Having a bad case of restartitius, I created a new character and went through the usual newby stuff. Preston sent me off to Tenpines for my first quest, and that was fun (as well as expected). the assignment kinda floored me, in more ways than one.

He sent me off to the Finch Farm (that's the first time that happened) for my next minuteman quest. I was still very low level, and I wasn't too concerned as I moseyed along on the way, but... the closer I got, the nastier everything became. Things progressed from Alpha Mongrels to a Legendary Mr Gutsy near the farm. Then it was off to the smelter, where I immediately ran into a Yao Gui. With a high pitched scream of total fear and running for my life, I led it straight into the arms of "The Forged" who were outside the building.

Here's the paranoia thing though. From the Alpha Mongrels to the end of the quest, literally everything and everyone I faced had a skull following its name. The quest consisted of a lot of running, a lot of dying, followed by yet more running and then some dying. The boss fight with my 30 second life expectancy consisted of reload after reload once I went through the final door.

I did manage to finish the quest, but tell me... Do you think the game was out to get me? Does FO4 have an evil intellect that sometimes says "Heh, Watch this! I am going to screw with this guy till hell won't have it!"?

Finally, have you been sent on early stage quests where everything is way above your level?

Sure have. Even being sent to Diamond City is way above the level one gets that quest. I assume people who play this game are supposed to figure out not to venture too far from sanctuary in the beginning. There's nothing that tells you it's safer north and north east than south and south east other than trial and error (death). I guess that's why Beth displays those skulls - to get you to run away until you can handle it.

Sounds brutal. Bad area to go early game. I made that mistake all on my own trying to get a magazine there. I was stomped into a fine red paste repeatedly as well. I kinda like how this game will straight up kill you with no apologies sometimes.

Second place Preston wanted me to go was on the far se part of the map and at the time I had no concept of where the glowing sea was except that it was south. I ignored it for quite a while but getting there wasn't too hard in the end.

Sounds akin to my brush with the sentry bot who jumped when when I left the National Guard base....I came out with my new shiney power armor and that ***k came up from behind...took me 10 tries but then I killed him and yelled "yeah, eat that you...."

It happens, but man is it fun.

Now wait a sec... You're supposed to figure out not to venture too far from Sanctuary (a place where there is really absolutely no reason to hang around) while giving you quests halfway across the map? That's like having a boss who tell you "Hey, I want you do go over to the Whassitname Department and take care of things, Oh and by the way... don't leave the break room, whatever you do..."

Oh, and by the way, those little skulls? I still handled it, skulls and all, eh? My point is simply that a leveled game usually doesn't send you to place that is obviously beyond your level.

That Sentry bot cost me a character, early on. it devolved into a scenario of inescapable death because I went back through the doors to get away, and then back through the doors again but the sentrybot beat me through the doors both ways.

Just for kicks, I thought I'd see just how "high level" the trip to Diamond city really is. So, I started a new character, did the normal stuff same as the character who went to the finch Farm, and just after doing the corvega thing I decided it was time to make a go fr for Diamond city and see how it worked out. By then I was level 7.

I ended up taking what is most likely the most direct route, going back to Corvega then heading south past the Red Rocket that is not far from the Supermarket. Going straight down the street, I encountered a few feral ghouls (none of which were any real problem) and a few scattered Raiders. No problem for my character, though I did die once on the way by setting off a mine with Dogmeat right in front of me. As usual, the mutt prevented me from running to safety. I'm thinking of it as a toss-up as to whether the mine killed me or Dogmeat...

Anyway, I headed reltively straight South, crossing the river at the bridge where the wreck of the USS Riptide is hung up. I did not fight that set of Raiders since they offered me no problems. I continued on south on that same street, eventually coming to signs p[ointing the way to Diamond City, and a DC Security guard. Another half block or so, I came under fire from a small group of Super Mutants, and my character, dogmeat, and two DC Security guards finished them off rather quickly.

Shortly thereafter, I arrived at Diamond City without further encounters.

As far as I could tell, it would have made no difference if my character had been level three or four (the usual level after finishing concord and building the bare essentials in Sanctuary). The opponents encountered were just run of the mill encounters. No Legendary types, no yao guai, nobody and nothing with little skulls after their name.

Honestly, I don't believe that the trip to Diamond City qualifies in the regard of being above low-level difficulty. Just my opinion of course, and I rarely go that route at very low levels unless unless I get the clothing store quest... Then I go to Diamond City just to sell off stuff before going back to Sanctuary.

I had a different experience with those super mutants my first trip to DC. One was a legendary. They quickly over ran the guards, downed Dogmeat, and forced me to retreat to heal up several times before I could get past that corner.

Was sent to clear the raiders from Dunwich Borers at around level 6... that was hell.

Legendary foes are usually a PITA... but still, one Legendary super mutant would not scream out (to me at least) that the quest is too high level for your PC.

Haven't done that one yet...

Just view it as a challenge to get there, like sneaking through the quarry at in F:NV or swimming all the way to Rivet City in F3.

I've done it twice over where from Red Rocket you can go straight to Diamond City without any major attacks.

You're right. It was just an immediately hectic situation that I was ill prepared for. The guards barely put up a fight and before I knew it I had a mutant and one their mutts trying to make me their dinner. Barely survived that, then when I poked my nose around the corner I could only manage a couple shots before healing again. It was quite a rush. "Want to buy stimpacks!" Was my first thought when I got into DC.