With the world talking about Fallout due to the Amazon TV show, players old and new have been loading up Fallout 76 to play together in the wasteland. When the game was first released, in 2018 it was heavily criticised for its lacklustre implementation of the Fallout world with it not even including NPCs.
Since then, the game has improved somewhat and now features several years of new content including missions, items, weapons, and quests that will keep you coming back. If you’re new, or haven’t played for several years, you might need a few tips to get you started.
Stay in the starting area until fully geared
When you start out your Fallout 76 adventure, the tutorial will take you into the forests of Appalachia. In this area, you’re generally a bit safer, plus there are plenty of supplies to find. It’s worth hanging around here until you feel you’re fully geared up and ready to explore. Once you’ve found your feet against weaker enemies and you’ve located enough supplies to get through several nights, then it’s worth venturing further and starting to properly explore.
Avoid PvP unless you’re there to fight
Whether you’re playing in a group or solo, decide what you want your experience to be before committing. If you choose the PvP path and want to fight other players, just know that there’s a strong chance you’re going to get griefed. Dying in Fallout 76 causes you to lose everything in your backpack which can mess up a good loot run. There’s also a chance that a high-level player will roll you because there are no parameters in place to prevent being killed by people who have played longer than you. Try pacifist mode to cut down on the damage you take and avoid PvP.
It’s more of a survival game than an RPG
In a different spin from the mainline Fallout games, Fallout 76 is more survival than you might think. You have to monitor your hunger and thirst levels or else perish in the wasteland. Because of this, you will need to learn how to cook and also scavenge for food. Thankfully, the cooking and crafting mechanics show you which ingredients you will need so you can keep an eye out for stuff while looting. Make sure you’ve always got some food and drink on you when exploring.
Become a loot goblin
From the moment you wander out into the tutorial area, you should be collecting everything you can see. If it’s not nailed down, pick it up and put it in your pack. This is because everything has value in the wasteland, whether it becomes an ingredient in cooking or crafting, it could sell for a good pile of caps, or be a great weapon in a fight. Fallout 76 is built on loot and by collecting everything, you will learn what has value and what you can’t live without. So start rummaging through every container and searching in every nook.
Get an idea of your build early
Fallout 76 utilises a perk system, much like the other Fallout games. Here, you get to choose from perk cards to build out a deck of cards that translates to your character. It’s a good idea to get an idea of the kind of character you want to build, whether that’s a strong melee build, or perhaps a sharpshooter. You’ll also have to consider things like how much your perks will let you carry, or whether you’re handy with explosives. Cards unlock randomly, so knowing an overall build you’re going for is helpful when it comes to choosing the cards on offer.
Create your safe space
Players can make the most of the wasteland and set themselves up with a safe home base using the C.A.M.P. features. It’s worth setting yourself up nice and early as it not only gives you a safe point to fast travel to, but you can store any extra items and resources here. This portable campsite also offers a handy crafting table for when you’re out and about. You can also set up a little farm to grow ingredients for cooking or sell for some extra caps.
Make the most of public events
Much like any MMORPG, Fallout 76 features plenty of live events that kick off from time to time and they should never be ignored if you’re out wandering the wasteland. Events are a prime opportunity to gain extra XP, earn rewards, or loot for some goodies. Some are obviously tougher than others and you’ll slowly learn which are right for where you are in your journey. For example, the Rad Rumble event doesn’t take too long and can reward you with thousands of XP points giving you a boost in character build. Remember, you can always tackle these with friends, too.
Learn a path to the best loot
This is a good tip for any game based on looting precious items or valuables. Try to set up a loot route where you start and finish in the same places and work out a bunch of points of interest along the way. You’ll find tips on message boards and forums, but once you’ve got a set route, you’ll be able to run it quickly, looting everything along the way. And you can have several you fall back on; one for food, one for ammo, one for crafting materials. It all helps and they’ll soon become a little routine each time you log in.
Master your weapon selection
Learn the ins and outs of your favourite weapons and familiarise yourself with how they shoot, how quickly they reload, and even how readily available the ammo can be. You’ll also want to decide what to carry with you. For example, if you’re low level, you might want to keep a melee weapon on you in case you run out of ammo. You’ll also want to make note of what will weigh you down, like mini-nukes or chunky missiles. Remember, you can stow your weapon by holding the reload button and this will make you move faster.
Follow the story
This might seem obvious, but the story is there for a reason. Not only is it an entertaining way to experience Fallout 76, but it will take you through various lessons on how to survive, it will make sure you follow any easier route through the wasteland, and you’ll find plenty of items and weapons. After a few hours, you can take some detours, but stick with the story as much as possible to make the most of your opening hours.
Featured Image Credit: BethesdaTopics: Fallout, PC, PlayStation, Steam, Xbox