When Fallout 76 was first released in 2018, it was filled with glitches, empty fetch quests, and barely had any NPCs or players, making the game feel barren. In 2021, Bethesda made massive improvements, making it a much better experience for players, to the excitement of many loyal fans of the franchise. So, if you have been tempted to check out Fallout 76 because of this news, now is the perfect time to pick it up. Here are some tips and tricks for Fallout 76 for new and returning players to read, learn from, and ultimately, apply.
1. Collect caps
Similar to other Fallout games, caps are the main source of currency in Fallout 76. They can be used to buy items from vendors in the game. Some good ways to gather caps in Fallout 76 are:
- Completing main quests.
- Picking up caps from dead enemies.
- Trading with other players.
- Looking in safes and containers.
- Selling unnecessary items.
- Mothman Egg farming.
Caps can also be used in the game for fast travel, with the cost depending on the distance. Even though there are many ways to find them, it is difficult to find them in bulk. This makes it necessary to save them for things you really want to buy instead of using the currency recklessly.
2. Pay attention to your Hunger and Thirst meters
The shiny new feature in this outing is the Hunger and Thirst meters. If your character doesn’t get enough nutrition and plenty of liquids, the game will start to show the effects. Even though you can’t die of hunger, being hungry reduces your maximum level of Action Points, increases your chances of catching diseases, and slowly drains your health points. Keeping your hunger and thirst satisfied gives you more Action Points, increased HP, and better resistance to diseases. You can find cooking stations all over the world, which brings us to another entry among tips and tricks in Fallout 76. Cooking stations can be used to cook the plants and meat you find. You should also remember to boil water before drinking it because consuming items would otherwise get your character to fall sick. So, gather items, cook them, store them, and eat them every hour or so, and you will be fine.
3. Pick up everything
Here’s one of the most important tips and tricks for Fallout 76. The player character can hold up to 1200 pounds in their inventory, and stash boxes have the same storage limit. With that, you’d be smart to forage and store everything you can in this nuclear wasteland. Even the scrap and junk you find can be used for crafting and repairing, making it extremely valuable. Since Fallout 76 is an online multiplayer game, if you don’t store every item you get your hands on, other players will. This helps them craft better armor, weapons, and Chems (in-game consumables). Likewise, even if you don’t want to store or use your items, you can always trade them with other players or sell them off to a vendor to make a sizable profit. Having a full inventory gives you a choice whether to use items later, which is always better than leaving stuff behind and regretting it.
4. Leveling up
Unlike other Fallout games where you get to design each of your character’s attributes, in Fallout 76 you begin with one point in each category. Each time the player levels up, they get one point to level up one S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute. These stand for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Periodically, players will unlock Perk cards related to one of these attributes. Players with four points in endurance can equip 4 endurance Perk cards in their loadout. Each attribute can be leveled up to 15. But even though there is a limit to increasing S.P.E.C.I.A.L. at level 50 you can still gather and equip Perk cards past that level cap. Your playstyle determines which attribute and perk cards you should be investing in.
Learn about attributes and perks
Here is what you need to know about these attributes and how they affect your playstyle:
- Strength increases your melee damage and the amount of inventory a player can carry.
- Perception increases weapon accuracy and lets you know the location of nearby enemies.
- Endurance increases player health and allows them to sprint longer.
- Charisma allows players to share the benefits of a Perk card with every member of the group. It is good for players who intend on playing with their friends.
- Intelligence makes the condition and durability of the items you craft better. It also gives you better material from scrapping junk and hacking computer terminals.
- Agility increases the player’s Action Points and their ability to sneak.
- Luck affects the condition and durability of items you find. It also gives you more chances to get a Critical Hit.
Closing words
With the numerous improvements by Bethesda, and no word on Fallout 5 just yet, Fallout 76 is a great title for fans of the series to pick up and scratch that Wasteland itch.