Fallout (1,2,3, and New Vegas)

The first skills I usually max out are Speech, Repair & Lockpick. Its insane how much you can miss out on if you don't have these early
 
Where I put skills/stats really depends on the game.

FO2
PE determines many things such as ranged damage modifers, sequence, and initial distance during random encounters; minimum of 6 is good enough for Better Criticals perk, though it can go a little higher for a gun-toting character. IN governs skill points and opens dialogue options; playing as a retard (IN<4 if I recall correctly) blocks many quests opportunities. AG should be maxed so you can take advantage of every turn in battle. For every 2 levels of CH, an additional companion can be added to your party; something that is very helpful when you are carrying extra items or need help against overwhelming numbers.

Repair seems negligible when weapons and armor don't deteriorate like FO3 and FO:NV; recruiting Vic can cover situations that require it. Any weapon skills you specialize in can have benefits when raised past 100%. Steal doesn't seem to be as useful since moving behind an NPC can make up for it.


FO3
In terms of SPECIAL, I put CH down to 1 since the stat doesn't modify anything outside of initial Speech and Barter skill, which can be raised through spending points whenever leveled up. IN is good to have since it can help you raise skills in more areas and get perks that have certain skill requirements early on. PE is not as useful as the other games before it, it's best kept at 4 and raised to 6 via Perception bobblehead and Ant Perception perk to acquire the Better Criticals perk. I like EN to be at least 5 to acquire Toughness perk. Everything else depends on the weapon(s) I'm planning to use the most.

When it comes to combat skills, I only invest one type...though with a combination of high in INT, educated perk, and skill books, it's possible to max out a second one. Explosives can be fun, but I find it the most difficult to use effectively on its own. For non-combat skills, Lockpick and Science are the most preferred. Speech is left alone until the non-combat other skills are maxed up.

FO:NV
I follow a similar set up to FO3, with more things to consider. ST is now a requirement for certain weapons (just like the classic games), and they are adjusted according to weapon I want to use towards the end of the game. A high enough PE can open some dialogue options. A LK of 7 minimum is required to put gambling in your favor. INT is still useful, but not strong as it was in FO3. CH holds more weight this time around since it can make followers stronger, but I just keep it at 1 since I mainly use them as pack mules than protection.

In NV, Barter has uses in speech checks as well as trading, so there is a greater incentive to raise it up. Speech checks need to be raised since they are now based on passing a minimum Speech skill rather than percentages.
 
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I like your plan for 3. Really thought out.



For my Special in NV (can't remember what I did with it in 3)

I never lower anything below a 4. Maybe I should start doing that. I always make sure my Strength & Luck are higher above all others. No other feeling is worse than having to drop great equipment in order to get more. And I don't like followers in NV. Luck is bullshit in NV, even though I get critical hits like no ones business, out of the 90+ hours I've played I've seen the Mysterious Stranger about 6 times (probably because I use Vats about 60% less than in 3 because the combat was improved).
 
For weapons that have higher critical multipliers, like laser rifles, having higher LUCK will work in your favor. The most powerful melee weapons depend more on raw damage than critical hits, so having higher luck won't do you much good in a melee build combat-wise.

High Strength is good for a melee build since it provides bonus to melee damage. Power armor and implants can help increase the stats so you don't have to set it at 10. For all other weapon builds, it depends on what weapons I plan on using in the long run. Among the energy weapons, I like the Gauss rifle, so I need a 6 in strength by the time I get my hands on one.

VATS is significantly weaker in New Vegas than it is in FO3, with less in the way of damage reduction and critical chances. Nevertheless it's still useful for closing in on enemies for melee/unarmed fighters and having grenades detonate at the right moment.
 
I usually never plan out my skill points in the very beginning. I just find a weapon I really like and add the appropriate points and perks towards it's class. Didn't start investing in melee until I found Knock Knock (the silver fire axe).
 
I tend to put a lot of points into luck and intelligence. I get my lockpicking and science up, as well as speech later. For combat, stealth, small guns, repair, and melee later in the game. My characters a ninja who kills everything with headshots from the perforator and backstabs from Jingwei's shocksword. For perks I tend to focus on stealth and damage related perks (especially ones that buff criticals) along with the mandatory educated type perks.
 
If Dogmeat had more puppies, I'd be able to have one as a follower in the Mojave instead of Junkyard Scrappy
 
I never took followers with me. They kind of screw with my whole "never know I'm there until your dead" playstyle.
 
I always had followers with me, just for their conversations and their random observations. I love me some Cass :love:
 
I always had followers with me, just for their conversations and their random observations. I love me some Cass :love:

I stopped using when star paladin whatever her name is alerted an entire Enclave outpost to my position. I'm an assassin. I don't hold up well under large quantities of laser fire.
 
I stopped using when star paladin whatever her name is alerted an entire Enclave outpost to my position. I'm an assassin. I don't hold up well under large quantities of laser fire.

Yeah, companions don't really work out too well w/ a stealth playthrough haha.

That's like my only minor gripe about Fallout 3/NV; sometimes the AI does some pretty questionable things, like running off cliffs to chase enemies or shooting someone by accident b/c they were trying to shoot something else. But it's nothing big, b/c it can be avoided by simply not bringing them, plus it didn't happen that much to me lol. It just irked me when it did.
 
The companion AI in FO2 is kind of wonky too. They can get in your way at times and even wander off when you want them to stick around to help you out in a fight. They can be a liability when using burst weapons, being just as dangerous to your party as well the enemies. They don't seem to interfere with stealth though; they are practically invisible to other NPCs until combat is initiated. I wish party members could be controlled during battle, given its turn-based structure.
 
Fallout 3, the main plotline was pretty much a good path. You set out on a mission to bring pure water to the Capital Wasteland.

Fallout NV, the plotline was more neutral. You are all about finding out who killed you and where to find him.

Now you can be evil in 3 and NV, its an option. So I'm wondering if Fallout 4 will have an evil path with a good option.


Like you were born into a Raider tribe. A struggling one that sends you out to ravage other settlements to help your family. So the underlining story is about morals vs pride and loyalty.
 
All games in the Fallout series (maybe except the spinoff games) have a good and evil path, although the paths can be imbalanced as far as consequences and rewards are concerned.

Spoiler:
In Fallout 3 you can contaminate the water, effectively screwing over anybody not raised in the vaults.
However, it is awkward that you are forced to help James to make any progress, regardless of if you want to help the populace or not.
 
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So what's the hardest enemy you guys ever fought in Fallout? mine has to be The Master, two gatling lasers :afraid:

Probably the Legendary Deathclaw from Fallout New Vegas. Piece of shit had tons of health and would kill you in one hit no matter what armor you had on. :mad:

Actually the Legendary Bloatfly was even harder I think, he was in this secret cave in the Old World Blues DLC. As soon as you saw it the damn thing would gooify you in a matter of seconds.
 
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