The answer I wanted wasn't really in the poll.

I'll just play, but I'll also try to keep my actions realistic and not meta-game to build Super PC. I'll also try to be consistent with my choices and not suddenly change my mind when something shiny is dangled in front of me.

I will play it CONSTANTLY CURSING at Bethesda for the changes in gameplay, voiced protags, "bad" graphics, lore inaccuracies, random things in the game that break my personal level of immersion, and desperately trying to find something Racist and sixist in the game.

Edit: Oh I forgot to add. I will constantly post ^those topics in the forum while playing so I have my browser on so I'll be playing like: play, alt-tab complain, play, alt-tab complain, play, alt-tab complain, play, alt-tab complain....

First time through, or first few times, I will be cautious and generally avoid combat if possible. While striving to make a survivable character. Of course this can result in Mega-Man who excels at everything, but that's all right for the first couple of characters.

Once I have a good feel for the game, I will start to play characters, who might act very differently than I would myself. Assuming various factions, I will do at least one char as a supporter of each.

I am the same exact way. I might restrict myself and do no fast travel on my first playthrough but I doubt I have the willpower to do it .

No fast travel depends on how interesting the world gets to explore, for me. Like, I don't think I could do a no-fast travel run of Oblivion or New Vegas, since they lack the kind of random encounters or interesting details that would keep repeat treks across the world interesting like Fallout 3 or Skyrim.

I impose restrictions on how I play characters like setting out what they are in advance and they can't branch from that, for instance my melee and heavy weapons guy can ONLY use those weapons even if he comes across a sweet sniper rifle or shotgun. I find it makes sense for the character and incentivieses me to play the game again as another character to use those. My characters usually follow a strict moral code too, similar to a knight or paladin, such as no stealing, no harming innocents and never firing the first shot.

I set self imposed rules, such as:

• only kill hostiles
• sleep at least a few hours every 24
• only use fast travel as a last resort

I'll need to wait until the game comes out for anything more definite.

My first character just goes with the flow always. Then later on I might set rules and boundaries if I get bored.

Honestly? Most of the time I play the villain. Normally I actually have to force myself to be good.

Guy mouths off? Shoot him. A merchant has something I want but can't afford? Chances are he won't be making his next stop. A certain faction irks me? It's genocide time. One of my favorite moments in Fallout was blowing up Megaton, for example. It pains me to pass that up. This tends to lead to multiple playthroughs so I don't miss anything.

So in that sense, I guess I do limit my characters.

I'll start by just focusing on the main quest until I get burned out, then do some side quests, Then i'll make another character more exploration heavy this time and forget about the previous one. I like creating characters at different extremes until I find one that I stick to. I tend to like playing as evil characters for the most part though I find. Though my first character is almost always a goody two shoes oddly enough.

I voted rules, but tbh I don't know what rules exactly they will be. Probably some inventory limitations (stick to 2-3 weapons + nade), possibly figureing out some way to maintain neutral karma, perhaps.

One rule is for certain: I will take my time! Read, listen, watch. I'll definitely savour that first playthrough where everything is new. I can have that experience only once.

I don't even understand this the game didn't force you use those skills you didn't want to use though...

But anyway I voted set rules, like I try to a certain extent play realistically that's why I always end up playing sneaky because guns blazing and eating a thousand bullets while only wearing a brown trench coat just irks me.

Side note how much time do some of you people have on your hands to not use fast travel or is it less about time on your hands and just want to randomly explore? I could not not use fast travel

There are sign posts (usually at villages or cross roads or at important town squares) that you discover when you go to them, then you can approach them to fast travel to other sign posts. You can't just open the map from everywhere and fast travel.

Yeah, you don't have to use those skills at all.. it just feels a bit silly putting points into guns if you've never fired a gun. I like my stats to reflect my character build.

As for fast travel, I definitely don't use it in the beginning of the game. Feels more natural for exploration and what not. But once I've been most everywhere, I definitely let go of that little rule and fast travel to my hearts content. There are also things I'll bend the rules for. Example: Skyrim house building. That would be infuriating to have to constantly run back and forth gathering supplies to finish off a house without using fast travel. Kind of infuriating even with fast travel.

Bit of both to be honest.

Most characters I make tend to have some guidelines but they are not set in stone, all of them share a few common themes such as I hate/try to avoid destroying robots as I dont like old technology being destroyed.

At least one playthrough I'd do will be using guides (after Ive done the game a few times without) so for any tricky quests I can see the outcome e.g. In F3 Ive always struggled getting the 'Ghouls move into Tenpenny and kill everyone a few days later' ending. Same with the wedding sub quest in Rivet City, had to look up that one to get it to happen, though when it did I nuked everyone at the ceremony so that was kind of mean.

Fast Travel (or not) is an interesting argument - I agree with someones comment re F3 vs FNV - F3 its pleasurable to travel on foot, FNV dull and this is entirely due to not having random encounters and wandering enemies. Probably little FT to start with then more depending on the playthrough.

On my couch.

On his couch....

I will impose rules and limits on my characters because that is what the game is, and because that is a kind of game I enjoy.

For me it is mandatory that my characters only use 3 weapons. The main one, a support gun and one to kill cockroaches, rats and other weak enemies.

The exception is my mad bomber in NV. I simple walked with ALL types of explosives available in the game. And two grenade launchers (25 and 40mm). I finished the game with about 180 nuka grenades in stock. I probably collected all abraxo cleaners and turpentine in the game.

Back to the topic: if we have a lot of random encounters, I will also limit the use of FT

For my first character? I'll be exploring anything and everything, including different playstyles and weapon types, with some minor Roleplaying in there. After that I'll start playing like I do normally by setting limits and what not.

Idk, it really depends on what experience I'm going for. If I want to find every location, I guess I set boundaries for myself. I will try to play as different factions through each play through, but it usually ends up with me joining my favorite xD! With the crafting and weapon customization there will be a whole lot more different play styles I'd imagine. Some folks might not want to build and even are against it and some folks want to build an empire. It all depends on the play through for me, but I usually just play through the game and try to soak up all the story, lore, etc.

As is.

I *hate* limiting myself.

Standard house rules for Bethesda games. Don't fast travel unless I need to use it to get past some weird crash or bug problems. Sleep every night. But the thing that is the most important is to have a set personality for your character. I find its good to start with a rough personality in my head and then fill in the blanks through gameplay and take notes of things I learn about his past. Also its good to choose some favourite weapons. Personally I come up with a good rifle, handgun, and shotgun choice for my character to use and practice with. My Fallout 4 character will be using the most advanced small guns he can get his hands on. Automatic 10mm pistol seems a good choice for the handgun, the assault rifle looks good for hosing down enemies with 5.56, and we'll have to see what combat shotguns there are.

My characters usually wind up being hoarders of some resource. Nuka Cola machine in FO3 bent some kind of physical law with the amount of ice-colds inside, and not once did I ever drink one.

As for fast-travel... with life the way it is, game time is far too precious a resource not to enjoy travel abstraction when I'm not in it for hte travel. Not going to waste my lucky hour of gaming by walking from point A to point B for the umpteenth time even though I outlevel the encounters by a longshot and could sculpt a 3d model from memory.