Beginner Tips for Fallout 76

Fallout 76 was released in 2018, emerging as the first multiplayer-driven title in the Fallout franchise. It was a complete pivot away from single-player projects, introducing a live-service MMORPG game to the series that almost immediately caused immense rifts to open up amidst the community.

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Today, Fallout 76 is still a persistent title, and Bethesda Game Studios constantly pours updates and all-new content drops into the game, working relatively hard to keep it fresh. As they keep the game alive, there's a steady stream of new players entering the wide world of Fallout 76, intent on exploring Appalachia, which makes up the biggest map in the history of the series. When compared to the likes of Fallout 4, Fallout 76 is a dramatically different title, and new players tend to need all the help they can get.

Updated August 29, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Fallout 76 about to hit players with its Milepost Zero update, fans can now expect more features such as combat rebalancing, upgrading the Milepost Zero outpost, and even some changes to CAMPs and Legendary Crafting. While fans tinker with Milepost Zero and wait for the next installment in the Fallout franchise, getting into Fallout 76 is the best way players have to share the Fallout experience with their friends.

Before they venture into hardcore multiplayer, some tips new characters to the game must follow include experimenting with different builds, keeping Perk Cards until they can be used more consistently, remembering how loot is unique per character, and opting to dismantle instead of discarding gear.

1 Get Fluid With Builds

Focusing Too Much On A Weapon Can Limit Combat Potential

While players might find themselves leaning toward a particular playstyle in Fallout 76, it’s still more helpful for players to avoid sticking to just their favorite weapon class. The SPECIAL System in Fallout 76 is built in such a way that focusing too much on a specific build can become too rigid and limiting in terms of endgame content, which means players should try to at least have loadouts for separate Gear that they can take depending on the situation.

Aside from Weapons, players can switch out Perks depending on their Gear to gain bonuses appropriate to their playstyle. Players should try to learn different weapon playstyles so they become ready for any situation, especially deadlier locations where they might have to switch from engaging foes in mid-range to trying to get to the safety of long-range or dealing with emergencies at short range.

2 Keep Perks Until Specific Builds

Perks Can Be Combined And Upgraded

Players might notice that the game retains its SPECIAL System to keep track of character stats. The game also uses its Perks to give characters unique features that provide them with various gameplay boosts. In Fallout 76 gameplay, players can acquire Perks through Perk Cards whenever they level up a couple of times. Perk Packs contain four Perk Cards, any of which may even be level-locked.

While players can technically choose new Perk Cards to use whenever they level up, new players should keep their Perk Cards until they get considerably stronger. This is especially true considering how Perk Cards for specific SPECIAL Stats are locked behind stat thresholds, which means players may be unable to equip their more powerful Perk Cards at the onset. While waiting for this to happen, players should combine duplicate Perk Cards to get stronger variants.

3 Loot Is Unique To Each Character

Skip The Worry About Being Deprived Of Loot

With a game like Fallout 76 being an open-world survival experience, fans might be worried about other stronger players simply stealing kills and, more importantly, looting from monsters that newer characters can benefit from. Thankfully, Fallout 76 takes a page from traditional MMOs in that players have unique loot instances.

This means that monsters or creatures that players kill in Fallout 76 have their unique loot attached to the player character. In turn, players who helped other players fight monsters don’t have to worry about being deprived of loot from that specific creature, as each player has their unique loot instance. In Public Events, players have a “radius” of efficacy in loot acquisition, where creatures that die a specific distance from them can still be looted. For collectors and scavengers, these unique instances allow them to salvage more items for useful parts.

4 Dismantle Gear Instead Of Throwing Them Away

Dismantle Gear For Useful Parts, Blueprints

Being a post-apocalyptic survival title, Fallout 76 gameplay encourages players to use the items around them to “live” in an irradiated wasteland. In terms of combat, this means using whatever Weapons and Armor they can find to protect their characters. However, RPG fans who like hoarding might realize that they’re probably keeping too many items for their own good, and they’re discarding far too many items than they’d like to keep.

While throwing away useless items seems reasonable, it might be better to dismantle unused Gear at a Workbench. Aside from being able to gather more parts, dismantling Gear has a chance of giving players Blueprints. These Blueprints can range from being able to make Gear themselves, or components to improve that Gear’s performance.

5 Maximize Buffs Before Leaving The Vault

Well Rested, Well Tuned Can Give Advantages

When players create a character in the Fallout game, their first destination is the eponymous Vault 76. After completing the tutorial quest, players will be asked to leave Vault 76 to venture into the forests of Appalachia with the hopes of surviving the harsh wilderness. While players can ordinarily just leave the Vault to resume their journey, players may want to maximize the settlement’s benefits before leaving.

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Since the game demonstrates much of its base mechanics in Vault 76, players can also see for themselves what happens after certain actions. This is something players can take advantage of: use the bed to receive the Well-Rested buff (XP +5% for 2 Hours) and play the guitar for the Well-Tuned buff (AP Regen +25% for 1 Hour), both of which can help players have an easier first few hours in the game.

6 Fresh Dweller To Maximize Customization

Pre-Made Loadouts From Battle Ready Dweller Aren't Good

Unlike traditional Fallout gameplay where players can simply explore the world as soon as they finish the tutorial, the multiplayer nature of Fallout 76 gameplay means players will likely encounter other Survivors throughout their journey in Appalachia. Not all these players will be nice to interact with, and the world’s creatures level up with the player - meaning some monsters can get incredibly tough before players can even make proper progress. This is why the option to choose between a Battle Ready Dweller and a Fresh Dweller can be quite helpful before players leave the Vault.

However, while the game recommends choosing a pre-made loadout from a Level 20 Battle Ready Dweller, players should ideally start as a Level 2 Fresh Dweller. This is because the stat distribution and Perk choices from Battle Ready Dweller’s pre-made loadouts won’t help players deal with level-scaled monsters. It’s more practical for players to spend stat points at their own pace and preference as a Fresh Dweller, even if it takes more time for them to level up.

7 Join A Team

Intelligence Buff Means More XP

Being a multiplayer game means players of Fallout 76 can team up and form parties to brave the dangers of Appalachia after the Great War. In technical terms, the Fallout title allows players to form Teams and enjoy a plethora of basic benefits. These include sharing Perk Cards at a value of 3 Charisma per Perk Card rank (bonuses not included), and even being held a spot in the team should the game crash.

More importantly, being part of a Team also provides players benefits depending on whether they are made Private via invitations or Public through the social menu. When a member stays for at least five minutes in the team, they become Bonded and trigger benefits. While specific kinds of teams have different stat boosts, a Casual Team’s +1 to +4 INT can give each player +2.072% XP per INT point boosted.

8 Fast Travel Via Teammates

Use Them As Free Waypoints

When players form Teams in Fallout 76 gameplay, the game also helps players have an easier time performing Quests and other tasks. On top of having shared instanced locations such as Quests and Daily Ops, players can have an easier time finding their teammates through the mini-map. In a team, players can access the CAMPs and Survival Tents of their teammates within the main map.

More importantly, players can also fast travel to any teammate, their CAMP, and their Survival Tents free of charge. Not only does this allow players to reach their Team should they need assistance, but this also helps players reach further areas without having to spend money on transportation.

9 Farm Ammo With Daily Ops

Secure Ammo For Powerful Weapons

Considered the daily quest in Fallout 76 gameplay, Daily Ops are PVE modes introduced in the “One Wasteland For All” update that offers randomized but repeatable daily dungeons. Available for both solo and competitive setups, Daily Ops rewards players based on their speed, with the highest Elder Tier capable of rewarding additional caps, Treasury Nodes, as well as Legendary scrips and cores. However, an important benefit of Daily Ops for Fallout 76 players is its ability to provide extra ammo for players.

Almost all mobs in Daily Ops dungeons will drop ammo depending on the weapon used by the player. The boss also counts towards these drops, with bosses dropping more ammo compared to ordinary drops. Should players find themselves reluctant to use a powerful weapon with limited ammo, they should do a Daily Ops and switch to their preferred weapon once the boss is near death. That way, the boss drops ammo for that preferred weapon and not the weapon players originally used to fight them.

10 Only Fight When Necessary

Conserve Resources In The Survival Sim

Given how Fallout 76 gameplay features traditional Fallout mechanics, players venturing into post-apocalyptic West Virginia may be eager to fight their way through everything, especially for loot. However, the nature of the game as a survival game can overtake combat quickly, especially when players find themselves debuffed when Starved (no Max HP, Disease Resistance bonuses) or Dehydrated (no AP Regen, Disease Resistance bonuses).

In turn, players should ideally fight only when necessary. Should players find themselves in front of multiple mobs, running is a viable way of getting out of trouble as mobs tend to return to their spawn points after reaching a certain point. Instead of opting to use the guns they currently have, it’s safer to get into melee to kill most enemies to conserve ammo.