Fallout 76 is a perfect environment to role-play with other players, and the community is known to have formed a few distinguishable factions of real-life players. One reputable faction of players in Fallout 76, known as Couriers, has dedicated itself to providing services to other players in the game and has proved invaluable to the game’s experience. While some players may never need this group's assistance, it’s in every player’s favor to at least be aware of their existence regardless.
Given how prominent the peer-to-peer market is in Fallout 76, most players will eventually get into doing trades at one point or another. The majority of trades are performed by selling items from the players’ vending machines in Fallout 76, but items can also be sold directly from a player’s inventory. These mainstream trading methods only apply when players plan to use bottle caps as the payment of choice, which is where negotiated trades would be used otherwise. In the case of trading in Fallout 76, the exchange process can be quite risky, and this is where Fallout 76’s Couriers come in handy.
Trading in Fallout 76 Has Plenty of Room to Go Wrong
The issue with trading items in Fallout 76 is that there is no simultaneous and efficient way for both parties control their merchandise throughout the exchange. It ultimately comes down to the honor system to trade in Fallout 76, so there are many different ways that deals can go sideways for one or both parties. This method of trading is generally reserved for items of extreme value, such as the best legendary rolls on gear in Fallout 76, or otherwise extremely rare items. Trading in Fallout 76 can be a gamble, so most players end up sticking to the trustworthy vending machine method.
Given how high the stakes can be for trading, plenty of malicious players in the community utilize the flaws in Fallout 76’s trading mechanics for their own personal gain. Although there are some bad apples in the community, Fallout 76 also has a passionate and dedicated following, which is where Couriers fit in. Couriers are a network of players who provide many independent services to the general player base in Fallout 76, though the group’s main reason for existence is to mediate in-game trades. For any players who are looking to exchange some of the rarest items in Fallout 76, Couriers are the safest way to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of the transaction.
How to Use Couriers in Fallout 76
Couriers can be reached via two different social media platforms. The original Couriers community platform is their Reddit page, while there is also a public Discord server. Specific instructions for how to interact with each platform, including rules and procedures can be found on site. Utilizing a Courier to mediate trading in Fallout 76 essentially comes down to both parties selecting a Courier based on platform and time availability, as well as considering the Courier’s reputation.
Perhaps the biggest factor that will play into players requesting a particular Courier’s services over other candidates is their reputation, known as karma, which acts as a history of their successful trades and services provided. Another major reason that the Courier faction in Fallout 76 is beneficial for the whole player base to be familiar with is the 'blacklist.' The Courier community not only keeps track of its own members’ reputations, but it keeps a history of some of the bad apples in Fallout 76’s community to steer clear of.
Although the Couriers aren’t affiliated with Bethesda, the reasons that players would end up on the blacklist generally align with violations of Fallout 76’s TOS. Fallout 76’s Couriers are overall a worthwhile community to be familiar with given how helpful their various community resources can be.
Fallout 76 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.