Alright Boyz, Here We Go! The OFFICIAL Fallout 4 Thread!!!

[Groundhog]

67 hours, level 43, just finished the main storyline.... I'll post some thoughts later, but the power armour definitely came in handy that last mission - although with the amount of stimpacks and firepower I'm carrying around (gun nut level 4), I probably would have been OK either way.

[Groundhog]

I'll put all this in spoilers...


The last BoS mission was great, but by this stage of the game I'm basically a walking apocalypse, and the only time I get in trouble is when I have 6 or so laser wielding synths rapidly firing on me at once. Having a giant, nuke-throwing robot helped, though.

I liked all three of the factions (not really counting the Minutemen, who were a bit of a lite-faction) - there didn't feel like an obvious choice to go with, but I ended up with BoS just because I was enjoying their missions, and they felt the more realistic choice. It seems there are still BoS missions or at least a rolling objective post-end game, but I haven't checked it out yet.

I made some decisions that I usually wouldn't, in keeping with BoS's morals... I iced both Danse and the Supermutant in the Glowing Sea (I tried to talk him into killing himself but failed on the last attempt - I also denied having his serum), and didn't take my synth son with me when we blew up the Institute.

Settlements require a ton of time and effort if you want to reap any benefits whatsoever. I have three top-tier stores in Sanctuary Hills and if I leave it for a couple of days I do make some caps, but it would take some time just to pay off the amount needed to build those stores, let alone start making actual profit. In hindsight I think you could easily ignore them entirely and then make them a focus once you finish the main storyline. All you really need is a base to store your stuff and keep track of your companions. I wish they were more 'alive' and had real-time events while you were in-town, like raids or crime. Tons of room here for expansions and/or mods.

The ending itself was a huge letdown - a 30 second cut-scene that felt very generic and not really affected by the choices I picked during the game. Maybe it was though - I haven't youtubed for other endings.

[Peregrine]

Well I ran into a really horrible bug - when you go from 4 points in the melee weapon damage perk to 5 - instead of doubling your melee damage it basically halves it. So not sure if I should wait for a fix or go back to a previous save which would lose several hours of gameplay.

[Radii]

Well I ran into a really horrible bug - when you go from 4 points in the melee weapon damage perk to 5 - instead of doubling your melee damage it basically halves it. So not sure if I should wait for a fix or go back to a previous save which would lose several hours of gameplay.

A friend of mine who is playing a full melee build says:

"someone did testing and it is display only. i flipped out when i saw it too cause i didnt want to reload"

Found a couple reddit threads here it seems like this being display only is assumed to be correct as well. I had to look right away b/c I'm slowly working towards a melee build as well. :)

[cartman]

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/i-just-said-yes-to-all-the-drugs-in-fallout-4

[Peregrine]

I have never had much use for the drugs in Fallout but it seems like a cool idea.

[Groundhog]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a total buffout whore.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a total buffout whore.

I'm not a big fan but I've probably used it more in 4 than the previous two combined.

At some point it became just another tool, no sense of RPG'ing about it for me. I mean, I've got magical Stimpaks that heal crippled limbs in a second or two. If that ain't a cheat then how cheat-y is a little extra strength?

[TroyF]

I spent the first half of the game never using any drugs. As I didn't sell any of what I picked up, I had like 130 jet and 100+ psycho before I realized how big of an advantage they gave. I had also picked up like 8 addictal. I started popping them pretty heavily when I get into tough battles. My favorite is psycho jet, that is one hell of a drug.

[Groundhog]

I'm not a big fan but I've probably used it more in 4 than the previous two combined.

At some point it became just another tool, no sense of RPG'ing about it for me. I mean, I've got magical Stimpaks that heal crippled limbs in a second or two. If that ain't a cheat then how cheat-y is a little extra strength?

Not to mention a quick hour nap to heal all that ails you. :D

Same here with buffout by far - I barely touched it in 3 or NV. I think the major difference is how much junk I collect in 4 for my settlements and mods. Plus the fact that my modded weapons and armour weigh a ton, and the drugs and stuff I was carrying around (due to hoarding and not using) was also starting to add up.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Plus the fact that my modded weapons and armour weigh a ton, and the drugs and stuff I was carrying around (due to hoarding and not using) was also starting to add up.

I occasionally forget to offload all my NukaCola products at the house so now & again I wonder wth I'm so close to weight limit when leaving for another mission & realize I've got like 28 pounds of soda in a variety of flavors.

[SackAttack]

It's always fun when you get a mission at level 6 or 7, go to complete it, and the enemies waiting for you have skulls by their names.

[SackAttack]

I occasionally forget to offload all my NukaCola products at the house so now & again I wonder wth I'm so close to weight limit when leaving for another mission & realize I've got like 28 pounds of soda in a variety of flavors.

"I opened another Nuka Cola. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always opening another Nuka Cola."

[BYU 14]

"I opened another Nuka Cola. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always opening another Nuka Cola."

I am glad I didn't have a mouth full of Nuka Cola when I read this

[Abe Sargent]

I use Jet constantly - get away line up shots, lots of stuff like that Psycho is the drug I use next. The rest is minor use rarely style stuff.

[Bobble]

Not me. I'm high on life. Life, and a Staggering Calibrated Combat Rifle.

[Peregrine]

It took forever but I finally got an almost matching set of good (non-power) armor. Found all but the helmet on some Gunner and it's sweet- it's like an upgraded version of combat armor. Plus with my existing "robot overlord" helmet it all looks pretty intimidating.

[Bobble]

It took forever but I finally got an almost matching set of good (non-power) armor. Found all but the helmet on some Gunner and it's sweet- it's like an upgraded version of combat armor. Plus with my existing "robot overlord" helmet it all looks pretty intimidating.

Codpiece obviously photoshopped. :devil:

[Bobble]

Is your 6-crank musket fully charged or are you just happy to see me?

[Peregrine]

Maybe that's my missile launcher?

[frnk55]

I'm a arrow key guy using the zero key to jump. So before I had set my middle mouse to jump so now I can use it to take activate and take shit. Now I can finally play this game the way I play fps games!:banana: I'm glad I took a break from the game.

[Balldog]

I'm in a bit of a gaming rut, probably because I mostly play sports games. I am thinking about branching out to explore something like this. Am I missing out if I haven't played the previous versions?

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm in a bit of a gaming rut, probably because I mostly play sports games. I am thinking about branching out to explore something like this. Am I missing out if I haven't played the previous versions?

Hmm ... tough call IMO.

Would I be as enamored of F4 as I am without the history I have with F3 and F:NV? No, I don't believe so.

It's difficult for me to "un-know" the canonical things I know and try to assess how well the current game covers some very basic things. At least one faction feels very different to me without the history veteran of the series have with them. Also, some of the basic NPC combatants (such as Super Mutants in particular) are not really explained much/at all that I've noticed for those who would be coming in blind. Long-time players know how/why they exist but I don't recall any real explanation of that at all in F4.

I feel like you'd get maybe 80% of the value, if that, but not all.

[Peregrine]

If you're not sure this will be something you will enjoy - I recommend trying Fallout 3 - earlier version but you can get it a lot cheaper ($10 on Steam) and so if you don't like it, less to lose.

[Balldog]

That is a bummer! Thanks for the reply

[JonInMiddleGA]

That is a bummer! Thanks for the reply

All I'd ask is that you not consider my response an absolute "oh no, you'll hate it" sort of thing.

It's still a good game but the value is, IMO, enhanced considerably by having history with the universe.

As my son put it recently "Witcher 3 is almost certainly a better game if I'm honest & objective ... it's just not nearly as enjoyable"

[RainMaker]

I'm in a bit of a gaming rut, probably because I mostly play sports games. I am thinking about branching out to explore something like this. Am I missing out if I haven't played the previous versions?

I think you're fine. I've played the others but don't get engrossed in the history much and still enjoy the games. I really don't think you need to have played the others. The only benefit would be in knowing the combat system and such which can take a couple hours to get used to.

[cartman]

I hadn't played any of the Fallout series until New Vegas. It took me a few starts and stops before I finally got into it. But once I "got it", I really loved the game.

[jeff061]

I think Fallout 3 immediately grips you and doesn't let go(well, until you experience the Bethesda quest burnout). Fallout 4 has a much slower build up and doesn't grab you right away. If I hadn't played 3 it would have been difficult for me to be as patient as I was with 4.

[RainMaker]

How much effort are you guys putting into your settlements?

[Bobble]

How much effort are you guys putting into your settlements?

Too much and not enough. I'm constantly pack-ratting around every scrap of junk and hauling it back. Then I spend what seems like way too long getting the minimum set up at each settlement. However, I never get even one settlement organized like I want. Then, I get to arming and armoring the settlers for a while. Then, I get antsy to get back to the quests and collect more junk. shurg

[Peregrine]

I am doing a good bit - especially since I got the Charisma perk that lets you do trade routes - not having to heave junk from one place to another for building makes it a LOT easier.

[TroyF]

Figured out something today that I didn't know. I feel like a moron, but maybe someone here didn't realize it either.

You can mod a weapon and get the mod it currently has in your inventory. Example: You find a great scope on a sniper rifle, but aren't happy with the damage or type of bullets it fires, you can put a standard scope on it and get the scope as a mod to put in another gun.

I cannot begin to tell you how many cool mods I've traded off or stored for a long time because I didn't realize this simple fact.

[jeff061]

Yeah, it's kind of annoying you can't just detach a mod though. You need to craft a new one(if you don't have one handy) and attach that.

[Groundhog]

Connected power up to all my houses in Sanctuary Hills last night. Wish I could fix the walls/doors on the pre-existing structures.

Also built rocket launcher turrets and test-dropped some super mutants in... yeah, they're pretty effective.

[Balldog]

No worries Jon. I'm still considering picking it up. I've never really explored into this genre of games so I'm hoping to find the right game to get me into it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

How much effort are you guys putting into your settlements?

The existence of this cartoon sums it up I think
spoiler tagging just to save load times for the non-interested

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12321623_939336239474499_8656526591000089219_n.jpg?oh=3b9a682d0012d92e2f5afd48d4407d93&oe=571E8DF9

[Peregrine]

I can't believe it took me this long to discover that you can build a foundation (under Wood - Floors) which then lets you build buildings on top of sloping ground. Not being able to do that has been driving me crazy!

[Bobble]

Figured out something today that I didn't know. I feel like a moron, but maybe someone here didn't realize it either.

You can mod a weapon and get the mod it currently has in your inventory. Example: You find a great scope on a sniper rifle, but aren't happy with the damage or type of bullets it fires, you can put a standard scope on it and get the scope as a mod to put in another gun.

I cannot begin to tell you how many cool mods I've traded off or stored for a long time because I didn't realize this simple fact.

I'm not sure I get the point of weapon mods. Is that so if I don't have the requisite perk (Gun Nut 4 or whatever), I can still add that mod to a weapon? If I have the perks, I don't need the mods -- or a better way to say it is if you find a weapon with the mods you want, you don't need to waste a perk. Is that about it or am I missing something?


I can't believe it took me this long to discover that you can build a foundation (under Wood - Floors) which then lets you build buildings on top of sloping ground. Not being able to do that has been driving me crazy!

Yeah, that was a revelation for me too. I had houses "precariously" propped up on one corner on the slope of a hill. Usually, I just go back and slip a section or two of wooden bridge under as "support". I think the wooden bridge is cheaper in wood and steel. Wooden bridge frequently doubles as MG turret platform for me.

I spent a ton of steel and wood (although the wood is no big deal) on fences around my settlements 'cause I thought it was critical. Then, half the time, the raiders spawn right in the middle of everything and my fences are a waste.

[Abe Sargent]

I only care about two or three settlements, but Hangman's Ally is perfect, so I love to build it up. It's my favorite settlement.

[TroyF]

***I'm not sure I get the point of weapon mods. Is that so if I don't have the requisite perk (Gun Nut 4 or whatever), I can still add that mod to a weapon? If I have the perks, I don't need the mods -- or a better way to say it is if you find a weapon with the mods you want, you don't need to waste a perk. Is that about it or am I missing something?***

No, you aren't missing anything. I have not upgraded gun nut or armorer so I can't make any of the high end mods from scratch. If I purchase or find a weapon that has a mod I want, I can mod it with a standard one and take the other mod to use on another one of my weapons. I can do this without the gun nut or science perk.

[Groundhog]

If you are confident of your ability to take on a small army of gunners, some in power armour, I recommend the trip down to Warwick Homestead - near the south-east corner of the map. Not sure what triggered it showing up on my map so there may be quest requirements, but it's the best settlement I've seen outside of Sanctuary Hills.

[Abe Sargent]

If you are confident of your ability to take on a small army of gunners, some in power armour, I recommend the trip down to Warwick Homestead - near the south-east corner of the map. Not sure what triggered it showing up on my map so there may be quest requirements, but it's the best settlement I've seen outside of Sanctuary Hills.


Hello!

This post may have some gentle spoilers in it. Sorry!

I have it. It's okay. I have almost every settlement, and i've spent about 4 days getting more and building them up, doing almost no quests., because I'm enjoying it a la SimFallout. I really liked the Slag, and I used it as my Fortress moving to a bunch of places north and east of it. There's a giant island you can grab off the Castle, and it's so big it takes minutes to cross it, and you can get the whole thing.

But if I had this all to do again, I'd make a beeline for Covenant, and grab it and use it as my primary base, not in the far corner of the world like Red Rocket TS or Sanctuary. Covenant is built up very well, extremely good for defenses ,and you can get it without firing a shot if you do it right ( I figured it out and now the reward to get Covenant for free is pretty tasty).

But Hangman's Alley is still my favorite. It's perfectly located, and you can build it up. I build a quick ladder, two floors, two walls, and two roofs and added a whole other room above it, and in addition it has a ton of dirt for farming ( a lot more than you would think from it being an alley in Boston).

Warwick is far, but giving it a big ol gun is nice, it helps to expand in the SE corner of the map.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Put me in the category of "Warwick is nice but not utterly amazing" as well.

It's also been my second most frequently attacked settlement, despite having equal or higher defensive values.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Speakign of settlements (and of Warwick), a question:

Is anyone losing settlers as fatalities during attacks?

Thus far I've had only one, literally seeing numerous settlers go down but then recover (ala companion style) in numerous firefights.

Yet I recently found a single lone body, dead as a post, after a Warwick firefight. A "named NPC" at that.

Having suffered no other fatalities I'm not sure whether that's a glitch or if I've just been really lucky.

[Peregrine]

Covenant as a settlement? That sounds cool. Maybe next game.

[Groundhog]

I think my 'discovery' of purified water and mutfruit as the best source of income in the game has a lot to do with how much I like Warwick - ample room for both. It's fairly easy to defend in theory too with one clear entry, but as invaders often spawn inside that's a moot point.

I've also had settlers die in raids, but very rarely - maybe only once from what I can recall. Not sure of the rationale, it might be that the original settlers can't die (in a similar way to how they can't be transferred out to other settlements), where as others can.

[Abe Sargent]

I just added a Marina a another settlement quite easily, it's nice, easily defended, and off by itself so it could be another big gun place as well.

[Groundhog]

http://i.imgur.com/OHVYAMF.jpg

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think my 'discovery' of purified water and mutfruit as the best source of income in the game has a lot to do with how much I like Warwick - ample room for both. It's fairly easy to defend in theory too with one clear entry, but as invaders often spawn inside that's a moot point.

I've also had settlers die in raids, but very rarely - maybe only once from what I can recall. Not sure of the rationale, it might be that the original settlers can't die (in a similar way to how they can't be transferred out to other settlements), where as others can.

My death WAS an original though, which is why I was really kinda confused by it. I'd have figured the generic "settler" to be somewhat disposable but they've proven to be quite durable thus far.

Also, and I don't think this gets into spoiler territory IMO, just more like things that should be in the manual if there was a manual ...

are Provisioners bulletproof? I seem to get a LOT of "proximity random events" that involve them getting the crap kicked out of them until I can ride to the rescue but I haven't lost one yet. Is it even possible for me to lose one?

[Abe Sargent]

There are some original named settlers who are named "Settler" by the way. You might be seeing those.

I have seen a few dead settlers from the battle.s But I like to instantly hop over to the area via the Institute teleport, so I get time to hunt down and set up defenses, rather than coming into the battle hot.

[RainMaker]

are Provisioners bulletproof? I seem to get a LOT of "proximity random events" that involve them getting the crap kicked out of them until I can ride to the rescue but I haven't lost one yet. Is it even possible for me to lose one?

I don't think they can be killed but I think your trade route is messed up until you help them.

[chinaski]

They cannot be killed.

[Peregrine]

I think my 'discovery' of purified water and mutfruit as the best source of income in the game has a lot to do with how much I like Warwick

How much income do you need though? I haven't focused on income at all and have been fine. You don't need to buy much stuff except ammo and the occasional aid item or rare resource, and I have been able to pay for that with all the extra unused ammo I already find.

[Abe Sargent]

I have a leveled up to level 4 of the Strong Back perk so after clearing out a place I can grab literally everything not tied down, head out to a place to unload the stuff, and typically break even when buying more 10 mm ammo, missiles, the occasional fusion core, and then shipments of the material that I need. I buy a ton of oil, gears, copper, and now I'm out of cloth badly, so I've picked up two of those.

[bhlloy]

So I'm probably an idiot by it how do you set up trading routes/gain income from settlements? I have a few levels in local leader, created a few stands in sanctuary and assigned people to them and they don't seem to do anything. The only things I seem to find online are clickbait or 32 minute YouTube videos, so a good link would be just as appreciated...

[Peregrine]

Abe, for cloth just pick up all the pre-war money that is lying around by the wheelbarrow full. It doesn't weigh anything and is very common - I have like 1300 of it in my workshop right now, plus another 650 cloth. But maybe I'm just not doing much with it besides building the occasional bed.

Bhlloy - for trading routes you go into the workshop mode and when you mouse over settlers you have a button called trade route - it will ask you where you want it to connect to. Basically do this in different places until you have a web connecting all your sites. As far as the stands - agreed, I put them up but seems like they are always empty, however they do generate money - look for the bottlecaps in your workshop inventory.

[Groundhog]

How much income do you need though? I haven't focused on income at all and have been fine. You don't need to buy much stuff except ammo and the occasional aid item or rare resource, and I have been able to pay for that with all the extra unused ammo I already find.

Only thing I really buy is building materials from vendors. I pay using ammo and chems too, but I'd done it enough that I was running out of both.

[Abe Sargent]

Abe, for cloth just pick up all the pre-war money that is lying around by the wheelbarrow full. It doesn't weigh anything and is very common - I have like 1300 of it in my workshop right now, plus another 650 cloth. But maybe I'm just not doing much with it besides building the occasional bed.

Bhlloy - for trading routes you go into the workshop mode and when you mouse over settlers you have a button called trade route - it will ask you where you want it to connect to. Basically do this in different places until you have a web connecting all your sites. As far as the stands - agreed, I put them up but seems like they are always empty, however they do generate money - look for the bottlecaps in your workshop inventory.



I sell the money for, um, money. It's really good for that.

[Peregrine]

It's also a great way to find cloth.

[JonInMiddleGA]

look for the bottlecaps in your workshop inventory.

Yeah, that was the little detail that was escaping me until my son clued me in ... and then looked at me like I was the biggest dumbass in the world.

He enjoyed that.

[RainMaker]

Is there an unlimited amount of settlements? Each time I set one up I'm told there is another.

[Abe Sargent]

Yes. There are 30 I believe. I have 29, and there's one in such a bad place, with a huge Mirelurk army and a queen and multiple kings that doesn't look like a good place, so I 'm skipping it despite a mission to set it up for now.


EDIT: RainMaker you can also just set one up yourself. I was walking around the starting area, and cleaned out two places that could be used as settlements without needing a quest to do so.

[Radii]

I'm doing a melee build so ammo isn't a concern for me. I haven't sold much of it though, under my standard "what if I need this at some point" RPG hoarding strategy. I built up sanctuary a bit but haven't done anything with any of the other settlements outside of sticking a couple turrets on the roofs. I do break down most/all of my junk just in case I want to do some building later.

One thing I have started doing lately is making chems. I'm buying blood packs from vendors whenever I can, buying buffout and occasionally stimpacks as well. I'm slowly working my way towards building up a stockpile of psychobuff and am starting to be more liberal about using the stuff.

I bumped the difficulty up to hard around level 15 but once I get my next sneak perk at 23 I think I'm going to bump it up to very hard, and want to be prepared with tons of drugs, basically.

[Abe Sargent]

Because of the negative effects of getting hooked on drugs, you may want to carry around some extra Addictol, to remove it in the middle of a long dungeon crawl. There's also a quest you can do that'll give you 60 of each basic chem if ou choose a certain path.

[Peregrine]

I bumped the difficulty up to hard around level 15 but once I get my next sneak perk at 23 I think I'm going to bump it up to very hard, and want to be prepared with tons of drugs, basically.

I've been playing on very hard pretty much the whole game - it's definitely harder but for me the large amount of legendary items you get tends to balance it out. Most are ok, but the good ones are really good.

[Radii]

Because of the negative effects of getting hooked on drugs, you may want to carry around some extra Addictol, to remove it in the middle of a long dungeon crawl. There's also a quest you can do that'll give you 60 of each basic chem if ou choose a certain path.

Thanks. I do have a few on me at all times, it hasn't happened yet but I'm quite sure it will soon enough.

[Abe Sargent]

I was just waiting to head out and defend against an attack on one of my settlements and was surprised to see it wasn't raiders or mutants or ghouls - the three I've always had before, but instead a Deathclaw Matriarch. Let's just say a lot of dead settlers awaited me. Town went from 20 to 12 in one attack!

[Peregrine]

Does the constant respawning annoy anyone else? I find it hard to really feel I've accomplished much in clearing the wasteland where the same stuff respawns later on - and usually I get a repeat mission to clear it.

The good part is all the loot and junk respawns too, but still...

[Groundhog]

Does the constant respawning annoy anyone else? I find it hard to really feel I've accomplished much in clearing the wasteland where the same stuff respawns later on - and usually I get a repeat mission to clear it.

The good part is all the loot and junk respawns too, but still...

Yeah, I'm a bit on the fence about it... There's no real risk of running out of supplies given you can buy bulk supplies of things like copper/alumnium etc. from vendors. It would probably make cash more valuable rather than 'oh I need aluminium, I'll go clear out location X for food trays again'.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I was just waiting to head out and defend against an attack on one of my settlements and was surprised to see it wasn't raiders or mutants or ghouls - the three I've always had before, but instead a Deathclaw Matriarch. Let's just say a lot of dead settlers awaited me. Town went from 20 to 12 in one attack!

OMG they turned it into F. Shelter

[Bobble]

Connected power up to all my houses in Sanctuary Hills last night. Wish I could fix the walls/doors on the pre-existing structures.

I saw a youtube video about "repairing" houses. What the guy was doing was using the rug clipping trick* to build shack walls and ceilings coincident with the existing walls and ceilings of Sanctuary, including building a shack doorway complete with door to fit the existing Sanctuary doorway.

* If you don't know, the rug clipping trick is where you can build a rug and then build, say, a couch with it's corner barely on that rug. Then, if you "pick up" the rug, the couch goes with it but the engine only uses the rug for collision detection. The couch will clip right through existing objects. You can put the rug down in the middle of the room and the couch will happily be sticking through the wall.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I saw a youtube video about "repairing" houses. What the guy was doing was using the rug clipping trick* to build shack walls and ceilings coincident with the existing walls and ceilings of Sanctuary, including building a shack doorway complete with door to fit the existing Sanctuary doorway.

* If you don't know, the rug clipping trick is where you can build a rug and then build, say, a couch with it's corner barely on that rug. Then, if you "pick up" the rug, the couch goes with it but the engine only uses the rug for collision detection. The couch will clip right through existing objects. You can put the rug down in the middle of the room and the couch will happily be sticking through the wall.

I wish I understood this better 'cause the "house repair" trick is something that would make me MUCH happier with the state of nearly all my settlements.

Alas, I don't really have much hope than even watching fifteen videos of people doing it would help my spatially challenged self figure out how to do it :/

[Julio Riddols]

I'm finally about 5 or 6 hours in, loving it though. Feels quite a bit harder than previous fallout games. Not being able to find much in the way of good guns thus far, I had a hell of a time clearing those raiders out of the Corvega plant. I managed to finish the mission by activating a protectron in medic mode and having him take out the "boss" character.. But then he turned on me and killed me before I left, as I was looting corpses. Finished it after reloading, but that was a fun mission. The added effect of roaches flying and other unknown bugs and animals have been fun to get used to.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm finally about 5 or 6 hours in, loving it though. Feels quite a bit harder than previous fallout games. Not being able to find much in the way of good guns thus far, I had a hell of a time clearing those raiders out of the Corvega plant. I managed to finish the mission by activating a protectron in medic mode and having him take out the "boss" character.. But then he turned on me and killed me before I left, as I was looting corpses. Finished it after reloading, but that was a fun mission. The added effect of roaches flying and other unknown bugs and animals have been fun to get used to.

fwiw, I think there was a pretty strong consensus on the 'net that Corvega was a real bitch for the early portion of the game.

And those blasted flying bugs (both of the main types) are probably my most dreaded enemy some 200 hours into the game. I HATE those damned things.

[Radii]

Now that I have the sneak perk at level 23 I'm upping the difficulty to very hard. I probably should have earlier, but that 100% seals it. Soooo much easier to get melee sneak 1 shot kills.


I'd been using the 40% AP Reduction baseball bat (I forget the name), but last night I got a legendary drop, a "Powerful Chinese Officer Sword". The Powerful Modifier of 25% bonus damage attached to something with medium speed *might* be strong enough for me to be willing to drop the AP reduction on the bat. I need to level up INT to get science to fully mod it, but fully modded it looks like it will be way more damage. Its the first drop that I got that I got really excited about for sure.

EDIT: I'm not discussing where to get any melee items but do mention one, may as well spoiler it.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm finally about 5 or 6 hours in, loving it though. Feels quite a bit harder than previous fallout games. Not being able to find much in the way of good guns thus far, I had a hell of a time clearing those raiders out of the Corvega plant. I managed to finish the mission by activating a protectron in medic mode and having him take out the "boss" character.. But then he turned on me and killed me before I left, as I was looting corpses. Finished it after reloading, but that was a fun mission. The added effect of roaches flying and other unknown bugs and animals have been fun to get used to.

I found a gun in a quest as a reward around hour 50. (You could get it lots earlier, and knowing what I know now, I could make a beeline for it around hour 20 or 25 in a reboot, maybe sooner). Now I'm at hour 150 ish, and I've never stopped using that as my prime weapon. It's a pistol, it's perfect for me and my build, and ammo for it is plenty with vendors and cheaper, and you find it all over too

I don't know if you'd consider it spoilers to tell the weapon and why it resonates, so I'm adding spoiler tags to this:


So the pistol is Deliverer. You get it during the first real RR quest with Deacon, who gives it to you to help support him. It's just great. Now I don't know if my damage numbers have already been enhanced, but the bonus of getting 25% more shots in VATS is perfect for my build. And it gives you an enhanced chance to hit in VATS as well along with it. Firstly, I have a fully leveled Pistoller perk, and so I get way more damage. secondly, it fires super fast, has a long barrel to aim with and get accurate at longer range, and holds 12 shots in a clip - so you don't need to reload it. It has great damage and fires 10 MM bullets which are plentiful. Now here's the second kicker. If you'll recall, I have a CHA/LUCK heavy build. I have a high Luck and I have built up my critical damages. So my Luck gives me quicker and better reloading of my CRIT meter, which only happens in VATS. Then layer in my perks that increase my crit damage or give me free refills occasionally, and now add the extra shots that I get in VATS, and Deliverer is a perfect fit for my build.

[Groundhog]

Best pistol I've found so far is....


...Spray n' Pray. A rapid-fire pistol with splash damage, around early-30s for damage, but with the rate of fire you chew through baddies.

As far as I'm aware you can only buy it from the Cricket NPC weapon vendor who wanders around various locations on the map. I find her outside Warwick's Homestead.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Okay, so somewhere around level 40something (I don't know when eactly) I suddenly had a new option for a miscellaneous item. A sort of stand/tent thing for caravans. Can be built on my settlements, etc.

Anybody know what triggers that? Is it level related? A perk I earned that I missed? I'm almost certain it did NOT come from a magazine 'cause haven't had one of those related to that sort of thing in like 10 levels & I know this hasn't been around that long.

[Groundhog]

Hmmm I don't think I have seen that. Only Misc item I have (I think) is the artillery.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Hmmm I don't think I have seen that. Only Misc item I have (I think) is the artillery.

It just kinda randomly showed up as an option suddenly. IIRC it's in the miscellaneous items with like the bell, siren, etc stuff.

I've built one, sure enough they'll show up and use it. I'm not yet clear whether it just puts them in a spot that you'd like them to be in or if it affects frequency, their routes, etc. Or it maybe be almost entirely aesthetic.

It's super cheap, like 1 steel and 10 wood or something so I'll certainly be adding more of them.

[RainMaker]

Probably too late for most but playing with the Idiot Savant perk and Intelligence at 1 is almost too easy for gaining XP.

[Peregrine]

So I started my second game (finished the main story with my first guy and he was in his mid-50s, didn't explore everything as I wanted to leave some stuff for the second playthrough.) It's been quite a change of pace as my first character was a melee/heavy guns/power armor build that would just charge in and kick ass, while my second is a sneaky charisma build based on manipulation and robbing people blind.

[bhlloy]

Just finished the main story this one. Quite underwhelming and felt kinda stale most of the way through IMO. Feels like a game and engine from 10 years ago compared to a game like the Witcher and the storyline and faction stuff was underwhelming again. Settlement stuff felt like a boring mini game with no actual consequences.

Ok game but nowhere near the generational stuff the first one was or the fun that Vegas was IMO

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think today is the first time I've gotten annoyed by one of those classic Bethesda bugs.

Was kinda doing run of the mill stuff, nothing major, fast traveled from one place to the next & got TWO failed-to-defend notices ... for attacks on settlements that I was never aware of. Even had Radio Freedom on, no mention. Never saw a on-screen message of either.

Research online suggests that it has become pretty common to see that happen, mystery fails (now at Lvl 51 I've had 4 attacks within hours of each other, had less than a dozen combined prior to that I believe).

And there's a particular set of attackers that has a "missing man" sort of bug that occurs with some frequency, so I have that to look forward to as well I suppose :/

[Abe Sargent]

It just kinda randomly showed up as an option suddenly. IIRC it's in the miscellaneous items with like the bell, siren, etc stuff.

I've built one, sure enough they'll show up and use it. I'm not yet clear whether it just puts them in a spot that you'd like them to be in or if it affects frequency, their routes, etc. Or it maybe be almost entirely aesthetic.

It's super cheap, like 1 steel and 10 wood or something so I'll certainly be adding more of them.

I can confirm that this happened for me right after I gained Bunker Hill as a settlement, I was able to build Caravan stops in other settlements

[Abe Sargent]

Do you ever find that you have one random settlement that always seems to have a ton more people and success than you expected, or invested? For me it's Somerville Place, way out there, and has the most people (21) of my places. And I barely go there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Do you ever find that you have one random settlement that always seems to have a ton more people and success than you expected, or invested? For me it's Somerville Place, way out there, and has the most people (21) of my places. And I barely go there.

Not sure I consider very many of mine "successful" yet, just tbh (clearly, I don't entirely have the hang of settlement management beyond full bellies & indoor sleeping) but Starlight Drive-In and Jamaica Plain both seem to be major people magnets.

At some point soon I think I really need to do a major inventory assessment and spend several in-game days (and probably 6-8 real life hours) shuffling gear from my primary stockpiles and distributing it across the settlements. Along with that, a serious look settlement by settlement at what is where and who is where and what needs to be where.

[Peregrine]

Is there a need to have primary stockpiles as you mentioned Jon? I'm honestly curious - I had thought that once you have trade routes connecting all your settlements they all share one common inventory no matter where it is.

[sabotai]

Do you ever find that you have one random settlement that always seems to have a ton more people and success than you expected, or invested? For me it's Somerville Place, way out there, and has the most people (21) of my places. And I barely go there.

Oberland Station. Tiny little square of a settlement, 20+ people there. Constantly need to send them elsewhere.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is there a need to have primary stockpiles as you mentioned Jon? I'm honestly curious - I had thought that once you have trade routes connecting all your settlements they all share one common inventory no matter where it is.

Sorry, my phrasing probably created confusion.

I just meant the places where I unload all of the various armor & weapons that I eventually need to distribute to various settlers.

Sanctuary Hills has most of that stuff (as well as my containers for all the things I'm keeping because I keep one of every item, same as I've done in every Bethesda game I've played) but there are some secondary caches that are getting rather large at this point too.

Like, oh, 14 sets of armor that some Gunners won't be needing any longer after I completed Hunter/Hunted. I had to stop off at another settlement while carrying that load (to fix a "0 beds, 0 defense" bug) ended up fast-traveling into a random firefight so I threw every bit of that into a handy chest & haven't moved it yet.

There's probably 3 locations that, if I combined everything stashed there with the insane amount of stuff stashed at homebase, I could just about trick out all of my settlers (or darned close to it).

It gets a little ridiculous, honestly, and it's one of the things that I'm kind of unimpressed by Bethesda lack of foresight (or intentional desire to make things difficult) about. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 settlers under my command at the moment, there's really no need for managing them to be quite the clusterf*** that it is.

[Abe Sargent]

LOL I got Idiot Savant to trigger on the game winning event, Nuclear Option. I gained....8820 after the doubling, and two levels at the end.


Anyways, I followed the very common online guides on how to win with all three factions still alive and on friendly terms with you. So yay on that. The route is actually pretty obvious and makes storyline sense to me as well.


My main gun went from 850 rounds to around 60 after the main mission :)


EXTREME Spoilers!



So i wanted to talk more about that way to get through everything, because i realized that I had done a bunch before even realizing.

I went with the Minutemen to build the teleporter, and then gave them the recordings from teh Institute as thanks. The Brotherhood gets upset that I used the Minutemen and gave them the recordings, so I go to mak a copy and give it, as well as head to start some Brotherhood missions. But there's nothing more to do with the Minutemen after freeing their castle and building the big guns save for small time rescue ops and such.

So I turn to the only real option for freedom - the Railroad, and I begin to do a bunch of quests for them, and also do a few here and there for the Brotherhood as well. I get to the place in the RR quest where I meat a double agent deep inside the Institute and we are planning a huge op to free a ton of synths all at once He tells me to keep in their good graces while he finish things up on his end. So I do, and I start doing a few Institute quests. Meanwhile, my next Brotherhood quest reveals that Danse is a synth. Holy Crap! I save him, and then they want me to kill the Railroad? Nope! That's just stupid.

Then I work more for the Institute and get to where hey want me to destroy the Brotherhood. Wait, what? Is the Railroad ready to pop off their major op? Nope? Well No thanks Institute! There's nothign else for me with Brotherhood missions ,I have no desire to off the RR, and I have no desire to continue either the Instittue or RR one to get the Brotherhood all hot and bothered. So I am banished from the Institute, and the RR plot won;t work any longer. I get free and head over the RR, and they tell me that after being burned, their big op can;t work, and that only the Minutemen have the army necessary to help.

After heading over, a giant synth army heads out and tries to take out the castle, and I help them win. Afterwards, the tape I took has schematics of the Institute and the Minutemen found a way in. We head in, blow up the Institute, and then it's gone. Boom!

And that is, to me, a very realistic path to play through the game, and yet you are jumping from one plotline to another, and you win with the Minutemen . Everybody lives. Everybody still likes me and the RR love me, (You rock!) the Brotherhood are okay with me (Good job, but we should have been ht ones to go with you is the general consensus).



Extreme spoilers. There is a walkthruogh of the plotlines and basic quests I used.

[Peregrine]

Wow all three factions alive and friendly? Long way from the ending I got.

[Groundhog]

Wow all three factions alive and friendly? Long way from the ending I got.

Ditto - in my universe...

...there's a crater where the Institute used to be, and a whole lot of dead corpses underneath a church in Boston.

[Abe Sargent]

In case it helps, here is my final build, before the two levels I gained from the end quest XP rewards:

Malva Maitland
Level 63

STR 9; Perception 5; END 4; Charisma 9; INT 4; Agi 5; Luck 9

STR Perks -

Big Leagues 1
Strong Back 4

PER -

Locksmith 3

END -

Toughness 4

CHA -

Cap Collector 2
Black Widow 3
Attack Dog 1
Local Leader 2
Inspirational 2

INT -

Gun Nut 3
Hacker 3

AGI -

Gunslinger 5
Action Girl 2

LUCK -

Fortune Finder 1
Scrounger 1
Bloody Mess 2
Idiot Savant 3
Better Criticals 3
Grim Reaper's Sprint 2
Four Leaf Clover 4


I had a action point/critical build. With my main gun giving me 25% to hit and better VATS bonuses, and me getting a ton of action points back with Grim Reaper, large crit damage, easy crit refills including the Four Leaf fills for free often, Action Girl increasing AP regen, then layer in armor with 10% reduction of AP costs in VATS, increases AP refreshx2 for armor, and you can see my build was based around VATS, criticals, and such. I would often get three crits off in one barrage on VATS.


I do like my build - the weapons and armor mesh synergetically with the perks and stats and it feels like a different build than your normal stealth/sniper or rush and melee options. I also have tactical flexibility to match my partner. When I'm with a sniper or long range companion, then iI rush in and fire with my pistol close. Otherwise I can use my pistol very well at medium range and help out a close range companion.

[JonInMiddleGA]

In case it helps, here is my final build, before the two levels I gained from the end quest XP rewards:

Malva Maitland
Level 63

STR 9; Perception 5; END 4; Charisma 9; INT 4; Agi 5; Luck 9



Fairly similar in terms of style to my own character, but with diff SPECIALS, mine being heavy on intelligence & light on luck.

I'm pretty much always a VATS-whore.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Hit the "building limit" at a settlement for the first time. Considering how relatively little I've done there -- defense value is only 48, 3 blgs with a total of 11 beds, 2-3 flags and a Minuteman state -- I'm pretty disappointed at how low the cap seems to be.

I wonder if part of the problem is how much stuff is just outside the borders & therefore unscrappable? It's already one of my least favorite spots in the game (due to the peculiar drawing of borders Bethesda chose), this isn't helping.

I did find the workaround/glitch trick to reduce your build percentage one-dropped/stored-weapon at a time but, still, :/

[Groundhog]

Bunker Hill is teetering on the brink of the build cap as soon as you claim it, but that's the closest I've come. I only claimed it last night and while I was building it up we were hit by a rather large Synth force - probably like 15 or more in total. They may have been a random wandering mob that strayed too close to the settlement, but it was the first 'proper' battle I'd had with my settlers on the outskirts of a settlement.

I think my two biggest 'OH SH1T' moments in Fallout 4 are officially when the mine icon flashes up on the screen and starts beeping, and when you hear a supermutant suicide bomber beeping but can't spot him.

[JonInMiddleGA]

but it was the first 'proper' battle I'd had with my settlers on the outskirts of a settlement.

I accidentally ended up with one of those (so accidentally that I allowed myself a reload based on the premise that I never had the chance to say "stay put you bumbling twits" ).

Was following a vertibird to what I figured was easy loot & easy XP, ended up in a rather pitched firefight with a unexpectedly well entrenched set of raiders. Pretty much the LAST thing I expected was to suddenly see a number of green targets popping up in VATS.

Turned out that I was on the edge of a settlement when I fired my first long-range shot ... so my settlers trailed along behind me, eventually charging straight into the malestrom while I was busy flanking the bad guys.

Things, uh, did not end well for them :/

[JonInMiddleGA]

So I may have made a few notes from my current game. And I may have stuck them into a spreadsheet (hey, if you've seen my handwriting then you'd understand)

167 human settlers is a LOT of bodies to try to arm & clothe.

And at 7 wearable pieces per settler, that's a lot of pieces.

Hell, that's a lot of guns too.

[Bobble]

So I may have made a few notes from my current game. And I may have stuck them into a spreadsheet (hey, if you've seen my handwriting then you'd understand)

167 human settlers is a LOT of bodies to try to arm & clothe.

And at 7 wearable pieces per settler, that's a lot of pieces.

Hell, that's a lot of guns too.

Yeah, but Settlers can't be killed by hostile NPCs similar to your companion. They can be killed by the player (by grenades, say) deliberately or by accident. So you don't really NEED to give them extra armor except for roleplay reasons or to keep them in the battle a little longer to protect your stuff.

That said, I'm hauling back clean suits and dresses for everyone to return some civilization to this crazy, mixed up world...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah, but Settlers can't be killed by hostile NPCs similar to your companion. They can be killed by the player (by grenades, say) deliberately or by accident. So you don't really NEED to give them extra armor except for roleplay reasons or to keep them in the battle a little longer to protect your stuff.

Umm, I believe that only applies to Provisioners.

Settlers can die (see discussion up the thread).

[sabotai]

I certainly found out that Provisioners can die if you're the one who accidentally puts a bullet in their head. I guess I should use VATS during settlement defense in the future.

[Bobble]

Umm, I believe that only applies to Provisioners.

Settlers can die (see discussion up the thread).

According to the wiki, they just go down like companions from NPC fire. If you, personally, happen to put a stray bullet into them, yes they can die.

I've showed up to a settlement battle, not fired a shot and seen a "settler" dead but then there'd be a synth part on the "settler" which I took to mean that the one of the settlers was a synth and was found out.

[Abe Sargent]

I have seen my settlers die from battles where I wasn't using any form of explosives, and was using just VATS to fire at stuff.

[Neon_Chaos]

Settlers can die from attacks, definitely.

[Groundhog]

I wonder if distance from the settlement determines it? If they stray outside the 'green zone'?

[JonInMiddleGA]

I wonder if distance from the settlement determines it? If they stray outside the 'green zone'?

My only settler death was inside the green, damned near dead center.

[korme]

Level 32 in and just now realized I can perk in any order, thought I had to go top to bottom

[BYU 14]

Level 32 in and just now realized I can perk in any order, thought I had to go top to bottom

Ouch

[korme]

Ouch

Yep, was wondering how people were making such unique characters, as I've been using most points to get past the initial 10 for each category at the top :lol:

[JonInMiddleGA]

And at around 170 hours I've finally entered the Institute.

For the first time in F4 I think I really dislike the new dialogue system that I've seen others complain about. Didn't bother me much previously, it REALLY bugged me there. And no matter how the main storyline plays out from here (I have my guesses) this feels like by far the weakest main story of any Bethesda game I've played.

I like the universe well enough to overlook that & am already anticipating a replay ... but I'm very meh about the main.

edit to add: The dialogue options there don't feel right for my character -- indeed the way he's pretty much required to handle himself upon entering the Institute in order to advance the story at all -- or at least it doesn't fit the way I've played the character in my head.

[Barkeep49]

Yeah I too felt like I couldn't RP the character I'd created once I was in the Institute, but it did open up a whole bunch of quests that made me enjoy the game that had gotten a little stale. I can't imagine spending 170 hours with Fallout 4 in total let alone not having gotten to that point in the main story line. Hats off to you Jon.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah I too felt like I couldn't RP the character I'd created once I was in the Institute, but it did open up a whole bunch of quests that made me enjoy the game that had gotten a little stale. I can't imagine spending 170 hours with Fallout 4 in total let alone not having gotten to that point in the main story line. Hats off to you Jon.

I'm already planning/anticipating my second playthrough with regard to the things that I'll do differently. And I still have the BoS stories & missions which will be new to me for that one since I haven't touched them yet.

[Peregrine]

Yeah Jon I am really enjoying my second playthrough. I deliberately didn't try to be a completionist the first time around (basically even skipped the whole BoS faction quests) so my second would have stuff to discover. Plus doing a sneak build is a lot different than my first guy who was basically bull in a china shop.

[JonInMiddleGA]

It's definitely been an ... interesting ... experience thus far. I've always kind of dreading reaching "the end" of the various Bethesda games, this time I'm seriously considering rushing through from here just to finish so I can re-start.

[Peregrine]

I've been messing around with pistols for my gunslinger sneak build - never noticed before that some of the pipe pistols can have insane ranges on them. Now I have three points in gunslinger which is increasing the range but these weapons have insane ranges even compared to other pistols like 10mm ones. Not sure what the reason is but it's pretty fun to be picking people off at 300 meters with a scoped pistol.

[SackAttack]

I finally figured out how to connect power.

Still trying to figure out if it's possible to remove mods from weapons I pick up without having to build a 'new' mod to replace it. Some of these guns I'd love to gank the mods without having to carry around the whole weapon.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I finally figured out how to connect power.

Still trying to figure out if it's possible to remove mods from weapons I pick up without having to build a 'new' mod to replace it. Some of these guns I'd love to gank the mods without having to carry around the whole weapon.

I think you have to replace the mod, haven't noticed an ability to remove the "good" one otherwise.

You probably aren't having to "build" a replacement mod -- more like "install" one -- assuming you've been storing the standard one for that weapon type when you built an earlier mod onto it.

[SackAttack]

I think you have to replace the mod, haven't noticed an ability to remove the "good" one otherwise.

You probably aren't having to "build" a replacement mod -- more like "install" one -- assuming you've been storing the standard one for that weapon type when you built an earlier mod onto it.

I haven't been modding my weapons much for this reason. Although perhaps I should start.

So many mechanics in this game that just haven't been explained very well.

[Neon_Chaos]

I've finished my first playthrough by going Institute. Running on my 2nd playthrough now.

I usually remove the mods off of weapons I pick up and replace them with standard versions if possible.

I have a storage chest where I put all my used mods in. I've placed it right next to the Weapons Workbench and before I go in to mod weapons, I grab all the mods there.

I believe you'll see if you have that specific mod for the weapon in your inventory if the button says Attach instead of Build.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I have a storage chest where I put all my used mods in. I've placed it right next to the Weapons Workbench and before I go in to mod weapons, I grab all the mods there.

Why not just store them in the workbench itself?

That would seem to make them available with one less step ... right?

[Peregrine]

Still trying to figure out if it's possible to remove mods from weapons I pick up without having to build a 'new' mod to replace it. Some of these guns I'd love to gank the mods without having to carry around the whole weapon.

Yes you have to build a new one, though if you just build the standard or lowest level mod to replace the one you want, it usually doesn't cost too many resources. Then you can use the mod you removed on another weapon. The main issue with it is that each mod can only go on certain types of weapons. I've had a lot of compatibility issues with say a suppressor - even though you can remove a suppressor from a lot of weapons they aren't always compatible with other weapons that can use a suppressor.

[Radii]

I finished the game a few nights ago. I stuck with the stealth melee build the whole way through, only used two weapons for 90% of the game (40% AP reduction bat, then a "powerful chinese officer sword" that I got as a legendary drop). I only used power armor on the quest where it was required, not at any other point in the game. I was level 55'ish at the end, with points heavily into agility and luck (sneak/stealth related perks in AGI and crit/VATS related perks in luck), and high strength with the melee damage perk.

I put about 85 hours into it, easily got my money's worth. I ended up playing it exactly like I played Skyrim, I don't really enjoy exploring just to explore, but if I'm having fun playing the game I can spend a long time doing side quests. I did that and put off the main quest for most of those hours, until I started getting a littled tired of things and pushed through to finish the main story.

The story was fine, but nothing special. I ended up going with the Railroad in the end.

[Bobble]

I played my first character up to level 52, I currently have my second character at about level 50, and I just figured out that a lot of those semi trailers out there can be opened.

[Peregrine]

Loving doing the chem thing on my second run-through - jet makes you feel like you could take a deathclaw barehanded. Psycho jet same thing, but you actually can.-

[Maple Leafs]

I'm giving this one a try, since I'm recently unemployed and need to fill the days with something beyond eating my feelings. Mrs. Leafs got it when it came out and has been loving it, so I figured what the hell.

I played the hell out of Skyrim and a few other RPGs, but have never been able to get into sci-fi stuff. So far, this is one pretty good -- I've got just enough of a handle on it to enjoy it, even though I feel like I'm taking quests that should take ten minutes and spending hours on them because I get distracted by every little thing.

Still have no idea how settlements work, I'm only like 10% sure I get crafting, I reload constantly, and I lose my companions every time I send them somewhere. Standard?

[Groundhog]

even though I feel like I'm taking quests that should take ten minutes and spending hours on them because I get distracted by every little thing.

This is my Fallout experience in a nutshell - walk towards quest marker on map, spot something, investigate, 20 mins late continue towards marker, spot something, and so on.

I think once you get further in and things start being really far apart the temptation to quick-travel everywhere is pretty great, but to me it makes it feel real grindy after awhile; Get mission, fast travel next door, enter, kill baddies, leave, fast travel to quest giver, etc.

I like to walk as much as I can, because I still keep finding interesting stuff even now that I've finished the game.


Still have no idea how settlements work, I'm only like 10% sure I get crafting, I reload constantly, and I lose my companions every time I send them somewhere. Standard?

I'd class them as purely optionally. A good way to make money (via mutfruit and purified water) once you get going, but the irony is that the only reason you really need money is if you are going to develop your settlements.

I've spent many hours on them though. It's just a bit frustrating when you build a pretty darn good fort, only to have a mob of super mutants spawn immediately inside when you go to protect it.

Re; Companions it's easy to lose them. I have a handful of settlements that I use to 'store' them, but I have lost guys from time to time. If you have it on PC there are console commands to teleport them to you that I don't really consider very cheaty.

[Peregrine]

Settlements are optional but can be fun - I like doing little things like making the two merchants in Sanctuary Marcy Long and Cait - nothing like being yelled at and insulted every time you do some shopping! :P

[dubb93]

Just in case anyone has been holding out on this game it seems that the one major thing the game was lacking has finally been modded in by the community. There is finally a mod that turns all death claws into Macho Man Randy Savage. He comes complete with the neon hats and yells "Oh yea," and "Dig it," when he swipes. The game is complete now.

hxxp://m.ign.com/articles/2016/01/04/fallout-4-mod-turns-deathclaws-into-macho-man-randy-savage

[JonInMiddleGA]

178 hours & 19 minutes. Level 59. Minutemen ending.
And the first playthrough is a wrap.

I suspect a second playthrough begins shortly, I still have the Brotherhood quest line completely untouched so that'll be new & I'll definitely do some things differently with regard to settlements, hopefully I can avoid having them dominate the game the way they did the first time around.

I didn't care for the main story at all to be honest, but I'll give them credit for making the final segments more engaging to play than they'd been for me up to that point. Not enough to really redeem the main story really, but ... better.

[Groundhog]

I always had you picked as a Brotherhood of Steel type of guy, Jon. ;)

I wonder if it's possibly to completely ignore the Minutement and all their quests, because I think that's the way I'm probably going to go next play through, maybe with the Railroad because I'd blown them to bits not long after finding them in the first place.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I always had you picked as a Brotherhood of Steel type of guy, Jon. ;)

I have been previously, it just didn't really work out that way this time. Not so much about them as it was how I came across missions & quests. At some point I consciously decided to just save them for a 2nd go.

I wonder if it's possibly to completely ignore the Minutement and all their quests, because I think that's the way I'm probably going to go next play through, maybe with the Railroad because I'd blown them to bits not long after finding them in the first place.

I don't think you can completely ignore them simply because you have to do that first little bit with them I think. I'm likely going to stick with the same initial build & just pick the game back up from where you've finished that part & then slow play the hell out of them for a good while after that. As I understand it as long as you don't turn in your missions to Preston then he won't give you more, so I'm hoping that's the case & I can just largely let them hang out while I do other things.

I want to largely save them (as much as possible) for my end game/after main story completion, not have it be virtually the entire game as it was on the first time around.

[RainMaker]

Do I have to give my companion ammo or do they just come up with it on their own? It never seems to show ammo in their supplies.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Do I have to give my companion ammo or do they just come up with it on their own? It never seems to show ammo in their supplies.

My understanding -- right or wrong -- is that they have infinite "invisible" ammo for their default weapon )i.e. the one they came with) but that you have to supply it for any other weapon you give them.

They definitely expend that ammo if you give it to them in that situation but I've seen some people suggest that they always have one round no matter what. But I've never tested that one way or the other, I've never had a firefight last long enough for them to run out as I typically supply them reasonably well.

[Abe Sargent]

My understanding -- right or wrong -- is that they have infinite "invisible" ammo for their default weapon )i.e. the one they came with) but that you have to supply it for any other weapon you give them.

They definitely expend that ammo if you give it to them in that situation but I've seen some people suggest that they always have one round no matter what. But I've never tested that one way or the other, I've never had a firefight last long enough for them to run out as I typically supply them reasonably well.

Correct on both counts. Infinite ammo for default weapon, otherwise they use it up. I had Piper for a long time with a laser rifle, and she burned through fusion cells.

[Edward64]

Started to spend some quality time on the game (now that my son has finished it). Just got done with Castle Independence at level 14 and thinking about not doing BoS until second run thru.

My main issue is having enough Fusion Cores (not cells). How do you guys keep a nice supply at all times?

[BYU 14]

My main issue is having enough Fusion Cores (not cells). How do you guys keep a nice supply at all times?

I have an excessive amount, I only use power armor if I can not get through a mission 2 or 3 times so that helps :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Started to spend some quality time on the game (now that my son has finished it). Just got done with Castle Independence at level 14 and thinking about not doing BoS until second run thru.

My main issue is having enough Fusion Cores (not cells). How do you guys keep a nice supply at all times?

I think by the time I finished up on my first go'round I had something like 40 or 50 of them, if not more (I'll have to go back & look). Mostly from rarely using them, though I did bite the bullet & buy a few in the early/mid part of the game thinking I'd need them more. It doesn't feel like I picked up as many as I did but apparently I did.

Honestly, I doubt I wore power armor even a dozen times during the entire game. Once in particular for a set of enemies that were kicking my teens-leveled ass, otherwise strictly as a way to limit radiation issues in certain environments.

[Groundhog]

Once I finished the game I started forcing myself to wear power armour - mainly because I had a full set of X-01 armour modded-out and it seemed a waste not to use it.

[Edward64]

Okay, that's the issue. I've been using it all the time.

[Peregrine]

I saw a really cool mod today - may have to add it because it really adds some nice seasonal looks to the Commonwealth.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pIDsHVZICp4" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

[JonInMiddleGA]

Okay, that's the issue. I've been using it all the time.

Okay, that might fall under the next-to-impossible challenge. 1-2 cores per quest/mission was about my average in limited use so you'd eventually need a hella lot of caps to keep buying them for full-time use.

[Peregrine]

Okay, that might fall under the next-to-impossible challenge. 1-2 cores per quest/mission was about my average in limited use so you'd eventually need a hella lot of caps to keep buying them for full-time use.

I kept finding fusion cores in miscellaneous bags and cabinets, usually four at a time. Those really added up to keep me in cores. If you are going to use power armor a lot and have an Intelligence build I would think the Nuclear Physicist perk (INT 9) would be very helpful as it extends how long they last.

[Bobble]

The other thing you can do is sell off nearly depleted cores for brand new ones.

[mckerney]

Disappointed to read about the high level of difficulty Fallout is delivering to people.

Fallout 4 modders are struggling to make virtual dicks work | PCGamesN (http://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-4/fallout-4-modders-are-struggling-to-make-virtual-dicks-work)
While naked female Fallout 4 characters were out pretty much as soon as the game was released, there's a serious struggle happening right now in the Fallout 4 dick modding scene. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Because cock and balls protrude from the body in a fleshy mass, they require mesh editing and 3D modelling, meaning the male form is a much more complex undertaking for manhood modders.

There are only two dick mods out there at the moment for people who want to get in touch with nature in the Commonwealth, according to a NSFW Kotaku report.

You can see the photos over there, but the first one - in the brilliantly-named Immersive wasteland streaking - is clearly a grower, his little man visibly afraid of the harsh, post-nuclear climate, retreating back into his pelvis like a baby mole.

The second one, called Penis Envy, is quite the opposite, with your character permanently at risk of a radscorpion sting right up the pee hole. Here's that mod's description: “It is similar to viagra. This mod gives your character a non-stop raging boner.The nexus as of now is all about them boobs and booty. It is time we give the male character some love.”

But yeah, it's not easy for these trailblazing dick modders, and they're facing all sorts of issues trying to give Fallout 4 the D, with an earlier version of Penis Envy deforming the penis of any player who dared to crouch.

“An issue still is that the dick, because it is put on the pelvis bone, is resized as the character is rezised,” says the Penis Envy modder, via Kotaku. “This means that a large character would have a stretched out dick.”

Apparently the erect dong looks weird on big guys, so you should opt for a smaller one, or perhaps even a flaccid one, in this case. The more you know.

There have even been reports of players with missing balls. The Fallout 4 dick modding scene needs a hero, it seems.

[Groundhog]

Pro-tip to those playing the most recent DLC - during the 'VR' part of the quest, don't fall off the ledge while holding a crate, because it crashes for me 100% of the time, and I've done it twice now, wiping all my progress through the first couple of VR rooms.

Haven't googled to see if it's happening to others, but seems likely - I just get the pre-scene loading screen and it never progresses.

[JonInMiddleGA]

After what felt like a rather total c.f. of hours spent unable to even connect to Bethesda.net via XB1 (and limited functionality on their actual website with an old fashioned p.c.), we finally managed to d'load several of the long awaited mods.

This has basically been something my son has dreamed of - mods to consoles - for longer than he (or I) care to figure up. I'm much more reserved in my anticipation but ended up getting to be the first to actually do much with it today.

Very sensitive about load order, or else I was just unlucky. With only 2 of about a dozen mods active, I got a straight crash right off the bat. Changed the load order, problem solved.

All I've messed with so far is the camping/settlement (limit of 10) one & the settlement management "program". The latter is probably the thing I'd love to have be super-functional out of all the little tweaky add-ons. It's tedious to navigate & the data it can suck in is pretty incomplete (stores aren't visible to it apparently, just as an example) so it's more in the vein of "great wonderful marvelous idea ... that really can't do all that needs doing".

The former is kind of neat & at least in a limited test seems pretty nifty. You get an item in your aid inventory, which is basically a duffle bag you can throw down nearly anywhere (just don't be inside an existing settlement) & have -- for starters -- a sort of limited workshop functionality, where you can build a campfire, sleeping bag, tent, lantern (if you're really into RP'ing it I guess). Super helpful for Survival mode obviously ... well, it is IF you're carrying the supplies needed to build those things.

You then have an option to either pack it all up (which includes a hand menu choice that lets you store additional crap inside the "duffle bag" ... which serves as a overencumbered dodge apparently, since items inside remain but are now rendered weightless, like the bag itself) OR to build a standard workshop.

Doing the latter gives you one of your 10 buildable settlements, with pretty large borders, at least on the test one I did. By "gives you a settlement" I mean it lets you build one from scratch, nothing prefabs in or anything. Immediately noticed that most of the items inside your new settlement are NOT scrappable yet seemingly random bits of floatsam & jetsam are (this tricycle was, this broken rowboat or downed tree was not). The names are preset, you can pick from a list of 10 names provided. And yes, they are capable of accepting a supply line, so you can access all your building materials once you leave & get that connection made.

I think this is going to all end up being pretty overhyped. The selection of mods isn't bad (looks like around 900 right now, compared to 2800 or so listed with Nexus) but functionality varies with some between console & p.c.

They've dumbed it down fairly well for console gamers that have never seen mods before, just have to understand the load order glitches.

And, honestly, it's pretty f'n sad to me that the most popular mods on day one are one called "the cheat mod" (access to unlimited materials & ammo apparently) ... and a bigger boobs mod that applies to the female NPCs.

Keep it classy gamers.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So, uh, the new Contraptions DLC ...

Yesterday, I noticed in some trending Facebook comment someone say that many/most of their save files vanished after installing the DLC to XB1.

I decided to hold off on the DLC for a day or two, just to make sure (not that gung ho about it anyway).

Just talking to a friend about the DLC (as he bitched about how quickly you hit settlement cap while trying to build the new stuff), mentioned my quirky hesitation about it .. and he discovered that he no longer had any non-modded save files left. Every one of them seems to have gone *poof*.

Yet I'm finding nothing about this rather large bug when Googling. Anybody else seen this mentioned? Suffered it personally?

[RainMaker]

New DLC trailer

Fallout 4: Nuka-World Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIneiOpuS2M)

[Abe Sargent]

California Couple Inherits 50-Year-Old Secret Beneath Their New Home | (http://www.lifedaily.com/story/california-couple-inherits-50-year-old-secret-beneath-their-new-home/)

[Edward64]

Finally finished a playthrough aligned with the Institute (hey, he's my kid afterall). I've played it some before but never really seriously progressed thru the main plot.

I took my time and am at Level 44 with T60f armor. Did a little bit of Far Habor but not the Nuka DLC so I'll be exploring both more next.

I'm ready for the next Fallout or Skyrim. Both are great games and well worth the money.

I do wish they would make more big DLC's to tide us over. You would think they could put their "junior" team on the DLC's and still be pretty profitable.

[cartman]

I saw where some modders are going to try and recreate Fallout New Vegas with the Fallout 4 engine.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I saw where some modders are going to try and recreate Fallout New Vegas with the Fallout 4 engine.

My bet is that'll turn out to be vapor in the end. It's been bouncing around for quite a while now, I just don't get the feeling it'll end up with some playable.

[Edward64]

Well, done with Nuka and Far Harbor main quests. Nuka was more fun than Far Habor IMO. It was great when I finally shot it out with the 3 groups but do wish it was more intense and continuing (e.g remnants always attacking me). Setting off the nuke was cool in Far Harbor though.

I've got like 14 sets of powered armor now (with other pieces not attached to a frame yet, probably enough to make 6-8 more) with nothing to do with them other than have them looking pretty. Also have about 90K and not much to spend on.

At level 59 now, its boring, no more challenging quests that I've found. Wish the super mutants scale more/better in difficulty with the level increase.

I think I do prefer Skyrim over FO4. It seems there were more things to do and more expansive.

Waiting for the 2.0 update before playing Stellaris again and same for Civ. I may search for an earlier save and play as the Brotherhood of Steel.

[Maple Leafs]

I ended up starting a new character and played through the whole thing again. Wasn't expecting that, but the combination of there being so many quests, using a different faction, and my deteriorating memory wiping out half of what I'd already done made it fun a second time through.

I still maintain that siding with the Institute is the only morally good choice. Fight me.

[Groundhog]

I still maintain that siding with the Institute is the only morally good choice. Fight me.

I still haven't forgiven myself for making the wrong choice in New Vegas.

[Groundhog]

Not at all video game related, but me and some buddies play a tabletop skirmish wargame that is heavily influenced by Fallout called This is Not a Test. I built some terrain for it over the past couple of weeks, again heavily influence by something you might find in Fallout. It's in 28/32mm scale, or HO scale if you are into trains:

https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26904234_10156152942408384_3476880218211340413_n.jpg?oh=4c55e0fbd3a25e50a616ee06997fdbfd&oe=5AF9EA08

[thesloppy]

Not at all video game related, but me and some buddies play a tabletop skirmish wargame that is heavily influenced by Fallout called This is Not a Test. I built some terrain for it over the past couple of weeks, again heavily influence by something you might find in Fallout. It's in 28/32mm scale, or HO scale if you are into trains:

That's super cool.

[Edward64]

I finished FO4 a while ago but just only played New Vegas past couple months.

Last week, I got to level 34, killed off Caesar, sided with House (I did kill House to see what would happen and reloaded), and decided not to nuke anyone at the end of Lonesome Road.

I got the perk where I can see all the unexplored places so lots more to do and explore but think I'll stop for now.

Enjoyed it and FO4. Now that I've played both and can compare, I really didn't see a big jump from NV to FO4. It was more of the same really.

Having played Stellaris & CK2, I like Paradox's business model better where they build a base game and they continue to update and add DLC's to it. I don't get why Bethesda can't scale up and continue to pump out DLC's for proven successes (e.g. FO and ES series) while their A team works on the next big project.

[Edward64]

Going to start FO4 with a bunch of mods.

Besides Sim Settlements, any mods that you really enjoyed?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Going to start FO4 with a bunch of mods.

Besides Sim Settlements, any mods that you really enjoyed?

I can't remember everything I've got loaded the last time I went around with it but Everyone's Best Friend (allows Dogmeat and a companion) feels pretty reasonable to me in terms of just playing the game (though it does make for easier scavving/packmuling). Works on XB1 and PC