I've read through existing posts and didn't see this specific issues. The merchant one might be related to things already posted, I'm not sure. But I didn't see any specifically mention it. If it matters, I'm using the XBox 360 version, with the Tribal starting pack, and my XBox is a Jasper model. My game was patched with the auto-update that came out a couple days ago.

First, there is either a glitch or something I'm just not "getting" regarding the brahman stakeout in Novac (I can't remember the name of the quest). Something is killing a brahman each night, and I know what it is. I can engage in combat (sometimes the culprit fights back, sometimes runs scared instead). I can't talk to the culprit. I can sneak and steal a note that explains what he thinks he's doing, but when I take it back to the rancer, I don't have an option to explain the situation. I think in my latest save, the culprit is just standing there (cloaked) and I can wait for days at a time and he never moves or shoots or anything. Has this already been reported? Anybody know if it's going to be fixed?

The second thing seems significantly more important. Any time I talk to merchants to view their inventory, the category for all their items shows up as blank (i.e., [ ]). If I move left and right I can see their [aid] or [weapons] or whatever. If I go back, it then show their [Merchant Name]. But initially, it's blank. I don't remember it being like that at first, but maybe I just missed it. I've tried several merchants, and it's always the same thing.

But here's the thing. Depending on what I buy from the merchant, the game will freeze either (a) after I exit from the merchant, or (B) when I try to enter a different location through a door, or © when I attempt to save (it's not always the same trigger that causes the freeze). Even if I toggle over so I'm not bying from a "blank" title list, it still happens. Also, it seems like after I re-load the save (which I have no choice -- I have to power off and try again) the merchant's inventory has changed quite a bit -- i.e., different playing cards in stock, etc. And it seems like it's usually the playing cards that prompt the lock-up afterwards. I have a couple recent saves prior to this, but I'm trying not to revert back and lose progress. So far, if I just don't buy things from the traveling merchant in Novac I'm okay, or if I save first and then only buy one select thing at a time until I hit something that freezes me. Even with the blank title, I've been able to buy from other merchants, so I'm hoping the whole save from that point forward isn't corrupted -- and that a future patch could retroactively fix the problem....

Is there any way to backup the saves and send to Bethesda for review? I'm a programmer myself, and I know that if something like this didn't get caught in beta testing before release, it must mean there are quite a few very rare circumstances that must come together to cause the problem. Maybe looking at the saves would help? And I sure hope the next patch fixes everything, and doesn't require reverting to earlier saves to work...

(Update) I was finally able to finish the Brahman stakeout in Novac. The culprit was still standing there doing nothing, but after killing him and taking the note, I got the dialogue option that "you won't have any more trouble" when talking to the rancher. At no time after reloading multiple times was I actually able to interact with or talk to the culprit, and pick-pocketing the note didn't trigger anything other than a Karma loss. The whole thing just seems glitchy, even with the patch. Sometimes he'd run scared at the first hit. Sometimes he'd go hostile (which would be more expected) and attack. Couldn't talk to him. Sometimes he'd shoot the Brahman, but sometimes he'd just stand there doing nothing. Very weird. The only different for me when I completed it was that I had Boone in my party and didn't have anybody before.