Question about the Gizmo quests in Fallout 1

[imhotep]

I wonder how good my chances are that anyone still cares about the first Fallout game and knows the answer to this....

I started playing FO1 yesterday and already I'm stuck. I'm in Junktown and just got assigned the quest by Killian to get evidence against Gizmo. Unfortunately I made the mistake of walking into his casino with my gun in-hand. The guards went hostile right away so I fled knowing I'd die quickly. Now one of them is standing in the doorway and I can't get back in to talk with Gizmo and finish the quest.

Does the guard go away after awhile? Do I need to rest or let some time lapse and then come back?

FYI, when I try to talk to the guard it doesn't get me anywhere.

Thanks for your help.

 

[WraithUV]

You'll find lots of folks around who still care a great deal about the original, and I'm sure someone will come along with more accurate answers before too long, but...

While I've played the original quite recently for the millionth time or so, it's been a while since I did something accidental like that in Junktown, so I don't quite remember if there's still a means to complete that quest or not once you make those guards hostile.

I'd suggest trying to lure the guards out a bit and see if you can get your companions to kill them, then leave and re-enter that map. If you can talk to Gizmo without he or his bodyguard being hostile you should be fine, but if he attacks instead, you'll likely have to load a prior save-game if you really want to complete that quest.

Also, as usual, make sure you've got the last unofficial patch installed. If I remember correctly, Junktown was particularly wonky with some of its team and AI assignments, and I think that latest patch tried to correct a lot of those errors, which helps in several situations that were otherwise rather buggy and *very* picky originally.

Like I said, I'm sure someone with more specific and correct knowledge than myself will wander along before too long, but good luck in any case.

-Wraith

 

[imhotep]

Wraith, thanks for your help. I wasn't even sure if the whole Killian/Gizmo interaction was critical to the main quest, but it sounds like maybe not...?

I got to the other Vault and saw that I would need a rope to descend the elevator shaft. Next I went to Shady Pines hoping to find someone who sold rope, but no luck. Then on to Junktown hoping that Killian would sell one, but he only had like five things on him. So I'm still in search of a rope to descend into Vault 15....

Where can I download the latest patch for the game?

 

[WraithUV]

Wraith, thanks for your help. I wasn't even sure if the whole Killian/Gizmo interaction was critical to the main quest, but it sounds like maybe not...?

Nope. It's a great little sideline, but it has no particular bearing whatsoever on the main quest... Though the final results of your actions in Junktown WILL have an impact on the ultimate fate of Junktown, which you'll get as a little narrated slide-show when the game ends. I don't want to spoil anything though, so that's all I'll say.

I got to the other Vault and saw that I would need a rope to descend the elevator shaft. Next I went to Shady Pines hoping to find someone who sold rope, but no luck. Then on to Junktown hoping that Killian would sell one, but he only had like five things on him. So I'm still in search of a rope to descend into Vault 15....

A few words of advice... Not sure if you're used to this sort of game, but...
1. Save early, save often, and get used to rotating your save slot so you can step back just a little if need be. This allows you to experiment a bit without completely screwing things up.

It's generally recommended to save before any conversation, before you go "messing with someone's stuff" and after you succeed in something like stealing or combat, or after you manage to get what seem to be favorable results from a conversation with an NPC.

Of course, individual tastes vary, and some people refuse to save at all except between play sessions in an attempt to play an "Iron Man" type game, so it's ultimately up to you...

2. LOOK around carefully. Talk to everyone, and pass your pointer over anything and everything that looks even a tiny bit interesting and see if you can perhaps interact with it.

Case in point, I know there's at least 1 rope you can pick right up off the ground in one area of Shady Sands, and at least one more which you CAN barter for from a certain NPC there.

3. Not everything is obvious or consistent in Fallout. Some shopkeepers will always and only have things to barter if you SPEAK to them. Others, like Killian's store as a perfect example has multiple selections. You get one set of "store goods" to buy by clicking on him... but try "searching" each of his tables. You'll find new selections of goods for each one of them

This won't be the case everywhere, and sometimes people may get angry for you messing with their stuff, hence the earlier "save early / often" tip.

Where can I download the latest patch for the game?

Have a look at NMA's file section. Specifically for this matter, the Fallout 1 Patches. I would suggest at a minimum the official 1.1 patch (if your game isn't already at that version), but really I don't think the unofficial TeamX patches do anything other than bug fixes and perhaps a tiny bit of content restoration. I don't remember for certain, but I definitely don't remember them doing anything that greatly changes the feel or intent of the game, or that would cause me to recommend against them for a first time player. Therefore, I'd personally probably install the TeamX 1.2 patch, followed by the TeamX 1.3.4 patch. Make sure you grab the English versions, unless you're fluent in (and your game is) Russian.

If you didn't see any children in Shady Sands, I'd also highly suggest the children patch, which will add them back in.

As for mods... I'd stay away from most of those until you've played the "vanilla" game at least a time or three, though one possible exception is Timeslip's Engine tweaks.

That won't do anything to lessen your first-time experience, though it can be helpful for making the game behave a little nicer on today's newer machines and OS's, so it may be worth a look, particularly if you've already run into some problems getting Fallout to play nice on your system.

Happy gaming,
-Wraith

 

[imhotep]

Thanks again Wraith. I've always enjoyed RPGs and I've played several, but I rarely finish them :-/ Everytime I start a new one I hope to break my habit of quitting before the end. Maybe this will be the one.

Being that my copy is the recent Trilogy on DVD release, I'm thinking the official patches are probably in there. What exactly do the TeamX patches add?

I'm off to play some more

 

[WraithUV]

Anytime.

As for specifics of the patches, I honestly couldn't remember all the fixes, but the archives contain readme files that list everything. Essentially it's an assortment of various minor bugs and exploits that were still in the game after the official patch. Most if not all of them were pretty minor, but still, it's nice to have them fixed.

Personally I refuse to play FO1 without the TeamX patches anymore, just as I absolutely will not play FO2 without Killap's unofficial patch. The number and severity of bugs left in FO2 were far greater than FO1, but I just like both of 'em to be as close to bug-free as they can before I fire 'em up.

... Actually, nowadays I always play FO2 with Killap's restoration project installed (which already includes all the patches), but I hesitate to suggest that to anyone who's not played through a time or two themselves. Too much a purist at heart, I suppose.

-Wraith

 

[imhotep]

On a related topic, I've been playing for only a few hours, but I get the impression maybe I haven't spent enough time grinding through the lower levels. Currently I'm level 2 and I can't survive a random encounter on the large map while traveling between sites. Even if its only two radscorpions I have to run instead of fight. Right now I'm in the radscorpion caves and doing my best to take them one at a time. So far so good, although I'm probably going to run out of stimpacks before I finish killing them all. So far I haven't been rewarded any caps so I can't buy more. Hopefully I can trade some scorpion tales for stimpacks or something. Even better would be a quest giver who rewards with caps sometime soon.

Man, I sound like a total newbie :-/

 

[Kanhef]

Unlike some games, a large amount of experience is gained in quests and other non-violent activities, rather than 'grinding' random encounters. Radscorpions are tough early on; the rats in V15 are much easier to handle, and you can find some armor and a better weapon or two there. You could also return to V13. After a few days they'll let you back in and have some more equipment you can take.

Not many people will give you a lot of money. Most of the time you'll buy things by trading equipment you don't need, not just paying caps.

 

[Per]

The Animal Friend perk is also useful with rats and scorpions. Except once you can get it, you don't need it.

 

[lasix9]

As posted earlier, experience is different than in most RPGs. Just going out and leveling on creatures in the wastes is feasible, but there are so many better ways to get XP in that game.

If you are having trouble with some of the more combat related aspects of the game, and will probably need more points in your combat skills, try the diplomatic approach to things. Assuming you are able to convince other NPCs to fight for you, you could play the game as a pacifist.

Though that can be a boring way to play.

If you can't make it through the radscorp lair, nor vault 15, move on to Junktown (try to ask about it in town if possible).

My first playthrough of the game was similar to yours. With enough time and effort, you will know this game like the back of your hand.

Good luck .

 

[imhotep]

I wanted to post the conclusion to my dilemma in case anyone else finds this thread helpful. That guard will never stop blocking the door at Gizmo's casino if you make the mistake I did of going in wielding a weapon. So I waited until about level 3 and went back there. First I helped myself to Killian's stashes and then I fought Dr. Morbid's guards to see how things would go. It wasn't too bad, so I finsihed off the doc and then attacked the guard blocking Gizmo's door. It was a crazy easy fight. From that point on you can pick up the quest Killian assigns you with no problem.

Currently I'm all done with Junktown and exploring the hub, trying to find someone with info about a water chip.

 

[Ad Astra]

[snip] Unfortunately I made the mistake of walking into his casino with my gun in-hand. The guards went hostile right away so I fled knowing I'd die quickly. Now one of them is standing in the doorway and I can't get back in to talk with Gizmo and finish the quest. [snip]

Remember Seth in Shady Sands? Or Kalnor at the front gate of Junktown? In both cases, you were told to holster your weapon before entering the town. I think that is Fallout's delightfully subtle way of saying "Put your weapons away when around the townsfolk... or you'll be the first one shot."

So yeah, you made a little mistake. But you found a way around it, too! And now you know how to make your next character's life in the Wasteland a little bit easier.