Some tips for Fallout: New Vegas newbies and maybe even pros.

[Loserman64]

So I shared this with my friends on Steam, but decided to post it here as well, hope you find it helpful!


A lot of stuff i based of the beginning, so if you have put random stuff in everything, I suggest restarting.
Whenever I play, I either go Normal Guns or Energy Weapons as main focus, but one this is always maxed out, and that is Intelligence so I can get as many Skill Points as possible early game. This is an example of my SPECIAL:
Strength: 4 (I choose to put down Strength by 1 point because it's not that useful, especially if you're doing a modded playthrough -PC-)
Perception: 5 (If I choose to go Energy Weapons, 10)
Endurance: 5 (No need for increasing early game)
Charisma: 5 (No need for increasing early game)
Intelligence: 10 (ALWAYS maxed out for Skill Points and Repair bonus(es)
Agility: 5 (If I choose to go Guns, 10)
Luck: 1 (I always put this down to 1, because it's basically useless)
Then the Tag skills I choose: Medicine, Repair and Science.
Why? Simply because you'll need all of them early game and late game. The better the Medicine, the more health you receive when using Stimpaks. Higher repair, better repair bonuses as well as closer to the Jury rigging perk, and then Science which is used to create stimpaks at Chemistry sets and hack terminals.
Now these stats are my personal favorites, so I'm just going to throw them at you . It's up to you whether to use'em or not.
Message me if you want some tips on the Quest(s).

For people considering buying DLCs.
-->Personally, I LOVED the Dead money DLC for FNV. It was challenging and not forgiving at all. You actually had to know what you were doing before trying stuff. The story on the other hand is awesome, but not very well executed.
Fallout itself is very easy until you get to that DLC, and I think because it's so much more difficult compared to the normal game / other DLCs, people started disliking it.
This might sound like bragging, but I completed it while playing on Very Hard and Hardcore mode, I died a lot, but it was challenging, which made it way more fun than this "Lonesome Road" which on the other hand had an amazing story.
Not going into detail about Old World Blues with its 3000 year long dialogue, etc.

[Gropax]

ok umm those specials are also based off of playing run and gun fps and not using VATS at all you need to say that


i like my Specials like this

Strength: 5 because its whats needed for Strong Back perk.
Perception: 6 for better criticals sniper and friend of the night
Endurance: 7 for more implants
Charisma: 3? i think this is right might not be
Intelligence: 4 anything above this is a waste since you have 50 levels of skill points
Agility: 7 Nerves of steal
Luck: 6 min this is what crits are based off of and 6 is needed for better crits.

with specials like this you can hit 100 in all skills and get all the good gun perks and vats perks

[EolSunder]

Again, for those new to fallout NV. Charisma is the most worthless stat its ONLY used for companion nerve. Intelligence is main stat, endurance 2nd (due to implants). A general jack-of-all trades layout consists of basically skilled and small frame (+1 agility)

strength 5, perception 5, endurance 9 (for implants), charisma 1, intelligence 7, agility 4, luck 9

something like that. With the implants at the medical center you become an impressive

strength 6, perception 6, endurance 10, charisma 2, intelligence 8, agility 6, luck 10,

a very nice jack of all trades character. Charisma you can simply boost with alcohol/items if in a really tough fight and you want your companions to handle it better, normally they do fine. Maybe in hardcore mode where companions can die you might want a higher charisma, but not normally needed, 1 is fine. Everything is based off barter and speech skill levels, not charisma.

Adjust depending on different character builds, but the above is a basic well-rounded beginner character.

[Mauno]

Survival is much stronger than Medicine for healing.

Most other points were covered by the guy above me.

[ХОББИТ СВИНОПАС]

Survival is much stronger than Medicine for healing.

Most other points were covered by the guy above me.

[Loserman64]

It always depends on your situation. I never focus Survival, because I don't care about the ingredients, whilst if you go Medicine, your Stimpaks will heal you more, and I bet that there are more newbies than pros in this game, as it was just on sale. Survival is most definitely for the real pros and hardcore players of Fallout: New Vegas, and is a stat that if you play on Normal/Hard/Very Hard, is not that important, and will eventually reach 100 as you level your character (if you manage to get everything to 100 that is),
What I like about Fallout, is that not all characters have to be the same, everyone can change their skill setup, their SPECIALS, etc. Though there aren't really that many different characters to make in the end of the game (when you have leveled through the Mojave and got most of SPECIALS and Skills up to 100).
Didn't make this thread for pros only either, I agree that it's a good beginner character, and that is mainly why I made this post, so the newbies of Fallout: New Vegas can have a fun start instead of having this start where they get their asses handed to them the first hours in (when Doc Mitchell says "That's a pretty standard score you got there.", it basically means that you chose, well in my opinion, the "bad" choices).

Oh, and @fribulan why did you copy&paste what Mauno said?

Have fun in the Wasteland!

[The Rainmaker]

well for new players I wouldn't recommend hardcore mode as its definitely something that makes the game more complex. For a simpler start Id rec non hardcore mode on your first play.

Thus making charisma a 1 as its useless and you can put the stats elsewhere.

If you want to be super powerful you will max endurance and intelligence. Endurance so you can get implants. Basically every point in endurance gives you HP and allows for another implant which even if you only get the special implants will give you 10 extra points of special in exchange for caps.

Intelligence you want a high number of... not because you cant max all your skills at some point in the game, but because you can max them faster making the earlier part of the game easier.

Id probably recommend against melee or unarmed weapons for a newbie but if you want to its doable just pair it with stealth or a ranged attack like explosives or guns or energy weapons for times where you have to fight enemies that are stronger than you.

Quick save fairly often because the game can crash on you. This is done by hitting f5 and a quick reload is by hitting f9.

Sleep in beds when you need to heal... in non hardcore mode this will heal all your limbs and your health even if its just for one hour. This will save you a lot of money and stimpacks.

Sunset Sasparillas are great for healing small damage in between fights.

Dont be afraid to go north immediately after starting the game and engaging death claws in melee, they aren't as tough as they look or sound.

[Tomhap]

Originally posted by The Rainmaker:

Dont be afraid to go north immediately after starting the game and engaging death claws in melee, they aren't as tough as they look or sound.

All great tips, except for this one. deatclaws and cazadores are nightmares for undergeared low level players, considering you play on a normal difficulty.

[Loserman64]

Originally posted by Tomhap:

Originally posted by The Rainmaker:

Dont be afraid to go north immediately after starting the game and engaging death claws in melee, they aren't as tough as they look or sound.

All great tips, except for this one. deatclaws and cazadores are nightmares for undergeared low level players, considering you play on a normal difficulty.

Indeed. You should never go face-to-face against any of them.
When you have the Anti-Material Rifle, you will be able to (for the most part) kill all of them. :D

[Vita, Mortis, Careo]

Pros, huh? I don't know of any professional Fallout players.

Anyway, my view, as more of a traditionalist is to pick the attributes and skills that interest you. Despite what you may have read, you can talk your way through large parts of the game with high Charisma and associated attributes. Luck will give you a better crit chance. All those styles are enjoyable ways to play a roleplaying game; one does not need to min-max their way across the Mojave in order to play the game.

[The Rainmaker]

man you two missed the joke...

[crex]

I don't get why everyone hates luck. Along with the possibility of endless critical hits, luck makes you better at blackjack so you can afford to buy all those implants. A luck-based crit build is up there with unarmed as one of the most overpowered ways to play the game.

Whatever you pick though, NV is unfortunately easy enough that you can get through it without too much hassle.

[Loserman64]

Originally posted by Two Bears:

Pros, huh? I don't know of any professional Fallout players.

Anyway, my view, as more of a traditionalist is to pick the attributes and skills that interest you. Despite what you may have read, you can talk your way through large parts of the game with high Charisma and associated attributes. Luck will give you a better crit chance. All those styles are enjoyable ways to play a roleplaying game; one does not need to min-max their way across the Mojave in order to play the game.

I agree with what you say, and I was in no way trying to force people to play the way I do. I just wanted to make an easy character build for people who might want to try the way I go through Fallout: New Vegas. Though it will never be the same for anyone, after all the choices depends on the player.

[The Rainmaker]

Originally posted by Mr. Mojo Risin':

Whatever you pick though, NV is unfortunately easy enough that you can get through it without too much hassle.

max unarmed as your only weapon skill, put no points in stealth, play on very hard with hardcore on.

then come back and tell me the game is ez.

[Loserman64]

Originally posted by The Rainmaker:

Originally posted by Mr. Mojo Risin':

Whatever you pick though, NV is unfortunately easy enough that you can get through it without too much hassle.

max unarmed as your only weapon skill, put no points in stealth, play on very hard with hardcore on.

then come back and tell me the game is ez.

Haha, that's indeed a tough one. The game is not easy, if you don't want it to be easy. You can make the game as difficult as you'd like as well, everonye to their own opinion boats...

[Loserman64]

Originally posted by Mr. Mojo Risin':

I don't get why everyone hates luck. Along with the possibility of endless critical hits, luck makes you better at blackjack so you can afford to buy all those implants. A luck-based crit build is up there with unarmed as one of the most overpowered ways to play the game.

Whatever you pick though, NV is unfortunately easy enough that you can get through it without too much hassle.

Well, to be honest, I never cared much for Luck, never seen how it has helped me, except for when I was doing the gambling achievements. On the other hand, you can use the "Intense Training" perk 9 times to get Luck up to 10 again if you wish to do so, haha.