Fallout IX: Nuclear Cash Cows Go MMOoooooo!

[veti]

I think there's quite a gap between the classical stories of cannibalism among the great, and the inadvertent, unknowing mass-cannibalism of Sweeney Todd.

It's the difference between a personal act of revenge against an enemy, and a general act of callousness that would catch potentially thousands of quite innocent people for no particular reason at all.

[Vinyadan]

About temporal placements: the Boomers. Given that they also are a parody (although nowhere near as shameless as the FO2 Hubologists), it's weird to encounter them now and know that they aren't a derivative of the "OK Boomer" meme.

[Balmas]

Sixty plugins through my rebuild of the mod folder for the Gabriel playthrough. Currently sitting at 60 plugins out of 120, but we're not quite halfway, as more than a few of those plugins in the latter half consist of merged plugins.

[LibraryOgre]

I have started Fallout 4. For reasons that are obscure, even to me, I am avoiding looking things up, for now.

[The_Jackal]

I have started Fallout 4. For reasons that are obscure, even to me, I am avoiding looking things up, for now.

I heartily recommend that approach. Are you playing in Survival Mode? It comes with some tedium, but on balance I feel that the added constraints do improve the sense of threat in the game.

[LibraryOgre]

I heartily recommend that approach. Are you playing in Survival Mode? It comes with some tedium, but on balance I feel that the added constraints do improve the sense of threat in the game.

I am not. I'm already struggling with the controls, partially because I just came out of Mass Effect: Andromeda and have to unlearn their scheme, but also because someone thought "Yeah, it's convenient to reach across a keyboard and press enter all the time."

[factotum]

I don't remember having to reach across for the Enter key all the time when playing Fallout 4? IIRC, E does the same job even if it doesn't explicitly say so.

[Rynjin]

I have started Fallout 4. For reasons that are obscure, even to me, I am avoiding looking things up, for now.

For the best, really. Fallout 4 is actually pretty good...on a first playthrough.

All of my problems with it come when trying to replay it.

[The_Jackal]

I am not. I'm already struggling with the controls, partially because I just came out of Mass Effect: Andromeda and have to unlearn their scheme, but also because someone thought "Yeah, it's convenient to reach across a keyboard and press enter all the time."

If I recall correctly, you can use 'e' for anything you'd use enter for. It will definitely save you some arm-fatigue.

I don't remember having to reach across for the Enter key all the time when playing Fallout 4? IIRC, E does the same job even if it doesn't explicitly say so.

Yes, see, I'm not just some crazy person, I'm the Jackal.

You can always shift gears to survival once you get more comfortable and are looking for a greater challenge/immersion, which, again, I think makes the game pop a lot more than it otherwise might. YMMV.

[LibraryOgre]

I don't remember having to reach across for the Enter key all the time when playing Fallout 4? IIRC, E does the same job even if it doesn't explicitly say so.

If I recall correctly, you can use 'e' for anything you'd use enter for. It will definitely save you some arm-fatigue.

You can and it did, thanks. Now, while I've got some other things to unlearn, my problem is long load screens.

[The_Jackal]

You can and it did, thanks. Now, while I've got some other things to unlearn, my problem is long load screens.

Yeah, sadly I can't help you with that one. That would require Bethsoft to drop Gamebryo for IdTech 6 or some other modern engine with supports object and texture streaming.

[Triaxx]

You think that's bad? When I first got the game I was on a 4:3 aspect screen, and so I had to mod the game to be able to see the Power Armor UI, or the lockpicking UI.

[LibraryOgre]

Man, I just am having trouble getting into this game. I don't hate it, and it's not like DAO where I was hating the mechanics, but I am just not devoted to any part of the game.

[factotum]

Man, I just am having trouble getting into this game. I don't hate it, and it's not like DAO where I was hating the mechanics, but I am just not devoted to any part of the game.

Welcome to the Fallout 4 experience. The game is mechanically fun enough, it just doesn't have much in the way of soul. What you might want to do (assuming you have the DLC) is head off to do Far Harbor and Nuka-World as early as you can, because those offer some much needed variety--and Far Harbor even has some decisions that actually have consequences. Imagine that!

[Triaxx]

Yeah, Fah Habah is amazing. Writing on par with New Vegas. It shows what you can do when you're not busy screwing around with the engine.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Given the server issues I think the usual rules for necromancy will be waived? Or maybe my math is off.

Anyway, the game that I cannot stop playing, Fallout New Vegas. I may take breaks here and there, but I always come back.

Currently running an explosives user ("Megumin", heh). Pure explosives seems infeasible to me; any time the enemies get too close you just lose. But I wanted primary ranged attacks to be explosives, so I run unarmed as backup and things seem to be going fine. Explosive weapon ammo is hella expensive, so I'm not going to waste them on rats, and definitely not going to lob grenades in Freeside. About Level 15 right now, and I just about have critical mass for ammo, meaning I no longer need to be stingy. Early levels you're just happy to find one missile in a random box.

The other problem with explosives is the tendency to throw loose items and bodies all over the place. I legit lost the Star Caps from Bonnie Springs because I shelled the enemies from behind the houses.

Pretty excited to pick up the Fat Man this time. In all my previous playthroughs it was more like a cool thing that I kept in my weapons locker, or even didn't bother to pick up.

[Triaxx]

I know others have had issues, but it's one of the reasons I like the Craft Master mod (with it's super weird install mechanism), and the fact that it gives every weapon explosive, and also high explosive ammo. Explosive tends to be quite small, but still visibly explosive, HE is a bit bigger, but also armor piercing.

And for the regular booms, like 40mm Grenades, Plasma, Nuclear, and most entertainingly, Cluster grenades. Also the hilariously overpowered Flechette rounds. One shotting the legendary Deathclaw? Don't mind if I do.

But yeah, explosives are, pardon the pun, a blast. I got quite good at timing dynamite.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

After giving Annabelle a try, I wonder if using VATS affects the flight path of the missile. Logically aiming for the legs will send the missile low (possibly allowing a floor impact if I miss) while aiming for the head sends it high. But there are a lot of other variables so it’s hard to tell by eyeballing it.

[Balmas]

In other news, the New Vegas let's play is still going strong.

Spoiler: Episode 28

Show

Really, who could have foreseen that giving a companion everything they want would end poorly?

[Haruspex_Pariah]

So...Red Glare. It's not a weapon I usually use. In most playthroughs I just use weapon repair kits to bring it up to full condition and sell it for mega profits.

But when playing with arbitrary restrictions, it's actually kind of useful. The grenade-based weapons all have ballistic trajectories, and the bigger missiles are a bit too valuable to use on single weak targets. But if you want a long range (as long as the draw distance permits), AOE, rapid-firing attack for clearing out rats and powder gangers the Red Glare has it covered.

The grenade lobbers are better suited for medium-range fights. With lobbers you're always aiming for the floor, so you don't have to worry about the projectile flying past. If you and the target are on the exact same level with no inclination and no terrain features, direct-fire missiles are a lot harder to use.

Also, the MATN trick of remembering where enemies spawn and planting mines there is super fun when it works.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

So...Red Glare. It's not a weapon I usually use. In most playthroughs I just use weapon repair kits to bring it up to full condition and sell it for mega profits.

But when playing with arbitrary restrictions, it's actually kind of useful. The grenade-based weapons all have ballistic trajectories, and the bigger missiles are a bit too valuable to use on single weak targets. But if you want a long range (as long as the draw distance permits), AOE, rapid-firing attack for clearing out rats and powder gangers the Red Glare has it covered.

The grenade lobbers are better suited for medium-range fights. With lobbers you're always aiming for the floor, so you don't have to worry about the projectile flying past. If you and the target are on the exact same level with no inclination and no terrain features, direct-fire missiles are a lot harder to use.

Also, the MATN trick of remembering where enemies spawn and planting mines there is super fun when it works.

Walking down the road from Goodsprings, prior to the Powder Gangers invading...

"Whoops, clumsy me. I seem to have dropped a mine. Gee, I sure hope no random invader will step on it. Whoops, dropped another one, clumsy me..."

Later...

"Okay, the Powder Gangers are on their..." BOOM, BOOM, BOOM "Uhh... nevermind, I think the problem has just solved itself."

[Triaxx]

And those are just vanilla shenanigans.

One of my mods has a mine deploying option for grenade launchers, and also remote detonatable rounds.

[Brookshw]

I hadn't been paying any attention to F76 updates, and, frankly, has lost interest in the game around level 30. Then, today, I noticed that the next expansion is supposed to bring in NPC, quests, and all the stuff that we normally would have expected from any RPG Fallout. Okay, my interest is peaked. Anyone have any thoughts/info about this forthcoming Wastelanders update?

[factotum]

Okay, my interest is peaked. Anyone have any thoughts/info about this forthcoming Wastelanders update?

Too little, too late--I lost interest in Fallout 76 on seeing the reviews when it came out, and I think upgrading it to the bare minimum you'd expect from an RPG isn't enough; they need to make it something special to draw people back in.

[LibraryOgre]

Who uses a FatMan in close combat? Like, I am stabbing you with a knife and you are shooting a Fat Man at me?

[Wookieetank]

Who uses a FatMan in close combat? Like, I am stabbing you with a knife and you are shooting a Fat Man at me?

Seemed like a good idea at the time?

[Rodin]

Who uses a FatMan in close combat? Like, I am stabbing you with a knife and you are shooting a Fat Man at me?

If you don't know the answer to that you are clearly neither shiny nor chrome.

[LibraryOgre]

Also, last night, I was slowly trudging up from Walden towards the Sunshine Tidings Co-op (which tends to be my base of operations). As I slowly work my way up the hill, I see a deathclaw running south. It just keeps running, paying no attention to me (I was not sneaking in the least... I'm already going too slow being encumbered). It was the oddest thing... When I got a little higher and looked after it with my scoped weapon, it was gone.

[DigoDragon]

Also, last night, I was slowly trudging up from Walden towards the Sunshine Tidings Co-op (which tends to be my base of operations). As I slowly work my way up the hill, I see a deathclaw running south. It just keeps running, paying no attention to me (I was not sneaking in the least... I'm already going too slow being encumbered). It was the oddest thing... When I got a little higher and looked after it with my scoped weapon, it was gone.

I'm picturing a deathclaw with a can opener running down someone in power armor.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Even after all these years, the Fallout games can still surprise.

I returned to Neil's Shack to take the shortcut to the NCR safehouse, and when I reached the boulder/bear trap path I saw Tabitha and Rhonda coming down. Just for fun I ran up to meet them, then quickly ran back down. Sure enough the massive boulder started rolling down and actually hit them (I could see Tabitha's health bar). Thankfully they had enough hit points to tank the damage, but I thought it was pretty funny.

For some reason after you finish Crazy, Crazy, Crazy the peaceful way, Tabitha and Rhonda take their sweet time coming down the mountain. This isn't the first time I've returned to Black Mountain after a long absence to see them still there.