that makeshift encampment? It's in there?

SON OF A BITCH I ALREADY CLEARED THAT OUT gotta go find it gotta go find it

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 08:22 PM

Yep, that one.
one of the radiation ponds.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 08:23 PM

Tonight the Scorpion Nest turns into radioactive wasteland.

...Again.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 26 2010, 09:03 PM

Have fun.
The doc of good springs just shot me to death with the THIRD laser pistol <.< . .
OK, admittedly, i swindles him out of medical supplies and threatened the stre owner so he gave me armor which i then used to equip some powder gangers to attack the village.
this was, all in all, after i had stolen just about anything i could find in tat village.
yeah, this time i'm gonna go for really bad bastard . . gonna join the slavers, gonna help the cannibals, gonna befriend the drug runners . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 26 2010, 09:10 PM

I find myself continually befriending the Khans no matter what I do. It seems really easy to do, despite the fact four of them were right there at the prologue. Ah well.

I think this time I'll chase Benny a little further than New Vegas. Had a ball hunting down Fiends with the unique spiked knuckles. Cook-Cook went from 90% to 10% in one good punch.

Posted by: Critias Oct 27 2010, 12:10 AM

Oh, I know.

Believe me, I know.

Fallout and Deus Ex will be about it for me, but I'm eagerly waiting on either/both of 'em, trust me. I'm telling myself it's a good thing I don't have any awesome new games right this second, because I've got enough on my plate, otherwise (grad school and Spy Games, for instance)...but I can still sigh wistfully, can't I?

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 12:14 AM

Is there any way to continue on with Mr. House's quest line without destroying the BoS?

Also, does anyone know if there is a way to get BoS to actually join you in your bid for NV, or do you just have to pick between ignoring/destroying them?

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 12:24 AM

Not if you're with House or the Legion. You can if you strike out on your own or side with the NCR, though you lose rep with NCR if you broker a truce between the two.

House flat out told me that he wanted them destroyed, not allied when I reported that I'd had an alliance with them. He would brook no disagreement.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 12:30 AM

Darn, guess I'm going to have to create a major save point so I can go back. Now to decide which way I should go first.... Think I'll strike out on my own.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 12:33 AM

Side with the Head Elder and not the Head Paladin when you do, according to VaultWiki - otherwise they won't get involved.

Posted by: Whipstitch Oct 27 2010, 12:35 AM

\

Yeah, tbh, I just use explosives on the damn things or don't bother at all.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 12:37 AM

If it's animal or vegetable, kill it with fire.

If it's mineral, kill it with high explosives.

Posted by: MortVent Oct 27 2010, 12:46 AM

Got it... but till I get a desktop up and running not going to be able to play it.

Laptop just can't handle it.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 02:11 AM

Wow, I take out House and now all the robots in Vegas are after me. How am I supposed to install Yes Man without getting ripped to shreds? Did I miss something? Oh, and then I managed to get to him by putting on my BoS armor and running to him, and it didn't update about his death... annoying.

Posted by: Tiralee Oct 27 2010, 03:29 AM

Radscorpion Gulch/Canyon. Oh yeah. That didn't go well.
Went from ~ 80 stimpacks and quite rediculous levels of ammo (level 10) to running my ass off popping drugs to keep alive before stumbling into centaur city (!!!) at Black Mountain.

After the non-fraggin-stop monster radscorp spawns (the bark ones are ok when you're down to using 5.56mm regular) those tentacle beasts didn't have a damn chance with my eye-rolling frenzied shoot-from-the-hip assualt.

It was still better than trying to fight my way though thte rest of the Radscorpions.

Black Mountain Radio is hilarous, Mr Vegas a little too easy listening for the post-apocalypse.

Energy weapons seem dead-set sexy from the mid-game, but I've got 10 points in it, so that's going to need to change. BIG drawback if you're going to take bounties, though. Cook-Cook was a rarified pain in the ass (sniper/speaker build) until I lured him into Violet's little trailer-park and kneecapped him from the delicious cover.

Going energy/explosives will make things a LOT easier (as will the "extended effect" perk. That makes big booms) if you're strong enough to carry the supplies (LOVE mines, forgot how I needed them when I started F3, fell in love with them again)

Going "cowboy" (Perk) and bloody mess, gunslinger, etc (Rapid reload FTW) is a lot of fun too - you can make a pretty grizzled Clint Eastwood at chargen and have him cut a bloody swathe through the wastelands.

Going super-hero strength or Hulk-ninja also very viable - the bumper-sword combined with the ranger takedown makes for an awesome "FINISH HIM" loop. (Ranger takedown, knock's target back/prone. Power hit prone target with a bumper sword. Screencap)

Ghouls are a LOT more radioactive this time around, be warned. I love the space suit (rad resist) and cowboy hat with a chainsaw look....

Explore! Kill the Legion! (for a giggle, reverse-pickpocket a legate with some explosive. They hate that) get 10 luck and hit the caravans for more suckers... And it's obvious it you chat to the Guy that runs the Rangers where the next expansion packs are likely to go.

Tir. (Needs moar 50 cal!)

PS: Also, needs vehicles. A HORSE, motorcycle, even. Maybe even a rideable security-bot. Tame deathclaw (feed it gamblers), Mr Pinchy!

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 27 2010, 05:28 AM

yah, i really wanted to ride one of thse galactica looking motorcycles ._.
there's three pristine looking ones right in front of the saloon in good springs for fucks sake <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 02:59 PM

Might've bugged. If you can bolt in, off him, then bolt to Yes Man that should fix it. I hope. I haven't gone indy yet. I've been a bit busy lighting bugs on fire with a Heavy Incinerator. >.>

Cook-Cook wasn't bad for me, but I sniped both flamers out of his hand and make him get close with a knife. By then I swapped to my unique knucks and got a massive pair of hits in through VATS. He went down like a chump. It's easier for me to scope in realtime with the .308 and take out weapons(or heads) when I'm at long distance. Fiends really don't stand a chance!

Re: Scorpion Gulch: I found my Fat Man and trucked on down there to lay radioactive justice upon the critters, only to find I had no mini nukes.

I did, however, have Annabelle and a full load of rockets! It was high-explosive justice.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 03:32 PM

Found out what it was. Apparently if you let him live, all the bots attack you and you can't take over. You have to kill him. I was hoping to be "good" about it and let him watch my reign, but it seems to have not worked.

Also, if you plan on going it alone, you need to convince the Khans fairly early, because it (seems to) require you going right into Ceaser's throne room, which is difficult when you are an enemy of theirs. Edit: But complicated by the fact that you have to get past deathclaws for another part. I guess to the one part early, and then save the last part for when you're level 30 and ready to handle deathclaws... or maybe my low energy weapons skill just wasn't cutting it.

P.S. It was rather funny, as soon as I started the final assault, I managed to break an arm and realized I ran out of doc's bags. In the fight towards the legion, I managed to bust the other arm and my head. So yeah, no way I could win the final battle, but luckily I had a speech skill of 90... which is 10 points shy of being able to avoid the final battle. But I had Benny's suit, and alcohol, and mentas. I was at 99 speech! And I was litterally 13 xp from leveling..... so I killed ED-E so I could level and get those last few speech points. So sad. One or two more kills along the way, one more meeting people magazine, one more speech skill book, on more kind of alcohol (assuming they stack), any of those and ED-E wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself for me. I never did figure out how to fix him up anyway.

And poor Rex! Made me sad that he vanished when I told him to go to lucky 38 and never got a chance to fix him.

Posted by: Voran Oct 27 2010, 03:37 PM

Except in the collateral sense in that it slows Stimpack heals to a Heal-over-time, which makes it no longer a purely safe counter against something like critter poison. Consequently damage is a bit more 'hardcore' in that you cannot just pop into your inventory when you're taking weapons fire, heal up to full with 4 stimpacks and keep going.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 03:47 PM

And not being able to heal your limbs with stimpacks is a serious issue. It means you have to actually care about limb damage. It means you need to be careful to take the time to hit a doctor when a limb is damaged if at all possible, because doctor bags are hard to come by (As are the parts for making them). Also means you need to be careful to sleep every so often, as that will heal an injured but not damaged limb.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 04:32 PM

He dies within a year due to foreign pathogens anyway. Disconnecting him is the karma-free option.


If you smoke Benny in the Tops, you get a pardon from both NCR and CL so you can continue the game. If you're talking about the part in the quarry, you can get to the camp along the backside - there's a path through the bluff behind the encampment. I followed the face north from Goodsprings, fried a few several scorps and the path showed up right where I needed it to be. You won't snag a fatman, but you don't have to deal with 'claws either. You can head back around to the town on the other end.



Awh! I'm doing a runthrough with Raul right now. I should head back and fix ED-E as well.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 27 2010, 04:41 PM

I couldn't figure out how to disconnect him I guess. I talked to him and said "I'll let you live but disconnected." figured it would do it automatically, didn't realize there was something that I had to do, though I did look around a bit and didn't notice anything. Do I need to attack the device instead of him or something?

I must have spent at least half an hour looking for a back way in, but never managed to find one. I'll have to look again another time.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 04:43 PM

Not sure either. I'll find out when I get to that point - I made a run straight up to Gun Runners to grab my .308 and then explored a bit. Snagged the Marksman Repeater from Nellis, Annabelle from Black Mountain, and the Q35 from REPCONN HQ so I can go back to actually doing quests.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 27 2010, 05:22 PM

*sigh* i am THIS close to giving in and lowering the difficulty to more manageable levels . .
I managed to mostly take over Good Springs with the Powder Gangers in tow . .
And then the Doc shot me with his THIRD laser pistol, when i wanted to raid his house <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 05:33 PM

Powder gang isn't worth the trouble. Far more fun to shoots them.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 27 2010, 06:03 PM

Well, this time around i'm going for the ultimate badass . . as in REALLY evil . . don't care about karma, only do quests for loot and XP, help the cannibals, the drug runners, the slavers, the warmongers . .
After i did the getting vegas to myself way while trying to be really good, i STILL got a kinda bad ending . . so now i am curious as to how hellish i can make it when going COMPLETELY EVIL.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 06:07 PM

Caesar wants the cannibals in power in Vegas IIRC, so it sounds like you'll bring plenty of terror to the wasteland.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 27 2010, 08:09 PM

Probably, but i'm also finding some logical errors with the game . .
Playing evil, i have a bad rep with the NCR.
But i have to give them the word of the atrocities commited by cesars legion in that little town.
And when i try that, the whole squad of NCR people is starting to shoot at me . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 08:42 PM

I think the point is not to go crazy sexy evil until after Tipton.

Posted by: nezumi Oct 27 2010, 08:43 PM

I bought a GT 9500 just to run F3. Will I actually have to upgrade to a GT 9600/140 to run NV??

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 27 2010, 08:50 PM

You shouldn't; it's the same engine running both games. Things are a bit sharper and you might have some lag if there's a lot of mobs around, but it clears out fairly quick.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 28 2010, 05:17 AM

it was enough that i decided to help the powder gangers take over good springs and then helped the powder gangers in the NCRCF hold their own against an NCR onslought . .

Posted by: Fix-it Oct 28 2010, 06:46 AM

not going to read the previous 4 pages.

anyone else think there's a lot more content in New Vegas than in fo3?

maybe it's just my memory going.

EDIT: hardcore mode or gtfo, rly.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 28 2010, 07:10 AM

Hardcore is ONE thing.
Hardcore and VERY HARD is a completely different beast alltogether . .

Posted by: Voran Oct 28 2010, 07:44 AM

I have to say, at least on the vanilla game, pre-mods, "This Machine" a .308 M1 Garand is an awesome general purpose weapon. Sure it does less damage than an anti-material rifle, but again, its general purpose awesome. Ok with generic .308, it becomes that much better with .308 handload jsp, which oddly appears to increase its damage without reducing its penetration. Most things go down in 1 or 2 shots with a decent firearms skill, even moreso with a crit build. It's downsides are (without downloading a mod) it doesn't have a scope, so is less precise at extreme range if trying to iron-sight it.

I'm enjoying the game, though I think I'm near the end missions. Basically just wrapping up my chosen allies and then making the push to finish out the story.

I'm still getting the sense that I haven't seen ALL the locations, or done all the missions, especially considering I've probably lost a good quarter of them due to picking their opposing side.

I'm not so fond of the way the reputation system is currently setup. You jump a bunch of faction dudes out in the middle of the desert and it still somehow manages to get back to the main-faction that you've killed them, lowering your reputation with them. I suppose I'd prefer a system where you take a rep hit if you fail to prevent them from 'calling it in' or something. Its something of a disconnect with the way its portrayed:

For example, many times you'll get missions like "go find our missing patrol and see what happened to them", where 90 percent of the time the patrol is already dead, killed by some other party. Yet, the quest giver faction has no clue who did it until you tell them, contrasted with "I kill 4 guys in the middle of the desert and somehow their buddies dozens of miles away know what I did."

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 28 2010, 11:15 AM

If you have a silenced weapon and can kill the target with one shot while remaining hidden you should suffer no faction loss. At least that is what I've read.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 28 2010, 12:04 PM

Agreed. This is a problem you get in basically all of their games, the fact that everyone magically knows where and when and by who's hand everyone has died, unless you have to go out and check (And then they at least know where thanks to quest markers)

Posted by: Voran Oct 28 2010, 02:03 PM

Finished my first run through a little while ago. Took the 'independent' route, heh end montages/clips are nice, though it made me go "Wait...what? Oops guess I missed that quest" a few times during the wrap up.

also, I'm not sure if its due to intentional limitations on processing requirements, but I found the Strip to be rather...underwhelming. Sure its pretty, but its so empty. Aside from drunk NCR troopers, there are only a few other wandering souls (at any given time, I've tried day and night). Inside the casinos are maybe a dozen or two people.

Again, I'm sure its because they don't want your frames per sec to drop to crazy low levels, but its like "What, you guys rebuilt vegas with a few hundred people? Seriously?" No idea how they'd fix it without killing your rig though.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 28 2010, 02:08 PM

I don't think there is a way to fix it without killing your rig.

Going through Freeside into the Strip makes me grin a bit, since it's starting at Fremont Street and working your way down Las Vegas Blvd to get into the Strip itself.

I found the most wonderful thing last night while exploring the wastes - A crashed Vertibird! Exploring the wreckage (and killing the myriad of robots) netted me one Tesla Cannon.

The 'bird is just south of the Old Nuclear Test Site, and you can see Searchlight Airport from there.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 28 2010, 02:34 PM

Oh, right. Anyone have any idea where Mick and Ralphs (or whatever that shop is called) is inside freeside? I've somehow been completely unable to find it.

Edit: Anyone else find the independent ending a little odd? The first frame talks about how NV becomes an independent power that brings order and all kinds of goodness, but then near the end, it suddenly talks about how everything is in chaos and horrible and so on.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 28 2010, 02:41 PM

I want to say it's near the East gate, but I'm away-from-game so I can't confirm.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 28 2010, 05:30 PM

I live in Las Vegas. Rural underpopulated Las Vegas has historical roots.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 28 2010, 05:37 PM

I used to live up by Nellis. Turning Searchlight into a radioactive dead zone is too good for the town.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 28 2010, 07:13 PM

Holycrapholycrapholycrap, who wants to come out to Las Vegas??? We can have a Fallout tour!

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 28 2010, 07:25 PM

You know, I've actually done Fallout tours for 1, 2, and 3. I have this habit of showing up near places where those games are released. My New Vegas tour is by memory right now though.

Posted by: nezumi Oct 28 2010, 07:55 PM

Wish I could afford a visit to Vegas right now

If anyone wants to come on a Fallout 3 tour, I could arrange that, however! Even take you down to see the metro.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 28 2010, 08:21 PM

< = germany.
*wants a game in the fallout universe located in germany* ._.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 28 2010, 09:32 PM

Would certainly be interesting, since we really have no idea at all what happened with the rest of the world. They likely aren't in much better condition, but given the fact that the American vaults were set up as experiments according to Fallout 2, they could actually be a good bit better off. I'd imagine Japan might be doing reasonably well, but still mostly underground. China would likely be close to America. Russia would likely be having even more trouble. Most of Europe would likely be similar to, but perhaps slightly better than, America.

But really, Fallout lore of other countries is almost non-existent.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 28 2010, 10:13 PM

One notes that only two countries really matter in Fallout: The U.S.A and China.

Posted by: Fix-it Oct 28 2010, 10:55 PM

there's a reason for that really, fallout is a parody of the 1950s era "American dream". Germany and Europe were rebuilding under the Marshall plan at the time, so culturally it doesn't really belong IMHO.

Europe has the STALKER series for their post-apocalyptic nightmare.

Posted by: Voran Oct 29 2010, 02:11 AM

Heh, be mindful of comments when surrounded by passerbys:

"I blew the head off a prostitute with a 12 gauge right around here..."

Posted by: Karoline Oct 29 2010, 03:24 AM

Be more cautious when people who aren't part of the tour respond "You too?"

Oh, and @ whoever was talking about how empty stuff seemed, it is an unfortunate side effect of the style of game. Can only put so much on screen at a time, and so it is very difficult to make a place seem populated. Of course that also comes up in nearly every game. "Cities' have dozens of inhabitants and almost ten buildings in nearly any game where you actually go into that city. Unless of course the city is a big part of the game like in Assassin's Creed or Prototype or Spiderman, etc.

Posted by: Fix-it Oct 29 2010, 04:40 AM

it might also be a side effect of the fact that they are still using the Gamebryo engine.

not complaining about it, btw, although I have heard others do so.

just wish they'd license facial expression technology from Valve

Posted by: Voran Oct 29 2010, 05:17 AM

Yeah, I guess with the way the game is setup, there are natural limitations, but I still wish there was some sort of work around, but the only thing I can think of are 2d fake 3d meshes seen from behind inaccessible areas. Or breaking things into smaller cells or something, but then the side effect would also be smaller rooms. And loading times between rooms I imagine.

Still, after playing New Vegas, it makes me wish they did a Terminator game using this engine. It'd be a place where it makes sense there's a smaller human population that is scattered around, etc.

Posted by: Tiralee Oct 29 2010, 07:11 AM

A little FYI- according to the various Fallout Bibles (Google) the rest of the world suffered because America launched it's entire nuclear deterrent (possibly automated) in response to the fisrt nukes.
And they went everywhere.

So - expect radioactive dead zones in the pacific, large parts of tropical Asia looking like Utah, a rather hammered China, etc, etc.

Tir.

Posted by: Voran Oct 29 2010, 07:28 AM

I do feel like the devs oversold the glitz and glamour and well...size of the new vegas strip. I guess I understand that it would have taken longer development time, and resources, and scripting, but cmon, 4 casinos...3 really, do not make a 'strip' in the grand terms they were gushing about in preview/interviews. It should have been at least twice that.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 29 2010, 11:22 AM

I don't think its possible. The vaults are a defining aspect of the Fallout universe. They have been a driving force of the Fallout games.

Fallout: You're the Vault Dweller, having to save your vault.
Fallout 2: You're the Chosen One in search of a GECK, something which was only deployed to vaults.
Fallout 3: You're the Lone Wanderer, a vault citizen outcast from your people.
Fallout NV: Well, I haven't found how a vault dominates this plot yet, just two side quests that have taken me to vaults 22 and 34, but I'm sure the Courier will have something vault relevant to deal with in the main plot...

Without the vaults, it's simply not Fallout and the vaults aren't present outside of America.

Posted by: Voran Oct 29 2010, 12:05 PM

I do feel the options behind the vaults remain vast for purposes of story. I mean, seriously, the vaults were intended to be 'dude, that's fucked up', and I've been consistently amazed at how each of the non-benign ones make me go "Dude, that's seriously fucked up."

Posted by: Karoline Oct 29 2010, 12:08 PM

Just several side quests that send you to various vaults. A couple main quests send you to them, but they aren't really a big focus in that regard. There is certainly nothing I've found that directly links the Courier to a vault in any special way.

Are you sure about that? Like I said, we know next to nothing about the other nations of the world. There really isn't any reason to believe that other countries didn't have at least a couple of vaults for important people.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 29 2010, 12:24 PM

Yes, I am quite sure. While canon leaves open the possibility of Vault-Tec vaults being built in other nations (strictly through not making any mention of it) the presence of vault-tec vaults in other nations given the experimental purpose as well as the whole Enclave issue, means there would be a huge issue with the installation of vaults in other nations.

Posted by: nezumi Oct 29 2010, 12:57 PM

I would fully expect vaults to be in other locations of the world. They are, after all, just self-sustaining bomb shelters. However, they would not be managed under vault-tec like the ones in the US were. The vaults in say France may actually have been built to, you know, help people.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 29 2010, 12:59 PM

Except they wouldn't be vaults.

They would be fallout shelters, nuclear shelters, or some other name.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 29 2010, 02:05 PM

Watch the original Ocean's Eleven. The Strip wasn't that big in the 50's. We're letting the modern glitz and commercialization cloud our thinking.

There was one other (canon-ish) game, Brotherhood of Steel, whose protagonist was not from a Vault. Courier Six isn't from a Vault, but you are a Wasteland legend that has ranged as far north as Montana, and definitely has been through New Reno. You're known in several circles even at the start of the game.

Check out the Canyon Wreckage site west of Primm.

OH! I found a second Fat Man site at Cottonwood Crater. You have to go through the Fire Root Caverns and off a bunch of Fire Geckos, but it's easier than Deathclaws. You may run into some texture errors up there, but there's a dead prospector up there with a Fat Man in the inventory. East of Searchlight!

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 29 2010, 04:17 PM

One thing linking the Courier to Vaults:
THE PIP BOY ON HIS ARM FOR EXAMPLE!
Which he got from the Doc, who was once a Vault-Dweller himself.
Furthermore, it's implied that you can actually meet the Daughter of the Vault-Dweller from Fallout³.
And there was Fallout Tactics, which had you be not from a Vault too.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 29 2010, 04:53 PM

Which is basically entirely irrelevant to the discussion of how well off the other countries are at the moment. Actually, it likely means that they are better off, given the standards that the vaults were built to, and that American companies in general were held to. Just check out the rocket museum.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 29 2010, 05:04 PM

I have the sneaking suspicion that the doctor is the sole survivor of Vault 11.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 29 2010, 05:26 PM

Have you checked where the overall you're getting from him is from?
It's the Vault 22 Overall i think. Maybe 34.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 29 2010, 05:41 PM

Your initial Vault Suit is 21, which I believe you can buy in the gift shop. 34 is the Boomer suit.

He might've been the Overseer of 21, but the sense I get from his talking about losing everything is that he's from 11.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 29 2010, 05:56 PM

hmm . . i did not check . . IS Vault 21 even at the map?
gah, i will hate myself for this but . . i am starting a new character . .
gonna go explore on very easy this time, and without hardcore mode . .
did not see much of a special ending for the hardcore mode anyway <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 29 2010, 06:22 PM

Vault 21 is a hotel/casino across the street from either the Ultra-Luxe or the NCR embassy. Half of it was filled with concrete when Mr. House won ownership in a bet.

Vault 21's experiment was to fill it with gambling addicts, stock it with tables, and have gambling the sole method of conflict resolution. Mr. House won a bet against the Overseer and was going to completely encase it, but relented after a passionate appeal by one of the citizens. It was then converted into a casino/hotel.

Posted by: StealthSigma Oct 29 2010, 06:37 PM

Vaults 43, 68, 69, and 77 are my favorite.

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 29 2010, 06:41 PM

They did pretty well with the creepy factor for this set. 11 breaks my heart, though.

I'm thinking 3 had an addition to the air supply like 19, making them susceptible to suggestion.

And yes, I am a fan of those vaults as well.

Posted by: Hocus Pocus Oct 29 2010, 08:59 PM

i'm still waiting for the last fallout to drop in price

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 29 2010, 10:58 PM

*shrugs*
in store, it was listed at 49€ . . but they sold it for 39€ O.o

Posted by: Critias Oct 30 2010, 04:38 AM

You mean Fallout 3? Or one of the DLC packs? Or what? And for what platform?

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 02:52 PM

right now i am playing a torrented version(i think) of FNV, because i'm gonna keep my collectors edition in mint state and because the german voicework in the retail is sucking more dick than a hungry cambodian child prostitute . .

Posted by: Karoline Oct 30 2010, 03:23 PM

Pirated, not Torrented.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 03:25 PM

*shrugs* Probably.
I dunno actually . . Buddy at work handed my an HDD and said:"Here, thought you'd like FNV before it hits Stores on Friday" This was on Wednesday.
And i had fucking FORGOTTEN about FNV up to that moment <.<

Posted by: Karoline Oct 30 2010, 03:33 PM

Hehe, fun stuff. Might not be pirated then, not sure. Could be a review copy or something like that. Oh well, cool that you get to keep your actual game in mint condition.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 30 2010, 03:35 PM

I just bought it on Steam. Sigh, it sounds pretty good based on this discussion. The fact you can handload cartridges is awesome and I really need to support firearms maintenance and handloading awareness in the general population of gamers, who will otherwise have their heads filled with misconceptions from Modern Warfare 2.

I should write them a letter that I will buy any titles that contain handloading and firearms maintenance on principle.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 03:40 PM

Yah, working for a huge ass telecommunications corporation with a bunch of other geeks and nerds does have it's up sides . .
Half of them play Shadowrun, Battletech or WH40 ^^

Buying from steam is an idea too. But i love going to a shop, browsing around and just grabbing whatever i can afford and running home like a little boy to play with my new toy ^^
Furthermore, if you really want to do the reloading stuff, you will have to help the convicts in the NCRCF, because they are more or less the only way to get that done in early game as far as i can see . .

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 30 2010, 03:44 PM

Good to know about the convicts.

Heh, I'll bet that before Fallout, lots of gamers didn't even know that firearms *could* have stoppages. I mean, you play Rainbow Six Vegas 2 or what have you and you never even get a stovepipe.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 03:49 PM

Yeah, but you usually play top of the line para military units on both sides, so getting good gear is not too difficult to explain in these cases . .
And good military grade gear should not have any such problems either . .
In the Universe of fallout, there is little to no NEW gear hitting the wastelands.
It's ALL used, when you get it . . usually . . BOS and Enclave and Vaults are usually the only points where you can get practically new gear.
In FNV there seems to be a bit more somehow, with the Gun Runners and the Silver Rush Enegy Weapons Store . .

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 30 2010, 04:03 PM

That's all well and good about starting with a well maintained perfectly clean gun, but after blowing through 500 rounds in full auto mode because you're getting swamped by endless streams of enemies you're going to start getting overheating and carbon buildup issues.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 04:10 PM

Probably.
But does that happen often in these games? O.o
I don't know, i don't play them anymore . .
I thought it was usually sneaky silenty killy of 1 or 2 dozend enemies?

Also, if you have questions about F³. Ask here.
Most of us probably will answer with lengthy postings that can and probably will contain various spoilers ^^

Posted by: Voran Oct 30 2010, 04:16 PM

I am curious to see if everyone is killable. And what happens to the game if I just kill everyone I see (well, almost everyone, still need merchants).

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 04:23 PM

Yes, you can basically just kill everybody . . you just won't get all that far in the game then, because you don't get many quests and the only loot/XP are going to come from your kills mostly . .
But you can, indeed, simply do that, as far as i have read O.o

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 30 2010, 08:04 PM

I'm playing it and enjoying it but it crashes frequently.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 30 2010, 08:17 PM

i did not have any crashes as of yet somehow O.o

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 30 2010, 08:55 PM

I don't remember Fallout 3 crashing this much. :/ I just updated my nvidia drivers. Sometimes I get weird buzzing sounds while playing, so I wonder if I have to try and update my audio drivers or something.

Posted by: Voran Oct 30 2010, 11:52 PM

there is some instability, though the ability to add mods via the community (and patches as necessary, though the devs have been pretty good at cleaning up), makes a big difference.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 01:10 AM

Reinstalled to try and fix frequent CTDs.

Posted by: Karoline Oct 31 2010, 02:33 PM

They did a patch in the last couple days (Not sure when, Steam does them automatically for me) because I started up a new character and noticed that a few perks and such had changed (Kamakazi gives an AP bonus instead of a damage bonus). I also found that my game wasn't running nearly as slowly when I had a bunch of people around. Still slowed down during the battle for goodspring, but I could actually fight unlike the first time around.

Posted by: Fix-it Oct 31 2010, 03:58 PM

second playthrough now, going for all the evil stuff, actually having trouble being evil, but i'm lvl5, so give me time. the Ratslayer is an awesome starting weapon, but man getting it is a challenge.

Posted by: Hocus Pocus Oct 31 2010, 05:16 PM

was waiting for fallout 3 to drop in price.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 05:36 PM

Dammit, my game is consistiently crashing during the battle of Goodsprings. RAAAGE.

That's after I updated my nvidia drivers, and reinstalled the game. I'll try turning the graphics down, since the fact it seems to have a problem during that battle is telling me that it could be graphic related. I dunno, though. I remember how F3 tended to lock up my system when it crashed, but whereas now I'm getting CTDs. Hopefully they'll make another patch...

Posted by: Doc Chase Oct 31 2010, 05:37 PM

That is really weird. FNV crashes about 10% of the time F3 did for me now.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 06:22 PM

According to http://segmentnext.com/2010/10/19/fallout-new-vegas-errors-crashes-freezes-fixes/

Consistient crashes 20-30 minutes in the game, which is what I'm getting, can possibly be resolved by disabling steam cloud synch, so I just did that.

Also, apparently FFDSHOW can cause issues, and of course in the beginning when the game first ran I chose the option to use FFDSHOW. So, if I continue to have issues, I can go look up how to disable FFDSHOW for certain .exes (I used to know but I forgot since it's been so long since I had to do it) and see if that helps.

Finally apparently you can add 2 lines to the .ini, but I'll save that till I find out if the game is more stable with my having disabled steam cloud.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 31 2010, 08:12 PM

i'm guessing the 2 lines in the ini are the lines for the multicore support/threading? O.o
i had to do that after a certain patch with F³, but seeing how i am using a non official FNV version i don't get any patches and so far only had ONE crash at all . .
And i think that may have been my fault, for equipping gear that would bring an allready maxed attribute and skill combination up even higer . .

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 08:30 PM

Yes.

Posted by: Stahlseele Oct 31 2010, 08:35 PM

if they made that mistake again, i'm gonna laugh at them and then cry for the sheer stupidity . .

Posted by: Critias Oct 31 2010, 09:32 PM

$20 new from Amazon. How much lower do you want it to go?

Posted by: Tanegar Oct 31 2010, 09:44 PM

$29.99 for the basic game on Steam, or $49.99 for Game of the Year Edition, which includes all the DLC... wait for it... which cost $49.95 by themselves. Buy GotY, you basically get the game for four cents. Can't expect a better deal than that.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 10:00 PM

What the heck!?

fallout.ini keeps changing itself back to the old way it was, before I changed some lines in it. :o

Could that have to do with Steam validating the files?

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Oct 31 2010, 10:25 PM

Okay, so I validated the files, and then I turned off automatic updates for FNV...let me see if my .ini changes will stay put now or not.

EDIT: I did all that, and FNV seems to revert the .ini after I run it. :/ It didn't take long to crash this time, either. I wonder if the .exe is reverting the .ini back and that makes it crash. :/

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 1 2010, 12:21 PM

really strange problem there O.o
not that i like advocating such things, but try getting a pirated version somehwere that does not work with steam and see how that works . .

Posted by: nezumi Nov 1 2010, 01:44 PM

My wife got me FNV yesterday for my birthday Having a bit too much fun (perhaps why i called in sick today). I do love the iron sights, and that you can snipe targets before they turn up on the compass. However, I'm a bit worried that Caravan may be unbalancing. I have as of yet to lose a game, and I've made at least 1,500 credits in just an hour of game-time.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 1 2010, 01:58 PM

I still can't figure out how to play Caravan. I've been far too busy shooting people in the face for caps and weaponry.

Boone and I cleaned out Cottonwood Cove by sniping from the ridge. Now I've got to make the trek up to Bitter Springs, but I need to drop by the Sniper's Nest first to grab the unique Sniper Rifle. The Hunting Rifle's iron sights are horrible, but I'm finding it to be a good VATS weapon.

I'm finding that tricking out a Varmint Rifle is still one of the best investments you can make for realtime plinking. The game really, really wants me to trick out a Laser Rifle for energy sniping as well because those are the only damn mods I can find at any given time, but as long as I've got a stack of 5.56 and a night vision scope on the VR, people fall down. I should shoot for an EW build sometime, but I'm having way too much fun still with regular guns.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 1 2010, 02:37 PM

It took me a little while to figure out that in order to play my second card, I have to move it down, instead of playing it right on the previous card like I was doing with face cards.

You are right though, the computer players all seem absolutely horrid. However, I can say from experience that it makes a great game IRL.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 1 2010, 02:48 PM

I can't even play the first card. I click all over the screen and nothing happens, so I'm like "Welp, reload, draw pistol, shoot man in face." I barely know the basic rules for Caravan at this point. My caps come from selling the mass of weaponry and armor I collect while out in the Wasteland. Hunting Rifles are worth a lot.

Looking forward to actually sitting down and winning enough caps at all the casinos to get thrown out.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 1 2010, 04:09 PM

Oh, it doesn't use the mouse for some reason, you need to use the keyboard. Arrow keys to move, and w, e, and r for various actions. I figure it has something to do with the console in it.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 1 2010, 04:13 PM

Hmm. I'll have to see if I can steal the caps from all the people I meet, now.

But...shooting people in the face! Argh.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 1 2010, 05:32 PM

If it were not for the post apoc, this would be a perfect shadowrun game . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 1 2010, 05:37 PM

It's tempting to take the engine and do something Shadowrunny with it.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 1 2010, 06:38 PM

maybe somebody should do a shadowrun total conversion mod . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 1 2010, 06:54 PM

That would be wiz, but so much work. So much.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 1 2010, 07:02 PM

You know what would be wiz about now? A steaming cup of soykaf.

Posted by: Fix-it Nov 1 2010, 07:51 PM

tbh, it's easier to get a reserve of caps, buy everything you want from a merchant, then just beat them in caravan until you get all your caps back.

EDIT: big hint for PC users playing caravan: YOU HAVE TO USE THE ARROW KEYS to move cards around the table. it took me half an hour of banging my head against the keyboard to figure it out. also, http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Caravan_%28game%29

only think I'm missing is the ability to cheat at blackjack. I wish you could palm cards in and out of your hand. I thought that was the point of the casino cards being at various merchants.

for people looking for something shadowrunny, I'm still waiting for http://www.introversion.co.uk/subversion/

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 1 2010, 08:38 PM

The cards are actually there to boost your own CARAVAN Deck . .
Furthermore, i am hoping for a Mod that will add in Wanamingos, Floaters and Frank Horrigan . .

Posted by: Critias Nov 1 2010, 08:49 PM

I've long felt the same way about the basic Mass Effect game (and no doubt Deus Ex when it hits shelves in a few months will feel the same). Either one of them would make for an amazing SR experience, though, for sure.

Does it still count if we just imagine the pointy ears and stuff?

Posted by: nezumi Nov 1 2010, 11:01 PM

Caravan is pretty easy. Using the keyboard, first you go through the top and bottom decks and add or remove cards as you wish. THe best strategy for me is to load the deck with 10s, 6s, Kings and a few Queens, then fill in the gaps with whatever. Start the game.

During the game, you select a card. Put it in column 1. Then column 2, then 3, then you can mess with the columns themselves, putting a card next down the column (following certain rules) or beside another card. Generally I do 10+King (to double it), 6 in the column. All three columns must have at least one stack between 21 and 26, and no ties, to win. You can play cards on the other guy's cards, but I've never had to. I normally win in 10 moves, and have never lost.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 2 2010, 02:18 AM

My quest to make Fallout NV run without crashing to desktop every few minutes continues!

So far http://filenetworks.blogspot.com/2010/10/fallout-new-vegas-fix-crash-freezing.html has been the page with the most stuff I haven't seen before in terms of suggestions.

I disabled FFDSHOW audio AND video for falloutnv.exe (LOL, it came with disabled Fallout3 and Morrowind by default), and that site suggested making the .ini changes in both the .ini in My Documents, but also the default .ini in the Fallout NV Steam folder. Maybe that explains why the .ini kept reverting! So I've done all that. Now I'm going to try and run it again and see if it's stable!

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 2 2010, 02:34 AM

Still crashing, so I'm going to use this dll: http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=34778

EDIT: Still crashes. I can't believe it; I never had this problem with Fallout 3.

EDIT 2: Removed the DLL, updated Direct X, updated Realtek HD Audio, STILL CRASHES EVERY FEW MINUTES! RAAARRREGHHHHHHHH!

Posted by: Fix-it Nov 2 2010, 04:43 AM

hate to be the one to re-iterate the basics, but:

drivers updated?

winxp or win7?

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 2 2010, 06:49 AM

As i said, try aquiring a pirated version of the game which does not work with steam and see how that works out for you. . .
Then try the stuff you tried before, including the ini tampering, to see if it sticks when steam has no say in the matter at all.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 2 2010, 01:30 PM

Alternatively, there may be a crack that removes the Steam support so you don't have to download the whole thing first.

Posted by: Lansdren Nov 2 2010, 02:17 PM

Loving FNV wish F3 played on win7 so I could revisit that one too.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 2 2010, 02:22 PM

It doesn't? That's...odd.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 2 2010, 02:36 PM

It does just fine for me O.o

Posted by: Karoline Nov 2 2010, 03:43 PM

It should run on win7 just fine. I admit I haven't personally tried it or anything, but there really isn't any reason it shouldn't work.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 2 2010, 04:21 PM

Yes and XP.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 2 2010, 04:24 PM

Yeah, Steam may be the culprit, as F3 wasn't steam when I played it.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 2 2010, 09:00 PM

There's a term for the sort of thing in a game. It's a scrappy mechanic. The primary reason that H2O/Starvation/Sleep Deprivation are not scrappy mechanics in FNV is because they don't get in the way and they are trivially easy to deal with. The diminishing DR/DV on armor/weapons isn't that bad because it's slot and once again easy to account for.

--



Everyone is killable with two exceptions. Main plot NPCs (which become killable after they are no longer plot necessary) and children. If you want to kill children and plot NPCs go play Fallout and Fallout 2.

--



Caravan in a nutshell.

You assemble your deck, it consists of face cards, number cards, and jokers.

For setup you place three number cards from your hand on the table (I recommend high number or low numbers).

First round you can play a number card on one of your caravans or play a face card or joker on any card on the field.
Every pile has an active suit and a direction (ascending/descending). If you play a number card it must go in the direction of the pile or match suit (I don't know if matching suit alters direction or if direction still stays the same). For instance, if you play a 5 of clubs initially, then a 6 of diamonds, the next card you play on that pile has to be a 7, 8, 9, or 10.

Each face card has a different effect.
Jacks remove the card they are played on and any linked face cards from play. It's played offensively to remove high value cards from your opponent (8-10 + King). It's played defensively if you pop over 26.
Queens alter the direction of the pile, so if you were ascending, you're now descending. This is the only way to continue playing cards once you've ascended to 10 or descended to ace. Offensively, this is good if you're in the last moments of the game, where a queen can force the opponent to play a card that will cause their pile to jump from under 21 to over 26 or force them to play a card that is less than what they need to reach the target mark. Defensively, it's necessary to continue growing some piles if you hit the limits.
Kings double the value of whatever card it's played on. Offensively, you hit a card that will pop an opponents pile over 26. Defensively, you can use it for a quick jump into the 21-26 range.
Jokers, when played on a non-ace number, remove all other cards of that value from the table. I don't recall the effect a joker has on an ace.

The game is one once a pile in each set (yours and opponents) has a value of 21 to 26. So if you have 21/9/26 and the opponent has 3/24/23, the game ends with the winner being the one that wins the greater number of piles (I think). In the event of a tie, the winner is the one with the greater value.

Posted by: LurkerOutThere Nov 3 2010, 04:20 AM

Played through once, was a guns/energhy weapons guy with enough points left over to raise pretty much everything else I wanted to do. With judicious use of skill books I could pass pretty much any challenge especially after getting the perk that made skill mags doubly effective. Played very close to the end as an NCR guy, NCR faction head is a dick asked me to wipe out the brotherhood, who'd I'd already put a lot of time and effort into making my friends. There might be a peaceful way to resolve this quest but with all I'd already done that option was off the table. Got annoyed and dusted off yes man and installed myself as Autocrat in charge of vegas which left a lot to be desired ending wise.

Playing through second time as a melee guy and it is a ton harder, everything hits like a ton of bricks and I havn't even given any though to what i'm going to do about deatchlaws. Also going survival this time and while there are some cool options there it seems like a big hassle to gather the crafting stuff. We'll see if my mind changes after i use poison on some super mutants or ghoul reavers.

One suprising thing for me has been how much more difficult it has been then the previous game, there are deathclaws within easy walking distance of the starting area for example. Kinda lends a different feel to things.

I'm pleased with how reverant and referential this has been of the previous games without completely repeating the stories. A lot of refrences to fallout 1 and 2 are there if you care to look. It will also be interesting to see what's up with the DLC's if they send us back to Shady Sands or somewhere similar.

Posted by: KarmaInferno Nov 3 2010, 04:30 AM

The Bucket Bug is hilarious:

-k

Posted by: Karoline Nov 3 2010, 05:15 AM

Less of a bug and more of an oversight. Well, the fact that you don't lose karma seems to be a bug. Not sure why you don't lose the karma.

Posted by: Voran Nov 3 2010, 06:01 AM

Heh, I didn't use the bucket, but the whole 1)pick up an item in front of everyone 2)walk with the held item off to a side room, 3)throw/drop said item out of sight of any npcs 4)repeat 5)close door (not necessary) 6)'steal' all the stuff off the floor.

Since you're out of sight of any guards, they don't turn hostile.

Don't mind me! I'm just carrying this heavy plasma cannon to...um...clean it, yeah!

Posted by: LurkerOutThere Nov 3 2010, 06:18 AM

In related news, the CAD guy is funny sometimes by accident when he's not doing comics about his avatar character that no one cares about.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 3 2010, 06:24 AM

Yeah, I'm sure he has a massive successful webcomic because no one cares about his avatar character.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 3 2010, 12:04 PM

It's not a total oversight. It's a mechanics issue, though I thought that at one point they had that fixed in Oblivion.

You still get all the negative things that happen from stealing the item (read karma loss) but you don't have any of the other worse things happen to you. There is a pseudo work around to it built in the game but it seems hit and miss on what NPCs exhibit the trait or it may be that the work around only happens when you're sneaking, but NPCs will follow you around inside a building if there are stealable items. Happened in Oblivion, Fallout 3, and I've seen it in New Vegas.

Still, always tricked by just moving fast enough to break line of sight with the NPC.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 3 2010, 01:52 PM

no, actually you do NOT lose karma, when you do this . .
Curiously, on the other hand, i tried to steal one of the kings uniforms . .
had done so, had it safely tucked away in my inventory/companions inventory . .
Suddenly one of them cries:"Hey! That belongs to us!" and takes it back and i lose karma.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 3 2010, 01:53 PM

Really? I've lost karma from just stealing items where they were lying when I was in a room unobserved. Magically moving the item no longer causes you to lose karma?

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 3 2010, 02:42 PM

Not in this case it seems . .

Posted by: nezumi Nov 3 2010, 02:54 PM

that would be awesome. I'm very frustrated that, after I kill everyone in the building (sometimes without losing any karma), taking owner-less equipment costs me karma. I'll have to try this with the Powder Gang.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 03:15 PM

Oh god, yes, though my offset I gain from killing them is still pretty damn decent compared to what I lose stealing from them.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 3 2010, 03:46 PM

Why?
What do they hae that'S worth it?

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 03:51 PM

Early on it's a good way to stock up on .357 and 9mm, as well as dynamite and getting the schematics for the Powder Charge.

Fun fact, you can actually jack the schematic without suffering Karma loss.

Posted by: nezumi Nov 3 2010, 04:14 PM

It's not the dollar amount, it's the idea of the thing. I killed them, I get looting rights.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 04:48 PM

"I already killed them, how am I more evil by taking their stuff?"

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 3 2010, 05:21 PM

Ah, that ^^
I thought you were talking about taking stuff in buckets without them noticing . . .

Posted by: nezumi Nov 3 2010, 07:50 PM

Well the one problem solves the other. So now that they're all dead, I'm going to take their stuff out (in buckets so I can keep it).

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 3 2010, 08:32 PM

i don't know what changed, but for some reason, FNV keeps crashing every some minutes for me now <.<

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 09:36 PM

I'm wondering if you just pick it up and drop it if the karma loss is negated.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 3 2010, 09:42 PM

Oh hoh hoh, it's apparently contagious over internet forums!

Posted by: Voran Nov 3 2010, 09:57 PM

Yeah, the game does have some weird karma loss/stealing triggers:

Wait...its ok for me to slaughter these legion members or dynamite-using-raiders, and get +karma for it, but if I loot their stuff from their camp when they're dead, i get -karma? Its ok for you to splatter the guys head, but don't you dare open his footlocker!

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 3 2010, 10:07 PM

The act of killing them is good, but the act of looting is bad. If you loot after you kill you get less good karma due to your mercenary motivations. If you kill but don't loot everyonr is impressed by your super Zen buddhist skill at arms combined with anti materialism.

LOL, I wish I could actually play this game. XD

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 10:08 PM

Considering this is the Nevada wasteland, I'm not surprised that a man's private property is sacrosanct.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 3 2010, 10:08 PM

Considering this is the Nevada wasteland, I'm not surprised that a man's private property is sacrosanct.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 3 2010, 10:19 PM

I mostly find it annoying that even though no one ever (or usually ever) sees the stuff that changes your karma, and yet they can somehow tell what it is. I guess I just don't notice that red and black aura around myself like everyone else seems to

Posted by: LurkerOutThere Nov 4 2010, 03:52 AM

Massively successful is open to debate, all I'm saying is for a lot of people I talked to CAD either doesn't register on their radar or they were aware of it and have gone away from it, for a few the miscarriage storyline was kind of the final straw.

In related news a funny thing occured to me today. It's always funny how RPG's only reward kills and not defeats in most examples. Lets say i'm walking down the interstate and a group of vipers attack me, I headshot the leader right off the bat and wing a few of the others causing them to break and run, i only get credit for those guys if I run them down and kill them, what's worse I can't fast travel or sleep until I have ran them down and killed them.

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 4 2010, 04:42 AM

ugh, for some reason i decided to get all buddy buddy with the brotherhood, after frying the helios plant to high heaven. This by way of a certain young lady i picked up at a trader station. Sadly this means that i need to dig around inside a irradiated, ghoul infested vault! Radiation sickness and glowing ones do not mix! Btw, the quest is borked to high heaven. One option is some farming stuff, that i happened to pick up during a earlier quest. I am sure the data is still stored on the pip-boy but the quest wants me to download it from the source. A non-completable option...

And i really need to do something about my AP regen, as it is basically worthless in any fight that involve 2+ enemies. That or get the lady some power armor (i think there are some dead paladins somewhere that i can loot) so that she can beat them into submission (my own fist broke down from over-use, and repairs are highly expensive!)...

Posted by: KarmaInferno Nov 4 2010, 05:46 AM

I have been acquiring a ridiculous amount of dynamite.

Seems to fall from the sky or something.

Does the blessed fiery flow of sticks taper off later on?




-k

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 4 2010, 06:20 AM

What's to stop you?

If you're talking about Veronica, can't she repair stuff for you on the cheap?

Posted by: LurkerOutThere Nov 4 2010, 06:33 AM

Raul is the guy that can repair, I havn't ran aroudn wtih him as generally speaking by the time your capable of getting him, you don't need him.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 4 2010, 06:36 AM

Ah, right, she does not repair, she is basically a walking work/reloading bench i think . .

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 4 2010, 06:56 AM

yep, she is a walking workbench.

i wonder if i can repair something from broken condition if i can get my repair skill high enough...

Posted by: Voran Nov 4 2010, 07:47 AM

Yes, for quite a bit of time you end up getting dynamite, then they start transitioning into frag grenades. Those early raiders near your starting city will continue to use dynamite, as that is 'their thing', but as you start heading north and into 'higher level' zones, grenades become more common, as do missile launchers.

On a side note, I love using 40 mm grenades in a lowbie grenade rifle, its just funny

Posted by: Mäx Nov 4 2010, 08:45 AM

I feel so much like a terminator when i walk around blasting people to pieces with my single shot grenade launcher.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 4 2010, 12:59 PM

In a way. You can craft Weapon Repair Kits at a Workbench, which then do the job without needing another piece of equipment.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 4 2010, 01:20 PM

I still love Boone as a companion, but that's because he's a perfect pair to a guns/sneak style character. With his perk highlighting enemies it makes it a lot easier to snipe enemies and if I don't kill them in 1 shot he pretty much cleans them up.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 4 2010, 01:27 PM

Boone + ED-E + Scoped Rifle = world-record setting kills. Boone was always pissed at me for taking shots at enemies he couldn't see, but that's how one clears Cottonwood Cove from the Sniper's Nest.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 4 2010, 05:05 PM

I might go to Henderson this afternoon. Did you all know that Henderson used to be called Hooterville? They changed the name.

Even though I've been having stability issues I console myself with actual visits to Henderson which are in any case very much like going back in time anyway.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 4 2010, 05:58 PM

REPCONN HQ and the Test Site are among my two favorite sites to visit because of rockets, a fortune in Pre-War Money, and the Q-35.

Also - WAYNE NEWTON IS A DEEJAY.

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 4 2010, 09:41 PM

Except that they only affect the equipped weapon, and you can't equip a broken weapon

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 4 2010, 10:41 PM

Hm. Don't let your weapons break?

I find I can always get a copy of whatever's broken, and if I can't - well that's what Jury Rigging is for!

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 4 2010, 11:07 PM

Fallout.ini hasn't changed back, so I guess the key to that is to change it in both places.

I don't think I want to feel acute frustration this evening, but sometime later I'll try FNV again and see if it's any more stable for having had the .ini changed.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 4 2010, 11:35 PM

I'm going to try the iNumHWThreads=1 fix.

Also, I would have thought that Steam would update itself, but when I went to check my Steam settings it said it wanted to update, so I've gone and done that. Maybe updating Steam would help...I did notice that Steam kept changing the game to auto update even when I repeatedly set it to not auto update.

EDIT: Hmm, I went a little longer before crashing. I wonder if that was a fluke, or if the iNumHWThreads=1 was a help.

I know, I know, get the crack that disables Steam support. But I feel a little bit leery of searching on the internet for cracks, since I'm afraid I might end up getting a computer virus.

EDIT 2: Just tried toning down my Windows audio settings, but still very unstable.




I'm running Win XP service pack 2. Could not having service pack 3 have something to do with this instability I'm having with Fallout?

Okay, now I'm all stressed and frustrated. I'm going for a run.

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 5 2010, 02:12 AM

gah, rage quit. Ended up rushing the yes man branch and now i am faced with a bunch of praetorian that i can barely see because their ballistic fists fill my screen with smoke...

Ah, more thinking fixed the "problem". Rather then rush in i beat up some passive praetorians, grabbed their ballistic fists, tuned one up to past 75%, and discovered that uppercuts have a interesting side effect.

For the most part the ending summary sounded ok.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 02:12 PM

Found myself doing some weapon testing so I can find just the right mix of power, accuracy and speed. I'm focusing on anything with a scope right now, or that I can put a scope on since I generally have ED-E and Boone for long range testing. The more I can blast folks before I'm even spotted, the happier I am.

Going with PC version allows me to load a weapon with ammo and mods whenever I want, so I can just revert to my Cottonwood Cove save to see how each fares against Legion targets, then nip over to Searchlight for ghouls and Black Mountain/Scorpion Gulch.

Leaning towards the Sniper Rifle as the .308 is an excellent cartridge for the majority of the long range, non-VATS work I'm doing. The Hunting Rifle is nice, but I'm having serious problems putting rounds on target through the scope, so it's hitting the bottom of my list.

The AMR has excellent punch - especially with a Bloody Mess/Center of Mass/Better Criticals/Finesse/Ninja build that can gib Hardened Sentry Bots on a sneak attack critical, but the time between shots leaves something to be desired in a close combat situation. .50 Incindiary is my load of choice, though I'm putting together a few mags of .50 Match Handload for big targets.

Ratslayer is a lovely Varmint Rifle. My next playthrough I'll sneak through Primm Pass to go get that before returning to Goodsprings to take care of the Powder Gangers. VR's are a great plinking weapon early on in the game, up until heavy troopers on any side start showing up, Giant Radscorps, or Deathclaws. That Ratslayer has all the mods I like putting on the VR makes it a must-have for early on, and ammo's cheap!

I'm not terribly impressed with the Laser Rifle for distance work. I have a fully modded one with scope, dual barrel and focusing beam. The first few shots have been 'eh', but I'll give it a better try on my next attempt.

Next up to try is the .44 mag lever-action wth a scope, and the .45-70. I am digging the lever-action rifles for work on scorpions. Great punch with a high rate of fire.

Posted by: Voran Nov 5 2010, 02:48 PM

Yeah in general I wasn't impressed much by the energy weapons, though in this case, 'flamethrowers' fall under energy weapons, and those were always fun. Always a giggle to watch immolated things.

I noted that for my 1st playthrough, 90 percent of my weapons were projectile type firearms, with the noted addition of the lowbie single shot 40 mm grenade rifle, as it only required like an explosive rating of 25 (i think).

I kept the plasma defender pistol as my sole 'true' energy weapon, largely using it to splatter random critters and low armored foes, while i saved my handloaded .308 rounds for more serious stuff.

I did pick up the unique plasma rifle, laser rifle, etc, but those mostly stayed in storage as I couldn't really rationalize using them.

Oddly this time around I also didn't use missile launchers like I did in the past, partly due to my lower explosive rating. Oh and at hardcore missiles are kinda heavy to keep carrying around. I had a fatman, and realized i hadn't used it once by the end of the game.

I do wish shotguns remained viable late in the game. I had the unique hunting shotgun usually filled with slug 12 gauge, but even that wasn't very good at later levels, especially with limited range.

I also wish there was a way to specialize more in a weapon, so if you WANT to use a .357 lever action rifle until the end of the game, you could. I know that doesn't fit the combat model, but to me, you seem to start off with so many options, but then have to go .308 and .50 cal by the end of the game. .44 doesn't even cut it anymore.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 02:56 PM

Do they? I'll have to look at it again, I thought Flamers and Incinerators were under Explosives.

Energy Weapons are great at the lower levels - hell, you can start with a Laser Pistol that'll vaporize any Powder Ganger you see until you run out of Energy Cells - but by the time you finish out the Fiends you're more or less done with them. I'm still just not impressed with the Q-35 when I can bullseye a named Fiend with a single round from my lever-action, or blow a leg off with the Sniper Rifle. The Tesla Cannons are workable, though. Still cannot get a Gauss Rifle to save my life - I may just have to cheat and load one up for testing purposes, though I'm already pretty sure on how it'll work.

I do have to say, .50 Incindiary + Bloody Mess = fireworks with nearly every shot. It lets me see just how many giblets I break a Fiend into.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 5 2010, 02:57 PM

My problem with a lot of RPGs that present modern firearms is how they never seem to get away from a stepladder mentality, where the crappy guns are ubiquitious at the beginning and you must upgrade to better ones.

Whereas in reality almost any firearm would be deadly if properly maintained and used in an appropriate way.

I suppose at game design school they teach you that it has to be that way so there can be a reward mechanic. But for me as a firearms enthusiast, I rather would want to design a game where "every sword is perfect."

(That's a Deus Ex reference right there.)

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 03:05 PM

I've noticed that in Fallout that even the 'worst' weapons are deadly enough if you've got good aim. People take a lot more damage if you keep hitting an area you've disabled. A Super Mutant will still go down if I get the drop on him with a sneak attack 10mm JHP.

It is also slightly realistic that a 5.56 is going to do a bit more than a 9mm against an armored target, though. I find I have to get a good rifle round and aim high if a guy's wearing Metal Armor, but anything under that is fair game for light pistol rounds.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 5 2010, 03:28 PM

I've been using the All-American for my outdoor sniping. I haven't stumbled upon a lot of .308 ammo for the Sniper Rifle, so I don't use it often.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 03:30 PM

I typically buy every round I come across, plus if I can nail the Fiends/Legion who have Hunting Rifles at long range, then I can scavenge their ammo. I need to add the All-American to my list as well, the marksman carbines seem to be pretty nice.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 5 2010, 04:14 PM

I went through basically the entire game with the QX-365 or whatever it is called. Right near the end I got the Gauss rifle, but my low energy weapons skill meant it wasn't all that great, especially after I broke both my arms and my head in the final mission with no doctors bags x.x'

Only thing I didn't like about it was that it burned through 5 ammo a shot. Luckily I had the energy reload perk so I got more empties and could recharge them more effectively, but it was still expensive to use too much.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 04:16 PM

Yeah, the cost makes it fairly prohibitive unless you aren't using MFC's for anything else. Hell, I think the Tesla Cannon is cheaper to fire, and it's an energy bazooka.

The unique Gauss costs one less to fire for comprable stats from what the Vault says, but I prefer the F3 version that's only one cell per shot.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 5 2010, 04:28 PM

I haven't found the unique Gauss. I just bought mine from the Brotherhood.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 04:44 PM

I forget where the Vault says you can get it. I haven't been shooting for it much because I saw how much it cost.

Setting up a playthrough where I recruit all the guys and have them hanging out at the Lucky 38. Only way to do it is to go straight to Vegas and not do a single quest unless it has to do with the companion in question, like One For My Baby or finding neat swag for Veronica. I'll then do their personal quest and send them on their merry way to the '38 where I will decide who to use after acquiring them all. Should make for a hell of an ending!

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 5 2010, 07:13 PM

Has anyone tried to run a melee character yet?

Given the Western theme it could be funny to play Chuck Norris.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 07:15 PM

You'd have to do some serious stealth capping and have judicious use of Stealth Boys to pull it off. There are a ton of people with guns, and cazadors hurt.

I might give it a try with a Bumper Sword or a Rebar Club for awhile, unless I can snag a Ballistic Fist or something somewhere, but that'll be way after I'm done with my sniping test.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 5 2010, 07:17 PM

Gauss Rifles are BOSS!
I can oneshot most everything with them . .
Also, wanna have fun?
Get the Meltdown perk.
Get a high Damage NOT DPS Energy-Weapon and go into the plant vault.
Find someting small to shoot at.
For example, baby mantis. Shoot open one Egg.
Then shoot at one of the babies.
Watch the fireworks. There's a chain-reaction of exploding insects!
But make sure to keep yourself and your companions FAR away . .
i blew up my complete team on the first time i noticed this <.<;,

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 07:22 PM

Pffffhahahahahaha I need to try that now. I keep taking Meltdown but I never use the energy weapons.

I did just pick up that unique Tesla Cannon... moo hoo ha ha.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 5 2010, 07:26 PM

You need something weak to get a really good chain reaction though . . and lots of it . . because the energy given off by the initial hit/kill is not all that strong to begin with . .
so you need something that is weak enough to be killed by the blast itself. THEN you are in the business of making chunky salsa memorable . . i think i once blew up a swarm of ants with this.
and some minutes later, it still started raining ant chunks on my head suddenly ^^
I wish the fat-man nucular 'splosion counted as energy damage solely for the purpose of combining it with the huge blast radius perk and REALLY doing a chain reaction in the big way ^^

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 5 2010, 08:15 PM

Get a good grouping of Powder Gangers or something, bullseye the first, let them glow, then bullseye the second and that should set it all off.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 5 2010, 09:02 PM

I've started a melee character, but have only done a few levels so far.

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 5 2010, 10:10 PM

for unarmed and melee there is a really nasty perk at level 12 that i missed, as it needs unarmed 70 to show. Basically one ignore 15 DT!

That should make taking down super mutants and deathclaws much easier.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 6 2010, 10:42 AM

There's several such perks in there, basically for most approaches 3 perks.
Spiked knuckles are a dangerous thing to wield. And if you get to ballistic fists, uppercut means upperCUT.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 6 2010, 08:12 PM

I suggest happy folk with the PC version start looking for mods. There's some terribly good ones that improve the crafting process, add weather effects such as sandstorms, and opens the map up for play after the main quest is completed and the game 'ends'.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 6 2010, 08:46 PM

I just experimented with taking Steam offline and playing FNV. The game seemed to run a little smoother but it still CTDed a lot. However, I've just been playing FNV a lot and it has crashed many times prior. Next time I'll try some offline play after a system reboot and see how that goes.

I also sent a query to Steam tech support, and am eagerly awaiting a sarcastic and dismissive response. Naturally I haven't heard anything back from the email I sent to the developer's tech support, the one promising responses within 48 hours.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 6 2010, 09:52 PM

my crashed have stopped again, without reason . . same as they started . .
also, i tought the legion how to disarm ncr mines, and now i get to find one dead/dieing and/or crippled NCR member after the other that has been rigged with their own mines . .
it is deliciously ironic and oh so realistic for the legion to go the whole way of using guerilla war tactics and terror/psychoterror like this . . but fucking annoying, since now i have to be REALLY carefull when i find bodies on the ground and not just run there and loot them <.<

Posted by: Fix-it Nov 7 2010, 01:43 AM

my "evil" play through character is now "angel of the wastes". how the eff did that happen.

Posted by: Voran Nov 7 2010, 07:52 AM

I'm using the 'reinforced chinese stealth suit' mod, i find it to be the best looking armor in the game.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 7 2010, 09:05 AM

*nods* yeah, me too . .
i started with making good springs a powder ganger outpost, then i helped the guys in the NCRCF and killed several NCR-Troopers . . i was villified enough by them so i could not tell them what the legion had done in nipton . . and suddenly, NCR-People are running up to me and showering me with gifts x.x

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 8 2010, 02:37 AM

I actually did get a reply from Steam Support. It's not as bad as I thought...I'll try some of their steps.

Posted by: Tiralee Nov 8 2010, 04:30 AM

Hi, still level 30, still wandering the wastelands and finding new people to blow the living hell out of.

Some more musings:
Handloads ROCK. Seriously, the powder's cheap as hell and if you vacuum up the Hulls/energy cells, it's reload paradise.
.50 Cal and .308 are lovely, but remember you need 8 STR for the Anti Material Rifle (And that explains why I was one-shotting with the .308 vs the 50.) That being said, blowing up powergangers (a rare and endangered species now) by shooting the vehicle they're camped next to was lovely.

Weapon Repair Kits = insta cash. You pick up your typical high-value broken weapon, 4 kits (Roughly 80 caps worth) and you sell it for 4k caps.
That and risking needle-prick by harvesting every single empty syringe, brock flower and xanthingy-root.

The Tesla Cannon's a wonderful toy, but as I can cap another 4-5 targets (If using the Gobi Rifle) in the time It took me to fire once, well....

Rad-Away and Rad-Ex (and the Advanced suit/Space suit) greatly desired for Vault 34, ghoul central there. Try not to bring followers, they'll get stuck in the weirdest places. It's also home to Weapons-World (the Armoury) and more 10mm ammo than I've ever seen. Before forking over the Caps for good weapons, head down there with a tricked-out 10 mm SMG and harvest away

The Pulse pistol is Robot Apocolapyse. Damn, you can make a lot of xp with that thing.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 8 2010, 02:33 PM

Hoo. A self-help bomb dropped by an enterprising CSR.

Posted by: nezumi Nov 8 2010, 02:47 PM

Firstly, where do you find powder? I haven't gone much further north than Helios, so that might be why, but I can't for the life of me find powder without taking apart my other bullets to get it.

Secondly, where are people downloading mods from? I heard about one that lets you bring around more companions, that sounds like it could be fun. (And with a cap of one companion, what use is Charisma?)

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 8 2010, 03:02 PM

You can buy jars of powder from vendors - then just drop and pick up the item and it'll split the powder out to be useable. It's generally easier and quicker to break down the rounds you aren't using (like all that 9mm or 5mm) to get the powder and primers you need.

As for mods, the most comprehensive library I've seen for them is at the http://www.newvegasnexus.com. I've downloaded the reloading mod and the skill-based perks to see how they work. So far, so good.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 8 2010, 06:00 PM

In the beginning, go into the NCRCF and either do quests for them or rob them blind.
They are called POWDER GANGS for a reason you know? ^^

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 8 2010, 06:13 PM

I get up on the south ridge overlooking the prison and just pick people off in the courtyard for awhile. As long as I can nail the guy just inside the door when I walk in the visitor's center, it's typically no risk, all reward. They can't stand up to a scoped Varmint Rifle.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 11 2010, 03:07 PM

Mod thoughts:

Improved Reloading Recipies is wonderful. I'm not typically a grenade guy, so the dynamite is worthless to me until I activate this mod. It's not quite believable that I get gunpowder out of breaking it down, but it's certainly a hell of a lot cheaper for me to get powder this way!

Melee build thoughts:

A maxed Stealth skill is required for it, as well as a tendency to move around only at night. Barring that, a lot of stimpaks and heavy armor are useful. If you can sneak in and get the Machete Gladius from Cottonwood Cove you're fairly well off bladewise until you can snag a Super Sledge or go unarmed with a Ballistic Fist or Displacer Glove.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 11 2010, 03:43 PM

I should write a pen and paper letter to the guys who did FNV and thank them for finally portraying reloading in a post apocalyptic game. Until this point, most gamers who didn't also shoot probably didn't know about reloading.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 11 2010, 03:49 PM

Not only that, but portraying surplus ammo.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 11 2010, 04:36 PM

Not everyone wants to bother with handloading though.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 11 2010, 07:40 PM

They could have made that a part of hardcore mode too.
Less supply to be found, but crafting system active then.

Posted by: Voran Nov 11 2010, 10:30 PM

I liked hardcore mode, though it didn't really affect my game style too much. Ammo weight did play a factor, but mostly it just prevented me from carrying every piece of ammo that I'd usually pickup in my fo3 days, and oddly, your ammo had weight, but the ammo components themselves didn't, so I might be only willing to carry 150 rounds of something, but could have the materials for a few hundred more magically in my pack, weightless.

I do regret that melee doesn't allow for targeting in VATS, but I used to like to target the groin in the old fallout 1/2 games with melee attacks

Posted by: Fix-it Nov 12 2010, 03:23 AM

update: I am disappoint, stupid characters aren't fun like in the originals. guess I'll play a bit longer with my 1int/1chr guy, but no difference so far.

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 12 2010, 05:44 AM

Up melee skill to 50, apply uppercut in vats, watch enemy pass out. enter vats again and stomp way at them

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 12 2010, 12:18 PM

If we were talking about any game series other than Fallout, I might be inclined to call you a monster. However, I have no room to call anyone a monster since I killed EVERY NPC in Fallout 2. Yes, that includes all the children.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 12 2010, 12:32 PM

What about the tin man?

Posted by: hobgoblin Nov 12 2010, 12:33 PM

What was funny was doing that on every humanoid enemy until one encounter a super-mutant, and then have him laugh in your face because it has no effect on them.

Posted by: StealthSigma Nov 12 2010, 01:52 PM

I killed everything I could. That's all I remember. That was a long time ago. I think a few NPCs may have escaped death by running off the map so I couldn't attack them anymore. There was probably one or two that were unkillable. Everything I could kill I did kill.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 12 2010, 03:27 PM

I'm just very curious here...what about the ghost girl where you normally have to return her locket?

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 12 2010, 03:29 PM

Still, though, first time I've seen it portrayed in a mainstream game.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 12 2010, 06:36 PM

I like the bonuses that handloading provides. I just wish I was more efficient at policing brass.

Shelved the melee build. It's nice to have in the Strip itself, but I need a gun when I'm wandering the Mojave.

Tried the Skill-Based Perks mod availble on the New Vegas Nexus. I see why it's considered a cheat, but it's nice to have some of these perks as rewards for going all the way into a skill - though getting Concentrated Fire at level 4 from pouring 45-60 points into Guns is a mite overpowered. Only a mite, though.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 12 2010, 07:10 PM

if it works with tag skills too, then it's really a bit cheap.
because on leel 3, you can have 3 of your tag skills at 60 . .

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 12 2010, 07:13 PM

Which it does. It's applied solely on the basis of what the skill rating is at that moment. Tagging Guns at the start usually nets you Rapid Reload, though if you're built to be a Guns-master then you've got Rapid Reload, Run 'n Gun and Cowboy. I try not to go for that skewed of a build, though.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 12 2010, 09:01 PM

I'd go for energy weapons and repair anyway.
Seeing how you can net 3 laser pistols in Good Springs alone, and you can then repair them up to good condition . .
With this mod, you'd probably get the laser commando and maybe even meltdown perks, as there is not much more for energy weapons i think O.o
That would make killing things pretty easy. And with high repair, you probably get the repair using something remotely similar for a substitute perk.
which will be hugely usefull for rare weapons and armor.

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 12 2010, 09:57 PM

Capping EW gives you the efficient recycling perk to start, followed by plasma spaz, meltdown and laser commander is at 100. But yeah, going down that path does give you all the perks. I actually prefer guns for Concentrated Fire early on.

Stealth gives you...Friend of the Night, Silent Running and Ninja. I didn't cap it to 100 before I wiped the build, that was my melee build character. Repair I'm raising on this build after Guns is done (at 90) so I'm expecting Jury Rigging amongst other things.

Jury Rigging is massively overpowered. I love that skill. Use Varmints to fix my expensive Gobi Campaign Rifle? Hell yes.

Posted by: nezumi Nov 13 2010, 12:44 AM

I'm actually getting to the point where I'm running out of skills to put my points into. I'm level 24 and have yet to actually visit the Strip. My wife was gone for 3 days and I had leave, so I basically played for 50 hours almost continously (would have hit 60, if not for kids. Damn kids and their having to eat!!)

Posted by: Karoline Nov 13 2010, 01:21 AM

That's why candy bars were invented.... or TV dinners or something.

Posted by: Voran Nov 13 2010, 02:26 AM

I guess I wish there was more visual ooomph to laser weapons. Sure they make a nice death animation, but until you kill something they don't really seem to have that much visual impact. Maybe if they started little fires on the rag-dolls or something.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 13 2010, 04:16 AM

The flamer is an energy weapon, isn't it?

Posted by: Doc Chase Nov 13 2010, 04:39 AM

Actually yes it is, I finally looked at it. Used to be Explosives, now it is not. =P

Posted by: Zyerne Nov 13 2010, 04:43 AM

Are people playing the PC version? I'm intending to get for myself as a christmas present and I'm wondering if there's any issues I should be aware of.

Posted by: Karoline Nov 13 2010, 04:50 AM

Yep, playing the PC version. Some people seem to be having some trouble. I've had it crash a couple times, but I'm running on a laptop that just has issues sometimes and has also crashed on Civ V a few times. Other than that and it being somewhat slow (once again, blame my laptop, not the game) it works well. If you read back through the posts, you'll see some other people have had some trouble.

Posted by: Zyerne Nov 13 2010, 04:54 AM

I'd noticed some people having problems but wasn't sure if it was 360, PC or both.

Fallout 3 had some crashing issues as I recall, as long as it's not a whole lot worse than those, I can live with it.

Posted by: Stahlseele Nov 13 2010, 08:42 AM

Some people keep having Problems.
I had some problems for a short ammount of time, when it would not stop crashing no matter what . .
And suddenly, it did not crash anymore.
Also, for fallout, PC-Version, all the way . . Console Commands and Mods are boss!
Furthermore, Laser-Weapons should not have a big animation in my mind anyway . .
Look at Star Wars, Star Trek and Babylon 5 and other such big players. All of the Energy-Weapons are really simple in design.
Point, shoot, ray goes out, if you hit, hole goes in. done. Only in Anime of all kinds Laser-Weapons build up with an impressive glow and soundeffects . .

Posted by: Zyerne Nov 13 2010, 12:08 PM

Never really liked Energy Weapons in Fallout 3, much more of a Small Guns and Ranger Armor type.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 13 2010, 02:49 PM

Hey, guess what? A new patch for FNV just came out.

I've kind of gotten away from FNV and have been playing a lot of Sid Meier's Pirates!, but after a while I'll try FNV out again and see if I have better success with the patched version of the game.

Patch notes here: http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/11/10/fallout-new-vegas-patch-fixes-unconscious-peoples-limbs/

Posted by: KarmaInferno Nov 13 2010, 04:21 PM

I find it humorous that you can punch a non-hostile NPC, shoot their gun out of their hand when they draw it, and if you immediately holster your weapon they go back to being non-hostile. But now sans weapon, since by that point I've yoinked it off the ground.

Also, apparently dropping explosives at the feet of an NPC, and then setting them off by shooting the explosives, does not count as "you" killing the NPC and incurs no infamy or karma loss.



-k

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Nov 13 2010, 06:07 PM

That's still better than your punching someone in The Hub making every single person in the whole city attack you on sight using lethal force, which is how the old Fallout worked.