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Gametitle-FNV OWB
Gametitle-FNV OWB
There is an expression in the Wasteland: "Old World Blues". It refers to those so obsessed with the past they can't see the present, even less the future, for what it is.— Doctor Mobius and Doctor Klein, Old World Blues

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 Mountain' 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 Big Mountain in search of technology that can either turn the tables on your kidnappers or help them fight against an even greater threat.

After being transported to the Big MT research crater, you find that 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 Mountain 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 and computers

Items

Armor and clothing

Consumables

Schematics & Recipes

Weapons

Weapon mods

Other items

Locations

This section is transcluded from Fallout: New Vegas locations. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

Quests

The experience points that are rewarded for quests are based on the players level upon quest completion. The total experience points available for the main storyline quests is anywhere between 3,000 (for levels 1-4) to 22,000 (for levels 45-50). The side quest experience points ranges from 75 to 500 per quest.

This section is transcluded from Fallout: New Vegas quests. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.
Icon Name Location(s) Given by Reward Form ID Editor ID
Main quests
Icon gray x
Midnight Science Fiction Feature! Mojave Drive-in Mysterious broadcast Variable XP xx002FCA NVDLC03MQ00
Icon gray x
Welcome to the Big Empty The Sink Self None xx002FCB NVDLC03MQ01
Icon gray x
X-2: Strange Transmissions! The Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCD NVDLC03MQ02
Spinaltapped
X-8: High School Horror! The Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCE NVDLC03MQ03
Cardiacarrest
X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator! The Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCF NVDLC03MQ04
Outsmarted
Old World Blues Big MT Doctor Klein Add-on completion, Big Mountain Transportalponder! xx002FCC NVDLC03MQ05
Side quests
Icon gray x
A Brain's Best Friend The Think Tank Doctor Borous Variable XP xx014BF8 NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorBorous
Makingfriends
All My Friends Have Off Switches The Sink Sink Central Intelligence Unit Various The Sink services xx0112E3 NVDLC03HQBuddy
Icon gray x
Coming Out of Her Shell The Think Tank Doctor Dala Various ammunition once per day xx014C2C NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorDala
Icon gray x
Field Research The Sink The Sink Various sink services xx0112D6 NVDLC03HQBuddySamples
Icon gray x
He Came... And Went The Think Tank Doctor Dala Variable XP xx014C2D NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctorKlein
Icon gray x
Influencing People The Sink The Sink Various sink services xx0112E5 NVDLC03HQBuddyUpgrade
Icon gray x
On the Same Wavelength The Think Tank Doctor 8 Variable XP xx014C63 NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor8
Icon gray x
Picking Your Brains The Think Tank Various Doctors Variable XP xx0121E3 NVDLC03ThinkTankQuest
Icon gray x
Project X-13 X-13 stealth testing lab Test terminal Stealth suit Mk II xx006D8D NVDLC03X13Setup
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Sonic Emitter Upgrade The Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx0166E2 NVDLC03SonicEmitterQuest
Icon gray x
What's in a Name? The Think Tank Doctor 0 Variable XP xx014CFB NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor0a
Icon gray x
When Visitors Attack! The Think Tank Various Doctors Variable XP xx014CFE NVDLC03ThinkTankDoctor0b
Icon gray x
X-8 Data Retrieval Test X-8 research center Test terminal Variable XP xx00DD5C NVDLC03X8Replay

Challenges

This section is transcluded from Fallout: New Vegas challenges. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.
Name Recurring Requirement Amount to do Perk Given XP Form ID
Automaton No Built a robot bent on destruction. 1 - 100 xx015B04
Mad Scientist No Had an experiment go horribly awry. 1 - 100 xx015B02
Evil Genius No Created an abomination. 1 - 100 xx015B03
Make up Your Mind No Made up your mind... about your brain. 1 - 500 xx009DE2
Making Friends No Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants. 10 - 500 xx011956
Cardiac Arrest! No 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 No Visited every location in the Big MT. 35 - 100 xx00A44C
Klein Destine No 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 No Dressed in a complete set of Dr. Mobius Clothes.
(Dr. Mobius' glove, Dr. Mobius' scrubs, Dr. Mobius' glasses)
1 - 100 xx009DE7
Outer Space No Dared to venture beyond the Big MT's perimeter...more than once! 2 - 100 xx00A44D
Outsmarted No Completed Old World Blues 1 - 500 xx009DE5
Spinal-Tapped No 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

This section is transcluded from Fallout: New Vegas perks. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

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

This section is transcluded from Fallout: New Vegas traits. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.
Name Benefit Penalty Code
Claustrophobia + 1 to SPECIAL attributes while outside. - 1 to SPECIAL attributes while indoors. xx0133AE
Early Bird + 2 to SPECIAL attributes from 6am to 12pm. - 1 to SPECIAL attributes from 6pm to 6am. xx012767
Hoarder + 25 lbs to total carry weight. - 1 to SPECIAL attributes while current equipment weight is below 160 lbs. xx01276D
Hot Blooded + 15% damage increase while below 50% health. - 2 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 Gamerscore Bronze Cardiacarrest
Make up Your Mind Made up your Mind... about your brain 20 Gamerscore Bronze Make up your mind
Making Friends Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants 30 Gamerscore Silver Makingfriends
Outsmarted Completed Old World Blues. 35 Gamerscore Gold Outsmarted
Spinal-Tapped Recovered X-8 vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer frequency 20 Gamerscore Bronze Spinaltapped

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 and give you additional bonuses regarding chems.
  • If you have installed Dead Money and Honest Hearts, adding Old World Blues will boost your Level cap to 45 as opposed to 40.
  • 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+.
  • Old World Blues enemies pose a much larger threat for Couriers at Level 40+, as many enemies level with the player.
  • 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 create 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 station 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. You can, however, use it in Higgs village, outside of the houses.
  • 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 weapons 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 Sierra Madre poster can be seen in Big MT.
  • 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 and from the speakers in the Little Yangtze prison camp.
  • 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.
  • Unlike Dead Money or Honest Hearts, all Achievements or Trophies can be earned in one playthrough without replaying.
  • When in the Hardcore mode, the sleep meter stays at zero, unless the courier sleeps. There may be a delay before the sleep meter starts.
  • Old World Blues was nominated for Best DLC Award at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards. It was the only of the Fallout: New Vegas add-ons nominated.

Behind the scenes

  • The Big Empty was a location that was scrapped from Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3 (Van Buren).
  • 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]
  • This add-on is an obvious homage to the B-movie science fiction movies of the 1950s. There are many references to these types of movies throughout the add-on.

Bugs

  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 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 while indoors. To prevent freezing while in the Sink, enter Big MT from the Think Tank entrance.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Even though you take all of the contents inside a storage container, it will not say that it is empty.
  • PCPC Similar to a bug in Honest Hearts, while playing through the main quest, the tick marks of undiscovered locations can disappear from the compass. However, it's still possible to discover them afterward.
  • PCPC If you bought all three add-ons, your max level still might be 40. On Xbox 360, you can get rid of it by going the Dashboard and reloading the game.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Even though this is only the third add-on, the level cap will change to 50.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 When returning to the Mojave, you may find your ratings with factions having diminished.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 When loading an auto-save with Hardcore Mode turned on, your starvation and thirst meters will jump up over 200, despite those levels being low when the auto-save was created.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 In-game time may pass abnormally fast. For example, a few in-game days may pass for a whole year according to the calendar.
  • PCPC 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.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 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.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 When talking to your brain after defeating Mobius, you get stuck in an infinite loop of a conversation concerning pleasant memories about Helios One and Jason Bright (Quite the ironic bug considering the conversation you just had with Mobius!).
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 When returning to the Mojave, you may not be able to talk to Victor or anyone on the Strip. This prevents you from using the Lucky 38 as a base. A way around it is to kill Victor and the rest of the Securitrons.
  • PCPC You may be unable to get caps for selling items to the Sink Central Intelligence Unit, and his stock will not replenish correctly. Make sure his cap total does not exceed 32,000 to prevent this.
  • PCPC When checking the DLC content on the main page, it may not show up but yet all content will be there when you begin playing.
  • PCPC With Old World Blues installed the amount of 5mm rounds found in containers and other sources of loot is reduced dramatically, to roughly 30% of what is normally found. This change only affects containers found in the Mojave Wasteland, and not those located in the Big MT.
  • PCPC Most members of the Brotherhood of Steel become notably weaker once Old World Blues is installed, reducing their Strength and Endurance stats by 3 and 2 points respectively, and removing Explosives as a tagged skill. This affects both unnamed members, particularly those found patrolling the area around Hidden Valley, as well as some named members including Linda Schuler, Knight Lorenzo, and even Nolan McNamara and Edgar Hardin.
  • PCPC Dead Money Perk Old World Gourmet is no longer working.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 If you immediately unequipped the gowns and equip armor the game will run extremely slow and not respond to any presses of the button

Gallery

Videos

References

Old World Blues
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