One working joke that has at all times alarmed my buddies is how good I feel a Fallout apocalypse could be. Not on floor zero, thoughts, I am speaking about attending to sleep for 100 years (which I might actually use proper about now) in a cryovat, to then get up and get to discover a brand new untamed world finishing enjoyable little quests and attempting to find trinkets and scrap which I can retailer in a clunky but purposeful base. Just about my solely hope of changing into a home-owner, at this level.
However as that is probably not within the playing cards for me, like I might ever get entry to a working cryovat, I’ve at all times settled for simply immersing myself in Fallout video games, particularly Fallout 76. Being a dwell service recreation has meant that there is at all times a brand new purpose to wander the Wasteland, even when my dedication has wildly fluctuated over time, it is at all times good popping again in and accumulating much more junk for my base.
However as time went on, I discovered myself returning to Fallout 76 much less and fewer; there’s solely so many hours within the day. That is to not say there’s nothing occurring in West Virginia. Current updates like Skyline Valley added some thrilling escort missions, and there is a new dungeon raid developing, which seems like a hell of a whole lot of enjoyable. However, for me, the flame was fading nonetheless. That was till I was a ghoul.
I created a recent character to ghoulify, partly as a result of I needed to see what it might be prefer to play via many of the missions as a ghoul, however principally as a result of I needed to create a creepy persona that may actually embody what it might be prefer to wrinkle up like a raisin and lose your nostril. Enter Gunner the Ghoul.
I often prefer to battle from the sidelines with rifles, so selecting up a fireaxe or a bone membership has felt a bit overseas, however on account of a ghoul’s predisposition for shut fight, it appeared like a little bit of a waste to not lean in the direction of a melee construct. For that reason, I prioritised power and endurance in addition to gathering a great deal of sturdy melee weapons.
You see, radiation does not simply heal ghouls, you too can get a glow defend, which acts like armour relying on how a lot radiation you eat. For instance, in case you have 240 well being and stand in a river lengthy sufficient till your glow bar is at 75%, then you definitely get an additional 180 HP, which may actually turn out to be useful while you’re preventing a robust opponent and do not have time to achieve for a stimpack.
There’s additionally a Hulk-like capability out there to ghouls with the assistance of the Radioactive Power perk. With this, you enter an enraged berserker part, which at its weakest rank allows you to deal 50% extra injury with energy assaults and bashing, and the strongest offers you a whopping 150% enhance.
I do not assume I will be abandoning my ghoul life any time quickly.
Different ghoul-specific perk playing cards which I’ve made use of to make me a bit extra harmful embrace Bone Shatterer, Thick Pores and skin, and Jaguar Pace. These enhance melee weapon assaults, let me take much less injury from ballistics, and enhance my dash velocity when my glow is excessive. All of which may come actually useful mid-fight, particularly if I must make a fast getaway. There’s additionally the Arms of Metal perk, which I nonetheless preserve in my again pocket regardless of making an attempt to surrender long-ranged weapons. Decreasing ranged weapon recoil by 15% is simply too attractive.
Aside from moving into too many fights, it has been nice enjoyable experiencing the Wasteland another way. Locations that I used to keep away from or strategy with nice warning now welcome me with open arms. It signifies that nowhere is inaccessible for me anymore, and I can take my candy time exploring the radioactive fields close to Vault 63 or fixing up the nuclear energy vegetation scattered across the map.
I’ve additionally taken to swimming from one location to a different since changing into a ghoul. The rivers and lakes in Appalachia are radioactive sufficient to maintain my glow excessive, giving me additional power and velocity. I really feel like a superhuman. It additionally means if anybody causes me any bother, all I’ve to do is lure them to a physique of water or a radioactive website or ingest an ungodly quantity of uncooked meat in an effort to activate my rad powers.
Turning right into a ghoul does not utterly change Fallout 76, nor does it repair a few of its rougher edges. I nonetheless get disconnected extra occasions than I care to speak about, nevertheless it does give long-time gamers a brand new avenue to discover, and newer prospects a cool purpose to leap in and begin from scratch. Regardless of with the ability to change again to being a standard human fairly simply, I do not assume I will be abandoning my ghoul life any time quickly, not whereas there are such a lot of rivers to swim in and radioactive ore to sleep subsequent to.
