I've played 2 characters so far (not all the way through the game with either), and whenever I leave Goodsprings and head down the highway towards Primm I inevitably get attacked by already hostile Powder Gangers somewhere along the route to Primm and end up with a 'vilified' rep (because I have to defend myself) before I'm even a fraction into the game.

Can someone please give me some tips on how to not have them hate me within the first hour or two of play, because I would like my next character to stay at least neutral with them! Ta xx

i believe if you can manage to kill them whilst sneaking and hidden, no status change will affect your standing with any faction..

Thanks, headshotting them with a sneak critical is a big ask in the first couple of hours of gameplay though, when none of my skills are great!

Kill two then wear their clothing so you aren't forced to kill any more.

Let the bloat flies kill them, if you are referring to the Jean Skydiving group.

... Come to think of it, both powder Ganger groups on the way to primm are easily avoidable by walking on the other side of the road.... why are you walking by them if you dont want to kill them?

you can kill the lottery winner in nipton w/ no rep damage and grab his clothes. Infiltrate and boost your rep.

Kill the lottery winner... you know you want an excuse...

yeah i really would like to blow his head off
gotta ask can you save the people who have been crucified cause it said they would die if i moved them so i just decided to put them out of their misery and put a bullet in there heads and got good karma for it O.o
um lol

Funny thing I just started a new character and was attack by one on the way from good spring springs back to good springs for the 2 training quest (before I even heard of the Powder Gangers my Char that is) funny thing there was no Rep lost as far as I can tell.

I think you are right, I don't think I've lost faction from the first two Powder Gangers you meet on the road to Primm (Jean Skydiving?). I was neutral to the rest of the Powder Gangers but those two turned up red on my compass.

Thanks everyone. I'm having a real facepalm moment now because I just remembered that I started out by saving Goodsprings from the Powder Gangers, so of course I'm not flavour of the month with them :facepalm: Taking a different route this time!

As you get a little bit further into the game you get chances to do quests for the Powder Gangers and increase your rep with them, just try to avoid getting an even worse one by actively killing them all in the open. Get a scope for your Varmint Rifle and take pot shots from afar in sneak mode.

You don't need to take a different route at Goodsprings, when you are doing the Goodsprings quest and have to defend the town from the Powder Gangers. Simply do nothing, just stand there and let the townsfolk kill all the Powder Gangers, which they will do with ease.

This way you will only end up at Shunned with the Powder Gangers, you can then wear Powder Ganger armor, and you'll be able to go see Eddie at the NCRCF.

I recall at the end of Sunny Smiles tutorial, she tells you to go talk to the lady and she's having an argument with that one Powder Ganger guy, you can talk to him about taking over the town? I've never really followed up on the option, but he says to meet him outside town.

:shrug: