The Power Armor dilemma in New Vegas

[Kilgore Trout]

I always found it rather dumb how in some RPGs, (at least ones that allow you to keep playing after you beat the game), you get the best weapons and equipment after you've already beaten the game. (Even in RPGs where you don't get to continue after beating the game, this is applicable). By then, even if you can keep playing, you just bested the most powerful enemies without the armor or weapon...so why have it by then when it's arguably useless to you?

This is also a pet peeve of mine; my favorite weapons are usually the ones I end up actually using for the majority of the game, not the ultra-rare stuff that gets used for the final battle, if even.

Powerful weapons and items like PA should be rare and difficult to acquire (so it feels like a reward when you finally get your hands on them), but available long before end game.

 

[X12]

Power Armors pretty hard to come by in Fallout New Vegas. And you only have two chances to earn Power Armor Training, either after completing a long fetch quest across 3 Vaults AND an assault on a Super Mutant stronghold, or after reaching near the end of the Campaign (unless you choose Wild Card, in which case you can kill House and install Yes Man and Arcade will give you his quest, if you gotten enough like points.) Its very possible to lose BOTH these chances. Unlike Fallout 3, where you can get it pretty damn early if you happen to complete Operation Anchorage.

 

[stonefire310]

Power armor should be powerful, not boring. I find light armors better in every way, especially for high-luck characters.

 

[Yamu]

Power Armors pretty hard to come by in Fallout New Vegas. And you only have two chances to earn Power Armor Training, either after completing a long fetch quest across 3 Vaults AND and assault on a Super Mutant stronghold, or after reaching near the end of the Campaign (unless you choose Wild Card, in which case you can kill House and install Yes Man and Arcade will give you his quest, if you gotten enough like points.) Its very possible to lose BOTH these chances. Unlike Fallout 3, where you can get it pretty damn early if you happen to complete Operation Anchorage.

That's assuming you don't side with Hardin, though. Hardin's questline is a walk in the park compared to McNamara's and once it's done, the only thing he makes you do to earn your training is killing a bunch of people you were probably going to kill eventually anyway.

 

[naossano]

AND and assault on a Super Mutant stronghold,

Am I the only one that repair Rhonda and befriend Tabitha & Co ? The west coast super-mutants became so rare that it became a duty to protect them from extinction.

 

[Harken]

You’re definitely not alone. I’ve always ended up repairing Rhonda (with the exception of one playthrough where I was essentially roleplaying the Hulk), considering I normally step into the shoes of a charismatic wandering geek. Plus the prospect of ‘Misadventures of Tabitha and Rhonda’ has always tickled my fancy.

So despite having a very different motivation, we’re in the same boat, I suppose.

 

[EnclaveKnight]

Here is the final review of power armor: Good for tank builds, not so good for critical builds.

 

[ogreb]

I found the PA in FO3 and NV disappointing. ( Enclave in NV was kinda cool ) It didn't feel like PA...just over sized metal armor.
They are not the end all items you coveted in FO 1 and 2.
I ended up dumping it in both games.

 

[EnclaveKnight]

I found the PA in FO3 and NV disappointing. ( Enclave in NV was kinda cool ) It didn't feel like PA...just over sized metal armor.
They are not the end all items you coveted in FO 1 and 2.
I ended up dumping it in both games.

well, how the game works (unless using a mod that only increases damage), power armor is still the ultimate armor, as most enemies end up not using weapons like the AMR, which makes sense lore-wise, as those weapons do not usually go out into the general populace.

But, honestly, I never understood the appeal of power armor. Light armor just allows for mobility, and is not a metallic meaning less noise which is better to stealth characters.

 

[Austin Lock]

When I first started playing Fallout I played Fallout NV (A little late...like 2013 Oops) I went through the whole game not knowing who the Brotherhood Of Steel was or even what power armor was. Boy was I missing out. Then again the brotherhood is so small compared to Fallout 3 I bet more people went through the same thing.

Lol Don't get me wrong, the brotherhood is my favourite and I jump at the first opportunity to get power armor. Little obsessed in my opinion....

 

[DVL]

Power armor is pretty weak in NV. Perks like Light Touch and good stats on light armor make it a so-so option at best.
In particular, crit builds are better off going light armors because of Joshua Graham or Ulysses giving the better light armors for them. Also they're way easier to repair with Jury-Rigging.

Power armor maybe makes a difference if you're really packing on hp, otherwise it's not really much use against Deathclaws. Anything lighter than that is just going to get murdered by you before it really poses any kind of threat.