Is It Possible to 100% Fallout: New Vegas?
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Yes, achieving 100% completion in Fallout: New Vegas is entirely possible, but it requires a significant investment of time, effort, and a strategic approach to gameplay. This isn’t just about finishing the main storyline; it’s about exploring every nook and cranny of the Mojave Wasteland, mastering all skills, experiencing all available content, and obtaining all achievements and unique items. It’s a rewarding but lengthy process that tests the mettle of even the most seasoned wasteland explorers. This comprehensive guide will explore what 100% completion entails and address common questions players have regarding this monumental task.
What Does 100% Completion Look Like?
Achieving a true 100% completion in Fallout: New Vegas goes far beyond simply finishing the main questline. It includes:
- Completing all Main and Side Quests: This encompasses every quest from the main storyline to every faction quest, and every side quest, including those found in obscure locations.
- Maxing All Skills: Reaching the maximum level of 100 in all skills, requiring careful planning of perk selection and skill book utilization.
- Acquiring all Unique Weapons and Armor: Hunting down every unique piece of equipment scattered throughout the Mojave.
- Exploring all Locations: Discovering and mapping every location, including unmarked areas that often harbor unique encounters or items.
- Completing all DLC content: Engaging fully with all four DLCs: Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road.
- Earning all Achievements/Trophies: Successfully achieving all in-game accolades available on your platform.
- Reaching Maximum SPECIAL stats: Maximizing your SPECIAL attributes by using all available avenues, which includes taking intense training, implants, and specific perks.
- Experiencing all Main Faction Endings: This involves making different choices to witness all the various conclusions, including independent New Vegas, NCR, Caesar’s Legion and Mr. House endings.
Understanding the Challenges
Several factors make achieving 100% completion challenging:
- Limited Skill Points: In the base game, there aren’t enough skill points from leveling up to max out all skills. You must own all of the DLCs and reach a higher level cap to accomplish this.
- Time Commitment: Achieving full completion requires a considerable amount of time, typically ranging from 130+ hours, depending on the player’s pace.
- Choice-driven Consequences: Many quests offer branching paths and outcomes, some of which can be mutually exclusive, requiring careful consideration.
- Missable Content: Some quests, locations, and items can become unavailable if certain choices are made or if specific actions are not performed early enough, demanding careful attention to each play through.
Planning for Success
The keys to achieving 100% completion are planning, patience, and attention to detail:
- Strategic Perk Selection: Choosing perks that enhance skill gains and utility is essential, as is using all available implants.
- Skill Book Hunting: Finding all skill books scattered across the wasteland is crucial for skill maximization.
- Careful Quest Navigation: Tracking quest progression and outcomes to ensure no quest is missed or failed because of making the wrong decision.
- Multiple Playthroughs: Achieving 100% completion might require multiple playthroughs to experience all outcomes and complete mutually exclusive quests.
- Utilization of Guides and Resources: There are excellent online guides and resources to help with skill book locations, quest triggers and unique items, which can make the experience more efficient and less frustrating.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is it possible to get all skills to 100 in New Vegas?
Yes, but only if you own all the DLCs. The base game does not provide enough skill points. With all DLCs, the increased level cap and careful perk selection allow for all skills to be maxed out.
2. How long does it take to 100% Fallout: New Vegas?
For a 100% completionist run, expect to spend around 131 hours or more depending on your pace.
3. Is it possible to get max SPECIAL in Fallout: New Vegas?
Yes, you can maximize your SPECIAL stats to 61 by utilizing Intense Training perks, the Small Frame trait, the seven implants available from the New Vegas Medical Clinic, completing the Lonesome Road DLC, and acquiring the Reinforced Spine perk from Old World Blues.
4. Can stats go above 100 in Fallout: New Vegas?
No. The maximum skill level is 100. Any boosts from items or magazines are negated once you reach this cap.
5. Can I get all New Vegas achievements in one sitting?
No, many achievements are mutually exclusive based on different faction choices, therefore, multiple playthroughs are required to get them all.
6. Can you get 10 special in Fallout: New Vegas?
Yes, 10 is the highest number used for any calculations in the game. However, you can use temporary buffs to increase them further, but they will revert back to 10.
7. Why can’t you play New Vegas after ending?
Fallout: New Vegas does not allow you to continue playing after the main storyline is completed. You must load a save before the point of no return to continue exploring.
8. Who is the hardest boss in Fallout: New Vegas?
While there are a variety of tough enemies, Legate Lanius is often considered the hardest boss encounter.
9. What is the most damage weapon in Fallout: New Vegas?
The CZ57 Avenger, a unique minigun, has the highest DPS weapon in the game, able to do up to 649.7 DPS when combined with maxed Gun skill.
10. How many years is Fallout 3 before New Vegas?
The events of New Vegas occur four years after Fallout 3.
11. Which Fallout is the longest?
Fallout 76 currently holds the top spot for the longest game, with Fallout: New Vegas being shorter than many others, but still substantial for a 100% completion run.
12. What is the most useful skill in Fallout New Vegas?
Speech is often considered the most valuable skill due to its impact on dialogues and quest outcomes, followed by Barter, Lockpick, Sneak, Science, Guns, Explosives and Repair.
13. How important is luck in Fallout New Vegas?
Luck is highly important because it impacts critical hit frequency and can significantly boost your winnings in casinos, making it a valuable asset for your character.
14. How many implants does FNV have?
There are 9 implants available from the New Vegas Medical Clinic, and you can only equip one implant per point of Endurance you have, not including the Endurance implant itself.
15. Which New Vegas DLCs should I do before beating the game?
It’s advisable to start with Honest Hearts, as it’s more user-friendly for mid-level characters. The others can be done at a higher level to enjoy them fully, and it doesn’t really matter when you do them prior to the ending, although it’s recommended to complete Lonesome Road last due to its overarching narrative context with the main story.
Conclusion
Achieving 100% completion in Fallout: New Vegas is a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience for dedicated players. It requires careful planning, a strategic approach, and an unwavering commitment to explore every aspect of this vast and intricate world. While it may take considerable time and effort, the satisfaction of truly conquering the Mojave Wasteland and experiencing everything it has to offer makes the endeavor worthwhile.