Fallout 3 - Perfect starting character

So worth the wait...It...is...*Awesome*...! Oh and despite what anyone else says, it is "Oblivion with guns" (which is exactly what I was hoping it would be - Hurrah!)...So here are just a few reflections based on my starting character (I got about 8 hours in and then realised I could have made a rather better go of things, luckily I had a convenient save to return to)... ;)

Stats - firstly, when it comes time to allocate your SPECIAL stat points, make sure you put your intelligence as close to 9 as you can - that means each time you level up you get a *lot* more skill points to allocate (don't put any stat at 10, as later on you will find bobbleheads that give you a +1 to each stat, which would otherwise be wasted)...oh and two things you must do at the start - at your birthday party make sure you read the comic book you are given as one of your presents, it is a permanent boost to unarmed skill you won't otherwise be able to get, and in your next phase make sure you pick up the bobblehead on your Dad's desk (another one shot, permanent boost to medical skill)...

Skills - when you take your career exam, just answer all the questions at random and then when you get your results hit the reset button and choose your skills yourself - of all the skills probably the most useful to me initially was melee (three good reasons - ammo is in fairly short supply at the start, all foe will rush you (only one creature has sniped me, and it did wussy damage), and most enemies will die with 2 or 3 hits, even with a weak melee weapon)...a great strategy is to wake a foe up, then hide behind a pillar or tree, wait until they run up and then wallop them with a sledgehammer using VATS...Other skills - don't neglect small guns (fire ants don't play fair, it's best to take them down at a distance), science and lockpick (there are a *lot* of goodies hidden in locked/hackable places)...you may also want a reasonably good explosives skill, oh and paying other people to repair your stuff is very expensive, so that's well worth it too...again, don't deliberately boost any skill above 90%, as there are skill books (same as Oblivion) that boost each skill by 10% just laying around the place (easier to find than Oblivion too)...my favorite skill? I'm personally loving sneak, it's tantamount to having an enemy detector, if any foe comes into range the nice green "Hidden" message at the top of the screen changes to a bright red "Caution" allowing you to stop and scan the horizon, perhaps even getting a free critical hit/easy kill with a rifle (rather than just suddenly getting killed by a grenade or bitten in the arse by surprise), very useful skill indeed...

Perks - pick whatever you fancy but there are some absolutely must have ones - "Intense training" lets you boost SPECIAL stats (up to 10 times - makes up for having to put all those points into Int), "Educated" (boosts skill points per level even further - at level five I got 22 points - which is 105 extra points over the course of the game!), "Comprehension" - although if you save up the skill books (put them somewhere safe) until after you have a convenient moment to buy this perk then it can wait..and definitely don't bother with "Swift Learner", you will level up quite quickly enough without it...

I'm about 14 hours in now, not even done one bit of the main storyline and already seen and done some incredible things (been shopping at the super-duper mart, drank some radioactive water, made friends with some vampires, been set on fire, killed numerous people with spiky hair, saved a village from a science experiment gone badly wrong and disarmed a nuclear weapon (earning me a free house with robot companion), not bad for a days work)...can't seem to find the dog I was promised though...hmmm...(although he might be part of the main quest I guess)... ;)

Anyway, here's to the next 56 hours of play (if I ever get round to starting the actual game... :)

Update - Started the main quest now (fully explored about 50 areas before doing so and cleared them out, bringing me to level 12) and I am *so* pleased I took Melee - there are an awful number of very claustrophobic indoor areas where it has been completely invaluable, combine it with the Shishkebab and a high Strength (mine is now 9) and I'm flooring Super Mutants in 2 hits when they come around the corner...killed six (two of which had miniguns) outside the museum without drawing a gun! Hehe... ;)

Right, time to get definitive - Further update - I have now finished the game and have started it again as an Evil Character, this is my updated starting guide (it takes about an hour but is so worth it) -

When you are born choose an Intelligence of 9 and quite a high Strength and Agility (don't put any stat higher than 9 though, because of the bobbleheads you will find as you progress), read the book given to you as a present on your birthday (find it under Aid), and grab the bobblehead on your dad's desk in medical (do this now as your next chance is much later on in the game) - make sure you select Melee as one of your SPECIAL skills (see note above)...as soon as you get out of the Vault go to Megaton, get to the craterside supply store (down the slope and then right half-way up the ramp before the two headed cow) and accept the quest to help research the book, specifically the shopping one (super-duper mart), then go to Moriarties Saloon (up at the top at the back of Megaton) and find Lucy West, accept her quest too...next make a mad dash to Rivet Town (a huge aircraft carrier in the bottom right of the map) trying not to level up (sneak and avoid enemies - saving often), get to the Science lab (door on the left past the guard and all the way at the end) and on the table you will find the Intelligence Bobblehead (taking you to Int 10 - the maximum), find the bed in the common room where you can sleep for free (restoring all health) - you can now fast travel back here each time you are injured (a big help at this stage in the game)...

Note - (at some stage you are going to inevitably make it to level 4, as you can't avoid foe all the time, when you do, make sure you take the "Educated" perk, this will add a further 3 points to skills each time you level meaning at the earliest possible moment you are going to get the maximum - 23 - this makes an enormous difference to how powerful you are going to be at later levels)...

Collect all ammo along the way (it doesn't weigh anything) and keep your eye open for a Chinese Assault Rifle (the top small gun and my favorite weapon)...it will crop up randomly on enemies...

Now, fast travel back to Megaton, get into Lucas Simms house (the door is unlocked at certain times of day, or you can pick his pocket, or even kill him to get his key - make sure no-one is looking if you opt for the latter two options though ) and grab the Strength Bobblehead from his desk on the second floor - next make your way to the Super-Duper mart (switch quest and follow the map marker) and sneak all the way round to the back of the store (or complete the shopping sub-mission now by killing everyone and grabbing food and medicine if you like - you can now level up freely) and from behind the counter in the middle at the back grab the motorcycle gas tank and the motorcycle hand-break (they are next to each other by the broken floor cleaning machine), then fast travel back to Megaton, get back to the craterside supply and choose the Minefield subquest, make your way to minefield (following the map marker) and very carefully make your way through town (sneaking and disarming all the mines - watch out for the sniper too) until you see a lawn-mower, open the lawn-mower and pick up the lawn-mower blade), now pop into any of the houses and search the oven, making sure you grab the Pilot Light...(there is a good reason for all this, I promise)... ;)

Now, switch quests to "Blood Ties", complete that mission (convincing the leader of the gang to protect the residents of Arefu) and get the Shishkebab Schematics, fast travel back to Megaton and go back to the craterside supply, go to the work bench on the left on the ground floor near the grumpy bloke and build Shishkebab - You now have the most powerful melee weapon in the entire game - go to Arefu and tell them the good news, completing the quest, then fast travel back to the vampire den, talk to the leader again and ask him to teach you how to be a vampire, you will then be able to get 20 health back by drinking blood packs (which are quite plentiful and otherwise useless)...

90% of enemies will rush you, even ones with guns, so employ a tactic of hiding behind rubble or trees and waiting for them to come running over, then use VATS to slice them in half and set them on fire with Shishkebab...(hehe)...or sneak and backstab for double damage - this tactic is best in the "dungeon" areas but can work in the wilderness if you are careful, otherwise stick to the Chinese Assault Rifle (again trying to get sneak attacks)...always aim for the head or torso...

Fast travel to Megaton and save the game...now you are ready to begin the game properly with absolutely the best starting character...leave this save intact on the hard drive as you can use it for a replay (the game begs to be finished at least twice, once as a good character, once as an evil character, so this will save you a lot of time!) ;)

Moving forwards from here I personally boosted sneak/small guns/science/repair/lockpick/melee (but don't boost any skill above 90 until you have found the Bobblehead/skill books, as no skill can go above 100), best way to make money is to repair unwanted items yourself, then go to a trader (craterside is fine) get the sales lady to repair all your stuff and then get all your money back by selling your unwanted repaired items along with unwanted ammo (there will be lots you won't use - e.g. energy cells, 10mm rounds)...