# Fallout 3 starting tips? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 1, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564 "2009-07-01T10:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/121 "2009-07-06T18:33:43Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > Dogmeat isn’t at the Scrapyard! I really wanted him too… ☹ Mrs G and I found that while playing, if you are close enough to “discover” the scrapyard map icon but then leave the area or map-travel somewhere else, then Dogmeat will often disappear. Make sure that you fully explore the Scrapyard on your _first_ discovery of it. We noticed this since her play style (from Oblivion) is to roam and uncover map icons, and then explore them later. In contrast, mine is to never leave a new icon unexplored. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/122 "2009-07-06T18:44:37Z")
Darn, maybe that’s what happened. I even tried using a “resurrect” cheat, but I still haven’t found him. When I arrive there, there are two Outcast guys and a robot fighting raiders. No dog is fighting. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/123 "2009-07-06T18:53:19Z")
Okay, I see. The battle going on when I arrived was against Talon Mercs, and there was a different fight between raiders and Dogmeat inside. I found him! ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/124 "2009-07-08T06:30:21Z")
Precious, what is DLC, and where do I get them? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/125 "2009-07-08T06:38:28Z")
> [@CrazyChop](#): > > Precious, what is DLC, and where do I get them? Darling, DLC is “Down-Loadable Content” (i.e., like expansion packs, consisting of extra missions), and sweetcheeks, you can download them straight to your machine. That is, honeybuns, unless you are using a PS3, because they haven’t finished tailoring the DLC’s for the PS3 machine yet. They keep telling us “soon, soon my pets”. For us PS3 lusers, the first one should be ready within about 3 weeks, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/126 "2009-07-08T06:42:01Z")
Actually, as I play through the main quest, here is one ‘build’ that can make your life easier. 1. Get Repair to 25 2. Get Explosive to 25 3. Do the water leaks in Megaton 4. Tell the sheriff about the guy in the saloon (you get a Assault Rifle) 5. Possibly do something about the bomb 6. Go to wherever your father is going - there you will be able to loot lots of guns and ammo without getting into a fight I never did get the Firelance random event at the barn, and I got sick of saving/loading. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/127 "2009-07-08T06:43:23Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Darling, DLC is “Down-Loadable Content” (i.e., like expansion packs, consisting of extra missions), and sweetcheeks, you can download them straight to your machine. That is, honeybuns, unless you are using a PS3, because they haven’t finished tailoring the DLC’s for the PS3 machine yet. They keep telling us “soon, soon my pets”. For us PS3 lusers, the first one should be ready within about 3 weeks, I guess. The first two DLCs (_Operation: Anchorage_ and _The Pitt_) have been released on DVD for standalone sale; at least here in Australia the cost to buy them on DVD is exactly the same (or near enough as to make no real difference) as downloading them. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/128 "2009-07-08T06:49:21Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > The first two DLCs (_Operation: Anchorage_ and _The Pitt_) have been released on DVD for standalone sale; at least here in Australia the cost to buy them on DVD is exactly the same (or near enough as to make no real difference) as downloading them. Wow, I hadn’t heard that. I wonder if the Oz disc would work on my Japanese machine, running Korean software? ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/129 "2009-07-08T07:37:47Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Wow, I hadn’t heard that. I wonder if the Oz disc would work on my Japanese machine, running Korean software? I read that the language you will get is tied to your gamertag. (At least if you d/l from Windows Games Live) ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/130 "2009-07-09T15:37:34Z")
Brahmin tipping: Find a solitary Brahmin. Sneak next to it while unarmed. While crouched, interact with it to tip it over. Brahmin-tipping [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7VadZaJbqQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.totalvideogames.com%2FFallout-3%2Fcheats%2F18348.html&feature=player_embedded) ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/131 "2009-07-10T05:39:44Z")
Later in the game you get a chance to pick up the **Animal Friend** perk. You need a CH of 6. I find this is one of the more useful perks; it means that you don’t get attacked by dogs, molerats, Yau Ghi (or however you spell that) which is very soothing. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/132 "2009-07-10T12:27:20Z")
I’d actually argue that it’s one of the least useful perks. Dogs and molerats are minor annoyances, at best. Yao Guai can be sploded real nice with a few shotgun shells to the face, and they yield good exp for not much risk at all. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/133 "2009-07-10T12:47:43Z")
Whatever you do don’t take the second rank of the perk. Totally useless, since animals are already friendly to you and will attack aggressors anyway. A smattering of 10mm usually sorts out annoying critters, no need really to waste a perk on it. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/134 "2009-07-10T12:56:35Z")
Last night, I did the… oh, heck, I’ll spoiler it: Declaration of Independence quest.. Anyway, the other relic hunter has a special weapon, and I was hoping to pick it up should she “accidentally” die (I wasn’t going to kill her, but I wasn’t going out of my way to help her, either). In the middle of one firefight, though, she just vanished- I couldn’t find her anywhere. Never saw her again, not when I zoned, and not when I turned in the quest. Very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/135 "2009-07-10T13:04:43Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Last night, I did the… oh, heck, I’ll spoiler it: > > Declaration of Independence quest.. > > Anyway, the other relic hunter has a special weapon, and I was hoping to pick it up should she “accidentally” die (I wasn’t going to kill her, but I wasn’t going out of my way to help her, either). In the middle of one firefight, though, she just vanished- I couldn’t find her anywhere. Never saw her again, not when I zoned, and not when I turned in the quest. Very annoying. You know you can get her gun without killing her right? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/136 "2009-07-10T13:23:24Z")
Oh, and, if I do say so myself, I think that [the guide I wrote on perks](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10405769&postcount=193) is pretty decent. It was pre-Broken Steel though, so Intense Training is less than totally useful as BS has a perk that gets all your skills up to 9. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/137 "2009-07-10T16:03:00Z")
That’s a nice guide, **FinnAgain**. Could you link to the thread it was in please? There may be additional useful stuff there. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/138 "2009-07-10T16:17:19Z")
Thanks. When you click on the link for the post, you’ll see the thread’s name in the upper right hand corner of the post box as a hyperlink, that’ll take you to the thread in general. ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/139 "2009-07-10T16:21:52Z")
That’s a neat guide, **FinnAgain**. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564/140 "2009-07-10T18:27:57Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > I’d actually argue that it’s one of the least useful perks. Dogs and molerats are minor annoyances, at best. Yao Guai can be sploded real nice with a few shotgun shells to the face, and they yield good exp for not much risk at all. Depends on your build. Right now I’m playing a nerd/mechanic build with low charisma and minimal combat skills. I rely almost entirely on my robot companions from the RobCo Certified perk to do the fighting for me, and in the early game when bots and fission batteries were in short supply, crossing the wasteland was a terrifying proposition which involved fleeing at top speed from almost everything or cowering on top of rocks from Yao Guais and hoping a tasty Raider would wander by to distract them. Any non-combat build will find Animal Friend a very useful perk. [A picture of me and my robohomies chillin’ in the subway tunnels.](http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/4778/screenshot0.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-3-starting-tips/501564.md?page=8)