Fallout 76 - online Fallout spinoff from Bethesda - now on Steam with Wastelanders NPC expansion

[rusty_shackleford]

logged in, turned around and super mutants are fighting an albino deathclaw
FO76 feels a lot more livelier than FO3 & 4

So which tag do we think rusty_shackleford is going for?

or

I'm not a fan of Bethesda games though.

 

[Gregz]

So, I'm level 19 and I've saved 8 level-ups.

What are some essential, or otherwise excellent, stats and perks for non-melee players?

rusty_shackleford

Some of my priorities are managing encumbrance, run speed, dakka, and survivability

 

[Mud']

So, I'm level 19 and I've saved 8 level-ups.

What are some essential, or otherwise excellent, stats and perks for non-melee players?

Also, is there any way to affect which perks are available to you at level-up?

rusty_shackleford

Some of my priorities are managing encumbrance, run speed, dakka, and survivability

I too saved perks and i just found out i fucked up.

So lets say you started saving perks from level 10 and now you are level 15 or 20, when you start choosing perks you will only have the option to chose level 10 perks, after that you will have to chose level 11 perks and so on, there is no benefit in saving perks at all and the perk packs get stuck i think in the level you are, so if you were saving since level 10 you get a perk pack with level 10 perks but i am not 100% sure about this.

As for your perks, for run speed the only thing i can think off is Marathoner for less AP spent while running, Blocker makes you take 45% less damage from melee, Lone Wanderer because i really doubt anyone in the codex will be running in a party and the benefits are too good.

As for encumbrance, Pack Rat and Strong back is what you are looking for, but really if you have a sort of build in mind and you are not a melee user, dumping points in STR is just a waste because for maximum efficiency of those perks you will need around 6 STR.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

So, I'm level 19 and I've saved 8 level-ups.

What are some essential, or otherwise excellent, stats and perks for non-melee players?

Also, is there any way to affect which perks are available to you at level-up?

rusty_shackleford

Some of my priorities are managing encumbrance, run speed, dakka, and survivability

Action Boy and Lone Wanderer are really good perks for everyone.
If you're not melee then you'll probably want to use your strength points on weight reduction perks, it has the most of any stat AFAIK. The best ones depends entirely on which items you carry with you that weigh the most.

I'm not ranged so I really don't know too much about how to build them though. Other posters like Bliblablubb might

 

[rusty_shackleford]

As for encumbrance, Pack Rat and Strong back is what you are looking for, but really if you have a sort of build in mind and you are not a melee user, dumping points in STR is just a waste because for maximum efficiency of those perks you will need around 6 STR.

Personally I find the weight reduction perks invaluable but I'm a massive packrat(ironically, that's one of the few I don't use because I'm melee -- the only STR perk I use is the chems one)

 

[Gregz]

Weight is the number one enemy in this game. So Traveling Pharmacy (Strength) and Thru-Hiker (Agility) are must-haves. Then the rest is build dependent. The next must-have is either Gunsmith (ranged) or Makeshift Warrior (melee) in Intelligence. Later on you'll want Class Freak and Starched Genes in Luck when you start getting in to Mutations.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Without my weight reduction perks I'm carrying ~800lbs worth of stuff on me after I've emptied my inventory. Goes down to about 100 with them on.
Also, you get a full-sized backpack by doing the Order of the Tadpole quest and earning 3 Tadpole badges. Backpacks are great, max level one gives +60 carrying capacity and can be modded to have more with Possum badges. Ever upwards!

edit:
the game doesn't tell you this but raw scrap tends to weigh *much* less than junk items, quickly scrap your junk anytime you run across a crafting bench.

 

[Bliblablubb]

What are some essential, or otherwise excellent, stats and perks for non-melee players? Also, is there any way to affect which perks are available to you at level-up?

A lot of them have a min level, just flip trough them so see which one are marked as "new" each level up. Don't level up perks until you are max level, the base version is enough. Action boy is the exception. Concentrated fire is necessary to target limbs, otherwise you can't do much wrong picking perks. Once you are level 50 you can pick a new one or shuffle stat points around each level up anyway, don't worry.
The weight reducing perks are.. more of a "I didn't have anything else to pick" thing until you know what you want to focus on. If you are going for chems, you obviously need TP. I picked bear arms and bandolier because 'dexi hauls more ammo and weapons around than the army of Lichtenstein.
And yeah, backpack. Normal one gives... 60(?) and the turdpole backpack with high capacity mod gives a total of +120 carrying capacity.
Also deep pockets in your armor for +10 per piece.

Other posters like Bliblablubb might

A general PSA:
Choosing what SPESHUL stat to increase and chosing the perk card are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS! The game does not tell you that, you can pick a card from a different stat by filtering them differently. Codexia was originally very brainy because I picked all the hacking perks early.
If you want to switch between PA and sneak, you need a decent amount of STR tho, but I assume you want to go for the standard sneaky sniper.

Weapons:
You want a silenced weapon. Sneaking is the way to go and sneak attacks get so many extra dmg. If they don't bug out, as they currently do a lot.
All the cool kids seem to go for the handmade for automatic fire or lever action for single shot.
Pistols are... not good for "endgame" use. The high dmg ones are revolvers, so no silencers, also no armor piercing perk for pistols. You CAN make it work with a good legendary. E.G. I have a lvl 40 instigating vats crit western revolver I wanted to discard, but boy that thing deals 1000+ dmg on a stealth headshot.
Shotguns got nerfed a while ago, and are horribly buggy right now, you can't hit shit outside VATS and with it you HEAL enemies half of the time, thanks to stack overflow. They have great utility tho, used with the enforcer perk you can really cheese fights, since the cripple chance counts per PELLET. So each shot pretty much cripples the leg or wing. An immobile bear is no danger anymore.

SPECIAL:
CHA: (4) Lone Wanderer. Duh.
PER: (15) 9 are reserved for the maxed rifleman/archer/commando, 3 for concentrated fire, 3 for tank killer/the bow AP perk
AGI: (15) 3 each for Action Boi, Sneak and Covert Operative. Escape Artist is great. Fill the rest as you like. I don't like dodgy, it steals to many action points.
LUCK: (at least 11) 3 for Class Freak + 2 for Starched Genes (mutations) and 3 each for Grim Reaper and Four Leaf Clover. Serendipity super awsome if you go for bloodied, but I would just trade FLC for it in that case. Does not work in PA btw.

You can of course go lower if you like, especially if you go bloodied. Since unyielding armor will end up putting your SPESHUL up to 30 (except END) and you only went 15 PER/AGI for 2hit chance and action points, you can lower some AGI/PER if you need them elsewhere. I for example ditched tank killer, since I kinda sorta think sneak attacks bypass armor anyway? You deal enough dmg anyways.
But that's finetuning you do beyond level 50.

 

[Bliblablubb]

Oh and important PSA for sneaky types:

Currently the game seems to accidently check for the noise your weapon COULD do even if you do not fire it. INCLUDING grenades! Enemies will randomly lock you in [DANGER] forever just for having grenades slotted. Unslot them, and do not even switch weapons (to an unsilenced weapon) while sneaking!

"It just works"

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I think I've only swapped SPECIAL two or three times and I'm level 103. I still have a bunch of perk cards to pick up

Honestly I like the tradeoff, it's not a simple one button "respec" but takes a lot of effort to actually move around more than one or two SPECIAL points.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

The weight reducing perks are.. more of a "I didn't have anything else to pick" thing until you know what you want to focus on. If you are going for chems, you obviously need TP. I picked bear arms and bandolier because 'dexi hauls more ammo and weapons around than the army of Lichtenstein.

I've found the chem weight reduction/food+drink weight reduction perks invaluable. I actually just keep all of my chems+food/drinks on my character now instead of stashing them so I have more room in my stash for other stuff. I stack the hell out of food+drink buffs, typically have 6-7 of each running at the same time. I also have the luck perk that reduces food spoilage rate because I'm a packrat

The food+drink one might be harder to fit on a ranged though? I think they have way more AGI perks to pick up than melee.
Also, the science energy ammo reduction one is great too because I need the points in INT anyways for crafting but there's barely any useful combat INT perks. It reduces the weight of fusion cores for power armor.

Also, this is one of the few games I can think of where making food is actually important.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

The only changes I'd make with the perk card system are giving the more important ones minimum SPECIAL requirements to equip. Other than that, I actually really like the system. Being able to quickly try out perks is fun, but it's not like you can completely change your build on the fly because it's still limited by your SPECIAL. It's like a second level of gear for your character and adds a completely new level of character customization. If anything, there needs to be more perks, preferably ones that are earned through ingame activities.

 

[Bliblablubb]

Also, the science energy ammo reduction one is great too because I need the points in INT anyways for crafting but there's barely any useful combat INT perks.

INT is more important when you go for Power Armor. INT and STR (for heavy gunner, bear arms and ammo perks). Yeah, "batteries included" is mandatory if you want to use PA or a gatling laser. Going from 3 pounds to... 0.5 or so per fusion core is yuge. Power user is good for double ammo/duration from fusion cores, and stabilized, bescause it's the armor piercing perk for heavy weapons.

I consider the (ultracite) gatling laser with power user (1000 ammo per core) the best deal for fighting the scorchbeast queen. You just point and shoot. So swapping that perk in just for the event is worth it.
For normal fights the LMG/50 cal is much better tho. Or the gatling gun if you are a hipster.

 

[Bliblablubb]

Also, this is one of the few games I can think of where making food is actually important.

IF only they balanced it better. Most of the food has you jump through so many hoops to cook them for little extra effect. Like S'mores. Seriously. You have to collect resign to make syrup, concrete and razorgrain to make weat, find brahmins to milk, find spices and sugar. Last year food spoiled at LOT faster, so your milk was spoiled before you even found resin to make syrup. Please buy the fridge from the atom shop. Love, Todd.
So you end up making carrot soup (+ 2 PER) tato juice and melon juice all day. Sad.
Hurray for "herbivore" mutashun...

Food is especially funny if you are bloodied tho, running around with ~50 hp. When "well fed" runs out, you loose half of you hps. Creates quiet a little panic when you are sitting there with 90%+ dmg resistance, singing "can't touch this"... and are suddenlty down to 1 hp. I may or may not have died several emberassing times because a radroach took that last 1 hp from me.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Please buy the fridge from the atom shop. Love, Todd.

I would but it's not for sale.
I actually have a ton of atoms just from playing the game, btw.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Bliblablubb any tips for killing scorchbeasts as a melee? I typically get in my powerarmor and use my gatling gun, but my damage is pretty poo
I can kill them, it just takes forever if they don't land

 

[Bliblablubb]

Bliblablubb any tips for killing scorchbeasts as a melee? I typically get in my powerarmor and use my gatling gun, but my damage is pretty poo
I can kill them, it just takes forever if they don't land

I can think of 2 ways that hopefully still work:

a) The explosive bait from the raider questline SHOULD force it to land. It did last year at least. Was probably unintended and fixed, but worth a try.

b) Ye olde shotgun shuffle:

1) Get yourself a pump action shotgun, mod it for maximum range and accuracy.
2) Use your level ups to buy all 3 ranks of Enforcer. Slot it.
3) VATS Aim for the left wing, hit, cripple. Aim for the right wing, hit, cripple. May need concentrated fire as well to increase hitchance.
You can try without VATS, but it is wonky. Easiest way would probably "creating a crit" with a pistol or so, then switch and use the crit with the shotgun.

-> Scorchbeast has to land. It regenerates limbs over time, so vats on the wings every 30 seconds or so to recripple it. Legendaries reset all health once when brought to 50% hp as well. Have fun.

That was the only way for melees to participate in the queen fight. Is currently buggy on the queen according to the last patch notes (heh, what isn't) but still works on normal ones.

 

[Bliblablubb]

I actually have a ton of atoms just from playing the game, btw.

Yeah that surprised me as well last year. I ended up with 5000 or so atoms just from playing it. Plus relatively easy daily/weekly challenges.

On top of that customer services seems to have a "one accidently purchase per player allowed" policy, where they refund your money... but let you keep the item. Because they have no tools to remove it of course, not that they would admit it.
Gave me a big bundle "for free" on top.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Guess I'll run some math on the highest possible limb damage and try to find a weapon of that type with a +limb damage modifier. Seems my best bet is to cripple their wings to get them to land so I can smack them in their face with my glorious battleaxe.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

with my glorious battleaxe.

Oh, don't think I posted a picture yet. Got this shortly after reaching 50. Not the greatest, but it's fantastic at 1 shotting most mobs with a full-hp power attack.

 

[Bliblablubb]

Codexias humble blunt object. Sponsored by WVFS, West Virginia Fried Scorchbeast. No melee perks mind you.

Also her Waifu. Legally married by a Mothman priest. Or so she claims.

I am not saying bloodied is overpowered, but it kinda sorta breaks everything.

 

[Gregz]

What's the appeal of V.A.T.S. in a game that won't let you pause?

The enemies are moving in MMOs, so...other than sniping from a distance to an unwary target...why use it?

 

[Bigg Boss]

Likely a higher chance to critically hit someone.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

There's a terminal(added in Wastelanders) that references Mr. House. Is this the first time Bethesda has actually referenced anything from New Vegas?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

What's the appeal of V.A.T.S. in a game that won't let you pause?

The enemies are moving in MMOs, so...other than sniping from a distance to an unwary target...why use it?

I'd assume because it's a near guaranteed hit(if the VATS hit % is high, anyways) unless you're using a slow moving projectile. For melee, it's basically a short range teleport and extremely handy in clusterfuck situations.