[SPOILER] How do you guys go through this game?

[MandoChilly]

I appreciate the freedom in this game, just like classic Fallout there is no acts or chapters. But it leads to the same problem I had with classic Fallout of either getting lost or just powering through every quest.

Steamrolling through the quests like some checklist kinda ruins pacing, roleplay and immersion.

So how do you guys go through with the areas and stuff?

I did it like this but would it be better to explore the other areas like Dead City much earlier?
1. MAIN QUEST PT 1(Early Game)
- Do Quests in Otradnoye except Factory questline.
- Go to Kraz and get Fidel (Don't do quests).
- Go Bunker 317.
- Go Kraz, meet Fidel's contact and learn about 10,000 ru info. Roleplay to accumulate funds and use as an excuse to freeroam.
- Don't pursue/interact with Mushroom cult related quests and things(Devi cult and cult building).

2. FREEROAM!(Mid-Game)
- Do local Kraz quests and Guard captains bounty quests.
- Prioritize Red Fighter quests and surrounding areas(Safe Journey farm and Thug Fortress).
- Factory questline and everything in between.
- After Dan's Roaring Forest quest you get more freeroam time.
- Do more quests in Kraz that requires you to go to other locations(Strategist, Death Gang, Chamber of Commerce, Porno).
- Do more questing until everything points to Peregon.
- Resume Dan's quest, go to Peregon and do more questing.

3. MAIN QUEST PT 2(Late Game)
- Red Fighter is built up and you rich now boiiii!
- Roleplay that 10,000 ru info is crap/wasteful and decide to infiltrate Mushroom Cult.
- Do Mushroom Cult quests and infiltrate(Devi quest optional - use as intro to Mushroom Cult).
- Death Tunnel.
- Mountain Pass of Woe + side quests.
- Dead City + side quests.
- Finale!

[Dorok]

Can you add SPOILER in the title? Even with the spoiler tag it's weird to not warn.

My play was very different, but for some parts it was because I didn't knew or I would have do them sooner. If I finish my play and remind the thread, I'll add my version.

[Dorok]

So I finished my first play and started my second play. As I like the idea of this thread I didn't forget it.

So here what was roughly my path in the game at first play:

1. START TOWN and FACTORY FIRST PARTS (level 1 to 8)
- Do quests in Otradnoye including kill the bandit and start Factory quest, and kill the big rat too. Level 3.
- Go to factory, got the dog at level 3.
- Start Factory quests, explore Drunken Lair and do some stuff.
- Explore from Border Guard fortress to Road collision area.
- Do 3 brothers quest.
- Do circus quests including killing the rats, used enemies splitting and led the big rat at circus entrance to get some help, but a guy from circus died.
- Caravan offered to go to KRZ, paid them and got Fidel at level 5.
- Didn't enter in KRZ, and only started the Devi sect quest, Strategist quest and Electrician quest. Didn't even explored outside of inner town, I noticed my speechcraft wasn't high enough, 70 with items.
- Finished the Strategist quest first part with Mysterious cave.
- Did mostly all Roaring Forest, but the totem thing and the beast in the poisoned area. Level 8. First two part of Dan's quests done. Then paused Dan's quests.

2. ENTER IN KRZ, MISC, START PEREGON (level 8 to 12)
- Back to KRZ, finish Devi sect quest and enter in town. Start/do some KRZ quests, explore a part of town, but then left because it was too much in a row.
- When trying to hunt spiders for the fisher in Berth area, found Fogelevka and start/did some quests.
- Do Radio Bunker and misc stuff.
- Finish the Strategist quest, second and final part.
- Start Peregon.
- A NPC rumour at Peregon reminded me about the guy giving the Old Scrapyard quest, back to KRZ, take the quest and do it. Level 10.
- More Peragon Quests.
- Started explore east KRZ to find big spiders for KRZ doctor.
- Thug Fortress and release Gyulchatai. Level 12.

3. START MAIN QUEST, FINISH FACTORY QUESTS & PEREGON, MOUNTAIN PASS, DEAD CITY (level 12 to 18)
- Do Bunker 317
- Red Fighter Finally, get Hexogen, free Gyulchatai at KRZ. Level 13.
- Otradnoye election, gangs combat at Factory.
- More Peragon quests
- Death Tunnel, Finish Roaring Forest
- Build base, get Alexander. Level 14.
- Death gangs kill.
- Do Mountain Pass fully including Mountain Bunker. Level 17.
- Fail find how finish investigation about Shishak accomplices, so kill all the gang at ZRK. Then kill Syoma Voronok gang. End of Factory Quests. Level 18.
- Finally noticed the KRZ Harbor, explore fully Dead City but failed notice bunker entrance.

4. MAIN QUEST, DEAD CITY BUNKER, FINAL (level 18 to 20)
- Finally continue main quest, enter Mushroom cult build, kill the pig, first two bunkers already done.
- Do a first attempt at Mushroom underground without Fidel, by forcing entrance in the underground, fail and load back.
- Dead City bunker. Level 19.
- Back to KRZ, do some stuff not already done to grind to level 20.
- Few tries at combat in Mushroom underground, but the melee character has no chance. Except eventually with grenades, but with ATT at 1, or even 2 with an item, even with throw skill at 120, throw grenades is too much random.
- At this point I could have try grind to level 21/22/23 to increase throw skill and try again, but preferred start a new play.

[MandoChilly]

Thanks Dorok, I've still haven't found a good place to hunt for Spider brains(fisherman). I'm almost at 2 full playthroughs and I still manage to just forget this one.

[Dorok]

Follow the north border around north of border fortress/Peregon is perhaps the place where they spawn more often. But it happens in south west too, but no clear good spot.

[DobroGuard]

Originally posted by MandoChilly:

Thanks Dorok, I've still haven't found a good place to hunt for Spider brains(fisherman). I'm almost at 2 full playthroughs and I still manage to just forget this one.

You can just buy it in Fogelevka.

[RK47]

Otradnoye-B317-Dan-Krasno-Circus-Roaring-R.Fighter-End of Line-Peregon-D.Tunnel-D.City-Fogelevka-Mt Pass-The End

[Haruspex]

I just wandered around between Kraz, Otradnoye and Peregon doing every minor quest I could find and getting Fidel, Dzul, Hex, and Brolexander some decent automatic skills. Didn't even start Bunker 317 until I was around like level 13 or 14, the main quests were a breeze then. I recommend the Death Dealer Fidel guide, he can be a real beast with that revolver even if you don't have enough points to reach the skill that keeps it from jamming

[MandoChilly]

Originally posted by DobroGuard:

You can just buy it in Fogelevka.

Yeah I suppose I can just buy for completion's sake. I think the random hunter in Otradnoye has some as well.

@Haruspex That's quite a long time to delay 317, but it does make sense from a roleplay perspective to gather up a team and gear up before pursuing the bunker.

[Haruspex]

I wanted to explore and wasn't in much of a rush. Also I expected a lot more trouble in the bunker than there turned out to be.

[Dorok]

I also delayed a lot main quest, even did Death Bunker and Mountain Bunker before to start Mushroom, but after bunker 317. I did the same interpretation than you, for some reason I didn't thought the bunker 317 was intended to be done fast. But clearly this is intended, only the scanner is enough to justify not delay it much.