# Fallout 4: Now Playing **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [November 9, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122 "2015-11-09T18:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/701 "2015-12-06T15:46:39Z")
I haven’t had as much trouble with companions blowing stealth as I thought I would. The enemies seem oddly oblivious to Curie wandering in and out of sight around a corner while I crouch in my Chameleon armor and line up a shot. Although they WILL notice my companions sooner than they’d notice me (who they can practically trip over these days). Once the fighting starts though companions will engage and ruin my chances to hide again. If it’s ever a real big deal, you can just back up some and command them to park it while you go do sneaky stuff. So, yeah, they do hurt your sneakiness but not as incompetently as I would have guessed/feared. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/702 "2015-12-06T16:10:44Z")
> [@buckgully](#): > > I just ran into a very annoying bug. > > The one jerky BoS guy told me to clear out the Coast Guard Pier, but I’d already cleared it earlier in the game. Before this, with other sites I’d already cleared, I could basically just turn in the quest right there. This time it didn’t let me. > > So I went back to the CG station and killed a couple of super mutants, and the map said [cleared], but the quest marker doesn’t go away and whenever I go back to the Cambridge police station Jerky McJerkface tells me to get out there and do my job. > > Other people appear to have also run into this, and you can fix it on the PC by going into the console and typing a command, but I’m playing on the Xbox One. So for now that side quest is stuck until Bethesda fixes it, if they ever do. Bethesda announced first patch now in beta last week ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/703 "2015-12-06T17:31:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I don’t know if the fight actually plays out if you’re not there. I don’t know if there’s a fight, but, _something_ happens. I forgot about a “settlement under attack” warning, and later on, I didn’t have anymore the option to help defend it and one settler was dead. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/704 "2015-12-06T17:54:20Z")
1. Companions: Who’s the best one in your opinion (including Dogmeat)? Told Piper to go to Sanctuary Hill. Can’t find her there anymore. Any ideas? 1. I haven’t had problems with my settlements being attacked. The only one I develop is Sanctuary Hill since I see little point in developing the others. Is there one? I just make sure that the defense rating is higher than the food+water rating. That seems to be enough. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/705 "2015-12-06T18:38:07Z")
I’ve already decided to side against the BOS, but I haven’t openly turned on them yet… I’m enjoying taking their scribes out on “research missions” and deliberately getting them killed. What does the Lorenzo’s Artifact gun do? I got it this morning and chucked it in a trunk without even test firing it. I, frankly, half-assed my way through that whole quest. Mostly, I wanted to nail the 400-and-some year old cougar mom, and was distracted by that. How would things have been different if I had sided with Lorenzo? More importantly, now that the quest is over can I go back and nail the mother? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/706 "2015-12-06T18:38:32Z")
You can build a bell in your settlement. Ring it and everyone in town will come over for your impromptu town meeting. Easiest way to find a “lost” companion who’s sleeping in a bed somewhere. Also, Dogmeat will shack up in a doghouse in case you’re ever looking for him. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/707 "2015-12-06T19:08:50Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > 1. Companions: Who’s the best one in your opinion (including Dogmeat)? Strong, because he can carry 270 pounds while most companions only carry around 150 pounds. Turns out, Strong is strong. He’s also pretty badass in combat. I gave him Grognak’s Axe from the comic book shop. Only downside is he disapproves of lots of common activities like lockpicking, hacking, and entering power armor. But he loves murder and mayhem. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/708 "2015-12-06T21:08:46Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > 1. I haven’t had problems with my settlements being attacked. The only one I develop is Sanctuary Hill since I see little point in developing the others. Is there one? > > I just make sure that the defense rating is higher than the food+water rating. That seems to be enough. I had a death claw wander into sanctuary while I was unloading. I had just grabbed everything from dogmeat to sort into boxes so I was way overweight. My turrets and settlers managed to kill it before I had even managed to get to somewhere I could shoot at it. I was so proud _sniff_ [QUOTE=Rigamarole] Some good things to sell for caps, aside from the crappy .38 ammo, include but are not limited to: - Pre-war money - Cigarette packs and cartons - Used fusion cores (pop them out when they’re close to 0, before they burn up) - Excess chems like Rad-X and Radaway (which are not that useful when you have power armor, due to the huge amount of rad resistance you already get) [/quote] Sell stuff? But but but… it’s my precious. And what happens if I need 13 Knuckles or 27 standard Pipe Pistols some day? I actually haven’t really used merchants much at all, I never manage to make it to stores when they are open, and I can never find good help for my settlement stores, they are assigned an green, but never show up for work, except the stupid clothing stand I accidentally built. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/709 "2015-12-06T23:02:22Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > So, yeah, they do hurt your sneakiness but not as incompetently as I would have guessed/feared. Except Codsworth. He alerts enemies from miles away no matter how sneaky I’m being. Everyone else seems to have at least some mediocre stealth. > [@Scumpup](#): > > I’ve already decided to side against the BOS, but I haven’t openly turned on them yet… I’m enjoying taking their scribes out on “research missions” and deliberately getting them killed. They’re so dumb! I took one through some facility or other and got him to the terminal, at which point the quest updated. We exited via a rooftop exit so that I could loot the guys up there that I had sniped before going in. Scribe derps off while I’m looting and falls to his death – mission updates again for me to go report what a failure I am :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/710 "2015-12-07T05:28:35Z")
Not to give a wishy-washy answer, but “Best Companion” is very much a YMMV scenario. Dogmeat is nice and let’s you use the Lone Wanderer perk (which works with Dogmeat despite what the description says). No other companion perk is as good as 50% Damage Reduction and +200 carry weight (at level 40). So there’s a legitimate argument for Dogmeat. Out of the real companions, it’s a question of your own play style and who complements you. If you like to snipe, having a companion who rushes into melee might be an issue (or you might like letting them tank while you hang back and do headshots). For the most part, I really just go with someone who’s personality is interesting or amusing to me. Lately that’s been Curie for me. She manages to dork up my stealth often enough but _“We should file a police report, yes? And put all this evidence into little plastic bags”_ while I’m looting still makes me smile. Also (Curie story spoilers): I gave synth-form Curie my Pickman’s knife since she likes to melee and she _tears shit up_ with that thing. I have her outfitted in the sequin dress with synth armor (using a ‘make all clothes usable with armor’ mod) and she is hilarious to watch eviscerating super mutants, making comments in her French accent. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/711 "2015-12-07T05:53:44Z")
Is damage reduction in traits the same thing as armor value? Like if I have 5 pieces with +10 ballistic armor, do I have 50 damage reduction? And if I take one level of toughness, do I have 60? Does that toughness-based DR apply to all damage types? Or is it a separate value? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/712 "2015-12-07T06:31:27Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Is damage reduction in traits the same thing as armor value? Like if I have 5 pieces with +10 ballistic armor, do I have 50 damage reduction? And if I take one level of toughness, do I have 60? Does that toughness-based DR apply to all damage types? Or is it a separate value? A (long) description of the damage system: [Damage Resistance | Fallout Wiki | Fandom](http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Damage_Resistance#Fallout_4) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/713 "2015-12-07T09:27:47Z")
So I’ve lost Dogmeat. He’s at none of the kennels in Sanctuary. Any idea how I find him? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/714 "2015-12-07T11:56:46Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > She manages to dork up my stealth often enough but _“We should file a police report, yes? And put all this evidence into little plastic bags”_ while I’m looting still makes me smile. Also (Curie story spoilers): > > I gave synth-form Curie my Pickman’s knife since she likes to melee and she _tears shit up_ with that thing. I have her outfitted in the sequin dress with synth armor (using a ‘make all clothes usable with armor’ mod) and she is hilarious to watch eviscerating super mutants, making comments in her French accent. Curie’s comments are the most adorable and I stuck with her for a long time. Also, her perk is one of the more useful ones. Meanwhile, I **also** put her a sequin dress, but gave her the Grognak the Barbarian axe rather than the knife. Completely hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/715 "2015-12-07T13:32:28Z")
I wonder if a non-sniper Commando build is a sustainable strategy. My damage is starting to fall off considerably at medium-to-long range. I’m going to have to invest in another tree - either some of the sniper perks or a different weapon class altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/716 "2015-12-07T13:45:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I wonder if a non-sniper Commando build is a sustainable strategy. My damage is starting to fall off considerably at medium-to-long range. > > I’m going to have to invest in another tree - either some of the sniper perks or a different weapon class altogether. If you have the right weapons(s), it is. If you have Overseer’s Guardian done up with the advanced automatic receiver and you have taken the Commando perks, I’m pretty sure you can go through the whole rest of the game without bothering with another weapon. I’ve used it to tear apart an Alpha Death Claw, a Behemoth Supermutant, a Courser, and hordes of Legendary this-or-that enemies in the last couple days. They seldom manage to do any significant damage to me. I’m actually considering setting that gun aside as it takes so much challenge out of the game that things are actually a little boring. Right now, the only enemies that are truly dangerous to me are “Fat Man snipers” and Super Mutant Suiciders. I don’t even wear power armor and nobody else can do enough damage quickly enough to kill me before I blast them to bloody rags. It would not surprise me if that gun ends up getting nerfed in a future patch. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/717 "2015-12-07T13:59:47Z")
Oh, blarg. I meant Rifleman, not Commando. I’ve got a single-shot rifle build going on. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/718 "2015-12-07T14:20:14Z")
Nothing in Sniper seems like it’ll really help. Tier 1: You have improved control and can hold your breath longer when aiming with scopes. Tier 2: Non-automatic, scoped rifles have a chance of knocking down your target. (Level 13) Tier 3: Non-automatic, scoped rifles gain +25% accuracy to head shots in V.A.T.S. (Level 26) If your problem is that you’re not doing enough damage, none of those will be really helpful (unless you’re not doing damage because you’re missing shots). The Sniper perk line is pretty disappointing. Does anyone know if Tier 2 requires you to use the scope to get the effect? If I could hipshot with my scoped rifle and knock stuff over, that’s something at least. I’m using Overseer’s Guardian as well although I believe its specific trait (Double Shot) can be found on random legendary weapons. I could swear I have another weapon with it although it’s something lame like a pipe pistol or 10mm. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/719 "2015-12-07T14:24:04Z")
I have a double-shot combat shotgun that absolutely wrecks shit, but that of course is when enemies are right up on me. My getting sniper perks I mean actually becoming a sniper. That means also taking stuff that improves sneak attacks and silenced weapons and so on. Not really my playstyle, though. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/720 "2015-12-07T14:38:13Z")
Sounds like you should take the Rifleman and Ninja perks, if you haven’t already. Rifleman will boost your damage and partially ignore armor. Ninja will really boost your sneak attacks with guns (3.5X) and boost your reload speed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122.md?page=37)