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God, you and Sun are really making me want to go and play NV for the fifty millionth time. It's been a long, long time since my last cannibal run... edit: Update on the last page.
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Mar 2, 2018 23:01
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| # ? Jun 10, 2024 11:34 |
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Huh. There's an actual road sign for NoVac. Wonder who put that up. Maybe there was some leftover white paint after the ranger station sign?
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Mar 4, 2018 16:12
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You know, I can't get over how nonchalant Sun Vulture is about cannibalism. Also Ed being the stereotypical "Can't communicate with words but the protagonist can understand them anyways" archetype was always a fun setup between characters. So many things to say in just a few short beeps. also looking forward to seeing Sun Vulture eating the top quality meats. I admit, I can't wait to see how she handles the newfound power of the gods in her stomach.  Hope you got some really special dialogue ready for that moment
Kemix fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Mar 6, 2018 |
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Mar 5, 2018 06:50
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Chapter 10: Sun Vulture and the Rad REPCONN Refugees Music: Rocket 88  Well-fed, well-rested, and well-hungover, Sun dons her Gladiator Apocalypse Armor, Devil’s Pigtails helmet, and the Ripper she pried from Vulpes’ cold signed hands.   You know what the difference between you and me is? I make this look good. On our way to the REPCONN ruins, we come across a dead Glowing One, a ghoul that practically pulses radiation. Even in death, it irradiates us.   Feral Ghouls (ones that have lost their minds and succumbed to zombie-like tendencies) are coming at us one by one, but our Ripper makes short work of them.    The game makes sure we are well-stocked for this next area, lining the way with ammo boxes, drugs, and gags.    Excuse me, is this the REPCONN facility? I tried reading your sign but it says “REPCNN”. Alright, what craziness is in store for us today? Oh, of course, it’s death.  Go to the big room on the east side of this building and take the metal staircase all the way up. And hurry. Who are you? Who I am doesn't matter, smoothskin. Stop wasting time and get up here. Yeesh, fine, keep your skin on. We’re not in any hurry to get up to the rude man, so let’s go ‘splorin’!     This place looks mildly important; has red carpeting and everything.  Even the paintings are still standing.  This office building has a lot of terminal messages, so we get in on that delicious world-building.   This is actually a red herring; there IS a generator-room-turned-storage area, but it doesn’t have anything locked away for us. Probably cut content.    That must’ve been the pool of radiation we passed on the way over here. Figured that was just from, you know, the bombs.  <confirmational beeping>    <disgusted beeping> I know; who knew the old world was so wasteful with their food? <disgusted-er beeping>   That was nice of RobCo! I bet there were all sorts of good coming from big companies eating smaller, failing companies! <cynical beeping> Don’t be ridiculous, buddy. Look, it even said they would get larger benefits!   Hooo, boy. That...sounds like I can make a killing selling those to merchants!     That rad spill seems like it was a big deal back then. <expository beeping> You’re right; they didn’t have the privilege of having to live in a rad-infested swamp of a world to get used to it.  Hope that didn’t hurt their extra benefits. <eyerolling beeping>  ...now I want some cake. < beeping> We get closer to the metal staircase, where we see a poor feral trapped under a door...  some organs covering the floor...  and more victims of the chupacabra.    Um. I know that my eyesight isn’t the best...and it’s dark...and you’re kinda in the way...but... <confirmational beeping> Thought so. Hey dude, you know you aren’t actually a ghoul, right? Your pranks won't work on me, smoothskin. They won't work on Jason, either. Who is Jason? Jason is the prophet. The only reason you're up here is because he wants to talk to you. Oh lord, we’re dealing with a cult.  The room where Jason and his cult are holed up in has some machines still in working condition, so they are most likely up to something. Let’s ask around.   Or they can just tell us to gently caress off and speak with this Jason fellow. Alrighty then.  No wonder these ghouls are so quick to drink the koolaid; their leader is a friggin’ Glowing One! <expository beeping> Yes, I know Glowing Ones emit radiation and not koolaid, ED-E. And that ghouls are healed by radiation. I was making a really bad joke, apparently.  Have you come to help us complete the Great Journey? Who are you? I am Jason Bright, the prophet of the Great Journey. All the ghouls you see here are members of my flock. Your last name is "Bright?" That's funny. An auspicious name, don't you think? It was mine before I became as I am now. Before the Great War, even. Truly does the creator author a destiny for each and every one of us... What is this Far Beyond? I have glimpsed it only in visions, wanderer, but what I have seen is truly miraculous. It is a place of light and healing, and I know in my soul that my flock will be safe there. (...the sun? Wait, do ghouls get sunburned?) What's the "Great Journey"? We wish to escape the barbarity of the wasteland, especially the violence and bigotry of its human inhabitants. The creator has promised to my flock a new land: a place of safety and healing... a paradise in the Far Beyond. Preparations for the Great Journey were nearly complete when the demons appeared. How will you make the "Journey?" The means by which the Great Journey is to be accomplished are an article of faith, not to be discussed with outsiders. Tell me more about these "demons." The demons appeared from nowhere... except it might be more accurate to say they never actually "appeared" at all. The demons are invisible. Where one of them stands, the most one sees is the air shimmering, like sunlight on water... They set upon us as we were on our way to worship one morning. We had just entered the basement. My flock fought bravely, and killed a few, but at such cost. Nearly half of us died or went missing. The rest of us retreated up here. One of the demons raved at us, but they have not tried to attack us since. Still, their demonic presence brought all progress towards the Great Journey to a standstill. But now you have come. Once again, the creator has sent a human to help us across a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Speaking of which, what's the deal with the human who let me in? You're referring to Chris. I doubt you had much luck if you tried telling him that he's human. We had the same discussions when he first appeared, and the same lack of success. He believes he is one of us. Soon enough we realized that Chris was a gift from the creator. He is integral to the success of the Great Journey. <disgusted beeping> Starting to sound like those Children of Atom loonies from the east coast I keep hearing about... You say one of the demons "raved" at you?  It went on for hours, and did not always make sense. But that was the first day only. Since then, silence. Will you drive away the demons, wanderer? Well, that’s kinda what I wanted to talk to YOU about. I'm here because feral ghouls have been wandering into Novac. And they've been putting them down like animals, haven't they? They attacked first, and the radi- We kept them safe on the first floor. We kept them contained. The demons must have let them out, somehow... And now they are lost forever, denied the salvation and healing glow of the Far Beyond... Please, wanderer, bear in mind that every feral ghoul you spare now is one that we can save later. Once the way is clear, our feral brothers and sisters will accompany us on the Great Journey. If there are any left... I can’t promise anything, but I’ll take care of your “demon” problem if it gets you out of here. Otherwise, Cliff might start feeding the Dinky toys to the town... But first, more snooping.  Oh, just more world-building.   Well, now we know why that Martin fella wasn’t too happy with his “retirement”. <gasps> PARTY HATS This whole trip was worth it! <hopeful beeping> Sorry, ED-E, but you literally cannot wear hats. Your antennas get in the way. <sad beeping> Of course the door to the demons is covered in blood. Of course. The “flock” didn’t even have time to grab their sleeping bags. Poor souls. No demons, but plenty of nightkin. <transitive-property beeping> ...that makes sense. ED-E, you sure this one’s cool? <analytical beeping> If you say so.  Yeah dude, it’s, like, totally a pal. An assassin, more like! I say kill it, Antler. For safe's sake! Nah, man, just ask what’s up. Huh? ...Okay, Antler. I'll ask. Hi, human. Why you come here? Are you all right? You sound... strange. I am in command of my faculties! In command of my troops! Antler guides me in all things! As I in turn guide my kin! Who is "Antler"?  Antler, the human asks about you! What do I tell it? All right. Chill, guy, she just asked for introductions. She, like, might be able to get us those sweet Stealth Boys, breh. All right... Yes, yes, of course. Who Antler is, not important to you. Antler wants that you deal with me. And who are you, exactly? Me? I am devoted to Antler. But before Antler? Hmm... Captain, once. Last name, Davison. First name... don't remember. I commanded a troop of Nightkin. The Master's elite. A great honor, very proud. Something happened. We wandered the desert. Life without Master was... hard. The others' minds going strange, going crazy. But then I found us new master. I find us Antler! Yo. Since then, everything's been going really well. I came here on behalf of the ghouls upstairs. They...really want to get out of here, and so do I. A human who is friend to ghouls? Suspicious. You mean the ones upstairs. Antler used intercom, told them stay put. But they want to come down in basement anyways? I cannot allow. My kin are... not right in head like I am. They attack you on sight. Ghouls too. They crazy. Oh, yeah, sorry, I had to kill some of them. No hard feelings? Bro, I really just want some Stealth Boys, your buds aren’t worth it. Antler says that is fine. They not important to us. ...okay. Your ghoul friends have to wait until you find what Antler brought us to get. Maybe I can help. Good. Antler brought us here for a reason... Why was that, Antler? Like, that shipment said a shitload of Stealth Boys were sent here, man, did you forget? Ah, you gotta stop hitting them up so much. Save some for me, breh. Right! A piece of paper. Shipment invoice. Hundreds of Stealth Boys, sent here a long time ago... But Stealth Boys must be in the one room one we don't search yet - the one we can't search. Why can't you search the last room? A ghoul. But not squishy like others. This ghoul is tough. I thought Antler said send my kin into that room, but three died. Ghoul is a crack shot and set traps too. loving narc. After, I realize I heard Antler wrong. So I lock the door to keep kin out and wait for Antler to tell me what to do. Then you come along. Antler says you are solution. So far, I believe Antler more than Jason’s “creator”. Alright, I’ll do it. If we touch (or move) Antler, the brahmin skull on the coffee pot, Davison becomes immediately hostile, so it’s best to just leave the room and get on with the quest.   This must be the choke point where the ghoul is keeping the nightkin locked down.  Hey! You're not one of those things out there. Who the hell are you? I’m Sun Vulture. Who the hell are you? The one pointing a rifle at your face. ...good point. Jason sent me down here to get rid of the "demons." And I bet he told you it's the creator's will for you to risk your rear end, instead of him, right? Well, good luck with that! I'd give you a hand, but no thanks. I may look like a corpse, but I'm partial to living! You don't look like the other ghouls from Bright's group.    Anyway, I helped them out, and they kept me supplied with ammo and pleasant company. What can you tell me about the creatures out there? I kill them on sight, so we haven't had much time to get acquainted. They're hard to see, obviously, but they aren't too smart when it comes to tactics. Or not stepping in traps. How did you end up trapped down here? First off, I'm not trapped. This was a tactical choice, all right? I'm no match for those things out there, so I found a good defensive position, and I've been defending it, right?  What happened was, I was escorting folks down to work when those things attacked us. Most of the fight was upstairs, but some folks panicked and made for the basement. And I went after them. Well, turns out there were even more of those bastards down here than upstairs, and things went to poo poo fast. I couldn't find the others, so I fell back to this room and set up a nice little kill zone. End of story. How have you survived?  I wouldn't say it's been comfy. W-which corner? The one above you. Haven’t had a chance to get down long enough to pop a squat. I'm looking for a stash of Stealth Boys in this room. A stash of Stealth Boys. Are you kidding me? If there was some big stash of devices in here that made you invisible, do you really think we'd be having this conversation? Maybe you just didn’t look hard enough. Maybe you shouldn’t insult the eyesight of someone pointing a gun at your face. drat, I keep running into that one. Well, I still need to say I looked. How can I help get you out of this room? Ha! Well, you're polite, I'll give you that. If this was just between you and me, I'd do as you ask. But it's not. I had a friend with me when those mutant bastards came out of nowheres. She panicked and ran the wrong direction - further into the basement. She's probably dead, but I ain't leaving until I know for sure. I'd have gone looking myself, except I wouldn't last a minute out there. You, on the other hand, seem pretty resourceful. Find my friend, and I'll get out of your way. ED-E, remind me to stop with this whole “chain of favors” bullshit next time. <recording beeping> So, Harland’s friend is in a basement filled with generators, which are locked in rooms and we need the key. Not a whole lot else in here, unfortunately.   Luckily, this fiery fellow found us and fetched the key for us!  Aww that was to be expected. I haven’t had a good chance to show this off, but the Ripper also has a unique attack: Long Cut, which deals half damage but costs 20 less AP to use.   Yes, unfortunately. I see. Well, spare me the details. drat it, I'm going to miss that crooked, yellow smile... All right, you did your part, so I'll do mine. Look around up here if you want. I'm going to make a break for topside.  We are now free to explore Harland’s Last Stand, which is pretty dangerous, as it is covered in concealed traps.  Note the texture mesh on the concrete at the right of my feet. That is a hidden mine.  The bottom floor is littered with them, and we certainly don’t have the Explosives skill to disarm them. Some are even put in front of desired places to loot, like this First Aid Kit.  There’s a terminal down here, but it’s also a trap: there are two rigged shotguns in front of it, and the terminal itself is rigged to explode, as shown by the antenna on top of it.  The real route is upwards, which contains the terminal we need.     Ah, the simple days of yore, where invisibility devices were used more for sexually harassing women than murder and addiction. <correctional beeping> Oh don’t get me wrong, they are still used for that, and the assholes should’ve been condemned to hell for it, but I’m just speaking from experience.   ...well, I hope Davison doesn’t kill us because of this turn of events. <praying beeping> Working on my mixtape, gonna be fire. There is no stockpile of Stealth Boys in this building. Please don’t kill me. Or try to, anyway; my arm is getting tired of holding this Ripper forward for extended periods of time. Liar! The invoice said Stealth Boys here! Antler read it out loud to me! Now, now, chill, chill, let’s hear her out. The Stealth Boys were sent here by mistake, then sent back. But invoice note said Stealth Boys were here! Why can't that note be true? Ah, bummer, man. What, Antler? ...But human could be lying! Stealing the Stealth Boys for itself! Look, breh, I vouch for her. She cool. Oh, Antler... You trust so easy... Your lucky day, human. Antler believe you. Nightkin will follow the new note to find Stealth Boys. Better be there. I mean, I have this one that I took from one of your dead fellow kin. Just the one? Nah, dude, that ain’t enough to even phase us. Keep it. Antler says it not worth it. Good bye. Davison takes his brahmin skull and departs with his remaining brothers and sisters.  Harland even decides to come back to Jason’s flock!  Praise the creator! And bless you, wanderer! The way is clear. I will lead my flock through the basement to the sacred site! I hope you will come find us there, wanderer! There is much to be done. Gotta be thorough and make sure y’all leave... <scolding beeping> C’mon, ED-E, it’s not like they need it. Hell, it’s probably poison to them. The ghouls put on space suits and make for the basement.  I waited to speak with you one last time before I descended to the launch pad, wanderer. I want you to know that we will remember for all eternity how you delivered us to the threshold of the Great Journey. <sniffs> ‘kay Our preparations are nearly complete, but the rockets that will carry us to salvation are yet missing vital components. Oh C’MON! If you would still help us, wanderer, speak to Chris. He can tell you what is missing. <plays recording> No, ED-E, this is still part of the previous arrangement I made with Manny. The fucker. There is no way that we can thank you enough, wanderer. Your arrival here was a blessing. We will remember you always. Speaking of annoying humans...again... Let's talk about Chris. After all that you have done for us, I suppose you deserve to know everything... When Chris came to us, we tried to convince him that he was human. But this only angered him. He seemed... lost. We decided to let him stay with us for a few days, over the course of which we learned that his technical skills far surpassed our own. It became clear that the creator had sent him to us, to ensure the success of the Great Journey. Equally clear was that Chris should labor in blessed ignorance of his humanity, and his inability to make the journey himself. It is no coincidence that two humans have been vital to the success of the Great Journey. It is my belief that the creator sent you and Chris to expiate the sins of your kind against mine. You are redeemers both. So you're going to leave Chris behind? Such is the creator's will. Vision upon vision has shown me that, were Chris to accompany us, he would die in minutes. The radiation around the launch pad alone would kill Chris in minutes. The radioactivity of the Far Beyond is much stronger. Well, it's none of my business. <scolding beeping> I’d feel more bad for him if he didn’t insist on insulting me whenever I spoke to him, robro. Besides, this is on Jason’s shoulders, not mine. Chris shall be declared the Saint of the Great Journey before we depart. I hope this will ease his sadness... Are you seriously going to make your "Great Journey" on those rockets? Yes. The rockets will convey us to our promised land in the Far Beyond. Vision upon vision has confirmed it. Holy poo poo, is IS the sun, isn’t it!? Christ, you’re cr- It’s not the sun, wanderer, but a green paradise where we will thrive! These rockets will convey us there post-haste! Those rockets will convey you and your flock straight into the ground! I understand your concerns, friend, and I thank you for voicing them. But the creator's will for us has been made manifest.  The REAL treasure in this place is this here space suit, which grants us some pretty drat good radiation resistance.  Also it’s a loving space suit.  Jason says that I am to cooperate with you on the final tasks necessary to launch the Great Journey. How can I help? I was close to completing work on the rockets before we were driven into hiding on the top floor. Two components were missing: a quantity of Isotope-239 igniting agent, and a set of thrust control modules. The igniting agent is highly radioactive, and decays quickly. That's why we can't use the drums that leaked down on the launch pad. It's no longer potent enough. I need you to find an intact, shielded container of the igniting agent. As for the thrust control modules, they were custom-built for these rockets. They won't even launch without them. What about these rocket souvenirs? The stuff inside glows. Yes, that's Isotope-239, all right. And there's enough here to launch the rockets.  As for the thrust control modules, well, we learned that some lady neighboring Novac sells salvage from REPCONN, so let’s go ask her if she has them.  She lives next to a junkyard, which makes sense, being a scrap-seller.  Doggies! And they aren’t attacking me! Yet! Hi there. I'm Old Lady Gibson, or so they tell me. I've got odds and ends for sale, and I'm pretty good at fixing things, too. You might have noticed the very large building just north of here. That's HELIOS One. The NCR runs the place, so it's off-limits to prospectors. ...I’ll remember to head right there after I’m done with this stupid fetch fetch fetch quest. Why do they call you Old Lady Gibson? Well, I'll give you a hint - they used to just call me Gibson. I hope you can figure out the rest. I don't mind, to be honest. Living long is a real accomplishment these days. Remains to be seen if I end up dying peaceful in my bed. Did you ever salvage containers of radioactive material from REPCONN? Certainly did. Hubby and me had an old rad meter to help us tell the difference between what you could salvage and what'd kill you. I kept a glowing container from REPCONN around here for years serving no better purpose than a nightlight. drat thing wouldn't sell. Then along comes the most peculiar-looking fellow, all decked out in a yellow radiation suit, of which he was proud all out of proportion. The man outright asked if I had anything radioactive for sale - imagine that! But he paid handsome for that jar of goop. Only saw him that once. He said something about heading over to Clark Field to put his suit through its paces. A strange one, he was... If we didn’t have the rockets already, we could’ve gotten them by passing a level 30 Barter check with Cliff Briscoe, who would’ve given us the key to his stockroom. Otherwise, we would need to get to Clark Field south of Novac to find the igniting agent. We’ll explore there next time, though. Do you have any thrust control modules from REPCONN in stock? As it so happens, I do have some thrust modules, but they're expensive. 500 caps worth of expensive.  Eh, fair enough. It's not like anyone's ever wanted to buy them before. 250 caps it is. Alrighty, almost done with this stupid adventure. Let’s go, E- ...you can speak human? My name is Whitley. I’m a researcher at Adams Air Force base. Oh, nevermind. Until recently I was in charge of the Duraframe reinforcement project for the combat model Eyebots. Eyebot Duraframe Subject E is both the prototype, and the last functional model in this test group. I was prepared to make several significant upgrades to the machines. However, as the project was canceled and all Duraframe assets are being diverted to Hellfire Armor, I am sending this model to the Navarro outpost. If you are listening to this log from one of our Enclave Outposts in Chicago, give this unit whatever repairs it needs so it can continue to Navarro. Well, that was...something. <sad beeping> We bring the rest of the parts needed for the launch to Chris, and Jason Bright gives his farewell speech: Gather, all. May the creator guide my words and help me speak true... This’ll be good.  The almighty creator has seen fit to answer our prayers. The time has come for us to board the rockets and begin the Great Journey. Though it may seem that all humans despise us, the creator has seen fit to instruct us differently. The Journey ahead would have been impossible if not for the intercession of two human friends, one new, the other a long-abiding companion. To our new friend, we say thanks, and promise never to forget how he cleared from our path the demons who sought to stay our Journey. But to Chris, we owe more than thanks. Chris, you have made this Great Journey a reality. From this moment forward, you will be remembered as the Saint of the Great Journey. We shall never forget you. I ask that you forgive us, Chris, and give us your blessing, and we bestow ours upon you. Seekers, board the rockets, take your seats. The Great Journey awaits! To the promised land we go! To the Far Beyond!  They'd take you if they could, Chris, but you'd die. And dying would be worse than this? Used up and thrown away like garbage? They're going to revere you as a Saint, Chris! You know, assuming they survive the landing. Oh, so I've redeemed the human race, is that it? What a crock! The human race can't stand me! <Lie> That's not true, Chris. You're all right. So you want me to accompany you on your adventures across the wasteland, is that it? Oh! Uh, uh, um, uh…(help me out here ED-E) <evasive beeping> (Oh screw you) Jeez, um…oh! There's a little town called Novac down the road. Go bug – I mean, befriend them! Especially a guy named Manny. I’m sure he’d love to have you around! Life among humans again, that's what you're suggesting? Other humans, yes. I guess... I guess it's the only chance I've got. Maybe it'll be different this time. I was never a Saint before. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this, but I'll give it a try. You go launch the rockets. I'm on my way to Novac. You know, I grew up in Vault 34, northeast of here. Oh, we’re still talking? Nice upbringing, if you like assault rifles and target practice. But oh, you prefer machines that don't shoot people? Not so nice then. Who should maintain the Vault's reactor? Houser? Mitchell? No - make it Haversam. He likes machines! Haversam won't mind getting irradiated! Haversam won't mind mutating! He's already ugly as it is! How many people actually said that? They didn’t have to say it, I knew they thought it! Uh huh. Haversam won't mind when his hair starts falling out after a few years. There's no connection, Haversam! You're neurotic! You left your Vault because you were going bald? Bald? You call this bald? I'm a monster! A monster! Honey, you're no monster. You're cute! Why, I could just about eat you up! Oh my god, my cravings are making me delusional... Stop making fun of me! <leaves>Music: Ride of the Valkyries  We arrive at the control panel for the launch, ready to send Jason and his flock on their way.  If we had a high enough Science!, we could either change the course of the rockets to get them closer to their destination (which we never learn either way) or set them up to crash.     The launch is a success!… as far as we know, and Sun levels up to level 7, putting all the points into Science!  She then helps herself to Harland’s radroach meat he neatly placed on a hopefully clean plate.
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Mar 6, 2018 17:37
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Antler posted:
 this addition to the narrative pleases me.
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Mar 6, 2018 18:03
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Half the time this quest bugs out on me, with Bright and the rest hostile as soon as I enter their office area.
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Mar 6, 2018 19:08
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That was the Repconn quest. Let's never speak of this again. it's so loong. and with too many ways to bug out/screw up unintentionally.
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Mar 6, 2018 19:11
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The developers actually made Davison aggro if you touch the skull which I discovered by accidental nudging the table. I love these kind of touches.
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Mar 6, 2018 19:42
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I always thought he aggroed if you killed any of the Nightkin too, but I guess there's a top limit you can get away with?
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Mar 6, 2018 20:01
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I never killed any of the Nightkin, I snuck through those areas like a boss every time because Nightkin are loving dangerous 
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Mar 6, 2018 22:16
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One time my installed mods must have broken something because the jailor hunted my down as soon as I entered this map. It was quite a surprise.
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Mar 6, 2018 22:33
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Randaconda posted:Half the time this quest bugs out on me, with Bright and the rest hostile as soon as I enter their office area. It's because they're actually tied with the feral ghouls wandering on level one. If you're still in hostilities with them, then Jason and co. will start attacking you. And FUN FACT if you run into the basement with Jason and his companions attacking you the Nightkin actually don't bother them. In fact it'll trigger Jason's sect to just head down to the launchpad. Any feral ghouls left alive will actually head with them.
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Mar 7, 2018 08:01
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What's the story behind the Weird Wasteland bottle pyramid? I don't remember it.
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Mar 7, 2018 23:49
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queserasera posted:What's the story behind the Weird Wasteland bottle pyramid? I don't remember it. It's not a WW thing; it's just something the devs put in for ~~environmental storytelling~~.
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Mar 8, 2018 00:31
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Chapter 11: Sun Vulture and the Daylight Savings Music: That Lucky Old Sun  Sun, still sporting her space suit, decides to explore the area around the town of Novac before heading towards Boulder City. Chris is still making his way to Novac to settle in, and we let Manny stew for a while before telling him he can rest easy. It’s fine.  There’s...not actually a whole lot, except this really dangerous toxic waste dump 100 yards away from the motel. They should probably do something about that.  South of the radiation barrels are some ruins with geckos pouring out of them.  As well as a corpse.  Nothing too important, really. If you opted to neglect doing the REPCONN quest, it’s a good early start at some radiation resistance gear, though the suit gives us +30 rad resistance and sells for 5 caps whereas the space suit gives us +40 and sells for much more. He also has the Isotope we needed for the previous quest, but most players will have already looted Cliff’s Dinky toy room beforehand and swiped the weightless rocket fuel. But he does have a note on him:     Well, this guy definitely lived the life he wanted, gotta give him that. And he does make for a nice microwaved meal! Clark Field doesn’t really have anything, except tons of radiation and our first look at Golden Geckos. They, um. Yeah, the yellow filter this game has on all the time doesn’t help to distinguish them from normal Geckos. They are as tall as us, though.  Of course, all that time spent there made us pretty RADical ourselves, so we might as well get that sorted out.    Our rads cleared and road paved, we finally make off for HELIOS One as our next detour.   I was hungry and was hoping this was some kind of food factory. <confused beeping> I walked quite a ways here, ED-E, and that burned more calories than the radman had left. I can't tell whether you're joking or radiation melted part of your brain, but either way I don't see a good reason to let you through. Why are you here, and not on the front lines? Isn't that more important? I ask myself the same question all the time. But energy is hard to come by around here. Gives you more control over this area than troops ever could. Hell, if we lose the dam to the Legion, this little plant may be our last stand. Shouldn't there be more people than this defending a power plant? There should. But we're not getting much power out of it so none of our enemies have a big interest in it either. Not like Hoover Dam, anyway. We had a real fighting force here just long enough to take it from the Brotherhood of Steel. Then they got sent east to the dam like everybody else. Caesar's Legion sends skirmishers every so often. Prodding for weaknesses, mostly. The reality is, if they really wanted it, we'd all be dead. Why was the Brotherhood of Steel here? Damned if I know. Put up a hell of a fight, though. We had them outnumbered, I don't know, twenty to one, maybe. They held out as long as they could. Lost most of their force before they retreated. Gave us a little parting gift, too. They had some of the plant running, but they shut it all down. Enabled an old security system, too, to keep us away from the controls. Jerkoffs. I notice your solar tower isn't collecting much sunlight. I can help. <shocked beeping> Okay, fine, ED-E here noticed the lack of energy-gathering. I can barely see the sun. No need. We already have an expert hard at work on it.    I’ve...dealt with my share of lunacy just yesterday. Trust me, he’s worse. I have to have a drink every time I’m forced to get updates from him just to make some sense of the bullshit that pours out of his mouth. Well, good thing I brought some moonshine with me... You’ll know you’ll need it as soon as you see him.  Alright, let’s see what info we can get from this place.   ARCHIMEDES, huh? <worried beeping> Well, at least they never had time to test it. Bombs fell months before it could.  Or not. Man, they need to put some accurate time-stamps on these messages.  <worried-er beeping> I haven’t heard any news of death rays from the sky ever, so I think we’re fine for now.      And I thought I was paranoid. There’s triggered traps and sandbags and other evidence of a recent fight all over the power plant. Well, not that recent, but it’s more logical to assume that the NCR is keeping the tradition of NEVER PICKING UP AFTER THEMSELVES alive.  We keep missing these parties, don’t we? <sad beeping>  ED-E, is he...walking into that table over and over again? <confirmational beeping> I’ll get you, apple, one of these days! … <drinks some alcohol> So, there are some unique dialogue choices in this game if you are at a low (3 or less) Intelligence. This detail hearkens back to the old school Fallouts, but because of time restraints, it isn’t everywhere. So instead of having every dialogue choice being a low Int one, only a handful of encounters have them. Sun can “achieve” low Intelligence by consuming moonshine and another source of alcohol, such as wine or vodka, bringing it down to 2, since moonshine counts as it’s own source. While she does have an above average Intelligence, well, we’ll just say that she gets pretty slurry the more she drinks. Yeah, let’s go with that:   (Oh god, it’s already wearing off) You pay me stack of caps now and I'll forget you have my job. Aw, man. How am I supposed to buy chems now? Fine. Here. <gives 100 caps> What job you have here? What ‘zactly you do?   So you no know what you're doing.  I gotta admit, this is basically me a lot of the time. Over there controls power in this building. That station has readouts on the computer network. That big knob there makes a crazy noise. Sparks come out of that slot if you put stuff in it. And I'm learning more every day. How did you get this job?    (oh my god, the NCR is more incompetent than I gave them credit for…) <chugs even more liquor> <worried beeping> What you trying a-polish? Well, see, we're getting power, because the guy running this place is Fantastic.  Trouble is, most of the controls for this place aren't here - they're in the tower. And that place has some crazy Pre-War security system that the dumbshit NCR set off when they took over. Killed two guys. Now they won't go near it. They want me to make an omelet, but I can't break any of their eggs, know what I'm saying?  There's these two terminals outside. They control the mirrors. I tried fooling with them but didn't get very far. You'd have to get them to talk to the mainframe up in the tower, then do the rest from up there. I'm guessing. But it sounds good, right? Hey, you're not thinking of going up there, are you? I am now. Well hey, if you find yourself up at the mainframe, do yourself a favor and make sure you send the power to the right place. It needs to go to the Strip and McCarran. Why should power go to Strip and Carrot?  But you know, you do that, maybe I put in a good word for you with them. Fantastic's little helper. There's a reputation you can hang your hat on. Here, you'll want this. It's the password to one of the terminals outside. Found it written on one of the stalls in the bathroom. <gives Western Reflector Control Terminal Password> Still reeling from the inebriation, Sun finds another white coat.  It's unusual to see a new face here. Are you a soldier, or a scientist?  Then we have that in common. Whom do you typically work with?  Then for everyone's sake, I hope you serve a worthy master. Are you a maker of war, or peace?  That's reassuring, although many who've made that claim to the Followers of the Apocalypse over the years have had less than pure intentions. But if it's really as you say, then take my advice. This installation carries with it dangers that no one here has realized. Take care what you do here, and who you listen to. Some things are best left buried with the old world.  Humanity lost many things after the war. Methods of agriculture, techniques for survival. We took it upon ourselves to piece together this knowledge and bring it back to them.  Other things weren't lost, but were blocked from our collective memory. Knowledge of what we're capable of, and how things spiral out of control. It's in our nature to want to forget truths that keep us awake at night. And for that reason it's all the more important that the Followers walk the wastes to remind people of them.  We're scattered, mostly. We go where we're needed. Our largest presence is in Freeside at Old Mormon Fort. Other than that, I know Dr. Usanagi set up a practice near the Crimson Caravan. And a man we trained is operating out of the Aerotech building. Another man, Tom Anderson, was looking into water supply problems in Westside. But that was a while ago.  We did, for a time. But our goals differ. The NCR only cares to expand their wealth and their reach. For us, territorial boundaries mean nothing. And prosperity has to be for everyone, not just citizens of the NCR. So a parting was inevitable. While the NCR pushes east, we clean up the mess they leave behind. Try to provide some stability.  I don't entirely know. Our records on the company that built this place suggest that their dealings were not only in energy, but also in weapons. And I've seen equipment here marked with symbols used by the Pre-War military. Targeting computers. Shock sensors. A codeword comes up repeatedly in the papers I've looked through here. ARCHIMEDES. You think Archie-Meanies bad thingy? Yes. And the technology they have in this facility is like nothing I've seen. Some of it reminds me of Enclave equipment, but more advanced. A weapon based upon it would be catastrophic, no matter who claimed it. It's no wonder the Brotherhood wouldn't give it up. The Steelers knew about Archie-Meanies? When the NCR first came here, it was under Brotherhood control. They usually steer clear of one another, but something here changed their minds. The Brotherhood's interest in Pre-War technology has always been in weapons. It's likely they were trying to reclaim ARCHIMEDES when the NCR arrived.  I was sent here when we saw that the NCR had taken it. We have no record of the facility, but its original builders were cause for concern. I'm to determine the threat level of this place and do everything in my power to prevent the revival of any dangerous Pre-War technology. The NCR let me stay because they are desperate for answers about this place, but I've kept them in the dark. Where should I root the power? Oh, the NCR has their own designs for it, no doubt. But resist the urge to send it only to the thriving communities. The need for power is great everywhere. Distributing it evenly is the most rational and humane choice.  We come upstairs after a delightful conversation with Ignacio and find the second password to the terminals, as well as Medicine skill book lying on one of the beds.     ..really shoulda come here at the break of dawn. There are two terminals we need to activate, and they are both protected with their own traps.  For instance, this one has rigged shotguns, bear traps, and mines.  If you squint your eyes, you can see the hidden mines at the other entrances to the terminal. Guess how many times I triggered them. I’ll give you a hint: more than five.  The eastern one is simpler.  Because, for some reason, we only have to deal with NCR guard dogs, which the NCR is cool with us just killing. I dunno.  Once both of them are done, we head into the tower.   The door straight ahead leads to a room with a terminal that controls the turrets in the tower. Which turrets?  These turrets!  And, we somehow managed to get them to blow each other up. I didn’t even use the terminal; they just turned on one another.  Robobrains (exactly what you think they are) roam these parts as well, but our Ripper cuts through their armor easily.   We nab this ID card from a dead employee; we’ll need it later.   Protectrons gather around a couple of level 50 locked doors, which don’t contain any notable loot.     <disturbed beeping> I know, right? Thanks to this force field, I can’t eat the brain! <disgusted beeping> drat, I never learned that programming language. We could theoretically get that high of Science! but I’d rather save our consumables and just use the ID card we found earlier.  The reason is because we need PYTHON to repair the solar panel control mainframe for us (our low Repair skill wouldn’t even know to put gloves on first). It does this by...zapping the power cords with electricity. Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.   ARCHIMEDES II, huh? <suspenseful beeping> Don’t you worry, robro. To me, it sounds like a gun, and I don’t do guns. Might have to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, though.  Emergency levels? That may overload the energy. Just normal power should do it. Wait, this place has a defense system that’s an arm?! Oh, I gotta read this. <hits enter>  Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit, Ididn’tmeantodothatturnitoff! <frantic beeping>  ARE YOU ALL RIGHT DOWN THERE?! WHAT?! I SAID, ARE-YOU-ALL-RIGHT-DOWN-THERE?! HEY, SHUT THE HELL UP, SOME OF US ARE STILL SLEEPING! Here goes nothing.  ...if I wasn’t blind before, I sure am now. Hey, I managed to give the Strip and McCarran power. Yeah, I saw the lights on those locations blink on. Problem is, the whole board lit up! So? So I only get paid for those two locations, not other ones! Now they’re gonna charge me for each additional light bulb! I...don’t think it works out that way. You screwed me out of all my caps, man! I’m gonna have to work for the rest of my life, and all my pay will go straight back to the NCR’s pockets! I can’t believe I met someone stupider than me. ...well, you won’t have to worry about that debt, Fantastic.  Just gonna cut off a chunk of you. I heard what you did. Huh, thought the sound of the Ripper would drown out his screams... I was talking about the sirens. Oh. Yeah, I wanted to see what it’d do. Turns out there was no arm. Yes, well, I can see you are rather reckless. Hey now, I gave the whole region even power. And I’m sure everyone appreciates it. ...no reward? I would think the feeling that people around the Mojave will enjoy free energy would be reward enough. It isn’t. I sadly have no funds on me at the moment. But if you’d like to assist the Followers later on, we – Pass. After getting the entire wasteland its groove back, Sun sits down to relax with some wine, a fresh apple she found on Fantastic’s desk, and a slice of his life.
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Mar 10, 2018 16:33
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Frankly, I'm amazed that any of the power grid running out of this place is still intact. I wonder if the Brotherhood had even bigger plans than they were letting on.
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Mar 11, 2018 20:37
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Chapter 12: Sun Vulture and the Boulder City Bust Music: Boulder Buff  The ghouls are no longer at REPCONN.  Really? Unbelievable, man! I knew that wasn't gonna be easy. But I had a good feeling about you. You look like you been through a lot. You have no idea. So, where’s Boulder City? It's straight up Route 93 from here. Just keep following the road north. ...not even gonna wonder how I found out? I saw you walk into my room. I kinda have a good perch up here and figured you would go inside after we first met. Next time you’re inside, say hi to Chris for me. Wait, what?  I...he definitely took my advice seriously. Well, good for you, Chris. Welcome to Novac. It's not very exciting here, but the people are friendly enough. My engineering skills have been coming in handy, too. I've got plenty to do. Thanks for telling me about this place.  Sure enough, we just need to keep following the road.   Oh, it’s you guys. Well...so long! Shoulda seen that coming. Before leaving Novac, we restocked at Cliff’s, grabbing this nice mod for the Ripper, increasing its damage significantly.  C’mon baby, bring that smokin’ rear end back over here! Smuggling ketchup in your armor?!  <combat music> Oh, it’s a party now! Better not inhale that emission; it’s bad for your health!  Ain’t I the popular one today! At least my Ripper’s new teeth are getting plenty of paste this morning! Gotta start the day fresh. Oh NOW you fuckers hate me?! Killing our...eleventh? Legion guy got us up to level 8, which we use to get our Speech, Barter, and Survival ticking upward. Having 50 in both our offensive skills is enough to carry us into the late game, especially with all the drugs we are taking.  We also take the Super Slam perk, giving us a 15% chance to knock an opponent down with a one-handed melee weapon or unarmed attack, and a 30% chance with a two-handed melee weapon.  There’s an abandoned gas station up ahead, which doesn’t have anything particularly unique, but it does have a bunch of snack food for us to horde. It also has a bunch of sleeping bags and a campfire.  Obviously you do, if you bothered to deface this defenseless wall. We also take this chance to make some more Rushing Water and Weapon Binding Rituals. WBRs are a very nifty consumable that can drastically increase the DPS of otherwise low damage Unarmed/Melee weapons. For only 4 HPs of self-inflicted damage, it’s a good trade-off.   Traveling forward, we run into a family of Fire Ants which, well, spew fire.   What's your story, stranger?  My story's a long one, friend, and I can't say as it's all that interesting. Nevertheless, I'm interested. Well, I was born in a little town out Montana way. Me and Ma didn't have much, ever since my pa up and left. Your father abandoned you?  You were better off without him. You became your own man, outside of his shadow. I suppose there's that, but a man oughta know his own Pa, and a woman oughtn't have to work herself to an early grave to provide for her family. After Ma died, I guess I wanted to find my Pa and get some answers from him. Been out here looking ever since, but he ain't an easy man to find. And what will you do when you find him? Can't say as I really know. Maybe I'll just ask him why. Maybe I'll punch him right in the mouth. Hell, the more I talk about it, the more the whole drat thing sounds like a dumb idea.  That's a mighty fine guitar you got there. Oh, this old thing? Why, thanks, friend. This here guitar is just about the only thing my daddy left me. Have you been playing long? Just about my whole life, ever since my daddy left ma and me and went off to roam the wastes.  The Lonesome Drifter has a unique Magnum revolver on him, the “Mysterious Magnum”, which has engravings and plays a certain musical sting when drawn and holstered…   Are there any chances that this will be easy, ED-E? <defeated beeping> Yeah, didn’t think so.   Nothing interesting here at the Boulder City train station, just a safe containing random loot and a duffle bag at the top of a structure containing food and NCR money.   Uh, sure... What is this memorial?  It commemorates the Battle of Hoover Dam. The rangers lured the best of Caesar's Legion into Boulder City, then blew the whole town up. I’d say that seems excessive, but I’ve kinda seen firsthand that the Legion need to be wiped off the face of the earth... The NCR still lost a bunch of troops in the fighting, though. My older brother sacrificed himself so they could evacuate some of the wounded. I'm sorry to hear that. Don't worry about it. Where are you normally stationed? Camp McCarran, but I'm on leave at the moment - heading back to California to see my folks. I'm supposed to join up with a caravan that's heading that way up at the 188, but they're not due to arrive for awhile yet.  Hmm, I wonder if I can get my name on this thing... <hesitant beeping> Dude, I help out the NCR every time I meet them. I deserve to be memorialed. Esss—   Uh, are you okay? What the gently caress are you doing? My brother died at the Battle of Hoover Dam. You're desecrating a war memorial. Sorry. I, uh, didn't know what I was doing. All right, apology accepted. Don't let it happen again.  That guy was weird. Let’s get a move on. Up in one of the ruined buildings are a collection of skeletons, such as this one.  Must be some high praise if it’s coming from a Ranger. These Great Khans might have something of mine - a Platinum Chip.  Once the Great Khans have been killed or captured, you're welcome to retrieve any property they've taken from you. What's going on with the Great Khans? One of my patrols was on its way back from Novac when it came under fire from the Great Khans. They radioed for reinforcements, but instead of waiting for us, they chased the Khans into the ruins where they were caught in a crossfire. No deaths, but not all of the squad got out. The Khans have Private Ackerman and Private Gilbert as hostages. Is there anything you can tell me about the Great Khans? They're an outlaw group, primarily trafficking in drugs and other contraband. They usually stay out of NCR territory, though. What happened to Boulder City? Destroyed during the Battle of Hoover Dam a couple of years ago. The town was set up as a trap for Caesar's Legion. The sharpshooters in the Rangers picked off the Legion's veterans from a distance, and the rest of the Legion just rushed on in. Then - boom! What can you tell me about Hoover Dam? It's one of the biggest sources of electrical power in the region, so the NCR's fortified the place pretty heavily. When President Kimball shows up on his inspection tour, I'm sure he'll be confident that the Dam is safe and secure. The President is coming to Hoover Dam? It's probably just a political thing - you know, give a few speeches, shake hands with the troops, boost morale. Interesting... I may be able to negotiate a deal with the Great Khans. Normally, I'd turn you down since I have no idea who you are, but considering that the hostages are as good as dead when we attack...  If we hear shooting, we'll be coming in, but it'll probably be late for you. Ahhahahahahahaha! Yeah, right, sure. Look, I can handle myself. <confidant beeping> Alright, suit yourself. Why do I have an empty feeling about this? <sad beeping> Sure enough, the NCR are locked in a stance, ready for anything to happen.  Some are...less than steeled for the job.   The hostages are being held...in a small room...guarded by someone with no armor. I honestly don’t know who’s losing here. Ooh, Jet! I can make even more Rushing Waters! <disgusted beeping> ED-E, Jet is made FROM crap. <breathes deeply> Well, I'm not, and I believe you have something of mine.  Yeah... about that... <sighs> Where's the Platinum Chip?  (Of loving course) Why did Benny betray you? He's a snake, that's why. He owed us the rest of the pay for the job, so maybe he didn't want to pay up. What can you tell me about Benny? He's one of the Chairmen, big shots who run The Tops casino in New Vegas. A friend from the city contacted me with info on a big job. I should've known that the caps were too good to be true, but there was still no way I could pass up the chance. Yeah, I – I know all about hindsight. It’s the only good sight I have. Let's talk about settling things between you and the NCR. What's to negotiate? The NCR backs off, we walk out of here, nobody gets hurt.  Right, and they'd probably give us all medals, too. Maybe I should kill a hostage because you wasted my time with this poo poo. Alright, no need to be a smart-rear end. I'm willing to hear other suggestions. We'd try to bribe our way out, but seeing as how Benny didn't pay us yet, that won't happen. Now you’re speaking my language. Lemme see what I can do. Why the gently caress are you helping us, anyway? We tried to kill you. No, Benny tried to kill me. You’re just one of the many dumbasses he paid to catch me. It was a job to you, not whatever hosed-up plan he concocted. I mean, who the hell kills someone over a chip? I don’t know, but he was really protective of it. Whatever. I’ll go and clean your mess up, Jessup. How much money would it take for you to look the other way while the Great Khans left? You mean... just let them go? How would I explain this to my superiors? Look at it this way - nobody dies. 500 caps would go a long way for some soldier's families. You don’t want NCR money? I mean, it’s your currency. Ma’am, do you understand how many traders actually accept NCR bucks? It’s not a lot. Good point. That makes sense, and it's still more than these troopers see in a month. Done. Here's the caps. This doesn't feel quite right, but it resolves things and gets my troopers back in one piece. And all I have to do to make up the difference is sell some useless ammo! The NCR troopers have been paid to look the other way.  Oh, trust me. I plan on more than that. drat, he picked the wrong delivery chick to mess with. You have no idea. Oh boy, gotta remember this for my future drug deals. I...was kinda wondering what happened to the other Khan who was standing next to Benny before he double-tapped me. That’s the spirit!    Might as well drink away the rest of the day.  Eh. You know what? I could use some soft drink. Need more of those star caps, anyway. Only halfway to 50. One step closer, fate brings Sun her final clue: the legendary New Vegas Strip. She sits down with her Sunset Sarsaparilla and gargantuan Fire Ant Egg, determined to make her entrance one to remember.
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Mar 13, 2018 17:10
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Huh. Never thought to bribe the NCR to let the khans go. I always had the speech (Or chems) to pass the speech check. So yea, nice to see other solutions. Quick question though, have you ever gone and beelined to certain DLC scenarios? I remember doing it for Old World Blues, hell of a lot of fun as a level 7-10 courier.
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Mar 14, 2018 00:12
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Nah, never bothered. Early LR is worth it for the armor you get in the first zone, though.
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Mar 14, 2018 00:50
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I did LR at level 1 one time. It was...an ordeal.
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Mar 14, 2018 00:54
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theshim posted:I did LR at level 1 one time. It was...an ordeal. I mean, it can be done.
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Mar 14, 2018 01:04
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Wow, those fire ant eggs are enormous. Some good protein in those things.
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Mar 14, 2018 06:10
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I've done both LR and OBW at low levels. LR is really rough even if it vomits supplies at you and OBW is honestly easier if anything. HH I can't imagine would be difficult even at level 1 though. DM is always its own horrible, horrible thing.
McTimmy fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Mar 15, 2018 |
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Mar 14, 2018 11:22
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McTimmy posted:I've done both LR and OBW at low levels. LR is really rough even if it vomits supplies at you and OBW is honestly easier if anything. HH I can't imagine would be difficult even at level 1 though. DM is always it's own horrible, horrible thing. I honestly liked DM as a DLC, even if it had some bullshit that didn't need to be in there. I'm just glad that once everything is over, you can freeroam it without any consequences and not deal with it's mechanics if you missed anything in the "main" area.
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Mar 14, 2018 17:55
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Kemix posted:I honestly liked DM as a DLC, even if it had some bullshit that didn't need to be in there. I'm just glad that once everything is over, you can freeroam it without any consequences and not deal with it's mechanics if you missed anything in the "main" area. I like DM too and all, it's just the nature of DM creates such a distorted bubble that it's really hard to compare, I guess.
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Mar 15, 2018 00:18
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McTimmy posted:I've done both LR and OBW at low levels. LR is really rough even if it vomits supplies at you and OBW is honestly easier if anything. HH I can't imagine would be difficult even at level 1 though. DM is always its own horrible, horrible thing. Both of them are very hard at the beginning in particular, when certain enemies can kill you in just a couple shots and you don't have the firepower to take them down as quickly, and they both even out a lot as you gain some levels and actual gear. OWB evens out a lot faster than LR, though.
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Mar 15, 2018 00:25
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My personal ranking of the DLCs (best to worst) is easily: OWB, DM, LR, HH. HH is really only good for what's in it, not the main plot.
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Mar 15, 2018 01:20
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ApeHawk posted:My personal ranking of the DLCs (best to worst) is easily: OWB, DM, LR, HH. Dead Money had some bullshit enemies, but the characters were great and it was different.
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Mar 15, 2018 02:13
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Playing this again because of this thread. Already have 300 hours in NV. I feel like DM is a very solid dlc, you just have to know what its going to do. People hate it because they played it once and never got over the shock of "we took all your stuff and now you are really venerable in a way you really have never been." I think people would have reacted to it better if it had had the same thing as HH right at the beginning going "oh you need to stash your stuff here, we are going through (make up some bullshit nuke reason here) and it will break. We will re-stock on the other side" and then DM happens. OWB is still the best dlc. HH and LR are both boring but oh well.
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Mar 15, 2018 15:13
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I'm STILL holding out very faint hope we get remasters of FO3 and New Vegas on PS4. I still have my PS3 and all...but the file bloat on that console gets really bad, really fast. Think when I hit post-game in FO3 (AKA: Broken Steel) my main file from years ago had about 10 gigs worth of data in it.
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Mar 15, 2018 17:25
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For the better part of a freaking decade I thought the song was 'Pig Iron,' leading me to ask myself 'wouldn't the gun just fall apart immediately' every time that song played.
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Mar 15, 2018 18:24
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Chapter 13: Sun Vulture and the Grocery Gopher Music: Gopher Mambo   Howdy, pardner! So, when do the rustlers show up? Oh for gently caress’s sake. How did you get here? Just rolling along on my spurs. Looks like I just might make it to New Vegas after all. Then why go into the bar? You’re a robot; you don’t drink. Needed to dust off my chassis. Did you see Benny come this way? 'Benny'? Fancy-pant's name is Benny? <laughs> No, but I reckon that 'Bunny' hopped his way back to New Vegas. This is too big to be a coincidence, robot - what's your angle? Now don't go getting paranoid, pardner - that bullet to your brain-pan probably just bucked your Brahmin a little. We're all friends here. ...I don't like being followed, robot. Now-now, it ain't my fault that Dorothy and the Tin Man happened to be on the same yellow-striped road, is it?  Oh. It is. Teach you to stalk me, you cowardly lyin’ rear end in a top hat! You make a better scarecrow, if you ask me.  Surprising that the Khans are going to walk out of here after all that fuss. Tell me about Boulder City. Most of the town is rubble - destroyed during the Battle of Hoover Dam - and the only other thing around here is the concrete mixing yard. Where does the concrete come from? Most of the limestone comes from Quarry Junction out west, but I hear some Deathclaws overran the quarry. With no work to be had, all the workers around here have wandered off. I'm the only one left in town. What's the concrete used for? The NCR has been constructing bunkers up and down the river. From what I've heard, it's a little late for that. Travelers over at the 188 - just up the road - said that the Legion has overrun a couple of towns to the south.  Nuka-Cola has various flavors associated with it, like this Quartz, which gives us a bunch of good stats when used.  Poor guy sleeps with a mop bucket and broken glass. We’re close this time, ED-E. I can feel it. <confidant beeping> Who are you?  Name's Michelle. My Dad and me run this store. His name's Samuel. I take the day shift and he takes nights. We came here about a month ago, when Primm went to hell on account of the prison break north of there. Found a bin to call home and set up shop. Oh those punks. Primm's safe now. I took care of those prisoners. That's nice. I suspect we'll stick around here, though. Business has been good. Why'd you settle in this dump? There's more to the 188 than meets the eye. Troops move back and forth on 93 all the time, and 95 is how NCR folks come and go from Vegas. No shortage of customers... so long as Legion raids south of here don't get worse, anyways. What do you know about Legion raids? Not much. I hear some folks got killed down by Nelson... or was it Novac? I don't know. If they come up this way, me and dad'll go someplace else. Nipton... Why's this place called the 188? You do know these old roads were numbered, right? We're standing where the 95 and 93 meet. And 95 plus 93 equals... 188. Why not call it the 94? Why not mind your own drat business and buy some of our crap? Who are you?  Samuel Kerr at your service. Me and my daughter Michelle run this fine establishment. We came here from Primm about a month past. Doesn't look like much, but it's one hell of a location. Is it safe here? Well... There's been reports of trouble south, but me and Michelle can handle ourselves. And there's plenty of soldiers about, so that helps. Why's business so good here? When 15 shut down, 95 became the route NCR citizens use to get to the Strip - or limp back home, after the Strip's drained 'em of caps. We get 'em coming and going. Coming, the suckers flush with caps they saved to gamble on the Strip... ...and going, the same folks, but now they're losers who'll trade you the shirt off their backs so they don't starve before they make it back home. Add in the troopers marching back and forth from McCarran and the Dam, and well, let's just say we don't miss Primm.  Heh heh, suckers.  No offense, but you look like you've traveled a long way down some bad roads. Where'd you come from? The grave. Huh. Well, in that case I take it back. You look pretty good, given the circumstances.  You live in a hole in the ground? Well, a bunker, if you want to get technical. I think it sounds more interesting my way. But I'm not there much anymore. I'm usually out here picking up food and supplies for my family. Whatever they need. So you just leave your family in the bunker? Yeah. I'm not worried. They can handle themselves. But somebody has to get the groceries, know what I mean? And actually these days I think they'd rather have me out here anyway. But that's a whole other story. So, listen, can I ask you something on the level? Sup? I had a run-in with this group calling themselves the Brotherhood of Steel. Pretty strange bunch. Do you know anything about them? They're usually harmless unless you use advanced technology around them. Well that shouldn't be a problem for me. I can't afford anything like that. Hey, so where are you headed, anyway? I just kind of drift from place to place. Just wherever the wind takes you, huh? I like that. Keeps things interesting. You can say that... I'll be honest. You're the first person I've run across out here that looks like she can really handle herself. There are places I've never been to that'd be too dangerous for just me. What do you think? Maybe we could travel together, help each other out. Eh, sure, why not? Right... I know, I know. But I had to know how you'd react when I told you. We've made a lot of enemies. You still okay bringing me along? Actually, I'm more comfortable now that I know you've had some training. I'm great at punching people. I'm not gonna lie. It's a gift. Did you say...punching? Meet Veronica Santangelo, the Snarky Scribe Sister of Steel, voiced by Felicia Day. She comes with a pretty good perk (basically a walking workbench), Power Armor training (meaning she can actually wear Power Armor), and specializes in Unarmed combat, as she comes equipped with a Power Fist.  Luckily, we managed to purchase a Power Fist and some mods ourselves. Which marks the beginning of the Dynamic Duo:  The Fister Sisters! Oh uh could you please not call us that? <embarrassed beeping> A little bit ahead of where we meet Veronica are some more traders.   Hell, yes ma'am. Well... not officially. Not anymore. They mustered me out a year ago. Administrative discharge. What was your rank? Staff sergeant, Third Platoon, Bravo Company. I was at the Dam when the Legion hit us, three years back. (Not unlike the Brotherhood at times) Why did you leave the army?  Those kids didn't desert. They just got liquored up on the Strip and missed roll call. I don't know what else the brass expects... half these kids don't get more than two weeks of training before they ship 'em out here. How did you end up selling weapons? Going home didn't feel right, not with those savages camped on the other side of the river, sharpening their knives. And I still get to see my old platoon when they pass through here... make sure the new C.O. is treating them right, and sneak them extra ammo. Anyway, I was always complaining about the standard issue gear. The new kids don't even get body armor, can you believe that? NCR doesn't have the caps to outfit their troops?  (yeah, if “problems” means “territories”) This war is gonna bankrupt the NCR, unless we finish off the Legion fast and dirty. We shouldn't be perched up at the Dam - we ought to be crossing the Colorado and sticking a boot up Caesar's rear end.  Under the bridge, we find this odd boy.  Hello, ma'am. I hope you're doing fine today. Where are your parents, kid? Are you here all alone? He’s not mine! I swear! I don't have a mama or papa anymore. I see them sometimes when I take off my medicine, but they can't stay. I'm pretty used to being on my own. What is your "medicine" and how do you take it off? This thing on my head is headache medicine. It works real good, except I can't think when it's on. Really think, I mean. I might be interested in buying your "headache medicine." How much? Thinking hurts you, too? No, I just get wicked hangovers. Like, all hours of the day. Aw, I wish I could let you have the one on my head but I can't. It hurts real bad when I don't wear it. I'd like to see what you have for sale. Oh, I don't sell things, ma'am. I sell thoughts. I don’t see any thots here. <correctional beeping> Oh. Thanks, Enclave tool. <correctional and annoyed beeping> Ex-Enclave. Gotcha. You sell *thoughts?* I can take off my medicine and do some thinking. People say it's real interesting. I don't know, ’cause I never hear it. Some people say that it's a gift. Other people say that it's the kind of thinking anyone could do if they watched more than they talked. I don't know which is true. I see a lot, I think a lot. There's a lot to hear through the 188, too, that maybe accounts for the thinking. You don't sell that junk behind you? That's not junk. That's other people's thoughts. People had to think to make them, and the thoughts got stuck inside. I need other people's thoughts to fill my head when I'm not thinking myself. Otherwise it's... kind of empty. I'll pay 100 caps to hear your thoughts. Great! What do you want me to think about? I can think about You, Here... or Everywhere. What do you want? Do your thinking about me.   Forecast: Rapidly changing conditions. A lot of thinking - most of it in your face, it's almost shouting at me. Sorry if I said anything weird. That was...vague. Do your thinking about "Everywhere."   Forecast: A rain of blood will flood the desert and not purify it. Bleh. Thinking about Everywhere always makes me feel a little sick... Well, that was more of a given than a thought. Do your thinking about "Here."   Okay, rude. I’m standing right here, kid. Forecast: Cloudy, with a chance of friendship. Ouch. Thinking small only hurts a little, but it's a sharp pain. Alright, thanks kid. Go buy yourself some aspirin. Or Med-X. I have money? Am I selling? Yeah. Am I selling to you? No. Sorry to hurt your feelings, but you're small time. Move along. A gun nut like you must have some weapons stashed around here. Do I look like a loving arms caravan to you? Whoa, buddy, language, there’s an already messed-up kid like ten feet away from us. Do you think the Gun Runners keep the NCR military supplied by carrying weapons and ammo from the Boneyard out here by the armload? What do you do? I'm a salesman. I swing through McCarran and the dam once a week or so to take orders. But lately I spend most of my time in this piss heap. Ever since the 15 shut down, all caravans come through here - right to me. I check the stock and direct deliveries onward to meet orders. Sure, it stinks to hang out here, but it won't be forever. Plus I can afford a monthly bender on the Strip and still build up my nest egg. Tell me about the Gun Runners. The Gun Runners have been putting rapid-fire death-dealing in the hands of anyone who needed to defend himself for over a century. We're the NCR's #1 supplier of weapons and ammunition. You might call us an unofficial branch of the army. Tell me about Gun Runner caravans. Not much to tell. A brahmin or two loaded up with weapons, and a whole mess of well-armed guards to make sure it ends up where it's supposed to. One nifty bit, though. The gun cases are rigged to explode. So trying to loot one of our caravans doesn't do much good. And that's how the NCR stays equipped. The only thing we don't bring in is energy weapons. That’s...helpful information for someone you are refusing to do business with. Yeah, you’re more of a Mouth Runner than a Gun Runner. Why don't you deal in energy weapons? We used to. But every caravan carrying them was getting ambushed and wiped out. By someone sophisticated enough to know which was which. We think it was the Brotherhood of Steel - those crazies always go hard for energy weapons. But the NCR would rather pretend they killed all of them. (...Veronica?) (Yeah, it’s not us. After HELIOS One, we basically turtled.) Tell me about yourself, Veronica. I like long walks in the desert and candle-lit metal workshops.  Know anything about New Vegas? Yep. It's your typical city layout. Rich people in a gated community surrounded by extreme poverty.  House gave the area around the Strip to the locals, but he has no interest in it, so he ignores it entirely. It just needs new management.  I'd love to see the Brotherhood do it, but since the Codex doesn't say "clean up Freeside" no one listens to me. Bunch of sticklers.   I’m out on a walk, assholes, do you mind? Friends of yours? I kinda...sorta...maybe...ate their crucifying special agent in front of them? ...uh huh. They had it coming to them! No, I believe that. On a completely separate subject, I taste terrible, ha ha! We get up to level 9, putting more points into Science! and Survival.  I only eat people who I feel deserve it. Just ask ED-E. <pleading-the-fifth beeping>  Welcome to the Grub n' Gulp! What is this place? Just a little rest stop that me and my good friend Lupe set up. Last stop on your way into New Vegas, first stop on your way out, that's what I say. How's business? I do decent enough. The NCR patrols usually stop by for a quick bite, and travelers like yourself pass by a couple times a week.   If you're low on caps, I've also got slightly irradiated wasteland water. A little fallout never killed anybody. Where do you get your water? The NCR fixed up the pipe network pretty good, and water merchants like me are allowed to have some of it to sell. If we have a water license, of course. Still, it beats the inconvenience of having to trek all the way to the lake to resupply. Are there many water merchants around here? There's a few independent ones like me, but it's mostly the big trading outfits that deal in water, like the Crimson Caravan Company. Anything I should know about New Vegas? They won't just let anybody into the Strip, but you should be able to have a good time in Freeside itself. Just, uh, keep a close eye on your caps.  What’s with merchants leaving these little treasures out in the open for? Hey, can we stop for a bit? My dogmeats are barkin’.  Uh, unless all the beds are taken. My bad. Who are you?  My name's Frank Weathers. I'm a farmer, got a few hundred acres near Junktown. Well, I was a farmer. I guess I'm not much of anything now. Why'd you come all the way out to New Vegas? Why does anybody? I thought I'd strike it rich at the tables, make my fortune and never have to plow those drat fields again. I just wanted to provide for my family - and now they're gone. All gone. God forgive me.... What happened to your family? We were crossing the Mojave, not far from Searchlight, when a band of Caesar's Legion slavers came out of nowhere. They took my family. What do you know about the Legion? They're cannibals, slavers, and worse. Hey now, what’s so bad abo – <mouth gagged by Veronica> (Maybe don’t let everyone know about that!) I hear rumors they're poised to overrun the entire Colorado River Valley, and even the Army won't be enough to stop them. One of the officers here, or at Camp McCarran, might be able to tell you more. I'm so sorry. Can I help? You'd do that for a complete stranger? Thank you, friend. The army says they don't have the available manpower - as if this city is more important. From what I've gathered from NCR rangers, they were most likely taken to Cottonwood Cove. You might start there. I’ll get on it as soon as I’m finished with some other personal business.  Welcome, sister! How can I help you? Who are you? Well, that's an interesting question. Among the Church, I'm called Elder Gunnarsson. The Followers call me "Doc." You can call me Bert, though. Bert, huh? Where’s Ernie? Dead, much like that reference. Oh. What do you do here? I give what aid and comfort I can. I have medical knowledge thanks to my time with the Followers. You're one of the Followers of the Apocalypse? I surely am. Well, sort of. I came out from Utah about six months back, saw a need for my help here. The Followers weren't too happy about that, of course. They haven't been too fond of the NCR for a while, but I go where I'm needed. What was it that brought you out here from Utah? Following a lost cause, I'm afraid. My old friend Nephi fell in with a bad crowd. Drug runners, raiders, probably worse things it's better not to dwell on. When his gang headed west, I followed. I thought perhaps I could turn him back to the Church. What happened to your friend Nephi? I never was able to reach him. He has allowed drugs and hatred to consume him. He runs with the Fiends north of here, now. They call him Driver Nephi. What's the deal with all these refugees? Poor lost souls, most of them. They thought to come to New Vegas and find their fortunes on its shining Strip. But the journey is often long, and the price to enter the city is steep. Those who could not pay ended up here, hoping to earn the caps they need. Some find honest labor, but more fritter away what little they've saved on crooked gambling and cheap liquor. Still, I minister to them as I can. That's noble of you. I only do what I can to help.  There are some buildings we can go into, but they’re not very interesting. Just some random loot.  Man, today is just maximum yoinkage with these star caps. Score!  Something I can help you with, stranger? Who are you? Captain Parker. I'm in charge of this camp. What exactly is this place? This here's where folks go when their luck runs out. Drifters up from the Republic, locals that can't turn a dime, drunken reprobates from all around. If you don't have the caps to get onto the Strip, odds are you'll end up here. Sounds like a chaotic place. Is there any way I can help? Well, I am a little short staffed. Maybe you could give me a hand. Some people have gone missing from the camp lately. Haven't seen any signs of violence or heard about any feuds, they just up and vanished. I've also got Keith and his gambling to deal with - I know that skunk's cheating folk out of their savings, I just can't prove it. Tell me about this "Keith." Keith's a two-bit hustler, he runs a gambling operation out of his shack. Ask me, he wins way too often to be playing fair. I suspect he's running drugs, too, I just can't prove it. Maybe you can find something - talk to him, poke around his shack, something. Drugs, you say? Okay, I’ll help. The other building that Keith is in is actually occupied to the teeth.  Not the healthiest bunch, though.  Who are you?  Name's Keith. You feeling lucky? I got games of chance, games of skill, games of you-name-it. Want to win a little cash? From what I hear, your players are pretty unlucky. What's your secret? I guess Lady Luck just smiles on me, that's all. Nothing special about it.  Oh, I getcha. Lookin for a slightly more chemical thrill? Okay, I tell you what - I happen to keep some Jet around for emergencies. 35 caps and it's yours. 35 caps? What a loving rip-off! That’s like two levels of bullshit. Take it or leave it. Oh screw this, I’m taking him down. Trying to gyp me in front of my new friend. Smug rear end in a top hat doesn’t even keep his cheating deck locked up. Psst. Hey. I’ve got the evidence. You...don’t need to be incognito, miss. There’s no one else out here. Oh. I've got evidence - Keith has a set of marked cards he uses to cheat, and is grossly overpricing his drugs. Marked cards, huh? I suppose it's obvious, really. Here, you've earned this. <gives 150 caps> I'm going to go take Keith into custody. If you're interested in a little extra pay, I wouldn't mind the back-up. Sure, I'm in. Why not?  You might wanna be looking at Keith when talking to him, Cap’n gently caress you man, I ain't going nowhere with you. Come quietly now, I don't want to have to hurt you. Why don't you go cry to your wife, then - oh that's right! She left your worthless stinking rear end!  Um, Parke-   <observational beeping> Okay, I think he’s dead, you can stop now! That might have been a tad... excessive. Maybe, maybe not. I always warned him not to push my buttons. Well, ain't nobody going to miss him, anyways. Here you go. I promised you an extra reward for coming along, so that's what you get. <100 caps> After another long day, Sun reflects on her journey thus far with some whiskey and cram. Just one more day.
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Mar 16, 2018 23:43
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Haha! I forgot about the psycho NCR guy.
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Mar 17, 2018 00:57
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I like Veronica, I like the quests she's involved with, and I like her connections to other things. The 188 are all good enough folk, and I feel a bit protective towards the folk at the Grub 'n Gulp, as they always seem to spawn a hostile force and get murdered fighting them as I try to contain it. Also that fuckin NCR guy. There's no good way to do that unmarked quest.
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Mar 17, 2018 01:33
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eating only apples posted:I like Veronica Objectively the best companion. Other companions' personal quests aside, I always bring Veronica.
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Mar 17, 2018 01:42
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Livewire42 posted:Objectively the best companion. Other companions' personal quests aside, I always bring Veronica. Naw, Arcade. Best in terms of gameplay, probably Boone.
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Mar 17, 2018 02:24
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Ouch. Bad call, Keith. Bad call.
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Mar 17, 2018 02:26
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Mar 17, 2018 03:26
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Did you name her just for that picture
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Mar 17, 2018 03:32
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eating only apples posted:Naw, Arcade. Boone's great, but if you're traveling with him you're going to be playing a fairly conventional game. Arcade owns and his personal quest was an amazing surprise when I first found it.
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Mar 17, 2018 03:55
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