Video Games

[TheCADJockey]

My son learned about the Nuka Cola promo at Target stores. Now he's stoked to get some.

I was too. I didn't think it would be a big deal but.. yeah, there isn't any left. Anywhere near me. Even the few people I knew that worked at Target laughed at me. A lot of it went straight from the delivery truck into employees vehicles.

 

[weirdboy]

I was too. I didn't think it would be a big deal but.. yeah, there isn't any left. Anywhere near me. Even the few people I knew that worked at Target laughed at me. A lot of it went straight from the delivery truck into employees vehicles.

Yes employees are supposedly not stocking it at all, purchasing en masse and re-selling on ebay. That is grounds for termination IMO.

 

[TrickyDick]

Which game are you asking about, Fallout 4 or Wasteland 2?

Wasteland 2 is a top down squad based game (XCOM / Fallout Tactics).
I forced myself to finish it (60 hours); it isn't terrible but I wouldn't recommend it. I expected something like Fallout 2 but it didn't deliver; most of the game is spent in repetitive combat with little character development. The story isn't particularly good but it has more branches than most trees.
Every character in the game can be killed and the story adjusts to suit; much of the game content you will never see because of this.

Fallout 4 is more like Far Cry 3 + Skyrim in a Fallout setting. Other than the setting and lore it has little to do with the original franchise in terms of game play. Bethesda does well in creating a world to explore but they don't have very imaginative story writers. Main characters cannot be killed; there are few story branches in a Bethesda game. It doesn't really bother me as most of the meat of the game lies in the side quests and lore.

I am tempted to pull the trigger on this but honestly don't need another time-killer. I played Original wasteland, fallout 1 & 2 I and have played three on PS3 plus also played wasteland 2. So am a hige fan of genre. Even created my own pencil and paper RPG with some buddies when I was a kid well before the first wasteland ever came out.We called it Aftermath.

Only thing really holding me back is some negative reviews about bugs and stuff.

TD

 

[drainbamage]

Only thing really holding me back is some negative reviews about bugs and stuff.

It's just typical Bethesda stuff: texture glitches, NPC pathfinding goofs, last night I was running around blasting ghouls with an invisible shotgun. Haven't run into any game-breakers yet.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

I am tempted to pull the trigger on this but honestly don't need another time-killer. I played Original wasteland, fallout 1 & 2 I and have played three on PS3 plus also played wasteland 2. So am a hige fan of genre. Even created my own pencil and paper RPG with some buddies when I was a kid well before the first wasteland ever came out.We called it Aftermath.

Only thing really holding me back is some negative reviews about bugs and stuff.

TD

Don't hold back because of bad reviews. Most are highly praised. I havent had many bugs. The game crashed once but it wasnt bad in a sense that i think i wasted my money. Bethesda games are always has some quirks to them. All amazing

 

[TrickyDick]

Clicking play on Fallout 4 in a second... have to leave in 20 minutes so maybe I should wait...

Thanks for helping me liberate $60 from my bank account.

Hope its worth it.

TD

 

[Venari]

No Spoilers here

Here we see Dogmeat glitchfully floating off the side of the roof I'm standing on, making it look like he's a giant dog about to destroy Concord.

 

[hezagenius]

Are there any perks in Fallout people recommend getting early? I remember in FO3 there was a perk (can't recall the name) that you got at level 4 I think that enabled you to get 2 skill points per level up instead of 1. Does that still exist? I thought that was the biggest no-brainer in that game. I looked through the list of perks and didn't see anything like that.

I figured I would start with the gun related perks plus the locksmith/hacking style perks and some of the scrounger-related perks. Any others that make life easier in the Wasteland?

 

[TheCADJockey]

I put in a little bit of time on FO4 this weekend, not as much as I would've liked due to being so busy. True to form, already restarted once. Though this time was not just because I wanted to try something new, instead while trying to get hang of the controls I accidentally picked a perk I didn't want... twice..

The thing I love most about these Bethesda games are the experiences that I can share with friends. Things that may never happen to them even if they tried to recreate it. Good and bad. I tried to stealthily take out a group of raiders on a bridge, long range shot missed the first target and instead hit a frag mine which set off a chain reaction of exploding cars and raider body parts. Happy little accident. The other memorable experience from the weekend was trying to take a raider camp; it was also my first legendary or elite 'monster' encounter. After getting killed in the most brutal fashion a half-dozen times, I finally cleared the camp. On my way out, I found my first power suit which was practically sitting at the front gate. Man. That would've saved a lot of time. I do so enjoy my usual way of jumping from a high point into a guard tower and working my way in though.

Few questions for you guys that put time in though:

- What are the 'plus' signs next to some items? I assumed they were modded items but then when I examine them it says no mods.

- Can you protect yourself from the radiation storms by seeking shelter, need to put on resist gear or do you just eat it?

After restarting, as soon as I left the vault I put on a pink dress and ushanka then set the camera to a nice angle for a picture to send my friend. He played the hell out of the old games so I've been trying to tempt him to get this one, knowing he'd get a laugh out of the dress and Russian hat. I clicked send on my phone and when I looked back up the sky had turned from a nice orange to ominous black and I was stuck in a storm. No time for fun in Fallout apparently.

 

[Psylocide]

Started playing Farcry 4 this weekend... It's somewhat harder than 3 on the hardest difficulty, but only because of the hunters. Those guys are dicks... Fun so far though.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Started playing Farcry 4 this weekend... It's somewhat harder than 3 on the hardest difficulty, but only because of the hunters. Those guys are dicks... Fun so far though.

I haven't played any Farcry games. My buddy does and has been hyping this now:

^ That looks ridiculous. I might have to try it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I put in a little bit of time on FO4 this weekend, not as much as I would've liked due to being so busy. True to form, already restarted once. Though this time was not just because I wanted to try something new, instead while trying to get hang of the controls I accidentally picked a perk I didn't want... twice..

The thing I love most about these Bethesda games are the experiences that I can share with friends. Things that may never happen to them even if they tried to recreate it. Good and bad. I tried to stealthily take out a group of raiders on a bridge, long range shot missed the first target and instead hit a frag mine which set off a chain reaction of exploding cars and raider body parts. Happy little accident. The other memorable experience from the weekend was trying to take a raider camp; it was also my first legendary or elite 'monster' encounter. After getting killed in the most brutal fashion a half-dozen times, I finally cleared the camp. On my way out, I found my first power suit which was practically sitting at the front gate. Man. That would've saved a lot of time. I do so enjoy my usual way of jumping from a high point into a guard tower and working my way in though.

Few questions for you guys that put time in though:

- What are the 'plus' signs next to some items? I assumed they were modded items but then when I examine them it says no mods.

- Can you protect yourself from the radiation storms by seeking shelter, need to put on resist gear or do you just eat it?

After restarting, as soon as I left the vault I put on a pink dress and ushanka then set the camera to a nice angle for a picture to send my friend. He played the hell out of the old games so I've been trying to tempt him to get this one, knowing he'd get a laugh out of the dress and Russian hat. I clicked send on my phone and when I looked back up the sky had turned from a nice orange to ominous black and I was stuck in a storm. No time for fun in Fallout apparently.

I think the plus/minus signs indicate that the item is stronger/weaker than what you currently have equipped.

I too am unsure about the storms. Have only been through one so far at the wicked shipping facility. Had hoped one would roll through while at sanctuary so I could see if holing up in the root cellar did anything to protect. For me, everything turned an eerie green. Every time the lightening would flash I'd a radioactive ping.

As of now I am about 12 hours in and, I do have a few complaints.

1.) I never did hearthfire in Skyrim and if it is anything like settlement building in Fallout I am glad. so far, I hate this part of the game. Tried building fences around sanctuary and it is crap. Damned near fenced 90% of the island and got nothing on defense. Then I learned it's not even necessary. Scrapped all the fence and placed a few turrets and done.
2.) I've had a 16 damage hardened pipe pistol. One of the highest damage weapons I've got and even ghouls are bullet sponges despite using VATS.
3.) The save feature has glitched on me 4 times now with a corrupt save. I've tried deleting old saves and they keep coming back. Fortunately I've always had an autosave and not lost much.

 

[TheCADJockey]

1.) I never did hearthfire in Skyrim and if it is anything like settlement building in Fallout I am glad.

Hearthfire was much easier. It was a lot more one-time choices, more based on what types of rooms you wanted in your house. You could add a wing with an herbalist tower or a cellar with a forge. Decorations and furniture was just as easy. I looked briefly at the crafting here and couldn't figure it out.. settlement wise at least. Weapons, mods and grenades are easy enough.

There seems to be a lot that goes into the settlement crafting. I'll only tinker with it here and there until I learn more. No point wasting time and resources on it now.

 

[drainbamage]

Few questions for you guys that put time in though:

- What are the 'plus' signs next to some items? I assumed they were modded items but then when I examine them it says no mods.

It's a measure of how that weapon or armor compares to what you currently have equipped. The more plus/minus signs there are, the better/worse it is in that stat.

- Can you protect yourself from the radiation storms by seeking shelter, need to put on resist gear or do you just eat it?

So far, I've avoided them by getting in a covered shelter until my Geiger counter stops ticking, although it seems like the lighting still gives a slight ping no matter what. Yesterday, I just picked up a hazmat suit, so next time a storm pops up, I'll see if I can run around unhindered.

 

[Psylocide]

I haven't played any Farcry games. My buddy does and has been hyping this now:

^ That looks ridiculous. I might have to try it.

Looks cool, but I'm a bigger fan of the modern weapons. I generally only carry a sniper rifle and a side arm (feels more realistic), but I might need to start carrying a shotty for animal encounters.

The animals in this one are terrible, much worse than the others... I was fighting a unit of hunters, and had just cleared them. I had sustained some damage so rounded a corner to heal and was bitten by a snake. Ok, I'm an inch from death, no biggie, I'll just heal quick when, WTF!?

Eagle swoops down and kills me. ****ing eagle? Really?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Hearthfire was much easier. It was a lot more one-time choices, more based on what types of rooms you wanted in your house. You could add a wing with an herbalist tower or a cellar with a forge. Decorations and furniture was just as easy. I looked briefly at the crafting here and couldn't figure it out.. settlement wise at least. Weapons, mods and grenades are easy enough.

There seems to be a lot that goes into the settlement crafting. I'll only tinker with it here and there until I learn more. No point wasting time and resources on it now.

Yes. Mods to weapons and armor is easy.

I got involved in the settlement crap because I managed to open a quest-line for it from Concord. The minuteman there settles in sanctuary. I was using the sanctuary root cellar as my home base anyway so I figured I'd have a go at fortification. So frustrating. Junk fences don't link together at all. I tried using building walls as a fence but that was even more frustrating.

I also learned there is some karma effect in FO4. I pissed Codsworth off by giving an NPC drugs as part of a quest. WTF? He still wanders around sanctuary and talks to me, but he won't offer to be my companion anymore.

I also have two full sets of armor. Only used one in concord.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I had sustained some damage so rounded a corner to heal and was bitten by a snake. Ok, I'm an inch from death, no biggie, I'll just heal quick when, WTF!?

Eagle swoops down and kills me. ****ing eagle? Really?

Ahah.. that's awesome, and reminded me of this scene:

 

[drainbamage]

Looks cool, but I'm a bigger fan of the modern weapons. I generally only carry a sniper rifle and a side arm (feels more realistic), but I might need to start carrying a shotty for animal encounters.

I usually go that route as well. Although, later in the game you can get this automatic grenade launcher. It's overpowered to the point of being a game-breaker, but the first couple of times you leisurely stroll into an enemy outpost, raining death upon everything that moves...it's pretty satisfying.

 

[Renegades_Brew]

I am about 20 hours into Fallout. I have some pretty kick ass weapons. I've done several missions and cleared several big facilities. Some notable areas: (Don't read ahead if you feel you wish to explore these on your own)

The Car factory near Lexington: Lots of raiders, I was way undergeared for the massive number of them coming at me at the time. Still cleared them. Haven't spent the time to clear the massive amount of scrap material around the interior of that whole facility! Its HUGE!

The police side mission: If you hear a local distress call from a police station. I highly advise doing it! The NPC does most of the work. You just have to tag along and solve a couple small puzzles. In the end he rewards you with one of his personal weapons (my current go-to weapon for most battles). And an option to join them. I said unsure because of the requirements put towards me that felt like it would eliminate some options from other parts of game play. But I can go back and take him up on his offer anytime too.

I still haven't gotten to Diamond City. I've spent a long time exploring the north-west part of the map and clearing areas and building up and moding my items.

I've read some fairly interesting reviews that talk about how players have tried playing with different distributions of their skill points to try and figure out if there were any "Throw Away" points. One player even played with only Charisma and Luck maxed out. Went through the game talking people into things like giving him all of their money and then he would buy from them using the money they just gave him. Basically the story boiled down to you could play through with only charisma and luck. And any game that makes sure that every point is worth something and you can play exactly how you want is well worth it. It makes me look forward to playing through multiple times (If I ever have time for that)

 

[Renegades_Brew]

I usually go that route as well. Although, later in the game you can get this automatic grenade launcher. It's overpowered to the point of being a game-breaker, but the first couple of times you leisurely stroll into an enemy outpost, raining death upon everything that moves...it's pretty satisfying.

You find "Fat Man" yet? 438 dmg rating on the mini nuke.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

You find "Fat Man" yet? 438 dmg rating on the mini nuke.

I havent found a fat man yet though I did find a mini Nuke. I never used them in Fallout 3. Tried to play last night but too drunk to focus. I died a lot lol

 

[Renegades_Brew]

I havent found a fat man yet though I did find a mini Nuke. I never used them in Fallout 3. Tried to play last night but too drunk to focus. I died a lot lol

I found the Fat Man near a busted robot, on top of some cars, in a junk yard just north of the air force satellite dish.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I havent found a fat man yet though I did find a mini Nuke. I never used them in Fallout 3. Tried to play last night but too drunk to focus. I died a lot lol

I found the Fat Man near a busted robot, on top of some cars, in a junk yard just north of the air force satellite dish.

Found a Fat Man at the robot junk yard. I also found a mini-nuke but forget where. Only used that once in FO3 and I was too close.

 

[Psylocide]

I usually go that route as well. Although, later in the game you can get this automatic grenade launcher. It's overpowered to the point of being a game-breaker, but the first couple of times you leisurely stroll into an enemy outpost, raining death upon everything that moves...it's pretty satisfying.

Lol.

I also noticed that the old "just do big circles until the enemy is heading the complete wrong direction to be flanked" technique is pretty much gone due to those hunters.

The way that they move and communicate really upped the difficulty in some situations.

 

[drainbamage]

You find "Fat Man" yet? 438 dmg rating on the mini nuke.

I was referring to Far Cry 4 on that one (too much discussion going on at once ).

I've found the Fat Man a couple times in shops, but it was something like 11000 caps...way more than I have right now.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I was referring to Far Cry 4 on that one (too much discussion going on at once ).

I've found the Fat Man a couple times in shops, but it was something like 11000 caps...way more than I have right now.

I found one, at level 2. I just stash them though as I don't normally use that kind of thing. However, I do enjoy putting grenades in peoples pockets.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I found one, at level 2. I just stash them though as I don't normally use that kind of thing. However, I do enjoy putting grenades in peoples pockets.

Oh sh!t! I completely forgot about pickpocket.

I also took two land mine to the face, crouched, before I remembered you can disarm them. Doh!

 

[drainbamage]

I also learned there is some karma effect in FO4. I pissed Codsworth off by giving an NPC drugs as part of a quest. WTF? He still wanders around sanctuary and talks to me, but he won't offer to be my companion anymore.

I'm trying to figure that mechanic out as well. I've noticed Garrett likes it when you mod your guns (he also disliked when I gave the old lady a hit of Jet, but didn't stop being my companion over it), and the reporter chick liked when I ran my mouth off to a snooty woman up in the stands of Diamond City.

I'm guessing if they like you enough, it brings up side quests like in New Vegas?

 

[TheCADJockey]

Oh sh!t! I completely forgot about pickpocket.

I also took two land mine to the face, crouched, before I remembered you can disarm them. Doh!

I ate the first mine I came across too. Was in a cave-like tunnel and it blasted me right back out the way I came. I love the reverse pickpocket idea. Loved it even more in Skyrim when you could put a paralysis potion in their pocket then just gut them. Good times.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Anyone playing Black Ops? I wasn't going to get it, but my friend has been texting me non-stop while I work today. It seems like they brought back every single feature I loved about those games. (Tomahawks/C4/Demolition Game Mode) Guess I may have to get it after all.

I have been playing since it came out. I don't get a whole lot of time to dedicate to it, but I play a few hours a week and I'm very addicted. I really only play multiplayer online with some friends, but it's a very solid game. I have it for xbox one.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I'm trying to figure that mechanic out as well. I've noticed Garrett likes it when you mod your guns (he also disliked when I gave the old lady a hit of Jet, but didn't stop being my companion over it), and the reporter chick liked when I ran my mouth off to a snooty woman up in the stands of Diamond City.

I'm guessing if they like you enough, it brings up side quests like in New Vegas?

I've only learned what happens when someone dislikes what you do. So far, it only means you lose the companion option.

I'm also still figuring out Dogmeat. He "notices" things a lot, I've yet to figure out WTF he's "noticed". He also "finds" things. He's found a lot of sh!t but I've only ever once found what it was. He once found something and then came back to me with a helmet. Dropped it at my feet. All the other times it's been a mystery because I saw nothing.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I have been playing since it came out. I don't get a whole lot of time to dedicate to it, but I play a few hours a week and I'm very addicted. I really only play multiplayer online with some friends, but it's a very solid game. I have it for xbox one.

As have I, but I only have COD:AW to compare it to. BOIII does seem a bit more raw compared to AW.

But, I/we also play a LOT of multi-player local co-op. And the screens in BOIII SUCK in this mode. The field of view is turrible compared to what you had in AW.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I have been playing since it came out. I don't get a whole lot of time to dedicate to it, but I play a few hours a week and I'm very addicted. I really only play multiplayer online with some friends, but it's a very solid game. I have it for xbox one.

I ended up getting it as well and strictly play multiplayer. Usually once I get bored with that I'll give the campaign a quick run through. My friends complain about lag and the game "not running well" a lot, though it is more often the fact they don't use guns and setups that are great to compete. They will eventually give up and go struggle through zombies. Only made it through the first prestige so far, but it is enjoyable. The guns are all familiar but the specialists are a really nice addition.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

SW Battlefront drops tomorrow too.

 

[drainbamage]

I've only learned what happens when someone dislikes what you do. So far, it only means you lose the companion option.

I'm also still figuring out Dogmeat. He "notices" things a lot, I've yet to figure out WTF he's "noticed". He also "finds" things. He's found a lot of sh!t but I've only ever once found what it was. He once found something and then came back to me with a helmet. Dropped it at my feet. All the other times it's been a mystery because I saw nothing.

I wish it showed where he is on the map when he does that. Half the time, it says he locates something, then disappears while try to figure out where he went.

One time, he "found" something and ran into a building. I follow along, only to find him staring at the fridge (just like my dogs!). It was empty. Thanks Dogmeat.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I wish it showed where he is on the map when he does that. Half the time, it says he locates something, then disappears while try to figure out where he went.

One time, he "found" something and ran into a building. I follow along, only to find him staring at the fridge (just like my dogs!). It was empty. Thanks Dogmeat.

My wish is that when he "notices" something, he sits his ass down like a pointer.

And when he "finds" something, he brings it to you, drops it at your feet and it automatically goes into your inventory.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Thanks Dogmeat.

My wish is that when he "notices" something, he sits his ass down like a pointer.

I only had him for 10-15 minutes before I quit and he already led me to 2 safes and dropped a hard hat at my feet. The hard hat replaced the ushanka I had, increasing armor by at least 2-3 pts for whatever that's worth. One safe gave me a pistol with a ton of mods on it and the other safe was really high and I couldn't open. Both safes however, were quite small and hidden in places I may have never found.

 

[Psylocide]

I only had him for 10-15 minutes before I quit and he already led me to 2 safes and dropped a hard hat at my feet. The hard hat replaced the ushanka I had, increasing armor by at least 2-3 pts for whatever that's worth. One safe gave me a pistol with a ton of mods on it and the other safe was really high and I couldn't open. Both safes however, were quite small and hidden in places I may have never found.

So... sounds like a "don't blame the dog, blame the owner" type thing.

Interesting.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So... sounds like a "don't blame the dog, blame the owner" type thing.

Interesting.

I've really tried. I really like the idea of it. Have even begun to clue in on his whimpers, barks, etc...

Too many times I get the prompt and either have no clue where he is or have no idea what he's found or if he's even tried to retrieve it. I've searched my area, and the area he was in when I got a prompt and found nothing.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Okay, I will admit I have put far too many hours in on this game this past weekend so here are my responses.

It's just typical Bethesda stuff: texture glitches, NPC pathfinding goofs, last night I was running around blasting ghouls with an invisible shotgun. Haven't run into any game-breakers yet.

I hate that bug. Happened three times. Pipboy doesnt show up either. Just close game entirely and re-run. All better.

Are there any perks in Fallout people recommend getting early? I remember in FO3 there was a perk (can't recall the name) that you got at level 4 I think that enabled you to get 2 skill points per level up instead of 1. Does that still exist? I thought that was the biggest no-brainer in that game. I looked through the list of perks and didn't see anything like that.

I figured I would start with the gun related perks plus the locksmith/hacking style perks and some of the scrounger-related perks. Any others that make life easier in the Wasteland?

I found that the hacking/lockpick/first level of the bullet finding one/and the weapon,armor,science ones. After that when i had free points i boosted the pistols/rifles. I am pretty badass with a fully moded 10mm pistol (need more 44 ammo for the 44 pistol) and a sniper rifle.

I think the plus/minus signs indicate that the item is stronger/weaker than what you currently have equipped.

I too am unsure about the storms. Have only been through one so far at the wicked shipping facility. Had hoped one would roll through while at sanctuary so I could see if holing up in the root cellar did anything to protect. For me, everything turned an eerie green. Every time the lightening would flash I'd a radioactive ping.

As of now I am about 12 hours in and, I do have a few complaints.

1.) I never did hearthfire in Skyrim and if it is anything like settlement building in Fallout I am glad. so far, I hate this part of the game. Tried building fences around sanctuary and it is crap. Damned near fenced 90% of the island and got nothing on defense. Then I learned it's not even necessary. Scrapped all the fence and placed a few turrets and done.
2.) I've had a 16 damage hardened pipe pistol. One of the highest damage weapons I've got and even ghouls are bullet sponges despite using VATS.
3.) The save feature has glitched on me 4 times now with a corrupt save. I've tried deleting old saves and they keep coming back. Fortunately I've always had an autosave and not lost much.

1)Agreed, luckily you can put that off til later. I added a few turrets and the requested beds/water/generator/plants (basically you want the defense higher than resources).
2) aim for the head. Mod up the 10mm or make the pipe pistol into a sniper rifle and wander around hitting the VATS button. good scope and you can manually zoom and kill.

It's a measure of how that weapon or armor compares to what you currently have equipped. The more plus/minus signs there are, the better/worse it is in that stat.

So far, I've avoided them by getting in a covered shelter until my Geiger counter stops ticking, although it seems like the lighting still gives a slight ping no matter what. Yesterday, I just picked up a hazmat suit, so next time a storm pops up, I'll see if I can run around unhindered.

Yes, thats what the +,++,+++,-,--,--- means
Hazmat suit doesnt fix it. You still get like 1 rad/sec during the lightning

I am about 20 hours into Fallout. I have some pretty kick ass weapons. I've done several missions and cleared several big facilities. Some notable areas: (Don't read ahead if you feel you wish to explore these on your own)

The Car factory near Lexington: Lots of raiders, I was way undergeared for the massive number of them coming at me at the time. Still cleared them. Haven't spent the time to clear the massive amount of scrap material around the interior of that whole facility! Its HUGE!

The police side mission: If you hear a local distress call from a police station. I highly advise doing it! The NPC does most of the work. You just have to tag along and solve a couple small puzzles. In the end he rewards you with one of his personal weapons (my current go-to weapon for most battles). And an option to join them. I said unsure because of the requirements put towards me that felt like it would eliminate some options from other parts of game play. But I can go back and take him up on his offer anytime too.

I still haven't gotten to Diamond City. I've spent a long time exploring the north-west part of the map and clearing areas and building up and moding my items.

I've read some fairly interesting reviews that talk about how players have tried playing with different distributions of their skill points to try and figure out if there were any "Throw Away" points. One player even played with only Charisma and Luck maxed out. Went through the game talking people into things like giving him all of their money and then he would buy from them using the money they just gave him. Basically the story boiled down to you could play through with only charisma and luck. And any game that makes sure that every point is worth something and you can play exactly how you want is well worth it. It makes me look forward to playing through multiple times (If I ever have time for that)

Yeah I had to wait a few levels to do the car factory. Snipe from afar and a good powered pistol, always sneaking (slow walk not fast walk) and you should be good.
Join the brotherhood. Youc an get some good stuff from them.

I'm trying to figure that mechanic out as well. I've noticed Garrett likes it when you mod your guns (he also disliked when I gave the old lady a hit of Jet, but didn't stop being my companion over it), and the reporter chick liked when I ran my mouth off to a snooty woman up in the stands of Diamond City.

I'm guessing if they like you enough, it brings up side quests like in New Vegas?

The like dislike thing. I read somewhere that a special perk/ability is granted when your companion is maxed out on how much they like you. Not just like, but like like.

I've only learned what happens when someone dislikes what you do. So far, it only means you lose the companion option.

I'm also still figuring out Dogmeat. He "notices" things a lot, I've yet to figure out WTF he's "noticed". He also "finds" things. He's found a lot of sh!t but I've only ever once found what it was. He once found something and then came back to me with a helmet. Dropped it at my feet. All the other times it's been a mystery because I saw nothing.

Dogmeat is a PITA. I like him, but I hate companions in these games. The bastards always get in the way and give away my sneakiness.

As for him finding things, if it is loose (like a weapon from a fallen foe) he will bring it to you, if it is in a container he will 'point' at it. They really need a map marker for him though so you can find him. They also need to make a "where is the damn raiders corpse that I shot from 200 yards out? He had a missile launcher I want?" highlighter or something.