I don't use it when exploring but it's very helpful in build mode because you take no fall damage.

Mine mostly sits at my base. I do feel like this game has power armor littered around like candy - I guess that's what killed the appeal for me. It's so common. I put it on once in a while if I feel like stomping through a place like godzilla loose in new york.

I never use PA. I've used it exactly twice. The first mandatory mission and the first Prydwen mission. You don't need to use it at all if you don't want to, I know I don't want to, it makes the game too easy and boring.

For Glowing sea I used Hazmat suit and it gave a nice boost in challenge to fight Deathclaws with no protection at all.

Its not mandatory, more introductory. My girlfriend kept trying to do it without the PA, and kept dying, but it's a possibility.

Give me some LAPD Riot Gear, a Night Vision Helmet, and a Hand Cannon that can blow away death claws in a single magazine.

I have 4 suits rusting away if anyone wants to borrow them. BoS combat armor is pretty good with rad protection. Combined with rad-x, I've only sustained a small amount rads, thus far.

I prefer the radiation suit.

No fusion core to run out, little weight and <1 rad/s.

It's not required. I didn't use mine until I got past level 25 and even then only when I feel like taking a stroll through densely populated area instead of sneaking about. PA does have one side effect: my stimpack inventory is growing! It's time that I park it and wear only combat armor and sneak about again.

Exactly. That's all you need for the Glowing Sea. No PA required.

By Level 30 I was taking out Deathclaws with no PA too. Takes a little thought but not bad.

Besides Concord, there really isn't any part of the game where it forces PA on you. I just collect various suits and customize them for display purposes in a custom built garage. They don't get taken out.

i use mine cause everyone is now shooting mini nukes at me so i need the extra protection

Too bad it looks stupid. Well... I guess you could go Big Daddy build with it, minus the bulk.

As for power armour, depends on my build. Now I'm going stealth + melee so I don't really need it. But I'll prolly make a build around it in my next playthrough. Perhaps a traitor guardsman ( Plenty of combar armours, sacks with hoses and assault gas masks make it quite easy ) who happens to stumble upon a raider version of a power armour. Too bad the helmet looks stupid tho.

u can avoid the PA on the Glowing sea too, just used radiation suit and some chem.

For the BoS and maybe the institute make senses. But i never got force by the Minutemen is more they give me thier outfit, same goes for Railroad.

Even in Concord, the PA isnt required on survival difficulty. Useful, but not required.

Did my current restart of game with only use of PA to get in to advance quest step, then get out and never used PA again (other than getting in for fast travel back to my PA display house)

I think the way they made balance is decent. Not perfect, but decent. You can ignore PA 100% other than the scripted quest advance step, and beat enemies/environment alternate ways - or be 24/7 Ironman if you scrounge for fusion cores decently enough.

Seems like whether you want to use PA full time, only as get out of tough missions card, or never - there are enough tactical and strategic ways to make non-PA solutions as viable as 24/7 PA use.

I currently have 13 sets of power armor rotting in the Sanctuary Power Armor Museum. T-45's, one raider, one T-51 (that was a biotch to get), T60's and one X model (I am missing the legs for the second set). The reason I have so many is that I rarely go out in it, but if I stumble across it, I snap it up and bring it back.

I have about 6 or 8 and yes like many others I don't really use it. Only time was at the Castle, but I was relatively low level (early 20s) and I was toting a nuke and missile launcher, and I wasn't about to stash my array of guns.

I always feel like I can't get around well enough especially in tight rooms with it. Probably also why I shy away from having Strong or Danse as companions.

Haven't used one for fighting since Concord, I do have to equip them to bring them back to my base. Got 3 so far and know where 1 is parked that I'll have to go get 1 of these days. Only time I think of using 1 is to do the Quarry job, I'll probbably learn that they're not waterproof as I drown when I decide to do it heh

I only use it when I'm badly outnumbered (Corvega factory on Very Hard. I actually had to leave and come back later with the PA and the Minigun) and when I went to the glowing sea because it made sense story wise.

I don't roam around in it. Only use it when I need to go back and clear out an area that they ran me off of. lol.

Same here with the quarry mission. I went there twice but had to leave both times because too many enemies from too many angles, so I plan to pay them a visit tonight and I'm bringing Nick along both us in PA.

I like it that sometimes I have to run from a fight and come back armored up, rather than just knowing I can clear anything with whatever I have at the moment.

Because Bethesda know that the easily amused just think it's "totally kewl" so why not? Screw having to actually build up to it like in the original games. This is what happens when selling units becomes more important than making a good game.

Four suits last count, and have only worn them to bring them back to Sanctuary....and one suit that I couldn't be bothered collecting as they are pretty much clutter. If there's a need in the future, it's there...otherwise, leg it in the mad max outfit.

My exact thought.

WHAT?? build up like original game ?????? it was just 1 quest to join the BoS and u get the armor for both Fo1 and Fo2.

You don't encounter the ability to afford or find power armor until later in the game. Trust me, no power armor in The Den or Junktown.

I have not set foot in power armor. I used a bio suit in the glowing sea. Don't know what your talking about with the Institute. They never even brought up PA to me.

Well, one shot of Mysterious Serum is greater than a hazmat suit. So you don't have to look stupid.