It has come to a point where I really need to make some advancement, I have several quests near completion and my progress toward some of my goals is really slow. So, for this session I decide that caution and care need not apply.

I've waited too long. I head toward Vegas. This isn't to say that I take a direct route to Vegas, but in my own meandering way I progress until I've not only found the entrance to Freeside, but done a pretty solid loop around the outside of Vegas itself. The aim of which is simply experience whoring from location discovery.

Wait... what's that?

On my journey I spot something which genuinely pauses me - Deathclaws. A family brood of Deathclaws.


You'll have to forgive the fact they are barely visible, but let's just say I didn't want to get any closer. I turn around and sneak away until I'm sure I'm a good enough distance to begin travelling properly again.

I'll come back for these cute little chaps, but for now, I'm scared even just seeing them.

The journey so far.

This was possibly the session I've covered most ground
(excluding fast travel to previous locations) and it felt pretty good to actually be making some real progress. I think in the next session I'll try to close up the various open quests I have so I can better concentrate on activity in and around Vegas.

My actions have not gone without rewards, on my travels I've slain several gecko's, an entire hoard of feral ghouls, a pack of Bighorners (these were tough, especially when they start head-butting me all over the place!), more Bloatfly than I care to even begin counting and there was even a Radscorpion which I'll openly admit very nearly killed me, just south of the 188 trading post.

Logistics of fist-fighting

I've adjusted my on screen hud, and done away with the iHUD mod, replacing it with oHUD. oHUD is simply a more advanced version of the mod and allows me to better monitor my character. I've noticed that my carry weight limit is causing me to constantly think about what I'm picking up to loot.

I need to loot a lot simply to keep the caps flowing, caps means meds, and most fights take about 300 caps worth of healing meds and food.

An extended or dangerous fight can cost me 1000+ caps worth if I have to dip into my super-stimpack reserves or Jet and med-x

So, the meta game of keeping me alive in fights comes down to how efficient I can be at looting...

And here's what you could have won.

All my troubles managed to eke me just inside of Level 8 which means my stats are increasing and I get a new perk. I chose to take an additional point of Endurance, but I'm almost certain my next perk will be another point in Toughness.

So ends a journey into the northern parts of the map. I've raised the difficulty to 'Hard' ... there was something wrong with the fact I could decapitate a rampaging Bighorner with simply my fists. I'm sure the increased difficulty will have some effect on how well I can progress.

For now though 'Hard' difficulty will hopefully balance my capability to punch out opponents that by all rights should be murdering my character.

Character Detail:
Level 8
Unarmed Skill 58
Leather Armour (reinforced), Combat Helmet Mk2 (reinforced)