New Player Help | Fallout 76 Wiki

Taking it Easy

There's no rush! Unlike previous Vault escapes, this one doesn't involve being chased! Explore the vault at your leisure, and make sure to explore every point of interest on your way out - this will help you get stocked up with new items and supplies for your emergence from the Vault, including your C.A.M.P device, which will allow you to build in the open-world environment.

• Tip: Look out for the various Holotapes around the Vault too - these will tell you more about the residents of the bunker, including the Vault Overseer, who's gone missing...
  
  

The Main Quest is Important

Not sure what to do next? Follow the early story missions - in contrast to earlier Fallout games, much of the tutorial takes place in the open world during these early missions. As you complete these early parts of the story, you'll learn more about new mechanics in Fallout 76, as well as collecting weapons and supplies to help you survive. 

Look up some Builds

Fallout 76 follows the trend of previous Fallout games by making the building of your character a central part of the gameplay. Those who have played previous iterations may find that Fallout 76 requires a little more work and planning to achieve the familiar builds one might aim for. The PERK card system allows you to build the character of your dreams, though you may have to try a few new things first to get there.

• Remember that SPECIAL points that you allocate to your character cannot be changed, while Perk Cards can be swapped in and out of your deck at any time, allowing for build-changes on the fly!
• We have some suggestions for you in the Builds page - make sure to check it out!

 

Multiplayer: To solo, To Group, or to Pvp?

Consider whether to play alone, or as part of a group. As you leave Vault 76, you'll find other players just starting their own journeys. While the game is definitely playable solo, teaming up with others can help make things just that little easier. 

You can form groups of up to four - simply walk up to your new friends and invite them into a party. If they accept, you'll be partnered up instantly. Each member of the party gains a share of the loot, and if you decide you want to splinter off from the group and do your own thing for a while, that's fine (though you'll lose voice chat once out of range of the party). When you decide you want to return to the group, you can fast travel to them using your map. 

• Fallout 76 doesn't feature traditional NPCs, instead giving you other players as human Companions.
• See the Multiplayer page for further information on grouping.

Watch your back - after level 5, it's not just the environment you have to worry about - the PvP element of the game opens up. Other players can now attack you, though unless you engage them in the fight, they are limited to doing chip damage - a tiny fraction of their true attack power, though it can hill you if you happen to have low health. 

It's wise to keep fights clean - if you kill someone with chip damage, meaning that the other player hasn't fought back or engaged in the fight, you will be marked as a murderer, with a large target on your back visible to others. See the PvP page for details on how this works.

 

 

Getting around your map: EXPLORE!

Use your Map to find your way around and to locate areas of interest. Between the spots highlighted on your map, you'll also uncover myriad other areas housing story details, Enemies to test your mettle against and, of course, valuable loot. The entire map is open to exploration from the get-go, but it's a good idea not to stray too far to begin with! 

The game is set in Appalachia, a main zone which is further divided into six distinctive regions. Each region features a different landscape and different Creatures.

Exploring thoroughly will reward you with Fusion Core Generators and Treasure Maps, among other things.

 

Loot & Salvage

Scavenge everything! Pick up everything you see, even those items which seem useless, like desk fans and baseballs hats, and scrap all this Junk for its base Materials. You can use these scraps to upgrade and craft higher end Weapons, Armor and other Mods. There are lots of supplies and weapons to be found out in the field, but they're often damaged or a little underpowered. The resources you craft or upgrade for yourself will give you a far better chance of survival, so get hoarding! 

 

Surviving the Wasteland

Remember the value of good food and clean water! While you can of course eat the stale food or water you find out in the world, it's best to use the cooking and chem stations to make good food and fresh water, as well as healing items, to keep your health up. Nobody wants a case of Radworms, after all...

• See Buffs, Afflictions and Disease for further info
  
  

 

It's a Marathon, not a Sprint

Take your time! Veteran Fallout players will know that this is the largest map so far in the franchise, and so there's no point haring off in the attempt to see everything in a few hours. While it can be tempting to try to dive in and get straight to the meat of the questline, these missions require high-end gear to survive and prosper. Make good use of our guides to locate important items such as Power Armor, and spend time familiarizing yourself with Controls and the many other basics of the game.