1661

Of the five DLC’s, four will pretty much show up as optional quests right away and the fifth doesn’t fire up until after you have completed the main quest (though it does increase the level cap immediately.) You are going to hit the level cap at 20 if you don’t download that one, Broken Steel.

1662

Not to mention if you don’t have Broken Steel you won’t be able to continue playing the game if you complete the main quest. If you only get one for now, get BS.

1663

When I played through Fallout 1 and 2, I always got the perk that gave me extra experience early in the game. But in Fallout 3 on the 360, I stayed away from that because I’d heard about the level 20 cap. I plan on buying Fallout 3 again for the PC as the GOTY edition that will come out later this month. With the cap raised to level 30, do you think that perk will be useful now? Especially if you get it early in the game? Or is it still a useless perk?

1664

I took it my first playthrough and didn’t run into the cap before finishing, but I rushed through. Seems like your decision only changes with a higher cap depending on how much time you will spend with the character. When I return to the game I doubt I will take it since I will probably play for a long time. (Or maybe I will since I tend to get bored of one particular character in Bethesda games.)

1665

Yes.

1666

It depends on how comprehensive a play-through you plan. Without it you will hit the raised level cap eventually if you do everything in the original game and all 5 DLCs. So you would just be hastening that eventuality.

1667

I always thought it was a waste in the previous games as well.

1668

That’s a good point. I guess it just made me feel like I was leveling up faster, and therefore getting stronger and able to tackle bigger opponents faster if I wanted to. I guess it’s only the knowledge of a cap that puts a dampener on that feeling of “I’m getting stronger faster”. Hmmm. I’ll have to think about this.

1669

Yeah, a perk like that doesn’t make much sense in a game like Fallout 3 where the enemies scale with you.

1670

For those wondering, the code has been claimed by Dufresne.

1671

No spoilers…

I have played longer AFTER finishing the main quest than I did before finishing it. I installed all 4 add-ons, including BS, just before finishing the main quest, so I got to continue, thankfully. I did Anchorage and Pitt after the main quest. I still have BS and Point Lookout to go. Level 24 now.

I had a problem with how the game dealt with my main quest ending, but I got over it. But I am a little bugged with how I now have to clean up all the places I “should” have wandered into during the main game. It looks like I missed at least half of the main places in the original game. I guess I’m naive…I thought the game would have forced me to go to alot of the main places in the trek to the end point. But it did not. Instead, it expected me to wander around aimlessly even though I had a specific job to do, and even though the game literally pointed the way to the next location in that main quest. I’m hoping that the bobbleheads and books I now collect will come in handy when I reach the BS content.

For those just starting (if there are any): Play on HARD setting or above. Wander a bit where you do not need to go, unless you find the opponents too difficult. TAKE YOUR TIME. EXPLORE for no particular reason, other than to find easter eggs or bobbleheads.

It’s my fault. I always fixate on the main quest, and I’ve never been good at just wandering in games where there’s an overall job to do.

1672

Is the ending clearly marked? So, would I know when to save right before the original ending, if I wanted to see it? I’m thinking I’ve heard so many complaints about the original ending, I want to see it once before I reload that save, and then install Broken Steel, and then watch the alternate ending that allows me to continue the game. Is that a good idea?

1673

The ending is pretty clearly marked. Buy Broken Steel, then save before you make your final decisions. That way you don’t have to worry about saving in the right place.

I would not recommend messing around with the ending of the game without BS. I saved in the wrong place, and couldn’t go back. I had to start a whole new character.

1674

I see. I’m trying to avoid any kind of spoilers here, but whatever happens in the BS version of the ending is not all that different from the original ending then, and not worth messing around to see what they did differently?

1675

I learned my lesson early on. I have like a hundred save files I can resort to. Go ahead.

1676

The original ending isn’t really different from the BS ending. BS just gives you additional ways to complete the quest that weren’t there before. If you really want, you can choose to make the same decision in BS as you could in the original release.

1677

I think you’d be ok if you save in the Citadel before starting anything in motion.

1678

Okay, so it sounds like BS is the primary one to get. Do I have to worry about reading the description of the DLC, or should I keep my eyes closed when I buy it?

How do the other ones work, mechanically? I mean, once you buy the pack, how do you get to Anchorage, or Point Lookout, or Pittsburg, or the spaceship? I imagine you’re teleported somehow, but do any of them actually expand the main map? Or are they all completely self contained?

1679

I don’t believe BS description spoils anything.

For the other DLC, there is either a map marker or a radio signal for you to follow. They do not expand the main DC map, but are self contained (There is a load to get to them).

1680

Anyone know if the XBox version of the new Game of the Year edition is compatible with saves from the regular version? I played a huge amount of Fallout 3 before any of the DLC came out, but haven’t played it since. I’m thinking at 4000 XBox Live points for the add-ons, it might make more sense to get the GotY Edition and give my regular edition to a friend. But I want to make sure I can keep my old game saves with the GotY edition.