Game: Fallout: New Vegas

[TwisT]

I haven't been able to play that much and when i do i explore and sidetrack a lot so haven't gotten tot he strip yet. Think i have reached Novac and sent away the Ghouls. Have Raul and ED-E as companions.

3 questions about companions though. First, how many can you have? 2? 3? Or just 1 + ED-E? Saw Ryll mention something about an exploit which led me to believe that it might just be a 1 companion limit but you can have 2 if you count ED-E. Picked up ED-E first and then found Raul. Didn't pick Boone because i thought it was a limit of 1 and i already had ED-E but with Raul he insisted so badly i couldn't turn him down.

Second, is there a limit at how much a companion can carry? Because it seems ED-E don't have a limit or it's very high. have packed him with tons of stuff. That's why i can't get rid of him, because i never have to go back to town. Can just loot everything of worth everywhere and just pack it in ED-E. So money isn't really an issue for me. So do human companions have a limit or are they able to carry as much as ED-E?

Third, can human companions die? Ed-E don't seem to be able to. Only get's knocked unconscious and once the fight is over he gets back up again. This got me wondering

Boone gets eaten alive by a pack of giant rad scorpions

or was that just another way of saying he got raped?

Another question. Have anyone found Brotherhood of Steel? I found 2 of their armors and wants the skill to use them badly but it requires you to find someone to that can teach you to use it, which I'm guessing is BoS themselves.

As for what i play, i play in normal or hard (dont really remember which i picked) and i specialize in speech, lockpicking, science. Also have repair quite high. I usually when i level put 5 points in speech, then 5 point in whatever i need to do something specific that i really wanna do or need, or i just put it in lockpicking, and then the last point i put in sneak. It feels like i sneak everywhere. Almost always in every game where speech is something yo can level i usually go for that as my main objective. And picked lockpicking and science to get access to places to get nice loot and find secrets.

Also seems like i have a quest to return ED-E home, but when i get the scrapyard there is no option to return her. Now since i found out he basically have an unlimited storage and the heightened senses perk i will never return him even if i could. But have anyone else come across this?

[Ryllharu]

The companion exploit seems to occur because you already have one companion, and then complete a quest to earn another. As in, I built ED-E back together, and then got Boone's done. But after that, you're done. I tried to build an army by recruiting Veronica, but they wouldn't let her join because I already had a companion. I liked Boone and ED-E though, so I skipped her. A second time it happened, I needed Rex, so I had to drop both Boone and ED-E. Then later I acquired Cass through her mini-quest, and had two again (Rex and Cass). I had to let them both go in order to recruit Veronica.

I think it only works one time, and only when you already have a buddy and acquire another, but only through quests, not voluntarily like Veronica.

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ED-E dies. I lost him (and had to reload) a half-dozen times during one quest because he kept getting mobbed.

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I have found the BoS, and they're not too hard to get to, but I don't really want to ruin it for you. I will say that it is super easy once you have the right companion, and know where to go. Getting the ability to use armor? I haven't figured that out yet, but it should just be a matter of doing their quests. They're very close to Novac.
(Hint: It is one of the companions I mentioned above)

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ED-E needs some kind of Enclave code words, and you hear the first data set inside the scrapyard, but I don't know where to go after that.

[TwisT]

I see. Well i ahve completed Boone's quest but turned him down. You think he will still go with me as my second companion if i get Veronica first (finally met her). Well either way i guess i have to get her so i guess i will find out. Don't have to the time to try it out now though. Will miss ED-E's sensor ability though since it made me able to see people on the compass further away then they could spawn on my screen, and it made stealth targets targetable with V.A.T.S

I think i know where BoS is now too. See mentioned Bunkers and holes in the ground, and there is a field with bunkers that i went trough to get to the fallen BoS soldiers that i got the armors from. And in all bunkers that i explored, one had a locked door that required 100 lockpicking to open.

One thing though. When i give a companion that uses a range weapon another range weapon in his inventory he doesn't use it. How does that work. Can i somehow make them use a different one? And even if not, will a companion that uses melee switch to my given range weapon if i switch her to range? And if so, do companions require ammo, or could i simply give Veronica my minigun (which don't have any ammo) or my sniper rifle without sacrificing my own ammo which is low?

And does your ED-E die right away of have they ever been knocked unconscious? Because i jumped down a cliff, and Raul came after me just fine, but ED-E took the longest way around and ran in to a fire gecko that knocked ED-E unconscious 4 times before i found him and killed the gecko. If your's die right away i guess it's safe to assume on my difficulty they don't die. Which i thank whoever deserves my thanks, because there is nothing more infuriating then having to reload because your companion can't handle himself or is just plain stupid.

[Ryllharu]

One thing though. When i give a companion that uses a range weapon another range weapon in his inventory he doesn't use it. How does that work. Can i somehow make them use a different one? And even if not, will a companion that uses melee switch to my given range weapon if i switch her to range? And if so, do companions require ammo, or could i simply give Veronica my minigun (which don't have any ammo) or my sniper rifle without sacrificing my own ammo which is low?

Companions will always use the best weapon in their inventory for each ranged or melee. I think they also account for condition (in FO3 their weapons and armor didn't degrade no matter how much they got abused, not sure if they degrade in NV). In NV, condition matters quite a bit more (preventing jamming and not punching through damage thresholds), so that might also be part of the problem.

However, any ranged weapon other than their default also requires ammo, which they do consume. Sometimes they'll switch weapons when you drop them ammo for it.

[itadakimasu]

I haven't confirmed this, but I think you can swap companions as you wish.

I dropped Raul so that I could get Cassidy and Raul just went back to the lucky 38... but I guess you probably have to have been there for this to happen. I haven't gone back to see if I can just get him back if I wanted him.

[Ryllharu]

Yeah, I swap them all the time. Except they don't go to the Lucky 38, they go home. I'm spurning Mr. House while hanging on to the Platinum Chip, he gets a little pissy about it when I talk to him from time to time.

[TwisT]

Yea Raul went back to his shack (Raul's shack) which is close to Nellis Air Force Base.

And i found a bug in the Brotherhood of Steel quest line. There is a Scribe there that needs help with the bunkers computersystem. There is a virus that jumps between the computers and you have to find it on 3 of the 12 computers in 30sec. If you have Science skill of 70 or higher, you get an extra option which allows you to once you find a virus, lock it to that terminal, so the next time you start it it will always be there. Well if you manage to lock 2 of the 3 and start it with only 1 left to lock down, it will get stuck and be unable to complete. What you need to do is to save the game before. Easiest way to do this quest is to start it and when he tells you that the virus jumped you save the game. Now they have a fixed position. Just find them, and when the time runs out you reload until you have found all 3 and then just complete it. I managed to get the quest to get bugged and had to reload. Luckily i have autosave enabled so i only needed to reload from when i entered lvl2.

And i was unable to get both Veronica and Boone. Once i had Veronica, Boone didn't wanna join up. Maybe if i had her when i finished Boone's quest line, but not going back later. Also Veronica is so freaking awesome. Even though she is a melee she kicks ass with the default gun of hers. And she kicks as much ass with melee. Also since she is a BoS member, she can wear BoS power armor. I tried to give it to Raul before (just to carry it since it was so heavy) and it said that companions cant wear reputation armors. So that makes Veronica the only companion capable of using BoS power armor. She is a fucking tank. She can take on 5-10 guys and rarely gets knocked out. Raul (with metal armor) and ED-E got knocked out against only 1-3 that hit hard a few times.

Also if anyone is interested in a great energy weapon, i found one in the REPCONN facility on the way to the Strip. There is a room right before the stairs to the second floor that require either 100 Science or 100 Lockpicking (i think it was Very Hard at least). In there is a prototype plasma weapon that does a lot more damage then the regular plasma rifles. It uses the same ammo as Laser Rifles. There is also ammo laying everywhere for it. Both in the same room and a room on the same floor. Had over 1000 MF cells after i finished looting this building. I have 40 in Energy Weapons and like 15 in Guns, but i still found the Cowboy Repeater to do much more damage then my Laser/plasma pistol/rifle. Had to get 3-4 mods for my Laser Rifle before it started to even get close. Until i found this. Finally energy pays of.

[Ryllharu]

My only issue with Veronica is that she sucks at sneaking. Since that's my primary mode of killing, it can be a huge hazard. I had to force her back using companion commands three or four times in a row so she would stop creeping up on the Legendary Deathclaw which always slaughtered her. I managed to kill the bastard after a dozen reloads (the thing has unbelievable senses).

You bet I have her wearing BoS Power Armor.

I am a slaughterer of all Deathclaws (provided I see them first!). They're still much, much harder than they were in FO3. A headshot with a .308 sniper rifle on a sneak attack critical is the only thing that can take them out easily on one shot. On Alpha-Males, Mothers and Legendary Deathclaws, it can take 2-4 shots from the rifle. Everywhere else their high DT keeps them going. In FO3 you could easily cripple their legs and then just whittle them down with your ranged weapon of choice. Not in New Vegas...

I don't know, I had something like 17 science at the time, and I managed to do that virus sub-quest in the first try. Lucky I guess.

[TwisT]

When i read on how to fix the bug, i read that some people that didn't have 70 in science spent over 40min until they got all 3. So yeah lucky ^^

Since you're a sneaky bastard, have you tried stealing the power armor that's in Hardrins room? The other kind of power armor that the elite guards have. I have the urge to swipe it. Maybe try and save it before.

And speaking of stealing. What does Karma do? You lose it when you steal. But i can't really find anything that it affects. Will people start to hate you if it gets to low or something? Since you lose it i almost never steal even though i want to. Only takes things that feel like it's worth it. And i rarely steal from groups I'm friendly with.

[Ryllharu]

Since you're a sneaky bastard, have you tried stealing the power armor that's in Hardrins room? The other kind of power armor that the elite guards have. I have the urge to swipe it. Maybe try and save it before.

I probably should for Veronica, but the thought never occurred to me because I never wear anything better than light armor. Good idea.

And speaking of stealing. What does Karma do? You lose it when you steal. But i can't really find anything that it affects. Will people start to hate you if it gets to low or something? Since you lose it i almost never steal even though i want to. Only takes things that feel like it's worth it. And i rarely steal from groups I'm friendly with.

It lowers your karma, but never on a remotely substantial level. Maybe if you get caught, but I never steal within eyesight, even when I'm hidden (I do pickpocket for every key I can get my hands on, that let me sweep through the Strip casino quests). It doesn't even compare to killing someone at random or completing a quest in an evil manner. I'm still considered of saintly general demeanor.

[Genma]

God, I wish this game came out before Fallout 3. It's got so much in common with the first Fallouts that every little reference to the prior games gives me nostalgia.

Sadly... it's an Obsidian game. Meaning it's pretty much a full game mod. I honestly expected this (after playing Kotor2), but I still bought the game regardless. I was holding out for a while, but in the end I just couldn't resist. I've been a Fallout fan since the age of 10 when I first got my hands on a copy of Fallout 2, 12 or so years ago. Since that time I've played the original at least a dozen times, the sequel countless times (I've yet to beat it -- fuckin' Frank Horrigan and his turrets), and I've put over a hundred hours into Fallout 3.

Still, I'm enjoying this game immensely. Glad I put my hatred for Obsidian aside and bought it.

[Ryllharu]

Finished it!

Not everything turned out the way I wanted, and I certainly didn't do everything, but I beat it with the, "Wild Card / No God, No Masters" ending on Hardcore. 37 hours, level 27, mostly sneaker/sniper with constantly improving Speech toward the end. I favored pistols most of the game, until I got the sniper rifle and anti-material rifle.

Excellent game. Time to start all over, maybe work a few of the kinks out. Eventually I'm going to try for a pacifist run, Fallout 1/2 style.

[darkshadow]

Someone already finished a pacifist run apparantly. Took him 50 hours.

[TwisT]

I still haven't made it to the strip yet O_o

Keep getting sidetracked by all these places to explore. Got the Explorer perk and now i just wanna run to every place on the map.

I finished BoS quest line it would seem. Hardin said that i should come back in a few days for the changes to be made so have to wait and see what happens. i have the feeling i will never be able to wear BoS power armor though. Oh and i went to the quarry junction or whatever the name was (near Sloan), and damn those Deathclaws are crazy. How in the hell are you supposed to beat them. Came 3 at me right away and downed Veronica in like 1-3 hits then me in 6 (managed to heal me after the first 3). It's like mission impossible.

And just to enlighten me, what is a pacifist run? To not hurt anyone?

[Ryllharu]

In Fallout 1/2 you could beat the game without killing anyone. At all. In NV, this includes your companions doing the dirty work since their kills count toward your total. That's what a pacifist run is. It's very possible, but also very difficult. I don't know if abominations (deathclaws) or monsters (ants) count, I'm guessing not.

@DS: That's what inspired me to want to do it. A challenge!

As for the Sloan Deathclaws, see this above post. It did manage it, but it took a .308 sniper rifle, 100 sneak, 100 guns, a pair of stealth boys, and a lot of quicksaves. You must shoot them in the head, and you have to take them down one at a time. Every time I aggro'ed another nearby one, Veronica and I both got slaughtered in seconds.

I bet you could do it pretty easily if you had high explosives. Then you'd have a good chance to cripple their legs. You just might have to have then run through a minefield.

I went back time and time again to the BoS and the two of them both said the same thing over and over. I bet mine got a little bugged. That was one of the things I wasn't too happy with the way it turned out.

[Ryllharu]

Well, it has been about a month now, and I think I have to say I enjoyed Fallout 3 more than New Vegas. The story and complexity is worlds better in NV, from Hardcore Mode to weapon mods, speech/barter challenges, ways to finish each quest that differ from the simple Good/Evil choices...but despite all that, what NV really suffers from is the Wasteland.

Aside from New Vegas itself and the two primary military bases (NCR and Nellis), there really isn't all that much to do. It seemed overwhelming my first time through, but I'm seeing more of it now. You go to a town like Novac and there are three sidequests, you go to the NCR Mojave Outpost are there are two. You start in Goodsprings and there is one. It really makes you appreciate having to go back to Moira in Megaton nine times to complete the Wasteland Survival Guide, or getting creepy stalker love letters sent from Mister Burke at the bar. They were small things, but it made Megaton still feel alive after you had moved on to the greater Capital Wasteland, not frozen in time like Goodsprings and Primm are.

It would be nice to have a reason to come back to these places once in a while besides dropping your loot off and going to the doctor.

But the biggest problem is that there is almost nothing to find in the Wasteland between these cities and towns. Ooo, I found another abandoned shack with a single stimpack and 12 9mm rounds. But this time there were molerats outside instead of Cazadors!

I found something new every time I randomly roamed the Wasteland in FO3. A few times I found entire new areas in the maze of sewers and metro stations. That has been happening to a limited extent in NV, but it isn't anywhere near as exciting. Despite the new freedom of finishing a quest 4 different ways, the game feels so more structured. There were dozens of unnamed quests in FO3 you pretty much wrote your own story for, in NV you find mostly bones and empty boxes.

The fact of the matter is there isn't really anything going on in the Mojave Wasteland. No huge battle between Supermutants and mercenaries, no lone Enclave guy taking potshots at radroaches, just the occasional NCR patrol getting ambushed by Nightstalkers and one disguised Legionnaire attacking some random guy.

Despite all the radscorpions and geckos that keep attacking me, the Mojave wasteland seems so...lifeless.


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And Boone is totally overpowered. He's so good the game isn't even fun. Cass is a bitch, I need how much speech or barter to get you up off your drunk mopey ass? That's despite you being critical to another quest line. Gannon is even worse, 75 speech!

[Genma]

Glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed FO3 more than New Vegas.

Don't get me wrong, NV is entertaining in its own right, but even now, 200 hours of playtime later, I still have more fun playing Fallout 3.

Saturday night I was over at a friend's house, and I'd given him my copy of Fallout 3 some time ago. He couldn't find GNR because he blew up Megaton before talking to Colin, so I was helping him out. Everything about the game seemed better, and I played for an hour, encountering a three-way battle between Raiders, Super Mutants and Outcasts, as well as discovering a brand new building I'd never seen despite playing the game for such a long time.

Naturally when I came home today I felt an urge to play some Fallout, so I popped in New Vegas. Just turned it off after about fifteen minutes.

Invisible walls above mountains and the inability to zoom all the way out in first person (360player) made me frustrated instantly. Why add those detrimental features? I don't get it.

I got bored pretty quickly after that, and I agree with pretty much all the points you've made Ryllharu. Only one I disagree with is the story; Fallout 3's blew hard. It was basically a rehash of Fallout 2, except instead of saving your village with the GECK, you were saving a city.

"I think the idea of having a protagonist on the east coast leave a vault to look for his dad (who happens to be Quai Gon-Jin, sweet) is better than some indian dude looking for a ridiculously unrealistic item." -- Excerpt from a blog post I wrote about a year before Fallout 3's release. Oh how little I knew. -_-

Anyways... I might give it another go in the future, but for now New Vegas will be collecting dust.

[Ryllharu]

I got bored pretty quickly after that, and I agree with pretty much all the points you've made Ryllharu. Only one I disagree with is the story; Fallout 3's blew hard. It was basically a rehash of Fallout 2, except instead of saving your village with the GECK, you were saving a city.

No, by all means the story in New Vegas is a ton better. I even said as much.

The story and complexity is worlds better in NV, ... ways to finish each quest that differ from the simple Good/Evil choices...but despite all that, what NV really suffers from is the Wasteland.

It's just that the exploration isn't really as much fun. That's really been the best part of the Fallouts for me. The main story in FO3 was silly, but the side stories were pretty good and the expansions were great, Point Lookout especially so. The main story in NV is a blast, and some of the side stories are fun, but not nearly as memorable (Return to Sender is good, and a few others).

I've slapped in a few more mods since that post (read: occasional fan-patch) and it's still fun, just not as fun as fooling around in the Wasteland of FO3.

[darkshadow]

The exploration isn't as fun....does that mean you can't skip things either?
Cause in all of my 80 hours in FO3, I've never set foot in GNR, I knew I had to go there, but I just got sidetracked wandering around doing other stuff.
And then suddenly I arrived at the boatcity somehow (=O) and just completed the GNR quest indirectly.....so yeah I never even met three-dog <,<.

[Ryllharu]

It's not like temporary invisible walls bad or "omg we'll clear this rockslide once we get the [mystical dynamite]" bad, but they do attempt to lock you into one direction at the beginning of the game. Some mountains near the edges of the map look climbable but do have invisible walls, that's a separate issue that FO3 had too.

In NV, you start in Goodsprings, halfway up the map and most of the the way West. They tell you to loop around by going South, East, and then back North to get to New Vegas. They enforce this by surrounding the area North of Goodsprings with huge masses of three of the deadliest enemy types in the game (Deathclaws on the Northern road, poisonous Cazadores to the NW of Goodsprings, and Giant Radscorpions due East of Goodsprings). One of the NPCs actually says that you'd have to be the biggest badass ever to get through the Deathclaws.

So it's not impossible to go straight North to New Vegas, but they make it really, really, hard on you at the single digit levels.

The high level critters scattered in all the shortcuts make it tough to explore at low levels. There is a slight charm to that too, making the Mojave feel quite deadly to the unprepared, but it's kind of a drag.