Guide 103: Intro

Guide 103

Get a strong start exploring solo!
Season	3rd (Began 2017 Sept 01)
Status	Setting up structure...
Completion	3%
Authors	Henry
This Chapter	Introduction Page
More Chapters	Intro Guide 103: Outline Guide 103: Chapter 1 Guide 103: Chapter 2 Guide 103: Chapter 3
Notes	Express version

A WORK IN PROGRESS

This guide is still being worked, but you could try it, or try the Express Version.

Purpose

This guide is intended to provide new players with a structured route for starting strong, exploring The World, discovering features, and becoming familiar with the mechanics. It should appeal mainly to new players who prefer to start by solo'ing the quest content. This guide helps you get started via easy tasks, and leads you through the quest content. You will...

Find easy jobs local to Hub and earn your first Caps
Start leveling up without having to risk much as you go from weak to stronger
Explore the Quests in a logical order and get Support Perks along the way
Gather Resources, go mining to craft your own fresh gear
Become a crafting professional so you can craft even better gear
Buy a vehicle for faster, smoother travels
Recruit a human NPC companion to travel with you and assist you in combat
Open random Footlockers and get numerous items like blueprints
Build your own base, and a network of tents and Safe Houses all over the map
Embrace the game's economy, and make more Caps via Bartering with NPC Merchants
Find great places to hunt and level up even faster in the wild
Fight hostile encounters in Real-Time, and win

Current Status
This is a sandbox page. Nowhere near done. Too many other pages to update now. Will work on this more later.

Orientation

One of the very first things to accept is that, while you can play this game with only one character, a multi-character approach better lends itself to the game's build limitations. This guide will start you off with one lead Character who is a strong support provider for your additional characters most of whom will specialize more in fighting. So you start with support, work hard to build up some infrastructure, then add fighters to your network. Your fighters will thus be well supported, and you'll be able to level new ones faster.

Remember this is not "Fallout 2 Online". There is no such game. This is a massive multi-player and it runs mostly in Real-Time. The game's best features are in RT too, like Town Control, but even public locations are all in RT anyway. If you go to Ares Rocket Silo, you're in RT regardless of your setting. Same with Warehouse and all of the PvP in New Reno, etc. When you travel in a vehicle (including the Vertibird!), you will get into forced encounters. You can escape quickly if you're in RT mode, but you're stuck there until combat ends if you're in TB. You better win that fight, or you will lose your car. Easier just to get used to the fast-paced world of Real-Time. You'll level up faster too.

That said, TB can be fun, but TB characters have specific builds with certain perks. Player-Killers will set Turn-Based traps on the map. It is times like those when having a TB-optimized fighter can be fun. Watch for red dots on the map where PKs have lit Flares to attract victims. Go there if you think you can handle it, but otherwise avoid them.

Configuration

It is recommended you use the Item Highlighter, by drot and consider some of the interface options and other tools listed on the forum. The default GUI works but most PvP players use a slimmer version with semi-transparent features.

Reiterating, for best results, switch to Real-Time mode. You may be a big fan of the old original Fallout games which were in Turn-Based, and you can play in TB here, but you'll be exploring quests according to this guide, and most quests are much more enjoyable in RT. Some are even so bad in TB that players call them bugged. A 30 minute fun RT quest can become a 2-hour snore-fest in TB mode. We cannot have you falling asleep so...go into your FOnline Reloaded game directory on your computer and find the two Config files:

FOConfig.exe

Keyboard Language Switch: Alt+Shift
Always Run: enabled
Default Combat Mode: Real-Time
Ammo Amount...Display: Lines and Numbers
Damage Indication on Head: Delay 5000ms

FO2238Config.exe

Enable All Displays: Player Names, On-Screen Awareness, TC Countdowns
Display TC Zones: Show Area
Set Main File Paths: master.dat and critter.dat
Set Key Bindings: R for Weapon Reload, X for Detonator, S for Super Stimpak, Control+Q to Disable Aim.
Set other Key Bindings as you see fit. Maybe one for Healing Powder or regular Stimpaks, other keys to aim.

Some Modifications

It is highly recommended that you use FallCraft by Tutkarz, or some other such mod to see ground items.
Also, many players use gauvaran's Cave Items mod.
Many of the most competitive players use a custom interface, rather than the default. Find them on the game forum.
Even your first character should be planned a bit. Most players use a Character Planner tool, also found on the forum.

Hostile Environment

Following this guide, you go into The World exploring the map and getting into casual PvE adventures. Meanwhile much of the player activity is team-vs-team PvP combat, brutal and highly competitive. When you get killed in Broken Hills for example while just trying to mine Resources, try to remember that it, like other northern towns, is a hot zone for player fights. Especially during a Town Control operation, teams are paranoid about enemy scouts. They don't know you. That's why they killed you. You could be a scout for the enemy. Letting you live is a tactical risk most will not take. They need you to leave and killing you is the fastest way to get rid of you. So watch for PvP activity and know in advance that you are a target to teams simply because you're not on their team. It's not personal. It's a big map so do something else and try there again later. (Or become so strong that you return and clobber them yourself!)

Minimal Staff

Remember, this game is free. The developers do not get paid. Do not expect immediate technical help. You can find some help from the player community, mostly via Discord chat (click Chat link on forum's top menu bar - use browser-based version for quickest results). Calling out for help on Radio channel zero can also work. When things go badly in this harsh world, is there some big giant hand that reaches down from the sky and makes everything right again? No, you often have to tank some damage, recover and figure it out on your own. Let those experiences make you tougher and smarter for the next time. That's the only way to survive here. Complaining about unfairness in the wasteland will mostly get ignored and draw criticism from a hateful crowd, so don't bother with that.

Watch Out for Worthy Friends

This guide assumes you're learning the game solo, but are willing to find a good team along the way. Players form factions and some might be a good fit with your play style. Some teams are into RP, some only do PvP, and most teams use a voice chat program for superior communication. Some teams do it all, though even most good-guy teams don't have a strict APK approach.

Do Not Fear Wipes

Yes, every so often the entire server gets wiped clean of all player data and we all start over from scratch. (We just had one in early 2021, and one before that in 2017 on Sept 1st). Use the time between now and the next Wipe to learn the game, so by the time a new season begins, you'll know better what you're doing. There is no Wipe schedule, so don't ask. If it hasn't been officially announced on forum by a developer, then it's likely just shallow rumor, but eventually there will be one, and its always "Soon".

Support FOnline
This game does not make any money. It's not allowed to. If you like it, you should donate to keep it running. Use the game's main forum.

A Build

Can you feel it? You're about to start this game right. You're presented here with a PvE Lead Character Start-Up build. It's just a support Character for getting you all set up. Once you're established, you can add some specialized fighters.

NOTE: Optionally, you can read a 6-page guide on Build Advice for details, now or later.

Stick to the following build on your first run, and remember: you can build your own additional characters after this, but meanwhile this guide has been carefully planned for exact XP targets, Caps totals, and progress, level by level. Even following it to the letter will yield some varying results:

Strength 7: Allows Adrenaline Rush, and maximum ST 10 on Drugs.
Perception 1: You'll play a sniper later. For this role, this works fine.
Endurance 10: 10 is considered mandatory for almost all who want to stay alive, even PvE.
Charisma 3: You'll be able to eat Fruit to recover lost HP with no radiation penalty, and eventually get 4 NPC human companions with enough leveling.
Intelligence 8: This will enable Educated for more Skill Points, and allow you to get Rad Resistance.
Agility 10: Work and shoot faster with max Agility.
Luck 1: Oh well, you can't have everything.

Trait 1: Heavy Handed means you often knock down your enemies when punching them.
Trait 2: Good Natured means you get a NPC human companion much sooner.

Tag Skill 1: Small Guns. The most weapon-diverse combat skill in The World.
Tag Skill 2: Close Combat. Even with no special weapons, you'll be able to beat many enemies with punches that knock them down.
Tag Skill 3: Speech. You'll recruit NPC followers to back you up in fights.

Your starting Character will be very versatile and get a lot of Support Perks.

Register this guy, write down your password, log in, and get started!

Proceed to Chapter 1!