Starting Guide for New Players

A player contribution for new players just starting the game, written during Season 6.

DISCLAIMER
As with all wiki content, guides posted here by specific players are subject to editing by anyone in the 2238 editing community. Original authors should have no expectations to exclusivity regarding content. The game changes over time as developers see fit, and other editors will make changes even within the same season.

Administrative Note
This is one player's advice to new players about how to best get started in 2238. It is intended to serve as an expansion to Advice for beginners. It was originally posted here and received positive response from many players though not all players agree on all of the points presented here.

• First download the game. JovankaB's preset game is best.
• Optional: Download alternate "evil interface" and put it in the data folder of your FOnline2238 game. It has a transparent Barter screen, so thieves have less chance of stealing from you.

• Do not forget to enable Turn-Based mode via the Config tool in your FOnline folder (unless you want to die a lot in the beginning). Normally it's set for either Real-Time or both. NOTE: if you get into someone else's encounter or in a town you still have to fight in Real-Time.

• Make sure you have player names turned on (F6) so you can see player names in-game (this is enabled by default in JovankaB's recommended files).

• Now read Advice for beginners if you haven't already.

• Create a new character (don't worry you can create as many as you want just don't log 2 alts at the same time) and make it a trader character who can wield guns. Alternately you might create an "Explorer" as BenedictKain‏‎ said in a reply to this post have a look at his reply first) Tag Small Guns, Barter and Outdoorsman. You don't have to take any Traits since they are optional. Set Luck to 1, Perception to 6, and Agility to 10. The other stats are more flexible and up to you. Charisma should be either 3 or higher. Write down your character name and password somewhere safe because if you forget, it's unlikely you'll ever see your character again. Game staff will not recover lost password info for you.

• Always check when you exit a town: is anyone following me? Check the followers list on the World Map screen under your character name to see if anyone else is listed there, or you might killed and looted when you get to your tent.

• Fire up the game and go to the World Map and check if you spawn near Shady Sands. If not, (Vault City or Hub) i strongly suggest to create another character.

• Loot the table in the shed if it is there where you spawned and hold on to that Tool; it is worth a lot to a beginner because you can make a Workbench with it at your Tent after you created a campfire. A campfire needs 3 Wood.

• Next, read about NCR below, and then travel there once you understand how risky it is to enter places that are populated by other players, even guarded places, especially NCR. Run from any encounters along the way.

• Go visit Buster in the main entry area at NCR next to the guns sign ask him for a job. If he say "go away freak" or something like that, then your Charisma is too low. Use Beer or Mentats to boost Charisma to 3 or higher. Complete the job and you should have your first Leather Jacket.

• Don't wear it yet and look around the entering point where you came if there are players. Try asking them questions and tell them that you're new. (I estimate you have around 80% chance this session to get basic free items/advice from in-game players). Do not follow them on the exit grid yet unless you want to take a big chance. Okay now you can wear the jacket (saying you're new in a Leather Jacket lowers the chance of getting stuff as you already have something).

• Shovel Poo till you level up, as noted in Advice for beginners.

• Hide any items you have in a good place when no one is around and write down where you left it. Players can find it and take it so don't leave it there too long.

• Get a Tent as soon as possible by any of these ways:
  • Buy it from a player (80 to 100 caps each is common).
  • Do the A Tent in the Wasteland quest and get one as a reward. Get to level 2 however you like, for example by shoveling poo in the cow pens in NCR, Junktown and Hub. At level 2, go to the World Map and you’ll notice a small green circle near one of the three starting locations noted as “unknown location”. Go there right away and get the quest from the woman inside the tent. Go to the World Map again and travel to the nearby farm (another green circle). Pick up the BB Gun near the door and fight the rats. Kill them all and pick up anything you can find. Get the Sledgehammer too; you'll need it to mine. Go back to the tent and get your reward: a Tent! Also pick up a Rope and such items. Build the Tent near NCR by going inside an encounter (click your green circle) and Use the folded tent. Remember to always check if you have followers when exiting NCR.
  • Craft a folded tent. You’ll need 4 wood 1 fiber and 8 brahmin hides. Wood needs to be turned into 4 sharpened poles at a workbench. NCR has one in the center right inside the town. Hunt for brahmin to get hides or trade for them in NCR. Some players may part with them if you have something to trade or they may give them for free. Use a knife to cut fiber from a fiber plant and craft into rope at a workbench. Get a knife in the quest in NCR with the female bartender. Resist the urge to spend the caps she gives you that you need to pay her debt. Once you have everything you can simply press F to open the Fix-Boy and create a folded tent item. Build the tent near NCR by going inside an encounter (click your green circle) and Use the folded tent. Remember to always check if you have followers when exiting NCR.

• After that simply gain experience, check traders for good items and idle a bit in NCR talking to other players and such, and do what you want (perhaps create an additional character that is a good fighter).

• Try to mine some stuff in the reasonably safe mines near NCR you will need a Sledgehammer to mine. Search the forum for info on how to effectively mine HQ ores. Not there? Try Broken Hills for HQ but research first on forum.

• For leveling, i recommend Mole Rats and Mantis encounters as soon as you get your hands on a burst gun. You can sometimes burst 2 or more at once, saving ammo. Use the online encounter finder made by Opera (Google it) to find the best locations of critters like Mole Rats near NCR.

• There is a lot you can do after that, find out and have fun.

Explanation

Always create a Barter character first because you need stuff the most at the beginning. (See the Disclaimer at top of this page.) If not, at least give your character a Perception of 6 or you'll miss out on the best perk of the game in my opinion. The perk i am talking about is Awareness which gives you info about your enemies health weapons and armor if you hover over them with the mouse. You can get it in NCR from a bald guy in a bar. He gives it for free if you have the requirements, either with Perception 6 or sufficient Unarmed or Melee skill. Trying to use cigarettes to temporarily boost your Perception to get this perk, will boost your Perception but will not help you get this perk.

• If your Charisma is lower than 3, most NPC merchants won’t talk to you, and the lower it is the fewer people can follow you while hunting.
• Luck 1 would be terrible for a sniper but okay for a trader so you won’t really need high Luck. However, with the worst Luck in the game, you should expect your weapons to misfire, break or explode during combat more often.

About Shady Sands, aka NCR, a Quick Info Injection

NCR is often busy with players. Do not wear a weapon inside the center of the city. As soon as you see blue-suited cops going after you through a gate, it's too late. They will shoot you dead 5 seconds or less from their first warning. Beware of thieves. It only takes the average thief two attempt to successfully steal from you. When they try it, you'll see the same animation as First Aid or Doctor when they are next to you and by then you're probably missing some items. Beware also of bombers and bursters. Some players run up to you and detonate explosives thus killing their own character but doing damage in a crowd of others too. There are always thieves, so it pays to be paranoid, and thieves can plant explosives in your inventory just as easily as they can steal items from there. I recommend a transparent interface so you can see through it. Find it referenced on the forum by searching for “evil interface” and go to the last page in the topic and select latest version and put the files in data of your FOnline:2238 game folder. However, you're just as likely to get free armor and stuff as soon as you say you're new!