Wastelanders is here today
Fallout 76 is undergoing a lot of alterations today.
Change is coming, as the game is morphing into its Wastelanders incarnation, which brings NPCs into the mix with a free update. Well it turns out that Wastelanders is actually bringing a whole lot more into the fold, like tons of quality of life updates that just wholly improve upon Fallout 76‘s baseline.
Not only is the game on Steam (a quality of life boon all on its own) now, but Wastelanders also has the aforementioned NPCs intertwined with a new main questline. You’ll unlock some of it early, but the bulk of the Wastelanders stuff comes at level 20 in Sutton. There’s also new events and daily quests, as well as NPC allies, new enemies (Floaters, the Wendigo Colossus, Blood Eagles and Cult of the Mothman followers) and another in-game currency (gold bullion). Daytime now lasts 13 hours instead of eight, too, which is a fairly big change in terms of enhancing exploration opportunities.
The real star of the show is arguably the quality of life changes that are finally coming to Fallout 76 with this patch. All of the quest markers will actually show up on the map now (good!), and you can directly click on markers to get more info, instead of fumbling through your journal and piecing everything together. You also will get a prompt before spawning into games with active nuke zones (read: this is kind of like joining a competitive match you’re about to lose), and you can press and hold the interact action to manipulate items in-game rather than diving into your menus (another welcome change).
Finally, public events now tell you what level you should be before taking them on, another radio host will be chatting you up, and some perks, like Scrounger and Pharma Farma, automatically work.
Just reading these changes makes Fallout 76 feel like a completely different game. Now we’ll have to see if there’s any goodwill left and people boot up their old copies to give Wastelanders a go.
Wastelanders Update Notes [Bethesda.net]
Fallout 76 Wastelanders patch notes:
Welcome to the year 2103
It’s been a year since the door to Vault 76 rolled open on Reclamation Day. A lot has changed in Appalachia since you and other Vault Dwellers began rebuilding. There are many new people to meet and things to discover as you continue your adventures.
Here is an overview of the major additions Wastelanders brings to you:
NPCs and Dialogue
A whole host of new people have arrived in Appalachia, seeking their fortunes or just a safe place to live. These NPCs can be found all over the place. Some of them you can talk to and have interactive conversations.
- The mechanics of dialogue are similar to Fallout 3 – you have a variety of choices, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. checks, and options available to you contextually.
- A single player response can have any number of choices available, if there are more choices than fit the display you can scroll down to see them all.
- Additionally, full conversations have been added to many of the original NPCs of Fallout 76—characters like Rose, MODUS, and the Grafton Mayor (and more) can be engaged in dialogue.
A new main quest
The arrival of new people in Appalachia means there are many new adventures to be had. Wastelanders brings an entirely new story to Fallout 76 that you can uncover and explore as you complete new main quests.
- Just outside of Vault 76, you can dive into the Wastelanders story and meet Lacey and Isela, who will guide you to experience the Wayward quest line.
- At level 20, the full main quest opens in Sutton. It will get you acquainted with the two largest factions in Appalachia – the Raiders and Settlers.
- During the Main Quest you will have to pick which side you work with, but for quite some time you can do quests for both factions until you hit a point of no return.
- The original Fallout 76 main quest is still available, but expect new touches of life. Both with new NPCs and full dialogue with existing NPCs.
- Please Note: To accommodate new quests and story content, some new no-C.A.M.P. zones have been added to locations in the world.
- If your C.A.M.P. was in one of these areas and can no longer be placed, you will be notified on joining a world, and you will be able to move your C.A.M.P. for free.
The Raiders
The Raiders are in part survivors that fled Appalachia, who have now returned to reclaim land they believe is rightfully theirs. They’ve built a base of operations, called Crater, at the Crashed Space Station.
- Initially, if you encounter Raiders in the wild they will be hostile and attack you. Even in Crater, expect a chilly reception—their vendors won’t deal with you, and they’ll bring the opposite of the welcome wagon.
- Eventually, you will learn more about them and can broker a peace with them (and if you want, their friendship in time).
The Settlers
The Settlers are a collection of survivors gathered by some construction workers from the Washington D.C. area. When they heard there was land, they caravanned to Appalachia and repurposed existing structures at Spruce Knob to construct Foundation.
- The Settlers are happy to speak and trade with you right away. Like the Raiders, you can get to know the Settlers better over time and become an ally to them.
- Ward will offer a Daily Quest that can help you make a good impression with these new-comers.
Gold Bullion and faction reputation
Wastelanders features some new exciting weapons, armors, and other items. You can unlock these items via the new Gold Bullion system.
- After completing the Main Quest, you will gain access to Gold Bullion, a new in-game currency.
- Gold Bullion can be gathered by exchanging Treasury Notes at Gold Press Machines, up to a daily limit.
- Treasury Notes can be earned from Wastelanders daily quests and by completing Public Events.
- Gold Bullion can also be purchased directly from a vendor in the Wayward using Caps, up to a weekly limit.
- There are three Gold Bullion Vendors: One at Crater, one at Foundation, and another in a location you’ll unlock during the main story. Each vendor will offer you a different set of new Wastelanders items in exchange for Gold Bullion.
Faction reputation
- Some of the Wastelanders gear is only available as you become better friends with the Settlers and Raiders through the new Reputation System.
- Gain reputation with these factions by completing story quests for them, making in-game decisions, and by doing their daily quests.
- Items you can get this way include weapons like the Gauss Shotgun or Gauss Minigun, C.A.M.P. items like Farmable Tiles, and even the yummy Appalachia treat—Pepperoni Rolls, among others.
Allies
Another exciting addition to Wastelanders, Allies are NPCs you will encounter in the world who can move into your C.A.M.P., help protect it, and keep you company.
- Allies also provide adventuring opportunities through daily quests they offer.
- Two of the Allies are unique. Both have a mini-quest line, romance opportunities, and offer the chance to really get to know some interesting characters.
- Once you reach level 10, strike out to the Ash Heap or the Mire in order to meet them!
Repeatable events and daily quests
Event: Riding Shotgun
- Riding Shotgun is a new event at Big Bend Tunnel East. Take part by speaking with Vinny Costa near the entrance to the Tunnel. He offers the event every so often, so check in with him regularly if you want to help him out.
- Merchants from the Blue Ridge Caravan want to pass through Big Bend Tunnel with their wares, but devious Blood Eagles are lying in wait, hoping to make an easy score.
- Successfully defend the Caravan as the merchants make their way through the Tunnel, and you will be handsomely rewarded.
Public Event: Radiation Rumble
- Radiation Rumble is a challenging new Public Event that will appear on the map at Emmett Mountain Disposal Site.
- A group of Scavengers have set their sights on mining the precious ore found deep within Emmett Mountain Disposal Site, but they’ve been backed into a corner by treacherous glowing creatures.
- Balance your time between defending the Scavengers and venturing out to help them mine ore, and they’ll give you a stake in the profits—but remember wear your Hazmat Suit!
New Daily Quests
- There are four new daily quests available in Wastelanders: Two from the Raiders at Crater, one from the Settlers at Foundation, and one more that you’ll discover as you play through main story quests.
- The Raider dailies alternate, with one of the two available to you each day.
- All four dailies can be completed to earn Treasury Notes, XP, Caps, and some loot.
- Daily quests from the Raiders and the Settlers will also award you with some reputation for your efforts.
New Enemies
Floaters
- Floaters are returning creatures from previous Fallout games. They come in three variations: Flamer, Freezer, and Chomper.
- They aren’t particularly tough, but when they swarm in with their Super Mutant brethren, they can really change a battle.
Wendigo Colossus
- The elusive Wendigo Colossus is a terrifying monstrosity rumored to only rear its head in areas hit by atomic fire.
- They are seriously tough, and even a hearty adventurer will find it challenging to square off with one alone. If you plan to hunt down a Wendigo Colossus bring friends—lots of them!
Blood Eagles
- Bloodthirsty and cruel, the Blood Eagles are a group of human miscreants fueled by chems, who treat the Wasteland like their personal playground.
- Even more frightening are their numbers. Bands of Blood Eagles have sprung up throughout Appalachia, so keep your weapons close and be ready to defend yourself.
Cult of the Mothman
- No one is quite sure what these mysterious cultists are up to, but they’ve recently begun inhabiting a few existing locations in Appalachia.
- Stay on your guard if you encounter these cultists in the wild. You can be sure that they won’t let you or anyone else get in the way of their. . . rituals.
Explore new and updated locations
- We’ve created a number of new locations that you will discover, such as the Watoga Underground, The Deep, The Wayward, new Blood Eagle and Mothman Cultist camps, and more.
- Additionally, with the return of people to Appalachia, many have already left their mark on the world. They’ve transformed many existing locations, like the Crashed Space Station, Spruce Knob, and WV Lumber Co., among others, to better suit their needs.
Art and graphics
- Day/Night Cycle: Daytime has been lengthened from 8 to 13 game hours, so that you have more sunshine while you quest, craft, and explore. Dusk, dawn, and nighttime have been shortened accordingly.
- Lighting: We’ve made significant improvements to all aspects of our lighting and rendering systems to bring additional realism and contrast to the game world.
General updates
- Vault 94: As mentioned in a previous announcement, Vault 94 and its Missions have been shut down along with the release of Wastelanders.
- Many of the item rewards that you could earn by completing Missions, including Strangler Heart Power Armor Plans, are now available through the Gold Bullion system.
- Nuclear Winter: The Storm now automatically constricts based on the number of players who begin a Nuclear Winter Match. This should help players get to the fun of a match more quickly and spend less time in matchmaking queues.
- This change was originally implemented in Update 16, but was reverted after community feedback that the automatic constriction was happening too often. We’ve since made improvements in this area and have brought this change back with the Wastelanders update.
Quality of life improvements
Quest UI updates
Quests have received significant user interface improvements in today’s update. Here is a summary of the adjustments we’ve made:
- All of your quest markers will now appear on the map.
- Inactive quests show up as black map markers, and quests you’re actively tracking will display the yellow markers you’re already familiar with.
- Main quests display square markers, while side, misc., and daily quests show diamond-shaped markers.
- Clicking a quest marker on the map will display a pop-up showing more details and a description of that quest.
- There are three new options on this pop-up that you can select to mark the quest as active, make it your only active quest, or show the quest in your Pip-Boy.
- When viewing a quest in your Pip-Boy, you can now choose to show that quest’s location on the map.
- New options are available that you can toggle to customize what types of quests are marked as active when you start them. Find these in the Game Settings Menu
Additional quality of life improvements
- Legendary Enemies: A notification now appears and sound effects play when a legendary creature regenerates to full health during combat.
- Nuke Zones: Spawning into an active Nuke Zone when you join a world is no fun! From now on, if there’s an active Nuke Zone at your login location, you will receive a prompt offering you the option to leave the current world and search for another.
- You will be protected from Radiation for a short period of time while you make your decision to stay or leave.
- This protection will end early if you move, attack, or take damage.
- Press and Hold: When viewing many types of pre-placed items in the world, you can now press and hold your interact button to quickly make use of those items without entering your Pip-Boy.
- For Example: You can press and hold the interact button to quickly equip and favorite weapons you find, consume an aid item, or learn a plan or recipe.
- If you’d prefer, you can still press the interact button without holding it down to add that item to your inventory.
- Public Events: The descriptions of Public Events on the map now include a suggested player level.
- Radio Host: A new arrival named Julia has taken to the airwaves to host Appalachia Radio. Tune in to catch her quips in between tracks.
- Search Perks: The functionality of “Search” Perks, like Scrounger and Pharma Farma, is now automatic. You no longer need to press a button to manually search containers for bonus supplies. You will get a friendly Vault Boy notification when your Perk has kicked in.
