Fallout New Vegas Hardcore Mode Tips

Many people find Hardcore Mode a travesty of hardness and pain, but it doesn't need to be! Follow these simple tips will make your gaming experience while on Hardcore Mode much easier and less stressful.

How're you such an expert?

Let's just say, I've played over 400 hours on this and completely hardcore mode 4 times, expert/nerd, I guess. Either way, I know how to make you succeed.

Calm, calm! Yes, water is the biggest hardcore mode nifty that you'll come across, but it's one of the easiest to tackle. While water in the bottles is quite hard to find, this ain't Fallout 3, not all water in the Lakes & fire pipes will be irradiated.

That's really it, find a good Lake or place of water, I'll give you some:

• Goodsprings Source
• Lake Mead
• Lake New Vegas
• Callville Bay (watch out for Cazadores)

Stimpaks are just about the only survival thing you'll need when not on hardcore mode, but this is hardcore mode, so wipe your stimpak saviour goodbye. Stimpaks are nearly as bad as food, so getting into combat fights ain't going to be as easy as it used to.

The one thing I would suggest is find a companion, quick! Companions will save your bottom time and time again, but don't expect them to just do all the work. Having a good supply of chems, stimpaks and food will be helpful. Stimpaks are useful after the battle as well, because they still give you a large boost in health, just not quickly.

If going up against more than 3 opponents with average armour and guns, settle back and try to pick them off, if you cannot, start aiming and moving in. Try using the environment around you, the large canyons, to hide yourself then surprise attack. Having good armour and different weapon ranges is great too!

Radiation is another thing you cannot really control, say in a Vault like 34, where radiation is toxic and never stops, you'll have to be quick on your feet. Having a little dose of rad-X every time you go into a radiation filled zone is the best thing to do. Remember to keep a good supply of Rad-Away though, for when you get out. Rad-Away will not take your radiation away quickly, you have to wait before you're un-irradiated.

While food is possibly the worst item to use if you're healing from a battle, it is a needed in the hardcore mode. This is because, in hardcore mode, you will be hungry (as a normal human would), you need food to keep the hunger down. To do this, you just have to eat, then your hunger will go down. Eating more heavy foods, such as Caravan Lunches, will keep you full for quite a while longer.

Drinking Nuka-Cola and other waters will not help your food, although it will help you become more hydrated.

While sleeping is the least important thing to keep on your agenda, it is still useful to remember you need to sleep. If you do not sleep, you'll become tired, and your attributes and S.P.E.C.I.A.L will go down. Sleeping on a bed, any bed, will cure your sleep deprivation.

Remember, if in doubt of where to sleep, here are some hotels:

• Lucky 38
• Novac
• Goodsprings
• The Tops
• Vault 21

Yes, ammo weighs! How more realistic do you want this game?

There is no upside to this, I hate it and it's the most annoying thing ever while scavenging. That being said, there is ways to overcome the new-found weigh.

Firstly, take out 1-2 weapons and take around 100-200 bullets. This will make your weigh seem light and is all you really need per-mission or scavenge. Secondly, let your follower take out some of the enemies, this way, you'll not be wasting your ammo. Thirdly, watch what you pick up off the floor. Things such as Wrenches & Scrap Electronics are really unneeded and will go at a bad price to merchants. Only pick up things over 5 caps in price. (except all things without weight)

You got a hurt limb? It's a Doctors appointment for you.

To stop a limb from being broken, you cannot rely on stimpaks (they're really rubbish), you need either a Doctors bag or a Doctor him/herself.

Stopping broken limbs breaking so easily is hard, you could use a mixture of chems, which will stop your limbs being broke. Getting a perk that improves your agility or stops your bones being broke so easy is also a great way to keep them in shape.

Some Doctors in the New Vegas area are:

• Goodsprings
• New Vegas; Dr Usanagi.
• Autodoc; Old World Blues; Big Empty (MT)

Knowing about all the risks is key, once you've got them, you'll find Fallout New Vegas: hardcore mode a lot easier. Make sure when leaving a safe point to have all needed gear and enough to get you on your journey. Remember, companions can die, so remember to look after their health as well and keep on the right tracks.

Don't ponder the wasteland aimlessly without any sort of unique or good equipment, Deathclaws wander some places and believe me, deaf or not, Deathclaws will kill you as soon as the spot you, you've got no chance unless you're pro. Be on the watch for Legionnaire Assassins, if you've went against the Legion.

Hope this helps, good luck on Hardcore!

Little PS note, I wouldn't advise you to play Hardcore if you're planning to do all missions and side missions. Keep your main game for a non-hardcore mode. I'd also not advise going into Dead Money with Hardcore Mode on, unless you feel the power of awesomeness.