To use VATS, which is a targeting system, hit the V key when an enemy approaches, preferably not very far away. It will bring up a screen with parts of the body that you can target. I usually go for the head, but you can target the torso or even the arm holding his gun. The number of shots you get in VATS depends on your agility.

I tried to keep my karma in the positive territory since it would effect actions like being able to get certain companions. You lose very little karma in thieving and it can be regained by giving pure water to the begging wastelander outside Megaton. Have you checked what your karma actually is by opening your Pipboy? It is under status.

For some NPC your karma must be bad, for some neutral, for some good and for some it doesn't matter.

Thx guys, sounds cool. I tend to be a good person in and out of character lol. On my way to play and try my VATS. Btw, how do you get pure water?

There are a number of ways including just finding it on your journey's and buying it from traders. Also, there is a quest that you will come across in Megaton that one way or another will give you shelter and fresh water (albeit limited) for the extent of the game.

Ok so I will wait for that quest, but in the meantime, I am confused, I read in one of the posts that it is a good idea to pick and save everything, but then I get overumcombered (sorry if it is mispelled) how do I decide what to sell and what to keep? thx for your help.

You can probably sell just about everything. If you find a better weapon or armor, keep them. Ammo doesn't weigh anything, so I kept most of it. You can store your extra stuff in one of the lockers in the common house.

There is a lot of junk to pick up in this game. In the very beginning of the game I tend to pick up almost everything because I am so poor at that stage. Later when I'm somewhat better off I look at the item and mentally evaluate the weight of the object against the value of the object. If the object is heavier than its value I don't pick it up. The longer I play the greater the difference between these two values becomes. The only exception to this is if I come across something that is fairly uncommon just in case I've stumbled across a quest item that I might need later. This I would save at my house so I know where it is.

Here are some items that are needed for collection quests so you might want to save them instead of selling them:

That's all i can remember right now. If anyone wishes to add to my list please do so. I wish I had had a list when I started because I had come across many of these items earlier but sold them or dumped them before i realized I could profit more through these quests.

Rowan, you cant sell bobbleheads

Thx guys, but, I am sure I read somewhere that you should save what you pick up, for you can use it to improve or repair your weapons, what would be an example of this?

Hi, it´s me (again)I am confused (again) should I go for big guns or energy weapons? Lockpicing or hacking? I figure I can always cheat for the computer codes but cannot cheat to lockpick...can I? I just hate that I already broke all my lockpicks and didn`t even open an easy lock! Sure I am down from difficult to easy but still cannot pick any locks. But would hate to miss something major if I cannot hack either. Science or Repair? Ok, ok, I have to decide for myself but really, about the weapons... big or energy?

I chose energy weapons over big guns and found some great weapons. Lockpicking and repair are important. There are articles of clothing that will raise your skill. You can back out of a lock after two tries and not lose a lockpick. You could always save before trying a lock, at least until you got used to it. The very easy locks are usually at 10 and 2 on the clock. I did pretty well with a low science skill but you can't even attempt the computers that have a 75 rating.

You can use weapons you pick up to repair your weapon when it degrades.

Energy weaons are more practical but put few points on big guns or explosiosives for behemoths
and if you planing to cheat the code for unlocking the door is "unlock"


uber major spoilers my ending

Thx guys, I will take it into consideration, I have never been keen of too big weapons because I love picking up stuff, can`t help myself (one year playing oblivion + extensions, I suppose)and I would imagine that big guns are heavy right? Ameno took a look at the link, gorgeous, but do not know how to cheat yet, sure bring console down and then.....?
Thank you

Not that I am looking forward to cheat, cheat, per se, but is there a place with all the computer passwords (like I found one when I was playing vampire the masquerade bloodlines) or do we need to do the 3 out all the time for the passwords are random? Sorry, I am just frustrated that already lock 2 or 3 computers before I read the advice. lol.

The passwords are random I believe, and change every time you play the game. My best friend got the game for Xbox and so all of this I'm judging from going over to his house and playing it and from him telling me about it.

But I know Gamefaqs.com has a good guide on how to actually hack the computers. Not really cheating, per-say, but it has alot of good tips to help you out with that sort of stuff.


Though it's all mainly gibberish to me.



H4XX

cyberalki,
to open locked door witn cheats you must open the console "`" the click on the door with the cursor and type "unlock"

for hackig firs look bracket trick they are <> () {} [] they must be in one line and they can have many character in them including other bracket trick but there will be never a word in there. How to find them??? Hover your cursor over an opening braket and if it selects more then one chracter that's a braket trcik.
With this trick you can remove a dud or replenish your alowences.
also when you have one alowence left leave the terminal and enter it again you will have a brand new mini game.

cyberalki,
Going back a page, there are two reasons to collect some of the wasteland junk.

One is you can make a missile laucher type weapon (if you buy or find the schematics and use a tool bench) that will shoot any junk as ammo. Different types of junk act differently comeing out of the gun and on the forums around the web you can find threads where people rate the best junk. I think plungers do well and a lot of people prefer old money because its wieghtless. (This weapon classifies as a big gun...a skill you weren't so interested in so you may not want to make it except for fun.)

The other reason is that the schematics you can buy or find use certain types of junk to make the weapons. You can find an FAQ I bet with a list. I buy any schematics quick (before I buy anything for my house) if the traders are nomadic or out in the wasteland because they can be killed in the game. A lot of the schematic weapons are kinda silly but fun and some can be very usefull. They fit under several different skills like Melee, small guns, big guns and explosives.

Energy Weapons vs Big Guns. If you take the perk that counts every skill book read as 2 points (you should do this early and save any books you find until you've taken it), you can consintrate skill points on small guns at first and then (for me around level 12) take 4 levels and use your skill points to get both Energy Weapons & Big Guns skills up to 50 (finding books and the bobbleheads should then get them even to 100 easy). You'd still, over the 20 levels, have plenty of skill points for everything else you need. (I don't add any skill points to melee, unarmed or barter...just use the books and bobbleheads for those). That way you can have fun with all weapons and use the fatman in the end if need be. You'll play differently but this gives you an idea of a strategy to shape to your play. I mostly get everything to 50 and then let books and boobleheads do the rest, except small guns, lock pick and science which I'm not so patient with. At about level 16 I'll start to even up any laggereds and sell skill books once I get any skills to 100. With my barter so low and slow to raise I always need money but that makes it funner for me.

Lastly I saw a good idea somewhere. Get a pad of graph paper and write each password you try down, one letter per square and one password under the other. Note after the password how many letters the computer tells you are the right letter in the right position. A pattern should start to imurge and you can make educated guesses. If your really having a hard time you can write down words you want to think about and see if the letters line up to what you know. And like Ameno says after you've taken 3 chances search for brackets. You can do it before but you waste the replentish. If you still can't get it back out with one chance left and cross out your old password tries as the computer resets every time you back out.

I say no guilt in saving (or backing out before the last chance)until you get the hang of hard locks and computers. The game is suppose to be fun. I like the challange so I don't out and out cheat but I would if I just couldn't beat something and was stuck.

Lots of info in one post, sorry. Its a fun fun game.

Nipomo

Wow! Thst`s a lot of info, but means nothing unless I put it into practice, so off to play I go....!!!! Thank you H4XX and Ameno and of course, Nipomo. I hope it works for me. I LOOOVEEE the game and leave no stone unturned, I have already found a few ammo boxes along the way which is great for not every trader has them for sale. I am now struggling to survive 3 scavengers that keep ganging up on me and I am playing easy!!! One at a time, no problem but 3? I am barely level 2, not fair!!! lol

Nobody playing the game no more? no comments or tips for us newcomers? no great achievements to share with the rest of al gamers? Well, I do need some help. Been spending a lot of money on the stupid doctor, for I cannot find a place to sleep, any suggestions? Also, I read there is some really good stuff at Jericho`s but have no more lockpicks where can I find some? thx

I guess you don't have a house yet. If you can do this quest, I recommend that it be a priority. Otherwise, you can sleep at the Supermart, the minefield or the school, though it has some tough battles.

Thx. I thought you have to have a certain explosives skill to do the Megaton quest, right? Oh God! found a bed at the Arlington house. Found some bobby pins, but still do not understand how it works. i still do not understand how far down it should go, I do it very slowly so it doesn`t get broken but it still does. Tried to cheat, but guess do not know how to do that either. And found two books a science one and the barbarian, but how do you read them to get the points? do you get them automatically? Can`t find them in inventory unless I want to sell them!! Should I keep them or read them or sell them?

Here's a good YouTube tutorial on lockpicking in Fallout 3

Fallout 3 Lockpicking tutorial

Just search your inventory tabs in your Pip-Boy for the books you picked up, I can't recall which tab they are in, but if you grabbed them, they are in there. All you have to do is select them and you will have the points applied to your profile.

Yes, you need a high enough skill in explosives. I used a mentat to raise mine.

Hey, Trial_Mystic, thanks for the link, great video, will check the others later,but, at the risk of sounding stupid, since I downloaded the game from Steam and have no manual, which keys do you use to move the pin and which to move the screwdriver? I feel so lost, cannot even open very easy locks!!