hey guys. I finally decided to get the ultimate edition while it was on sale on steam. I've played through the game on the 360 3 or 4 times, but i've never played any of the DLCs. so basically what i wanna know is when would be the best time to start the DLCs and which ones are the best, I've heard dead money is the best but i'm not really sure. I don't wanna start the DLCs at too low of a level, so when would you recommend starting them? thanks!

Normally I would tell some one to play the DLC's in the order of their release: Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues and finally Lonesome Road.

But you say this will be the first time you have ever played any of Fallout New Vegas's DLC's. Because of this I would recomend that you play Honest Hearts first. It is the easest of the four and a good way to earn xp and gain levels. The story may be a little short but there are some amazing characters, and one of the best stories told through your pip boy to be found (explore caves that the natives consider taboo to learn what I mean)

After that I would then venture into Dead Money, but be careful with this one, there are those who love it; others who can't stand it (make a save before entering the door to this DLC just incase you become one of the later). It has amazing characters and a beautiful story all around. My advise go slowly, don't get in a hurry and have a character who is talented in unarmed, melee, guns or energy weapons. This is because this is the only DLC that will take everything that you are carrying away from you during your visit. You are given an Energy Weapon by someone and have your fists when you start. You can find knives, spears and other melee items as well as a very nice gun or two if your lockpick is high enough.

You third trip into DLC land the first time should then take you to the very intersting world to be found within Old World Blues. The story is intersting.... some like it, other's don't. The only advise I can give you is to make sure that your prefered fighting skill is maxed, you carry all your favorite and high damage wilding weapons in that class, and carry enough ammo to make the US Millitary go . If you like hardcoe Mode, honestly for this one, and perhaps Dead Money as well I would go ahead and turn it off, just so you can follow my advise.

Finally travel the Lonesome Road, and explore the Divide in search of answers from one of my personal favorite DLC characters, and dare I say it one of my favorite FNV characters period. Arm yourself to the teeth with all your favorite toys (weapons), take enough to get by, but remeber this, this is the only one of the four DLC's that you can come and go from as you wish and if you are loaded with caps their are places to buy more goodies (new toys) and ammo. A high sneak will also help, and take your time don't rush, explore everything and everywhere the Divide holds many secrets, besides those of what this place means to your Courier.

Well there you go, follow my advise or not, this is what I would suggest for your first trip into FNV's DLC's

Yeah that's a good order to play them but if you're above level 20 you could do them in released order: Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road.

Some people have suggested to do Honest Hearts after you visited The Fort so you can ask the Legionairres about The Burned Man before going to Zion. I agree with that, I think it adds to the story. But if you played a lot already it may not matter as much.

Honest Hearts is the one DLC that can be done at nearly any level because most of the creatures and enemies level with you. I've done it at level 7, 15, 30 and 50. I found 7 and 30 to be easiest, 15 harder, and 50 the hardest. It's because of how your skills balance against the level of your enemies. The Giant Yao Guai you find a lot of at level 50 they can wipe you out in 1 or 2 swats. And don't even get me started on the swarms of Giant Cazadores. Ughh. Just find my old post with the video on how to kill Cazadores, I mean really kill them, lots of good suggestions people made there.

Lonesome Road I thought was harshly boring drudgery throughout, and I found that having a good pair of earplugs was nice to have at certain stages, they're not just for Veronica.

I was going to give advice, but then I saw AON's post and he basically said what I was going to so, yeah... listen to him.

Make sure to do it in this order: Dead money, OWB and then LR.
HH is the odd one out in terms of the story, so it can be done any time.
I recommend doing it first

This is what I would suggest too, although I believe OWB should be first because it leads into Dead Money.

Dunno, I think the fact that you're introduced to the characters in DM and then they're expanded upon in OWB works better than the other way around. Plus OWB kinda explicitly states it's meant as the second to last DLC in the ending. To each their own, though.

The endings of DM and talking with Christine and Elijah lead into OWB more.
It should be done first out of the Entire story arc.

That's exactly the point, you could be introduced to the characters THEN meet them. It makes more sense to me. It's kinda like all the "Burned Man" rhetoric in the game leading up to Honest Hearts.

I can see that, only problem I have is that if u explore owb really well, it would ruin alot of the mysterys and questions of dead money though.
Plus it svcks when they talking about owb, they talk like u never been there, like the dialogue gives just enough to make ya wanna find that place out.

I don't think it ruins anything at all. It's not like you'd gain some advantage in DM, they take EVERYTHING from you, even if you sneak the Missing Laser Pistol in, the ammo is removed.

very true, bit the ghost people, the holograms, the vending machines, the red cloud, u know about their origins if ya do owb first for a new player. They lose that questioning of what exactly are the ghost people, where and what is the red cloud, etc etc. imo takes away the tone and mood of the dlc. I think for a very first time playthru, dm then owb. But if alrdy done it before, then it can be dm then owb or owb then dm and since u know the little secrets, it wouldnt matter and it would flow either way.

Eh, I still don't see how. There's only one building with holograms in OWB and it alludes to converting the holograms to weapons. With DM The Cloud is obviously explained very well but in OWB there's only a couple passing remarks about it. I just think with all the hints in OWB it's meant to be done first. To me if you play a traditional DM-OWB-HH-LR it's like eating the main course before the appetizer. HH are the free biscuits, good at any time before the dessert.

What I mean is, the very first time u play dead money u dunno what the ghost people are. Are they ghouls, are they savages that some how learned to survive the red cloud, u dont know what exactly they are but u think they are a tribal crazy sort of people. Coming from owb first and never playing dead money, u know exactly what they are and it loses a bit of the mystery and suspence. The red cloud, yes its explained that its from underneath the casino and its pretty dangerous and what not, but if u play owb u dunno what the red clouds actual purpose. Is it a natural oddity, is it manmade, is a freak combination of natural chemicals that somehow is special in that one area? Playing owb, u know what the red clouds doing there.
When playing dead money they talk about owb and how advance it is and builds up to it.

But like I said imo if playing for the very first time, dead money firat because if going owb it loses out on quite a bit of the mystery and suspence in the survival horror theme. But if alrdy done it, then yes it can go dm then owb or owb then dm seamless and can still work very well as far as story progression.

I like to play them in a narrative like way. Treat them as they're a separate main quest following the footsteps of the mysterious courier that passed up a job after seeing your name.

1. Honest Hearts
Random merc job. Hear about Ulysses for the first time. Theme of Letting go touched on with Graham and other Mormon.
2. Old World Blues
Trying to track down Ulysses by following in his footsteps. Learning of Elijah and Christine.
3. Dead Money
Still on the trail of Ulysses and learning the importance of letting go, the theme that is flaunted throughout all four DLCs. Confrontation with Christine and Elijah
4. Lonesome Road
This should be last if you are going for a narrative experience. The final confrontation with Ulysses. Closure is received and everything comes full circle.

I think that DM foreshadows OWB. For me part of the magic of DM is the mystery of the Sierra Madre. Who are the Ghost people? Why is this toxic cloud here? Who is this mute and this old guy with the collars?
By playing OWB first, you find out (as much as can be found out) about the origin of the cloud, the ghost people, why the knives are so sharp, why it all happened at the Sierra Madre etc.
IMO OWB is like a prequel to DM; it gives you answers that enrich your appreciation of the overall world but takes away from the story of DM.

Complete Old World Blues first, to get the benefits of having player-housing there. Not to mention (although Dead Money foreshadows Old World Blues), it gives you subtle and creepy hints towards Dead Money such as the computer terminals/posters. If anything, OWB foreshadows DM more-so. What happened to all the Hazmat Suit test subjects? Where did the Hologram technology end up going? The innovative toxins plant sounds terrible, what happened to the people who were exposed to the cloud? I know about Elijah, but when is he going to show up? The questions can go on for a while.

I would recommend completing two playthroughs and try one with DM last, and one with LR last. Dead Money has an incredible ending that places the Courier at a different stripe (the gold bars are practically hitting the lottery). It also gives a good prologue about how the events of LR reached the ears of even Christine. Completing "The End" does not really have as *intense* of an ending or force the story to a close, as completing "The Apocalypse" would. So it's preference.

OWB->LR->DM

Insert Honest Hearts before-or-after OWB, but before LR. It doesn't really have much relevance to the Courier's backstory.