Hardcore Run

Hardcore isn't very hard. The main thing is ammo has weight but that's not a concern for an unarmed character. Just make sure to carry some food and water and sleep every so often.

 

Yeah Hardcore isn't really that hard. Just make sure you're luck is at least 6 so you'll have enough money to buy any supplies you might need. Also Veronica and Rex are the worst companions in Hardcore, so don't recruit them if you don't like companions dying.

 

In reality, hardcore mode is everything but hardcore.
I like New Vegas a lot, but that part disappointed me quote a bit.

Practically, all you have to do is make sure you have few bottles of water and some food with you while you're in the wastes doing quests etc. As soon as you're done, just go back to your house, drink some water from the sink, and sleep a few hours. Food isn't really a problem, since most critters drop some meat for you to prepare at the campfire.

Important thing, as requiem pointed out, ammo has weight which can limit your character to some extent, mainly in how many weapons they can carry at the same time (though you can always give them to the companions to carry - both ammo and weapons). But since you're an unarmed character, you should have no problem.

In the end, only thing that should bother you is the companions - unlike ordinary mode, companions stay dead after their health depletes. They don't fall unconscious, so you should be careful. Main problem here is in the AI, as companions may do some really stupid things to deliberately end their life (or so it seems).

 

I downloaded a mod that made your food, water, and sleep meters go up faster, then I turned the HUD off so I can't tell where enemies are from a distance and so I can't tell how much ammo I have left. Now that's more hardcore.

 

Doesn't 'Pack Rat' make ammo almost weightless?

 

I don't like Rex, but...Veronica dying? On an unarmed build?!
She is actually THE companion to go with this build, because you will always attack very close and she have profiency on the skill. Also you can set her to use the very destructive energy weapons and keep her at bay.

As for harcore questions, sleep from time to time and don't forget to bring water and food with you.
Survival is actually a better skill than medicine because some food heals better on hardcore than stims, like desert salad, since all medicine heals over time.

Weigh is only a concern when carrying ammo and stuff, so if you want to bring them along pick Pack Rat.
Pack Rat cuts the weigh of ammo by half, but this doesn't mean ammo is weighless.

 

Yeah she's good for an unarmed build, but not on hardcore. First cazadores you meet she's dead.

 

Also, ammo weight isn't a problem except missiles, water doesn't matter if you have the canteen (and even if you don't, just teleport to Goodsprings source and drink, same with crippled limbs and Goodsprings itself.)

As for making an unarmed build, good choice, it can get pretty broken. I'd also recommend focusing on repair, having jury-rigging is always a good idea.

 

I have managed to keep Veronica alive in all my runs, and I always play hardcore, and my first build was Unarmed, The one that keeps dying and dying is Rex, the stupid dog just leaps into combat without a moment notice, even if you set him to wait, I remember one time fighting Nephy I was completing it with the First Recon guys so I let Boone on top of a roof waiting and Rex behind the FR guys, I go tryign to lure the iends to them and next thing I know Rex is fighting them and he sarts fighting Nephy, preventing him from following me and getting killed by him at the same time. so in summary, if you want to play Hardcore use ED-E, or just don't use Rex.

 

The same would apply to any other character, then. Just give her a powerful Gun and if/when facing Cazadores switch her fighting style to long range instead of melee. You still have to keep an eye on her but she isn't any worse than any other human companion against Cazadores.

I think she is better for an Energy weapons user, actually, since you can use her to recharge depleted ammo on the field.

 

The main annoying thing for me was that stim-paks heal over time instead of instantly. I guess I am kinda spoiled by the many many games that have insta-heal potions.

If you are in combat with a group of powerful enemies like Cazadores, Deathclaws, or Brotherhood of Steel Paladins; you will not last very long unless you have some kind of exit strategy for when your health gets low, because stim-paks won't save you.

Or perhaps, adopt a strategy that will prevent you from ever getting surrounded by those powerful enemies at any time.

 

For that kind of emergencies I always have with me a dozen of different kinds of healing items (Gecko Steak, Brhamin Steak, Nuka Cola, Grilled Mantis and so on) and if shit starts hitting the fan I take one healing item per kind. Since the healing effects stack HPs skyrocket.

 

If you're going for trophies, survival might be a good idea. It'll help out with making food and water heal more and the healing 10000 hp with food trophy.

EDIT: Oooh and stimpaks only heal health and slowly. Doctors and doctors bags are the only way to heal limbs. You lose FOD, H2O and SLP when you fast travel.

 

I'm on my first playthrough, and I'm doing it hardcore with no VATS allowed. Yeah, it's not very hard. Nothing like FWE for Fallout 3 could be. I'm a sniper, with Boone and Ed-E, and there aren't many challenging enemies. Vault 34 got a bit hairy. Deathclaws ate a lot of ammo. But I have quite a bit of game left.

 

I'm not playing hardcore mode because it's more irritating than hard, but I'm trying to get the achievement for 10,000 points healed with food; Zion was great for this and using three or four healing items (water, Sunset, Nuka, meat/steaks/junk food) will basically make you relatively immortal, especially against low damage/smg fire.

 

Funnily enough I can't play Normal mode because insta-healing stimpaks and weightless ammo make the game boringly easy.

Franlky I don't understand what's the big deal with eating and drinking now and then.

 

I agree, insta-healing stims and the like are damned shameful when you have the ability to toggle hardcore mode. Even without placing any points at all into survival, I will always have water and food to sate my hydration and hunger meters, respectively.

 

What's more irritating are my companions being controlled by shit terrible AI who likes to run around the corner into the mouth of a deathclaw; or just chillout and wait for the deathclaw to come and eat them. Like I said, irritating, not hard.

My current character is an unarmed fighter who heals primarily with food. I'm not adverse to healing with stimpacks because some enemies are just "HEY I AM AN ASSHOLE" like the spore carriers in Zion or the Green Geckos,