Because I'm bored of "this is rubbish compared to FO3" threads, and I'm sure you are too.

So, I set out with just one objective when I sat down to play yesterday: find a steam gauge assembly. Sure, I had a bunch of other quests in my pip-boy, some of which might technically have been urgent. Sure, I *still* hadn't bothered to catch up to Benny yet (my character is extremely forgiving when it comes to guys who shoot him in the head and steal his belongings, what can I say, I'm a nice guy). But none of that other stuff mattered, for I had taken upon myself the righteous and holy quest of fixing the Mccaran canteen's food processor, and all else, whether it be rescuing hostages or deposing petty tyrants, would just have to wait. The thought of those good, honest NCR men and women having to suffer somewhat sub-par food had moved me to my core, and I had vowed not to rest until I had righted this wrong.

And so I walked. I walked up and down the highways of the Mojave, from Nipton to Freeside and back again. I explored gas stations and grocery stores, and warehouses and factories; I discovered the Sunset Sapsarilla bottling plant, and met a very helpful janitor-bot, but even this cheerful fellow had never heard of this mysterious "steam gauge assembly". I braved the terrors and wonders of Vault 3 and Vault 22, at great personal risk, only to resurface empty-handed. Nor could the merchants of the wastes help me either it seemed; Ralph in Freeside claimed such things did not exist, and Old Lady Gibson said she had not set eyes upon one since she was but a small girl. Truly, this must be an artifact of tremendous power and value, that will only reveal itself to a soul of selflessness and humility.

By the time I had finished yesterday, I had ingratiated myself with the Crimson Caravan; all but ended the reign of terror of the Fiends; aided the NCR's research and developement program immesurably; helped the refugees at camp aerotech in what little ways I could; had been a drug-runner-turned narc, pimp and debt-collector; and walked so many miles I was beginning to feel more Brahmin than man.

But I still didn't have a steam gauge assembly.

buy one from the scrap dealing ol bint ya tight fisted miser

I attempted to get through the Deathclaw Promontory with every single Energy Weapon in the roster to again find Multiplas + Plasma Caster are the best combo even if they burn through ammo way too fast. Then I realized unique Gauss beats both.

I finally ventured back into Vault 34 and shut down the reactor. I've been putting that off for a week.

Love this game, hate that vault.

Long story short - Me and Raul found an abandoned caravan, after looting several items, we leave the caravan to find 8 viper gang-members were waiting for us. They storm us and we manage to kill them all. We then encounter a field full of Glowing Ones & Reavers but decide to leave them alone as I was low on health and it was inevitable I would be completely *BLEEP* if I engaged them. We then found a farmyard with no lie, like 30 Brahmin & Bighorners, we kill them one-by-one. They were malnourished so I just put them out of their misery. Later on, we completely wipe out an area of LakeLurks, but then find a ton of Caesar's Legion members situated in this one area. Turns out, one of the bastards managed to kill Raul with his .44 Magnum. I made a run for it, and am now mourning over his ghoulish corpse from a hill above.

Well, it wasn't today, but...... I went to the New Vegas Docs and got a bunch of implants! Oh! And I got Boone the Anti-Material Rifle! He killed a full grown Cazador with one shot! It was awesome!

But this is an artifact of legend, not something that can just be bought in a shop, that would be absurd.

(I already bought one from her, I need another though.)