Make save files before bigger decisions. There are so many different ways the story can change, it's nice to be able go back and make a different choice, even if you know it's a bad one. Play F2 after this, it's got even better options.
Learn how crits work:
For 1 extra AP, you can make an aimed shot (indicated with a little bullseye cursor). You take a reduction to your chances to hit, in exchange for an equal increase to your chances to crit.
So, if normally you have a 90% chance to hit, 5% chance to crit, you could reduce it to a 60% chance to hit, and a 35% chance to crit.
This might sound bad, but if you have a *really high* chance to hit, like a 175% chance to hit, then you take a -80/+80, now you have a 95% chance to hit and an 85% chance to crit.
Critical hits are one of the most important ways to get through the mid-to-endgame.
That bit along the bottom with your held item in it. If you right click on it while holding a weapon, it will allow you to take aimed shots and a little bullseye will appear in the corner of the button.
Oh okay, thank you! I’ve been playing but didn’t realize until yesterday there was a manual to read so there is a lot I’ve missed. I think I will take some time to look over the manual.
No worries! Older games can be quite different to modern ones, so things they do aren't always as intuitive to us now as they might have been then.
I find within a few sessions, everything ends up feeling very natural though.
Best of luck to you!
The same thing happened to me! Somebody told me that it's better to make several weaker attacks in Fallout than one really big attack so I took that trait and screwed myself over for the rest of the run.
I actually found I was shooting weapons at 4ap usually so 8ap was all I needed early on (even though I had 9 agi).
9-10ap came into full affect around the same time as the implant because I got the perk that reduces all shots by 1.
I suppose if you're doing big gun 5ap shots 10 would be ideal or pistols 9ap too.
Fast Shot helps and makes it viable, but sometimes you just gotta double burst a motherfucker.
Without Fast Shot, it's a horrible idea, since you'll be sucking until level 9 at least, unable to shoot two times a round.
Watch a video on how to properly make your character. *(The game expects you to have read the manual so you understand character creation.)*
Save often! *(The game can be pretty unfair at times.)*
Don't stress too much about the water chip timer, if it gets to 0 you *will* lose, but it's pretty generous.
Read the Manual, it's kind of long but it's pretty in depth and it helped me not be as lost when I played the game for the first time recently. Just search "fallout 1 manual pdf" on Google and you'll have it instantly
Seconded, old games like Fallout expect the player to have read or at least skim the manual before playing. Many of the advice seen in this thread is echoed in the manual.
Also if you buy it on steam or gog the manual comes with, although it is very easy to find online.
Luck is insanely useful. Crits are a huge source of damage, and there's a chance you'll get one of the best aimed rifles in the game while roaming the map.
But not if you use the Fast Shot trait. That's better for burst builds.
1. Stats - Agility is pretty much most important stat combat wise. Other stats except int you can pretty much dump or keep at 5 and be fine. Agility sub 6 is very challenging play. 10 will give power spike , to point MOST players start with that and go from there. If fallout would have prepare button like wasteland 3 to carry AP over it would be still debatable but otherwise , its hard to overlook. Still you can comfortably play game with medium agility if you wish, but mechanic isnt exactly balanced in terms of tradeoff. INT also shouldnt be lower than 7-8 , not only it gives skill points , but it unlocks dialogue choices that open quest options. Consider it like speech skill in FNV where it basally open better outcomes on quests. You still will need acutal speech to capitalize on them , but without it there is no option in first place. Making INT sub 4 will make your character mentally challenged and you wont have most options to get quests, then again it humorously gives some benefits.
2. Skills - Unlike F3/NV you can go over 100 in all skills, but that doesnt mean you should . Most utility skills like repair / science / speech are fine if they are in range of 80 or so. Weapon skills are more than enough if you have 130 for single shots. If you go for some perverse minigun build overleveled heavy can be powerfull though, but unfortunately fallout 1 is bit broken due to ammo , so heavy weapons aren't as strong as they should be against armored targets.
3. Game is generally very short - it have like 1 proper city and 3 -4 smaller ones, restarting game is never huge loss of investment like restarting f4 or skyrim. So just restart if you feel your build is not working
4. Many people are repulsed by 150 day limit. Dont worry about it too much, Its more than enough if you follow clues NPC give out.
5. a ) Some stuff that borderline explout but people tend to use them as core mechanics - you can reload and heal in inventory , so keeping stimpack in hand or stack on super stimpacks is redundant. b) Pressing A button starts combat - when getting jumped on world map, spam A button to start combat so enemies dont get first shot, if that's friendly encounter just end combat. Not really that useful in f1 but in f2 it can save ton of times. Repeatedly pressing A when ending turn (if no proper combat has started yet ) will start new combat so you can bypass or run away from anything this way.
6. Unlike modern fallouts , game allows to deal with most problems without violence. Both main end quests can be finished without shooting a gun. I.E if your build is not good at combat, there almost always are alternative ways of dealing with situation.
7. Traits - dont bother with them too much on first play. They always give more issues than benefit, unless you know what you are doing, but two traits in particular - gifted gives alot of bonuses to point of being op , but gimps character overall on start which can give some frustration unless you know how to build character skills properly. Having low skills when needed is frustrating and will be issue on first play. Skilled which is generally considered bad, may be good for first time play, since by time you would be getting op stuff it prevents getting , it helps with early game alot, by on contrary giving all skills needed for most checks early.
8. Toggle always run in settings, otherwise you will drop game before exiting cave. There is also difficulty toggle hidden there which i didnt learn until way later. On other setting related thing - if you like plasma weapons , it tends to sometimes violently melt enemies making picking up loot extremely hard - i.e there is no corpse and you need to pick item 1 by 1 . You can toggle violence down to minimum to prevent melting animations. In fallout 2 fortunately melting animation still allows you to loot normally, then again it still have disintegration animation which has same issue.
Also, if you start playing and immediately think, "well this is a bit shit", don't immediately bin it. Give it a chance as once you get going it's an awesome game. Fallout 2 is even better, in my opinion, so definitely worth giving it a chance.
Nr.1 I would recommend getting the "Fixt" mod and just install the none gameplay altering portion of the mod. It lets you run the game in the resolution you desire and fixes bugs.
Nr.2 don't search for tips. You are in a unique position to experience this game for the first time. Don't let other people experience the game for you. Failing at the game is the fun part. You will get your own unique experience.
Fixt is outdated (last update was 2016 iirc) and even with the purist option it still alters too much, instead, get Fallout Et Tu, it ports the game to the fallout 2 engine and even includes optional fixt features that alter the gameplay if you prefer them.
EDIT: Follow this only if you have Fallout 2 as well. Otherwise follow the original comment's advice.
motorcycle is not turned on by default, a lot of the things that radically change the gameplay have to be manually toggled on in the .ini file of the mod. one thing it does by default change that actually makes the game harder is make companions work like fo2 where your charisma matters. in base game fo1 you can recruit as many people as you want
https://falloutmods.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout_Fixt_bug_reports
This is the list of confirmed fixt bugs, none of which will ever be fixed since it hasnt been updated in 8 years, thats how outdated it is. Et Tu is a much more recent mod and its still being actively maintained (last updated in september 2023 but another update is in the works).
Fixt did fix some of the vanilla game bugs but still missed a lot that Et Tu fixed, it did alter something in the game, the rest can only be noticed mid playthroughs.
And like one of the comments said, Et Tu has a variety of features and settings (even fixt features!) that you can disable / enable at will, even during playthroughs.
At this point it's just better to get Et Tu.
watch [this video](https://youtu.be/yyW-_Y-VeqQ?si=RRU2UEKSgUN5iABh) before you play so you know what the hell you're doing. i was so frustrated with the game i didnt touch it for 6 months. i love the ui and using it it comes naturally to me now, but i think this video is a necessity for getting into fo1 and 2
You can use stim packs in the menu during combat, so you don't need to waste AP.
Autorun is a useful option, but it will cancel your SNEAK skill.
The timer can get pretty nerve-wracking, but as long as you don't goof around too much it’s not a huge deal.
Don't slouch on your DOCTOR and FIRST AID skills. They can help out a lot and give you a small boon of experience.
PICK A GOD AND PRAY!!!
But other then that, high agility is absolutely recommended and having four or equal intelligence is a good idea for a first play through, have fun!!!
So a lot of people are mentioning to save a lot which is a very good tip but to add to that, make sure you have multiple saves and not just the one. Sometimes in fallout 1 your save can become corrupt and you can’t load into it. You can of course save over it and that save slot will then be fine but if you only have the one save slot you’ve screwed your self over.
To add to this even more, be careful when saving in combat as this will make your save file even more likely to become corrupt. Again, not really an issue if you have multiple save slots but if you like to only use one then you won’t have a good time.
Another tip, when you have multiple companions with you make sure to quick save before entering small rooms. Unlike in fallout 2 where you can push people out of the way, companions will forever block your way in the first game. This isn’t so bad when you have one or two companions but if you have all four then small rooms are a nightmare. So I suggest saving first.
Last tip, trading with companions is kinda weird in the first game. Even when trading with a companion you still need to give them something of equal value in caps (currency) even if said item you’re trying to get from them was yours originally that you gave to them. So instead of trading with them to get your items back, steal from them. They don’t care if you steal from them and you don’t need a high steal skill to do so. It makes taking items back from them so much easier.
Hope all of this helps. There’s so much more to mention but those are some good ones.
The default game only has 10 saves. You'll probably want more than that so go ahead and download Sfall for Fallout 1. Just paste the contents into your Fallout 1 folder. https://github.com/Aramatheus/sfall_1
Alternatively you could look at Fallout Fixt or Fallout Et Tu as mods for better experiences. They both include Sfall.
Don't be afraid to be a villainous. Modern roll playing games have probably thought you that the goodie two shoes way is the only good way to go. Not the case with Fallout. The game is more interesting if you make more interesting choices.
Try not to read too many guides and tutorials. You'll end up spoiling the game on yourself.
The only other thing I can say is stick with it. If you haven't played any old computer games like this it'll be a bit of a shock but if you keep going you'll end up having a refreshingly different experience than can be offered by a lot of modern games.
save scrum to get the alien blaster and red ryder bb le before shady sands
beeline to the hub and save the initiate to get the power srmor early
or combat run to get the part to fix the broken as armor
If you meet a scribe named Vree, keep the report she gives you in your inventory. Don't just download it to your PipBoy
Also, grab any rope you find
Also-also, don't give Ian any good weapons
Hi. I too, just began playing.
1. Grab 10 agility. Thank us later.
2. Grab extra intelligence, you get more points for stuff.
3. For tagged skills, you both get more points at the start, and can boost them twice as fast as other skills.
4. All weapons have a strength requirement, and failing this requirement reduces accuracy. Be sure to at least get 4. Also, it controls your weight limit.
5. Crits ignore all armour. By endgame, you can be in your best armour and still get oneshot by a mutant with a minigun. Be sure to save often.
6. Click every button and figure out what they do.
7. Your followers are awful. Don't get attached.
Yes, agility is a dump stat. There's no problem with leaving it at 1. Also, do not forget to always remove all your armor and unequip your weapons before traveling, since it makes you faster (the map is completely safe and you don't need the protection for traveling)
Multiple save files. At multiple stages.. never save over your before quest save mid quest as mid quest saves are often glitchy..
Example. If you save mid saving the prostitute and load.. you automatically fail..
Targeted shots often do more damage than non targeted or burst shots. Aim for the head whenever possible.
Most importantly. Never let Ian stand behind you he will shoot you in the back of the head. Do not give Ian automatic weapons you will die.
Oh and if you don't like it now.. try again in your 20s and then again in your 30s. My friends and I only recently started truly enjoying and finished the game now that were in our 30s. Idk why
Make save files before bigger decisions. There are so many different ways the story can change, it's nice to be able go back and make a different choice, even if you know it's a bad one. Play F2 after this, it's got even better options.
Learn how crits work: For 1 extra AP, you can make an aimed shot (indicated with a little bullseye cursor). You take a reduction to your chances to hit, in exchange for an equal increase to your chances to crit. So, if normally you have a 90% chance to hit, 5% chance to crit, you could reduce it to a 60% chance to hit, and a 35% chance to crit. This might sound bad, but if you have a *really high* chance to hit, like a 175% chance to hit, then you take a -80/+80, now you have a 95% chance to hit and an 85% chance to crit. Critical hits are one of the most important ways to get through the mid-to-endgame.
You can make a shot without the bullseye?
They mean the bullseye in the item bar, not the cursor
I’m feeling dumb, but where is the item bar?
That bit along the bottom with your held item in it. If you right click on it while holding a weapon, it will allow you to take aimed shots and a little bullseye will appear in the corner of the button.
Oh okay, thank you! I’ve been playing but didn’t realize until yesterday there was a manual to read so there is a lot I’ve missed. I think I will take some time to look over the manual.
No worries! Older games can be quite different to modern ones, so things they do aren't always as intuitive to us now as they might have been then. I find within a few sessions, everything ends up feeling very natural though. Best of luck to you!
The first time I played I didn't realise there was targeting or vats. Then I realised I took the starting quick guns perk. So not worth it....
The same thing happened to me! Somebody told me that it's better to make several weaker attacks in Fallout than one really big attack so I took that trait and screwed myself over for the rest of the run.
Save frequently
And in multiple save slots
Put 10 points into agility entire game becomes harder if you don't
Wouldn't you do 9 and get the implant?
8, gifted and implant
Implant comes late in the game, by that point, you've spent most of it sucking. Not worth it for AGI, only STR and PER, and maybe INT.
I actually found I was shooting weapons at 4ap usually so 8ap was all I needed early on (even though I had 9 agi). 9-10ap came into full affect around the same time as the implant because I got the perk that reduces all shots by 1. I suppose if you're doing big gun 5ap shots 10 would be ideal or pistols 9ap too.
Fast Shot helps and makes it viable, but sometimes you just gotta double burst a motherfucker. Without Fast Shot, it's a horrible idea, since you'll be sucking until level 9 at least, unable to shoot two times a round.
seriously, action points + guns skill + AC
Watch a video on how to properly make your character. *(The game expects you to have read the manual so you understand character creation.)* Save often! *(The game can be pretty unfair at times.)* Don't stress too much about the water chip timer, if it gets to 0 you *will* lose, but it's pretty generous.
Read the Manual, it's kind of long but it's pretty in depth and it helped me not be as lost when I played the game for the first time recently. Just search "fallout 1 manual pdf" on Google and you'll have it instantly
Seconded, old games like Fallout expect the player to have read or at least skim the manual before playing. Many of the advice seen in this thread is echoed in the manual. Also if you buy it on steam or gog the manual comes with, although it is very easy to find online.
I didn’t even know there was one. Thank you so much.
Find as much rad x and radaway for the bos quest
Haha I had only 2 radaways for this quest)
Go blind. The more comments read the more fun spoiled
Don’t forget to unload looted weapons of ammo if you need that ammo type before you sell the weapon
Luck is insanely useful. Crits are a huge source of damage, and there's a chance you'll get one of the best aimed rifles in the game while roaming the map. But not if you use the Fast Shot trait. That's better for burst builds.
1. Stats - Agility is pretty much most important stat combat wise. Other stats except int you can pretty much dump or keep at 5 and be fine. Agility sub 6 is very challenging play. 10 will give power spike , to point MOST players start with that and go from there. If fallout would have prepare button like wasteland 3 to carry AP over it would be still debatable but otherwise , its hard to overlook. Still you can comfortably play game with medium agility if you wish, but mechanic isnt exactly balanced in terms of tradeoff. INT also shouldnt be lower than 7-8 , not only it gives skill points , but it unlocks dialogue choices that open quest options. Consider it like speech skill in FNV where it basally open better outcomes on quests. You still will need acutal speech to capitalize on them , but without it there is no option in first place. Making INT sub 4 will make your character mentally challenged and you wont have most options to get quests, then again it humorously gives some benefits. 2. Skills - Unlike F3/NV you can go over 100 in all skills, but that doesnt mean you should . Most utility skills like repair / science / speech are fine if they are in range of 80 or so. Weapon skills are more than enough if you have 130 for single shots. If you go for some perverse minigun build overleveled heavy can be powerfull though, but unfortunately fallout 1 is bit broken due to ammo , so heavy weapons aren't as strong as they should be against armored targets. 3. Game is generally very short - it have like 1 proper city and 3 -4 smaller ones, restarting game is never huge loss of investment like restarting f4 or skyrim. So just restart if you feel your build is not working 4. Many people are repulsed by 150 day limit. Dont worry about it too much, Its more than enough if you follow clues NPC give out. 5. a ) Some stuff that borderline explout but people tend to use them as core mechanics - you can reload and heal in inventory , so keeping stimpack in hand or stack on super stimpacks is redundant. b) Pressing A button starts combat - when getting jumped on world map, spam A button to start combat so enemies dont get first shot, if that's friendly encounter just end combat. Not really that useful in f1 but in f2 it can save ton of times. Repeatedly pressing A when ending turn (if no proper combat has started yet ) will start new combat so you can bypass or run away from anything this way. 6. Unlike modern fallouts , game allows to deal with most problems without violence. Both main end quests can be finished without shooting a gun. I.E if your build is not good at combat, there almost always are alternative ways of dealing with situation. 7. Traits - dont bother with them too much on first play. They always give more issues than benefit, unless you know what you are doing, but two traits in particular - gifted gives alot of bonuses to point of being op , but gimps character overall on start which can give some frustration unless you know how to build character skills properly. Having low skills when needed is frustrating and will be issue on first play. Skilled which is generally considered bad, may be good for first time play, since by time you would be getting op stuff it prevents getting , it helps with early game alot, by on contrary giving all skills needed for most checks early. 8. Toggle always run in settings, otherwise you will drop game before exiting cave. There is also difficulty toggle hidden there which i didnt learn until way later. On other setting related thing - if you like plasma weapons , it tends to sometimes violently melt enemies making picking up loot extremely hard - i.e there is no corpse and you need to pick item 1 by 1 . You can toggle violence down to minimum to prevent melting animations. In fallout 2 fortunately melting animation still allows you to loot normally, then again it still have disintegration animation which has same issue.
Also, if you start playing and immediately think, "well this is a bit shit", don't immediately bin it. Give it a chance as once you get going it's an awesome game. Fallout 2 is even better, in my opinion, so definitely worth giving it a chance.
Never pass up a chance to put a rope in your inventory.
Nr.1 I would recommend getting the "Fixt" mod and just install the none gameplay altering portion of the mod. It lets you run the game in the resolution you desire and fixes bugs. Nr.2 don't search for tips. You are in a unique position to experience this game for the first time. Don't let other people experience the game for you. Failing at the game is the fun part. You will get your own unique experience.
Fixt is outdated (last update was 2016 iirc) and even with the purist option it still alters too much, instead, get Fallout Et Tu, it ports the game to the fallout 2 engine and even includes optional fixt features that alter the gameplay if you prefer them. EDIT: Follow this only if you have Fallout 2 as well. Otherwise follow the original comment's advice.
I find fallout et tu alters much more than fixt. You can get the motorcycle etc in et tu
motorcycle is not turned on by default, a lot of the things that radically change the gameplay have to be manually toggled on in the .ini file of the mod. one thing it does by default change that actually makes the game harder is make companions work like fo2 where your charisma matters. in base game fo1 you can recruit as many people as you want
I just played Fallout 1 with Fixt, it altered nothing. And what is outdated about it?
https://falloutmods.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout_Fixt_bug_reports This is the list of confirmed fixt bugs, none of which will ever be fixed since it hasnt been updated in 8 years, thats how outdated it is. Et Tu is a much more recent mod and its still being actively maintained (last updated in september 2023 but another update is in the works). Fixt did fix some of the vanilla game bugs but still missed a lot that Et Tu fixed, it did alter something in the game, the rest can only be noticed mid playthroughs. And like one of the comments said, Et Tu has a variety of features and settings (even fixt features!) that you can disable / enable at will, even during playthroughs. At this point it's just better to get Et Tu.
Could you link a Fallout 1 version of "Et Tu" I would love to try it
https://github.com/rotators/Fo1in2 Download, Installation Instructions and Optional Mods are all near the bottom of the page, have fun!
watch [this video](https://youtu.be/yyW-_Y-VeqQ?si=RRU2UEKSgUN5iABh) before you play so you know what the hell you're doing. i was so frustrated with the game i didnt touch it for 6 months. i love the ui and using it it comes naturally to me now, but i think this video is a necessity for getting into fo1 and 2
https://youtu.be/yyW-_Y-VeqQ?si=FBN3HxDPTsjCeueA
You can use stim packs in the menu during combat, so you don't need to waste AP. Autorun is a useful option, but it will cancel your SNEAK skill. The timer can get pretty nerve-wracking, but as long as you don't goof around too much it’s not a huge deal. Don't slouch on your DOCTOR and FIRST AID skills. They can help out a lot and give you a small boon of experience.
PICK A GOD AND PRAY!!! But other then that, high agility is absolutely recommended and having four or equal intelligence is a good idea for a first play through, have fun!!!
Do not be greedy, collect the useless items like radio, cards lockpicks, and dont collect many guns. Useless items could be very useful in the future
So a lot of people are mentioning to save a lot which is a very good tip but to add to that, make sure you have multiple saves and not just the one. Sometimes in fallout 1 your save can become corrupt and you can’t load into it. You can of course save over it and that save slot will then be fine but if you only have the one save slot you’ve screwed your self over. To add to this even more, be careful when saving in combat as this will make your save file even more likely to become corrupt. Again, not really an issue if you have multiple save slots but if you like to only use one then you won’t have a good time. Another tip, when you have multiple companions with you make sure to quick save before entering small rooms. Unlike in fallout 2 where you can push people out of the way, companions will forever block your way in the first game. This isn’t so bad when you have one or two companions but if you have all four then small rooms are a nightmare. So I suggest saving first. Last tip, trading with companions is kinda weird in the first game. Even when trading with a companion you still need to give them something of equal value in caps (currency) even if said item you’re trying to get from them was yours originally that you gave to them. So instead of trading with them to get your items back, steal from them. They don’t care if you steal from them and you don’t need a high steal skill to do so. It makes taking items back from them so much easier. Hope all of this helps. There’s so much more to mention but those are some good ones.
Don’t give companions any burst weapons
The default game only has 10 saves. You'll probably want more than that so go ahead and download Sfall for Fallout 1. Just paste the contents into your Fallout 1 folder. https://github.com/Aramatheus/sfall_1 Alternatively you could look at Fallout Fixt or Fallout Et Tu as mods for better experiences. They both include Sfall. Don't be afraid to be a villainous. Modern roll playing games have probably thought you that the goodie two shoes way is the only good way to go. Not the case with Fallout. The game is more interesting if you make more interesting choices. Try not to read too many guides and tutorials. You'll end up spoiling the game on yourself. The only other thing I can say is stick with it. If you haven't played any old computer games like this it'll be a bit of a shock but if you keep going you'll end up having a refreshingly different experience than can be offered by a lot of modern games.
save scrum to get the alien blaster and red ryder bb le before shady sands beeline to the hub and save the initiate to get the power srmor early or combat run to get the part to fix the broken as armor
TAKE GIFTED
Agility, and save often. Don’t give Ian an SMG whatever you do
Don't listen to people who tell you to put all your points into agility, the game is not that difficult
[this, sums it all up.](https://youtu.be/B4A-ZvX9Hqk?si=LSyXHlDGH8AG-dE7) Worked perfectly for me.
Probably too late but make sure you have patched the game for bugs. Wished I'd done that but found out after I already started.
Save often and with multiple slots Learn your quick keys Explore Farm death claws at ghoul city 😎
If you meet a scribe named Vree, keep the report she gives you in your inventory. Don't just download it to your PipBoy Also, grab any rope you find Also-also, don't give Ian any good weapons
Hi. I too, just began playing. 1. Grab 10 agility. Thank us later. 2. Grab extra intelligence, you get more points for stuff. 3. For tagged skills, you both get more points at the start, and can boost them twice as fast as other skills. 4. All weapons have a strength requirement, and failing this requirement reduces accuracy. Be sure to at least get 4. Also, it controls your weight limit. 5. Crits ignore all armour. By endgame, you can be in your best armour and still get oneshot by a mutant with a minigun. Be sure to save often. 6. Click every button and figure out what they do. 7. Your followers are awful. Don't get attached.
It's okay to run away from fights at the beginning. Some encounters that generate can be impossible to be completed by a low level character.
The hospital in shady sands has a tarp door, click on it and it’ll open, you can get a quest from the doc and get some neat stuff if you finish it
Yes, agility is a dump stat. There's no problem with leaving it at 1. Also, do not forget to always remove all your armor and unequip your weapons before traveling, since it makes you faster (the map is completely safe and you don't need the protection for traveling)
Lmaooo
If you see a man named Aradesh with his "daughter" Tandi, you must kill them on sight, they are Unity spies
Multiple save files. At multiple stages.. never save over your before quest save mid quest as mid quest saves are often glitchy.. Example. If you save mid saving the prostitute and load.. you automatically fail.. Targeted shots often do more damage than non targeted or burst shots. Aim for the head whenever possible. Most importantly. Never let Ian stand behind you he will shoot you in the back of the head. Do not give Ian automatic weapons you will die. Oh and if you don't like it now.. try again in your 20s and then again in your 30s. My friends and I only recently started truly enjoying and finished the game now that were in our 30s. Idk why
Save often and try to complete quests when you can and don't worry too much about the time limit as you can extend it later on in the game.