Let's Play - New Vegas, Modded with Care

[Avilan the Grey]

This is the replacement thread because the old one is full of junk.
The old thread is considered closed and that game is over.

Mod List:
Electro City (Realistic Street lights)
Usable Cigarettes (Basically turns cigarettes into another Chem / drug. With smoking animations)
Light-step ED-E (Makes the flying robot stop setting off landmines and traps)
Dressup (Makes it possible to dress your companions however you want)
Companions Relax (Makes companions told to wait use the "relaxed" animations, like smoking, sitting, leaning etc)
Tailor Made (cool clothes mod. Slightly overpowered, but cool)*
Weapons Mods Expanded (From the guy that made the FO3 mod that inspired the weapon mods for NV)
Operation Fixed Terrain (just terrain fixes, like removing floating rocks etc)
New Strip Markers (Adds fast-travel markers in locations inside the New Vegas Strip)
Nevada Skies (Weather mod, including sandstorms, rain, thunderstorms etc)
Fellout (Clearer skies, darker nights. Compatible with Nevada Skies)**
Interior Lighting Overhaul (more realistic indoor lighting. Compatible with Nevada Skies and Fellout)
iHUD (HUD only visible when needed)
aHUD (pick and choose how your HUD will look like)****
Primary Needs HUD (adds things like weight, needs to your HUD)
New Vegas Bounties (Quest mod; be a bounty hunter)
New Vegas Bounties II (See above)
Weapon Animation Replacers
Ambient Weather (Adds things like different dehydration depending on temperature; combined with Nevada skies it produces seasons)
Imp's Timescale Adjuster (Adjust timescale either manually, or (which I recommend) automatic Dynamic Timescale (different timescale outdoors (marginally slower than default), indoors (1:1, for realism) and combat (1:1 for realism))


On top of these there are a number of texture mods:
Greener Grass (what it sounds like; the grass is only half-dead instead of dead)
Beware Of Girl Type3 Body (HD skin mod, slightly beautified female bodies. Yes, it's a nude mod, but of course I will keep this SFW!!!)***
A number of environment and equipment reskins (better detailed textures)
Simply Bald (gives the option of a completely shaved head in character creation)
HD eyes replacer
HDUI (smaller fonts, better menus)

*Too overpowered, not used.
** Although compatible with Nevada Nights, it disables the dust and rainstorms. Removed.
*** Although very good-looking, the infamous neckline is much more prominent with this mod than without. I hate that line. Removed.
**** I never used it, so I removed it.

Only other difference is that this time Morgan is a male. Oh and I will start in Hardcore, but I will switch if it's too frustrating.

[Avilan the Grey]

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/Avilan2010/New%20Vegas%20-%20Morgan/ScreenShot42.jpg

My name is Morgan.
I don't know if it's my first, my last, or my only name, but I like it.

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/Avilan2010/New%20Vegas%20-%20Morgan/ScreenShot43.jpg

I just woke up with a headache from hell; of course being executed does weird things to you...

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The local doctor is taking good care of me though. My vitals seems decent enough, and so do my mental abilities.

Comment: The Trigger Discipline perk IS great. You can't see it in the screenshots, but I am lining up shots at about twice the chance to hit as without in VATS, and without it it also makes a heck of a difference. Definitely worth it if combined with sneak, at least. I would not recommend it if you run and gun.

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After my evaluation (and me aimlessly wandering around in the doc's house taking anything useful) he sends me on the way and tells me to go to the Saloon and talk to Sunny.

I am feeling a little weird in the blue coveralls he gave me, but at least I have clothes and some equipment... even some caps! The weather doesn't look welcoming, but living in the desert means that even when it does, it can kill you.

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On my way over to the saloon I stumble over the robot who dug me up from the grave I was tossed in... He is nice, but seems to have been hacked; he can't remember how, or why, he ever moved to this town. Strange.

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...On the other hand there is nothing strange with Easy Pete. He's just an old nutty guy, as far as I can tell. He's apparently an old "prospector", which translates into "looter". Not that I am much better; on the way over to the saloon I found several crates with full soft-drink bottles in them...

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Sunny is hot. I know, bad pun, but anyway. She takes me out back to show me how to handle a rifle; it feels like I really should know this already, and my muscle-memory is definitely there. I can't remember even firing a varmint rifle though.

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After some practice she asks if I want to help out with killing some geckos. I say yes; I like the caps she's offering and besides it's really fun to shoot stuff.

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Unfortunately some stupid woman had walked alone, and unarmed, to the well against Sunny's advice. We came too late to notice her and she was killed by the geckos!
Sunny is grateful for my help anyway.

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On my way back to town to collect some herbs I come across an aggressive man in a prisoner outfit who started firing at me for no reason. I put two pieces of led in his head before he even came close to hitting me.

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Finding my way back to town I go to the schoolhouse; both Easy Pete and Sunny told me to check it out for loot, plus some of the herbs she wanted is growing outside. The place is overrun by bugs, but they are no match for my 9mm gun.

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The second kind of herb grows up on boot hill. On the way there I meet more oversized bugs. The scorpion never sees me, which I am grateful for!
After picking the herbs, I take some time looking at my own grave. It's a weird chain of events that has led me this far in life, I'm sure. Now if I could only make sense of it...

[Triscuitable]

Need I reccomend Powered Power Armor and the Darnified User Interface?

I also think that for fun, you should have picked "Wild Wasteland". Seriously! The Strip North Entrance Protectrons "ExTerMInaaAAte!!" their targets!

SERIOUSLY!

[Spartacus]

Powered Power Armour has some unfortunate interactions with the physics engine. If you plan to use it, either disable the increased size when wearing Power Armour, or never loot too many Power Armoured enemies at once.

When they shrink upon looting the body and removing the armour, they have a tendency to become partway stuck in the floor, causing their ragdolls to spasm wildly and on semi-rare occasions, CTD.

EDIT: Darnified UI, however, is excellent.

[Avilan the Grey]

I was very tempted to take WW, but I decided not to for two reasons:

1. I wanted both the perks I got (Kamikaze compensates nicely for the slower rate of fire, btw)
2. I wanted to go through the game once without it, to compare

As for the Darnified: No. I don't like it...

Edit: I have downloaded the Primary Needs HUD though, and will give that a go when I play Hardcore.
...Yes; I turned it off. Already.

Edit again: I found the iHud mod, which should work well when doing an LP.

Anyway...



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Sunny teaches me how to make Healing Powder with the stuff I have collected; and then she is off after telling me to meet the lady that runs the saloon. Apparently she wants to see me.

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I am approached by a man who wants me to save his girlfriend. I agree and run up the hill to kill the geckos that are hunting her. I don't find her though and for a moment I fear I have another dead settler on my hands, but it turns out the guy tries to lure me into a trap.

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I feel like a badass since he never has time to pull his weapon. To be honest I find him a fool; if it was me I would just have shot me in the head from 50 yards away...

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When I get to the saloon Trudy, the owner, has gone home for the night. I sit and wait for her about 3 hours, before she shows. Unfortunately another guy also shows, and I see him threatening her. She doesn't seem too worried but tells me the guy is a member of the powder gangers and an escaped convict. I remember my "meeting" yesterday with another one of those and decide the guy has to die soonest...

[Avilan the Grey]

In case someone sees something weird later:

I stumbled over the invisible "Line" taking a stroll and took the time to redesign Morgan a bit.

And also, new HUDs*. And yes I went back to Hardcore. Hardcore is slightly frustrating but non-hardcore is too easy.

*iHUD, aHUD and Primary Needs HUD.

[Lord Loss]

I Approve. Out of curiosity, should I buy New Vegas, or get around to beating Point Lookout and The Pitt? I'm a big fan of Fallout 3.

And do you have the DLC?

[Avilan the Grey]

I Approve. Out of curiosity, should I buy New Vegas, or get around to beating Point Lookout and The Pitt? I'm a big fan of Fallout 3.

And do you have the DLC?

Personal oppinion:

The Pitt? Worth it.
Point Lookout? Unbalanced piece of crap.

No I do not have Dead Money, mostly because all reviews I have seen said: Really Really Boring.

Edit: I am a complete idiot. I now have to reinstall the game because my HEADPHONES don't work. It wasn't the mods. ARGH!

Edit again: Game up and running. Morgan looks a little different... Will start posting again when reaching the same spot as last time.

[Triscuitable]

I Approve. Out of curiosity, should I buy New Vegas, or get around to beating Point Lookout and The Pitt? I'm a big fan of Fallout 3.

And do you have the DLC?

I highly reccomend "The Pitt", because not only does it have an interesting concept, because (spoiler alert) the bad guy is actually the good guy, and the good guys don't realise it. It's a situation of white and white morality. I also enjoyed Broken Steel for the level cap going up, but the campaign was more of the same. My favorite is Mothership Zeta, but it has some serious problems, like not being able to backtrack, thus missing out on some really cool weapons.

[Avilan the Grey]

I highly reccomend "The Pitt", because not only does it have an interesting concept, because (spoiler alert) the bad guy is actually the good guy, and the good guys don't realise it. It's a situation of white and white morality. I also enjoyed Broken Steel for the level cap going up, but the campaign was more of the same. My favorite is Mothership Zeta, but it has some serious problems, like not being able to backtrack, thus missing out on some really cool weapons.

Regarding FO3 DLCS:

Absolutely get
The Pitt (Pros: Interesting place, interesting characters, the extra gear. Cons: Part of the main quest annoying)
Operation Anchorage (Pros: the gear and only the gear, but it's so good it's worth it. Cons: everything else)

Might-get:
Broken Steel (Pros: fixes the ending of FO3. Cons: Badly balanced creatures)

Stay away from:
Point Lookout: (Pros: can't find any. Cons: Badly balanced creatures and enemies, boring quests, worthless loot (by the level you reach Point Lookout all gear you can find there is worse than the gear you already have. Especially if you have any other DLCs).

[Elm11]

Agreed, i loved Fallout 3, and while i really, really enjoyed Operation Anchorage even though nobody else i know did, i definitely recommend the pitt and Broken Steel. I ran through point lookout in all of about 2 hours and hated every minute of it, and mothership Zeta is attrociously poor. As for New Vegas, i've pretty much completed the whole game except a few companion quests. Would i get much more out of it if i were to start a new one but on Hardcore?

[Avilan the Grey]

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After talking to the people of Goodsprings, I find out that they are harboring a fugitive in the old gas station. He is not too friendly at first, but soon comes to trust me. However it turns out that the Powrder Gangers will try to take the town by force, unless they turn the poor man over.

I decide to help, and manages to rally everyone in town except Chet, the bastard that runs the local store. He is not interested in helping anyone but his own wallet, and I cannot convince him.
Instead I rob him blind when he's asleep for the night, and then goes back to Trudy and set up our ambush outside the saloon.

The fight goes well; even without the help of Mr Bastard, and we don't lose a single member of the town.

(Yes. I reloaded. As you can see in the last screenshot, Ringo didn't make it in my first try.)

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After the gunfight I take my leave of the good people of Goodsprings, and travel south. I pause just outside town though; remembering an old caravan with a place to sleep.

The next morning's sunrise is spectacular!

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I soon make my way to the outskirts of Primm. I do encounter some more Powder Gangers and a pack of Geckos on the way, but nothing I can't handle.
Primm is apparently overrun by the same group of prisoners that the Powder Gangers consists of... The local NCR outpost has too little personnel to actually go in and clean the town, but they don't forbid me to. So...

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Sneaking and sniping my way over the bridge and into Primm one street at the time, I soon get the upper hand.

In one of the old Casions I encounter the person responsible for the Courier station (and the casino we are standing in!) in Primm. He can't really help me, but gladly barters with me and tells me I can have the funny little robot in his office across the street if I can fix it.
Also, he asks me to rescue the town's deputy sheriff who the convicts have captured and keeps in the other casino.

I do learn one disturbing fact though: Someone set me up to get killed.

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Rescuing the deputy is easier than I thought, although I am very lucky I manage to kill the gang leader before he roasts me to death with that... thing.

The deputy himself is a bit of a cowardly weasel, though.

[Avilan the Grey]

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After fixing up the robot, "ED-E", I talk to the deputy again and now he takes credit for his own rescue! Weasel indeed. I quickly dismisses the idea of blowing his head off his shoulders, and instead decides to make sure he never holds office again. He himself suggests talking to the NCR to restore order in Primm, and that will be my choice.

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...I half expected this to be easy, but of course it isn't. I have to walk to the Mojave Outpost to get them to lend the troops to the local garrison; Lieutenant Hayes doesn't have the manpower to actually take over the town.

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Halfway to the Mojave Outpost I run across (well that is not entirely true; more a case of "spot in the distance") the Jackal Gang. I manage to snipe their leader from 100 yards away, before she spotted us, and the rest of the gang is quickly cleaned out.

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The next encounter proves more challenging indeed. Four radscorpions! I get lucky and with the help of ED-E and an exploding car we take care of them. Unfortunately we also "take care" of a funny-dressed ghoul that just happened to be there. Oh well...

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The statues outside the outpost are impressive indeed and serves as an excellent landmark for miles around.

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The Major behind the counter greets me and agrees to send the troops to Primm. The guy in charge, however, Ranger Jackson, wants me to help cleaning out the critters that block the road north. I try to tell him there were not too much there when I got here, but he insists there are and sends me north again.

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I realize I have not investigated all of the outpost yet and it turns out to be a good decision to not run off north immediately. There are two cuties in the barracks; one behind the bar and one in front of it.

Lacey the bartender has good stuff to barter for, and I get to sell off a lot of heavy loot including the incinerator. Cass is a tough broad but looks cute despite way too much whiskey. Both of them tells me to go up on the roof and talk to "Ghost", who might have a job for me, so I follow their advice.

Ghost turns out to be a woman with very white skin who asks me to go to investigate a cloud of smoke to the east; apparently she expects it means trouble in Lipton, a town in that direction.

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Before heading east I go back to Primm, cleaning out the ants that Ranger Jackson had such trouble with on the way.
After telling the Lieutenant the good news he moves into the town and officially annexes it in the name of the NCR. Law and Order is now restored in Primm!

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On the way to Lipton we encounter first more ants, which isn't much of a problem. However next we encounter more Jackal Gang members and these forces me to use some hard-to-come-by landmines to get by. Even worse, that fight attracts scorpions, including one massive specimen that I can't really hurt with the weapons i carry. I just turn tails to start running, trying to lure it with me towards the outpost, when ED-E fries it!

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Lipton is definitely on fire. And full of crazy people babbling about a lottery.

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It soon turns out that the truth is more disturbing than plain crazy. The Legion is in town and has tortured and executed their way through the townspeople, Powder Gangers and NCR troops there.
One member of the Powder Gangers, who came to town to capture and kill the NCR troopers, "won" second price in the lottery and was therefore allowed to live, but with broken knees. I decide to put him out of his misery, but not too quickly, and beat him to death with my baseball bat.

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Outside the town hall I meet the cause of all this: "Vulpes Inculta", some sort of high-ranking officer in "Caesar's" army. He just wants to talk and decribes in great detail how and why they did what they did. Even though I agree that the townsfolk were scumbags, they did not deserve... this. I smile and nod until he is done and starts walking away with his troops...

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When they have walked a number of yards away I put down the last of my mines on the ground, snipes the maniac in the head and then run for my life.

It isn't much of a battle; it basically consists of me screaming like a little girl and running in circles around the buildings in town, while ED-E shoots the legionaries in the back. I manage to survive, at least and have enacted my own justice on these wicked people.

Before entering the town hall I take mercy on the crucificied victims that are still alive.

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Inside the town hall there is not much to see. I get jumped by a number of dogs who almost gets me; but I get lucky. My lockpick skill is too low and I can't get into any locked doors (except one) so there is not much to find.

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I walk all the way back to the Outpost and get my reward from Ghost and Jackson. After Lipton, however, I do not feel anything but tired, gnawing sickness and hatred, and drown my sorrows alongside Cass at the bar.

[Avilan the Grey]

...New patch for NV 20 minutes ago!
Can't start the game until NVSE (New Vegas Script Extender) has been updated to this version... And then we'll see if any of the mods I am using must be updated too.

On the plus side, it is needed, and a new DLC will be announced early this week.

Edit: They have re-balanced several weapons apparently. The two that really makes a difference is the carbine rifles, who now have a much lower rate of fire... and That Gun who is turned into a slow-firing hand cannon shooting 5.56 ammo.

[Demon 997]

You're out of photo bucket bandwidth, I can't see the photos.

[Avilan the Grey]

You're out of photo bucket bandwidth, I can't see the photos.

I noticed. I honestly didn't think this would happen... I tried Photobucket this time because Imageshack stinks (the page itself is wonky and corrupts both itself and uploaded images). However it has a larger bandwith limit, AFAIR.

Oh well.

[Avilan the Grey]

Next official update will be sunday night, at the latest. However there might be one before that.

I am also toying with switching to Imageshack due to bandwith issues (from now on only, not for the already posted pictures!)

[Avilan the Grey]

Hardcore or Not?

I still haven't made my mind up. I am sticking to Hardcore for the time being but the extra weight that all food and water takes up is really annoying.

Basically my problem is this:

Without Hardcore? Slightly too easy.
With Hardcore? Very frustrating.
Rising difficulty level? Just turns enemies into Bulletsponges ( = False difficulty, and boring).

Any opinions on the matter?

[MrPig]

Am I crazy, or does your character look like Adam Savage? I missed the original thread in case that was already discussed.

[Triscuitable]

Without Hardcore? Slightly too easy.
With Hardcore? Very frustrating.
Rising difficulty level? Just turns enemies into Bulletsponges ( = False difficulty, and boring).

Any opinions on the matter?

Find an overhaul that gets rid of your problem. Hardcore is... a little too hardcore. Not hardcore is a piece of cake. That's why I liked F3's FWE. Much likable balance, cool new weapons, and well used proper needs, stimpacks over time, etc. Nice mod, wish NV had it.

[BladeofOblivion]

Find an overhaul that gets rid of your problem. Hardcore is... a little too hardcore. Not hardcore is a piece of cake. That's why I liked F3's FWE. Much likable balance, cool new weapons, and well used proper needs, stimpacks over time, etc. Nice mod, wish NV had it.

I actually do like Hardcore Mode. Makes Cazadores an absolute pain though, even more so than normal.

[Avilan the Grey]

Am I crazy, or does your character look like Adam Savage? I missed the original thread in case that was already discussed.

Well he did. No longer. :smallsmile:

Edit: as for overhauls... No such luck; I can find only one on the nexus and that one is overly complicated.

[Avilan the Grey]

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I am told to get to Novac, if I want to follow the man who shot me in the head. After a while the road goes through a mountain pass that is made for ambushes.
I spot the ambushers before they spot me though, and snipe the first one without problem.

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...The second one get a little too close for comfort, but she never has time to hurt me.

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Just after passing Ranger Station Charlie, two members of Caesar's Legion runs up to me (!) and proclaims that Caesar has put a prize on my head. I promptly shoot them, of course; they call themselves assassins, but has apparently never learned how to actually assassinate someone.

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I find myself to Novac and the first person I meet is a doctor. Of sorts. A least she promises that if she can't fix my radiation sickness, tomato juice will help. Maybe.

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The SECOND person I meet is totally, utterly, mad. Oh well, at least it's an interesting town...


(Edit: I have now switched to Imageshack, which is a better page due to bandwith policy, but it is quite buggy when you work with it, unfortunately. I have also changed format to 800x600 instead of 1024x768.

[Avilan the Grey]

This thread will be update on and off during the week; I had too fun playing and have 200+ screenshots to sort thru to make sense of the narrative.

[Avilan the Grey]

(I have now turned Hardcore off. Just FYI.)



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Being nosy I decide to pay a visit to a common home and find out something disturbing; someone is killing livestock every night! I promise to look into this but I need to check in to the hotel, first.

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Jeannie May takes good care of me and gives me a decent room to store my gear and sleep. Before actually doing that though I have a number of things to take care of...

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Number one: Get some shopping done. The gift shop in the dinosaur is surprisingly well stocked! I even find a number of mods for my guns; I especially like the Night Scope for my Varmint rifle. This will DEFINITELY come in handy.

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Number two: Keep trying to find leads for the "checkered guy". Manny, the sniper up in the T-rex' mouth tells me he knows something but won't tell me until I help with "the ghoul problem". Fair enough, a favor for a favor.

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Number three: The livestock killer. I camp out by the Brahmin pen over night and soon find the culprit: a deranged "Nightkin" (a kind of Super Mutant, apparently). He is easily dispatched; he apparently didn't think I would see him when he cloaked.

(ED-E gives you a special Perk that allows you to lock on stealthed enemies in VATS!)


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Feeling pretty good about myself I walk back to the hotel after receiving a small reward from the McBride family for saving their cows.

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Deciding to try to talk Manny into telling me where the "checkered man" went I go back up the stairs to the T-rex' mouth but there is another sniper there that works nights.
His name is Boon and at first he is less than happy to see me but after a while he tells me an awful story. Someone unknown in Novac have sold his wife to the Legion!!! I immediately agrees to help him track down who it is and have that person "delivered" to Boone.

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I start snooping around but the first guy I am asked to talk to turns out to be a decent guy; a retired ranger. He asks me to look into the local ranger base though; apparently their radio has gone quiet since I passed through there yesterday.

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The second man I talk to is the raving lunatic. He is actually very helpful and makes me want to check out the safe in the hotel lobby.

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Turns out that the person responsible for this horrible deed is no other than Jeannie May! I trick her to stand in the clear in front of the dinosaur and Boone blows her brains out. A fitting end, I say.

Boon agrees to join me in my travels with a warning; he will kill any member of the Legion he sees. My response is "great!".

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Next morning is a lazy day, although it gets spiced up by two unexpected events: First I run into Victor again, who is on his way to 'Vegas. Then it turns out the ranger base has been taken by the Legion, but they have only left a token force and a message behind. The three of us kills the legionaries without breaking a sweat before heading northwest to deal with the town's ghoul problem.

[Avilan the Grey]

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The "Ghoul Problem" turns out to be complicated; but on the other hand nothing ever seems easy. The local pre-war missile base is overrun by both ferals and something else.
As soon as we make our way into the base we are contacted by a ghoul named Chris that asks us to make it to the top floor. When we finally get there it turns out that he is a deranged human that thinks he is a ghoul because he went bald.

Oh well...

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The local ghoul leader turns out to be a prophet of his own homecooked religion and the first sentient Glowing One I have ever seen. He is very polite but also very scared; it seems "demons" (Nightkin, obviously!) have invaded the basement of the base. We quickly deal with these idiots before returning.

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He is very grateful for the help and tells us that they intend to fly off with the old rockets to a "Great Beyond" but they need more help. I am told to speak to Chris again to see what is needed.

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What is needed is apparently some highly radioactive goo and some controls for the rockets. The goo is located in an unopened barrel (phew!) close to a nest of golden geckos. The control parts for the rockets have been scavenged from the launch pad several years ago by Novac's resident scrap dealer, and she charges me a lot of caps for them... I agree to the price mostly because ED-E suddenly starts "talking" when we enter the scrapyard, and I get too distracted to try to barter.

ED-E apparently had a mission before ending up in Prim as a piece of scrap, and contains some audio logs. "He" will only play one of them though; I will have to look into this later.

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3392/screenshot203u.png

Chris gets ecstatic when I bring back the equipment. Or at least he doesn't call me a creep anymore. I take that. He still haven't figured out that the real ghouls will leave him behind when they take off, but on the other hand I am 99% sure they will die horribly.

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(I failed at getting any decent shots of the rockets launching. Oh well).


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The ghouls send me up to the top of the base to launch the missiles with them inside. Two out of three missiles takes off without a hitch; the third one almost crashes and takes off at a weird angle. I can't tell if it made it or not...

Returning to Novac I tell Manny that the ghouls are no longer a problem, and he tells me to head for Boulder City.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8540/screenshot212.png

Before heading that way we decide to investigate this tower to the north...

[Triscuitable]

Pics didn't upload.

[Avilan the Grey]

Pics didn't upload.

Old post or newer (the last 3) posts?
I switched from photobucket (faster, easier to work with, but with bandwidth limitations) to imageshack (slower to load, buggy page (when uploading and editing pictures) but no bandwidth limit.

If you can't see the pictures in the posts done this week or friday last week, keep hitting reload until they pop up; it is usually not a problem but it can happen.

The older pictures... I am not moving all of them to Imageshack, so if the monthly bandwidth is reached... we all have to live with it.

[Avilan the Grey]

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I am welcomed at the door by a young Lieutenant happy for any kind of reinforcement, even though I am not even an official member of the NCR military.

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Apparently this is some kind of power plant, and she desperately need my help. I wonder why she trusts a random stranger, until I meet the idiot they have put in charge of fixing the thing. I guess anyone, even me, is a better pick...!

His second to command however seems to know what he is doing. However he seems to have a secondary agenda.

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He sends me below to get to the console to control the output to the power grid.
The problem is that the Brotherhood of Steel, who previously held this place, have turned on all the defenses. The basement is full of robots, but it doesn't stop us.

Mr. Rivas had urged me to do two things:
One - do NOT prime the weapon that the NCR doesn't know about.
Two - set up the power grid to reach all communities in the New Vegas area.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5032/screenshot223.png

After talking to Mr. Rivas again (I make a point of ignoring "Fantastic", the amazing moron) I get told to get up in the tower and configure the solar panels...

(Again I missed a good screenshot of the activation of the power plant.)

I got this taken care of and then pick up the trail to Boulder City.

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The trail goes ice cold by the entrance to Boulder City. It turns out we have a hostage situation where members of The Great Khans holds some NCR soldiers. Since I am a more or less neutral person I volunteer to negotiate.

Unfortunately it boils down to feeding the corruption inside the NCR that I try to help stamp out; I have to give 500 caps to the squad leader to buy the freedom of the troops and the lives of the Khans.

[Triscuitable]

Those new pics are great, but the quality is through the roof. Each image must be at least 750KB-1.5MB.

[Avilan the Grey]

Those new pics are great, but the quality is through the roof. Each image must be at least 750KB-1.5MB.

1.4 I think.
Thing is I don't even think about that; I just use the site's built in resizer.

[Triscuitable]

I don't mind. The only problem is it's killing my bandwidth. My friend threw a fit when his OnLive connection was killed while this page loaded. He loves his Homefront.

[Avilan the Grey]

(This is the most fun I have had in this game yet. It is something... addicting about sniping, isn't there?)



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It suddenly strucks me that we never cleaned out the Powder Gangers HQ. Since we have nothing that is breathing down our necks right now we get to it. They are holed up in the prison they took over when they rioted.

This will be my first chance to really try out my pimped varmint rifle (Night Scope, extended mag). Now I only need a silencer...

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We find a safe passage over the mined east ridge (between a fence and a cliff). Inside the perimeter, but far enough away that even a normal scope would be struggling, I start working. Not even Boone can see the targets from this distance which is good since I want to have all the fun.

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I pick the guards in the yard and in the towers off one at a time; I even get a kill on the gate keeper who is standing on the other side of a steel bar gate across the yard. I am feeling quite good about myself.

By the time we are done it is dawn, and I sneak around to the gate without being spotted; it is obvious we actually got all of the guards!

The gate keeper was called Dawes, apparently. His corpse has the keys to the main gate. Jackpot!

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Inside the visitors center things get a little bit messy.

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Out on the courtyard I spot one guard that we missed during the night. Luckily I manage to pick him off before he notices me.

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We continue across the yard to the cell blocks where things get messy again. We rescue an Electrocity engineer that was held hostage for some reason.

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We then continue across the yard again to the administrative building. For some reason we get very lucky and I manage to kill the leader of the gang when I spot him sitting in a chair in the clinic on the bottom floor talking to an underling. They never see us coming.

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His bodyguards hears the commotion though and comes running from upstairs. Things get... messy. Again.

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On the way back out we can count the loot; a great armor and a lot of cool shades. What's not to like?
Not really knowing where to go next we decide to take the advice from the caravan girl we found in that outpost. She suggested to find the HQ for the Crimson Caravan company and ask for work there. Let's do that!

[Avilan the Grey]

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Going north we stumble across a newly established trading post that "sprouted" because of the giant ants on the old route.

We meet a very cute girl named Veronica who wanted to tag along, but we declined her offer, at least for the time being.

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There is a general merchant but there are TWO arms dealers in the intersection, one ex-NCR soldier and one member of the Gun Runners. The latter is not pleased to see us at first until I show him that I now my way around guns.

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The Gun Runner sells a silencer for my varmint rifle! It is now completely pimped out with both Night Scope, Silencer and extra large clip. I am a happy, happy sniper.

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Just before reaching the Crimson Caravan we come across the "leftovers" of an ambushed caravan. No survivors, but whoever did it used energy weapons and nothing but. I do manage to scavenge a combat armor.

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It suddenly strikes me that the Gun Runners Vegas HQ is close by and we make a detour. I find a scope and laser guide for That Gun and gets all happy all over again.
I also find a scope, an extended mag and a faster firing mechanism for my hunting rifle I picked up at the trading post and that will be my new main daytime weapon. It makes me all warm inside...!

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Alice, who runs the local branch of the Crimson Caravan is very happy to see us and have indeed a number of tasks for us to perform.
The first task is a simple one. Run over to the local NCR base and deliver an invoice to a scientist there. We do so and are in the process hired by him to investigate Vault 22.

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On the way back we are stopped by his assistant who urges us to also look for her friend, who was the last person sent to the vault.

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Alice's next job is to send us back to the Mojave outpost to talk to Cass, of all people. Apparently she wants to buy whatever is left of her company.

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After some tricky negotiating involving among other things alcohol, Cass agrees to sell. She is also interested in joining me, but only if I get rid of Boone, for some reason.

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Boone agrees to go back to Novac for now and Cass, ED-E and I set off back north to see what else we can do for the Crimson Caravan.

But first, Cass asks me to do her a favor and visit the site where her caravan was attacked. I agree, and we head that way.

[Avilan the Grey]

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Long story short we crisscross the area around New Vegas looking for evidence to find out who has been attacking at least three caravans in the area lately. It turns out that it's the Van Graffs, a weapon dealing family that deals exclusively in Energy weapons and Alice, from The Crimson Caravan . Cass wants revenge, but I argue we should find out what's going on first.

In the meantime we look for more work and the creepy twins that owns the Atomic Wrangler in Freeside has some minor tasks for us. First of all we are told to collect some debts.
All three people that own them money pays up quickly and without a fuss when we arrive at their respective locations in Freeside.

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We also decide to visit The King, the man who runs Freeside. He, too, has some minor tasks for us, like figuring out how a man named Orris keep getting all the bodyguard jobs.
It turns out that he provides fake attackers to make himself look skillful. I scare him off and then report back to the King, who is grateful.

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...Oh, and we run in to an old friend again; I wish him luck.

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Anyway, The King now wants to know the cause of unreast between the NCR people and the Kings and locals. We are sent out to investigate and our best lead is at the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside.

The men attacked there points us to a local NCR house within Freeside borders and when we get there we find out that the NCR actually has tried to send emergency rations to the locals in Freeside, but that The Kings has beaten and robbed those who tried to talk to them about deliver those.

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When we go back to the King one of his underlings, a man called "Pacer" tries to talk us into not talk to the King about this. To me, that sounds very very fishy indeed, so we just smile and nod and promise not to tell, and then tell anyway as soon as he is out of earshot.

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The King is very interested in these news and thanks to that we manage to stop a firefight between NCR troops and The Kings in Freeside! The King also gives us a fake passport to the Strip itself!

I have a feeling Pacer will end up dead at some point. Either by me, or The King.

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(I didn't post any pictures about this quest here although they are probably SFW)

The other twin working at The Atomic Wrangler asks us to round up three or four unique people that are willing to perform "services" on customers: One ghoul, one cowboy, one smooth talker and one... sexbot?

We take care of this quite easily.

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We make our way to the Strip and the Tops casino. Benny ("The Checkered Suit") is not entirely happy to see me. For some reason.

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We agree to talk things over in private but he takes off and sends his goons after us. Luckily I managed to smuggle my 9mm in with me, and Cass grabs a pool cue and goes to town on the goons! Things get... messy. Yet again.

[Alaris]

Ah, yes. I remember my fight with Benny's bodyguards. Boone grabbed a poolcue in my original playthrough and killed them all... by himself... it was awesome.

[Avilan the Grey]

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Searching the apartment I find this... thing. "Yes Man" is very helpful and almost talks me into running off and taking over New Vegas right then and there.

Then I remember two things: I have WAY too much to do before it comes to that and Benny ran off with the platinum chip (which Yes Man explains is a data storage device that can be used to take over Mr House's securitrons).

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/3726/screenshot314.png

(You level fast here; basically everything that has to do with the main plot gives you a gazillion XP so yes, I have actually leveled up some 3 times in about 2 hours).

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When I leave The Topps Casino I am stopped by a man that claims to work for Caesar and tells me to meet him (Caesar) in their main camp. He also says something about Caesar being merciful because he wants to talk to me and warns me that this is a one-time chance.

I am very proud of myself for not blowing his brains out right there. Apparently Benny ran off to the legion anyway, so I need to go that way. Now I have to make a decision (for later) whether or not to go in and kill everything or talk to Caesar first, and then kill everything. One thing is certain, Caesar will die.

Just after that man left, an agent for the NCR also comes up to me and gives me a letter, urging me to go to the NRC camp just across from Caeasar's camp. This is getting interesting...

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Victor lets me into the Lucky 38 that is obviously not used as a Casino anymore; the place is completely empty except for robots (including one that has the transfered personality of Mr House's pre-war girlfriend, apparently!), and a big screen that shows a picture of Mr House. He berates me for letting Benny get away with his chip, and urges me to go find him. What is disturbing though is that he forbids me to attack the Legion because "Caesar is useful to him".

Mr House just signed his death warrant. Cooperating with the Legion on this level is unforgivable. Of course I won't kill him YET, I have things to do first.

Awfully nice of him to give me the whole penthouse as my own apartment, though.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3092/screenshot317a.png

Outside the casino I meet another Follower of the Apocalypse, who pays me to bug Mr House's network. I do that, but the bug only lasts a few seconds before being detected and destroyed automatically. The lady from the Followers thank me anyway.

http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/111/screenshot318.png

Right then, across the street, I spot a bounty... The psycho twins at The Atomic Wrangler have put a price on this guy's head, and I am happy to oblige.

Easy cash.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/8929/screenshot320.png

I then pay a quick visit to the NRC embassy, and am asked by the ambassador himself to contact the "Boomers" to see if they are willing to aid against the Legion at the upcoming battle at Hoover Dam. I agree to do so.

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Assembling Goodwill is all nice, but we are getting very short on caps, and I remember a note I have in my pocket about a position at Randall & Associates as a professional Bounty Hunter.

We travel to their local HQ and applies for the job. It goes very well.

(This is the Quest Mod "New Vegas Bounties I".)

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/7648/screenshot325e.png

On the way to catch our first badguy, we stumble over the Sunset Sarsapparilla bottling plant Cass reminds me that Alice from the CC is prepared to pay to sabotage the bottle cap machine inside.

It is an easy job, the plant is only guarded by a few old clunky robots.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/7726/screenshot326.png

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/8114/screenshot327.png

Our first bounty is a man called Tom Quigley, an ex-NCR sniper who went crazy with syphilis and now hides in the hills and shoots anyone that comes by. I have been warned that he is an excellent marksman despite his condition, but we are in luck; I spot him in my scope just as he is distracted, sniping two golden geckos that are walking towards his position.

I put one right in his ear just as he shoots the geckos.

I take his finger and his gun, a very good .44 carbine. And the gecko hides, of course.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8223/screenshot329.png

We return to Randall, who pays us the bounty of 250 caps and gives us a new assignment: Someone other than the Van Graffs has also been targeting caravans lately. This is a special job since it is up to me to find out who; the bounty is for killing whoever is behind it but as for now that person or group is unknown.

[Avilan the Grey]

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3003/screenshot331.png

We decide to go meet the Boomers first. We get some expensive advice from this man who promises to pay back double what we paid him (300 caps!) if we come back alive.

...Which reminds me, we really need to go talk to him.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7171/screenshot332q.png

The reason for the wager turns out to be very obvious. The Boomers have artillery, and they use it on ANYONE that approaches their home. We manage to survive by running as fast as we can along a cliff wall and then make a by-line to the fence.

The Boomer guard is very surprised to see us alive. Nevertheless they escort me to their eldest, Mother Pearl.

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It turns out that she wants to open her society up a little bit to strangers and asks me if I can help out with a few small things on the base. Most important there is an ant nest by the solar panels, and the panels needs to be fixed, too.

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We go Ant-hunting, which proves to be less of a challenge. They die like flies, basically.

I realize we need spare parts for the solar array, and already know where to find them: The power plant we fixed for the NCR a few days ago. We do a quick run there to grab the parts and then back, turning the power plant back on again.

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5302/screenshot345.png

Raquel, who we first met by the gate when we entered the Boomer territory to begin with, is pleased to see the power plant back online, and admits that her initial impression of me might have been wrong.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4463/screenshot346l.png

After fixing the solar panels and taking care of the ant problem we head over to the small hospital to see if we can help Unfortunately neither me nor Cass is skilled enough to be of use, so we go to the "museum" instead to find out about the Boomer's history.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5803/screenshot347.png

Young Pete explains that they originally came from Vault 34, which was stocked with weapons but got fed up when the Overseer wanted to enact a Gun Control program. As Pete puts it "He wouldn't let us blow anything up!" so they left and took about half of the armory with them. After cutting their way through raiders and monsters with ease, they found, and settled on, the old air force base. They made good use of the artillery left there since the war, and the rest, as you might say, is history.

Oh and their dream is to renovate an old bomber and blow people up from the sky.

For now it is clear we haven't got enough diplomatic clout to convince the Boomers to join with the NCR in the upcoming battle, so we leave and promise to return later.

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Instead we track down our next bounty. After much tracking we find out who is behind the attacks. When we are getting close we spot two monstrous beings are spotted between us and the target.

Deathclaws.

Using my scope to look it turns out it's only one adult, and one young one. But it's bad enough anyway. Since we are too far away for them to have spotted us, I take a potshot with my hunting rifle.
One hit, one kill. The older Deathclaw collapses without a head!
I LOVE this gun.

The guy himself is an easy kill... 500 caps!

http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/9015/screenshot351.png

We immediately go back to Randall and get our reward, and pick up the next bounty. This time it's a real monster. A female raider that is part of the Fiends, has a bounty placed on her head.
We immediately set off for her finger, and stop by the Gun Runners again on the way.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2384/screenshot352g.png

I find a new armor and gives my old combat armor to Cass. She looks good in it.

[James the Dark]

Just as an aside, if you check First Recon's tent in Macarren, you can find a half-busted Sniper rifle on one of the beds. Silenced sniper much? Otherwise, entertaining. Not the choices I would have made, but hey, it's your LP.

[Avilan the Grey]

Just as an aside, if you check First Recon's tent in Macarren, you can find a half-busted Sniper rifle on one of the beds. Silenced sniper much? Otherwise, entertaining. Not the choices I would have made, but hey, it's your LP.

Ah thanks for the tip. Right now I am busting my ass to get my good graces back with the NCR after Cass' Quest (you piss them off quite a lot), so I am right in the area doing quests for them.

Question: Is the sniper rifle still "bugged" like in FO3, where in VATS it's less accurate than the hunting rifle (but more accurate outside VATS). I must say that it seems the ordinary hunting rifle is both more accurate, and much more powerful, than in FO3.

[James the Dark]

I couldn't tell you. I don't use a Sniper in VATS in FO:NV. But yes, considering the upping of caliber. Remember that the Hunting rifle in FO3 is a .32, while this is a .308, like the Sniper. I know that I favor the Sniper because when you slap a Silence on it, and can line up shots from a half-mile away (you need both strength and a Guns of 75 to get that accuracy), it's beyond worth it. There's nothing quite like the slow-mo of blugging a Deathclaw in the brainpan with one shot, and all of the other ones freaking out because one of them dropped, but having no idea which way to start murdering.

Strike that. Much better is murdering The Camp. Quietly. Wait, why did you lose NCR rep with Cass? I thought it was Crimson Caravan rep that you lose?
Eh. There's lots of jobs to get NCR rep, especially if you haven't pissed them off too much and can get access to There Stands The Grass and You Put A Spell On Me, as well as No, Not Much and Restoring Hope. There's a lot more places to get NCR rep than there is for Legion, but they're a bunch of overly-evil buggers anyway, so **** 'em.

[Caewil]

Yeah, the sniper rifle is epic. Silenced, you can take out cottonwood cove and nelson really easily. Then the fort itself isn't too hard either. Plus Caesar obligingly lines up for a kill shot the second you enter his tent.

[Avilan the Grey]

.308. That explains it.

I do one-shot deathclaws from a half a mile away with the hunting rifle (as you see in my screenshot). From that distance silencer doesn't matter (except it makes you feel more like god :smallwink:) since you are too far away to be detected by any enemy.

Anyway, I don't know why, but killing Alice (blew her head off) for setting up Cass to be murdered, working with the Legion AND paying the Van Graffs to hit rogue caravans sank my rep with NCR from "Accepted" to "Sneering Punk".

[Avilan the Grey]

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On the way back from the Boomers (to Freeside) we get caught in a sandstorm and have to wait for it to pass.

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Back in Freeside we break into the Crimson Caravan's safe to look for evidence of criminal activities, and find some juicy stuff. However when I try the same at Van Graffs I find that their place is way too heavily protected, so I try another approach: I take a job there as a door guard to see if I get an opportunity later...

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They are happy enough with me as a guard for me to get a promotion to errand boy. I have to run across half the Mojave to deliver a message to someone I suspect to be a Legionare... I keep my mouth shut and deliver the message for now.

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Coming back from that little roadtrip I am told by Gloria Van Graff, who hired me, to talk to her partner.

He wants me to bring Cass to him for "talks" (he doesn't know she is my partner) and I immediately get suspicious. I have been around long enough that I know what "talk" usually means and she IS the last member of an ambushed caravan...

I realize where this is heading and I also realize I cannot hope to protect Cass, or even stay alive, in here. When you enter the Van Graff's, you are completely surrounded by men with heavy-duty energy weapons. We have to take this, as the saying goes, outside.

I excuse myself, go outside and tell Cass to come with me. I then walk away from the door guard, about to the middle of the street. Then I turn around and blow his head off.

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Immediately almost all the guards from inside comes rushing out, guns drawn, to see what the heck is going on. We mow them down without any real difficulty now when they come single file and cannot surround us.

It is really quite a massacre.

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Back inside the store only the two managers and one guard is left; they die after putting up a brave but futile fight.

I then proceed to loot every. singe. thing. from their store, and bodies. Oh and I get their evidence from their safe, too.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2517/screenshot371n.png

Cass is not overjoyed; I can see her point though because she wanted to do exactly this from the beginning and I talked her out of it since I thought we could get NCR or someone else to do this the legal, non-violent way. Oh well.

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After this little adventure it's off to CC to deal with Alice once and for all.

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I just walk right in, and kill her. No ifs or buts.

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/4199/screenshot378.png

[Triscuitable]

Dude, these images are impossible for me to load on a 2MBPS connection.

[Avilan the Grey]

Dude, these images are impossible for me to load on a 2MBPS connection.

I think it's more a matter of your connection not actually being 2MBit (as in you pay for 2Mbit but it's not fulfilling it'd promise). I have loaded these posts with a 2Mbit, 7,5Mbit, 10Mbit and 100MBit connections and yes you have to wait about 10-15 seconds for a 2Mbit to load all the images.

Edit: For my next playthrough I am thinking Female. BUT...
Melee or Unarmed? Which one is better?

[Triscuitable]

Stupid Comcast and their lying boasts...

[Spartacus]

Typically companies say they give up to a certain number of bits. Rather pointless, that.

[Alaris]

I think it's more a matter of your connection not actually being 2MBit (as in you pay for 2Mbit but it's not fulfilling it'd promise). I have loaded these posts with a 2Mbit, 7,5Mbit, 10Mbit and 100MBit connections and yes you have to wait about 10-15 seconds for a 2Mbit to load all the images.

Edit: For my next playthrough I am thinking Female. BUT...
Melee or Unarmed? Which one is better?

I'm gonna do unarmed on my next playthrough. I really wanna try it, never did an unarmed guy before.

[Triscuitable]

Melee is always a blast. Try doing it with a katana. I used plenty of mods in F3 to recreate Shinobu Jakobs from No More Heroes in Fallout 3, using the following:

- Beware of Girl's Albino African Americans (for the hairstyles, which were hard to find otherwise)
- Type 3 Bodies (because normal bodies look stupid)
- A random katana mod I found on the Nexus
- Ultimate Perks Pack
- Beware of Girl's Goth Girl Dress

And the usual Unnoficial patch, Fallout Wanderer's edition, AHUD, Custom Hud, and Darn's Darnified User Interface, for kicks.

There was also a mod that resulted in only decapitations with slashing weapons, I spent roughly an hour coding the katana to work with the mod. It also made heads pop from bludgeoning weapons as well, but I never used the sledge.

[Avilan the Grey]

Melee is always a blast. Try doing it with a katana. I used plenty of mods in F3 to recreate Shinobu Jakobs from No More Heroes in Fallout 3, using the following:

- Beware of Girl's Albino African Americans (for the hairstyles, which were hard to find otherwise)
- Type 3 Bodies (because normal bodies look stupid)
- A random katana mod I found on the Nexus
- Ultimate Perks Pack
- Beware of Girl's Goth Girl Dress

And the usual Unnoficial patch, Fallout Wanderer's edition, AHUD, Custom Hud, and Darn's Darnified User Interface, for kicks.

There was also a mod that resulted in only decapitations with slashing weapons, I spent roughly an hour coding the katana to work with the mod. It also made heads pop from bludgeoning weapons as well, but I never used the sledge.

I love the type 3 bodies EXCEPT that not a single one has made a decent job with the neck seam. The default bodies doesn't look as good, but the neck seam is nowhere near as visible. I know that you can't get rid of it; the game engine stinks in that regard (as it does in many other) but you CAN do a much better job at it.

[Foeofthelance]

Anyway, I don't know why, but killing Alice (blew her head off) for setting up Cass to be murdered, working with the Legion AND paying the Van Graffs to hit rogue caravans sank my rep with NCR from "Accepted" to "Sneering Punk".


Well, the Crimson Caravan and Van Graff's actually work fork the NCR, so picking fights with them also affects your NCR rep. You basically just killed their two largest supporters, and screwed up an ambush op meant to take out a few of the Legion's supporters. Working with the Legion itself is another big no-no, since the Legion is basically the NCR's biggest antagonist.

[Avilan the Grey]

Well, the Crimson Caravan and Van Graff's actually work fork the NCR, so picking fights with them also affects your NCR rep. You basically just killed their two largest supporters, and screwed up an ambush op meant to take out a few of the Legion's supporters. Working with the Legion itself is another big no-no, since the Legion is basically the NCR's biggest antagonist.

Well their BIGGEST supporter is the Gun Runners.

As for the rest... Ah. Not that it matters; their support is not worth an innocent woman's life (I kill evil people. Both Alice and the Van Graffs are evil). No matter, there is enough work to get my rep back up.

Oh and it's official: The guy who designed Vault 34 should get the Legion treatment! I HATE Vault 34!

[Triscuitable]

I love the type 3 bodies EXCEPT that not a single one has made a decent job with the neck seam. The default bodies doesn't look as good, but the neck seam is nowhere near as visible. I know that you can't get rid of it; the game engine stinks in that regard (as it does in many other) but you CAN do a much better job at it.

Ah, yes. I used Ling's Coiffure (or whatever it's called) to solve that. It also made the eyes and facial structure much nicer.

[Avilan the Grey]

Ah, yes. I used Ling's Coiffure (or whatever it's called) to solve that. It also made the eyes and facial structure much nicer.

I'll have to look at that.



http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1636/screenshot380.png
Just outside the Crimson Caravan is a clinic that I failed to notice before. Doctor Usanagi offers cybernetic implants, but I don't have the money at the moment.

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Instead we rush away to collect another bounty; a new gang leader. He really goes down quickly, but outside the old jail another bounty hunter tries to kill us for "stealing his jobs". It doesn't end well for him. We then go back to Randall, get another assignment (apparently a new drug dealer is making himself known and the Great Khans wants him out of the picture).

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We find the drug dealer's lair close to the place where we found the rocket fuel for the ghouls earlier.

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His bodyguard is not happy to see us... But he parted with a very nice assault rifle that he called "My Little Friend".

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Before running back to Randall, we decide to see if we can better ourselves in the eyes of the NCR. Luckily for us the New Vegas base is full of work... and the first job we get is another bounty, or three, actually! Three Fiends that are exceptionally nasty.

[Alaris]

I'll have to look at that.


[COLOR="DarkRed"]


Short update, but good nontheless. Hope to see more in the future.

How do you start the bounty quests, by the way? I have the mod installed, but I have no clue how to go about starting it?

[Avilan the Grey]

Short update, but good nontheless. Hope to see more in the future.

How do you start the bounty quests, by the way? I have the mod installed, but I have no clue how to go about starting it?

A quest should show up in your quest list. Pick it and the quest mark will settle on Randall's hut.


Ah, yes. I used Ling's Coiffure (or whatever it's called) to solve that. It also made the eyes and facial structure much nicer.

...I don't see anything there that helps with the issue of the extremely obvious neck seam on all type 3 bodies?

[Avilan the Grey]

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/8828/screenshot391.png

Well, we go Fiend-huntin'!

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I soon collect the three heads. I also talk to another NCR officer who has an unofficial bounty on their leader; he has sent a lone ranger to get him but that ranger has not yet returned. He marks the place of their base (an old vault) on my map and off we go!

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1603/screenshot395.png

We get rudely greeted when we enter their base.

(So rudely, in fact, that I can't post that screenshot here)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2342/screenshot396k.png

We fight out way through the vault. Then this happens. I think it is the combination of a Fiend jacked up on Jet, with a flamer, in a room with a gas leak and mines. In any way what looks like a tough fight suddenly solves itself, when everybody in the room explodes.
All we have to do is to loot the bodies afterwards.

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/4466/screenshot397.png

[Avilan the Grey]

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After a while we find the lost ranger. Ironically he was two doors away from the entrance to the vault.

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After helping him escape, we go after Motor-runner, the Fiend leader. We find him at the very bottom of the vault. He has no time reacting; we just kick his door open and shoot him as he sits on his idiotic "throne".

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Going back to the base I am told to talk to Col. Hsu for Motor-runner's bounty. He also knows of more work to be done so he sends me on to Capt. Curtis. He in turn sends me on to Lt. Boyd.

Lt. Boyd gives me the clues I need to catch the spy (go to the tower after midnight) but she also has problem cracking a prisoner from the Legion. Too bad she doesn't trust me enough to help her.

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Waiting for the night I decide to take a walk around the base.

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We hide in the tower and listen in on the radio transmission the spy makes. Then we run back to Col. Hsu and he is very pleased.

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We also have been investigating Sgt. Contreras for stealing weapons and are happy to report to Boyd about our findings.

Oh and we have to return to the Gun Runner's salesbooth; we have so much to carry we can hardly move.

[Avilan the Grey]

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Camp Forlorn Hope. Sad. Hopeless. Doomed.

This is their words, not mine. I see a well fortified camp with a quite well-trained NCR force. It appears that Morale is a big problem, so am tasked to talk to Major Polatli. Apparently they have no rations left and are on the brink of starving. He asks me to track down the group of soldiers he sent out to bring home food from the NCR post at that solar powerplant I visited earlier. I agree.

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/2443/screenshot413.png

Before we can do anything, ED-E starts talking again. Apparently reaching this outpost has triggered his programming. It's a lot of science talk.

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We make our way back to the solar power plant and they can report that the group of soldiers had been there and has been sent back with provisions.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5634/screenshot415z.png

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7747/screenshot416.png

...Here's a tip for the Great Caesar: If you want to extend a hand for talks, like you did with me, you might not want to ambush me and then get pissy when I kill your men.

We found the provisions and the soldiers. Dead, of course. As we stood there the Legion sprung an ambush on us, but they were too few and too badly armed.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2120/screenshot417p.png

We make it back to camp with the food. Polatli is pleased and asks me if I can help out the doctor. Apparently my reputation is less than stellar still, but the doctor agrees to letting me help with the patients.
We manage to save the life of all his patients, and then we go back to Polatli once again.

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Finally some real action. We are sent to help with the liberation of this other town, that has been taken over by the Legion. We are to meet up with Sergeant Cooper, who is less than pleased to see us, for some reason.

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Anyway, the force stationed in the town is far smaller than we thought and we fight through them very quickly. We even manages to save the lives of the NCR troops that have been crucified at the town center!

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It takes us several minutes to find the commander of the enemy troops though. It turns out that "Dead Sea", the self-proclaimed badass Legion commander has been hiding in a house since we started our attack! I have no mercy for him or his bodyguards.

[Triaxx]

You do know that taking the evidence of the saboteur to Hsu doesn't save the monorail, right? Or is this just from the stand point of the character?

[Avilan the Grey]

You do know that taking the evidence of the saboteur to Hsu doesn't save the monorail, right? Or is this just from the stand point of the character?

Oh he saved the monorail; I just forgot to screenshot it.

[billtodamax]

I'm quite enjoying this. Keep it up.

[Avilan the Grey]

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/9960/screenshot428.png

After all this I move out to a big NCR base which used to be on the front but now is used for training of recruits and some basic intelligence gathering.

The drill sergeant has trouble with one squad and asks me "as a non-authority figure" to talk to them.

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The first member of the group is Poindexter, a young man who had intended to use his high intellect to coast through and don't do anything dangerous.
I have no respect for him whatsoever, and leaves.

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The second member I talk to is Mags; she seems to have a plan I agree with: To actually give this group of boiled cabbage some proper training.

I summon them all to the shooting range and give them a quick basic rundown. They appreciate it very much and actually seems to bond together as a unit.

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I also get the quest from the comm officer to go on a trek to deliver the new codes for the radio to the local Ranger camps. Lots of walking, but ok.

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I start by going south, and taking some pot-shots on the way... The recruit legionaries do not have anything worth looting, really, but it's fun killing them from 200 yards away and just leaving their corpses to rot.

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After a while I come across an old mine. Outside the entrance there is an old parkinglot, and from there I have a perfect view over a killing field. Lots of legionaries, most of them asleep!

The inside of the mine is turned into a legion prison. I kill all the guards and free the NCR prisoners I encounter before going south.

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I walk too far south, pursuing a number of fire geckos, and come across this... a HUGE legion camp.

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I am not stupid enough to go any closer, but it is a good way of testing my skill. The legionaries are ALMOST out of range, but I manage to snipe at least 10 of them without them ever finding out where the shots come from!

I then turn west towards the Ranger camp I am supposed to reach.

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Suddenly ED-E starts talking again, but this time it's not... "him". A Brotherhood Of Steel scribe has somehow hacked the signal and is using ED-E's speaker to talk to me; he is asking me to bring ED-E to him so he can analyze it.

I can't reply, of course, but I am not sure I will do this. Time will tell.

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Listening to this scribe almost makes a Legion officer take us by surprise. Luckily enough we get unexpected help by a scantly clad woman with a big handgun. This is the third time or so she has shown herself and she always disappears before I have a chance of asking her who she is...? It is all very strange!

[Avilan the Grey]

Not dead, I swear. Update on Sunday evening, Swedish time.

[Triaxx]

So... that's like early Thursday? ;)

Can't wait.

[Avilan the Grey]

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Leaving my personal killing field behind, we find the next outpost. This one is manned by ghouls! NCR is apparently okay with training and equipping ghouls, something I very much agree with.

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After leaving the outpost we wander without a goal for a while and stumble on the Hoover Dam. This is not our destination at the moment, so we turn around and find other things to do.

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Suddenly I remember the tip from the Boomers: Vault 34!
Unfortunately it is now heavily radiated, but I found a space suit somewhere and I go back to my presidential suite and get it before setting off on this dangerous expedition.

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It is cramped. Dark. And it seems the Boomers were the lucky ones leaving the vault when they did. Everyone here has become feral ghouls, or worse. Still, their instinct is to protect the gun vault with their lives, although they are in a state where they can't possibly know why anymore.

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Tons of guns. Tons of ammo. I am one happy sniper! There is ONE box though, that I can't get open. Unfortunately that means that I will have to go back at a later time to get it. At least the ferals will be dead, then...

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...Going back "home", we realize that the messenger from Caesar is still hanging around the strip. Since I have lost all illusions of Caesar's honesty after the ambush on me after promising me otherwise, I put a bullet in his brain on the way to the flat.

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After sleeping and eating and living the good life for a few days we set out to the next ranger outpost.

They are not very friendly...

[Avilan the Grey]

Update delayed because of well... holiday.
Will be posted some time today.

[Alaris]

I await the update...

[Avilan the Grey]

Short update because since we had a long weekend (thursday - monday) I was doing other things, really.



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Sometimes warnings are cryptic. This is not one of those times.
I got a job to do here; one of the scientists at the NCR HQ wanted this investigated. At the same time his assistant wants me to find the previous person sent to investigate this vault, if possible.

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Already outside the vault unusual critters starts appearing.

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Inside it quickly turns into a nightmare. These plants have... changed the people here into something... else.

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Soon I pick up the trail of the scientist recently sent here. I assume she too has been killed, but it turns out I am wrong!

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Keely (as her name is) and I quickly realize we have come to the same conclusion: This place must be purged!
She uses the air vents to fill the lower levels with explosive gas, and it's my job to get down there and set it on fire...

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It works well, but ED-E isn't too happy about being turned into a fireball. Of course if he would have listened to me and stayed away from the vents... Oh well, no permanent harm done!

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We also agree that we should destroy the data rather than letting it fall into NCR hands.

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Now when all this is done, I decide to reach the last Ranger Outpost before turning back. I mistakenly thought it was an easy route but there is no pass through the mountains from the side I am on, and in my searches for one I come across more and more of those big stinger bugs.

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We finally have to seek shelter in an old moonshine shack. The owner was lying dead outside, killed by those things, but they don't seem to want to come inside.
We will sleep here tonight and tomorrow we will have to walk the long way around.

[Avilan the Grey]

Update postponed due to Real Life (tm) again...

Unexpected visitor this weekend, and I will work on Cogwheels and Colts, a Savage Worlds Steampunk Western adventure / setting for a gaming convention that takes place in 17 days, so updates will be short and irregular in the meantime.

[Avilan the Grey]

Please don't give up on me, if you are still interested...!

I was all prepared to play yesterday and then... well let's put it this way:

Windows 7 BSOD on me.
If anyone recalls my adventures in the radioactive vault you might notice that the water was very ugly. Turns out it was my graphic drivers that (for some reason) could render everything but the water.

I installed new ones that worked then, and worked fine with ME2... Then suddenly yesterday first I got a BSOD in Sims 3, then two lockups and then a new BSOD in an hour trying to play FO:NV.

This was yesterday morning. Now it suddenly works fine again, but I didn't have time to actually do any playing yesterday.

I will be back next weekend with an update! I PROMISE!!

[Triaxx]

Definitely, it's worth waiting for.

[Alaris]

I agree. Worth waiting for... but don't keep us waiting forever. ^_^

[Avilan the Grey]

Well thank you for the vote of confidence :smallsmile:

Update Sunday nigh for sure. We have another holiday coming up (Midsummer's Eve on Friday) but since it's on a Friday it won't interfere with "Gaming Sunday".

[Avilan the Grey]

Prelude of sorts, no pictures


After resting in the shed for the night, it was clear to us in the morning that we can't walk across the mountains. We need to go back down and take the long way around. Let's just hope those flying bugs aren't awake...

We also talked about going back to the radioactive vault but decided we probably won't be able to unlock that last crate yet. I need to practice more.

Setting off in the morning we start following the steep hillside to the right... hoping to get to the Ranger station eventually.

[Alaris]

Well, it's an update, like promised. Not a large one, not really fulfilling, but it is an update nonetheless.

Hopefully the next one will be longer, and include pics+stuff. ^_^

[Avilan the Grey]

Well, it's an update, like promised. Not a large one, not really fulfilling, but it is an update nonetheless.

Hopefully the next one will be longer, and include pics+stuff. ^_^

I got selfish yesterday; I got a new phone (HTC Incredible S) and spent WAY too much time fiddling with that, plus teaching my wife how to use her iPhone. By the time I put it down and started playing it was 11:30pm. So all I did so far was to walk down the hill and looking right...

New post tomorrow! WITH PICTURES!

[Alaris]

Okay, I can't blame you for that. I'm getting a new cell phone tomorrow, and I expect to be learning about all its new features over the course of a couple of hours.

So yeah, I can wait. Hopeful for your new update tomorrow.

[Triaxx]

Heh, I get a new phone every couple years or so. Mainly because I keep doing stupid things and busting them. Heh...

Washed one, dropped one in a pig pen, ran the third one over with a lawnmower.

Thus is why I don't spend a lot on phones.

[Alaris]

Yeah, Verizon was offering a free "Kin Two or Kin One" this weekend, with 2 yr contract of course. Can't argue with that. FREE!

[Avilan the Grey]

I could have switched provider and got free surf (2Mbit) but it's a matter of priorities for me: Staying with the one I have gives other benefits:

1. Much better coverage, which is important when visiting my parents or my sister who live on the countryside.

2. Free calls to everyone else on the same provider, and a quick calculation shows that 80% of the people I talk to for any amount of time has the same provider.

3. And... 1Gb data is definitely enough for me, plus it's faster if I really have to do something (6Mbit).

Anyway...



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Immediately when leaving the hut we get ambushed by 6 bugs at once. Luckily I'm not alone and Cass and ED-E helps me dispatch of them surprisingly quickly. They don't manage to hit us even once!

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Slowly making our way down to the feet of the hills we find more Fiends. Not much of a challenge, and not even much loot; we are carrying too much as it is!

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We discover a door into the hill that we do not have a key for... Weird.

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Sneaking through Fiend territory we soon find ourselves in a place we recognize: The spot where we killed the deranged sniper; one of our first bounty kills.

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Following the the hills we stumble across a cave with fire geckos outside. Cass points out that there are probably more of them inside as we enter it... She's right, of course. Now let's see what else is in here!

[Avilan the Grey]

I am sorry I forgot to mention that this weekend was the Con in question (mentioned above). Nice meeting new people. Of course it's a very small Con in a small town (total guest count just about 100 people).

This year's theme was Western so me and my friend co-wrote and co-hosted a table-top RPG (Savage Worlds) Steampunk Western adventure.

We are now back on schedule with this let's play...!

[Avilan the Grey]

Well... Not much of an update.
I played the game for 3 hours and could not find a way to Ranger Base Foxtrot. The last thing that happened was that I fell down a cliff I didn't even see and died, and have to start over. At least I now where I won't go...

I got so pissed off that I instead played Sims 3 all day...

Can someone PLEASE tell me how to get there? It seems to be on top of a mountain, but I find no (I mean NO) way up, anywhere!

[Triaxx]

Two options. First, you can try working your way south along the mountains from Vault 22, or you can head up and around to Jacobstown and work through the mountains towards it. The latter is how I got there. Accidentally.

[Avilan the Grey]

Two options. First, you can try working your way south along the mountains from Vault 22, or you can head up and around to Jacobstown and work through the mountains towards it. The latter is how I got there. Accidentally.

I haven't got a marker for Jacobstown, and I am already south of the damned thing. I need to go Northwest...!

[Sharoth]

There is a road that goes towards Jacobstown. Going towards that, there is a dirt road on your left. To get to that road, look for the Followers safehoure and Vault 22. I will do some further research when I get home and the wife gets off the TV. ~grins~ The road is visible on your map, and it is behind Red Rock Canyon. Follow the road if you want to avoid the bugs.

[Avilan the Grey]

There is a road that goes towards Jacobstown. Going towards that, there is a dirt road on your left. To get to that road, look for the Followers safehoure and Vault 22. I will do some further research when I get home and the wife gets off the TV. ~grins~ The road is visible on your map, and it is behind Red Rock Canyon. Follow the road if you want to avoid the bugs.

Thanks! I'll try again...

[Triaxx]

Got the marker for the Vegas North Gate? Head out that way and you'll be able to find the road. It seems to run off into nowhere in the northwest region of the map.

[billtodamax]

Foxtrot! *shakes fist*

Yeah, I had the same problem - I tried to go straight at it from the Sunset Sassaparilla factory, but I'd just be killed by the c-bugs (Their names escape me).

If you look on the pipboy map carefully you can actually see the large highway you need to get onto - it's in the top of the map.

[Avilan the Grey]

Foxtrot! *shakes fist*

Yeah, I had the same problem - I tried to go straight at it from the Sunset Sassaparilla factory, but I'd just be killed by the c-bugs (Their names escape me).

If you look on the pipboy map carefully you can actually see the large highway you need to get onto - it's in the top of the map.

Ah, thank you very much. :smallsmile::smallsmile::smallcool:
Then I will go back to playing this and give you an update soon.

[Avilan the Grey]

Thanks for the tips everyone! Found my way there...

SHORT update coming in a few hours, but expect a short update every other day. I am BACK. :smallbiggrin:

[Avilan the Grey]

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Well nothing in here except fire geckos. They roughs us up pretty badly; I stupidly let them come close, but we slaughter them all and explore the cave.

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We find one single thing of interest in this damn cave: A dead supermutant master. He is carrying something very interesting though!!

After looting the body, we make our way out of this place.

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Something tells me we have been going about finding the Rangers the wrong way; literary. Let's try a northern approach! We travel back to the raided caravan and see if we can follow the road from there.

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When we arrive there we start trekking north, and soon discover an abandoned farm to the east, and a road leading into the mountains to the west. The farm contains absolutely nothing of interest, so we quickly make our way westward.

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At first I don't realize why this place feels... weird. Then I realize what it is! The trees are alive! Not dead or half-dead... alive!

There are several points of interest here, including an old mine, but we decide to find the rangers first and explore later.

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Comm Officer Lenk is a nice quiet girl that first panics because she thinks I will make her pay up a debt. I assure her that is not the case and she tells me a sad story: Her whole unit got crucified, except her, and while trying to forget all that she lost all her money and more at one of the casinos in New Vegas.

I don't tell her anything but I might have to punish those people later...

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This is apparently Great Khan land. I will be careful, but I think I should investigate further...

[Avilan the Grey]

Short update, mostly because of just jumping around, so nothing really happened...



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Deciding to follow the call of duty first, before exploring, we go back to Forlorn Hope to report.
We are quickly asked to report back to the outposts to investigate the most ridiculous rumors.

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The rumors are quckly disproven, but that leaves us with the question: Why would the man at Camp Golf lie? I think there is a dog buried here somewhere...

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Before going to Camp Golf we decided to take a detour back to Vault 34. I now possess the skills to open that last box in the armory, and I have a feeling it will be something good inside!

...Time to put on the old space suit again!

[Avilan the Grey]

I got stuck with the "Return To Sender" bug, where Hanlon never kills himself. Not sure what to do about it; no suggestions I have tried so far works.

Anyway, a short update up to that point will be posted later today.

[Avilan the Grey]

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I decided we needed to go on a shopping trip before doing anything else, so we pay a visit to some gun shops. First the official Gun Runners outlet where we only had ammo...

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Then the gun store at the 108 overpass where they sold a silencer for my 12.7 mm gun!

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After popping a bunch of RAD-X we dive back into the horrors of Vault 34. This time we can plunder all in the vault.

The Marksman Carbine is... lovely. Now if I could find some mods for it...

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...Back home where we switch to more efficient clothing again and then off to Camp Golf!

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Chief Hanlon is a nice old man completely off his rocker. I tell him I know what he has been doing, and he asks me to follow him to his office. There he admits falsifying reports "to keep the troops alive". His arguments doesn't really make sense; the only thing he has managed to accomplice is that the troops have low morale, while Caesar builds his forces. I tell him I will bring him in, and he asks me to get someone to arrest him. Then he locks the door and... nothing.

Not sure what to do now, really.


(Damn bugs. Apparently sometimes, of pure luck, the quest re-activate spontaneously. Not yet for me. He is supposed to shoot himself...

According to some people there is a console command you can use to get the "quest completed" text, but that only makes him walk off and not drop the loot that marks him as "dead".
Another suggestion is to sneak attack him and hide until everything calms down again (3 days). That will make the rest of the NCR think he killed himself.

Any tips from you guys?)

[billtodamax]

Sneak attacking him won't make the NCR angry at you if you kill him in one hit. So no need to wait.

[Avilan the Grey]

Sneak attacking him won't make the NCR angry at you if you kill him in one hit. So no need to wait.

Good to know. Of course I will have to install a Console mod to get through the locked door (well known fact: you cannot bring down the console with the default key on ASUS laptops in any games made with this engine).

[Triaxx]

Really? Didn't know that. What's bound there that causes a problem?

[Avilan the Grey]

Really? Didn't know that. What's bound there that causes a problem?

NO idea. It's the same in DA1 / 2 btw, despite different company and engine(s).

Come to think of it - It has something to do with how they implement non-english keyboards. I have never tried it, but it supposedly works on US and UK keyboards but not on any other kind.