Yep. I often watch my daughter play new games and for the most part I'm not interested, unless they are two player games we can play together. But when I saw her play Fallout 3 early last year I was immediately intrigued. I have pretty much taken over the game. I love everything about it. It's just an amazing game.



You said you are only at level five. Don't worry, once you start leveling up and discovering more places, you'll get more ammo. And yes more powerful.

I'm also new to FO3, but a long time (4 yrs) Oblivion player, using about 243 mods at last count.

However, I must say I'm completely smitten and hooked on Fallout 3 now, despite thinking I wasn't a shoot-em-up kind of guy.
I only never bought it before as there a still whole quest lines in Oblivion I haven't done! But ￡12 for GOTY version changed my mind.
For many aspects, the similarities with Oblivion are striking, but I find many many improvements have been made (which I normally would have had to 'fix' with mods) and it's actually a very different game.
A proper economy/buy sell system (a-la Living economy) and viewable when distant actually integrated in the game - no more *pop* - Where did that massive fort come from?!?!?

Yes the ammo, or lack of it, is a problem, but I found the bits where you get brotherhood peeps fighting super mutants really help get you some ammo, as they all carry hunting rifles and .32 ammo.

Small guns and repair seem the most important early skills, I've got both these to 50 by level 5.

I just want to add to the discussion to stress that ammo for SMALL GUNS is not much of a problem, but that only works if you role play a character who happens to specialize in Small Guns. Obviously, for an RPG, being almost forced into such a choice is poor design. My characters prefer energy weapons (and are good karma), and ammo for energy weapons is an extreme problem. Mods help, but the main mod that solves the problem has the solar charger in the Wheaton Armory storage room... behind 100 level lock or 100 level terminal... so it isn't something that you can easily get by level 5 or 6 when ammo is the main problem. This is really a design flaw oin Bethesda's part, and they should be much more careful to allow role playing of any character specialization. It's a balance issue, primarily. I mean, it's ridiculous to have a Hunting Rifle sitting out available for anyone who walks by, but not have something comparable for a Laser Rifle, plus the associated ammo for the respective weapons. They made an argument in the game world that the BoS is sort of confiscating the energy stuff, but that's a pretty lame approach and doesn't even really hold up if we think about the likely structure 200 years after a nuclear war.

I'm a level seven now and things have seem to have gotten better on the ammo front. At least I was able to get rid of all the big guns and energy weapons I was carrying and just carry small guns. I'm still not down to three yet, but it's definitely better. I'm getting ready to embark on a mission with fighting a lot of creatures though and not enemies that carry weapons so I hope my ammo holds out.

AiTenshi1, that's funny that you say that, because I was thinking that I was drowning in energy weapon ammo, but since I didn't use the energy weapons as much that's probably the reason why.

One way to save ammo, get a melee weapon, and when facing bloatflies/dogs/mole rats, use that instead of using precious ammo. Another technique, (once you have established your "base") store your favorite weapon there and just explore for a couple of days using another weapon. It's likely you'll acquire needed ammo, and then go back and retrieve your favorite.

Also, invest in the caravans, they will then carry more/better ammo.

Last but not least, once you've found 3 or 4 merchants, do a "supply run" every now and then. For example, I go to Moira's in Megaton, then wait outside of Megaton to meet the caravans, then travel to Tenpenny towers, then Rivet City and then Museum of history. Between all that, you'll usually pick-up whatever you need.

Well the ammo situation seems to have leveled itself out. I picked up the "Scrounger" perk and it has really helped me. Now I'm lost though...I'm looking for Vault 112 and I swear it isn't on my map anywhere! So I looked it up online and headed in the direction that was suggested, but I can't find it. I found Tenpenny Tower for the first time though. I found it quite amusing to go traipsing around his hotel when Allistair Tenpenny has a bounty out on my head. XD So am I close to Vault 112? Or did I go the wrong way?

you need to find smiths casey garage...

it's the entrance to 112...

follow the highway until you see it broken underneath is glidershade smiths garage is near there... probably north east... from there you need to find switch to open the way into vault 112

Keep in mind that I play on Very Hard mode and that also has a big impact on ammo.

However, regardless of game mode, there's no question that you very seldom acquire energy ammo compared to small guns. If nothing else, you run into Raiders or Super Mutants far more than anything else, and both only carry Small Guns.

Yes, yes and a thousand times yes! Because of this I only only carry one dual-handed gun, and any two from the pistols/unarmed/melée categories. That's it, see my progress here http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1156755-ultimate-f3-playthrough/page__view__getnewpost

For me, F3 should be as much survival horror as if should be role-playing. Everything out there wants to kill you, so carrying the entire arsenal of Platoon single handedly just doesn't fit. :shrug:

whoa that link posted to my post... i got so confussed a second until i saw OP... lol sorry deja vu moment... i was about to type... DUDE THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!!! lol