Fallout 76 is a very different kind of Fallout game. Instead of a story-based RPG, you’re dropped into the scorched wilderness of West Virginia, not too long after the bombs fell. It’s up to you (and friends) to survive, explore, and rebuild civilization. Really, this is closer to Conan Exiles than any previous Fallout game — and that just might throw older fans off.
Everything you remember from previous Fallout games is here — you’ll still be able to hunt down mutated monsters, mod weapons, and jump into a Power Armor suit. Crafting is even more important here, and you can even construct a settlement camp that you can carry around with you like an item. Just plop it down to spread civilization far and wide.
There’s a lot to check out when you exit your vault. Here are 10 things, places, and item locations you should know about on your first foray.
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#1: Kill, Loot & Scrap Everything
There’s nothing more valuable that materials in Fallout 76. You’ll encounter vendors, but everything you really need is carried by enemies or found as loot. This is the most general, basic, simple recommendation you’ll find in this guide — but it’s also really important to understand that there are no traditional quests in Fallout 76. To earn XP, you need to kill enemies and explore areas.
- NOTE: Stay in the opening area for as long as possible. Unlock / hack / loot / kill everything in the area for easier levels.
Looting isn’t that useful on its own. There are vendors, but selling stuff isn’t always useful. Instead, get a crafting bench and scrap useless items. Base materials are used for crafting, and they’re far lighter than standard items like weapons or armor. You can carry a wealth of base materials. Very helpful when you’re still early in your adventure.
#2: Use The Tinkerer Workbench To Create Bulk Bundles
Here’s something that’s easy to miss. When you find a Tinkerer Workbench, you can do more than just scrap items — you can transform base materials into a “Bulk” bundle.
By using the Bulk function, you’ll place a ton of base materials into a single bundle with 1 Weight. That means you can carry multiple bundles of bulk materials and they’re extremely light. You can also store the bulk bundles in your stash for later.
#3: Enhance Perception & Intelligence First – Then Strength
Putting your points into Perception and Intelligence will unlock Hacking and Lockpicking — two skills that are incredibly important. If you want to loot everything and explore every area, lockpicking and hacking are absolutely required. Unlock perks related to those activities early, then you can focus on strength.
Strength isn’t just great for pounding simple enemies into dust and saving ammo. You’ll really want to increase Strength because — at Level 8 you’ll be able to unlock the Rat Pack perk. This perk expands your carrying capacity. Again, that’s crazy useful when you have to carry most of your stuff around all the time.
#4: Pick Up & Move Your Camp To “Quicksave”
The wasteland is a dangerous place. You’ll die often, and when you do, you’ll need to return to the corpse to collect all your lost stuff. There’s another way to make life a little easier — you can actually take your camp with you. The camp can be used like an item, and dropped down to a new location as you explore.
Dropping down your camp gives you a safe place to sleep and “save” your game. You’ll respawn at the campsite you used most recently. You can use your portable camp like a “quicksave”, just use it periodically as you explore, or before getting into a dangerous fight.
#5: Responder Bots Will Sometimes Give You Free Stuff
Only useful early in the game, but sometimes you’ll encounter Responder Bots that appear to help you out. These bots are handy if you’re struggling, and they’ll even give you items. Most players gladly gun down Responder Bots when they’re not looking to earn some XP / loot, but you’ll want to chat with them before turning on them. They just might give you some easy materials — materials you can’t loot off their robo-bodies.
#6: There’s A Gun Right At The Start
Right after leaving the vault, there’s a corpse to your right. The corpse is carrying a gun — grab it. It only has about 8 bullets, but if you miss this weapon, you’ll be stuck fighting enemies with your fists. Not exactly the best way to start your adventure.
#7: Hate Radiation? Grab Yourself A Hazmat Suit
The Hazmat Suit, which completely nullifies the negative effects of radiation while you explore, can be found in the Poseidon Energy Plant WV-06. You don’t even need to go inside to get the outfit. Just travel to the plant (check your map, it’s a massive nuclear power plant on the west side of the map, just off the river) — and stick to the catwalks.
Entering the plant grounds, stick to the left side to find an exterior catwalk. Follow it up and around to the first roof landing. Here, there’s a small exterior trailer-like office. You’ll find the hazmat suit sitting on some boxes inside.
#8: You Can Get A Mini-Gun, Too
While you’re in the Poseidon Energy Plant, you’ll want to continue exploring — there’s a common Mini-Gun spawn in this area that’s worth checking out. From the rooftop with the Hazmat Suit, continue up the catwalks to find a balcony with a burnt corpse standing on the edge. A Mini-Gun sometimes spawns on the wooden crates here.
If it didn’t appear, it will spawn in a different nearby location. Go up to the second rooftop, then go to the catwalks above the interior office door. Another Mini-Gun will sometimes spawn on the landing with a sitting corpse.
There’s one final spot to look. Continue up the catwalks until you reach one that spirals around a tower. At the top, there’s a dead end with a few crates. That’s where you’ll find a Mini-Gun, almost every time.
#9: Here’s Where To Find An Early Power Armor Suit
Power Armor is available within minutes of leaving Vault 76. Go to the Morgantown Trainyard, straight east of Vault 76. There’s a partial Power Armor suit found in a train car — one labeled “USA” on the side — just go inside and grab it. It’s only a frame, a helmet, and a few random armor pieces. It isn’t a complete Power Armor suit, but this one will get you started very early.
#10: And Bobbleheads Are Back! Here’s Where To Get One
Yes, Bobbleheads are back. If you want to get started on your collection, you can check the County Fair. That’s the giant Ferris Wheel on your map. Bobbleheads spawn in semi-random locations in Fallout 76, but this bobblehead is a common spawn, so go there to check it out.
The Bobblehead is in the shed / metal building on the edge of the fairground. Go inside and watch out for Scorched. Look on the center of the table covered with old Halloween decorations.
Got your own useful tips and tricks for Fallout 76? Let us know!