Fallout 4 Guide#
Fallout 4 is an open-world post-apocalyptic RPG from Bethesda Game Studios — 210 years after the nuclear war, you wake up in Vault 111 and set out across the Boston wasteland to find your son and rebuild civilization. From the Commonwealth to the Glowing Sea, from the Brotherhood to the Railroad, from power armor to settlement building — every inch of the wasteland has a story. This guide covers the full SPECIAL system and perks, exploration of every Commonwealth region, all four faction routes, and complete equipment-modding and settlement-building guides.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC | Release date: November 10, 2015
Coverage in the Chinese hub is split into six tracks: beginner basics (SPECIAL allocation, Vault 111, opening guidance, Survival mode), world and exploration (Commonwealth regions, Diamond City, location guides, danger zones), perks and builds (a full SPECIAL breakdown and top build recommendations), quests and factions (the main quest, all four factions, side content), items and crafting (weapon and armor modding, power armor, settlement building), and DLC walkthroughs.
Game Overview#
| Item |
Detail |
| Developer |
Bethesda Game Studios |
| Publisher |
Bethesda Softworks |
| Genre |
Open-world action RPG |
| Engine |
Creation Engine (upgraded) |
| Setting |
Boston and its surroundings |
| SPECIAL stats |
7 (Strength / Perception / Endurance / Charisma / Intelligence / Agility / Luck) |
| Number of perks |
70+ |
| Main factions |
4 (Minutemen / Brotherhood of Steel / the Railroad / the Institute) |
| Buildable settlements |
30+ |
| DLC |
6 major DLC packs + free updates |
Core Features#
| Feature |
What it means |
| SPECIAL freedom |
28 base points, and every level-up lets you pick a perk or raise a stat |
| Dynamic dialogue |
A four-option dialogue wheel — no more text lists |
| Power armor |
No longer ordinary armor — a fusion-core-driven mech suit |
| Settlement building |
Build your own settlements in the wasteland — defense, production, trade |
| Weapon modding |
Dozens of attachments — every gun can be rebuilt into a completely different weapon |
| Choices and consequences |
Four factions — your choices decide the fate of the Commonwealth |
Getting-Started Tips#
| # |
Tip |
Why |
| 1 |
Pump Intelligence before you head out |
INT directly scales the XP you earn — the higher your INT, the faster you level |
| 2 |
Charisma is useful early |
Better persuasion odds and better buy/sell prices — it builds up your resources fast |
| 3 |
Get power armor early |
A T-45 sits on the top floor of the Museum of Freedom in Concord — wear it before the Deathclaw fight |
| 4 |
Junk is a resource |
All wasteland junk scraps down into building materials — pick up everything |
| 5 |
Head straight for Diamond City |
The main quest leads you there — explore as much as you can along the way |
| 6 |
Install a fusion core before boarding |
A suit on a frame needs a core before you can enter — the T-45 needs one core |
| 7 |
Companions are strong |
Every companion has a personal perk (unlocked at max affinity) plus unlimited carry capacity |
| 8 |
VATS is your best friend |
VATS pauses time so you can target weak points — a must for new players |
Recommended Opening Route#
| Step |
Location |
What to do |
| 1 |
Vault 111 |
Loot every terminal and safe before you leave |
| 2 |
Sanctuary |
Scrap the ruins for a big pile of wood and steel — your first settlement |
| 3 |
Red Rocket Truck Stop |
Your staging post — workbenches and a chemistry station |
| 4 |
Concord |
Grab the T-45 from the Museum of Freedom and kill the Deathclaw |
| 5 |
Lexington |
The Corvega building holds plenty of pre-war money and supplies |
| 6 |
Diamond City |
Get inside and find Nick Valentine |
| 7 |
The Commonwealth |
Explore freely — choose your faction path |
Difficulty Explained#
| Difficulty |
Damage multiplier (player/enemy) |
Notes |
| Very Easy |
2x |
For the story experience |
| Easy |
1.5x |
Relaxed exploring |
| Normal |
1x |
The standard experience |
| Hard |
0.75x |
Requires strategy |
| Very Hard |
0.5x |
Wasteland survival |
| Survival |
2x + no fast travel + must eat, drink, and sleep |
Extremely hard — but the most immersive |
Survival mode essentials:
- Settlements are key — every settlement is a safehouse and resupply point
- Clean water matters more than food — build a water pump at every settlement
- Sleeping bags and beds — you can only save by sleeping in Survival mode
- Antibiotics are mandatory — the wasteland is full of infections and disease
- Bring a companion — extra carry weight and extra firepower
Core Systems#
Power Armor#
| Model |
Level needed |
Defense |
Notes |
| T-45 |
1+ |
Low |
The basic suit — Concord’s T-45 |
| T-51 |
15+ |
Medium |
The pre-war peak — high radiation resistance |
| T-60 |
25+ |
High |
Brotherhood standard — the best all-rounder |
| X-01 |
35+ |
Highest |
Post-war design — the ultimate power armor |
| Institute armor |
Special |
— |
Synths only |
Power armor core tips:
- Fusion cores are everything — each core lasts about 20 minutes (sprinting burns it faster)
- Collect cores: sewers, generator rooms, and arms dealers all over the map
- Power armor stations can upgrade armor pieces — that requires the Science! perk
Companions#
| Companion |
Location |
Perk |
Effect |
| Dogmeat |
Red Rocket |
— |
Fetches items without limit — and doubles as a dog |
| Cait |
Combat Zone |
Trigger Rush |
AP regenerates faster below 25% HP |
| Strong |
Trinity Tower |
Berserk |
+20% melee damage below 25% HP |
| MacCready |
The Third Rail |
— |
— |
| Nick Valentine |
Valentine Detective Agency |
Close to Home |
3 extra hacking attempts |
| Curie |
Vault 81 |
Combat Medic |
Automatically restores 100 HP once per day |
| Hancock |
Goodneighbor |
Isotope |
+20% critical chance at max radiation |
| Danse |
Cambridge Police Station |
Know Thyself |
+20% damage vs synths, ghouls, and super mutants |
| Deacon |
Railroad HQ |
Cloak & Dagger |
+20% sneak attack damage |
| X6-88 |
The Institute |
Shield Harmonics |
+20 energy resistance |
Crafting Stations#
| Station |
Use |
Perk required |
| Weapons workbench |
Mod guns — different attachments change damage / fire rate / accuracy |
Gun Nut |
| Armor workbench |
Mod armor — add pockets and resistances |
Armorer |
| Chemistry station |
Brew drugs — stimpaks, RadAway, Addictol |
Chemist |
| Cooking station |
Cook food — better than eating it raw |
None |
| Power armor station |
Repair and upgrade power armor |
Science! |
| Settlement workshop |
Build and upgrade settlements |
Local Leader |
FAQ#
| Question |
Answer |
| Best starting SPECIAL? |
S3 P4 E1 C6 I6 A3 L5 — high Charisma and Intelligence keep XP flowing, and Luck 5 unlocks Idiot Savant |
| How do I make caps fast? |
Build water purifiers (along the Sanctuary river) — purified water accumulates in the workshop; take it out and sell it to merchants |
| Who is the best companion? |
Dogmeat (unlimited carry + no perk investment) > Nick Valentine (+3 hacking) > Danse (+20% damage vs synths) |
| Running out of fusion cores? |
Scavenge near generators and in basements — or buy them in bulk from merchants |
| Should I join the Institute? |
The strongest technology (teleportation, X-01 armor, and more) — but you become the synth enemy; story-wise the most controversial faction |
| Can you fast travel in Survival? |
No fast travel — but Brotherhood vertibirds can carry you to certain locations |
| What is the best weapon? |
Hotly debated — consensus top picks: the Overseer’s Guardian (Two Shot combat rifle), Old Faithful (Two Shot laser), and the Gauss rifle |
Key Perks#
| Perk |
Requirement |
Effect |
Rating |
| Idiot Savant |
LCK 5 |
Randomly earns 3x/5x quest XP — the lower your INT, the higher the trigger chance |
★★★★★ |
| Gun Nut |
INT 3 |
Weapon modding — attachments that change damage, fire rate, and accuracy |
— |
| Armorer |
STR 3 |
Armor modding — add pockets (carry more) and resistances |
★★★★★ |
| Local Leader |
CHR 6 |
Settlement supply lines — all settlements share materials |
★★★★☆ |
| Lone Wanderer |
CHR 3 |
Without a companion: +25% damage, damage reduction, and carry weight |
★★★★☆ |
| Ninja |
AGI 7 |
— |
— |
DLC at a Glance#
| DLC |
Release date |
Highlights |
| Automatron |
March 22, 2016 |
A robot-building system — custom robot companions |
| Wasteland Workshop |
April 12, 2016 |
Settlement building expanded — cages, traps, arenas |
| Far Harbor |
May 19, 2016 |
The biggest DLC — a Maine island, new factions, new quests |
| Contraptions Workshop |
June 21, 2016 |
Manufacturing machines — automated ammo and drug production |
| Vault-Tec Workshop |
July 26, 2016 |
Build your very own vault |
| Nuka-World |
August 30, 2016 |
A wasteland theme park — play as a raider |
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Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, world and exploration, perks and builds, quests and factions, items and crafting, and DLC walkthroughs — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Fallout 4 section.
If you read Chinese, the Chinese hub also carries dedicated pages for achievements, bosses, combat, hidden secrets, skills, tips, and updates.