This Rust Devil infestation is insane

[Elegant Caveman]

Ever since I triggered Mechanical Menace (pretty much unavoidable while doing Boston After Dark), Rust Devils are everywhere. I've read that once they start appearing, there's supposed to be a 50% chance that a random encounter/event will be with them, but it feels more like 100%.

I'm not using mods, which only leaves me with console commands to deal with this issue.

According to two threads I've found on the subject (1, 2), you can apparently use the "DLC01REPercentageChance" to change how often they appear.

The claim is that before starting the quest, it's set to 0, and after starting the quest, it gets set to 50.

I try to use the console as little as possible, for fear of breaking things, and would love to have more information about this.

I've been unable to find more info about this alleged console command, and neither of those threads specifies the exact syntax.

Is it "DLC01REPercentageChance [number]"? Or maybe "set DLC01REPercentageChance [number]"? Something else?

I've looked in the game's .ini files, but it's not a variable anywhere there. How can I find more info about this command and what it's set at? The threads mention what it was set at before starting the quest, so there must be a way to find that out?

I also wonder if changing it before the Automatron quest chain is completed might break something down the line...

I don't mind a Rust Devil invasion while the relevant quests are going on, but I've read that completing the quests doesn't make them go away, so I'd certainly be tempted to change it back to zero (or close to) once I'm done with the DLC's quests.

EDIT: Just saw Gene! So at least I know that not all random encounters are Rust Devils now... that's good. Still, way too common.

[Zekiran]

It's

set DLC01REPercentChance to XX

(your links do not work, btw)

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/28891

This mod might be of use but you'd want to make sure it'll work with your version and is also functional based on comments/bug reports.

[Neo]

I'm pretty sure you reduce them a lot after completing the story. I could be wrong though.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by Neo:

I'm pretty sure you reduce them a lot after completing the story. I could be wrong though.

They do reduce but honestly they still show up too much even for my taste. I'm level 72 and haven't fully finished the main quest, and am probably going to do both Nuka World AND Far Harbor before touching them.

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

It's

set DLC01REPercentChance to XX

(your links do not work, btw)

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/28891

This mod might be of use but you'd want to make sure it'll work with your version and is also functional based on comments/bug reports.

Thanks.

And yeah, forgot to actually add the URLs for the links... fixed that now. Should work.

Saw that mod, but trying to stay away from mods.

I wasn't planning on doing Automatron's quests any time soon, but I guess they've just jumped to the top of my list.

Do you know if there's a way to check what the DLC01REPercentChance is set to without directly changing it?

I'd be curious to see if it changes after doing the last quest, and maybe over time after the Automatron quests are done.

[Zekiran]

It might not exist until you trigger it.

[DouglasGrave]

You should be able to check it with:

GetGlobalValue DLC01REPercentChance

EDIT: Though checking on a couple of characters (both one too early for Automatron's start to even trigger and one long after completing its entire questline) gives a reading of 50.

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by DouglasGrave:

You should be able to check it with:

GetGlobalValue DLC01REPercentChance

EDIT: Though checking on a couple of characters (both one too early for Automatron's start to even trigger and one long after completing its entire questline) gives a reading of 50.

That's very interesting, thank you.

So maybe that's just the default setting for it, and it doesn't actually trigger/get activated until you start the quest chain, and it doesn't change at all after finishing the quests.

On reading up on the whole "Rust Devils are everywhere" issue, some people reported seeing less after a while, once they'd finished the quests, but some people also reported not having almost every random encounter be Rust Devils, so... who knows. Maybe it's just some bug that affects some people?

Still, good to be able to test it. I'll probably end up manually lowering it some time later.

[jeffy]

whats the problem ?? just shoot them and take there gear or run away

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by jeffy:

whats the problem ?? just shoot them and take there gear or run away

The problem is that they replace all other random encounters.

I have no issue dealing with them, but I don't want to only deal with them.

[Ellorien]

Originally posted by Pookie101:

Originally posted by jeffy:

whats the problem ?? just shoot them and take there gear or run away

They overwrite all the other random encounters effectively stopping you from getting say the level 4 vendors

Yes, they would but one should be able to get all the expert vendors before triggering this quest. Not hard at all because their best spawning spots are all in the North part of the map. It’s also useful to remember that you need to upgrade certain skills first, have enough money and build every lvl 3 store in your settlement to be able to hire them. So, don’t rush, stay up North, level up (building things helps a lot) and prepare for the future!

I usually avoid the known random encounter spots until I am ready. Then I start my usual farming routine and hire all my experts. After that it’s all about factions and side quests, with the Mechanist dlc done ASAP. Finishing the quest does significantly reduce the number of Rust Devils patrols. I don’t mind them at this point, though, because I already hired everybody. And the bots drop very nice loot.

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by Ellorien:

Yes, they would but one should be able to get all the expert vendors before triggering this quest. Not hard at all because their best spawning spots are all in the North part of the map. It’s also useful to remember that you need to upgrade certain skills first, have enough money and build every lvl 3 store in your settlement to be able to hire them. So, don’t rush, stay up North, level up (building things helps a lot) and prepare for the future!

I usually avoid the known random encounter spots until I am ready. Then I start my usual farming routine and hire all my experts. After that it’s all about factions and side quests, with the Mechanist dlc done ASAP. Finishing the quest does significantly reduce the number of Rust Devils patrols. I don’t mind them at this point, though, because I already hired everybody. And the bots drop very nice loot.

Except it's a bit tricky to do when you have no idea you should be doing that.

I did Boston After Dark around level 35, and noticed that set off the fight with Ada, so I decided to do Mechanical Menace at the same time, figuring I might as well, since I was there.

How was I supposed to guess that this would completely mess with random encounters?

By the time I noticed all random encounters involved robots, I didn't really want to go many hours back. And even if I did, my only option would be to ignore Boston After Dark, which I need to complete so I can get ballistic weave.

The whole thing is a mess, and I wish I knew all this before starting the game, as I'd have simply disabled the DLC. It doesn't really add anything I particularly care about, anyway.

[Ellorien]

Of course a first-time player would not know that. But then again, the game is supposed to be played without exploits. And there are also three guaranteed expert junk vendors you can hire without farming the random encounters.
You still have a chance to encounter Larry and the armor guy even with the bots.

[Zekiran]

"larry and the armor guy" I have literally played this game for its entire existence, and have seen the t4 traders in games about half a dozen times *at all*, let alone multiple instances of them.

The encounters are woefully rare, and the DLC changes the spawn rates so badly that I suspect for the first two games I played, I *never saw any of them at all* in the wild.

I mean, you claim "the game is supposed to be played without exploits" and then also clearly have expertise in gaming the spawn points... which is, quite the exploit. They don't show up nearly enough to just know how or where to find their spawns.

But overall the presence of the rust devils should never have been so overwhelming in the first place. Rather like the enclave I'm gathering, from the update crapfest dlc.

[RabbitRidge]

Originally posted by Elegant Caveman:

Ever since I triggered Mechanical Menace (pretty much unavoidable while doing Boston After Dark), Rust Devils are everywhere.

I like the loot better from initiating Mechanical Menace when I'm ready anyway. But I've had good results by not listening to the Caravan Distress Frequency signal until I'm ready (otherwise I couldn't approach Wattz Consumer Electronics or do Boston After Dark without triggering it).

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by RabbitRidge:

I like the loot better from initiating Mechanical Menace when I'm ready anyway. But I've had good results by not listening to the Caravan Distress Frequency signal until I'm ready (otherwise I couldn't approach Wattz Consumer Electronics or do Boston After Dark without triggering it).

This is my first time playing, so I'm more interested in the various random encounters with a bit of story than "just some more raiders".

I see plenty of raiders, thank you very much. And I can't say I've found any of the Rust Devil loot particularly interesting quite yet.