I think this is an oversimplification of the argument. The complaint that it's too linear in the beginning is certainly valid. Yes, it's possible to go north if you know exactly how and where to go, but that's metagaming, and is definitely the "shortcut" and very much a non-canon way of playing the game, if that makes sense. It's like in Fallout 3 , you can make a beeline for Vault 112 right after leaving Vault 101 and skip the quests before Tranquility Lane, but you're not supposed to. If you do do that it gimps the early game experience. In New Vegas you start out in a backwater, take sides in a microcosm of the Mojave conflict (Goodpsrings vs Powder Gangers) then get introduced to the NCR (Primm, Mojave Outpost) and then the Legion (Nipton). Then reaching Vegas is something of a first act climix.

Part of FNV's strength is the great story that comes with it, but the tradeoff is that you get less freedom to craft your own narrative. It's a reasonable tradeoff, imo, but that does make the first ten hours or so of every playthrough roughly the same, unlike the first ten hours of, say, FO3 or Skyrim. And that's fine. Open-endedness is over-rated.

As other have said they are great games. If you love the Fallout Universe and call yourself a fan of the series you should give Fallout, Fallout 2 and Tactics a shot. I mean if you really love the Fallout Universe then why not play them? Sure I get they are old and turn based (Tactics has a real time option) but they are great games with an awesome story. They are the origins of Fallout. Sure you can read about them on wiki, but it isn't the same as playing them.

As others have said they didn't think they would play them, but loved them after giving them a try. For less then $20 bucks what do you have to lose? It is less then going to the movies and thousands of times more fun. Plus you will have a better understanding of what people are talking about.

I have more respect for the opinions of people that have played the games then those that haven't. By that I mean if someone that didn't play the game is putting in their two cents, it's like "well how would you know?" Yeah I know that sounds like an elitist jerk thing to say but it makes sense. It's like that one guy that joins in the conversation but really has no idea about the topic.

Fair enough....I'll play 'em but not until I play Fallout New Vegas.

Awesome

Chalk up another one for Styles.

Ok everyone, I'm playin' this Fallout New Vegas game! I just found it on sale at Walmart for $29.67 for the Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition! So I snagged it and I'll be installing it later this evening. NOW I'll put New Vegas to the acid test to see if I think it's as good as Fallout 3.

Any tips on building my first character? Or starting the game? Let me know.

Speech, guns and sneak oriented character should be the easiest entrance to this game (but not necessarily the most interesting one).

Yeah Speech, and guns with your next favored skill would be the easiest to get in to the thick of things with out too much problems. Guns is the easiest skill to gain power in since you'll be finding a ton of Guns early on.

Also TALK TO EVERYONE and talk to the about everything you can.

Don't tag Guns. You'll level it high just by playing. Go with another skill like Repair or Science.

Depends, the boost you get for tagging it will help out in the beginning. so you can dump your points into other skills for the first few levels up.

2 for guns, and 1 not for guns hmmmmmmmmmmm

Most say use guns, but my character is focused primarily on energy weapons and I do just fine (save for the fact that finding ECs can be difficult at times).

I would say dump a lot of your points into speech science and lockpick at the beginning maybe even tag them, since it will be annoying if you spend with first 10-20 hours unable to open most locks or hack computers or make speech checks.

This is exactly what I've done with my first character, and it helps a TON.

You tagged Science, Speech, and Lockpick? I tagged Guns, Speech, and Science. I'm thinking that I should have replaced Guns with Repair or Lockpick.

Yeah, Science and Speech are my highest rated with Barter, Energy Weapons, and Lockpick not far behind. I'm not sure if I tagged Lockpick in the beginning though, it could've been Science, Speech, and Barter. I was trying to make a nerdy good guy type character who prefers not to resolve conflicts violently.

I'd personally say that the three best skills to focus on getting high first are Guns(or your chosen combat skill), Speech and Repair.