Fallout: New Vegas [split topic]

[Viero_Berlotti]

What does it cover?

There's been no details released, but it is supposed to be a comprehensive patch that fixes the myriad of bugs and glitches that have effected this game.

[glitch]

AND INTRODUCE NEW ONES LOL

[bitpunk]

I have now completed the fourth and final ending of the game. The freezing and loading times haven't caused me great pains tbh, but I just think this game is let down by being a little too easy.  Once you've  ranked up a fair way, you just need the sniper rifle and you're pretty much invincible - one shot, dead, for most things.  Its also too easy to accrue on this game ... want tons of food?  Go to the Thorn.  Want all your gear in tip top condition?  Pay Raul to repair them, then pickpocket the caps you give him.

I'm gutted that the price has been slashed too - I can't even recoup my costs on ebay~!

I did enjoy it though ...

[Viero_Berlotti]

Its also too easy to accrue on this game ...

I'd hoped that the hardcore mode would be a real challenge, but not once have I ever been in danger of starvation or dying of thirst, it's just a case of topping up the levels every now and then. There is no scarcity in the game really, which was a bit disappointing for me, as I was hoping it would add a real strategy element to the game.

[Ignatius_S]

....but I just think this game is let down by being a little too easy.  Once you've  ranked up a fair way, you just need the sniper rifle and you're pretty much invincible - one shot, dead, for most things.  Its also too easy to accrue on this game ... want tons of food?  Go to the Thorn.  Want all your gear in tip top condition?  Pay Raul to repair them, then pickpocket the caps you give him....

It's possible to exploit features in a lot of games to make them easier, but often this makes them a little dull. 

When you have a very high or maximum weapon skill, then – like Fallout 3 – you tend to be incredibly deadly with whatever weapon you're welding, even more so when it's decent unique one. For example, That Machine hold more shots than the sniper rifle, uses less AP, has greater damage and significantly faster loading time – as it uses the same ammo (.308), it's a great complement to the sniper rifle; when enemies are near, use That Machine in VATS and it's one shot, one kill.

Naturally, there's the difficulty level to increase the challenge of combat should players find fighting a bit too easy.

With a game like Fallout New Vegas, there are many options and players can choose the way that suits them.  For example, with the character I wanted to play, it wasn't necessary to get others to repair my gear and as for food, there are so much goodies to be found, but with the amount of geckos I enjoyed slaughtering, I had a plentiful supply of meat to make tasty, nutritious and only slightly irradiated steaks – no need to rely on others!

[Ignatius_S]

I'd hoped that the hardcore mode would be a real challenge, but not once have I ever been in danger of starvation or dying of thirst, it's just a case of topping up the levels every now and then. There is no scarcity in the game really, which was a bit disappointing for me, as I was hoping it would add a real strategy element to the game.

Certainly, it makes it less important to bump up your survival skills, which is rather disappointing to me. Also, the crippling of limbs hasn't posed a problem for me.

There have been a couple of mods for the PC, which changes the rate you need sustainment and the scale of negative effects for hunger/thirst, which I might give a go in another game.

[Cohaagen]

Now on my third playthrough - a lesbian hitwoman with some fucking terrible karma - and have started using some mods to eke out

Reload - vastly augments and retools the reloading aspect, which is great if (like me) you enjoy that part of the game. Lots of new ammo recipes, adds about a dozen new weapons. Also has an option to completely rebalance gun terminal effects, making the game more difficult

WME - Weapon Mod Expansion. About 100 new mods for all weapons. Ace. Example: silencers, extended mags, etc. can now be applied to most guns, not just a select few

Killable Kids - sorry, that little prick that barks for Mick & Ralph had to bite it sometime

MTUI - improves the in-game font and formatting

Tailor Maid - this is great. Basically gives you dozens of new outfits and "accessories", eg. bullet belts, Mad Max shoulder pads, fingerless gloves, etc. that you can mix n' match in endless variations.

.700 Nitro Express - it's just a big elephant gun

All of the above can be found at http://www.newvegasnexus.com. Oh, I'd also recommend New Vegas Bounties, a hitman quest mod with voice acting that, incredibly, doesn't suck a big dog's cock. Good for dipping in and out of while doing the main storyline.

[Ignatius_S]

Out of interest, how much game time are people racking up on completion?

...WME - Weapon Mod Expansion. About 100 new mods for all weapons. Ace. Example: silencers, extended mags, etc. can now be applied to most guns, not just a select few...

Does that work with unique weapons?

[Cohaagen]

Does that work with unique weapons?

Yes.

http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=37576

[small_world]

 

Out of interest, how much game time are people racking up on completion?

I think I completed the game in 40 hours (level 20ish), but really that was just because I had friends over and they egged me on. I wasn't really ready for it and immediately resumed an earlier save.

I'm right back into this game, and just in time for the new DLC due out next week, I think.
On the new DLC, (I'm not really sure if it's worth spoilering this, but I will, it deals with where the DLC kicks off)

Spoiler alert

I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't start AFTER the end of NV, instead it will have to be approached via an old save. Was this the same with Fallout 3? I only bought the GOTY addition and so I'm not familiar with the release order? It does take the level cap up to 35 though. Also, that ghost casino of Sierra Madre may be just what I'm looking for as a display area for all my amazing items...

[close]

I've also just completed the Vault 11 side quest. If anyone hasn't already, then go for it.
Although I do wish they'd worked out a better way to display map information, I'm always getting lost in Vaults and caves, with one level being overlayed onto another, am I the only person annoyed by this?

[Zetetic]

Spoiler alert

Was this the same with Fallout 3? I

[close]

'Fraid so. Broken Steel was the third DLC to be released.

[uglybob1986]

As the victim of a raw deal you must work alongside three other captured wastelanders to recover the legendary treasure of the Sierra Madre Casino. In Dead Money, your life hangs in the balance as you face new terrain, foes, and choices. It is up to you how you play your cards in the quest to survive.

I downloaded this yesterday but haven't had the chance to make much progress yet (too much unfinished business in the Mojave wasteland!). Seems interesting enough so far, I just hope it's not a long slog to get to the casino itself, only to find it end there.

[Mister Six]

Just completed Dead Money... Without spoiling too much, I'm surprised at how negative the responses I've read have been, though it's far from perfect I am a total soft touch when it comes to the Fallout games.

The setting is suitably eerie, the characters are tremendous (Dean and the super mutant are infinitely more interesting than the regular NV crew, except possibly Veronica and Arcade), the new toys are fun to play with and the explanation of what the Sierra Madre's treasure is and why it's there is satisfying and surprising. And yeah, it's linear, but that was fine by me - I didn't expect an entire new world, and the story it told was compelling enough.

There were two serious dips in my enjoyment, though: one bit where you have to backtrack through a series of very tough enemies alone, and one right at the end that basically forces the player to die and restart in order to learn the positions of some dangerous objects. Poor design on that latter point.

But on the whole I'd say it's worth the money. Just be prepared for some slightly un-Fallout gameplay; the first part is kind of a survival horror jive with limited supplies and perpetually dwindling health. The second is all about non-combatitive stealth. But it makes a pleasant change from the main game, and the promise of a huge DLC story arc (hinted at in the ending slideshow) is very interesting - definitely prefer that to a bunch of unconnected setpieces.

[Mister Six]

Oh, and if you're planning to play Dead Money, you might want to read these hints and tips (no story spoilers, just don't want to upset anyone who wants to go in completely blind).

Spoiler alert

LEVELS
* Don't start Dead Money at a low level. I think it recommends 21+ but I went in at 30 and still found it tough going. You can't turn back until the DLC is done, too, so keep a spare save of the Mojave around just in case you decide you'd rather play something else.

SKILLS (in descending order of importance)
* If at all possible try to get your science to around 60, your lockpick to 75 and your repair to at least 30. Higher is better, of course (esp. repair 55 if you want to set bear traps, of which there are many). You will NEED these stats high.
* A high unarmed stat is definitely rewarded - you'll find yourself relying on hand-to-hand combat early on to save ammo and the best non-ranged weapon by far is a special (and nasty) kind of low-tech power fist. If you're at a loss where to pump points then put them into unarmed as preparation.
* You'll have to use the equipment you find, not the stuff you brought with you - and as most of the weapons you'll find are pistols, a decent guns stat is important to ranged combat fighters.
* You won't have many stimpaks at first so a reasonably high survival skill (to let you take advantage of food and crafting options) is impportant. High medicine for when you start racking up the stimpaks is important too.
* If you went the melee rather than unarmed route, don't worry - there are a couple of very good weapons for this skillset too.
* Energy skills are a mixed bag - the best gun in the DLC is a (really cool) energy rifle but you'll have to work hard to scrounge up decent ammo. The only others are, I think, a laser rifle and a laser pistol that you don't get till late on. It's probably doable with energy weapons - I wouldn't suggest retraining to guns just for the DLC - but you'll have to be smart about how you use your ammo.
* Explosives aren't much use at all.

PERKS
* You NEED NEED NEED the Light Step perk. The first half of the game is littered with bear traps and landmines. One of the characters gives you a light step-style character perk but he won't be on your team all the time.
* It's very dark a lot of the time but don't bother with the 'Friend of the Night' perk - just gather up all the smoke residue (red blotches on floors and walls) you can find; each one can be turned into 'ghost vision' - a really good night vision drug - at campfires and hotplates.
* If you try to shoot the explosive canisters while they're in the enemy's hands and it does nothing then you've been struck by a bug. Get the perk that wipes out 50 per cent of the damage if you can (I think you need 70 explosive though).
* Adamantium Skeleton is very useful as certain enemies can cripple your limbs very quickly.

TIPS
* Cure any addictions before you play the DLC as there's no way to cure them during it. Be careful when drinking and taking chems for the same reason.
* Once you get them back to the fountain - but before you trigger the next quest - talk to all the members of your team - they can all grant you special perks through dialogue (there may be Special/stat checks on some of them though).
* If you're playing on hardcore then be aware that any time you spend outside slowly drains your health down to 1HP. Emphasis on 'slowly' - take the time to explore and pick up as many casino chips as you can, because they're all the currency you'll have for the duration.
* There's a snowglobe and four weapon mods in the large area where you spend the first part of the DLC. You can collect these after completing it (but before returning to the Mojave - it's a one-way trip) but obviously it makes things easier if you grab them early.
* Collect all the drained microfusion capsules you find - workbenches are scattered around so you can turn them into proper ammo for your sexy new energy gun (which is worth holding onto even if you don't have a high energy stat - it's lethal at close range).

[close]

[pk1yen]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

When I got this assignment I was hoping there would be more gambling.

[close]

[Mister Six]

Completed the game a few weeks ago after putting in 80+ hours of rewarding gameplay. I ended up taking the Yes Man route, on the basis that the NCR couldn't guarantee stability for the region, Caesar's too much of a monster to be allowed to live and House... well, no man can be trusted with that amount of power and control unless he's me.

Bit annoyed that my only option on taking over the region was to kick out the NCR though. I'd spent most of my gaming time helping them out on the basis that the Legion are scum - to the point that they trusted me to help stop the president from being assassinated. So I figured that I'd be able to set up a similar accord to the one that House created, allowing them to use the dam and Strip under my supervision. But apparently not.

The Legion portion of the game also seemed underdeveloped. I was never actually given a reason why Caesar might be worth teaming up with (even at my most evil, my characters tend to be more about getting money than setting up rape camps and committing genocide). I've heard that if you team up with him then he justifies his position a little better but you still have to make that initial leap. Also, in the original design docs the NCR was on the verge of crumbling to the Legion, with its ability to bring surefire stability, would've been the pragmatic choice - but here the NCR just seemed stretched in NV and the situation didn't seem desperate enough. The lack of Legion companions was a bit shit, too. Apparently one was cut from the final game but it wouldn't have made up for not being able to have Boone, Veronica and Arcade on your side.

Still, it was a fantastic game. There's a much greater sense of being in a real, reactive world than Fallout 3 had, with its handful of disparate and largely self-contained settlements, and even if the stakes are lower than those of previous games (no saving the world from The Master or The Enclave, or restoring life to the Wastes here) there's a far greater sense that you're directly affecting - and are in control of - the fate of thousands.

Really looking forward to the next Fallout game on the swish new Elder Scrolls engine.

[Consignia]

I think they made a bit of a mistake in balancing the alignments of the major factions in New Vegas. The NCR may have dicks in it, but for the most part, people are way better off under the NCR, and there are loads of "good" people in the NCR. The Legion are too comically evil, and are so sparse, it's not really worth joining them unless you like being attacked from every faction. Every other significant faction are just selfish and tend to be slightly evil. I think the intention was just to make the whole area a whole lot more grey.

I did prefer Fallout 3 myself, because it felt more interesting to explore. However, there were some really nice areas in New Vegas, the mountain around Jacobstown being a real highlight.

[Mister Six]

I think they made a bit of a mistake in balancing the alignments of the major factions in New Vegas. The NCR may have dicks in it, but for the most part, people are way better off under the NCR, and there are loads of "good" people in the NCR. The Legion are too comically evil, and are so sparse, it's not really worth joining them unless you like being attacked from every faction. Every other significant faction are just selfish and tend to be slightly evil. I think the intention was just to make the whole area a whole lot more grey.

I broadly agree, though there are plenty of dicks in the NCR (and details like them ostracising ghouls and sending them out to the most dangerous camps) and I liked the way that the later NCR missions came from a really brusque, unpleasant officer in Hoover Dam (also it was made pretty clear that the NCR were overstretched and only interested in using the dam and the Repconn facility for their own use, not helping the people in NV).

House was rude and arrogant but, being immortal, he probably would offer the most long-term stability for NCR so there's a good argument for helping him. And I was a thoroughly decent chap (even if I did murder House in cold blood) so no problems there.

Actually on the whole I think they did a really good job of balancing the various factions, with the exception of Caesar's Legion. I think the only unambiguously good group are the Followers of the Apocalypse.

I did prefer Fallout 3 myself, because it felt more interesting to explore.

Yeah, I do know what you mean. It had some really nice locations - Rivet City, Megaton, the Lincoln Memorial and Underworld were all much more conceptually and visually interesting than the best of New Vegas - and the missions tended to have more exciting and memorable climaxes (nuking Megaton or battling a giant Super Mutant with the Brotherhood was far more entertaining and satisfying than seeing the rockets take off in NV, for example). That's one of the ways in which the more measured, consistent and realistic tone of NV kind of worked against it. That and places like the Sharecropper Farm or Camp McCarren, which were realistically huge but not populated with enough interesting characters and details to make traipsing around them worth it.

Hopefully they'll find a happy medium for the next one.

[Fry]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a Nuclear Winter.

[close]

Spoiler alert

When I got this assignment I was hoping there would be more gambling.

[close]

You see, the repetition of that one line drove me fucking spare. I understand that they obviously can't have thousands of lines of dialogue for every incidental character, but what baffled me was the fact they made each voice actor say the same flipping thing! What's stopping them just giving each voice actor a different miscellaneous piece of phatic speech, surely it couldn't have taken that long to write?!

[Zero Gravitas]

That's obviously that Brechtian thing.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Bah! I finally finished up a big work project and was looking forward to installing this and kicking back, but I don't currently have a web connection on my desktop.

[Cohaagen]

I think the only unambiguously good group are the Followers of the Apocalypse.

See, one of things I thought they did very well, though, was the way they portrayed the unintended negative consequences of the Follower's fetishising of knowledge as a virtue in itself. It's explicitly implied, for example, that Caesar's domination of other tribes and success in war comes in large part from his knowledge of weapons and military history gained while a Follower. Also, the Great Khans are only able to manufacture drugs because of the chemistry manuals and training given to them by the FotA. If you pick up on these bits scattered throughout the game, usually in dialogue, it gives a general picture of the numerous repercussions caused by the Followers idealism and uncritical thinking.

[Mister Six]

See, one of things I thought they did very well, though, was the way they portrayed the unintended negative consequences of the Follower's fetishising of knowledge as a virtue in itself. It's explicitly implied, for example, that Caesar's domination of other tribes and success in war comes in large part from his knowledge of weapons and military history gained while a Follower. Also, the Great Khans are only able to manufacture drugs because of the chemistry manuals and training given to them by the FotA. If you pick up on these bits scattered throughout the game, usually in dialogue, it gives a general picture of the numerous repercussions caused by the Followers idealism and uncritical thinking.

Ha, I didn't spot that. Good call. That kind of thing is why I prefer Avellone & chums' game to Fallout 3: there's a real sense of a joined-up, organic society where everybody's actions have repercussions, not just yours - unlike F3, where everyone seemed to live in quirky little enclaves that usually made no kind of sense at all when considered in the context of the rest of the game.

(Not sure if something can be 'explicitly implied' though...)

[Cohaagen]

(Not sure if something can be 'explicitly implied' though...)

Oops, I did get that arse-backwards, I wrote "implicitly stated", then "heavily implied", then deleted that, and then scrambled the whole thing in the rewrite.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Bumping this as the second DLC pack, Honest Hearts has recently been released. I downloaded it the other day, but haven't got around to playing it yet. I was about to but, when I got to the start point, it told me I couldn't take any followers with me, even though ED-E was back at the Lucky 38. I don't know if that's a bug, or if it was just because I hadn't specifically told him to go away.

Anyway, I thought the main game was aces. Better than Fallout 3, and I absolutely loved that.

[jimmymckooel]

Some of the glitches were quite bad but in all, I really enjoyed this game.  It took a bit longer to be immersed in it than FO 3 but when I did, it was awesome.  I decided to go evil in it, just for fun.  I brought the slave trade back with the legion and murdered Dr House.

[Neil]

Bought this from Asda for a tenner, despite still not finishing Fallout 3.  Big RPG games almost always lose me before the end, especially these days.  I also sort of regret buying it, given the time you have to invest in it, and the huge list of other things I should be doing.  However, I'm really enjoying it so far.

Just reading up on Hardcore Mode, as that's what I've went with.  Quite a challenge, and irritatingly so at times.  Great game.

[Consignia]

Bought this from Asda for a tenner, despite still not finishing Fallout 3.  Big RPG games almost always lose me before the end, especially these days.  I also sort of regret buying it, given the time you have to invest in it, and the huge list of other things I should be doing.  However, I'm really enjoying it so far.

The thing about Fallout is that you invest as much time in it as you feel, and it's as complete as you want it. You can rattle off the main quest in less than 10 hours, or you can go through it multiple times investigating every nook and cranny, exhausting all possible outcomes, both can be as satisfying.

[AlmondAdam]

I'm about a third of the way through my third playthrough now, (second female character, concentrating mainly on survival and unarmed) allying with Caesar's Legion, and still, I keep finding more of the Mojave I haven't seen before, (not necessarily linked to the shift in questline). Can't wait to get Old World Blues, it looks very funny actually, and it'll provide me with an excuse to return to my first character build who I haven't touched since finishing "Honest Hearts" on the day of release. What I found with both this game and Fallout 3 was the first character I build, tends to be a bizarre representation of myself, so very weak in unarmed combat, but high science and medicine, with a bent for pistols over Big Guns/Energy Weapons.

I genuinely can't praise these games enough, I've also started playing the first Fallout for the PC which is just as good if not slightly better owing to it not trying to show off how flashy it is. Let's face it, on a technical level, for 1996, Fallout was a bit behind, but still more enjoyable than, dare I say it, some of the stuff around today that's lauded as the pinnacle of gaming.

[Neil]

The thing about Fallout is that you invest as much time in it as you feel, and it's as complete as you want it. You can rattle off the main quest in less than 10 hours, or you can go through it multiple times investigating every nook and cranny, exhausting all possible outcomes, both can be as satisfying.

That's a good point.  I must see how many hours I put into Fallout 3, as I think I was at level 30+, without ever finishing the main quest.  I'm intrigued to see how long it took before I got bored, because New Vegas currently seems far, far more engaging to me.  I've done about 55 hours, and am level 15 or so. 

I think what eventually put me off Fallout 3 was the lack of diversity in the locations.  It just seemed like I was constantly running around these fucking underground tunnels, whereas New Vegas has a ton of varied places to explore.  Always seems like there's somewhere new just around the corner.

It's totally compelling, too - one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.  I splashed out for the new DLC yesterday without pause for thought, but am I to understand the other two DLC add-ons aren't worth it?  This one promises humour, so I'm in, although it'll be a while before I bother with it.  There's so much more to explore in the main world, first.

All of a sudden, I've decided to start playing melee and unarmed, despite not making my character remotely suited for that task.  It's working out well, thanks to the Love and Hate knuckle-dusters, and now a Super Sledge.  I was overjoyed when I was testing out the former by running into a rampaging herd of Bighorners, and found mutated cows flying every-fucking-where. 

I'm in hardcore more, and it made the first few skirmishes brilliantly tense.  The lack of instant healing with stimpacks is a very nice touch, but you soon work round it, or XP and armour lets you do so.  Hardcore mode with no fast travel would have been a giggle.