Fallout 3 GOTY Perk Question

toddw

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Sep 9, 2004
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Warning: long post only for those intimately familiar with this older game

I had the original on PC when it first came out, but got pissed off and uninstalled it when I hit the “surprise” level cap. Being capped and probably only half way through the game, along with multiple bad perk decisions had killed any hope of continued fun for me. So here it is a few years later and I’m remembering the fun I had before I found out Bethesda thought it was unimportant to mention a cap. I picked up the PS3 GOTY edition for $20.

So this time I’m examining and pre-planning my build well before I even install the game based on how I want to play. One thing I noticed is how every FAQ, guide, etc. says to stay away from the “Here and Now” perk. I don’t get it.

Everyone is focused on how this is wasted, because you will level anyway. However, I’m looking at this as an instant +19 skill points (my char will have 9 INT) at level 10 – which is only 1/3 through the game. TAG! by comparison sucks, as it is only +15 skill points and at lvl 16 – more than half way through. Instead of looking at Here and Now as a level, I’m seeing it more as an additional +19 skill perk that can be taken relatively early on in the game. As a side bonus, I also get to take Finesse immediately. Skill points seem better than any of the % perks, because the % perks are only a % of actual skill points. Dumping an additional 19 skill points into something at level 10 seems huge, what am I not seeing? Here is my build in order up to level 10.
Starting stats will be: Str 4, Per 6, End 4, Chr 5, Int 9, Agi 5, Lck 7

Intense Training (STR) to get strength up to 5 so I can take strong back
Intense Training (END) again to level 5 for strong back.
Educated (brings skill points to 22 per level, +3 skill points x 26 remaining levels equals over 75 additional skill points by level 30)
Comprehension
Toughness
Intense Training (AGI) to get agility up to 6 for silent running, sniper, and action boy later
Strong Back
Commando
Here and Now (????) +22 skill points (19 from INT, 3 from educated)

How can a perk that gives 22 skill points at level 10 not be awesome as hell?
 
Uh, the problem is that those aren't extra skill points. Those are skill points you would have received anyway by leveling naturally.
 
If you can't own everything in the game by level 20 you did something horribly wrong....By level 14 or 15, you should be able to take on everything with ease. The extra 10 levels do absolutely nothing for you.

I am playing through the GOTY edition right now and is my second play through of FO3 and breezed through everything by level 18 or 19. Hardest thing was getting through point lookout at level 12/13.

the extra points aren't really going to help you in the long run because you'll find plenty of books and other perks that will up skills. Get hte perk that gives you an extra point for a book and you are even better off.

also, be ready to not be wowed and thrilled with some of the DLC.
 
Which is a better build?
Level 20, 19 perks
Level 20, 20 perks

you see the stupidity of that perk
 
You forget "Almost Perfect" at level 30. (All attributes, strength and that stuff, goes to 9). You forget bobble heads. It is honestly extremely difficult to plan this all out, I thought I planned it out good enough, well ends up half the bobble heads are useless for me and I wasted some of them. So honestly, just take all that into consideration and then build your perfect character, at level 30 if you do it right everything should be maxed out. I thought Broken Steel was stupid though with the new enemies, they basically took the old best units and double or even tripled their health.(Gowing One had ~350 HP, Ghoul Reaver has fucking 1,250 HP like honestly wtf.) Quests were fun, but that ruined it for me.
 
Here And Now is a waste of a perk upgrade; that could go into Intense Training, Gun Nut or anything else, but essentially out of something like 29 times (Level 2 - Level 30) where you can choose a perk, with Here And Now you're reducing that to 28.

Having said that, most of the perks after Level 20 are rubbish so if an instant Level-Up is worth losing a perk choice then go for it.
 
Yes, I can see how I lose a level at the end.... but then, you're far enough along by level 28 - combined with many more crap perks after level 20.... Who cares if you lose your LAST level? It isn't needed at all at that point. Now, I totally agree if the level cap was 20 it might be a bad idea... but with GOTY edition and a cap of 30, combined with less than desirable/needed perks past 20.... I think it becomes a much better choice. Again, looking at it as a +22 skill point boost at level 10 vs. a +22 boost at level 30. Correct, either way you get them... but I'm just thinking getting them 1/3 through is worth losing them at the very end since arguably the "main part" of the game is played level 10 - level 20.
So this is where I find error in NKDietrick and jiminator's post. It should be:

Level 30, 28 perks
Level 30, 29 perks

Not counting the ones I've already chosen up to level 10, I can't find a single perk that is better than 22 skill points by level 10. Am I right, wrong, or just debating semantics?
 
Yes, I can see how I lose a level at the end.... but then, you're far enough along by level 28 - combined with many more crap perks after level 20.... Who cares if you lose your LAST level? It isn't needed at all at that point. Now, I totally agree if the level cap was 20 it might be a bad idea... but with GOTY edition and a cap of 30, combined with less than desirable/needed perks past 20.... I think it becomes a much better choice. Again, looking at it as a +22 skill point boost at level 10 vs. a +22 boost at level 30. Correct, either way you get them... but I'm just thinking getting them 1/3 through is worth losing them at the very end since arguably the "main part" of the game is played level 10 - level 20.
So this is where I find error in NKDietrick and jiminator's post. It should be:

Level 30, 28 perks
Level 30, 29 perks

Not counting the ones I've already chosen up to level 10, I can't find a single perk that is better than 22 skill points by level 10. Am I right, wrong, or just debating semantics?

You could get the same level by going out and killing some crap before proceeding with the quests. Even a crappy perk is better than one that can be completely negated by going and grinding a few creatures.
 
Leveling is very easy. make sure you do things like hack everything you can and pick everything you can. Also if there is a computer to unlock a door and you also have the option to pick it, hack the computer, DONT unlock the door with it, then pick the door.

There are lots of little thing.

Bring pre-war books to the scribe at Arlington library. Free XP just for looking around as you travel.

For the most part, far as I am concerned, the perks are kind of useless. I found it better to take pers that up skills permanently than to take other that just give you better options, like ones that up accuracy in VATS.

To me it is best to get skills up early, specially lock picking, science, and speach. then pick a weapon set and pump points into it. Beef up a bunch of skills early and you'll still have enough points by level 30 to get them all above 80.

Hell, I just hit level 30 last night and I haven't done a single main quest mission yet. I did the DLC i could and explored.

There is no reason to worry about your character's level and what not UNLESS you are trying to do the main quest items first. If you just follow the main quest all the way from start to finish, then you may have issues as you'll hit beefy monsters.
 
eh, if you want to level fast the easy way is to set the difficulty slider to the max. you get more xp per kill, and not like the enemies are that bad aside from deathclaws and the reavers in steel.
 
Decided to start like this, Getting B. Widow and Child @ Heart not because they are great perks, but because they are unique and the only way to get them. i.e, can't be found in game or made up for later with skill points.
Size Matters at 11 nets my extra skill points without using here and now.

TAG: Lockpick, Small Guns, Speech

(EDUCATED perk)
Lockpick 2(3), rpr 3, sneak 3(4), sci 3, speech 3, S.guns 2, and med 2(3).
Then Big Guns, Explosives, maybe Energy Weapons... Prob TAG! one of these at lvl 18

Level Experience Required
1 0
2 200 BLACK WIDOW
3 550 INT TRAINING (AGI)
4 1050 EDUCATED
5 1700 COMPREHENSION
6 2500 TOUGHNESS
7 3450 CHILD AT HEART
8 4550 STRONG BACK
9 5800 COMMANDO
10 7200 FINESSE
11 8750 SIZE MATTERS
12 10450 SIL RUN (Sneak = 60)
13 12300 SNIPER
14 14300 CYB (Sci60/Med60)
15 16450 CHEMIST (Med 60)
16 18750 ACTION BOY/GIRL
17 21200 BETTER CRITICALS
18 23800 TAG!
19 26550 CHEM RES (Med 60)
20 29450 GRIM REAP SPIRIT
21 32500 SIZE MATTERSX2
22 35700 QUANTUM CHEMIST
23 39050 PUPPIES!
24 42550
25 46200
26 50000 NERVES OF STEEL
27 53950 WARMONGER
28 58050
29 62300 EXPLORER
30 66700 ALMOST PERFECT

Strength 4 (+1) at 5=200 Carry Weight. Add strong back for +50
Lockpick the STR bobblehead before level 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perception 6 +12% Energy Weapons & Lockpick & Explosives
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Endurance 5 at 5=200 HP, +20% Poison Res & +8% Rad Res
+10% Big Guns & Unarmed
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Charisma 5 +10% Barter & Speech
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Intelligence 8 18 Skill points per lvl, 16% Med & Repair & Science
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Agility 5 (+1) at 6=77 AP, 12% Small Guns & Sneak
(6 needed for silent running, sniper, & Action boy/girl)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luck 7 Critical Hit +7%, all Skills +4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
tons of them.
I originally used a L30 when the game came out.
there was L40 but the game was too easy at 30
but given a choice i'd rather play fallout NV instead of replaying fallout
it adds more dynamics to the game to make it more interesting
 
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