When does Fallout New Vegas stop being linear?

Okay, so this is my umteenth attempt trying to get in FNV and I always manage to get to the same place in the story, Nipton (1st encounter with the Legion) before becoming bored and giving up. It would be cool if I could head North of Goodsprings but these Cazadors, Deathclaws and a few invisible walls are not having it.

The story and world in FNV seems pretty linear up to this point, compared to Fallout 3 where you can pretty go anywhere once you escape Vault 101. I'm curious as to how much further after your 1st encounter with the Legion before the story and world opens up?

@HipHopBeats: Well, you're right about how the game begins: you head South, then East, then North. But you'll see how much it opens up once you start heading North after Nipton, you can do all sorts of things. I don't wanna spoil anything so I won't, but once you make it to Vegas you can choose between so many paths. You can stay in the Vegas area doing tons of side quests including some pretty dark/terrible ones, or you ignore it and work for the NCR, or you can aimlessly wander around the wastes. It's all good.

Also, get the DLCs for the game, especially Old World Blues. That is the best DLC I've ever played on any game, it's hilarious and thrilling - it has an ungodly huge fight hidden on it somewhere that's a blast to try to win.

There are so many good ways to play the game when it comes to fighting. I like explosives and melee weapons combo the best, it's as fun as it is awesome. It's also a great idea to start pumping up your Science early, it's helpful so often in important situations.

Start the game over if you want, and if you go explosives don't take the convicts out at the jail compound early. Let 'em hang around so you can keep getting free dynamite, so don't help Goodsprings at the beginning either and become hostile to them. You can always go back and save the town later once you have access to better explosives and wanna wipe all the convicts out for the XP.

Good luck bro, the game is great and you'll learn to love it if you decide to play through it one more time the right way. The story is really good and unfolds however you play it - good, bad, or neutral - whatever. Have fun...

New Vegas is structured exactly like the older Fallout games (especially Fallout 2) - there's a rough 'path' through the major towns, but you won't have to follow it if you use your character creatively, and things really open up every time you hit a major location.

@HipHopBeats: Actually, it opens up right after Nipton (after you get ambushed in the canyon by raiders.). After that, once you get out of there and you are on your way to Boulder City to do the last tutorial quest, you can pretty much do anything you want, though some places really require you to be a certain level to survive or require certian skill levels to enter. Heck, you can even skip the quest in Boulder City (if you don't care about the main quest) and go join up with the NCR or the Legion (or both and play double agent, up to a point.).

Run north through the deadly monsters and if you are lucky enough to get through them you be at New Vegas. Steel a NCR uniform and you can skip the whole trip to the south.

Eh? unless there are invisible walls i don't know about what's stopping you from going in any other direction? as i recall its a open world and yes meeting the deathclaws at the start levels are hard as ...... but its manageable And who says you have to follow the main story straight after you have been revived?

So calling Fallout New Vegas linear is a huuuuuuge stretch.

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Linear? Ain't nothing linear about NW, you can break of the suggested path anytime you want and go wherever you want, ain't no thing exploring the map (some exceptions) when you know where the meanest advesaries spawn. I would call up to the point you've been playing the "tutorial", wander a little further and you meet a companion called Boon that can take out everything with his sniper and share the XP. If you're not creative in an open world, then the paradox is you should seek a more linear game. (joking)

that right,you're not creative in an open world, then the paradox is you should seek a more linear game.thanks

Fallout New Vegas is no where near linear.

One of my favorite gaming moments of all time was simply walking through a dustbowl in New Vegas, my eyebot at my side. Looking through my binoculars at the perfect time to see a hit squad coming for me through a (PC) mod-induced sandstorm. It just doesn't get any more sci-fi than that.

If the unscripted moments are that good...well, then....

You guys! Jerks!

I still have 3 more hours at work, now I want to go home, and make a new character. Awwww you just made my day longer.

Your welcome :)

@HipHopBeats:

This.

New vegas isn't linear at all. You can go off the beaten path at anytime and discovered cool things. But if your like me, who likes going from point A to point B. And your wondering when it will open up with more quests and things to do, they will when hit Freeside. (An area that is before New Vegas.) You said you were Nipton, without spoiling anything, you still have to go to Novac and then to Boulder City. Then you travel to the entrance of Freeside.

Hopes this helps.

It's technically open as soon as you step foot out of the first location. But I see what you mean. It's really hard to go North from the get-go. And if you try to take a short-cut near Primm, you'll still run into a few Deathclaws. I'm not sure why they felt the need to trap players like this, but I suppose it did encourage me to take the long route to The Strip. I had a lot of fun on the way and did a lot of things at my various stops, so I didn't really have an issue with being essentially forced into a certain direction. But yeah, once you're heading North your options start opening up more as far as exploration goes.

Fallout definitely takes more than just a few hours to really get into, which I assume is what you're spending before reaching Nipton. Yeah, Fallout 3 is much more open from the start, but New Vegas has just as much, if not more to explore, as Fallout 3.

"The story and world in FNV seems pretty linear up to this point, compared to Fallout 3 where you can pretty go anywhere once you escape Vault 101."

No, the path is obvious, its your fault for following it, you can turn around in goodsprings and go to the opposite direction.

I agree. At the start of the game the player's option of direction are very limited. But you're right as you get out there more, the more it feels open.

For the amount of times I've played New Vegas, I have never been able to pass through Quarry Junction. I've always been wiped out.

It takes some times but I was able to do it.

It's probably because they didn't want you heading immediately to the strip. I would never do that cause I'm all about the exploration but I can see some people doing that. I thing is they want you to explore and the other is that if you went straight to the strip you'd wouldn't be able to advance the story anyways.

it does start very slowly tbf

Uh... in the opening town you get the decision to help them defend the town or destroy it. That simple choice changes the entire direction of the game no more than an hour in.

That's the very definition of non-linear.

Well, that doesn't have much real or direct impact on the actual story, so I think you're exaggerating a bit there.

@trollop_scat: You're right about holding off the Goodsprings quest. Going through the jail where the Powder Gangers overtook was so much easier that way, lol! I hear there is a certain order to do these DLC's in. Is that true or I can do whatever DLC whenever I want?

@HipHopBeats:

The easiest one is honest hearts, then old world blues, dead money, and lonesome road. (If you go to the site location you'll see that there is recommended level before you enter.)

They add a lot to the game and make it easier.

@The_Stand_In: Thanks, I accidentally stumbled upon that ambush you mentioned. I remember visiting some town with a hotel and large dinosaur exhibit. Is that Boulder City or another town altogether? Is the ambush you mention the part with the punks shooting rocket launchers and grenades at you when you're passing through the mountains?

@HipHopBeats: There's a certain fight in Old World Blues that you have to be a high level pro to even have a chance in. I don't wanna ruin the hilarious/awesome surprise you'll stumble upon in your time there. It's also best to have an Intelligence of at least 7 and collect and use the Mentats before you talk to anyone, trust me...

The moment you leave Doc's house.

The legendary boatfly?