The Fallout franchise has taken fans to various locations following nuclear annihilation. Players have traversed the radioactive wastelands of New Vegas, New California, the Capital Wasteland, and the Commonwealth. While each area was devastated during the Great War, they maintained elements from their pre-war population. Every location is distinct, but none are as unique as Appalachia in Fallout 76.
Appalachia is a diverse region full of wonders for players to explore. Not only does the game provide an expansive world, but a new way to play as well. Unlike previous Fallout games, Fallout 76 is multiplayer, providing new opportunities and dangers. Its shift from past installments requires adjustment for long-time fans. This leads players to frequently make the same mistakes. While players learn with time, it's best to avoid these errors altogether by following the tips below.
10 Going In Without A Build
Like previous Fallout games, Fallout 76 has a perk system. However, Fallout 76's perk system functions much differently than past installments. Players will choose perk cards for each attribute instead of allocating points to a perk. As with any perk system, the player's choices should work towards their preferred playstyle or desirable features.
Often, players will plan a build before starting a playthrough. This grants players insight into what attributes to focus on and what perks they should acquire. Yet, other players typically plan as they go along. This method causes players to lose focus of their build and leaves them susceptible to mistakes. Plan ahead to make a character who's more powerful in the long run.
9 Ignoring Harmful Effects
The post-apocalyptic wastelands of the Fallout universe are cruel and unforgiving. Everything can and will kill wastelanders without a second thought. While many dangers are obvious, other hazards are more subtle. During their travels, a vault dweller may catch a detrimental disease or acquire an undesirable mutation. While negative effects may not be as deadly as Appalachia's creatures, they are a cause for concern.
Vault dwellers can catch diseases that significantly debuff them until treated. These illnesses can limit a player's performance and ultimately result in death. In addition, each mutation, regardless of how beneficial, has its drawbacks. If a player acquires an unneeded mutation, they can experience increased difficulty. Players should constantly monitor their status for any disease or unwanted mutation.
8 Forgetting Basic Necessities
Fallout's barren wastelands are nearly inhospitable for regular settlers. The creatures are vicious, the land is devastated, and resources are scarce. Despite Fallout's emphasis on survival, it never really focused on these elements until Fallout 76. In Appalachia, players must carefully manage their hunger and thirst.
The survival aspect is tedious for veterans and new players alike, making it easy to forget. However, without considering these elements, players will suffer major drawbacks. Starvation greatly diminishes a player's health, compromising their combat viability. Thirst will decrease a player's stamina, preventing them from performing certain tasks. Make sure to carry enough supplies throughout the wasteland.
7 Not Utilizing Beneficial Effects
Appalachia is chock full of effects meant to leave players at a disadvantage. Food, drinks, enemies, etc. can inflict harmful debuffs on reckless players. While there are many detrimental effects, there are beneficial ones as well. Certain items can grant a variety of benefits such as EXP boosts, attribute buffs, unique abilities, and more. Despite their usefulness, most players don't take enough advantage of these items.
Forgetting these beneficial items limits the player and slows their progress. Even simple benefits such as an EXP boost from sleeping can make a huge difference. During critical moments, players can use items like chems to turn the odds in their favor.
6 Focusing Solely On The Story
Every RPG provides an expansive list of quests for players to enjoy. Alongside the main quest, there are various side missions or locations for players to explore. Doing the main quest alone limits a player's experience of the world. This is particularly true for Fallout 76's vast region of Appalachia.
While Fallout 76's main story is engaging players, should also take time to explore. Appalachia is full of distinct locations and nearly endless missions. Taking time to clear an area or do a side quest allows players to level up and gather useful resources. In addition, players may discover or obtain something to aid them in the main questline.
5 Looting Only Weapons & Armor
Fallout 76 is full of distinct weapons and armor for players to use. Everything from nuke-launching catapults to heavily armored exoskeletons is at a player's disposal. Appalachia's incredible armory often distracts players from obtaining everything else. While this gear is vital to a player's progress, they should not loot solely weapons and armor.
Basic resources are just as important as any weapon or armor. Players will need materials to build a base, make items, and most importantly upgrade their gear. In addition, players may be faced with a quest or objective that requires certain resources rather than brawn. Before clearing areas of their gear, players should first gather useful materials.
4 Buying Everything
Following the Great War, survivors worked tirelessly to return to normalcy or at least as close as possible. In this pursuit, wastelanders have created influential settlements and a stable society. Most importantly, these communities have reintroduced commerce to the post-apocalyptic world with caps as currency. In Fallout 76 there are numerous vendors for players to buy and sell goods with.
Every shop scattered throughout Appalachia offers a wide variety of items for players. While it may seem beneficial to buy desired blueprints, weaponry, etc., players should hold on to their caps. Completing missions will grant players many desirable items on the market for free. Instead of shopping aimlessly, players should save their caps for items that they absolutely need.
3 Piling On Missions
RPGs provide players a nearly endless number of missions to complete. Certain encounters, locations, and even items may take unsuspecting players on a new quest. For new RPG players, this may be overwhelming but for veterans, it is a common occurrence. However, Fallout 76 brings this aspect to a whole other level.
Fallout 76's Appalachia is full of areas to explore and people to meet. Nearly everywhere a player goes will provide them with several quests. In addition, Fallout 76 offers server-wide missions or events for players to complete. If players allow these quests to pile up, they will lose the right side of their screen entirely. To prevent this, players should remove quests they are not doing, keeping the quest list and their maps clear. This makes it easier to navigate and focus on missions.
2 Building A Base Immediately
Fallout 76 offers players the opportunity to create a base, similar to settlements in Fallout 4. Using Vault Tecs Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform (CAMP), players can build anything nearly anywhere. However, while bases provide numerous benefits, players should not build them immediately.
At the start of the game, players lack the resources and blueprints needed to make a formidable base. The starting structures and workshops are inadequate for creating an effective base. In addition, creating a base at the beginning limits players to the area surrounding Vault 76. Instead, players should make a simple yet useful structure that can be moved around the map.
1 Fighting Everyone
Every Fallout game has pitted players against irradiated creatures and wastelanders alike. Fallout 76 follows the same formula with the introduction of a new threat: hostile players. Some players may prefer peace, but the majority are bloodthirsty maniacs – possibly including the player's character. While it is tempting to attack everyone in sight, players should try to remain peaceful.
Not only does passiveness prevent conflict, but it also allows players to cooperate. Many of Fallout 76's events require players to work together. Moreover, players may need others' help on difficult quests they cannot complete alone.