Live service games are now commonplace in the modern video game space, and it’s harder than ever to play everything due to the number of options at everyone’s disposal. I know what you’re thinking, you saw a trailer for new add-on content coming to Fallout 76 with Expeditions: The Pitt, you have some free time in your schedule, and you’re thinking you might want to hop in and give it a try. And that’s why I’m here. Having played Fallout 76 since launch, I’m here to give some helpful tips and advice to players who want to begin their journey in the West Virginia wasteland.
Picking a Platform
Fallout 76 launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. As of the time of writing, the game does not have a native PS5 or Series X|S version, but if you are playing the game on those systems you will see better performance and faster loading times than you will see on their previous-gen counterparts. Playing on PC naturally provides the smoothest performance providing you have a rig that can handle the game, but the PC version also gives players access to a public test server where you can hop in and test out and provide feedback on new content that will be coming to the game in future updates.
While you likely won’t be starting out your Fallout 76 experience on the test server, it is a nice bonus should you find yourself enjoying the game quite a bit and wish to try out future updates early. Thankfully, regardless of which platform you choose you shouldn’t have any issues finding others to play with. Fallout 76 is listed in the Top 50 Most Played Xbox games on Microsoft’s website, and the PlayStation and PC communities seem just as active.
Don’t Fear Experimentation
Unlike previous games in the Fallout series, Fallout 76 features a character-building system that is pretty fluid and doesn’t lock you into one play style. Like other Fallout games, each time you level up you get to put 1 point into one of your S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck). Your S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats will not only affect your personal character stats but will also affect certain dialogue options you get when talking to NPCs. The number of S.P.E.C.I.A.L points you have determines the number of Perk Cards of that skill type you can equip. Perk Cards give your character different abilities like dealing more damage with a specific weapon type or the powers to breathe underwater. As you play, your options will expand and your character build will begin to emerge. But you won’t be locked into that build permanently. While playing you can swap any perk cards you wish to have equipped at any time.
But maybe you created a melee-focused tank and want to try playing with heavy weapons or pivot into a stealth-based character without removing all of your melee perks? Well, every player gets access to a second free “Perk Loadout”, which can be swapped with your original loadout, allowing you to try out new character builds without having to start from scratch with a brand new character. You can redistribute your S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats however you see fit, and you can swap between the different character builds at a punch card station that you can find in the major settlements and train stations around the map, as well as building one for yourself at your home base. If you find that two loadouts are not enough, more loadout slots can be purchased in the Atomic Shop for in-game currency or real money, but this isn’t necessary for most players. So get in there and just mess around with different playstyles and play with comfort knowing that your choices aren’t locking you into any specific playstyle should you want to shake things up down the road.
C.A.M.P’s
As you exit Vault 76 for the first time, you will pick up a C.A.M.P module. This portable device can be placed down in many areas around Appalachia and will allow you to build your very own player home. Player homes offer a place for you to set up important item crafting stations like a weapon workbench used for modifying weapons or a cooking station used to make food and drinks. They also serve as a place to return to after a long journey out questing and as a fun way to express yourself or your character how you see fit. In the early hours of the game, there is a location not too far from Vault 76 called “The Overseer’s Camp”. Following the main quest will take you to this campsite relatively quickly, and it will have some supplies and some of the crafting stations mentioned above that you can take advantage of. You can find building materials out in the world or from scrapping things like unwanted weapons, armor, and junk. Once you have enough resources under your belt, you can set out to find the perfect spot for your new home.
On the normal servers for the game, you cannot place your C.A.M.P in a named location or on top of another player’s C.A.M.P. But outside of that, should you happen to stumble across a breathtaking mountain top vista in The Divide or a secluded smoggy area in The Ash Heap, you can build up and decorate your post-apocalyptic abode to your heart’s content. The base building mechanics can be a little confusing to wrap your head around and they can sort of act up in frustrating ways, but if you can overcome these hurdles there’s a lot of fun to be had in creating your virtual space. Visit other players’ homes around the wasteland and you will see all sorts of different types of locales. Tiny makeshift shacks, elaborate fortresses, player-made obstacle courses, places that tell a story, or just a player-made and operated store front are some examples you will find exploring the wastes. And don’t worry, like the perk system, you have the ability to save your C.A.M.P and move it somewhere else down the line if you need a change of scenery.
Daily and Weekly Challenges and Quests
Like many other live service games, Fallout 76 features a host of different quests and challenges that can be completed every day and week for various awards. There are a number of locations in the game where daily quests will pop up and have you complete a fairly simple task and in exchange, you will receive some XP and some supplies like any other side quest. South of Vault 76 is an amusement park named “Camden Park”. Here you will find some short and easy daily quests that will net you a nice amount of XP, especially early on in your journey.
The game also features a Scoreboard system that is similar to a battle pass. In the menu, you will find a list of daily and weekly challenges, these range from killing specific enemies, visiting other players’ C.A.M.Ps, finding specific loot, or completing quests. By completing these challenges you will gain progress on the Scoreboard which is designed to look like an in-universe board game. Each space has unlockable rewards like supplies, weapon and armor skins, new camp-building items, currency to use in the Atomic Shop, and more.
Some of these challenges can be completed quite quickly so even if you keep them in the back of your mind they will end up benefiting you in the long run. It’s also important to mention that the Scoreboard is free for all players to engage in, with exclusive bonus items being made available to those who subscribe to Fallout 1st.
Partying Up With Others
Fallout 76 is a unique entry in the Fallout universe because it’s the first game where you can choose to be a lone wanderer or tackle the wasteland with a group. If you are hopping in with a group of friends, partying up is only natural. But, if you are playing alone, consider joining a Public Team. Any player can set up a Public Team that anyone on the current server can join.
These teams can have a specific focus and will provide players on that team with a special bonus. “Hunting” teams reward more XP for killing legendary enemies, while “Roleplaying” teams give all players a buff to their Charisma stat. In addition to rewarding players with different temporary buffs, any team member’s C.A.M.P will become a free fast travel location for you to use (fast travel usually costs a small number of bottle caps). Having multiple people for some of the harder Public Events and Daily Ops missions will not only make the missions go by easier, but it will mean more rewards for everyone! And players will most likely accept you with open arms, so why not find some companionship out there in wasteland?
Participate in Public Events
I mentioned Public Events above, these are mini questlike activities players can participate in as a group. These public events can take many forms, one sees a group defending a prison from a super mutant invasion, one has members operating a food production plant that rewards everyone on the server with some food, another has players collecting bioluminescent fluid from mutated fireflies to offer in tribute to the mysterious Holy Mothman. Like completing daily quests, these Public Events will reward everyone with various supplies and XP upon completion.
Some of the more difficult events will have unique rewards you can receive like special weapons, cosmetic items, or item crafting plans. Some of the most fun Public Events are the Boss events. Triggered by detonating a nuke in a specific area of the map, players can spawn a giant mutated boss. Currently, Fallout 76 has two boss-type enemies, The Scorchbeast Queen and The Wendigo Colossus, with a third one coming to the game later this year. These boss enemies always draw players of any level in, so even if you can’t deal a ton of damage, it’s still in your best interest to swing by, witness the spectacle, and receive some rewards for completing the event. There are also limited-time events that appear in-game from time to time with unique rewards as well so participating in Public Events will provide you with some fun if you need a break from chasing story quests or building in your C.A.M.P.
Capturing Workshops
Workshops are locations around the map that can be claimed by any player and will provide them with certain resources and benefits. Typically an unclaimed workshop will be inhabited by some enemies that need clearing out. Once the threats have been dealt with, find the red workbench at the shop. It will ask you to pay a bottle cap fee, and once you do, you will need to stay in the area a short while to fully claim the workshop for yourself.
Should another player wish to take this workshop while you are attempting to capture, you may become engaged in PVP combat, but in my experience, this rarely happens. Once you have captured a workshop, you are able to build at that location like you are able to in your C.A.M.P. Some workshops have generators that can be placed to generate specific resources or building materials for you. Across Appalachia, there are three power plants that each have a workshop connected to them. These workshops can house a generator that creates fusion cores, an important resource used for energizing your power armor and arming heavy energy weapons.
Workshops under your control also become free of charge fast travel locations so they can be a helpful tool for navigation if nothing else. Just be mindful that after you claim a workshop, other players can come and claim it for themselves, or waves of enemies can regroup and attempt to reclaim the workshop from you.
Other Helpful Tips
Here is a collection of other random tips that may prove helpful to you for specific instances.
- If you find a Power Armor Chassis… use it! Just starting out you likely won’t be high enough level to use a full suit of power armor, but you can hop in the empty chassis it will provide you with increased resistances and will eliminate fall damage from any height which will help with navigation.
- Outside of Vault 76 and your C.A.M.P, Fast travel to any of the major settlements is free of charge. These locations include Foundation, The Crater, and Fort Atlus.
- Check the Atomic Shop each day you login, there is usually one free item you can claim per day.
- Daily Ops Missions and Nuclear Bunker Missions are best tackled in a group. They can be beaten solo, but be prepared to use a lot of resources and do a lot of fighting.
- Invest in perks that reduce item weight. One of the biggest problems you will encounter, like many Bethesda games, is carrying weight. There are many perks that will reduce the weight of items like ammo, health items, weapons, and armor. These will be extremely helpful for you in the long run, no matter which character build you end up creating.
- Similarly, head to “Morgantown Airport” and search for the small backpack. This item can be equipped to your character and will increase your carry weight. You can unlock the ability to craft a larger backpack by completing the quest “Order of the Tadpole”.
- Scrap unwanted weapons and junk. Not only will this reduce the weight these items take up, but scrapping weapons will unlock plans for crafting new weapon modifications.
- Store unwanted items in your Stash Box. This inventory is kept at your C.A.M.P freeing up carry weight on your person for when you go out questing.
In the years since Fallout 76’s launch, the game has bloomed into a welcoming albeit destroyed world with plenty to see and do. Whether you want to explore the wastes, build the perfect base, fight mutated monstrosities, or engage with the base game story and its multiple story expansions, how you spend your time is really up to you. With the first expedition to fan favorite location The Pitt dropping and more updates and expeditions planned in the future, there’s no better time for you and your friends to give Fallout 76 a try. Hopefully, these tips help you get a foothold in this game and allow you to enjoy all it has to offer. Special thanks goes out to my fellow wastelander Declan for helping out with some of the tips in this article.
