FO3 GOTY Level Caps

[mandru]

I realized after putting in twelve or so hours over two days of solid game play I'd not been awarded any of the expected level up screens.  Hitting those levels and  reaching a chance to add to my targeted stats and selectively pick the new perks or build on previously selected character growth line perks were what I considered fundamentally key to the development of my game character.

I searched online to see if I was running into a known bug but discovered that it's an intentionally imposed game feature. 

Previously unknown to me FO3 was programmed to limit the player's level at twenty and can only be modified to increase to level thirty if the downloadable content "Broken Steel" is added.  The developer's thoughts for this restrictive level cap was that it would encourage the players to restart the game multiple times to add value in the form of replayability. 

Wow.  What a disappointing turn of event that is. 

This could have rendered the game unplayable for me if I hadn't found a console edit that forces a single step level up.

I'll include it here so only look if it is your intention to use the code.

1 Level up console code bump

advlevel

I hope that helps anyone that runs into the same thing and feels the way I did about this questionable decision by Bethesda's developers.

[Art Blade]

as long as that cheat surpasses any level cap, it will be of great value to everyone who wants to max out their abilities.

Nice find, mandru, thanks for sharing. I think that's worth +1

I don't like that kind of capping, either, as long as there is still room for improvement (character build). I don't mind completely overpowered player characters in a singleplayer game, on the contrary -- I want to see what ALL the upgrades and perks will do

I currently play a game (Shadow Warrior 2, also co-op online) that doesn't cap levelling-up so I have unlocked all available upgrades. Unfortunately, the programmers forgot to stop adding skill/XP points once you maxed out your character. I have been collecting those points for some time now (they show next to the minimap reminding the player to spend them already) yet I cannot spend them anymore. Now I have to look at those skill points all the time. I mean, not many players will have actually levelled up their character to +/- level 250 (max skill points that can be spent) and even fewer will have gone beyond that point like me. Well, better than what you had to endure, I suppose, and I am glad that you can level up to your heart's content and reach out for the stars now

[PZ]

OMG!  mandru in the console! 

Just kidding - I too dislike the artificial cap placed on character development, and usually add a mod that lifts it.  It stinks of the UBI*bleep* way of imposing limits to a game - just think of it - they have to deliberately program in these ridiculous limits - ones that they know will piss people off.  If they don't then they are just plain stupid.

[Art Blade]

 

or both.

[mandru]

Thanks for the one up Art. 

[Art Blade]

 

[mandru]

A quick tip on the quest Tranquility Lane. 

In the quest's final conversation Do not punch Betty in the face after solving the puzzle that saves your father and you and she says you are free to go! 

It was only the fact I'd made a recent save before attempting that petty bit of spite which saved me from having to replay the entire quest.

Spoiler

Punching Betty results in her angrily saying "You can't do that here" and your being frozen in place rendering you unable to move to the escape door (even with the noclip console cheat) or get a speak prompt from her to apologize.

[PZ]

 

In playing this series, I have come to realize that you have almost endless options for different outcomes depending on which line of conversation you choose.

[mandru]

Another heads up I came across that I was glad to find out before I hit an unpleasant surprise.

To play beyond the end of the game FO3 you must have the DLC Broken Steel enabled before you play the last main story line quest or the game will end right there and you will need to start completely over again to get into the Broken Steel content which continues from where the core game ends.


As for punching Betty I will defend my action to the end.
That smug little thug deserved a slug to the mug. 

[PZ]

As for punching Betty I will defend my action to the end.
That smug little thug deserved a slug to the mug. 

Good to know about the Broken Steel DLC +1 

[Art Blade]

that was a nice line, mandru 

[Dweller_Benthos]

I've gotten back into FO3 mostly because I have nothing else to play right now. I had started a game over a year ago and gotten through the tutorial and out into the world and was on some side quest when I just stopped playing. It might have been when FO4 came out or was already out and I wanted to play that more, I dunno. Anyway, with nothing else to play, I got back into it. Doing the fire ant quest, I died a lot. I kept wondering why that was. Turns out I didn't quite understand the health system. I kept going to the little figure of yourself in the pipboy and clicking on the things that hurt to give them a stim pack. I didn't realize at first, you also have to go to the main "Aid" menu and select an item to increase your general health. Turns out I was fighting fire ants with about 20HP and getting roasted a lot.

Then there was the issue of the weapons not shooting at where I pointed them. Turns out they are inherently inaccurate and don't depend on the player's skill level at aiming with a mouse, but on the character's stats. I was not used to this at all. Even FO4 would shoot where I pointed the mouse. So, I eventually got through the fire ant quest (I think I gave up on it mostly because of these issues, I wasn't having fun) by using land mines and grenades on them.

I was also having issues moving, due in part to the character's low health and stamina, which never made much difference in FO4, makes a huge difference in FO3. I kept looking at the control settings for the run key, which I had set to the left shift, and I was using it trying to run away from the ants only to have them catch me and kill me. After testing, apparently it's not a run key as the sluggish movement I had normally was considered running and the shift key makes you walk even slower.

But I stuck with it and got through that mission, went back to Megaton and sold some stuff, slept to heal up (the only way I can find to heal completely in this game as the healing items I have don't seem to heal you all that much, I'm slugging Nuka Colas left and right as they heal the most) and went back out and did better in getting the wasteland guides for Moira or whatever her name is. Now I have so much good junk to sell and no one to sell it to, I need more caps. No one can repair my guns as they aren't good enough at it and my skill level isn't up to it either, but I have some decent guns now that are fairly accurate at least every other shot so I'm having some fun just wandering around getting into fights, which is how I played FO4 mosty, doing side quests and ignoring the main quest line.

[PZ]

Sounds like a fun even if exasperating time of it, D_B. Were you carrying much junk when you tried running and went even slower? I recall something about not being able to run when overloaded - might be FO4 though

I don't like the weaving gun thing (forgot about that). Makes you feel like you're drunk.

[Art Blade]

that shift key thingy sounds as if you had set your preferred way of moving to "always run" (if there is an option for it) and pressing the so called run key, shift, toggled to walking. At least there are games that use the run key as a toggle. Might want to check that.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah, I probably have it set to always run, and the key bind just toggles it back to walk. It was different from being over encumbered, as that just makes you walk all the time. I can't imagine playing this game in walk mode, it's so slow.

I picked up a combat shotgun, and at close range, it doesn't matter how accurate it is..  but I've also picked up several copies of my other guns that allowed me to repair them up to a decent level so they are fairly accurate now. I actually used the sniper rifle to take out a bunch of people, which I couldn't do before, it was so inaccurate. I also noticed the same goes for armor, here I was passing up on the same set of armor I already had because it had less damage protection, only to find out that you can pick up a set of the same type and combine them together to get a better set. Oh well.