I have already done one play through and I have started another. The question now is: “Where I do I go first? What do now that Sanctuary is built and secure?” There are so many options that it is particularly overwhelming, if you let it!?! I am rather partial to Piper as a companion and love interest, because of her personality and one-liners. But I would also like to experience Curie: just because. On the other hand, Cait stops me cold with her attitude. As for the other potential companions I have little interest at this time.

After Sanctuary I generally start off by seeking out Detective Valentine and going after Kellogg and then hooking up with Piper. Followed by doing the Minutemen quests. Then on to finish the main quest. At the very least that is how I played my first game.

Aside from the main quest line the board is open so to speak. The commonwealth is large and full of adventure and experiences. Plus, there are many factions to deal with and to choose from. “Which faction should I join and support? Will or should it be the Minutemen, the Brotherhood, the Railroad or the Institute?”

(Bethesda covered all of the bases here. Every aspect of the game and the choices you make are nearly limitless.)

As a native born New Englander, however, I lean toward my heritage and side with the minutemen. Thus, the other factions are left in limbo. Experiences I will no doubt pass on by. Add to that the confusion of where do I go and what option do I choose once I reach the Institute? Yikes! I am so confused.

(There is something inbred within a New Englander that keeps you connected to its heritage and to its history. I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past thirty-six years and yet I am still connected to New England, in heart, mind, and soul.)

I felt the same way about Piper and Cait, but on my third run I decided to give Cait a run. I STRONGLY recommend that you do. Her personal quest and dialogue fits so much better thematically with the wasteland, and she gets a lot more human depth and dimension than the some of the other characters I've come across. Do it!

I do find that the game does lack a little bit of "pull" outside of the main quests. You've got to "push" your own agenda. Do you want to explore the east or the west? Dig through old military installations, or establish settlements? How about vaults? I've found one of the more enjoyable things to do that has some meaning is doing all the companion quests. Yes, you do have to get them to like you first, and you can do that by roaming around or getting in with some of the factions.

This 2nd PT I just decided to wander, not touching any quests really. I think I've done a couple of side quests. I want to say I'm close to I'm close to 4 days into it. No fast travel whatsoever and really enjoying. This time I just fill in the blanks on the map, I see an empty area and I make my journey to see what's there. So much more rewarding then my 1st PT of just slamming through the MQ.

Your post makes me think on this reaction gif a friend sent me- http://i.imgur.com/5nbkm8H.gifv

I have a long list of active quests at the moment but I don't let it overwhelm me as nothing is really urgent aside from settlements being attacked. I feel like a deadbeat not beelining straight for my son but I rp that everything he does is just a means to that end.

lool

Thanks. You got me thinking about Cait now. I have tried traveling with her before, but I was getting more dislikes than likes. I am a giving person in real life and to ask for caps to help someone just isn't in my nature. Consequently I get tons of dislikes from her. Even when I mention to someone how I understand what it feels like to lose someone, Cait gets annoyed by my response. Plus, you have to run around the Commonwealth in the raw to get her attention, not to mention picking tons of locks. It is sort of comical how that the only person in the game that realizes that you are nvde is Cait. No one else responds to your state of undress. Now, mind you, I don't mind running around in the raw, but i would at least like wearing some boots. The terrain is hard on the feet, you know?!? And, in the end after she is cured from her addiction she remains...."It is all about me, Cait, and no one else!" Nothing of the good that my character has done or does rubs off on her, save for her personally. In real life I would find it very difficult to be around someone like that. Sure you had a rough life. So have a lot of people. Everyone in the commonwealth, in fact. But, in the immortal words of Commander Shepard, to Jack, "I wouldn't let it change me."

Well, gee, now I will have to go back to a save before picking up Piper, to play with Cait. "Hmmm....yes....playing with Cait." What a concept!

I haven't touched companions yet really, I might not lol

It has taken me several hours of play today--from about 6 AM to 1 PM-- just to get to the point where Cait is now cured of her addiction. That is after running around bare foot and naked and picking tons of locks. I haven't done any quest to speak, save for putting up beacons at different places that are normally quest driven. Like the drive-in and the farm. I can only imagine how much longer it is going to take to get the romance option. And, I thought romancing Piper took a long time. Whew!

A very easy method of getting cait to like you straight to max is to take off all your clothes (she really likes seeing that booty) and just fast travel from sanctuary to red rocket station. You can max her out in 34 round trips.

Also for that matter when I was doing this I had already romanced piper. Who was in sanctuary. So every time I went to sanctuary piper would say how she wished she had her a camera for this, followed by cait liking it.

I my Cait!

Cool.

I leveled cait up quick but I'm sarcastic and appreciated having her to pick locks for me as i hack so didn't mind keeping her around longer i guess.

As for what to do first. It's entirely up to you, nothing really matters too much. Some said you can get balistic weave early and easily but it wont do you much good until level 4 armorer. I usually go after some guns or armor I like in games in general. The .44 is nice but if you're not doing handguns it will get outclassed so might as well go for it early and go ahead and use it until it's empty. or if you are handguns man then save it for later to be one of your main weapons. I'd get it early and get his clothes too. Start shroud or expand minutemens coverage by taking settlements.

I romanced Cait earlier today. Now I am with Piper doing many of the Minutemen quest. We'll see how that goes.

She's a lot like me, so maybe that's why I love that gal.

The drinking, fighting, and snogging!!!!