Fallout 3

[snoopy369]

Yeah, I did that last part ... got me a nice weapon that way

[Felch]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I think I've gotten to a part of the game where I'm basically screwed.

There's another way in, but you'll get a good deal of radiation. Look on the local map for the other door.

[Main_Brain]

Find and Read a Lockpicking Book?

[Quillan]

Do you have the Lockpicking bobblehead? That would be another 10 points. I also can't remember if Mentats would help with lockpicking or not.

Spoiler:

It's in one of the Bethesda Softworks buildings if you find those ruins

The books only add 1 point to a skill, or 2 points if you have the perk Comprehension (a must have, IMO).

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Felch


There's another way in, but you'll get a good deal of radiation. Look on the local map for the other door.

Yep... the normal way to go in, in fact, is this way.

Spoiler:

You go in the water, and there is an underwater door. It's in between the two parts of the ship, towards the south side IIRC.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Quillan
The books only add 1 point to a skill, or 2 points if you have the perk Comprehension (a must have, IMO).

Yeah, probably the perk I most regret not getting. I'm level 14 now and there's not a lot of point in it at this point, having read most of the books in the game already.

[Quillan]

As long as we're at it, let's talk about what you feel is most important in character development in this game. In my opinion, the single most important perk to have is Educated. 3 extra skill points per level beginning with level 5 is 48 skill points by the end. Comprehension is second, for all the extra skill points it gives.

I'd say you should get at least one of Lockpicking or Science to 100. Small Guns should be high, Repair should be high, and the rest can be at your discretion. Everything mandatory has ways around it for those who don't have high lockpicking or science, but many optional things won't be doable without one or both (personally, I max both). Combat is unavoidable in this game, though you can cut down on the amount, and you'll find nothing but guns for a while, so I think Small Guns is pretty much mandatory. And repair has already been discussed.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I know which perks I think are LEAST useful.

The one that gives you +10% XP is a wasted perk, as is Here and Now (gives you an extra level).

Both were decent back in FO1 and FO2 where there wasn't a hard level cap. But in FO3 you only get 20 levels, and you will probably hit that limit well before you finish the game. Once you hit that limit, you're done progressing - no more perks, no more skills.

The two radiation-based perks are useless too. The game's radiation is easily countered by items and supplies.

If I could do it all over again, I'd go with Comprehension, Educated, and a lot more Intense Training than I did.

[snoopy369]

Educated certainly, and also I strongly like early on getting several boosts to INT (for the same reason). I think I took 5 bonus points overall, 2 to INT (up to 10) and 3 to STR (up to 9). Basically I took those whenever I didn't have anything better to take (often on the odd levels when there was only one important perk to take for that pair of levels).

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
But in FO3 you only get 20 levels, and you will probably hit that limit well before you finish the game. Once you hit that limit, you're done progressing - no more perks, no more skills.

Shame really, it's too easy to get to level 20. IMHO it would be better to have more experience needed to go up in level, and then not have a max level cap. I'm not even close to have seen all locations, and I've been at level 20 for a few days

[Felch]

I never got comprehension, since I didn't realize how many books there were until it was too late.

But I did generate my character with 10 Intelligence, and got educated as soon as possible. I used intense training to get certain prerequisite stats up to six.

One problem I have with the stats is that they're mostly unimportant. A two point bump to the related skills, and a minor improvement other than that. Strength gives you 10 more pounds to carry, Agility an extra two VATS points, etc. It's really a no-brainer to keep them at five, and dump points into Intelligence. The only reason not to get 10 points in INT, is if you plan on picking up the bobblehead early on. You're still going to wind up putting 9 in though.

Lawbringer was my regrettable perk. The NPC I was supposed to turn fingers in to, fled at the sight of me, and is now unconscious somewhere in the wasteland. Luckily, by now I have no need for money, and my karma is very good, so I don't really need her. I just wish I could get the perk back is all.

Master Trader is probably useless also. By the time I was in my teens, I had thousands of bottle caps, tons of ammo and stims, and nothing really left to buy (I could get a workbench for my house, but that seems like a complete waste.) If it were a level 4-8 perk, it would be a lot better.

[EPW]

I think the best way is to chose 9 intel at the start, and distribute the rest evenly between the stats. Then get the intel bobblehead before you get to level 3 and you only lose one skill point in exchange for an extra SPECIAL point. Now, since there are 25 skill books for each skill point, you should only distribute up to 40 points for each skill(be careful, because you may go over 40 when you take intensive training), and get 50 from the books and 10 from the bobbleheads to get to 100. Obviously you should take educated and comprehension. Also, by level 20, you should take intensive training 10 times which will give you ALOT of free skill points. I think you could get 100 in all skills by level 20 if you did this.

[EPW]

maybe I should stop reading so many spoilers before I even play.

[Felch]

My beef with that method EPW, is that I hate powergaming a game like this. It's what I hated about Oblivion - the need to scratch out every last point. It pulls you out of the experience of just running and gunning raiders and muties.

I'm not saying it won't work, but it's not really necessary is the thing. I beat the main quest at level 13, without any trouble.

[Standup]

I would like stats to have more significance. I'm only level 7 but already they seem relatively unimportant. Next time more points in INT as skill points are more significant than I expected.

Some of the perks i might take as they enhance the role playing aspect although at the moment I'm still getting the hang of the game. Role playing next.