is ian even worth keeping (is his death inevitable?)

[joey]

i made one safe file were i managed to kill the entire khan base with my shotgun early game, only problem is that ian died during it.

so basically i have 2 alternate saves:
1. were i wiped out the khan camp and have access to all their loot now but ian is dead
2. i barter for tandi and keep khans alive as well as ian

i'll likely just continue to play with the save where ians alive but honestly seeing how he won't get any stronger in the future (except for giving him stronger weapons, but cant increase his defense) I feel like his death is going to be inevitable anyways, if it isnt the khans that kill him, he'll die in a fight later in the game.

[Timbermaw]

If you don't have the npc mod or fallout et-tu then he'll just die eventually since all he has is a leather armor. If your character is combat capable I'd just ditch him

[RamiroRa]

Barter for Tandi is not that bad, and from a lore perspective, I think it's more realistic since you character hasn't been yet so long in the surface and is on a low level most probably. But yeah, Ian will eventually go out on ammo and start fist fighting only.

[joey]

Originally posted by RamiroRa:

Barter for Tandi is not that bad, and from a lore perspective, I think it's more realistic since you character hasn't been yet so long in the surface and is on a low level most probably. But yeah, Ian will eventually go out on ammo and start fist fighting only.

i mean you can use steal skill and plant whatever weapon or ammo you want him to use in his inventory

[Raskol]

Originally posted by joey:

i mean you can use steal skill and plant whatever weapon or ammo you want him to use in his inventory

You can also barter with him and just give him stuff.

As to your OP - I think his death is inevitable. I killed the Khans and managed to keep him and Tandi alive. I just got better weapons and armour, and went back later to do the fight. Went in with that basic SMG for both my character and Ian, and chewed right through them. But since he only has the leather armour, I think he isn't worth re-doing it for.

[Skree]

party members in Fallout 1 are doomed to death. Especially Dogmeat, good luck keeping the boy alive.

[Sunday Driver]

Originally posted by Skree:

party members in Fallout 1 are doomed to death. Especially Dogmeat, good luck keeping the boy alive.

I liked it as it gave you a story of your own. Where did they have their final stand? Did they go out in glory or something stupid? Did you manage to keep them alive until the end? It's nice that people end up with an adventure that is their own. The game doesn't punish you for it.

[Raskol]

Originally posted by Sunday Driver:

Originally posted by Skree:

party members in Fallout 1 are doomed to death. Especially Dogmeat, good luck keeping the boy alive.

I liked it as it gave you a story of your own. Where did they have their final stand? Did they go out in glory or something stupid? Did you manage to keep them alive until the end? It's nice that people end up with an adventure that is their own. The game doesn't punish you for it.

Yeah. it's one of the reasons I'm playing this now even in 2024! Few games have given me the sense of immersion that Fallout does (that's a me problem, not the gaming industry's problem haha).

[Skree]

Originally posted by Sunday Driver:

Originally posted by Skree:

party members in Fallout 1 are doomed to death. Especially Dogmeat, good luck keeping the boy alive.

I liked it as it gave you a story of your own. Where did they have their final stand? Did they go out in glory or something stupid? Did you manage to keep them alive until the end? It's nice that people end up with an adventure that is their own. The game doesn't punish you for it.

Tycho died like a moron in my most recent playthrough. We went into the supermutant base, and he charged alone beyond an energy field. A supermutant shot a missile in his face, and tycho was a piece here a piece there. Blaze of glory.

That "level" is where i usually lose all my companions. I guess that if i savescum and really try i could keep them alive, but in fallout 1 it's just too much hassle, and they don't add very much to the story.

Fallout 2 is a different beast in this.