[Adam]

Yes, I know I'm super late on this.

Just bought this a couple days ago, GOTY edition. Its pure genius, and this is coming from a hardcore fan of Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics. I don't know why some fanboys were so upset, so far this game has nailed down everything from the humor to the atmosphere of previous installments. My concept of time is completely ruined, thanks to Fallout 3.

Does anyone here have any general tips such as, are there some Perks just not worth investing in at all? Thanks.

Also, do any of you remember that one Fallout game they released for the first Xbox? LAFF.

[Jeffrey]

Originally Posted by Adam

Does anyone here have any general tips such as, are there some Perks just not worth investing in at all? Thanks.

Well, I recommend anything that benefits Speech. It's an easy way out of some thorny situations.

Of course, Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion are the two games I've really played in the past three years (along with Dead Rising). In immersive RPG's like these, I tend to stick to my real-life moral code. The friend who introduced me to both games tends to play villainous characters (apparently getting out his pent-up rage at the real-life world?). I tend to play ethically consistent peacemakers. I know, boring. I haven't played the assassin or thieves missions on Oblivion, because my character just isn't one to do those things (I also wouldn't have fun killing innocents).

Still, I recommend Speech-related choices because they get you out of dangerous situations and open up new options. I also chose Lady Killer because of the extra speech options with female characters. However, I wouldn't really recommend this perk to a male character who is combat-based. Besides allowing you to butter up some characters in conversation, it increases your hits against female opponents - of which there are relatively few save for some Raiders.

If you're playing a girl, however, Black Widow opens up conversation options with men AND increases damage on male characters (and there are maaaaaany of them running around).

I also recommend Science-based and Medicine-based skills. Being able to crack computers, understand technology, diagnose characters makes gameplay easier.

You should also definitely and consistently pick skills related to your preferred means of fighting. I don't like melee combat, so I avoid those perks. However, I have increased critical hits and proficiency with small guns, energy weapons, etc.

If you want caps, the perks Lawbringer and Contract Killer are good to pick when you get to the right level. This is a perk that benefits good players more, in my opinion.

If you the Lawbringer perk, evil characters have fingers in their inventory that you can present to a group called the Regulators and receive caps. Since you face evil characters all of the time (the game counts Raiders, Talon Mercs, Enclave soldiers, a number of quest-related NPC's, and even the Outcasts, I believe, as "evil"), you can rack up cash quickly (and fingers are weightless).

With Contract Killer, you can give ears from good characters to Daniel Littlehorn. The problem? There aren't as many good characters to easily kill. Sure, random Wastelanders, but if you attack caravan guards or merchants, or people in cities, other characters turn hostile or bartering options are limited. Fallout 3, in my opinion, makes it more beneficial to play a good character - a little unbalanced, to be honest.

Perks I'd greatly recommend include:

Fortune Finder or Scrounger. The first increases the odds of finding caps in random containers and the amount you find, while the latter increases the odds of finding ammo. Ammo is weightless and easily sold, so the latter is sort of like finding both.

Mysterious Stranger. I love this perk. A trenchcoated, pistol-packing fellow shows us in VATS at random times to finish up those who you don't manage to kill. He's saved my butt countless times, and will even appear in computer simulation quests. He only kills one person, usually. Sometimes foes around him will turn to shoot at him. Sometimes, if you're lucky, he turns on them as well in self-defense. Regardless, this distracts them, so when VATS mode ends you can react (especially because you'll be drained of AP usually).

Strong Back. This allows you to carry a lot of stuff. Coupled with a follower or two that can carry a good amount, and you can clean out an area.

Grim Reaper's Sprint. Get this. When you kill something in VATS, all of your AP is returned. Coupled with perks that increase your accuracy and damage, this can create situations where three or four Enclave soldiers are no problem. You kill one, then can reenter VATS and pummel another. And so forth.

Also, do any of you remember that one Fallout game they released for the first Xbox? LAFF.

Tactics or Brotherhood of Steel or something? I didn't play them, but reading about them, they seem like a weird direction for the Fallout games to have gone.

[S.B.Nichols]

Strong back....any perk that increases your carrying capacity.

Once you survive to about level 8 your pretty much unstoppable though. The more you can carry, the more you can sell, the more you can buy.

This is a great game by the way. I've wasted far too many years on fallout. But, it's been a good waste.

[Thrash]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

Tactics or Brotherhood of Steel or something? I didn't play them, but reading about them, they seem like a weird direction for the Fallout games to have gone.

Brotherhood of Steel, I believe. Tactics came out a few years earlier on PC.
Tactics was fare. It kept up the same milieu as Fallout and Fallout 2. The system of fighting was similar, plus the storyline opened up a bit of depth into the whole mutant vs. Brotherhood contention which seems to underline the universe of Fallout.
The downside to Tactics was the RPG element, obviously, was missing. If you enjoy tactical games, and slow calculation you might like it.

Brotherhood of Steel, released on Xbox, was the worst Fallout game. Just seemed like a money making operation. It was just an attempt to make money off of an awesome franchise.

Fallout and Fallout 2 continue to be my favorite games ever made. Fallout 3 is still amazing though.

[Adam]

Thanks for the tips people, its much appreciated.

[bowstaff981]

I just beat this game for the first time. What a great game with a stupid stupid ending. I'm not upset that I died, but the reasoning for me dying was just so dumb. I died of radiation poisoning but my radiation level was so low? And why couldn't I just send in Fawkes to punch in the passcode? Dumb dumb dumb.

[S.B.Nichols]

or maybe...you don't die...

One of the add on packs lets you continue the story