"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."
- Orson Welles

Well, here it is, possibly even before I anticipated it. The end, the culmination... my finalé I started out some months previous on a challenge to complete the game Fallout New Vegas, fighting through combats with only my fists.

I've punched more things than I know of and much like my previous challenge (fallout 3) I've found that once you acquire the right character perks everything becomes just repetition of a series of common events.

The storyline was of little interest to me, I've been through this game a number of times and, I've bypassed a LOT of content, I've not stepped foot in the Sierra Madré nor ventured to Zion. There are probably numerous quests and side quests and unlisted quests that I overlooked while I rushed fist-first into this game, but it was never my intention to be completionist.

The only thing I needed to complete was the challenge I'd set out... and that I've done. I perhaps took too much meta-game capability to 'force' my characters progression, but the job is done.

It was only marginally harder than Fallout 3, and I did at one stage have to reduce the difficulty but for the most part this game was done on Hard difficulty, eventually even jumping into Very Hard difficulty once the game posed no challenge.

I hope you can all enjoy this final video I've put together as I look to fill my spare time with other trivial matters!


Thanks for watching / reading / following my mish-mash adventure, hope you've enjoyed it!

So, I can now proudly state - I've completed Fallout New Vegas... I've done so without ever lifting anything other than my own fleshy fists.

I've beaten feral dogs & Giant Scorpions, I've punched Ghouls & Super Mutants, I've beaten pretty much everything that stood in my way... and I mean 'beaten' as in "to a pulp"

Man, Beast, Robot. All have fallen before me. Sure I've not done what could be considered an 'iron-man' play-through, but honestly that would take more effort and concentration than even I am willing to put into this.

While I prepare the video of my battle along Hoover Dam, please enjoy this comical moment from my time in the Big MT.

Some light entertainment while you wait.

Video treat time!

I've included a written synopsis below, but for once I'd taken video of pretty much my entire play session (well, excluding a little walking about...) so sit back and enjoy. If the video it too long / dull, just zip down the page to read up on what happened.

 For those of a less video-oriented disposition... 

After zipping about a little I decided to crack on with another NCR focused main quest, namely 'deal with the Brotherhood of Steel'. Tempting fate I thought I'd make a meal of things, firstly taking time to deftly nip about the Brotherhood bunker at Hidden Valley and steal the key-cards from key personnel so I could activate the bunker self destruct.

This wasn't challenging enough however, so, I reload the game to a point just before I enter the bunker. This time I throw all caution and care out of the proverbial window as I wade in fists flying. Other than learning that power armour is hard to punch and that Mk VI turrets are pretty much invincible (about 15 mins in video) in due course I've put down the entire Brotherhood chapter single handed (and with liberal use of healing medication).

This left a bad taste in my mouth however, and even looking at all the loot I could possibly now take, dozens of suits of power armour... more weapons and ammo than I could carry even if making several trips, but no, I had to be the better person.

So I opted to re-re-load the game one final time and took the diplomatic approach. With the Brotherhood now on good terms with the NCR I finish up by furthering my capabilities - I want me some of that shiny metal power armour, and that means being trained... And that means proving myself to the Brotherhood and joining their ranks.

So it's off to beat up some Super Mutants, the preferred pass-time of BoS members. With little effort I stomp on up the mountain side and kick mucho-butt-o (I have this on video too, but editing / uploading takes time, I'll post the video in a new separate post when I get chance).

I end the session helping defend the president from a would be assassin during his visit to Hoover dam. After finishing all my assigned tasks I save the game at the point where I'm about to enter the very last stage of the game, the battle for the dam. I cannot foresee that It's going to be very difficult, nonetheless I'll be prepping myself with med supplies and fully repaired armour! Session 22 ... watch this space!

So, while this was one of my longer play sessions It was really dull.

I start by heading into Vegas to talk with the King, and by extension of this begin the side quest to fix Rex. Wandering about Vegas allows me to wrap up a character challenge - get barred from all of the casinos... Which thanks to some sexy nightwear, and my already high 'Luck' characteristic was easy enough to do.

After this I get to the task of fixing a broken dog, which involves a lot of walking, followed by even more fast travel as I first go to discover and then spend time zipping back and forth between Jacobstown and various quest locations. I kill a few fiends and while in Jacobstown pick up some quick quests, obliterating a few night stalkers and grabbing a little experience.

In due course, Rex is all fixed up and I turn my attention elsewhere...



Having concluded this rather dull series of travels, I then repeat the process, this time with the Great Khans for their odd little integral quest that links to NCR at Hoover Dam... All this travelling is really dull, and being that I've been through this game a good few times the 'immersive' NPC speeches are now superfluous to my interest and are there simply for me to test how quickly I can click through the speech options.

The Khans are nice enough to teach me an unarmed attack move (which I may never actually make use of) for my troubles.

Yawn

It's not quite a complete waste of my time however, during my travels I have to fight off three lots of Legion assassins, the first lot attack me while I had Rex, and I was surprised when he one-hit killed them... but I figure Rex is 'unarmed' of sorts so felt nothing bad as I watched him tear up a few legion boys.

With Rex at my side even Deathclaws have absolutely no chance, and oddly they apparently have no chance against the physics engine either, I managed to snap a screenshot of one Deathclaw as it stretched into infinity after being hit in VATS.


Keep in mind, I've already applied several user patches that fix many bugs... but apparently not this one!

Looting Overload

With Legion now pretty much handing me guns and armour to sell, along with general wasteland looting, I've got more caps than the English cricket team (also- holy crap where did that analogy come from?)

I now have so many caps I simply hoard meds from any vendor I meet, this has lead to me having a very large stash of food and meds stacked in the refrigerator in Novac, I had to go and top up a few times thanks to 12.5mm sub-machine guns which make my poor face hurt while I run toward them.

So, it is after many hours of walking, fast travelling and speech rapid-fire-mouse clicking that I close what has to be one of the dullest sessions I've had.

To the Future!

I hope my efforts have sufficiently advanced my NCR quest lines such that I can wrap up. I feel that there really is little that can now stop me.

A point of note, during this session I advanced a level and took the GRX implant allowing me non-addictive 'Turbo' drugs. Although I've not mentioned turbo much it has been one of my most treasured and often used meds. The brief section of 'slowed time' allows me to wail on an opponent and anything short of a Deathclaw sands no chance while I have Turbo active.

The sheer number of attacks means I land more critical hits , and that tends to mean that even robots go down before they can even start firing at me


I end the session having gained a level and hopefully advanced the main story for NCR quite a way.

Character Detail:

• Level 34
• Unarmed Skill: 100
• Combat Armour Mk2
• Boones Beret
• Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator
• Rebreather

I have to say this play through had gone on far longer than perhaps it should have done, the past few sessions... possibly everything post my return from Big MT have felt more like I'm just fleecing the game rather than deliberately making progress to the story.

With this in mid, I had to make a choice, how to play the end game. I've decided that I'll side with NCR. For some time, I wanted to play this one on the Legion side, but the logistics of things have swung favour to the NCR.

If any of you have played the Legion story, you'll know how much walking is involved going through that damn camp at The Fort to report to Ceasar after several of the quests. I'm lazy and so, that option was dismissed. The reason I'm not playing a 'Mr House' or 'Yes Man' ending is that I'd only recently played through the game previously and just wanted a change.

So, what happens now?

Well, I have to become buddies to the NCR, so I zip back to Camp Searchlight, to pick up a quest to kill off the Legion at Cottonwood Cove. I actually really enjoyed this part, I fast travelled to the cove, and being that my reputation is neutral toward the Legion, I'm able to freely move about. I get closer and then start moving about hidden.

I follow each legion troop until they are separate from the rest, then with one sneak attack critical from behind... one single punch... I kill them all in turn! Only after I'd done this do I think to myself, "that would have made a brilliant video!"

Unfortunately I didn't have FRAPS running and so the tale will have to go down as a story rather than something to watch. I've learned from this that I'll put FRAPS on for some of the next fights, there are some epic parts to come...

Nice Camp, Really.

I zip up the map to Camp Forlorn Hope and in very quick time see to the various fetch, carry, fix sub quests. I then ransack Nelson and kill the Legion troop that remain there.

All this questing earns me a positive relationship with the NCR and now the legion seem rather annoyed. So it's off to Vegas to speak with the NCR Ambassador and to propel my career as an NCR Mercenary about to 'free' the wastelands.

What could possibly go wrong?

I decided to finish my session by accounting for some loot that needs selling, and doing a light inventory sorting, which involves taking stock of my health meds and food supplies.

One of my personal 'choice locations' which features a camp-fire on which I can cook foods is Harpers Shack. It has easy access storage for offloading excess bits and the camp fire is easy to reach from the fast travel point.

I occasionally use the location to raid the Jackal Gangers nearby, but less so in recent sessions as I have no desperate need for income as I once did.

This all sounds very quaint, possibly boring... but those with a keen memory or perhaps an ingrained knowledge of the Mojave will recall that only a short distance from the shack... there is a Deathclaw nest. It goes by the name Dead Wind Cavern. I'd previously seen it from afar, and I ran very fast in the opposite direction.

This time however, I'm feeling cocky. the paralysing palm perk has given me enough bravado that
now, three Deathclaws sounds like a fun challenge rather than a way to experience what it's like to become much smaller and be in several locations at once.

Let's do this!

Filled with stupid bravado (and lots of performance enhancing meds) I begin my attack, sure enough three Deathclaws is an issue, they do an amazing amount of damage causing me to constantly use my pip-boy for healing. Even with paralysing palm. There is one thing I'd overlooked.

Deathclaws are tough, So even knocked out they still take a hammering. I manage to knock them out in some rough sequence, but my meds are low after only a very short while. I manage to kill on e of the smaller one's but only to see a larger, much more angry and definitely not unconscious Deathclaw jumping toward me.

As my body cartwheels backward in slow motion I begin to wonder If I should just save game and then go back to my NCR tasks.

No, don't be silly! I've opted to argue with menstruating velociraptors and I'm going to see it through!

I reload the game, and head back in. I'm sure If I can just get another paralysing knockout that I can do this. I am of course, very wrong... but this time I run. The next problem, can I outrun a Deathclaw?

Before I can answer this, and I'm already presuming the answer would be .. no... I find myself in a rather bad place. a large Jackal Gang encampment ... next to a Molerat nest.

Queue Benny Hill music

I have absolutely no idea how but through sheer luck perhaps I avoid the Deathclaws long enough that some of the gangers attack them and draw their attention, I punch out a miscreant molerat that is hassling me, take cover form the gunfire the gangers are now putting in my direction and knockout the sole Deathclaw that is still on my tail.

So...

Jackal Gangers are being torn to shreds by remaining Deathclaws
Mole Rats, what remain are attacking Jackal Gangers
Deathclaws shredding everything in sight.

... except me.

A lucky break, I use the multitude of meat sheilds to attack a 2nd Deathclaw, and thanks to the gangers gunfire, it's already low on health so is quickly dispatched after a knockout and repeated punching in its silly Deathclaw face.

Two down...

I punch a molerat so hard it backflips and throw myself into the third Deathclaw, ignoring a couple of remaining Jackal gangers, I land a lucky critical in my first VATS to knock out the walking lawnmower and then pummel it into obliteration. After seeing a girl beat two Deathclaws to death with her fists you'd thing the Jackal gangers would be having second thoughts.... but no, they are still shooting at me.

It doesn't last long. I'm now stood among the bodies of a dozen gangers, a brood of molerats and three dead Deathclaws...

Back in the Mojave, and my first order of business is to wrap up loose ends, first stop New Vegas, and I pick up a Pimpboy 3billion from Mick & Ralph for my efforts.

At this time I was actually zipping back and forth between Big MT and the various vendors of the Mojave to shift the almighty amount of loot I'd gathered, Old Lady Gibson, The Gunrunners and the Mojave Outpost all became outlets for my trash collection.

The net gain allowed me to repair my armour which had almost constantly been in a state of disrepair during my time in Big MT. I pick up some medication where possible and add a few additional implants from New Vegas Medical Clinic.

I stock up my Novac room with enough dog steaks and other foods to last through another nuclear winter and then set my sights on a task that's been too long on my pip-boy list.

We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."
 - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Those lovable metal-wearing tech-hoarding fellows need my love, and I'm gonna give it to them! Mynew heightened skills allow me to very quickly finish the first collection quest line at Repconn HQ. For my troubles they send me to go chat up some guys that are scattered about the wastes and then fetch them more stuff. Admittedly this was my choice within the quest options but what the heck, in for a penny...

Other than the amount fo walking around inside of vaults, and walking to several locations I'd not yet discovered this all went very quickly.

Vault 22 was surprising, even with an elevated difficulty level I found I was able to go through it almost entirely unhindered, a combination of sneak and critical hits meant most of the Spore Carriers went down in one hit!

Lost Data

Silly me, I'd all but forgotten one of the single most defining moments of my game thus far...

This post was added on 13th April, but the content dated from around the 5th so ahs been put in blog order at that point.

Time for a rewind;

Upon having returned from Big MT (see a few posts previous...) I decided that I had the capability to take on Quarry Junction... Sloan... Deathclaws!

Yup, that's right, a quarry full of deathclaws, me and my fists. Lucky for you good folk, I made the effort to record the event with FRAPS and so, without further ado, let the show begin!

Death comes to those who claw

A few posts previous, I posted a poll, asking you good folks your views on if my 'use' of armed NCR troops to which I lead some ghouls to be slaughtered had failed my challenge.

I'll admit the event did put my morale at a low point, I felt as though I'd cheated myself.

The Results

It's only been a short while, and there's not a huge amount of results collected, but it seems that you chaps out there mostly think I was justified in getting the Ghouls killed by the NCR troops.

Overwhelmingly however, the results all currently reply that I haven't failed my challenge, for which I can only say 'Thank you!'

That's quite a little boost to the old morale, and now that I'm close to the endgame I feel that my fists will be punching with extra vigour.

Not a part of my "sessions" count It took me best part of a week or so, playing on or off to complete the Big MT "Old World Blues" DLC, and to my surprise I gained far more levels than I expected. However this progression comes at a price... 

Humility

I'd been abusing and deliberately meta-thinking my way through the Mojave and so, when I came into the Big MT I was taken by surprise a little by how much thing hurt! The entirety of my first few sessions were played essentially in sneak mode. Any sign of opposition had me running the other way.

It comes down to the fact that Saturnite Gloves, Proton Axes (and even more so the Protonic inversal axe) and of course Roboscorpions hurt like hell, my armour was in shreds on my arrival and was offering only a half of its protection, One hit from any of these things put me dangerously close to death such that any engagement beyond one hit was impossible!

I died a good few times with a bull headed "I can do this" approach. In the end, my pride had to sit aside as I lowered the difficulty so that I could make any form or progress possible.

Difficulty: Easy

Accepting my fate, I began trawling my way through the various missions and side-quests that weren't too far out of my way on my travels, the map here is tiny so I was able to quickly soak up lots of experience as I ticked off quests and beat the inhabitants into submission. Even on Easy difficulty the lobotomites take a good few punches before they go away, and Roboscorpions are really hard. Their armour reduces my attacks to nothing more than tickles, only when I land a critical hit does it visibly reduce their hit point bar.

A catch up

I'm going to post in sequence all of my level advancements so you can appreciate just how much I advanced while romping about the Big MT.


I know I missed a few levels, but I'm pretty sure this gives a good examination of how I'm progressed my skills, as you can see I've ended up reaching an Unarmed skill of 92 and I claimed the 'Slayer' perk, more importantly however... early in my adventures in this location I took Paralyzing Palm, which all but mooted any difficulty of any combat against living beings.


There were other perks I've gained, but not worth special mention.

Finely attired

I had to adapt quite a lot, limited by how I can repair things, and unable to source new armour I found myself swapping armour quite a lot, gathering loot to sell to repair armour and then swapping again. For the most part I completed the area using the Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator and Stealth suit Mk II which has remarkably high damage protection for it's weight.

Holiday's over. Get Back Twerk

All in all, my journey away from the Mojave was worthwhile. Experience, perks, additional equipment. I'm pretty certain that I'm going to complete the game in no time now, paralysing palm is entirely overpowered...

New Level, New Perk!

Looks Like a case of the old World Blues

Reloading the game, I buck up my spirit and roll out into the western wastes of Vegas. The walk ahead is quite a long one so I sip my coffee and watch as the scenery plays out around me.

I come across a location or two, but one location in particular makes me stop, and think. The Poseidon gas station. An ordinary, run down, boarded up building, a little radioactive but otherwise very ordinary. Its northern perimeter edged by mountains and its south western facing looks over a makeshift fort... The locale is littered with fiends, I've already snuck my way past one group, killed a lone straggler, but this fort is home to Violet and her dogs.

Dogs aren't a problem as long as there isn't too many of them in the pack. Fiends aren't a problem, just punch them a few times and they die. Violet combined with dogs is a big problem. I begin by sneaking as far away from the encampment as I can feasibly do so. I guess the dogs 'see' me because all too quickly there are 3 of them running right at me. One of them being Violetta. A named dog character that could be an issue.

I break from sneaking to running and head to cover, I can hear Violet shooting at me from distance. I back up and prepare to face the dogs, the 1st dog dies quickly, while I knock Violetta around using 'Ranger takedown'. at this stage I note I'm taking serious damage from the shots that Violet is landing on me. I pump med-x and stims, I take a hit from Violetta and my health plummets, I frantically ram super-stims and other meds into my character.

I continue to tangle with Violetta, but the high damage from Violets shots are really, really hurting... Violetta gets back up from a punch I'd landed... leaps at me and decimates the last third of my hit points.

Another death, and so soon after the previous! I can't help but feel the game is getting back at me.

"I intend to live forever, or die trying."
- Groucho Marx

Violent vengeance on Violet

I reload the game, in full knowledge that in just moments I will be 'spotted' by the dogs (really bad place to save a game if you ask me...) so, this time I pre-emptively ram every available med and performance enhancer into my character and run right toward where Violet will come out of her encampment.

The dogs spot me... I keep running.
 - - Violet comes out... Still running.
 - - - The dogs are attacking me.. hit the VATs key and pound Violets face.

The flurry of action sees me repeatedly using the pip-boy for meds, but the assault is quick enough that I end Violet even before she gets of a third shot. With her removed from the equation Violetta gets my full attention, and I batter that pooch more than a piece of haddock on fish-night. The other sundry dogs are of no concern. and I breath once more as I settle into my triumph.

I finish what I'd started and head to Red Rock to discover the Great Khans, I'm treated to my Level 15 advancement for my troubles and then I quick-travel back to Novac to fill up on meds, sell up my loot and prepare for the next session, Let's hope it starts to get better.

Character Details:
Level 15
Unarmed Skill 70
Combat Armour Mk2, Boones Beret

I'd rather not go back over the sadness of the previous session, but this next session didn't exactly go well either...

Once more I try to progress the main storyline, so I return to The Fort, job over to the bunker and dive in. The radiation in the bunker is only mildly annoying, what's more annoying is that I have neither the Science skill for the computer terminals nor the Lockpick skill for several lockers.
Undeterred I keep going deeper into the bunker.

Where we're going you won't need guns...

Now, I know that there are robots here, but I have no fear of them, I've taken out a good few robotic adversaries. While I do have to wonder just what my characters fists are actually made of that I can punch an armoured security robot into bits.

This little contemplation is quickly removed from my thoughts as I realise that I'm taking more damage than I perhaps can sustain, the Protectrons here, and there are a good number of them, are somewhat easy to handle by evading the group, singling out one or two into a confined space and then using the 'Ranger takedown' perk.

Knocking the robots down gives me about 2 seconds to really go to town on them before they can get up and I just repeat the process over.

This has become a successful technique for taking on very tough enemies or ones that have very high damage-per-hit (for example Giant Radscorpions). My problem wasn't these robots, although I did use a fair amount of meds to correct for their laser fire.

However, A problem arose in the form of the defensive Mk IV turrets. Thanks Mr House... Unlike their electronic cousins the turrets are immune to 'knock-down' and in comparison to the Protectrons the turrets have far superior fire-power. This information too too long to get from my eyes, to my brain ... and then far too long for my hands to waggle the mouse in such a way it looked like I was trying to have my character run for their little digital life.

The turrets defeat me, the slow motion assuredness of another death plays out for me to painfully observe what happens when I get too confident. But, if the challenge were simple, the reward would be unappealing.

Nope, Nope, Nope... 

After the wonder that is the 'respawn at last save' I decide the Fort is still outside of my capability, So.. how about I do a little more work for Yes Man? Time has come for me to find the Khans, it's a dangerous journey... there are Cazadores on the roads in that direction, but finishing this would take me one step closer to story completion.

One journey via fast travel later I find myself at the southern edge of Vegas. I actually ended the session here for a quick break... you'll find out how well things go in my next post...

Terrible pun to start this one with! but accurate, I've tried to finish (and I mean finish.. not just walk about the wastes for hours thinking about doing things)

*ahem* as I was saying.. tried to finish several of the myriad of quests I've opened. And I had a plan!

Beat people senseless!

And take their stuff... I went hunting about for easy prey, Powder Gangers now die with two punches, bloatflys still give experience and require no effort, Jackal Gangers I can cope with. And It dawned on me, I'd not even finished Novac!

Well at this stage I'm pumped by some successful head punching, all that was left to do was go and cross the 'i' and dot the 'T'

Bam! Quests finished in Novac! Super, what's next? Nellis... sure why not... BAM - Boomers quests done. All coming together nicely now.

Fixing the Boomers solar arrays nets me my next level up.

---

I am on fire!

Time to kick things into overdrive, thanks to the Ranger dude in Novac I learn a new unarmed perk and thanks to the handy chaps at New Vegas Medical I get myself some cybernetic go-gettters - also known as upgrade implants.

Check out these stats!

I blow every cap I have ramming technology into my body so I can roam into the wastes and obliterate all that stand before me.

I'm riding high, So I head to camp Searchlight, one of the many area's I have outstanding quests. It is here that I realise that even with my cybernetic enhancements, I'm still just a punk.

I start chasing Ghoul troopers... and the start running from Ghoul troopers. my attacks do nothing to them! their armour clearly too much for my fleshy hams that do nothing other than annoy them. while fleeing for my life I start once again to think how I can overcome this obstical

I'm pretty sure it's at this point I've failed in my challenge ...

The challenge was to beat the game, all of it without using any weapons of any sort.

I think I've blow it, while I may not have equipped a weapon (and thus in my mind have 'used' no weapon) what I did do pretty much constitutes 'using' something as a weapon. In this case - I use NCR troops...

I lead the Ghouls out of the town up to Camp Searchlight where the NCR guys happily open fire and kill them. What do you think, was this an unfair 'use' of what is essentially a 3rd person weapons system? or was I simply acting as a natural catalyst to a situation which may have resolved the same way in my absence?

online surveys

Either way, done is done... I have to carry on, knowing that I have in essence been beaten by the game, and by the challenge I'd set myself.

Let's wrap this one up

I end the session tripping around Cottonwood Cove on behalf of the NCR troops that had aided me for some supplementary experience gain.

I end the session two levels higher, in some ways elated that I've accomplished so much in the session, and. as I've stated above, in some ways I'm dismayed as I personally think this challenge is failed.

Chaacter Detail
Level 15
Unarmed Skill 70
Combat Armour Mk2, Combat Helmet Mk2 (reinforced) or alternatively Boones Beret for the crit bonus!

After Wandering about Vegas, I decide to enter the 'side-quest for experience' side of life, and head on over to the brotherhood, they're quite good for some simple quest lines that are moderately quick to do.

Now, when I say moderately quick, I overstate that would be for a normal character... after only the very easiest parts (the situation in Hidden Valley etc) I realise that my character is very much incapable of anything else.

I go hunting for the lost Paladins, one set is easy to find, and only made 'dangerous' by some Centaurs, which can easily be killed...

... by anyone with a gun! For me however, it was quite some struggle, and a struggle I almost lost!

Video Time :D

After roughing my way to the Paladins I find that my efforts are good but I cannot proceed due to a lack of lock picking capability for the next location!

I head to Novac for some major medical attention and then head up to Nellis Airforce Base, this in turn starts me on the Boomers quests, and once again I think to myself... these are easy! mostly fetch and carry ... right?

So I start off doing a few quests for the Boomers, at the same time, thanks to a trip to the HELIOS solar plant the I get re-side-tracked onto the Brotherhood Quest line... (at this stage I was really just doing anything I was capable of... which meant swapping and changing my quest on the fly)

I wrap up the parts I can and then take some time to think... I'm stuck, genuinely stuck. but I need experience points so I can advance levels such that I can get the skills to continue!

What a conundrum

Unsure what to do I decide that if all else fails I can attempt to progress the main story line. After yet another quest change in my pip-boy I head out to have a chat with Ceasar at the Fort, this time about sorting things out.

I'm not entirely sure which faction to play for at this stage so, it's open season for Platinum Chip holders like myself. I arrive at the Fort do all the dialogue crap that is required and head into the bunker on which the Fort sits.

I enter the bunker and it suddenly strikes me. This will not be easy, robots are tough, I'm not... lasers hurt, and being constantly radiated leaves a sour taste in my mouth. It irks me, but I again change my mind, deciding I need additional perks before I can properly consider combating multiple robots and possible the Legion.

However, I find myself at an odd point in the game, Ceasar has confiscated the Platinum Chip which means now I have to finish this quest line somehow. I think on matters for a moment and decide to leave the Fort and come back later.

Instead I wrap up the session by heading to Gomorrah and doing everything I can to grab experience, this is probably where I should have started this session, but hindsight etc etc...

Thanks to all the random little bits of experience I have managed to get I tick level 13 and call it a night.

Character Detail:
Level 13
Unarmed Skill 66
Combat Armour Mk2, Combat Helmet Mk2 (reinforced)
- both bits of armour really need to be repaired...

Vegas has proven to be quite profitable for my experience points... I've opened up several questlines like Gomorrah etc but more importantly...

Benny Vidi Vici

The title for this post is pretty indicative of what is about to follow.

after my last session I've put my tail firmly between my legs and rather than trying to take on anything that moves, I've become 'the thing that moves'

... and when I say 'moves' I mean walks the entire length of the Mojave,end to end... several times. My first port of call is Boulder City, to 'revisit' my forgotten storyline elements that in turn lead me to go to Vegas.

However, being that I'd skipped to Vegas already, there's not much to catch up on. I have a chat with a computer monitor that bumbles on about wanting fish and (platinum) chips - I speed click my way through the conversation options so that I can crack on lining up my Vegas side quests.

Ever wondered what it's like to wander?

I certainly never have put much thought to it, but I certainly have invested a lot of time into the act of wandering, various quest lines now draw me into the wastes and in a billion different directions, i'm moderately sure I've travelled to ever corner of the map in this session.

Visit the Brotherhood, check ... Revisit the Mojave Outpost to pick up Cassady's Quest lines now that I'm in Vegas, check... Find the ambushed caravans, check... visit the Legion camp at The Fort, via Cottonwood Cove, check.

Now, keep in mind, most of the locations in question I've yet to visit, so there's no fast travel for me today, just lots, and lots of walking.

I'd draw out the whole map, but that'd just end up being the entire New Vegas Map, so I present the 'major' part of my journey.


What the map leaves out, is my journey at the north with Cass looking for caravans. Not a lot happened, but I feel I must point out that while she was with me I made her use melee attacks. I still feel a little cheated as she pulled a knife when a handful of Fiends attack us en-route.

Wait ... you had Cass helping? surely that voids the challenge?!

I'm not overly depressed by having Cass as a companion this is still 'within the limits of the game' the event of Cass killing some Fiends I don't think has any negative bearing on my challenge to complete the game without using weapons. I have not done so, and I've done nothing to interfere with the games normal procedure, which in this case... was Cass stabbing some ugly looking fellow in the face several times.

If it makes things better once I was over her story arc at a point where she no longer needed to be with me, I dispatched her back to the Mojave Outpost... I then beat up a larger gang of Jackal Gangers on my way to Cottonwood Cove, all by my lonesome. Just to prove that I'm still up to the task of taking on the wasteland without wielding weapons.

The session has been long, slightly dull, but essential to making progress in the storyline, If only there were taxi cabs in the wastes?

Character Detail:
Level 11
Unarmed Skill 63
Combat Armour, Combat Helmet Mk2 (reinforced)

I earned this perks just after my Level 10 advancement.

From the wiki:

To complete this challenge, the player must inflict 10,000 damage with unarmed weapons.

Effects:
Beautiful Beatdown reduces the Action Points cost for unarmed attacks by 10%.

Rather anticlimactically my X session was nothing more than a brief journey further around the outskirts of Vegas and a journey back to Goodsprings.

I got attacked by a new human opponent for my troubles, a lone member of the Scorpion Gang armed with a knife. This once again proves to me that anyone with a combat weapon is harder to kill then if they had a machine gun...

The blocking is really annoying, nearly every punch I throw in 'real time' is blocked. Only in VATS do I get to actually cause any damage against these opponents.

Sadly I dont have time today to really get into things, I wanted to finish Goodsprings, but real life has to come first, and I'm off to take care of that!

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Ok, I'm back again... last night was fun, drinks were drunk and we all enjoyed a game of Cards Against Humanity, which is pretty much always certain to be fun.

Now... back to Fallout New Vegas for me

First stop, Goodsprings

To Primm my good man, and don't spare the brahmin!

I miss Vegas, can we go back please?

How to not succeed, at anything...

ALL THE MEDS EVER

This went exactly as well as it should have.