Is The Glow worth the trouble?

[valcik]

I'm just "fairly sure" the cutoff is at about 85%.

It's 91, methinks. The formula must be something like this: (100-CurrentSkillValue)/10; rounded down. So if your current skill counts 91% and you're trying to read another book, you'll get (100-91)/10 points -> 0.9 rounded down to zero.

 

[Atomkilla]

Yep, 91.

"The amount of skill points gained is equal to 100, subtract the current skill level, divide by 10, and then rounded down. Thus, the maximum a skill can be increased by books is up to 91%."

http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Fallout_skill_books

 

[DarkCorp]

Well without any kind of spoilers or advice, the glow, atleast first visit, is pretty damn foreboding and lethal. One can just grind/quest for the amount of money that one needs for advanced weapons. But yea, I dunno if it was patched but I figured out a way into the BoS, without needing to go into the glow period. That in itself provided me with weapons although, pre-patch atleast, the hands down best weapon to get was the gatling laser.

 

[SnapSlav]

I'm just "fairly sure" the cutoff is at about 85%.

It's 91, methinks. The formula must be something like this: (100-CurrentSkillValue)/10; rounded down. So if your current skill counts 91% and you're trying to read another book, you'll get (100-91)/10 points -> 0.9 rounded down to zero.

That can't be possible, because using that formula you could get no more than 10 Skill Points from reading a Book (assuming your Skill was an appalling 0% to start with) and Skill Books grant 15-25 points to Skills in a single read (no Perks involved, by the way) that are at lower levels of roughly 20-40%. Remember that IN has an impact in the efficiency in reading Skill Books (which might explain how I ever got more than 10 points above the supposed maximum, several times, as my characters were usually highly intelligent) so it seems like that formula's possibly missing some parts. Sounds like that snippet comes from a revised version of the formula.

 

[valcik]

.. and Skill Books grant 15-25 points to Skills in a single read (no Perks involved, by the way)

That's true for three tag skills only, the bonus granted by reading is doubled in such case.

 

[SnapSlav]

Perhaps, but I'm pretty sure it was a hefty gain on Skills I hadn't tagged. Eh, either way, I'm drawing from memory of the last time I played FO1, which was over a year ago. I could easily be mistaken.

 

[zegh8578]

What a strange question...

"Is one of the primary locations, and entire points of playing the game in the first place, worth visiting? I realize rad-x is scarce in the game, I have only found a few tens of them, and I am reluctant to use two of these ten, for the only location where rad-x are sorely needed!"

Answer: Yes.

 

[pyroD]

Okay thanks, I think it'll work for me then.

 

[BigBoss]

Now the Glow has tons of loot that you can later use or sell. But is it worth the radiation poisoning? Rad-x is pretty scarce in the game and Rad away even more so.

Hmmm... not really. In the Hub, Old Town I think where those guys are locked up in that warehouse and they immediately ask you what your doing there? So long as you click on the barter button right away before you answer, you can buy/sell with them. They have fucking waves of both medications, along with a lot of other useful Stims. If your a junkie like me, that is.

I just like the Glow, in and of itself; it's my favorite location in Fallout.

Eh... Boneyard is mine. Not just Adytum, Cathedral, or Followers, but the whole entire area. It really gives you a view of what the bombs did and how people have to survive in the skeleton of old "mega-cities". Especially when you first wander in there and figure out its LA.

 

[Atomic Postman]

It's a pretty good location, but I wouldn't say it was worth it at all.


For sure you can get some decent loot in there, as well as a massive insight into the Lore with ZAX, but the radioactivity definitely negates any pros that the Glow has.

If I'm doing a "Legacy" playthrough (What I would consider to be my "Canon" playthroughs) I'll toughen up and dive into the facility, but on other playthroughs I will just run in, grab the holodisk and run out.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

The last time I played Fallout was the first time I went below the first level and it really is worth it. If you have 2 Rad-X and take them as soon as you arrive or stop just short and take them there you have 100% radiation resistance that will last as long as you need to be there. Just don't rest or waste time and you are probably best waiting until after you get the water chip to tackle it. The first level has what you need to get into the Brotherhood, ZAX is really interesting to talk to and there is some great loot including a plasma rifle which you can upgrade to the turbo plasma rifle which I find to be the best weapon in the game. The money you'll pay to get drugs to resist the radiation really pays off.

 

[Gizmojunk]

It's a pretty good location, but I wouldn't say it was worth it at all.

The last time I played Fallout was the first time I went below the first level and it really is worth it. If you have 2 Rad-X and take them as soon as you arrive or stop just short and take them there you have 100% radiation resistance that will last as long as you need to be there. Just don't rest or waste time and you are probably best waiting until after you get the water chip to tackle it. The first level has what you need to get into the Brotherhood, ZAX is really interesting to talk to and there is some great loot including a plasma rifle which you can upgrade to the turbo plasma rifle which I find to be the best weapon in the game. The money you'll pay to get drugs to resist the radiation really pays off.

I get the saddening impression that a lot of the responses (and possibly the OP's intent ), view the question differently than some of the other fans... (and certainly myself). For the answers given seem to view "Is it worth it?" in like manner to "exploring a mud(?) filled sewer ~reportedly with a lost diamond necklace in it"; Rather than "Is it Worth it?"... as in like a trip to the 'metropolitan museum of art'.

 

[SnapSlav]

Well that's not what the thread was about. It wasn't a question of seeing some magnificent piece of art, but whether a risky journey that was potentially expensive to undertake, on top of being risky, was worth the risk. Cause it's risky. And appropriately, the overwhelming response to that was "Yes, it's worth it, GO NAU!!!!!" to which the OP aptly replied, "Okay thanks, I think it'll work for me then."

It's ALSO a delightful place to visit, from a purely aesthetic perspective, and plenty of us covered that angle of The Glow as well, though that's not strictly what the topic question was regarding.

 

[BigBoss]

The Rads aren't really what you need to worry about though if you plan on going deeper than the first floor.

What you really need to worry about are the semi-powerful security robots that you wake up once you turn the power on. This can be a bit challenging fighting through all of these, especially if you haven't gotten your Power Armor yet, and your in that mid-point of the game where you can handle yourself, but your not exactly the Don Mega yet.

Either that or you need to worry about beating ZAX at chest. He's a bastard.

 

[Gizmojunk]

The Rads aren't really what you need to worry about though if you plan on going deeper than the first floor.

What you really need to worry about are *****************************************. This can be a bit challenging ************************, especially if you haven't gotten your Power Armor yet, and your in that mid-point of the game where you can handle yourself, but your not exactly the Don Mega yet.

Either that or you need to worry about *****************. He's a bastard.

My gosh, those both should be in spoiler tags; the first one especially... You just gave away 1½ devilish surprises that West-Tek can bite you with.

(I don't see how to use spoiler tags on NMA. )

 

[SnapSlav]

I'd care to disagree, ESPECIALLY considering the same things have been discussed, in greater length, repeatedly in this topic, before, all of which was read by the OP. So no, not really spoiler-tag required.

 

[Gizmojunk]

Come on... They would be for anyone that didn't know yet... How anyone here willingly ruin it for those that hadn't the chance to get surprised by that!?
(And now never will.)

 

[SnapSlav]

You're arguing in favor of coming to the last and most recent post in a relatively short forum thread without having read ANY of the rest of the thread, and taking issue with that latest of posts what would be recognized as a total non-issue by the rest of the thread's content and discussion.
This is the wrong place to be spouting such nonsense.

 

[Gizmojunk]

You're arguing in favor of coming to the last and most recent post in a relatively short forum thread without having read ANY of the rest of the thread, and taking issue with that latest of posts what would be recognized as a total non-issue by the rest of the thread's content and discussion.
This is the wrong place to be spouting such nonsense.

No... I was not arguing, I was in mild shock that [forum wide] posters would casually ruin one [almost two] of the coolest surprises they could from the Glow. It's difficult to understand... Obviously most people know it already... but new players arrive here every week looking for information or just plain interested... and you see this printed in plain text ... that's all.

 

[BigBoss]

Casually ruin for... whom?

The thread topic is "Is The Glow worth the trouble". Former posts above have also given me light to be able to discuss what is waiting in the Glow in order for the reader to make an accurate decision whether they choose to avoid this yet or not.

And besides, who would I be spoiling it for? The random newcomer to Fallout 1 whose probably not signed up to NMA that just happened to be searching through this thread (and by the name and the thread and posts before me, should have realized there would be spoilers if he/she cared some much for avoiding them)?