Base Building in Fallout 4 is the Coolest Thing Ever

My adventure continues in Fallout 4 as I experience all things Fallout with the wide-eyed enthusiasm and ignorance of a complete newb. I mistakenly thought I was headed to Boston when an NPC (I think it was Codsworth) said the name, but turns out Boston isn’t anywhere in my near future. I spent several hours today playing and ended up making my way through much of Concord and Lexington — both of which were nicer when I visited them in real life and not so much when they are inhabited by mutants and raiders.

Roaming the Wastelands

While not nearly as post-nuclear fallout as I think it should have been, the world itself has a much more colorful and interesting feel than what I’ve observed in screenshots of other Fallout games. They did this for people like me who can only stand looking at so many shades of brown before I get bored. I like how I have an even more open sense of ‘roam the world and do whatever you want’ than even Skyrim. This is more on the Morrowind level of openness.

I… had no idea how much this game would bring out the hoarder in me. I search everywhere and collect everything. Every file cabinet, every house, every coffee mug. It might be useful! I must have it! Regretting that one point in strength about now. But what’s so cool about this game is that all of this stuff -is- useful. I -do- need all of it.

Base Building

My absolute favorite thing in Fallout 4 so far, and perhaps will remain so forever, is the base building. I spend hours scrapping crap, planting crops, making water collectors, decorating houses, etc. This is just SO COOL that I can take parts of the world and make them my bases. This has to be in all Bethesta RPGs moving forward and every game should simply rip it off moving forward.

I was particularly proud of myself when I built a water purifier in the river and wired it to a generator to collect water for my settlement. How cool is that?!

Tough Road Ahead

I got a little bit discouraged and ended up taking a break tonight after trying to help rid a power plant of raiders. Turns out they have turrets and molotovs and nukes and power armor of their own. I died a lot…

My biggest struggle right now is having to carry 4 different guns with different ammo types and never having ammo for the one gun I have that I WANT to use. I’m going Rifleman perk, and unfortunately my rifles feel like they deal about as much damage as shooting a BB gun at a tank. Finally found a nice rifle but it uses .308 instead of .38 ammo. Grr.

If not for being in the middle of this quest I would simply leave and come back, but I think I am on the last room of this plant. Once done I’ll have helped and perhaps claimed the settlement I was asked to assist. I hear better things are in my future if I can push past this part.

Oh, I did find a Fat Boy nuke launcher or something. I’m tempted to nuke this factory and be done!

I’ll happily take any advice you have for me on how I can get better weapons. Overall though, so far so good. I made lots of progress, got side tracked a bit looking for things, spent hours on my base, and I’m looking forward to my next play session.

  • I am really wanting to buy the game now but not sure if my Geforce 770M will be up to handling the game. I really need to get around to upgrading my desktop one day because my laptop that I do most of my gaming is getting dated. That or I am going to have to get a PS4 or XB1.

  • being from boston watching my normal haunts get miniaturized and remade for video game purposes has been enlightening and interesting experience.

  • About ammo: Merchants are your friends. You should have discovered at least one just south of Concord, and often times one of the traveling merchants will be there or even at your settlement. But beyond that, yes, switching weapons based on ammo type is very common in Fallout. Luckily ammo doesn’t weight anything, and most guns aren’t super heavy (fatman, mini-gun, etc aside).

    Also don’t forget that your companion can carry things as well, but be careful about giving them ammo, they will use it pretty quickly. They will also pick up loot, so when back in town check them and see what they grabbed.

  • I’ve been using Dogmeat, but I hear he’s not the greatest. Should I use using Codsworth instead? Those are my only two companions right now. Perhaps I need to progress further to get more. I’ve also been informed that Lone Wanderer is nice to take, and that Dogmeat doesn’t count against your companion score so it lets Lone Wanderer keep working.

    I did find a vendor, but at the time didn’t think twice about stocking up on ammo — didn’t even have more than simple guns at that point. I’ll keep my eye out.

  • Melee weapons are really strong. And the best part of them is not needing ammo!

    I was struggling like you were with ammo and what not. Then I started over with a melee build 10 str, 9 agi, 5 luck. So much more fun and a lot more forgiving.

    Although I was not very far in the game so I dont know how reasonable starting over is for others.

    But money becomes less of an issue as you get higher lvl and therefor ammo is easier to obtain.

    • I definitely DO NOT want to star over, but I think I will have a second play-through and be kind of a “bad guy” and go more of the melee route.

  • If you go lone survivor, dogmeat is incredible, since having him does not invalidate that perk, otherwise mccready has one of the better perks (+20% vats headshot accuracy). If not about strength, valentine and piper are the most interesting in my opinion, but bring rubbish perks.
    I went rifles as well and they become VERY strong once you get combat rifles. All the pipe rifles are rubbish, I pretty much used the 10mm gun till I found a combat rifle, then modded the hell out of that and am still using it to insane effect.
    Ammo is no issue whatsoever, I am carrying multiple thousands of each, and at least 3k of the .45 my combat rifle uses. (I just trade all armory/weapons I scavenge for ammo, and since most raiders now die in 1-2 shots and carry 10-20 .45 ammo it is self replenishing. Even bumped up the difficulty to very hard).
    Also, higher difficulty increases spawn rate of legendary enemies, which drop better and more valuable loot, so even more ammo since those items cant be scrapped! 🙂

  • As a sidenote, I also had difficulties surviving and doing well for quite a while(played on normal), just at the point I got that combat rifle and modded it, the game went cakewalk.

  • Okay so it sounds like I just need to push past this part that is giving me trouble. I can do that! Hopefully I can get some time to hunker down and play tonight/tomorrow.

    Thanks for the tips on the companions and rifle. I’ll definitely stick it out on guns because I prefer them and look forward to modding them up.

  • Damn you I’m having flashbacks again. You just need to find a sniper rifle and then all is glorious.

  • I started the game and instantly bumped the difficulty to “Survival” because its a singleplayer, and lets be honest I am more adaptable than any script some programmer writes.

    Turns out this is true, because all of my killing is done using fiendishly clever terrain advantages. Like killing Ghouls from atop a train as they try to swarm you. Or killing the big Moles from atop a semi as they try to swarm you. Or killing… well… pretty much anything from atop pretty much anything really. When there is no sneaky terrain advantage? I literally crouch everywhere because I’m paranoid, and as soon as “Caution!” pops up… I am backing up… finding Codsworth, and PUSHING him out in front of me if I have to so that he tanks while I take potshots at the enemy.

    He is a much better fighter than the dog btw. And sure, I’ve died many times. Quite a bit to stupid things I failed to notice/realize in time. But that is why God invented the F5 key.

  • Just got it Saturday… and I am addicted to base building already. I have sanctuary up and running with a large yato and melon farm, some water pumps, a medium generator and a couple turrets, guard posts and a guard tower and then the communal sleeping house.

    I need to find out what gives circuitry and crystals though as they are what are holding me back at the moment, crystal as I have red rocket ready to go once I can build the radio tower thing, and circuitry for… well everything else.

  • Ammo is always the problem in fallout games , go for the perk in the LUCK tree that helps you find more ammo in the world and even level it up.

    Hmm I didnt know Dogmeat didnt count as a companion for lone wanderer. very interesting. there is also a perk that makes dogmeat much better in combat in the Charisma tree ? That with lone wanderer would make a nice combo.

  • I wonder if I am only one to whom Vertibirds bring “Surfin’ Bird” to mind. Seeing them in action while urban combat rages all around is quite an experience.

  • I’ve got about 40 hours in my game so far. I’m aware its less than a week… but I’d say honestly… level… that seems to help a great deal. If you are spending your levels on charisma, focus on the main quest line and go back to the factory they will be easier to kill once you have lone wanderer perk. I’d say get that for the extra space. So far I haven’t taken any combat related perks except lone wander and I only die when I get nuked. Or cluster bombed… I’ve noticed that raiders seem to stick to the levels for the area, the farther away you go the harder they are to kill more bullets they use. You’ll start to notice the fetch quest repeat. They are easy xp and a good way to level and get more perks, I don’t mind them but I don’t spend as much time looting a place I’ve already been.

    Other than that I don’t have any other good tips.