Old World Blues is the third add-on for Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks.
Plot
"The residents of the Mojave have long assumed the trackless wastes of the ‘Big Empty’ are a no-mans' land, a desolate stretch where no living thing can survive. In Old World Blues, you discover that it is anything but..."
In Old World Blues, the Courier discovers how some of the Mojave’s mutated monsters (cazadores and nightstalkers) came into being whilst he or she unwittingly becomes a lab rat in a science experiment gone awry. The Courier must scour the pre-War research centers of the Big Empty in search of technology to turn the tables on his or her kidnappers, or join forces with them against an even greater threat.
After being transported to the Big MT research crater, you find you're the only hope of saving the "Think Tank" – a strange group of post-human researchers who inhabit the facility. They enlist your aid to save them from their own experiments - experiments that have gone horribly out of control. As you explore the Big Empty crater and its many underground labs, you’ll confront strange mutated animals, battle terrifying new atomic robots, and discover a new home base to call your own. Recover all the weapons, armor, and tech of the pre-War era and use them to help save all of science!
Characters
Creatures
Robots
- Think tank
- Robobrain
- Protectrons
- Berserk Securitron Mk4
- Damaged Securitron Mk4
- Securitron Mk5
- Berserk Securitron Mk5
- 010011110110111001100101
- Mister Gutsy Mk3
- Mister Gutsy Mk4
- Mister Gutsy Mk5
- Robo-scorpions
- Sentry bot
- RY-589 ultimo bot
- Mister Orderly
- Crazed Mister Handy
- Automated turret
Items
Armor and clothing
- Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator
- Christine's COS recon armor
- Dr. Klein's glasses
- Dr. Klein's scrubs
- Dr. Mobius' glasses
- Dr. Mobius' scrubs
- Hazmat darklight cowl
- Hazmat suit
- Lobotomite goggles
- Lobotomite jumpsuit
- Lobotomite mask
- Lobotomite mask and goggles
- Mad scientist scrubs
- Patient gown
- Scientist scrubs
- Stealth suit Mk II
- Valence radii-accentuator
- Yangtze camp jumpsuit
Consumables
Schematics & Recipes
- Schematics for K9000 cyberdog FIDO upgrade
- Recipes - Barter skill book
- Recipes - Energy Weapons skill book
- Recipes - Explosives skill book
- Recipes - Guns skill book
- Recipes - Lockpick skill book
- Recipes - Medicine skill book
- Recipes - Melee Weapons skill book
- Recipes - Repair skill book
- Recipes - Science skill book
- Recipes - Sneak skill book
- Recipes - Speech skill book
- Recipes - Survival skill book
- Recipes - Unarmed skill book
Weapons
- Big Mountain Transportalponder!
- Christine's COS silencer rifle
- Corrosive glove
- Dr. Klein's glove
- Dr. Mobius' glove
- Elijah's advanced LAER
- Elijah's jury-rigged Tesla cannon
- FIDO
- K9000 cyberdog gun
- LAER
- Proton axe
- Proton throwing axe
- Protonic inversal axe
- Protonic inversal throwing axe
- Saturnite fist
- Saturnite fist super-heated
- Scientist glove
- Scorpion rifle
- Sonic emitter
- Sonic emitter - Gabriel's bark
- Sonic emitter - Opera singer
- Sonic emitter - Revelation
- Sonic emitter - Robo-scorpion
- Sonic emitter - Tarantula
- Spider rifle
- Sterilizer glove
- X-2 antenna
Weapon mods
Other items
- Blank book
- Broken detonator
- Deactivated bomb collar
- Dried seeds
- Gabe's bowl
- Primer and powder pack
- Snow globe - Big Mt. Research and Development Center
Locations
- Big MT east tunnel
- Big MT north tunnel
- Big MT west tunnel
- Construction site
- Elijah's Watch
- Forbidden Zone dome entrance
- Hazmat testing ground
- Higgs Village
- Little Yangtze
- Loading station
- Magnetohydraulics complex
- Mysterious cave
- Saturnite alloy research facility
- Securitron de-construction plant
- Signal Hills transmitter
- The Cuckoo's Nest
- The Sink
- The Think Tank
- Ulysses' Point
- Waste disintegration platform
- X-2 transmitter antenna array
- X-7a "Left Field" artillery launch
- X-7b "Boom Town" target zone
- X-8 research center
- X-12 research center
- X-13 research facility
- X-17 meteorological station
- X-22 botanical garden
- X-66 Hexcrete archipelago
- Y-0 research center
- Y-17 medical facility
- Z-9 Crotalus DNA preservation lab
- Z-14 Pepsinae DNA splicing lab
- Z-38 lightwave dynamics research
- Z-43 innovative toxins plant
Quests
The XP that is rewarded for quests is variable based upon your level when the quest is completed. The total XP split between the main storyline quests is approximately 3000 XP at levels 1-4 and 22000 XP at levels 45-50, the secondary quest XP ranges from 75 XP per quest to 550 XP per quest.
Icon | Name | Location(s) | Given by | Reward | Form ID | Editor ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main quests | ||||||
Midnight Science Fiction Feature! | Mojave Drive-in | Mysterious broadcast | Variable XP | xx002FCA | NVDLC03MQ00 | |
Welcome to the Big Empty | The Sink | Self | None | xx002FCB | NVDLC03MQ01 | |
X-2: Strange Transmissions! | The Think Tank | Doctor Klein | Variable XP | xx002FCD | NVDLC03MQ02 | |
X-8: High School Horror! | The Think Tank | Doctor Klein | Variable XP | xx002FCE | NVDLC03MQ03 | |
X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator! | The Think Tank | Doctor Klein | Variable XP | xx002FCF | NVDLC03MQ04 | |
Old World Blues | Big MT | Doctor Klein | Add-on completion, Big Mountain Transportalponder! | xx002FCC | NVDLC03MQ05 | |
Side quests | ||||||
A Brain's Best Friend | The Think Tank | Doctor Borous | Variable XP | xx014BF8 | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorBorous | |
All My Friends Have Off Switches | The Sink | Sink Central Intelligence Unit | Various The Sink services | xx0112E3 | NVDLC03HQBuddy | |
Coming Out of Her Shell | The Think Tank | Doctor Dala | Various ammunition once per day | xx014C2C | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorDala | |
Field Research | The Sink | The Sink | Various sink services | xx0112D6 | NVDLC03HQBuddySamples | |
He Came... And Went | The Think Tank | Doctor Dala | Variable XP | xx014C2D | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorKlein | |
Influencing People | The Sink | The Sink | Various sink services | xx0112E5 | NVDLC03HQBuddyUpgrade | |
On the Same Wavelength | The Think Tank | Doctor 8 | Variable XP | xx014C63 | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor8 | |
Picking Your Brains | The Think Tank | Various Doctors | Variable XP | xx0121E3 | NVDLC03ThinkTankQuest | |
Project X-13 | X-13 stealth testing lab | Test terminal | Stealth suit Mk II | xx006D8D | NVDLC03X13Setup | |
Sonic Emitter Upgrade | The Think Tank | Doctor Klein | Variable XP | xx0166E2 | NVDLC03SonicEmitterQuest | |
What's in a Name? | The Think Tank | Doctor 0 | Variable XP | xx014CFB | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor0a | |
When Visitors Attack! | The Think Tank | Various Doctors | Variable XP | xx014CFE | NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor0b | |
X-8 Data Retrieval Test | X-8 research center | Test terminal | Variable XP | xx00DD5C | NVDLC03X8Replay |
Challenges
Name | Recurring | Requirement | Amount to do | Perk Given | XP | Form ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Automaton | Built a robot bent on destruction. | 1 | - | 100 | xx015B04 | |
Mad Scientist | Had an experiment go horribly awry. | 1 | - | 100 | xx015B02 | |
Evil Genius | Created an abomination. | 1 | - | 100 | xx015B03 | |
Make up Your Mind | Made up your mind... about your brain. | 1 | - | 500 | xx009DE2 | |
Making Friends | Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants. | 10 | - | 500 | xx011956 | |
Cardiac Arrest! | Recovered X-13 cardiac regulator sneaky suit! | 1 | - | 500 | xx009DE4 | |
Caza-Death Dealer | 3 ranks | Killed cazadores in the Big MT. | 2/5/10 | DNAvenger | xx00DA29 xx00DA2A xx00DA2B | |
Dog Run I/II/III | 3 ranks | Completed the X-8 Basic/Advanced Testing Program/...with night stalkers! | 4 runs | DNAgent | xx00A446 xx00A447 xx00A448 | |
MT Space | Visited every location in the Big MT. | 35 | - | 100 | xx00A44C | |
Klein Destine | Dressed in a complete set of Dr. Klein Clothes. (Dr. Klein's glove, Dr. Klein's glasses, Dr. Klein's scrubs) |
1 | - | 100 | xx009DE1 | |
Mobius Strip | Dressed in a complete set of Dr. Mobius Clothes. (Dr. Mobius' glove, Dr. Mobius' scrubs, Dr. Mobius' glasses) |
1 | - | 100 | xx009DE7 | |
Outer Space | Dared to venture beyond the Big MT's perimeter...more than once! | 2 | - | 100 | xx00A44D | |
Outsmarted | Completed Old World Blues | 1 | - | 500 | xx009DE5 | |
Spinal-Tapped | Recovered X-8 vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer frequency! | 1 | - | 500 | xx009DE3 | |
VR the Champions I/II/III | 3 ranks | Completed the X-13 Basic/Advanced Infiltration and Robot Compliance tests | 3 runs | - | 100 | xx00A449 xx00A44A xx00A44B |
Perks
Regular perks
Name | Level req | Other requirements | Ranks | Benefit | Form ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atomic! | 20 | EN 6 | 1 | In irradiated areas, +25% move and attack speed, +2 DT, +2 ST. With excess rad level, AP regen scales from 1.1 times to 1.5 times normal. | xx008011 |
Mile in Their Shoes | 20 | Survival 25 | 1 | You have come to understand night stalkers. Consuming night stalker squeezin's now grants bonuses to Perception (+1 PER), Poison Resistance (+5), and Stealth (+5 Sneak) in addition to the normal benefits. | xx009619 |
Them's Good Eatin' | 20 | Survival 55 | 1 | Any living creature you kill has a 50% chance to have the potent healing items thin red paste or blood sausage when looted. | xx0098C9 |
Implant GRX | 30 | EN 8 | 2 | You gain a non-addictive subdermal turbo (chem) injector. This perk may be taken twice, with the second rank increasing the effect from 2 to 3 seconds and the uses per day from 5 to 10 (activated in the Pip-Boy inventory). | xx009D48 |
Challenge and special perks
Name | Unlock conditions | Ranks | Benefit | Form ID |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brainless | Automatically acquired during Welcome to the Big Empty Can optionally be swapped with Big Brained after completing Old World Blues |
1 | Head can no longer be crippled, +25% resistance to chem addiction, +5% DT (min +1) | xx0098BE |
Heartless | Automatically acquired during Welcome to the Big Empty Can optionally be swapped with Cardiac Arrest during and after completing Old World Blues |
1 | Poison immunity, -50% chance to get critical hits from robots, and lesser bonus consumable healing. | xx0098C2 |
Spineless | Automatically acquired during Welcome to the Big Empty Can optionally be swapped with Reinforced Spine during and after completing Old World Blues |
1 | Torso can no longer be crippled.+1 Strength, +1 DT. | xx0098BC |
Big Brained | Optionally given by the Sink Auto-Doc after Old World Blues Can optionally be swapped with Brainless after completing Old World Blues |
1 | The perk is not implemented properly and does not function. Head can no longer be crippled, +10% resistance to chem addiction, +10% DT (min +1). | xx015BBA |
Cardiac Arrest | Optionally given by the Sink Auto-Doc during and after Old World Blues Can optionally be swapped with Heartless during and after completing Old World Blues |
1 | +50% to poison resistance, -25% chance to get critical hits from robots, and bonus consumable healing. | xx015BBB |
Reinforced Spine | Optionally given by the Sink Auto-Doc during and after Old World Blues Can optionally be swapped with Spineless during and after completing Old World Blues |
1 | Torso can still be crippled, +2 Strength, +2 Damage Threshold. | xx015BBC |
DNAgent | Complete X-8 Data Retrieval Test in the X-8 research center | 1 | 10% bonus to damage dealt against night stalkers | xx009617 |
DNAvenger | Complete ranks of the Caza-Death Dealer challenge (kill 2/3/5 cazadores in Big MT; cazador kills outside Big MT do not count). | 3 | 10%/20%/30% bonus to damage dealt against cazadores. | xx00DA28 |
Stealth Suit Mk II (perk) | Complete the last test of Project X-13 in the X-13 research facility | 1 | The perk is not implemented properly and does not function. +20% increased sneak speed | xx00E845 |
Implant perks
These can be acquired regardless of acquiring the maximum number of implants sold by Doctor Usanagi.
Name | Unlock conditions | Ranks | Benefit | Form ID |
---|---|---|---|---|
Implant C-13 | Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 8,000 caps. | 1 | Plus 10% damage to cazadores | xx009616 |
Implant M-5 | Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 10,000 caps. | 1 | Your crouched movement speed is increased by 20%. | xx009614 |
Implant Y-3 | Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 12,000 caps. | 1 | Removes any radiation taken from drinking an irradiated water source. | xx009615 |
Implant Y-7 | Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 20,000 caps. | 1 | +5 health and +2 restored action points through the consumption of food. | xx00961A |
Traits
Name | Benefit | Penalty | Code |
---|---|---|---|
Claustrophobia | + 1 buff to SPECIAL attributes while outdoors | - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes while indoors | xx0133AE |
Early Bird | + 2 buff to SPECIAL attributes from 6am to 12pm | - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes from 6pm to 6am | xx012767 |
Hoarder | + 25 lbs to total carry weight | - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes while current equipment weight is below 160 lbs | xx01276D |
Hot Blooded | + 10% damage increase while below 50% health | - 2 debuff to Perception and Agility while below 50% health | xx01276B |
Logan's Loophole | Chems last twice as long and addiction rates are set to zero | Locks the level cap at 30 | xx01276E |
Skilled | Gain +5 points to every skill. | You suffer -10% from experience gained. | xx012B86 |
Achievements/Trophies
Name | Requirement | Achievement points | Trophy type | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiac Arrest! | Recovered X-13 cardiac regulator sneaky suit | 20 | ||
Make up Your Mind | Made up your Mind... about your brain | 20 | ||
Making Friends | Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants | 30 | ||
Outsmarted | Completed Old World Blues. | 35 | ||
Spinal-Tapped | Recovered X-8 vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer frequency | 20 |
Notes
- Like all New Vegas add-ons, Old World Blues raises the level cap by 5.[1] The add-on also offers new traits (and gives you the opportunity to change your own traits if you've already chosen them) including one called Logan's Loophole that will allow you to cap your level at 30.
- Old World Blues can be difficult for low level players. Before going in, the game advises that Old World Blues is intended for Couriers of Level 15+. Some enemies in the Big Empty can offer a challenge even for a Courier at level 30+.
- Equipment will not be stripped from the player at the beginning of this add-on, and it features an open-world setting. There is no limit to the amount of equipment you can take in to the add-on, as well.[2]
- Like all New Vegas add-ons, companions cannot accompany the Courier to the new land. However, there is one temporary companion in the add-on, a cyberdog named Roxie who has her own ending if you meet her.
- There is an upgradeable player housing (via completing quests) called The Sink, in the add-on.[3]. Complete with some robotic appliances which have individual personalities, all with different voices.
- In addition to providing free basic healing services (restore HP, repair limb damage, and remove radiation and drug dependency), the auto-doc in The Sink allows the player to alter their looks, hairstyle, and, for one time only, their traits.
- There is a new radio added, to both the Big Empty and the Mojave. It plays 3 new jazz songs, along with 2 songs from Radio New Vegas. Among the songs is Begin Again by Vera Keyes.
- Once you complete the add-on, you may return to the Big Empty via the Big Mountain Transportalponder!. Note you cannot use the item while in the interior of a building, cave, tunnels, etc., in a combat situation, or in Freeside, The Fort, Camp McCarran, or The Strip.
- Completion of the add-on does not close off side quests that are as yet uncompleted, even if these quests have not yet begun.
- In Ulysses' Point, the player "gets a taste" of Ulysses by listening to holotapes left in the Big Empty. patient log: Y-17.9 also gives a statement referring to Lonesome Road.
- Christine Royce and Father Elijah from Dead Money are also involved in Old World Blues, although they do not appear in the add-on. There are Holotapes of her speaking, along with her weapon and armor. Father Elijah's weapon can also be found, along with notes made by him while in the Big MT.
- If you play Christine's holotapes in front of her at Dead Money, she will not take any notice. This is due to the add-ons being independent from each other.
- The Courier's brain, spine and heart are removed by the scientists and held as leverage.
- The sound from the speakers in Dead Money can be heard at the end of the trailer.
- Some areas contain hanging dolls on a string like in the X-13 research facility. These are the same as the swamp totems in the Fallout 3 add-on, Point Lookout.
Behind the scenes
- The Big Empty was a location that was scrapped from Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3.
- At some point, Chris Avellone set his location on his Twitter profile to Big MT, Mojave, placing the Big Empty as a location within the Mojave Wasteland and thus teasing its possible appearance in a future Fallout: New Vegas add-on. Since then, Avellone has also changed his Twitter avatar.
- J.E. Sawyer has suggested that Old World Blues will be the most humorous of the New Vegas add-ons.[4]
Bugs
- Entering the Big Empty then saving your game, waiting, or entering doors may cause the game to freeze. A way to work around this is to never save or wait in Big MT itself, but indoors and to prevent freezing when in the sink enter Big MT from the Think tank entrance.
- You may not be able to leave after completing the main quests.[verification overdue]
- Oftentimes, players can fall through the train tracks or pipes throughout the crater. [verification overdue]
- Opening a storage container, taking all of its contents, and leaving, the container may not say it is empty.
- If you have more than one humanoid follower in your party (see Fallout: New Vegas companions section in order to learn how to have more than one follower) and you enter the Big Empty, up to 2,3, or 4 companions will come with you and will accompany you to the Big Empty but its completely random. Also note if go to the Big Empty Craig Boone can never go, Lily will rarely go if she does it limits the party to one or two people, ED-E will rarely as well, also of all followers Arcade Gannon will almost always accompany. Also sending followers out of your party before interacting with crashed satellite seems to affect who comes. [verification overdue]
- a bug in Honest Hearts, while playing through the main quest, the tick marks of undiscovered locations can disappear from the compass. It's still possible to discover them afterward though. Similar to
- Some armors may degrade very quickly while playing. [verification overdue]
- If you bought all three add-ons your max level still might be 40 but you can get rid of it if you go on the Dashboard and reload the game.
- With this add on, the max level has been raised to level 50, the max level with all four add-ons.
- When you return to the Mojave, you may find your ratings with factions have diminished when you return.
- When loading an autosave with Hardcore Mode turned on, your starvation and thirst meters will jump up over 200, despite those levels being low when the autosave was created.
- In-game time may pass abnormally fast, the calendar registering up to an entire year passing with what seems to only have been a few in game days in some cases
- After completing Old World Blues you may find yourself attacked on sight by the Brotherhood of Steel upon re-entering the bunker, or by the caretaker of the Brotherhood of Steel safe house, even though your standing with them is unchanged.
- The first time you load Old World Blues, the game may be unresponsive, but you can still be in party chat, when the purple screen that says, "Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues" comes on.
Gallery
Videos
References
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