In this Fallout 76 Beginner’s Guide, we will guide you on some of the most basic elements and mechanics of Fallout 76 if you are just starting your Fallout experience with Fallout 76. Fallout 76 features a number of unique and advanced mechanics which if you are new to the franchise, will be totally new for you. For understanding the game better, it is vital that you first understand the basic mechanics of the game.
We have curated this Fallout 76 Beginner’s Guide in which we will detail some of the basic mechanics of the game and also how you can start your journey in the wastelands. We will guide you on everything which will be shown to you in the early hours of the game ranging from the in-game HUD, character creation, using different vital items and weapons, how to look after yourself in the wastelands and more.
Beginner’s Guide – Fallout 76
Our Fallout 76 Beginner’s Guide details everything that you need to know about starting your journey in the wastelands of Fallout 76.
Creating a Character
The very first step for you in Fallout 76 will be to create a character. These are only visuals and you can change your name, face and body details in a variety of ways. The character you create at this point is not final and you can easily change all of these aspects later in the game as well. You can create the character suiting to your liking and you will be all set to embark on your journey in the wastelands.
Understanding the Game HUD
Once you get your Pip-Boy 2000, you will be shown the game’s HUD for the first time as it will show all of the important information on the screen. The wastelands are very unforgiving and it is vital that you keep an eye on everything being shown on this screen as it is vital for your survival here. You will be shown everything that you need to know on your HUD.
The top left section of the screen is dedicated for useful information. Whenever someone is over the radio with you, you use or pickup items, something happens in your body such as crippled, sick will be shown in the section. The middle section of the screen will show you quest information and enemy information such as their health, level and type.
In the top right section, all information relating to your quest will be displayed which include your objectives, active quests and other quest related information. In the center of the screen you will be shown information relating to objects you interact with, buttons to interact with them, your cursor and other such information.
The Bottom left section of the screen shows your vitals. Your health, radiation level and damage type is shown here. If you playing with friends, their information will also be shown here. Rewards and other completion notifications are also shown here. The bottom middle is dedicated to your compass which will show you directions in the wasteland.
It will also show you locations of objectives and enemies on the screen. Team player location is also shown here. Your current location’s name is also shown here. The left side of the scree is dedicated to server information, ammo information, hunger and thirst and most importantly, your Aps or Action Points.
Every action in Fallout 76 will consume AP bar such as sprinting, power attacks, V.A.T.S and steadying up your zoom. Keep an eye on your AP as it is equally important as your HP or health points displayed on the opposite side of the screen. If you are hungry, thirsty or overburdened, you will not be able to regain AP quickly. Certain effects may also affect how you gain AP back in the game such as buffs or debuffs.
Combat
When you put your crosshair on an NPC in the game, its color will help you identify whether they are friend or foe. Green or yellow means friendly and red means enemy however in Fallout 76, even if you accidently attack a friendly NPC, they will quickly become your enemy. Hence it is very important that you keep your trigger finger in check.
You will encounter a lot of enemies in the wastelands ranging from wild animals, mutants and even other humans. Wild animals and mutants will instantly run towards you while human enemies will take up defensive positions before shooting at you. It is vital that you always prepared for combat because wastelands will never stop trying to kill you.
There are a variety of melee and ranged weapons in the game that you can use to your defense and offense. You can even use your own fists in melee combat however we recommend that you find a proper melee weapon for doing so. Coming to weapons, you can find a lot of weapons in the game ranging from pistols, rifles, shotguns, miniguns, energy rifles and many others to choose from.
Fallout 76 also features V.A.T.S which is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. It is vital that you master this handy combat feature as soon as possible because it will help you take down enemies much easily. For a detailed guide on VATS and combat system, check out our Fallout 76 Combat Guide right here.
Complete Quests and Side Quests
The world of Fallout 76 is littered with quests that you can complete in the game. Apart from the main story quest, there are tons of extra side quests that you can complete in the game. Explore the world and try to complete as many side quests in the game as you can. These quests are a great way to explore the world, earn XP, level up and find unique weapons and other items. We recommend that you keep quests on your priority before exploring the world.
Always Follow Waypoints
The wastelands of Fallout 76 are huge and it is very easy to get lost in them. It is vital that you set markers on the map and then follow them to move around. Although we recommend that you explore every nook and cranny of the game but if you completing a quest or even a side quest, it is recommended that you first complete that specific quest and then explore the world.
The main quests and side quests will always give you certain markers on the map which can be seen in your compass on the bottom center of the screen. Follow the markers but do not always follow their direction. They give you a straight line marker to the objective while actually the terrain will be difficult. You might fall down a mountain if you follow the marker blindly so always check the map manually to see the terrain up ahead.
Start Scavenging as Soon as you Step Out
In the wastelands, you will not be served with ammo, items and parts in hot dishes. You will need to scavenge everything from your surroundings. As soon as you step out from the vault, you will need to begin your scavenging. Even if you are focusing on quests, carefully loot every place you visit.
Look in every corner, every drawer and every room for possible loot. You will find weapons, parts, crafting recipes, training manuals and many other important items spread in the world. Keep an eye on your vitals, you will need items for basic survival as well. Look for food and drinks. Also note that you cannot use spoiled food. You will end up being sick. Also overuse of items is not recommended as you will end up with negative stats.
Join Friends
Fallout 76 introduces online play for the first time in a Fallout game so use it. Play with your friends to bring a balance to the harsh environment. Having good friends around will greatly help you and will make the game much easier. You can complete quests together and explore different locations together with friends.
You can set up camps with your friend where you can perform a number of different activities such as repair weapons, upgrade them, craft useful items and medical supplies. You can also do this in solo but bringing a few friends along always helps and keeps the fun element much high in Fallout 76.
Never Overburden Yourself
Although we recommend that you loot every last item you find in the world but it is also recommended that you keep an eye on your inventory weight as well. If you loot more items than you can carry, you will become ‘overencumbered’ which will severely affect your movement and other stats in the game.
You can check the current limit in a variety of places. The Pip-Boy menu in the bottom-left of your corner shows your current weight and limit, the bottom-right of the world map also shows this while the menu box also represents your weight limit. If you want to carry more load, you can always increase your weight limit by increasing your strength.
This concludes our Fallout 76 Beginner’s Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.
