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Let me start by taking about Hardcore mode. When I first started the game I was unsure if I should try it on my first go. In the end I'm glad I did. It's really not a lot more difficult and makes you take more care in how you organize your life in the Mojave. It's still not even close to being realistic as I've mentioned before. You can still travel crazy distances without needing to rest or eat and that's with you essentially jogging all the time. I wonder whether any developers will try something similar in the future when looking at the Steam achievement stats at this time only 6.2% of people who have completed the game have done so in Hardcore mode.
One of the major additions to this game was the faction system and that worked really well. In fact it worked so well it nearly forced me to end my game and start again. There are many small factions such as the Boomers or the Fiends, but the two main factions New California Republic (NCR) and The Legion hate each other so it's impossible to build your reputation with one without destroying your reputation with the other. I'd been helping the NCR as they're the closest you're going to get to good guys in this game, not perfect but good intentioned. The Legion are slavers after all. So the NCR liked me but The Legion did not. Then as part of the main storyline Mr House (leader of New Vegas) told me I needed to visit The Legion's HQ to retrieve something. I was then visited by a Legion representative who told me my past crimes had been forgiven and that they considered me neutral again. Thus leaving me free to travel to their HQ and talk to them. However it being a free roaming game I decided I didn't want to go there right away. I didn't really give it much thought but in the meantime I did some more jobs for the NCR including liberating a town called Nelson from Legion clutches and killing a bunch of their soldiers. By which point I was vilified by The Legion again. That meant that when it was time to me to retrieve the platinum chip from their fort my only option was to slaughter them all and that was a very tough job which took multiple attempts. Thankfully I did eventually get the chip and didn't have to start my game again.
The end game was another example of faction choices affecting the game in ways I didn't expect. Throughout most of the game I'd been doing lots of jobs for the NCR. I delivered messages & supplies, helped boost morale, collected bounties and offered training, but it was more of a mercenary relationship rather than out of any particular loyalty. So when it came time to choose a side and help them secure the Hoover Dam I felt like that game was drawing me to side with Mr House in order to keep New Vegas independent. However a couple of the things Mr House asked me to do during that process I wasn't entirely happy doing. The biggest problem was he asked me to destroy the local Brotherhood of Steel chapter. The Brotherhood only have a minor role in this game but they're a big part of the overall Fallout universe and I've always been loyal to them in the past. It was too late for me to turn back at that point though, I'll have to make it up to them next time! It does seem though that the developers have arranged it so it's impossible to get a perfect ending for everybody.
Finally I'll mention the companion characters. What's odd is that in the first three Fallout games even though they were available I never felt the need to recruit any companions. Yet when I met Veronica at the 188 on my way to New Vegas and she asked if she could come along I felt like I couldn't say no. I never regretted that decision, she was funny to talk to and useful in combat. I never did find her that dress she wanted. After that I even looked out for the others and ended up with the robot ED-E as well for the majority of the game. Although I accidentally got him killed in the final battle, still I like to believe he was fixable afterwards.
The game gets a high recommendation from me, any RPG fan out there should give it a go.
Congratulations! Very good to read, very interesting post. It sounds as if this game was cunningly scripted, to create so many dilemmas and situations where you have to make compromises. I am especially impressed by the moral integrity you bring to your RPG characters, who seem to me to always try to do what is right. Good for you!
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