Following in His Footsteps

Objectives:

• Investigate the nearby town of Megaton for information about Dad
• peak to Colin Moriarty about Dad
• Find Galaxy News Radio
• Retrieve the Fat Man from the dead Brotherhood soldier
• Help defeat the Super Mutant Behemoth

Your escape from the Vault opens your eyes to the world outside, one that has been ravaged by nuclear warfare. Your father must have left the Vault for a damn good reason, and you're determined to discover that reason. The only lead right now is the city of Megaton, one of the only surviving civilizations in the remains of the United States' former capital. You are free to pretty much head anywhere at this point, but keep in mind that the vast open barrens of the Wastelands remain unfriendly to novice adventurers.

In-between the Vault exit and your next destination you discover the ruins of Springvale. There's not much you can do here for the moment except explore the totaled environs and scavenge the blue U.S. Postal Station mailbox for some Jet, Psycho and Frag Grenades and a few other places for miscellaneous items. When scrounging around the Wastelands for useful items, bear in mind the weight cost versus the Bottle Caps value of the items you pick up. You mainly want to collect items that replenish health, weapons and items that can be sold handsomely for Caps, the form of currency accepted in the Wastelands.

Move on to Megaton by following the hastily painted road signs that start near the Nuka-cola vending machine. Megaton is a large metal structure that opens up as you approach and apparently houses a bomb (from which the city got its name) that for the moment remains dormant. On your first visit to Megaton, you are approached by Lucas Simms, the town's sheriff and mayor, who helps get you comfortable with your new surroundings. Feel free to ask him a bunch of questions, which eventually point you to Moriarty's saloon.

Locate Moriarty in the saloon and chat him up. He talks of your father as if he knew him for ages, which as it turns out is true. A wave of shocking discoveries crash through the ceiling of your feeble mind that has spent nineteen years shielded from the truth and reality. If your Speech is high enough, you can extract the information you need from Moriarty with little effort by telling a little lie. Otherwise, you have to pay up a small nominal fee in exchange for the possible whereabouts of your father. Or sneak into the saloon from the back, get your hands on Moriarty's Password from the metal box and then hack into his terminal, where he keeps records of people he's encountered or has an opinion about, for a clue.

Based on Moriarty's crucial tip, it looks like your father's headed toward the Galaxy News Radio station, located far to the east. You can start hoofing it there immediately...if you want to get killed. The unfriendly denizens to the east are far stronger than any enemy you have encountered thus far, and chances are, you are ill-equipped to defend yourself against them. You are going to need to increase your level and carry stronger weapons for the next undertaking. At this point, we suggest going on some of the side quests scattered around. Refer to the Sidequests section for those.

To help you get started, let's get you some much needed Caps. A good way to make some quick Caps and good Karma (if that's your thing) is to speak with the town's water plant technician, Walters, who can be found either at the Water Processing Plant or at Moriarty's Saloon. Note that if you particularly lucky, you may not be able to find this NPC at all because the game can be glitchy like that. Walters sends you to find and fix three leaks around town. These leaks can be distinguished by their obvious spewing of water from the rusty pipes. The leaks are located near the entrance along the left side, on the roof of the Children of the Atom building, and on the path leading up to the left of the Children of the Atom building. Ever grateful for your labor, Walter gives you 200 Caps and opens up offers of additional Caps for selling him Scrap Metal that you come across. The good Karma route would have you turn down his shiny Caps.

Galaxy News Radio Station is settled far to the east of Megaton. There's a higher chance of encounters with some of the more dangerous Wasteland inhabitants as you hike there. You will find yourself in Super Mutant territory, but don't let that fact rain on your parade. Ideally, we'd like you to be at the very least level 5 before continuing. GNR should be on your map, but there are several ways to get there. We chose to pass through the network of tunnels, sewers and underground train stations starting at Farragut West Metro Station.

In the Metro ruins, you can attempt to hack the computer terminal to activate a Protectron, a hulking robot designed to terminate enemies and one that quickly becomes a useful and powerful bodyguard of sorts, provided you have a Metro Ticket to show. The tickets can be found littered all over the station, from filing cabinets, garbage cans, etc. The former capital's underground are prime hosts for various yet simple booby traps, so exercise caution when traversing the underground stations.

Winding through the labyrinths of this underground network, you eventually arrive at a gate with Feral Ghouls waiting on the other side. Since the gate still stands as a barrier between you and the immediate threats, turn your attention first to the office on the left. While rummaging through the worn furniture, you will find Rad-X, Rad Away, Shotgun Shells and even the awesome Laser Pistol. Of chief importance through is the Metro Utility Gate Key, which opens the gate and exit without lockpicking them.

Remember the Feral Ghouls? Well, they haven't gone anywhere. Back up and toss a grenade over the fence to send the Feral Ghouls flailing around in a fiery flame. Shazzam, no more enemies. Locate the Tenley/Friendship Station exit to enter this adjoining metro station. Your quest arrow guides you through these rather confusing subterranean networks of tunnels, and you eventually emerge from the metro station and resurface at Chevy Chase.

Galaxy News Radio Station is nigh, but you will now unavoidably run into packs of-oh, joy-Super Mutants! Luckily for you though, you bump into a group of rugged Brotherhood of Steel members, whom you could now use as buffers against those Super Mutants. Good for you, perhaps if you are timid, low on health or not properly equipped, but bad if you want any of the precious experience gleaned from killing Super Mutants. Leech some of the experience by lending a hand in terminating as many Super Mutants as possible.

Talk to Sentinel Lyons to tag along on this ride. As you run through the nigh-decimated remains of Chevy Chase, loot any fallen Brotherhood of Steel warriors for their highly valuable wares, such as the very robust Power Armor, which you cannot immediately don at the moment. Follow them as they escort you the final stretch to Galaxy News Radio Station and help them clear out Super Mutants around the GNR Building Plaza whenever possible.

Check the body of the Brotherhood of Steel in the fountain for a Fat Man and Mini Nukes. What in the name of the Fonz could this guy be possibly needing this for? The answer to that question soon comes rampaging through the road debris-a Super Mutant Behemoth! Equip the Fat Man and back the hell up! The splash damage from this weapon covers a large radius and could easily kill you. Help the pinned down Brotherhood fend off this raging monstrosity with extra care not to kill members of the Brotherhood as well.

Once the dust has settled from the calamity, check around to rifle the various corpses for goods. When ready, approach the GNR entrance and access the intercom to open the door. Three Dog, the dulcet voice of the nuclear wasteland, can be found upstairs. If you have a particularly high Speech skill, you could prod him to spill the beans by keeping the conversation civil and telling him your dad will help with the Good Fight.

Otherwise, Three Dog drops a new but optional (optional because we'd just tell you to continue to the Vault 112) quest on you that provides loot and especially good experience, so we highly recommend penciling this in your agenda. Whether you choose this undertaking or not is up to you. Unfortunately, the area in which the quest takes place is fraught with peril in the likes of Super Mutants and other equally dangerous inhabitants.