If you don’t want the raw experience, the Viva New Vegas modlist does an amazing job of “vanilla plus”. Haven’t finished my latest playthrough, but nothing felt out of place, and it was less buggy than vanilla.
https://vivanewvegas.moddinglinked.com/
Viva New Vegas is a community curated list of mods providing a near-Vanilla, yet expanded and bug-free gameplay. There aren’t any more recommended mods than what is on the list, anything beyond would be for your preference. It is SUPER important to follow the directions with scrutiny, mega mod lists are very fragile and finicky during the installation process.
Now, if you’re feeling particularly insane, you can actually splice Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV into what is known as The Tale of Two Wastelands. This essentially provides FNV’s updated game engine and modding support for FO3. Good luck:
https://taleoftwowastelands.com/viewforum.php@f=51
I’ll second the recommendation for Tale of Two Wastelands. I think having the New Vegas engine makes Fallout 3 so much more playable. You can actually use the iron sights, there’s ammo types, etc. I play a heavily modded TTW and I’m having a blast blowing Swampfolk’s heads off with the Y86 gauss rifle.
I’d reflexively say “Yes” to New Vegas but it depends on what Fallouts you’ve played, and what you don’t like about them.
FO1 & 2 offer ZERO hand holding and expect you to know how to play an RPG, but offers a very open approach to the world and plot
FO3 and 4 are great games that primarily struggle with permanence of your actions in the world - it’s pretty on rails between and during setpieces, no secondary plot to really get lost in
I tried 2, 4, and 76. Only for like five hours each maybe? I can’t even pîn point what it is I don’t like. I don’t mind on rails if the story is good, I don’t mind open world or plot if it’s rich, I’ve played other post apocalypse games and enjoyed them (Metro 2033 springs to mind).
Just something about the package that is Fallout I keep bouncing off of. I like Morrowind and Skyrim, so I really don’t know.
I can’t comment on ‘76 but I have played the Metro series, which is 100% on rails but makes it work.
Fallout has a tongue in cheek goofy that permeates the IP and casts a thin layer of non-serious over everything. The brutalisism and commitment to tone is what I loved about Metro and STALKER, but Fallout is Disneyland in comparison
I think this is what makes Fallout a love it or hate it setting.
Fallout tells often whimsical stories against the horrific backdrop of nuclear annihilation, and that’s what gives it it’s charm IMO.
I actually feel like it’s more realistic in a sense than overly grimdark settings. People are goofy, and with over 200 years since the bombs fell it’s believable that people will have some laughs and some motivations other than pure survival.
Oh, absolutely and that’s why I love NV and 1 & 2. They have self awareness and embrace the whimsy, a character like Myron or ’Fisto’ the sexbot would NEVER feature in a grimdark lore like STALKER, but that’s the humanistic charm of it.
If there’s some kind of post-apocalyptic society, there’s gonna be weird people and freaks, just like now - but in an absurd context.
If you don’t want the raw experience, the Viva New Vegas modlist does an amazing job of “vanilla plus”. Haven’t finished my latest playthrough, but nothing felt out of place, and it was less buggy than vanilla.
I’ve never liked fallout games but keep getting told to really give new Vegas a chance. Would you recommend this or any other mods for a first timer?
https://vivanewvegas.moddinglinked.com/ Viva New Vegas is a community curated list of mods providing a near-Vanilla, yet expanded and bug-free gameplay. There aren’t any more recommended mods than what is on the list, anything beyond would be for your preference. It is SUPER important to follow the directions with scrutiny, mega mod lists are very fragile and finicky during the installation process.
Fallout 4 has one as well: https://themidnightride.moddinglinked.com/ (note: it is currently being revised for F4’s next-gen update)
Fallout 3, of course: https://thebestoftimes.moddinglinked.com/
Now, if you’re feeling particularly insane, you can actually splice Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV into what is known as The Tale of Two Wastelands. This essentially provides FNV’s updated game engine and modding support for FO3. Good luck: https://taleoftwowastelands.com/viewforum.php@f=51
Alright, y’all convinced me. I’ll give it a shot when I finish Cyberpunk 2077.
I’ll second the recommendation for Tale of Two Wastelands. I think having the New Vegas engine makes Fallout 3 so much more playable. You can actually use the iron sights, there’s ammo types, etc. I play a heavily modded TTW and I’m having a blast blowing Swampfolk’s heads off with the Y86 gauss rifle.
I’d reflexively say “Yes” to New Vegas but it depends on what Fallouts you’ve played, and what you don’t like about them.
FO1 & 2 offer ZERO hand holding and expect you to know how to play an RPG, but offers a very open approach to the world and plot
FO3 and 4 are great games that primarily struggle with permanence of your actions in the world - it’s pretty on rails between and during setpieces, no secondary plot to really get lost in
I tried 2, 4, and 76. Only for like five hours each maybe? I can’t even pîn point what it is I don’t like. I don’t mind on rails if the story is good, I don’t mind open world or plot if it’s rich, I’ve played other post apocalypse games and enjoyed them (Metro 2033 springs to mind).
Just something about the package that is Fallout I keep bouncing off of. I like Morrowind and Skyrim, so I really don’t know.
I can’t comment on ‘76 but I have played the Metro series, which is 100% on rails but makes it work.
Fallout has a tongue in cheek goofy that permeates the IP and casts a thin layer of non-serious over everything. The brutalisism and commitment to tone is what I loved about Metro and STALKER, but Fallout is Disneyland in comparison
I think this is what makes Fallout a love it or hate it setting.
Fallout tells often whimsical stories against the horrific backdrop of nuclear annihilation, and that’s what gives it it’s charm IMO.
I actually feel like it’s more realistic in a sense than overly grimdark settings. People are goofy, and with over 200 years since the bombs fell it’s believable that people will have some laughs and some motivations other than pure survival.
Oh, absolutely and that’s why I love NV and 1 & 2. They have self awareness and embrace the whimsy, a character like Myron or ’Fisto’ the sexbot would NEVER feature in a grimdark lore like STALKER, but that’s the humanistic charm of it.
If there’s some kind of post-apocalyptic society, there’s gonna be weird people and freaks, just like now - but in an absurd context.
I think it’s because the fantasy atmosphere of TES gives more leeway for the Bethesda jank. At least that’s what it is for me.