Fallout: New Vegas is often lauded as the best entry in the Fallout series due to its improvements to gameplay from the critically praised Fallout 3, as well as a more fan-appreciated storyline and cast of characters. It is because of this story that many players love to pursue as many quests as they can that appear in their journal, but what about the quests that do not appear on the Pip-Boy? The unmarked quests.
Unmarked quests can range from being as long as a standard quest, longer, or sometimes so short that they do not warrant the title. Nevertheless, they add life to the gameworld of New Vegas and some of them are must-sees. These are a few of the more interesting examples of unmarked adventures present in the game.
Updated September 23, 2021, by Mark Hospodar: Fallout New Vegas is a massive game, one that can easily take hundreds of hours to complete. It's not a stretch to assume that even longtime veterans of the game haven't seen absolutely everything.
Unmarked quests are easy to miss, but it would be a mistake to assume that they have no value just because they're often short and simple. In fact, these little side activities can be as memorable as the primary quests themselves. It's hard to stay away from a great game like New Vegas for very long. Before venturing forth into the Mojave Wasteland one more time, make experiencing these unmarked quests a priority.
15 Dealing With Contreras
As with any large organization, there are always a few bad apples that can potentially spoil the bunch. The NCR is no different. While exploring Camp McCarran, players may come across a rather shady individual named Sergeant Contreras, a corrupt quartermaster for the NCR.
The quest "Dealing With Contreras" can be started by speaking to either Contreras himself or Lieutenant Carrie Boyd at Camp McCarran. Players have the choice of either helping Contreras with his illegal side business or aiding Lieutenant Boyd in taking him down. The reward either way is a powerful rifle that WWII buffs should find familiar.
14 Saving (Or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy
Fallout: New Vegas is an RPG at its core. As such, players don't lack options when it comes to tailoring their character's moral compass. At the Fort, headquarters of Caesar's Legion, fans can speak with Melody, a child slave bound in servitude to the Legion.
With a 50 Speech check, Melody will eventually ask the player to retrieve her lost teddy bear. Interestingly, once the bear is located, players have the option of either returning it to Melody......or ripping it up in front of her eyes. Choose the latter option if you can live with yourself afterward......
13 Reach For The Sky, Mister!
Finding weapons in Fallout: New Vegas isn't exactly a difficult endeavor. Furthermore, they can often be found in the unlikeliest of places. One particular weapon players may find useful, Euclid's C-Finder, can be obtained by speaking to a boy named Max in Freeside.
Max will agree to sell the weapon to the Courier for 1,000 caps. With either a Speech or Barter check, however, Max will part with the gun at a much-reduced price. Euclid's C-Finder can be used to call down orbital laser strikes on any outdoor opponents once per day. The quest "That Lucky Old Sun" will also have to be completed first before the gun will work.
12 Fight Night
There's no denying that the Courier is one tough egg. Although there is plenty of combat to be had in the Mojave Wasteland, players itching for more should speak to Red Lucy at The Thorn. There, the Courier can engage in gladiatorial combat to their heart's content.
Players have some options regarding who or what they want to battle in the pit. Try your hand at fighting a few deathclaws if you're feeling lucky. Fans can also bet on the matches themselves for some extra caps instead of becoming a combatant.
11 Claws Mended
Most of the wildlife encountered in New Vegas isn't friendly. The vast majority of them can kill the Courier quite easily if precautions aren't taken, especially if one considers playing on Hardcore mode. Nevertheless, one mole rat that players can meet is actually in need of some help.
In Sloan, northwest of Hidden Valley, fans may come across an injured and domesticated mole rat named Snuffles. With a 30 Medicine check, players can heal Snuffles' leg for a small amount of NCR fame. It's certainly a good deed to perform, especially if one has recently done something horrible like destroying a little girl's teddy bear.
10 Flogging A Dead Corpse
Perhaps one of the shortest "quests" in the game, this unmarked quest titled "Flogging a Dead Corpse" is rather insubstantial. However, what cannot be denied is what it adds to the environment of Freeside just outside of New Vegas. Freeside is seen as the slums in comparison to the opulence of nearby Vegas, and as such, possesses a much more seedy element of characters. In this quest, one such character tries to grab the player's attention by waving them down near Mick and Ralph's and having them follow down an alley.
Once at the dead end, the thug gestures at a corpse between two dumpsters. The thug will ask the player to "check it out" and no matter what the player says in response, the thug will become hostile and joined by a group of compatriots in an attempt to rob and kill the player. This minor interaction gives depth to the location of Freeside, highlighting the desperation of the people who live there.
9 Pistol Packing
The Brotherhood of Steel's Mojave chapter has its fair share of unmarked quests, but none are quite as substantial or rewarding as Pistol Packing. The basic premise is that within the Brotherhood's bunker in Hidden Valley, a quartermaster has reported that one of their laser pistols is missing and the quartermaster tasks the Courier with investigating its disappearance.
The circumstances that lead to its inevitable finding are entertaining in a simple way and the reward of a tri-beam laser rifle more than makes up for any trouble. The quest can be started by speaking with Knight Torres in the armory.
8 Access Powers
REPCONN Headquarters is the next stop for this quest, "Access Powers," but high levels of skill are needed in order to reap its reward, specifically a rating of 100 in Science and 100 in Lockpicking. Brush up on those skills first before attempting this mission.
The quest is easy enough to accomplish leading up to when these skills will be necessary, as all one needs to do is participate in REPCONN's tour given by the tour guide robot. Once the tour is concluded, the player should find Jenny Millet's security card then be able to use the skills mentioned above to obtain the powerful Q-35 Matter Modulator.
7 Andy and Charlie
Ranger Andy is a simple man. He has the typical attitude of most retirees, tired of sitting around with nothing to do, especially in the do-nothing town of Novac. This is certainly true for a man like Andy, who was a former accomplished NCR Ranger but now feels useless due to a multitude of injuries catching up with him and leaving him mostly confined to his home.
He does try to keep in the loop regularly despite all this and usually does so by having regular check-ins over the radio with nearby Ranger Station Charlie. However, when asked by the player, Andy will note a level of concern due to the fact he has not heard back from the station as frequently as usual. One should continue speaking with Andy in Novac if they want to help him check out what is wrong with the Rangers.
6 A Pair Of Desperados I & II
A Pair of Desperados is a two-part unmarked quest that sees the Courier investigating the missing submachine gun from the Vikki and Vance Casino's museum. Primm Slimm, the curator of the museum, acts as if the gun is in its display case when it evidently is not.
A Science check of 50 is required to repair Slimm and from there, the quests can truly begin. It's a must-do for anyone who has their eyes on getting that submachine gun.