New Vegas: Off the beaten path

[Khazidhea]

I only recently got into Fallout: New Vegas, mostly due to Shamus and the rest playing through it on Spoiler Warning. I just finished it a few hours ago, mostly doing every quest I could find apart from the main quest for as long as humanly possible, so when I decided to focus on the main quest I was surprised by how quickly the game ended, and was disappointed that I couldn't continue playing. I was having a blast just exploring the wasteland, and I'm planning on loading an old save to see what I missed.

My task for you all is to provide focus for my wanderings, guiding me to whatever quests/areas/experiences you recommend seeking out that you don't think many people would have experienced. Ideally I'm asking for just enough to peak my interest and find what you're talking about in a manner that won't spoil the experience, but this is by no means a spoiler free zone, so feel free to share your journeys through the wasteland if that's something you want to do.

 

[Meggiepants]

You might have already done it, but I suggest you explore the south east portion of the map. There are some interesting things down there, including a really odd testing range with several pairs of sweet ass aviators. Every wastelander needs some aviators. Make sure to explore the shack in the testing range, and have some Radaway available to you. There is kind of a tough fight as well, so be ready for that.

Also, if you cross the river around this area, be sure to have plenty of stimpaks handy. There is a colony of baddies on the other side. It isn't a cave or anything, so it isn't marked, but the neatest armor in the game is over there, too.

 

[Polaris19]

Point of Fallout is simply to explore. I still find new things in Fallout 3 and New Vegas all the time. Just explore, avoid the main quest stuff. You'll find all sorts of cool stuff.

 

[steevee]

Well, what I did for Fallout 3 was get a map with every location on, and visit them without looking at the descriptions. This was after I'd done everything else. I'm not gunna say I 100% that game, but I did every quest and visited every location. I'm yet to on New Vegas because I put it down after 2 playthroughs because of the glitches.

But I can't really think of anything specific for New Vegas. If this was about Fallout 3 though, you'd have a list of many, many places

 

[Dorian]

If you want to have fun, look somewhere in the mid-south area. There's a cave in the hills in between Novac and Ranger Station Charlie (I think that's what it's called..... the one you pass after Nipton, anyways).

It ought to be called Deathwind Caverns if I remember right. There's fun stuff to find in there

 

[Red Pawn]

If you want to have fun, look somewhere in the mid-south area. There's a cave in the hills in between Novac and Ranger Station Charlie (I think that's what it's called..... the one you pass after Nipton, anyways).

It ought to be called Deathwind Caverns if I remember right. There's fun stuff to find in there

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

OP: I'd recommend first going to The Tops casino, then heading upstairs to the theater; speak to a guy named Tommy Torini. He'll give you a quest to recruit a few acts for him; one of them is called The Lonesome Drifter, and if your barter skill is high enough, you can trade him for one of the coolest sidearms in the game.
Go to Camp McCarran and speak to Major Dhatri - he'll be waiting outside the airport doors in the daytime. He'll ask you to go west of the strip and kill a few Fiend leaders - bring their heads back to him for NCR reputation. Afterwards, go inside and speak to Colonel Hsu, who'll give you yet another quest. The (practical) purpose of completing these is that, if your reputation with the NCR is high enough, he'll give you a key to the NCR Ranger Safehouse, in which is a suit of one of the game's better armors. You can just kill NCR Rangers and loot it off their corpses, of course, but I don't think you'll want them hunting you down.
Er... lots of other stuff, but I've got to go eat a Mars bar now.
Love and kisses,
Paul (Saint)

 

[Dorian]

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

Gee, thanks for ruining the damn surprise.

 

[Ranorak]

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

Gee, thanks for ruining the damn surprise.

I'm pretty sure the whole DEATH part was a big clue

 

[Gottesstrafe]

If you're in the mood for ruining it for yourself, there's always the Fallout wiki...

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas

Either way, get this gun [http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Mysterious_Magnum]. Immediately.


Works with the companions too. Gave it to my Mexican bandito/repair man Danny Trejo ghoul companion.

 

[The Harkinator]

Exploration and the main quest is what is great and bad about Fallout. It's great that theres always something over the next hill though I wish there weren't so many hills and no pop in scenery because I want to be able to see something in the distance and set off towards it.

I love exploring the wasteland and its ruins. The feeling that until the bombs dropped I'm looking at the personification of the American Dream. White picket fences and a pie baking in the oven. Kids playing outside as the perfect man in his perfect suit drived his perfect car to his perfect job. His perfect wife cooks the perfect meal in her perfect kitchen for her perfect family. Now it's a burnt out wreck with skeletons and a slowly rotting, irradiated pie.

I love finding that sort of thing, just like I enjoy the random encounters that make the wasteland feel full and dangerous.

What I don't like is that the main quest takes us away from this and that in New Vegas the game ends. The main quest should have loads of opportunities for stopping and exploring the wasteland. New Vegas drags you from place to place with little chance to stop.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I'm yet to on New Vegas because I put it down after 2 playthroughs because of the glitches.

But I can't really think of anything specific for New Vegas. If this was about Fallout 3 though, you'd have a list of many, many places

Likewise. I thought Fallout 3 had a hell of a lot more interesting places to discover. It seemed like secondary (unmarked) locations of Fallout 3 were primary (marked) locations in New Vegas and that there were far fewer of those large and deep locations. And I didn?t like how everything was right on top of each other. The map needed more empty spaces and unique encounters for those empty spaces.
One that did really impress me however was Vault 11. That felt more like something I could?ve found in Fallout 3. Suitably creepy story you piece together and with a great twist at the end. That was the one part of the game that made me feel like I had just walked in after the climax of a (old B&W) Twilight Zone episode.

I actually put the game down after the first playthrough. I tried again after one of the patches but it was still in bad shape so I lent it out to a couple of friends.

 

[Red Pawn]

... there's always the Fallout wiki...

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas

There is the Wiki, yes. That would work astoundingly well. In fact, there's not really much need for this thread; just go there.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I found this aspect of New Vegas a total let-down to be honest.

Fallout 3 had far more reward for the curious explorer.

 

[Khazidhea]

Thanks for the help everyone. That legendary deathclaw was fun, first time I've died in a long while. Had to turn the difficulty down from very hard though

 

[Zantos]

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

If Fallout has taught me anything, it's that if a place is difficult to get to it means there is definitely something awesome there.

 

[Trolldor]

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

If Fallout has taught me anything, it's that if a place is difficult to get to it means there is definitely something awesome there.

Except Vault 11.

Fuck Vault 11.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

If you've got plenty of Radaway and Rad-X have a good search around Searchlight. There'll also be another group of people there you can find (if you really look) who are looking for something. Help them out.

Also look for the 'Legendary' creatures scattered throughout the Wasteland, such as the Legendary Nightstalker and Legendary Cazador. Big game hunting can be quite rewarding in F:NV.

Except Vault 11.

Fuck Vault 11.

I found Vault 11 to be funny as f*ck. I sat back and howled with laughter when I reached the conclusion to that particular one, especially with all the sinister build-up.

 

[supermariner]

If by 'fun stuff' you mean 'get destroyed by the most powerful creature in the game.'

If Fallout has taught me anything, it's that if a place is difficult to get to it means there is definitely something awesome there.

Except Vault 11.

Fuck Vault 11.

I would say it DOES have something of immense value there
the computer in the final room can give you unlimited experience if you keep pressing the damn thing