Dream Crusher or Survival Expert : Fallout 3

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 5:35 am

I normally go with Dream Crusher for the discount and Moria’s higher repair skill, quite handy early in the game. But I’m playing a character where I’m using the unarmed skill and know that damage resistance is very important to this style of play. I’m wondering if I’ll miss the extra damage resistance (I'm giving the "tough" answers) or if the other DR perks available will be sufficient.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 5:56 am

I personally play unarmed on almost every single play through and I find that the health boost the quest offer is far more beneficial to me than the DR increase. So if I was you, I would just go with the normal answers the DR you get from other stuff will cover that 6% you'll miss. +15 hp is much better. In my opinion.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:11 am

I get the Critical Hit bonus with the snide answers

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:27 pm

Neither. I think it's better to go snide and get the +3 increase to critical chance which I think is very beneficial when you are playing an Unarmed character (which I do almost every time). There are a very limited number of opportunities to increase critical chance, but you get more HP and more DR in other ways.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:34 am

I like Dream Crusher. How often do you get the chance to reduce the enemy's chance to get a critical hit on yourself? Once. How often do characters other than the player cause criticals? I see random ash piles all across the wasteland in places I haven't been and I've seen RL-3 turn several enemies into piles of goo. Plus there's the bonus of turning the normally ridiculously happy Moira into a sad brahmin dung shoveler. Heh.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:00 am

I normally go with Dream Crusher for the discount and Moria’s higher repair skill, quite handy early in the game. But I’m playing a character where I’m using the unarmed skill and know that damage resistance is very important to this style of play. I’m wondering if I’ll miss the extra damage resistance (I'm giving the "tough" answers) or if the other DR perks available will be sufficient.

i like DR perks also but i never go with the survival guru, i always take the dreamcrusher perk for moira's higher repair skill, i take toughness, cyborg and barkskin perk, thats a total of 25% DR i think so that works fine, no need for the extra 3% DR from the survival guru perk, i think you can get 3% DR perk from the pitt anyway, i always talk moira brown out of the book after the rivet city part of her quest.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:34 pm

Plus there's the bonus of turning the normally ridiculously happy Moira into a sad brahmin dung shoveler. Heh.

This is definitely the best part of Dream Crusher. She is much easier to talk to afterwards. Her voice doesn't actually hurt me when I walk into Craterside Supply and talk to her.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:25 pm

i like DR perks also but i never go with the survival guru, i always take the dreamcrusher perk for moira's higher repair skill, i take toughness, cyborg and barkskin perk, thats a total of 25% DR i think so that works fine, no need for the extra 3% DR from the survival guru perk, i think you can get 3% DR perk from the pitt anyway, i always talk moira brown out of the book after the rivet city part of her quest.

Similar here...I run partway through Wasteland Survival Guide for certain goodies, then turn on her for Dream Crusher. 50% fewer crits on me > 3% DR I can pick up several times over.

Moira's attitude change is just icing on the cake.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:21 am

Lately I have been going for the DR. With a 10 in END, and life giver you can have like 620hp by level 30 which is more then enough. Adding the +6DR with +5DR from oasis, add the +10 from toughness perk +10 from cyborg, and +10 from superior defender. Also if you have The Pitt you can add 3 more DR with the pitt fighter perk. That would be 44DR completely naked with 620HP. Sounds good to me :foodndrink:

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 5:32 am

Similar here...I run partway through Wasteland Survival Guide for certain goodies, then turn on her for Dream Crusher. 50% fewer crits on me > 3% DR I can pick up several times over.

Moira's attitude change is just icing on the cake.

i agrtee hammer, i forgot about her voice, she is easier to deal with after you crush her dreams.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:26 am

I generally prefer the +3% critical perk (snide answers), the 6 DR boost is a close runner-up. I've never been tempted much by the Dream Crusher perk, but will probably use it some day when I play a more evil character.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:51 pm

I don't understand this.I have the GOTY edition with the guide and after quests there is a box with this standard and snide answer and a bunch of stuff under it .What does it all mean?

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:17 pm

I liked Moira too much to crush her dreams...

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:33 am

I don't understand this.I have the GOTY edition with the guide and after quests there is a box with this standard and snide answer and a bunch of stuff under it .What does it all mean?

Spoiler

As you complete the quest series (all 9 tasks), the answers that you choose to give to Moira will determine which version of the Survival Expert perk that you will receive. In addition, depending on how many optional objectives you completed during those 9 quests will determine the strength of the perk. There are (5) variations of the perk and (3) strengths. If you complete less then 4 optional objectives you get the base level perk, if you complete 5-8 of the optionals, you get the mid-level, and if you manage to pull off all 9 optional objectives you get the top level perk.

Most people choose either the "strong" answer or the "snide" answer, with the "normal" tone answer coming in 3rd place. The other options for responding don't give as good of a perk reward as strong/snide/normal.

If you're going to do Dream Crusher, I'd do all 8 quests except for the one that takes you to RobCo. That would give you the most reward and benefits before you convince her to give up on the guide.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:26 am

i play neutral most of the time so i don't have any hangup about crushing her dreams, but the main reason i do it, is her repair skill goes up to 70% and if you reverse pickpocket workmans overalls onto her it goes up a bit more, the only other merchants that repair that high is the traveling merchants, but i'm in megaton quite a bit so its convinient to have her repair skill a bit higher than if you don't talk her out of the book.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:46 am

I just love my criticals so I always make sure I get the Survival Guru (snide) perk.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:02 pm

Thanks for the input! I think I’ll go with dream crusher this time around as soon as I get the discount from the Rivet City vendors. The extra critical bonus sounds good, but I’ve completed too much using the tough/strong answers to get that one – next time through I’ll co-author a snide book.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:02 am

Plus there's the bonus of turning the normally ridiculously happy Moira into a sad brahmin dung shoveler. Heh.

"Don't mind the smell of brahmin dung, it's been one of those days!" I actually laugh out loud every time she says that.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:35 pm

I always go for the added DR, but then I'm a Big Guns nut and have to do most of my fighting out in the open while in free-fire mode, so the extra protection comes in very handy.

Due to that playstyle I have no use for Dreamcrusher, although a character who uses little armor and no heavy weapons might get good use from it. The same goes for the Snide route, since most of my preferred weapons don't get critical hits in the first place, but someone who specializes in Energy Weapons or Small Arms may find it beneficial.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:10 am

I totally agree with you giving the 'tough' answers to Moira regarding the Wasteland Survival Guide. the extra +6 to dmg. and radiation is well worth the effort to get. i always thought the 'Dream Crusher' perk to be a little lame. :fallout:

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:56 pm

I always go for the added DR, but then I'm a Big Guns nut and have to do most of my fighting out in the open while in free-fire mode, so the extra protection comes in very handy.

Due to that playstyle I have no use for Dreamcrusher, although a character who uses little armor and no heavy weapons might get good use from it. The same goes for the Snide route, since most of my preferred weapons don't get critical hits in the first place, but someone who specializes in Energy Weapons or Small Arms may find it beneficial.

Interesting...because the character I got the most out of Dream Crusher with was my Power Armored "Cover? I don' need no steenking cover!" Big Guns specialist. Between the PA itself and all the other available perks, he got max DR easily without Survival Guru, then Dream Crusher denying the enemy half their crits on top of that was fantastic. Especially at higher levels and in Point Lookout where it was lever-action rifle and sniper rifle fire from every angle.

Not saying you're wrong mind you, I'm firmly in the "whatever floats your boat" camp myself.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:01 am

Point Lookout is an abnormal case, since the locals get unresistable bonus damage with their weapons. That aside, I've never really noticed the opposition getting crits no matter where I've gone, so Dream Crusher doesn't really help me.

I see where you're coming from, though, since that adds another layer of survivability on top of the DR.

» Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:34 pm

If you're going to do Dream Crusher, I'd do all 8 quests except for the one that takes you to RobCo. That would give you the most reward and benefits before you convince her to give up on the guide.

RobCo's fun! Sneak in (most easily with animal friend perk) and set the Protectrons on "Pest control" and in the middle of the resulting melee you sneak up on all the bots and slug them with The Shocker! (I have yet to tire of flying Protectron's shouting "multiple failures detected")

But to the OP, I like Dream Crusher, (excellent alien blaster repair) but never really care enough to keep at her until she gives up... I also like the Shady Hat and the bottlecap mine schematic; so I usually stick to the Quest.

» Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:03 am

I like the Critical Hit bonus you get with Snide answers... add a dose of Finesse, maybe Better Criticals too, and multiply it by the critical chance boost I get with my weapon of choice (A3-21, as I'm sure you all know), and I'm littering the wastes with green glowing mudpies.

QUOTE: Plus there's the bonus of turning the normally ridiculously happy Moira into a sad brahmin dung shoveler. Heh.

Achhh! Making the ONE happy person in the wasteland miserable. Well, :meh: on you!