About your questions.

Scrap metal - several guys (including one in megaton) will give you cash/goods in exchange for scrap metal.

Pretty sure deteriorated weapons just disappear once they hit zero quality, but I can't remember for certain.

Food is normally basically crap - especially when compared to benefit/weight (although certain food/aid items are in high demand from certain folks that you come across) - I would save from the very beginning of the game for future quest use. This is actually more of a question than anything else - did anyone actually get that food purifier thing to work? I never saw a rad decrease in anything
I carried for the entire time it was in my inventory.

The level cap isn't really a big deal considering that the game ends once you complete the final story quest (course I'm at lvl 16 now and I've been holding off on the main story for the moment while I work on other ones).

BTW, for folks wanting storage capacity when you don't have a house, I can safely say that sticking everything in a locker - really anywhere on the map will keep it secure. Actually, as far as I can tell, there's no actual refresh on anything in the environment - corpses are still there days later with whatever loot I didn't want, etc - technically you could probably leave a stack of junk on the ground anywhere and it would be there later - but I haven't wanted to chance it.

Also, if a random item looks kinda weird or useful, pick it up for later - there's a lot of different things that look like something completely useless but are actually used in recipes/schematics. I would recommend trying to keep at least one of everything stocked up somewhere.

I noticed food items gave me more health with it in my inventory. RADS didn't change on them though.

Didn't see any change in rads or hp value at all on mine - not sure if it was a bug or not.

Specifically, things like Pork n Beans went from

+2 RAD +5 Health
to
+2 RAD +6 Health.

Not much, but it all adds up I suppose.
Maybe the effect is variable depending on your attributes?

I'm at Level 7 and have spend 25 hours playing the game. Right now I only have 2 open quests. The main one and the one where you have to go to Germantown (kinda excited since I used to live there :D).

No kidding? I grew up in Gaithersburg and Damascus! I'm going to have to spend some time exploring the old stomping grounds. Looking at the world map, it doesn't seem like it would extend that far north. Then again, I think I stumbled into Olney at one point, so I guess it goes further north than I think it would.

"Old Olney" has a few quests and interesting items associated with it, but you'd better be packing if you expect to survive.

On a different note, I still haven't come across any potential "party" members. That is to say, I suppose I did partner up with an NPC for "Stealing Independence" or whatever it was called - with the potential for future partnership options, but nothing long-term/permanent like in the first 2 games.

You can get a follower in Megaton with the right karma.

I am thinking about starting over. I have probably have 5-6 hours in, but could probably get back even in like 2 hours.



I don't know if any of those are really reason to restart. Some stuff I lost by repairing standard items with rare ones. Overall I likemy character, but think i am missing some stuff.

I would say none of those are reason to restart, but now that you've experienced a little of the game and know what kind of play style you have, there's nothing wrong with making a new character that fits in better with how you want to play the game.

I figure nothing was huge. Plus my first 2 perks were that ones that give +10% and +20% experience, which now I find out there is a level cap, so they really don't seem beneficial anymore.

Plus wanted the silencer to work with my sneaking/sniping type character.

I think I have about 28 hours in last I checked, approaching level 13, but have only completed 10 or 11 quests. Working on the reasearch for Moira at Rivet City, then I think I may go find my dad (have a location from him from Dr. Li), then I'm gonna ignore the plot for awhile and spend some more time exploring the map. I'll probably be maxed at 20 before I am even halfway done but there are still the bobbleheads to find (I've only found 3 of them so far)... I saw a list and except for one there all in areas I've never even located yet!

This game is fun but sort of eerie for those of us actually living in DC. I drove by the monument yesterday and got chills thinking of Fallout 3. :-)

i got the +30% experience perk and regret it now.
I'm at lvl 14 and about 1/2 way to the main quest.
I would get this only if you are planning to avoid most of the side quests.

Does each gun have a different range? I did not see it in the stats of each gun. I am planning to switch to the mini-gun from assault rifle, but don't know if i would loose out by having less range.

That's what I did. I have more of a plan with my new character. Focusing on repair and small weapons. I was just kind of randomly assigning skill points on my first character.

How hard is it to get the house? I really need a place to stash stuff. I'm constantly getting overencumbered.

I accidentally killed Dogmeat last night. Bummer.

Getting the house isn't hard at all. I do kind of wish that the quest which gives it to you was presented as such, though. My first start through the game I didn't get the house for ages because I didn't know which quest would give it to me.

Yup, I got the house with my 1st character in less than 5 hours, the first 2-3 just exploring.

I think I will do that the same way again. I don't necessarily WANT to be evil, but I don't want to have to worry about being good either.

I will try to tread the thin middle ground.

BTW, I essentially caught up with my 5 hour game in about 1 hour last night. A lot less random exploring, but when I do explore those same areas, it will be more productive.

This time instead of experience, I went with the Gun Nut perks instead of the experience perk.

Some things I read recommend Intense Training for the first 2 perks, others say Intense is a waste. I figure if I stick will small guns this would be helpful to have, and I am constantly repairing stuff to minimize my weight load.

alright... very important question :)

I want to get the strategy guide... is it REALLY worth it to track down the hardcover version? I can't find the hardcover one locally, but I may be able to get it from amazon.ca (not in stock... but says it may ship within 13 days).

so... is it worth it?

Level 18 now, working on the main quest and the Quantum nuka-cola quest still. I technically have 30 colas, since I already gave the girl 6 at the start, but I'm trying for 30 to give to the other guy.

Now that I've done GNR, I still have no idea what's up with the BoS or how I can hang with them.

I've come across a stack of power armor in the course of the game, including at least one from a quest reward, but I can't figure out where to get training for it - if not the BoS.

A couple more notes too - today I came across the only NPC to make it into all 3 games - very cool.

Also, highly recommend checking out the BethesdaSoft Offices - well worth the effort to clear them out.

From what i gathered, the only difference is the cover, and some extra pages, which are behind the scenes or something.

I have the normal, and it is nearly 500 pages and a TON of information.

the guide says:

Just had an awesome bug happen where my companion is blocking me from leaving the upstairs part of my house. I can't do anything except kill him or reload a save from about 40 minutes earlier. Lame!

What if you save, the reload that one? Maybe he will have moved?

Has anybody been in Springdale Elementary?

There should have been an autosave from entering the house - or is that the one from 40 minutes earlier?

Guess I got a few more points to hit on the main quest first - wasn't sure how long the actual main quest is - partway through lvl 19 now only just now on maybe the 4th portion of the main quest.

Just remember, when you are done with the main quest, you are done with the game.

apparently this isn't like Oblivion, where you can keep exploring after the main quest. i have done nothing so far (main) other than to to the bar in Megaton.

Sure, there was but that is gone since the first thing I did was run upstairs to sleep. Next thing I know, I turned around and he was just standing there in my way.

I am at 64 hours now. I have completed half of the main quests and a handful of the sidequests. I hit the level cap at 20, but I heard that they are raising it to 30 in a patch that is coming soon.

Thats cool, but are they bringing out DLC soon as well? 10 more levels seems like a lot of levels for what is left in the game. I felt 22-25 would have been enough. They did say on xbox that DLC would be here quicker then anyone would have thought.

For anyone who has finished the entire main quest in the game... can you tell me roughly how far I am?

SomethingMore - I'm pretty sure that's a sidequest.

Well, I'm at 50+ hrs, just hit lvl 20 (although 21 does show up on the end of the bar - for future use I guess ;p), and finally made it inside the citadel. (not sure how many "segments" of the main quest are after this one) - just want to make sure I don't prematurely finish, although I expect that the last portion will probably be somewhat self-evident.

Am now capable - with chems - of hitting a 100/VH lock or computer. Finally. Been keeping track of a few that I can go back and tackle now. I also picked up the lvl 20 perk explorer - so I have a few things to keep my eyes open for - although at least one of the bobbleheads is not at a marked map space. Currently at either 7 or 8 myself.

I did figure out who the guy was in Megaton for a party member, but just used the wrong dialog on him the first time. To be honest - here, unlike the first two games, I'm not really feeling the need to drag a couple other guys around, who will more than likely get in my way or die pretty early on. I survived Stealing Liberty with that one girl, but to be honest, it used up a lot of my stims keeping her alive - it's easier to just worry about myself for the moment. Guess it could get harder later.

BTW, those mini-nukes really don't have much splash damage - esp compared to a rocket.

it might also be fun to post your end-game stats - not skills, but folks killed, quests complete, karma, etc. Probably be done with my first game by the end of this week or the weekend.

Nope. ;)
It's shortly after the part that you're at.
Unless I managed to get onto a major sidequest... :(

It is a quest that does not have to be done to cont. the main quest, so in that sense it is sort of a side quest. There are other ways to get the main quest going, and you can take this quest outside the main quest anytime you want.

I cleared it out because it was listed as one of three locations listed as a possible stockpile of key items for a different quest - guess I'll revisit it sooner or later - don't expect much of a challenge from a bunch of corpses though ;p

Quick question - Do computers that you failed to hack reset themselves? The first few I had no idea what I was doing and I forgot to save before attempting to hack them.

I don't know if the PCs ever reboot, but the trick is to try 3 times, back out and try 3 more, then you don't get locked out.

My question is, each attempt to the PC, is it the same password? Sometimes is seems like I get 3 of 7, the next 1 of 7 for a similar word. :(

Question: Bloody Mess perk: Is it worth it? I am going shooter/sniper type, but a 5% increase in damage seems small. I mean if my gun had 100 damage, then this would make it 105. Not a huge leap. It there something else in the LVL 6 perks that would be better? I already have gun slinger.

I think Bloody Mess is a great perk. I love to use it with the Fisto and punch the enemies into Oblivion. You can literally knock arms and legs of with a good punch or two.

I think I'm at level 14 but I've completed next to nothing on the main quest. Really... I've just been walking all over trying to explore as much of the map as possible. I figured I'd throw in a few of my thoughts up to this point.

A few people mentioned they felt cheated by the perk for the mysterious stranger. I couldn't disagree more. I love the guy. Maybe it's b/c I like to use my rifles and I fight enemies from a further distance away, but I think I've seen him 13 or 14 times already and I've only had him for a few levels. So my vote is that the perk is well worth it. There's nothing better than getting into a fight where you're about to lose some serious HP and then he pops up in the middle of the fight to save your ass.

I too sometimes have a hard time finding the corpse after a fight. Especially when I stumble upon a group of enemies I wasn't expecting and most of the fight involves me running backwards and ducking/weaving while shooting at them. By the time the fights over it can be tough to figure out where you killed the first guy. But I do like that you only need to find a piece of the enemy to search their body and take everything they had. This really is a nice element that I think makes the game that much easier to enjoy. After all, sometimes I can only find an arm or a head after my battle with them.

Regarding the Bloody Mess Perk... I don't know if it's worth it, but it never seems to get old. Also, I think I read somewhere that at some point late in the game (maybe level 18 or 20) you can acquire a perk that lets you rehack locked computers.

Last night I sniped a guy with a hidden, critical headshot (no bloody mess) and pieces flew everywhere.

When I went up to check the gear, there was a landmine, so I quickly hit A, and it brought me into "search dead guy". Exicted that and had my legs blown off.

Looking at the mine as I lay there crippled, I see a hunk of meat on the mine, from the guy I shot! :lol: