--- TO DIAMOND CITY in 8'--- Safe & easy. Map, video, tips...

Map and video show the best way to arrive in Diamond City at level one, with zero xp points.
Fast and safely.
No need to shoot a bullet, to sprint, to sneak or to take any damage, even in survival mode.
The guide has relevance only at level one (or close). Later many things and the game state could change.

Simple visitor or future resident, Diamond City offers many opportunities and possibilities.

MAP

I avoided to take any landmarks, but there are many amazing things to discover in the area: loot, locations, tramps, secrets, NPCs, random events, quests...

VIDEO

VIdeo played at 2x speed.
https://youtu.be/oH3aoAZurDs

REASONS TO VISIT DIAMOND CITY ASAP

Simple visitor or future resident, Diamond City offers a full world of opportunities and possibilities.

1. LOOT-FEST

Most items in DC are owned. Precaution is a must to take them, but with a little of patience and method we can make a fortune to start the game like a boss!
- 39 unlocked places.
- 12 locked places.
- many external areas with cool lot.
- re-spawning tato and w. mutfruit (71 units).

2. THIRTEEN MERCHANTS (WITH CAPS)

All of them waiting to buy our junk.
In Fallout 4, even if we have lots of valuable items, to cash out is hard, because every buyer has very limited amount of cash/caps. We will need to visit multiple traders to grab some caps here and there, wait, then repeat... Diamond City is the best location to unload.
Merchants:
Percy (DC Surplus).
Myrna (DC Surplus)
Polly (Choice Chops)
Moe Cronin (Swatters)
Arturo Rodriguez (Commonwealth Weaponry)
Solomon (Chems, I cure)
Doctor Sun (Surgery Center)
Becky Fallon (Fallon's Basement)
Takahashi (Power Noodels)
Wellingham (Colonial Taphouse)
Henry Cooke (Colonial Taphouse)
Vadim Bobrov (Dogout Inn)
Sheng Kawolski* (Shelves close to the water purifier))
Good nomad traders include DC in their routes, so we will often find Cricket, Jules... around.

3. HAZMAT SUIT

Sold by Fallon at Fallon's basement.
To get the (cheap) Hazmat Suit in DC at level one is amazing. It enables to do absurdly OP things! We will be able to swim in peace from DC to any far away locations close to any coast!
Cool things to do AT LEVEL ONE with this wonder:
- To swim to Spectacle Island: LUCK bobblehead (one Fatman and cool loot as bonus).
- To swim to the L.L.Cannery. Barter Bobblehead and magazine. (bonus: Combat Shotgun)
- To reach the Rook's house in Salem and to grab REBA II.
- To approach the Atom Cats base with a legged companion to steal the OP T-60 power armor!!! No need to take the landmark if you don't want! To do this at level one breaks the game, really.
These sites were designed to be visited at m/high levels, with Hazmat Suit we can break the plot!
btw, Ms. Fallon also sells some other useful clothes, like S.P.E.C.I.A.L. enhancers.

4. OP/EXCLUSIVE WEAPONS

Like the OLD FAITHFUL, an unique laser pistol sold by Arturo, OP for levels 1-8.
He also sells a (rare to find soon) silenced pistol and the unique Big Boy, a super-Fatman.
In DC, Moe sells the exclusive Swatters, modified baseball bats.
Dr Sun sells the Syringer, not an unique weapon, but rare to find on sale.

5. FUSION CORES, AMMO, SHIPMENTS...

Best place for shopping: variety and quantity.
Fusion Cores are available as soon we arrive at DC. (Arturo, Cricket)
Traders resupply pretyy fast. They level up with the game, offering more products, more units in stock, and showing more caps, as the game advances.

6. DOCTOR ON HAND

A doctor is a good resource to have on hand.
In FO4 to use doctors to cure radiation/addiction is much cheaper than using chems!
Doctor Suns also sells the Syringer Rifle, a rare and special weapon.
Facial and corporal reconstruction and hairdressing services are available 24/7 in DC too.

7. ALL FIVE CRAFTING STATIONS AVAILABLE

Possibly the only location where we can find all of them, aside from Sanctuary and Red Rocket.
Unfortunately, they are not linked them with the Home Plate's workbench.

8. CENTRAL LANDMARK

It's nice to have a landmark in the middle of the map, for better access to any area.
Once we know DC it's easy and safe to use all the ways around it, except the East.

9. QUESTS

Diamond City is a great source to find real side quests (no radiant quests). Good part of the quests we can find in DC are non-violence / choices based quests, similar to the New Vegas style.
btw. There are some bounty boards in Diamond City, where we can take random missions too.

(SPOILER) It is possible to shorten the main quest going directly to Diamond City from the Vault 111. Just going to the Nick Valentine's agency we will skip the Sanctuary, Concord, Cambridge... The secretary will directly give us the main quest: "Unlikely Valentine" to rescue Nick in Vault 114.
To shorten the main quest even a little more, we can go directly from the Vault 111 to the Vault 114 (via Park Street Station), but honestly to make a stop at DC to prepare well it seems a better plan.

10. PIPER

One of the favorite companions.
She can be recruited as soon we arrive at DC.
Just answering a few questions she will offer us her company.

FRESH AIR

Bored to be smelly settler?
Tired of Preston, their friends and your own companions being around you 24/7?
Want to live in a real city?
Do you miss the Megaton style?
Become a Diamond City citizen! HOME PLATE is waiting for you for you!
Yes, you have to pay 2000 caps, but the value of the loot there is 1000 caps... ;-)

NOTE: Contents here are original (no copy-paste), experienced by me. Feel free to ask anything.
All shown here is 100% LEGIT, real gameplay.

[The Inept European]

Rather than detour east around the Drive In, why not cut through the Drumlin Diner (but avoiding the encounter point NW of the Diner)? You could just ignore the scripted encounter at the Diner itself, and that would save some time getting to DC.

[The Inept European]

You take a fair few Rads on that run dude! But it's an efficient route and no encounters. Nice!

[The Inept European]

Great guide and also very funny.
DC is a nice city but it has no free pure water. In Survival you have to sell loot to buy water if you stay here. You can't sleep for free in DC either - but you can sleep in the little raider house just SE of the main gate.
Are you sure that the tatoes and wild mutfruit respawn? Is that in the greenhouse or in the field?

[oku]

Just wandering around my Steam Library and I came across your guide. Well done and you make some very good points. I think I too would rather live in the city than be stuck out in the ruins. : )

[kalysti]

You are a player after my own heart. But I'm wondering why you take the detour and go around by the Drive-in, instead of going by Trudy's?

[CarnivorousVegan]

this is an advertisment for diamond city

[high self esteem]

Ey b0ss, thanks.

[Gabagooligan]

@Tactical Bacon, you probably hit your walk button (default is Caps Lock). Hit it again and you should be "jogging" instead of walking.

[B.O.S.]

+Tactical Bacon http://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/
Click. It's the main FO4 board and the right place to get some feedback for that kids of problems. I really can't help with your issue, FO4 worked perfect for me from the minute one. gl!

[high self esteem]

Can I get some help? I just started out, out of the vault. Whenever I'm not springing, I move at a crawl. I'm not overburdened, I know that. Can anyone help, because it's downright unplayable.