Expelling Overseer Barstow: A Deep Dive into Fallout 4’s Vault 88
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So, you’re staring down Valery Barstow in Vault 88, and that Vault-Tec glint in her eye is making you nervous. You’re wondering what happens if you tell her to take a hike. Well, the short answer is: you effectively become the Overseer and bypass the initial “experimentation” phase of the Vault 88 questline.
The choice to expel Barstow carries significant consequences and opens alternative paths within the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC. It’s not just about kicking someone out; it’s about choosing a different approach to rebuilding Vault 88 and the kind of leader you want to be. This article breaks down the implications and answers the burning questions you might have before making this pivotal decision.
The Consequences of Saying Goodbye, Valery
Expelling Overseer Barstow immediately ends the initial phase of the Vault 88 questline. Instead of meticulously conducting experiments on unwitting settlers, you gain immediate access to all the Vault-Tec Workshop building options. You can think of it as ripping off the Band-Aid – you skip the ethical dilemmas and jump straight into designing your dream vault.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of what to expect:
- Immediate Overseer Status: By choosing to expel Barstow, the game acknowledges you as the de facto leader of Vault 88. You’re in charge of the Vault’s development and the well-being of its inhabitants.
- Bypassing the Experimentation Phase: This is the most significant consequence. The standard questline involves recruiting settlers and subjecting them to Vault-Tec experiments, often with questionable ethical implications. Expelling Barstow allows you to circumvent this process entirely. You unlock all experiment-related building options without needing to “test” them first.
- Oversight Trophy/Achievement: On PlayStation consoles, killing Overseer Barstow will unlock the Oversight trophy.
- No “Legend of Vault 88” Trophy: Killing Overseer Barstow will not unlock this trophy. You have to complete her quest to unlock it.
- Dialogue and Roleplaying Implications: Expelling Barstow can be a powerful roleplaying choice. It signifies a rejection of Vault-Tec’s methods and a commitment to building a vault based on your own moral compass.
- Looting Barstow’s Body (If Killed): If you choose to kill Barstow instead of simply expelling her, you can loot her body for a specific holotape or document. This item unlocks the experiment build options as well. It serves as a shortcut if you don’t want to deal with Barstow’s experiments but still want the building options.
A Faster, Morally Ambiguous Route?
While skipping the experiments may seem like the “good” choice, it’s important to consider the narrative implications. The Vault-Tec Workshop DLC is designed to explore the darker side of pre-war experiments and the moral compromises inherent in leadership. By bypassing this aspect, you miss out on some of the DLC’s thematic depth.
Vault 88 FAQs: Everything You Need to Know
Here are some frequently asked questions about Overseer Barstow, Vault 88, and the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC.
1. Should I keep Overseer Barstow?
This depends on your play style and moral alignment. Keeping Barstow allows you to experience the full Vault-Tec experiment questline, but it requires you to perform questionable actions. Killing or expelling her allows you to build the vault as you see fit, without the ethical baggage. You can still obtain the building blueprints by looting them from her corpse.
2. What do you get for completing Vault 88?
The Vault suit is the only guaranteed reward regardless of your choices. You’ll also gain access to unique Vault-Tec building options and the satisfaction of creating a thriving settlement. The real reward lies in the experience and the narrative choices you make.
3. Why can’t I talk to Overseer Barstow?
This is a known bug. It often occurs if you scrapped the cases full of vault suits and Pip-Boys in the antechamber or by removing their content. Using the console command setstage xx004840 300 (where “xx” is the load order number of the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC) should advance the quest.
4. What happens if I surrender to the Overseer in Fallout 3?
This question seems to refer to the Fallout 3 vault scenario. If you surrender to the Overseer in Fallout 3 (during the quest “Trouble on the Homefront”), he will confiscate your weapons and potentially use them against you. It’s a different Overseer and game, so the consequences are not the same as expelling Barstow.
5. Is there a Deathclaw in Vault 88?
Yes, there is a Legendary Deathclaw found in the northern section of the Vault. Be prepared for a tough fight! Clearing out the Vault’s hazards is a prerequisite to building a successful settlement.
6. Can you make Vault 88 a settlement?
Absolutely! Vault 88 is one of the largest and most customizable settlement locations in Fallout 4. You can build sprawling complexes deep within the mountain.
7. Is Vault 88 DLC worth it?
If you enjoy settlement building and want unique Vault-Tec options, the Vault 88 DLC is worth it. However, if you’re not interested in settlements, the DLC may not offer enough to justify the cost. It is yet another settlement based dlc when you get right down to it.
8. Can you get Brahmin in Vault 88?
While you can attract Brahmin to Vault 88, there are some limitations. If you attempt to purchase a Brahmin and send it to Vault 88, it will not go, but instead remain with Kelly.
9. What level should I start Vault 88?
The recommended level to start Vault 88 is 20 or higher. This ensures you’re adequately equipped to handle the dangers within the Vault and manage the settlement building aspects.
10. Does it matter if I kill the Overseer in Fallout 3?
Killing him will not affect how you can complete this quest in any way, just Amata’s opinion of you. And, to be frank, she will never let you back in Vault 101 once you complete the quest anyway, even if you help her, so it matters even less.
11. Should I kill Valery Barstow?
Killing her at any point in the questline will not negatively impact companion affinity, not even that of compassionate ones like Piper or Curie. Choosing aggressive dialogue options will consistently garner likes from well-intentioned companions.
12. Can Codsworth do anything in a settlement?
Codsworth can’t/won’t do most of the jobs, It lets you assign them then removes them shortly after. Same with the robots at Greygardens, you can assign the Mr Handies to trade routes but the three supervisors can only do gardening, if you reassign them they just walk back to the plants and start gardening again.
13. Who to let in Vault 88?
During the candidate interviews, you will have the option to dismiss or welcome the other two candidates as settlers of Vault 88. The Overseer will deem Clem, the third candidate, to be the only one suitable. After Clem has been chosen, A Model Citizen will end and Power to the People will begin.
14. What is the biggest settlement to build in Fallout 4?
Spectacle Island comes with the game’s largest building area and, apparently, its highest built limit, meaning it’s one of the most versatile locations going. Exonar has gone outwards instead of upwards, building a seaside shanty town complete with a nostalgic, no doubt toxic, high-rad pier.
15. Why does Amata kick you out?
she kicks you out because your presence will aggravate the older folks who blame your dad for the vault falling apart in the first place. its like firing your favorite employee.
Making Your Choice
Ultimately, the decision to expel or keep Overseer Barstow is a matter of personal preference. Consider your play style, your character’s moral code, and the type of Vault you want to create.
- Keep Barstow if: You want to experience the full Vault-Tec experiment questline and don’t mind engaging in ethically questionable activities.
- Expel or Kill Barstow if: You want to bypass the experiments, build your vault according to your own vision, and avoid the moral compromises.
Regardless of your choice, Vault 88 offers a unique and engaging experience within the Fallout 4 universe. Have fun exploring, building, and shaping the future of your vault!
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