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The Mojave Desert can be a cruel setting to even the most seasoned Fallout players, with all sorts of enemies, threats and perils lurking throughout the wasteland. As well as a whole arsenal of weapons to blast them away, Fallout: New Vegas also contains a robust character progression system that can make each playthrough unique, with the game’s skills acting as the foundation of how your character performs in the wastes.
For those picking up Fallout: New Vegas for the first time, whether it’s their first Bethesda RPG or not, there are a handful of skills that are particularly of use to new players. Though they all have their place in Obsidian’s critically acclaimed spin-off, there are a select few that new players should keep in mind when diving into the Mojave Wasteland for the first time.
The Guns Skill Will Keep You Alive
Guns seems like a fairly obvious pick. However, for new players looking to get settled into New Vegas, the Guns skill is very important to consider investing points into. Tied to the Agility in the character’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L system, Guns affects how well the player performs with traditional firearms, affecting both damage and accuracy.
What makes the Guns skill so essential for a new player is its massive versatility. Bringing together the two separate ‘Small Guns’ and ‘Big Guns’ skills of other Fallout games, New Vegas‘ Guns skill affects a massive amount of weapons in the game, from the simple 9mm pistol to the minigun. Plus, firearms and ammunition are the most common weapons found in the game, making the Guns skill especially useful for new players early in the game, getting their feet wet and needing a reliable set of tools to keep the ghouls at bay.
The Repair Skill Keeps Your Guns in Top Shape
For new players, Fallout: New Vegas‘s inventory management can be a tricky detail to reckon with, particularly when it comes to keeping their arsenal in top condition. As such, the Repair skill is one that new players should put some points into when it comes time to level up.
In the early game, players will have to manage with whatever weapons they can find, which will most often be in quite poor condition. Fallout: New Vegas features weapon depreciation, where the more a weapon is used, its condition deteriorates until it eventually breaks. To combat this, players can combine duplicates they find, improving their weapon’s condition and keeping it in functioning order. The Repair skill contributes to how effective this is, meaning that new players sinking points into this skill have an easier time managing their arsenal.
Medicine Helps You Recover From Your Mistakes
Inevitably, the wasteland will leave a dent in everyone who passes through it. To stay healthy and radiation free, players will need to utilize the medical tools scrounged in long-abandoned first-aid kits and found on enemies they defeat on their many quests in the desert. Determining just how effective those medical items are is the game’s Medicine skill.
Grouped in with skills affected by Intelligence, the Medicine skill is extremely valuable. New players might take some time getting used to Fallout: New Vegas‘ combat and enemy types unique to this entry in the series, meaning they are sure to take some licks at the beginning of their journey. The Medicine skill can easily help with those early troubles, making Stimpaks, Rad-Aways and the like have much more impact on their character’s health.
Speech Lets You Solve Problems Without Violence
The Fallout series is very well known for the opportunities it provides players to use their silver tongues rather than their big irons, with the Speech skill being the source of this feature. The Speech skill appears during dialogue with various characters met throughout the wasteland, with players needing to meet specific skill point thresholds to succeed.
With its ability to avoid combat or unlock different routes, Speech is essential for new players. At a certain point in the game, when the player is well settled into the world, strongly armored and armed to the teeth, a failed Speech check isn’t the worst thing in the world. For new players, though, avoiding certain confrontations early in the run and finding alternative ways to progress can be essential in gaining momentum, progressing and most importantly, keeping the game fun.
Other skills are certainly worth considering depending on how the player wants to shape their journey in the Mojave, such as preferring to invest in Energy Weapons and Science to rain down laser and plasma fire on their enemies or favoring Melee Weapons and Unarmed to conquer the wastes like a barbarian. But, for new players experiencing New Vegas for the first time, Guns, Repair, Medicine and Speech are all important skills to consider to ensure that those opening hours go as smoothly as possible.
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