Fallout New Vegas: Weapons/Character Build Talk.

[Somberlain]

Just ditched Boon and sent him to Lucky 38 to rest. Was kinda tired of his ''OOOOH MY'' thing. Recruited Cass to see what she's good for. By the wiki, she seem to be carbon copy of Boon with better perks. Especially after doing that mission of hers. Too bad Cass doesn't give the ''shotgun surgeon'' to protag too. That would make her world beater.

Combat wise, I think Boone is better. His personal weapon (infinite ammunition) is a Hunting Rifle and he seems to score a lot more headshots than other companions. Cass has the awesome Whiskey Rose perk but you need to give her a good weapon (and ammunition, obviously) to make her useful in combat. Her personal weapon, Caravan Shotgun, sucks. She also gets mad if you have bad karma, and leaves after a few warnings.

Also checked Raul to see why everyone pisses pants abut him. For the current build it seems that only useful perk is his science skill, because i'm master repairman myself and don't need the slower degradation perk. How does it work anyway? Does he hack into computers if i need it and am too bad for it myself (have 55 in science)?

His science doesn't affect anything, companions can't hack, pick locks or anything like that. Raul's perk makes your equipment degrade slower, even more so if you complete his personal quest in a certain way. If you complete it the other way, Raul get's a badass costume and better fire rate with cowboy weaponry.

Also - what's the point of letters in casinos and Forlorn hope troopers? Do i get something for collecting them all?

AFAIK, they have no gameplay purpose.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Companions won't do anything for you but I think Raul reaches perfection if you make him a vaquero.

Then what's the point of his science skill anyway?
And as i said, i don't need help with weapon maintenance.

Rex indeed seems not that good in comparison to ED-E. But since ED-E and Veronica do the same thing then it's up to you how to build your team.

Ok, then i will only complete his quest and give him back to Elvis guy or whatever is the way to ditch him (don't think he would find way to Lucky 38 by himself).

Combat wise, I think Boone is better. His personal weapon (infinite ammunition) is a Hunting Rifle and he seems to score a lot more headshots than other companions.

Yeah, he almost makes it boring, because a lot of time he shoots everything before i even reach for my wep.

Cass has the awesome Whiskey Rose perk but you need to give her a good weapon (and ammunition, obviously) to make her useful in combat. Her personal weapon, Caravan Shotgun, sucks.

That's weird. I put in her inventory several guns and she never equipped them. Even Brush gun. Does she only accept shotguns?

She also gets mad if you have bad karma, and leaves after a few warnings.

How do i even know my Karma points. I have been saint, then i went on stealing spree and went into ''evil'' for some time. The i shot some feral ghouls and powder gangers + completed quest and am saint again. Game doesn't show the karma in any meaningful way besides the pretty pictures and titles.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Every 250 points your karma level changes, so unless you're trying to play as a neutral it's almost impossible to accidentally dip into the opposite alignment. Did you just steal every half eaten corncob you found?

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Karma_(Fallout:_New_Vegas)

• Very good: +750 to +1000.

• Good: +250 to +749.

• Neutral: -249 to +249.

• Evil: -749 to -250.

• Very evil: -1000 to -750.

Since you never get to see your Karmic value, you can use the console command player.getav Karma to get your current Karma points.

 

[Gnidrologist]

I steal only things that are of value to me. Like good amo, skillbooks/journals, weapons, armor, tools and scrap details. It's quite a bit even without stealing every beetroot on farmers ranch. Guess i was at one point exploring a lot and not doing any quests or killing monsters. Like in casinos and NCR and other bases. If every stolen item give -1 karma, it's pretty normal to suddenly go from very good to evil. Then i did a little bit of questing and shot bad people/monsters, who are considered evil by the game and am not simply ''very good'', but ''saint'' with Jesus Boy pic illustrating that. :D

 

[pippin]

^ And that is why Karma is an useless mechanic. But it has a large impact in the game, to the point of changing your endings. I still think it's a nuisance and faction reputation is more than enough.

 

[Somberlain]

That's weird. I put in her inventory several guns and she never equipped them. Even Brush gun. Does she only accept shotguns?

Did you remember to give her proper ammunition? Magical Companion Ammo works only for a companion's personal weapon, not even for weapons that have the same caliber. Cass should equip any weapon, depending on what has highest DPS for her.

 

[Gnidrologist]

^ And that is why Karma is an useless mechanic. But it has a large impact in the game, to the point of changing your endings. I still think it's a nuisance and faction reputation is more than enough.

Yeah, i got that much even before playing the game. Just telling my story.

Did you remember to give her proper ammunition? Magical Companion Ammo works only for a companion's personal weapon, not even for weapons that have the same caliber. Cass should equip any weapon, depending on what has highest DPS for her.

I gave her lever shotgun and according ammo and she equipped it. So guess it works in this way - give the gun and according ammo and they equip it if its damage output is better than the current one. Got it. But it didn't work that way with Boon. He stuck to his magical rifle strapped together with duct tape no matter what i gave to him. Or.. damn.. i don't really remember whether i gave him according ammo or not the time i was experimenting with this at the very start of my journey. Maybe i expected that if i give him sniper rifle, his personal ammo would fit it given he also uses the same sort of gun. Don't remember, really.

Anyway, happier now with Cass and her shotty just for the reason that i want to be the first recon sniper guys and she only needs to get involved, when enemies get close. Boon was basically stealing my glory.
Plus, her shotgun surgeon perk is awesome. If i make another build i will either go cowboy way or shotgun expert route.

For some reason i really don't like energy weapons in this game. They seem awkward and don't fit the setting at all. And their ugly mostly. Some people have said that they're superior to guns damage wise though. Any comments?

 

[pippin]

I liked the energy weapons' graphic designs in 3 and NV. They capture the campy 50s sci fi feeling quite well. Thing is, IIRC, you don't have as many options with energy weapons in comparison with "normal" weapons. Especially in terms of ammo. It seems energy weapons in 3/nv had to be redesigned to fit the open world gameplay; let's remember how you could get one shot kills in older Fallouts with those.

 

[Gnidrologist]

I wasn't actually a fan of energy weapons in any of fallout games. I get the campy thing, but using them felt less satisfactory than real guns. Reducing someone into pile of ash is less fun than ripping their upper body with a burst of minigun or bozar. I only liked the gauss weapons, but i don't think they were considered energy weapons in original fallouts. Or did they?

Anyway, i just don't like the aesthetics of bot their look and how you dismantle enemies. Pew pew is boring. Seeing the high caliber round smashing someone's head is whole different thing.
Also they seem to be less diverse. Not much with scopes or other perks. Almost no iron sight.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Another note to self. The game is fucking huuuge. Both in scope and quantity. It seems i've been in Mojave desert for half a year and still mostly going around southern/mid parts, never even entered Legion grounds and almost completely avoided North and i still find places, people and things around the starting point. Goddamn.
I thought Morrowind or Gothic NoTR were huge. Really not sure if it's the same artificial effect that you had with Gothic, where the relief of landscape, long serpentine and such made you feel like you're in a large world or is it really so abundant and vast. Fuck, i don't feel i've explored even 1/3 of the game yet.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Btw, anyone knows of a good inventory mod? Because default is the suckiest one i've ever seen. Most important thing would be more tabs and sub tabs for specific types of items. I understand that good ol' tetris type inventory is impossible by engine conventions, but at least something that makes browsing for the needed item more quick. Scrolling through never ending list, where you cant even type an alphabet letter for shortcut, is tiring.

 

[Drax]

Project Nevada has a renaming function that adds subtype prefixes for stuff in aid and misc sections.

 

[laclongquan]

Regarding companions' weapons:

They seems to NOT recognize customized ammo, IIRC. So only use normal stuffs that get sold. Also, they dont drop case or spent energy case, so take that into account (ie dont give them weapons with rare ammo).

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Raul with a lever action as a vaquero is AMAZING. Give him Medicine Stick and you're golden.

 

[Somberlain]

Also, Raul's maintenance perk becomes extra useful if you mainly use cowboy weapons, since .45-70 Gov't hand load ammunition, while being awesome, also makes your weapons degrade three times(!) as fast as normal ammo.

 

[Somberlain]

As someone mentioned you can get a boatload from the NCR quartermaster, but it's a one time deal and you have to advance certain questlines for that, which I didn't want to do.

If you have 50 speech and a positive reputation with NCR, he will trade with you at any point of the game and as often as you like.

 

[Alfons]

Builds would depend on difficulty and whether it's hardcore or not, not a 100% on the latter. Making builds for this game is a fucking pain in the ass, all thanks to one of the stupidest and most counterintuitive damage formulas ever devised.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Yeah, i never got whether i actually need ''guns'' skill for them to be effective out of Vats. Or whether it's the another way around and it only affects damage.

Anyway, have anyone had problems with the railway quest in McCarren? The Curtis dude whom i'm supposed to eavesdrop on, never talks to the ratio when i sneak in the tower after he enters. I read on some forum that this is because you can't tell him that you're investigating the late night break ins before spying on him in the tower, so he will never speak and the quest is failed by fact. If true, that's one of the rare badly designed quests i've came up in the game. It's absolutely counter intuitive that given that the Sue, or whatever his name was, asks you exactly to do that - speak to people about it and try to pull connect the dots. How is player supposed to know whom not to speak to to ovoid failure without prior knowledge or walkthrough?

Btw, are there any merchants with a lot of cash, who buy things for good prices like the doctor Asunagi or Khan armorer chick? Gunrunners are gooddamn





(offtopic: just took a peak at Deus Ex:HR for the first time - getting shot in the face at the very start seem to be new staple for arpeegees these days, like amnesia in former times)

 

[Somberlain]

Yeah, i never got whether i actually need ''guns'' skill for them to be effective out of Vats. Or whether it's the another way around and it only affects damage.

Weapon skill does affect damage. Also, not meeting weapon's skill requirements (shown in inventory) increases sway with ranged weapons and makes melee weapons swing slower.

Anyway, have anyone had problems with the railway quest in McCarren? The Curtis dude whom i'm supposed to eavesdrop on, never talks to the ratio when i sneak in the tower after he enters. I read on some forum that this is because you can't tell him that you're investigating the late night break ins before spying on him in the tower, so he will never speak and the quest is failed by fact. If true, that's one of the rare badly designed quests i've came up in the game. It's absolutely counter intuitive that given that the Sue, or whatever his name was, asks you exactly to do that - speak to people about it and try to pull connect the dots. How is player supposed to know whom not to speak to to ovoid failure without prior knowledge or walkthrough?

Sounds like some other kind of problem. I've finished the game, and this quest, many times and I think I've always spoken to Curtis at the start of the investigation, and I've never had that problem.

Btw, are there any merchants with a lot of cash, who buy things for good prices like the doctor Asunagi or Khan armorer chick? Gunrunners are gooddamn

There are a few merchants who give you better prices for certain actions. For example, Usanagi if you have a positive reputation with the Followers, or Chet if you help the Powder Gangers take over Goodsprings. Can't remember anyone else.

 

[pippin]

I think there was one point in which you're told there were people infiltrating on the radio tower. But yeah, it's kinda easy to fail the quest if you're not given any sort of hint about Curtis.

 

[Gnidrologist]

I don't know what do you mean by that. I did everything by the book. Asked around, learned about strange sightings in the tower at 1PM, waited for someone to appear there at that time and indeed someone did. Curtis walks into tower, i follow him in. If i stay low he just stands in front of radio forever and does nothing. If i reveal myself, he turns hostile and can only be killed. This makes the quest fail, at least as far as saving monorail. The Sue guy still gives some caps and little experience though, but the train is gone.
People who said about not talking to Curtis before spying him only assumed that. Game never tells that and there is nothing about this in Fallout wiki walkthrough. It must be bug. If the former is true, Obsidian have been really retarded with this quest.

Another bugged quest i stumbled on today is the Coyotes something, where you have to confront slavers. Nore Saint James or McDermot ever appears in my game. Also there are no evidences in their room. Maybe it's because i've been in Westside before and already picked their doors prior getting the quest from Parker, but they were neither in their rooms or anywhere outside either.

Oh well, it wouldn't be proper fallout without bugs.

Oh yeah, another thing. There is no dialogue with Parker about Keith after i discover his cheating technique (used speech check).

EDIT: solved the Coyotes issue. Appears that Saint James always stands leaning against the wall of the building on the right hands side from the motel and he kinda blends with the wall so i never saw him earlier. Evidences only spawn, when i confront him.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Not exactly on topic, but i didn't want to raise any more ancient thread.

What it is exactly that makes some of you see anything redeemable in Legion? Just visited ceaser's camp for the first time and it showed that they are exactly what everyone else says about them. Fanatical, psychopathic halfwits in funny dresses lead by delusion pseudo intellectual. Worst than totalitarian scum of the 20th century in about every aspect. ''Hegelian dialectics'' lolz...

 

[Lhynn]

Not exactly on topic, but i didn't want to raise any more ancient thread.

What it is exactly that makes some of you see anything redeemable in Legion? Just visited ceaser's camp for the first time and it showed that they are exactly what everyone else says about them. Fanatical, psychopathic halfwits in funny dresses lead by delusion pseudo intellectual. Worst than totalitarian scum of the 20th century in about every aspect. ''Hegelian dialectics'' lolz...

Well, for one their methods actually work. Remember that the wasteland is a piece of shit place to live in, the legion aims to bring order and security and has been successful so far. When you compare them to the NCR, thats corrupt, incompetent and declining, they are at the very least a valid alternative.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

They aren't the NCR.
Otherwise there's no reason to consider them when House exists.

 

[pippin]

When it comes to territory, The Legion is one of the biggest factions, along with the NCR and the Midwestern BoS (which is bigger than any other chapter, actually).
They also are very strict when it comes to defending their territories. As many travelers and merchants say, they know the Legion are supposed to be the bad guys, but they keep the roads safe, which is something the NCR can't/won't do.
Judging by their infiltration methods, they are also pretty good at tactics and training. Remember the NCR barely won the first battle for the Hoover Dam.
In general, their "basic" technology seems to do them favors more than anything, since the BoS won't do shit about anything and the NCR has to waste time, resources and manpower to get things to work again.