Fallout 3 Impressions Thread - Progress: Complete (Main Quest)

My name is Verb. My world is fire and blood.

Once, I was a vault boy. A forsaken son searching for a righteous cause.

As the world fell, each of us, in our own way, was broken.

It was hard to know who was more crazy: Me, or everyone else.


Stealing Independence

During my immutable trek across this infernal wasteland, I was tasked by a man in Rivet City to retrieve an important historical document--the Declaration of Independence, guarded within the National Archives.

Normally, I wouldn't have committed myself to such a meaningless task, but over the past few sessions, I've reduced myself to mercenary status. Caps are everything.

Unsurprisingly, the Archives were heavily occupied with Super Mutants. Much to my dismay, however, they all happened to be Brutes, save for a couple. Regular Super Mutants are easy enough to handle--even my 10mm pistol can pick them off rather nicely, but the Brutes are bona fide bullet sponges. My favorite strategy is to run and hide behind a closed door, lay down a few mines, and lure them over for a volatile surprise.

Before I infiltrated the Archives themselves, however, I came across a chick called Sydney, who was in the middle of fighting off a bunch of Super Mutants herself. I tripped on a few of her mines, but I swept up most of them. I like how I get a small experience boost for every mine that I sweep. After I assisted her, killing off the last of the Mutants, she told me that she was searching for the DoI as well.

She also told me that she knows her way around the Archive up to a point, and that I would be wise to partner up with her. Instantly, I had a bad feeling. Flashbacks of Half-Life 2, where my AI allies got themselves killed, came rushing back. I didn't want to lead Sydney into danger, considering that, in all likelihood, she's going to die--that's just how it goes for me whenever I have AI partners. I'm not the best teammate. On the other hand, I didn't want to be totally lost, either.

Not to mention, there was the looming fear that she might be a double agent--there's no real reason I should trust her.

Regardless, after thinking about it, I decided I'd take her up. If she betrays me, I can make sure she'll regret it. I just made sure not to ask her any personal questions, so as to not get too attached before she inevitably bites the dust.

I rather dislike her anyway. Not that I don't appreciate her company--she has a special SMG, so she has been invaluable in combat situations. However, she's none too bright. She didn't pack any Stimpaks for herself whatsoever--I'm always the one who has to pass her one, and if I don't, she calls me a jerk. Not to mention, she's always going on about how "drunk" she's going to get once we finally recover the Declaration. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long mission.


Sydney had a number of close calls, but she survived the ordeal. For a moment, I was starting to think this mission was a tad out of my league--a sentry bot deep within the Archives did me in early, because I wasn't prepared.

No matter what I told her, Sydney would simply not stay put. Every time an enemy appeared, she left her post and tried to get a few shots in, which almost got her killed at least twice. It's like she thinks I'm made out of Stimpaks.

I retrieved the Magna Carta, as well as the Bill of Rights. Whether or not they are replicas or the real deal is unbeknownst to me.

The Declaration was guarded by a protectron who claimed to be one of the original signatures of the document: Mr. Button Gwinnett. Amusingly, the robot was sporting a powdered wig. Instead of destroying him, however, I elected to listen to what he had to say. He seemed oblivious to the time period, and mentioned something about the "redcoats" a number of times. He's convinced that the redcoats want to steal the document from the Archives, and he's not going to hand it over to us unless I help him forge the document first, in order to "trick the redocats."

In order to do that, I need a special ink (I hope he has some spare parchment on him). The ink is in an entirely different location, to my annoyance, but nonetheless, I agreed to help.

Sydney was less sympathetic--she thinks the protectron is simply "malfunctioning," and would rather we blow him up and steal the Declaration for ourselves. I'll do it the hard way, though, as always. Sydney can fuck off.


As I headed back to Megaton to regroup, I was unpleasantly surprised to see that Sydney had followed me. I guess she's my permanent partner, now. Or at least, until the remainder of the mission. She even slept in my home (or, rather, stood over my bed as I was sleeping like a fucking creeper).

This is less than desired.

It's one thing having to baby her all throughout the Archives--I honestly thought she was going to stay there and wait until I came back with the ink. That would actually make sense. But no, she's going to follow me around everywhere I go? I don't think so.

For now, I'm just having her stay at my place. Seems like a better place to stay than the creepy-ass Archives, anyway. I just can't have her following me everywhere, leeching off all my Stimpaks and shit.


phew

Okay, doesn't look like I'll be finishing by December, but yeah, I'm playing again.

It really has been a while, I don't remember these quests at all

Sydney on my playthrough killed herself. The dumb bitch stepped on one of her own mines and exploded in a bloody mess. I got her SMG that I never used at all and stored it in my house.

Anyways in that room where you talk to the robot, I ended up telling the robot that he's not actually who he is and that I'm taking the document. I destroyed him and every other protectron in there.

I feel like I've far outgrown this leather armor, but I don't want to replace it with something stronger, because it looks so cool.

<_<

All right, game just up and froze on me. First time it's ever done that.

Thankfully I saved shortly before it happened.

Finally found myself a decent source of caps. I'll go into that later.

QUESTION:

What should I put in my home in Megaton first?
A jukebox, an infirmary, a laboratory, a Nuka-Cola machine, or a workbench?

Workbench seems pointless, considering Craterside Supply has one almost next door.

Finally found myself a decent source of caps. I'll go into that later.

QUESTION:

What should I put in my home in Megaton first?
A jukebox, an infirmary, a laboratory, a Nuka-Cola machine, or a workbench?

Workbench seems pointless, considering Craterside Supply has one almost next door.

Infirmary will heal you to the max and uncripple you. I think it also gives you stimpacks but I don't remember.

The laboratory gives you a random chem each day but since you're all "hurr durr I'm straight edge" in a video game, you might not want that.

So I went to Arlington Library to pick up some ink, like Button asked me to. I ended up witnessing some pretty fucked up shit there, and I kinda wish I took Sydney with me, if not just for company. Fortunately, however, it ended up being one of the most fruitful looting sites I've had so far.

The area is secured by members of the Brotherhood. Well, mostly. As I went through the far reaches of the facility, I spotted a group of paladins trying to fight off some raiders--three of them died. Absolutely shameful, considering that they all had power armor.

I met a woman earlier on who's willing to give me 100 caps(!) for every pre-war book that I find in perfect condition. I had collected at least eight of them in the library, so that was an easy 800 caps right there. I'll definitely have to keep this spot in mind.

What I found particularly disturbing about this library, however, was just the horrible sights within. This game can get a little over-the-top with its gruesome imagery, and it tends to beat the "nuclear war is bad" message into your skull repeatedly. The imagery I speak of, of course, can be found in the remains of the children's section of the library, where you can find the burned remnants of small children--they're blackened skeletons, strewn across the floor. What the fuck. Sometimes I think this game tries too hard--I don't like the fact that you can blast dogs' heads clean off, for example--but this time, I wasn't quite sure what to think. On one hand, having dead children's skeletons lying about gives a poignant message on the cruelty, callousness, and indiscriminate nature of war. On the other, the game has already done a good job of doing that, and maybe we don't need any more grisly reminders--especially when no one wants to see a dead child's remains in a video game designed for entertainment. Eh, maybe I'm just thinking too much.

It's a powerful image and an important message, but man, that probably would've fucked me up as a kid.

Anyways, I found the ink container and hauled my ass out of there back to Megaton. After meeting up with Sydney (who greeted me oh-so-politely by saying, "What a nutjob...") I went back to the National Archives and had Button forge the Declaration for me.

Then I headed straight to Rivet City to return the documents I found: The Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, and of course, the Declaration of Independence (forged). After we got paid, Sydney departed to a place called "Underworld"--which, funnily enough, is where I was head next.


As I was departing Rivet City, I noticed a couple wanderers and raiders having a firefight outside. I just wanted to head back to Megaton to store the guns I bought (I picked up a fat man and a sniper rifle, and I'm very happy with the sniper rifle), but I decided to help the wanderer out. I had a sniper now to test out, after all. It worked marvelously.

I looked up to the wanderer, and I discovered that she was actually Sydney. She sustained some injuries during the fight, but since we weren't partners anymore, I couldn't pass her along any Stimpaks. Suddenly, there was a MASSIVE explosion that broke two of my limbs--during the fight, one of the cars (or something, I don't even know) must have caught fire and caused a chain reaction. It almost killed both of us. I simply watched as Sydney limped off into the nearest metro.


Scientific Pursuits

I decided I'd make some progress with the main quest for a bit. I headed off to Project Purity to find my dad. It was a similar experience to what I had in Vault 106--just a very big, dark, unsettling place, filled with dumbass Super Mutants.

After exploring for awhile, I picked up a bunch of holotapes with dad's recordings on them.

He's headed off to another vault, which is located FAAAAAR to the west, and I have no waypoints.
I put this mission on hold.


Later, I received a radio distress signal from a few guys who call themselves Reilly's Rangers just before I entered the National Archives (or maybe it was Arlington Library--can't remember). It led me to a place called the Underworld--a city of ghouls. I was just wondering, too, whether female ghouls existed, and they do.

I found Reilly in the Chop Shop, the Underworld's hospital. She's comatose, and I don't have a high enough medicine skill to help her convalesce. I can have the doctor try to force her awake, but that seems dangerous, so... no. This will have to wait until the next time I level up, which should be very shortly.

I spent the next hour or so just talking with the rest of the ghouls in the city. Now I understand what the ghouls are.


I did meet up with Sydney again, in a tavern (of course). Though she's too tired of the wasteland to partner up with me again, she's become an ammunition vendor, which is nice. I promised myself I wasn't going to form any sort of attachment to her at all, but I can't help but feel glad that she made it out okay. I feel like most players would've gotten her killed by now.

Later, I met a ghoul called Mr. Crowley (awesome Black Sabbath reference).
He has some grievances. I'll go into him later on tonight. He gave me an interesting mission.


TL;DR

Completed "Stealing Independence".
Made some progress on "Scientific Pursuits".
Made some progress on "Reilly's Rangers".
New quest: "You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head".

Quests

You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head

☐ Kill Dave and get his key.
☐ Kill Ted Strayer and get his key.
☐ Kill Dukov and get his key.
☐ Kill Allistair Tenpenny.

Scientific Pursuits

☐ Gain access to Vault 112.
☑ Listen to Dad's personal journal entry 10.
☑ Search Dad's holotapes for clues to his location.
☑ Look for Dad in Project Purity's Control Room.

Reilly's Rangers (ACTIVE)

☐ Find Reilly in Underworld inside the Museum of History.

Wasteland Survival Guide

☐ Install the processor widget in the RobCo production facility mainframe.
☑ (Optional) Uncover Rivet City's true history.
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Check other sources to confirm Rivet City's history.
☑ Learn the history of Rivet City.
☑ Return to Moira with your injuries.
☑ (Optional) Receive a crippling injury.
☑ Become seriously injured (50% health or less).
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Do not kill any Mirelurks in the Anchorage War Memorial.
☑ Place the observer in a spawning pod in the Anchorage War Memorial.
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Test the repellent on seven more Mole Rats.
☑ Test the repellent on three Mole Rats.
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Bring a landmine to Moira.
☑ Travel to the playground in Minefield.
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Contract more severe radiation sickness (600 rads).
☑ Contract radiation sickness (200 rads).
☑ Return to Moira.
☑ (Optional) Find medicine in the Super-Duper Mart.
☑ Find food in the Super-Duper Mart.

Those!

☐ Find Bryan Wilks's father.

Big Trouble in Big Town

☐ Rescue the Big Town captives from the Super Mutants.
☑ Ask the people of Big Town about their captured friends.

Aiding the Outcasts

☐ Investigate the Outcast Radio Signal

Not of This World

☐ Investigate the strange radio frequency coming from the Wasteland.

Into The Pitt

☐ Find the source of the radio transmissions.

The Local Flavor

☐ Investigate the riverboat.

Completed Quests

Stealing Independence
The Replicated Man
Galaxy News Radio
Blood Ties
Following in His Footsteps
The Power of the Atom
Escape!
Future Imperfect
Growing Up Fast
Baby Steps

What I found particularly disturbing about this library, however, was just the horrible sights within. This game can get a little over-the-top with its gruesome imagery, and it tends to beat the "nuclear war is bad" message into your skull repeatedly. The imagery I speak of, of course, can be found in the remains of the children's section of the library, where you can find the burned remnants of small children--they're blackened skeletons, strewn across the floor. What the fuck. Sometimes I think this game tries too hard--I don't like the fact that you can blast dogs' heads clean off, for example--but this time, I wasn't quite sure what to think. On what hand, having dead children's skeletons lying about gives a poignant message on the cruelty, callousness, and indiscriminate nature of war. On the other, the game has already done a good job of doing that, and maybe we don't need any more grisly reminders--especially when no one wants to see a dead child's remains in a video game designed for entertainment. Eh, maybe I'm just thinking too much.

It's a powerful image and an important message, but man, that probably would've fucked me up as a kid.

I just think you're too sensitive. Child skeletons are hardly anything to get horrified about, and the decapitations in the game are borderline cartoonish. I mean, maybe that's a result of me playing the game when I was 13, but I don't see it as anything that gruesome.

I just think you're too sensitive. Child skeletons are hardly anything to get horrified about, and the decapitations in the game are borderline cartoonish. I mean, maybe that's a result of me playing the game when I was 13, but I don't see it as anything that gruesome.

I don't think it's that, really. If I were that sensitive, I'd have stopped playing a long time ago. There's just some things you don't really expect to see. I wasn't really "horrified" by what I saw--just kinda bummed out. Like, "...Damn..."

And yeah, it's the cartoonishness of the decapitations that I'm not a fan of. It's almost worse than having them be realistic, because it just seems like they're almost... glorifying it?... A little bit?... I don't know. It's just not my thing. Violence has its place, but there's a point where it just gets silly and gratuitous, and I feel like this game likes to toe that line a bit.

you don't have to agree with me, those are just my thoughts

needless to say, i won't be getting the Bloody Mess perk any time soon

Yeah. I saw skeletons of kids as just being there for authenticity (I hesitate to say realism in an alternate history where science advanced but culture remained stagnant for 120 years). I don't think it's any partocular war is bad message.

Plus, it's kind of offset by the fact that kids are unkillable in the game. Kind of annoying, really. My hackin' and whackin' and slashin' playthrough of massacring Megaton will simply never feel complete while two of the annoying twats remain alive.

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Any plans on playing New Vegas after your done? New Vegas is a far better game.

I have Dark Souls, Halo 2, and Borderlands (order not established) coming up next, but yeah, I'll end up playing it sometime.

All right, about Mister Crowley...

I met this ghoul in Underworld, and he gave me a pretty conflicting mission. The ghouls are a "race" of people who are highly discriminated against. They get harassed by a lot of people, including Brotherhood of Steel folks (another reason not to like them, Luci), and they've designated themselves a home in Underworld, away from the outside world.

Mister Crowley here is fed up with it. I met him at the same tavern I caught up with Sydney at, and he's trying to talk me into assassinating four people he has labeled "bigots" who "don't deserve to live."

These people are Dukov, Allistair Tenpenny, Ted Strayer, and some guy named Dave.

I'm worried about this quest--I have absolutely no business in killing people just because they're bigots. That doesn't really seem like a good enough reason to end someone's life, to be completely honest.

I've met Dukov. He's a disgusting drunk chauvinist pig who hides in his little whorehouse doing nothing of value, so I wouldn't really mind it if he were dead. However, he's still pretty harmless. He keeps to himself, and his whores seem willing to be with him, so there's no legitimate reason to kill him, even if he is a bigot.

I've only heard Tenpenny by name. His name was written on a note I found on the body of some Talon Company prick that I killed, so clearly, he's bad news. I could probably kill him and not feel bad about it, whoever he is.

I can't believe Ted Strayer is on this hit list. He seemed like a pretty chill guy when I met him in Rivet City. It would be difficult for me to kill him for any reason.

I don't know who this "Dave" person is, but judging by his quotidian name, he's probably harmless.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna go through with this mission. I don't want to taint my karma level--I haven't lost any karma since this playthrough began, and I don't want to lose it by being some dude's hitman.

However, most of this game's quests so far have shown themselves to be a little bit deeper than what they appear to be at face value. Perhaps I can meet up with these people and talk them out of their bigotry, somehow. There has to be some "good guy" way out of this--the game wouldn't just have you kill for such petty reasons, would it?

Hmm.


Considering heading back to Big Town or Grayditch. I think I should be strong enough by now.

Maybe I'll get the Entomologist perk to help fight those ants.

Talk to the named ghouls around Underworld. Sometimes they have interesting information.

Talk to the named ghouls around Underworld. Sometimes they have interesting information.

ye, i made sure to

how has fallout 4 been treating you, out of curiosity

Talk to the named ghouls around Underworld. Sometimes they have interesting information.

ye, i made sure to

how has fallout 4 been treating you, out of curiosity

Starting quests can change dialogue in NPCs. Just like having extremely high or extremely low karma can result in surprises. So some of them might have new things to say now.

Pretty well thus far. Going to do two runs, but my first so far is looking like it's going to go full hardass.

Talk to the named ghouls around Underworld. Sometimes they have interesting information.

ye, i made sure to

how has fallout 4 been treating you, out of curiosity

Starting quests can change dialogue in NPCs. Just like having extremely high or extremely low karma can result in surprises. So some of them might have new things to say now.

Pretty well thus far. Going to do two runs, but my first so far is looking like it's going to go full hardass.

HATE NEWSPAPERS

Tenpenny is the guy who wanted Megaton nuked.

Talk to the named ghouls around Underworld. Sometimes they have interesting information.

ye, i made sure to

how has fallout 4 been treating you, out of curiosity

Starting quests can change dialogue in NPCs. Just like having extremely high or extremely low karma can result in surprises. So some of them might have new things to say now.

Pretty well thus far. Going to do two runs, but my first so far is looking like it's going to go full hardass.

HATE NEWSPAPERS

Reminder to SARCASTIC at Nick every opportunity you have

I love sniper rifles.

Anyway, I think I have the value of each skill down pat, in terms of their general importance.

God tier: Lockpick > Repair > Science > Sneak
Good tier: Medicine > Small Guns > Barter > Speech
Bad tier: Explosives > Energy Weapons > Big Guns
Shit tier: Melee Weapons > Unarmed

Does anyone else agree?

Medicine is pretty borderline god-tier, actually. Hard to say if I'd place it over Sneak or not.

Shishkebab is still my favorite weapon, but the fact that I have to invest some in Melee Weapons every few levels just to keep it relevant kinda sucks. I need the big four (lockpick, repair, science, and either sneak or medicine) a lot.

I got finals to study for, so updates will be slow again for a bit.

You can kill Dukov and his whores too. That's what I did. Just don't fast travel to his place. As far as I know, he's not really an important character at all. Oh, and I think you can talk Dukov into giving you his key so you can lie to Mr Crowley that you did kill him even though you didn't.

Whenever I fast travelled there, there was always a group of Mirelurks or Deathclaws hanging out by Dukov's building. It might be different in your playthrough idk.

You're going to really enjoy the next quest

You're going to really enjoy the next quest

which

Whenever I fast travelled there, there was always a group of Mirelurks or Deathclaws hanging out by Dukov's building. It might be different in your playthrough idk.

Yeah, that was because...

Quest Spoilers Ahead

After the Enclave make their appearance at the Jefferson Memorial/Purifier a mini Enclave base is supposed to be set up outside Dukov's place. Prior, the Enclave Controlled Deathclaw just spawns as a normal one with no cage or Enclave shit present, I think to save time coding all the crap to appear.

i shall resume play on saturday, if not tomorrow night

i shall resume play on saturday, if not tomorrow night

hahaha
funny

I'm playing right now, though.

I spoke with Dukov and Ted Strayer, two of the guys Mr. Crowley wants me to kill, and they gave me their keys. As I stated the last time I played, I have no interest in being this guy's hitman, so I'm gonna have to lie to him. I don't know how to feel about that. Letting these people live is probably a good thing--but lying to achieve monetary gain is pretty shitty, too. Eh, whatever--I'm in a fucking wasteland. It's easy to justify selfish acts every once in awhile.

I still have to find Dave and Tenpenny.


I'm on the verge of leveling up, and once I do, I think I'm going to get the perk that lets you kill bugs easier.
That way, I'll be able to do the Those! quest a bit easier.

Also, fuck the guy who wrote Dukov's dialogue. That guy's annoying as fuck--I wanted to just snipe him so bad.

OOOOOOOH HYPE

So, like I said, I was trying to level up so I could get the Entomologist perk. Instead of grinding mindlessly, I thought I'd just head to a new place where I'd expect to get a lot of experience points (and loot): RobCo. Moira wanted me to head there anyway to see if I can hack the Protectrons in the facility, so that ended up working out perfectly.

When I added back to Megaton, I was excited to hear what the final chapter of Moira's survival guide was going to be about--because I am SO done with this fucking quest at this point.

Turns out, she wants me to head to Arlington Library and pick up a few holotapes.

OH
LOOKS LIKE I WAS ALREADY THERE!

That means I'm finally done with this fucking quest. The survival guide is done.
YES

I got lots of cool shit for doing that, too. Man, I'm glad that's done with, though.