How To Play

[dwaynegand]

So far, this looks like the most complicated Fallout game for me. It's much harder to understand how to play and seems to have a higher difficulty. What's the best way to learn how to play this game? Should I watch some longplays of it on Youtube? Where can I find some good guides for beginners?

[Mennan]

Unlike the other Fallout this is less RPG and more Squad tactical combat.
There's largely no reason to explore the map, no real story elements other than the main quest line. There are a couple of side objectives but not very many and they're usually in your mission area anyway so you can just do them along with the main mission. Special encounters are in fixed positions on the world map and typically away from anywhere you would normally do missions, so if you want to find them all just look at the wiki map.

The game operates in either Continuous Turn Based(CTB), Squad turn based(STB), or Individual Turn Based mode(ITB/TB). Which you can change in the settings.

In CTB everyone performs their actions at the same time. Your actions are limited by your AP but it will regenerate over time. Getting hit or performing actions will spend/pause AP regen. So if you have 9 AP your character using a 4AP weapon they will shoot twice then pause waiting to regenerate back to 4 AP where they will shoot again.

In CTB you'll have to manage your squads "aggression" levels in the bottom right.
You have sentry mode off(Passive) where they will just stand around and get beat up like a pinata waiting for instructions

Defensive where they will shoot back when attacked, and Aggressive where they will shoot anything in sight.
For Defensive and Aggressive mode you will also have to set an accuracy threshold. This will change the bare minimum accuracy required for your characters to attack on their own. It has a 95, 66, 33 and 1% setting. So if you set it to 95 your characters wont shoot until they have a 95% chance to hit, while at 1% they will shoot at anything 1% or higher.

CTB is typically the hardest one for new players as this requires proper management of your squad up to 6. There are many times you need to sneak around get in new positions take or take cover to avoid getting hit. You also need to worry about your squads positioning as your members will have no problem with using machine guns and shooting through teammates to try hitting an opponent, which is a very easy way to turn a teamate into swiss cheese.

In STB each "team" in combat will take their turn. So you will get a turn to control your entire squad. Then the computer will manage the opposing faction. This is typically the easier mode because you can start combat sneak your characters in position end combat and restart combat for a massive initial strike that may cripple your opponent.

Then finally you have individual turn based. Where it's more like a classic fallout game where each individual character gets a turn based on their sequence level.

[Mennan]

As for your squad. As you progress the game finishing levels you will gain ranks in the BoS. This will allow you to recruit new members to your team. Your team will have a max of 6, your player character and 5 Rando's you select.

If *your* character dies the game ends automatically, if your teammates die you can replace them with new members from the Yeoman in each bunker. The pool will add new members at completion of certain missions.
Typically newly introduced characters in the roster will be auto leveled up to you and have had their stats pre selected. The pool is limited so try not to loose your team too often. There's a way to add new recruits to the pool and some youtube videos/posts on the old NMA site, but i've never done it.

Typically you want at least one medic on your team as first/doctor is a good way to heal your team since you cannot wait on missions and stimpacks get expensive. Every time you use first-aid there will be a chance to get the "bandaged" debuff which can only be cured by using the doctor skill on them. You can only use first aid/doctor if you have a firstaid kit /doctors bag on you. If you want to heal on the world map i suggest you just wander around the safe zone's in locations until you regenerate your health.

[Beltneck]

This isn't like other fallout games, which are RPG focused. Giving you choices, quests, dialogue options, etc.

About the only RPG element in this game is the character sheet, letting you assign people their skills and attributes. You only get a few quest choices in the whole game, and otherwise your only option is mission success. So this plays a lot more like a strategy or tactical game, like X-com.

Which is good, because now you don't need to really spread your skills around in order to be able to do certain quests. You can do a lot more min/maxing with a heavy focus towards combat.

The old fallout games were very unforgiving too. So when you die; just analyze what you did and try to do something differently next time. Sometimes its going to be the snipers doing all the work, and other times the close quarters combat guys are the only way forward.

But give everyone a CQC weapon, and either mid or long range weapon. Because even if your snipers aren't the best close quarters fighters, 6 shotguns will clear a building faster than 2.