Wasteland Survival Guide

Published October 27, 2008

In Bethesda Softworks' Fallout® 3 the very land itself is a threat to your health. Even the water is liable to dose you with radiation. Add heavily armed and genetically altered super-mutants, mutated critters, slavers, raiders, and warring factions to the mix, and even a gentle stroll outside Megaton is likely to inspire a firefight within moments.

Let friendly factions help pave the way for you.

Enter our Fallout 3 Wasteland Survival Guide, a compilation of battle-tested tips and tricks designed to help you not just survive the Wasteland, but thrive in it as well.

Pacing Quests
From the moment you escape Vault 101 you're committed to Fallout 3 for the long haul. The quests on display here are often enormous in scope and not necessarily designed to be tackled all in one go. It takes a while to get used to the fact that you simply won't be equipped with the skills, gears, or intel to tackle every quest as it comes, but the sooner you learn that, the better.

Don't try to power your way through an area you can't handle, or drive yourself crazy talking to citizens to uncover an answer that's just not available yet. The beauty of Fallout 3 is that there's always something else productive to do. You'll have more fun and encounter much less frustration if you take advantage of that.

Salvage
There are mountains of junk available for the taking in Fallout 3. Much of the Wasteland detritus consists of precious components required to make the powerful items you'll craft later in the game. This includes odds and ends like lawnmower blades, lunch boxes, surgical tubing, industrial cleaners, pilot lights, fire-hose nozzles, and even tin cans to name just a few.

Strolls are nice. Exploring is better.

Hang onto any item you collect that seems like it could be even remotely useful for crafting. Store it in a locker in your apartment for safe keeping. You'll be glad you did once you start uncovering different schematics.

Diplomacy First
Whenever possible, try reaching a diplomatic solution to solve a quest. Even if you're playing a diabolical mass-murdering character, you can always betray the parties involved at a later date. You might not always succeed, but if you can reach an understanding with an enemy faction or broker a peace between two groups, chances are you'll enjoy some very real benefits.

For example, you might think the world a better place if the mad scientist breeding fire-breathing ants exited the world courtesy of the business end of your shotgun, but if you indulge his insanity for a little while, you'll be granted a powerful Perk for your patience. Of course, once you receive the Perk you're free to act on your earlier assessment.

V.A.T.S Experimentation
The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System works wonders by slowing the pace of the action and allowing you to approach combat tactically rather than just reflexively. Get a little creative with your targeting, and you'll find even greater benefits.

Hope you completed all the quests there.

For example, don't always assume that headshots are the answer to an easy kill. If, say, you're dealing with a Super Mutant, you'd likely be better off starting combat by shooting the gun out of its hand, and then fire a crippling shot to the leg so there's no possibility of being rushed with a melee weapon. Then, when they're good and disabled, employ the headshot confident you're largely free from danger.

Try searching each unique enemy for weaknesses. If you hit a giant ant on its antenna, you may just send it into a frenzy and force it to attack its own comrades. Crippling a scorpion's stinger will go a long ways toward limiting its ability to deal damage.

Crouched Success
Even if you're playing a character with limited Sneak skill, you should still approach combat from the crouched position. You'll score an automatic critical hit if you shoot an enemy that's unaware of your presence. And, you'll maintain better accuracy whenever you're crouched, so unless an enemy is charging at you, be sure to stay in the crouched position.

Melee the Weak
Ammo is at a premium in Fallout 3, especially in the first several hours of gameplay where you just don't have the cash to keep yourself in bullets. When you encounter a comparatively weak opponent such as mole rats, you may want to keep your gun holstered, and handle the enemy with a trusty bat, sledgehammer, combat knife, or other such non-ammo-using lethal implement.

Shoot the weapon away.

Radiation Awareness
Radiation sickness can creep up on you, debilitating your stats and skills without you even realizing, if you don't notice the brief notification in the upper left-hand corner. Make sure you check the Stats screen on your Pip-Boy regularly to keep on top of your radiation levels. Also, never forget to use Rad X to bump your radiation resistance if you plan on drinking water to regain health.

Finding your Way
Exploring the Wasteland at random is fun but no one wants to run by a unique location without realizing it's there. Luckily, you don't have to. Pay careful attention to the compass in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. When you see small arrows appear on the compass, you know there's an area of interest in that direction.

Metro
If you find the path to your objective above ground blocked, chances are you need to brave the Metro tunnel system to gain access to the next area. You don't want to wander aimlessly through the tunnels though, so make sure to examine the Local Map on your Pip-Boy the moment you go below ground.

If your objective marker is hovering over the entrance you just used, you know you're in the wrong place, but if you see it anywhere else on the Local Map, head in that direction.

Resupply
Reaching some quest destination can take an awfully long time and require dozens of combat encounters along the way, exhausting your supplies in the process. If you find yourself running low on ammo and medical supplies and having to use badly damaged weapons, try using Fast Travel back to Megaton the moment you reach the next major landmark.

Where oh where has Dad gone?

This way, you can dump off whatever items you're carrying that you don't immediately need, rest up in a bed to regain your health, and repair any crippled limbs as well as stock up on supplies at a merchant. Then, once you're ready you can Fast Travel right back to the landmark you just discovered and pick up where you left off. Never think you have to complete a quest all at once.

Faction Distractions
Whenever you hear shots or explosions in which you're not actively involved, take a moment to scope out the battle before you enter the fray. If you want to skirt the battle and get on with your objective, chances are you can. Just be sure to stay out of sight, keep your weapons holstered, and let whatever enemies are fighting one another keep doing so.

Conversely, if you find a friendly faction doing battle with enemies, you might want to take the time to help them out. They might just be heading in your direction once the battle is over.

Fallout Dungeons
If you find a landmark not directly related to a quest, you no doubt have stumbled upon the game's equivalent of a dungeon. Places like Evergreen Hills, Our Lady of Hope Hospital, and the Statesman Hotel are all treasure troves teeming with weapons, items, and rare crafting components. Of course, they're also bursting at the seams with enemies, but that's just more experience points waiting to happen, right? Do yourself a favor and don't ignore them.

It's going to take some tunnel travel to get to the Monument.

Explore … A Lot
If you confine your exploration to straying only occasionally from the beaten path on your way to quests, you could cost yourself hours upon hours of entertainment. Not only are there non-quest-related landmarks to explore, but there's also entire quest lines you might never find if you don't take the time to strike out in a random direction for adventure.

Life in the Wasteland isn't easy, but these tips should put you well on your way to handling any threat Fallout 3 dares throw at you.

Article by Ryan Treit