For the quest appearing in this add-on, see Old World Blues (quest). |
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 Dick' 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 night stalkers) came into being while unwittingly becoming 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 and an evil scientist who threatens their lives. 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 and hunt down your own brain, spine and heart which have been removed from your character in an experiment.
Characters
- Christine Royce (mentioned only)
- Doctor Klein
- Doctor Mobius
- Doctor Borous
- Doctor Dala
- Lobotomites
- Y-17 trauma override harnesses
- Yangtze camp survivors
- Doctor 0
- Doctor 8
- Biological research station
- Blind Diode Jefferson
- Book Chute
- Courier's brain
- Light Switch 01
- Light Switch 02
- Muggy
- Roxie
- Sink
- Sink Auto-Doc
- Sink Central Intelligence Unit
- Toaster
- Ulysses (mentioned only)
- Elijah (mentioned only)
Creatures
Robots and computers
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 - K9000 FIDO
- 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
- K9000 mod - Mentat chow
- K9000 mod - Resla Roil
- LAER mod - auxiliary recharger chip
- LAER mod - prismatic lens
Other items
- Blank book
- Broken detonator
- Deactivated bomb collar
- Dried seeds
- Gabe's bowl
- Primer and powder pack
- Snow globe - Big MT
- Elijah's watch journal
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 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.
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 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 | ||
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
- The Big MT seems to be the locations where Father Elijah found and gathered most of his equipment prior to Dead Money, such as the bomb collars and the Holorifle along with Christine Royce, although Elijah claims he invented the Holorifle.
- Big MT or "Big Mountain" is based upon the real-life location "Black Mesa" in Arizona.
- 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.
- 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 Hardcore mode, the sleep meter stays at zero, unless the Courier sleeps. There may be a delay before the sleep meter starts.
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.
- 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.
- Old World Blues was nominated for Best DLC Award at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards. It was the only one of the Fallout: New Vegas add-ons to be nominated.
Bugs
Gallery
Videos
References
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