These are some frequently asked questions about hunting blueprints. The information here is not coming directly from developers, but mainly from other players based on their own in-game experience hunting blueprints. Hence, some of the answers on this page might be wrong. The best way to know better is to go hunt blueprints yourself and gather your own data.
Note: It is important to most players to maintain some mysteries in this game, so do not expect developers to divulge much info at all about blueprint mechanics, and do not pester them about it.
| Where can I find blueprints in this game?
|
| Search in city ruins. There are many such zones in Boneyard, around San Fransisco and Themepark, and Waterworks, but many more places on the map too. You might find a single zone in the middle of the map somewhere that has a hint of city ruins which might work. Blueprints can also be found in other places like in some quests and at Ares Rocket Silo.
|
| When I find footlockers in random encounters, what Lockpick skill do I need?
|
| You can try opening lockers with any Lockpick skill, and wait 2 minutes and try again if you fail. Some players report successful picks with very low Lockpick skill, but the higher your LP skill, the more likely you'll open them on the first try. Most serious blueprint hunters use at least LP 150 skill and carry advanced lockpicks for a +50 boost to LP skill.
|
| Shouldn't I use a character with Lockpick 300 for best results?
|
| Lockpick 300 is considered to be overkill by most players, especially since you can use advanced picks with LP 250 for an effective 300 skill, but even this is considered overkill. Typically, you can open any such locker with LP 200 on the first try. Having LP 300 might help slightly decrease fails though, and thus eliminate some wait time, but such builds are usually challenged in other ways. It is easier to use a tougher character but who occasionally fails, has to wait 2 minutes, then opens certain lockers on the 2nd attempt.
|
| Is Luck a factor when hunting blueprints?
|
| Opinions vary, but many players believe Luck might be a factor that affects how often blueprints are found in lockers. Luck is more widely believed to be a factor for finding Fuel Cell Controllers though, which are often found during blueprint hunting. There are, however, some players who might claim they have just as much success finding blueprints with Luck 1 characters.
|
| Is Perception important when hunting blueprints?
|
| Opinions vary, but most players do not believe that blueprints are found any more or less often based on a character's Perception. However, having a high PE is important anyway since many lockers are surrounded by traps, and traps do not appear to the player until the character gets close enough to notice them, based on Perception. With PE 1, for example, you won't see traps even from 1 hex, so you're more likely to die with low PE. Especially when running straight up to lockers to check them and move on as fast as possible, high PE helps you see traps earlier.
|
| Are blueprints totally random?
|
| No, although opinions do vary even on this. If you find 124 blueprints and none of them are for a combat helmet while 15 are for the H&K CAWS, then we cannot say they are "totally random". Some blueprints seem to be more commonly found than others, and helmets seem to be among the most rare.
|
| Are blueprints found any more frequently in lockers that have traps?
|
| No, although opinions may vary. This is based on months and months of many hours of hunting and finding many lockers, traps, injuries, blueprints, deaths, FCC, etc.
|
| Do you ever find more than one blueprint in the same locker?
|
| No.
|
| What else is found in the lockers?
|
| There is only a short list of items found in lockers, including guns, basic armors, alloys, radios, crowbars, and small amounts of ammo including SEC. Sometimes you might find a decent assault rifle in a locker, and sometimes you even find 2 in the same locker. Sometimes you find 2 miniguns in the same locker. Other times all you find is 1 cap and nothing else. The list of possible items might be expanded some day to include more items like food, drugs, flowers, doctor's bag, rubber boots, Gamma Gulp, Cheezy Poofs, etc.
|
| Does it matter what area I search for blueprints?
|
| Where you search does determine what NPCs you encounter, and some areas are favored for having easier critters. But those same areas might also be favored by PKs for the same reason. Some areas are avoided due to higher risks, so it's anyone's guess where you have your best success. As for chances to find blueprints and which blueprints are there, opinions vary regarding if area makes any difference.
|
| I need a good blueprint hunting build. Can you recommend one?
|
| Check this list of Builds.
|
| What is the usual frequency that blueprints are found?
|
| Experiences vary, but you might search for 4 hours with a Luck 10 character and not find a single blueprint. Other times you might find 3 blueprints within your first 30 minutes of hunting. Usually you find 1 blueprint out of about 20 lockers, but you might find 1 locker in about 5-10 encounters.
|
| What theories are there about blueprint hunting?
|
| There are a bunch. One theory is that a locker's contents are generated when the encounter is first generated, so if Luck is a factor, it works best to find the encounters with a Luck 10 character, regardless of who opens the locker. Another theory is that blueprints regenerate on the map much like resources replenish in a mine. Such theories are tough to prove or disprove.
|
| I heard we can get blueprints from following a line of quests from the Brotherhood of Steel. Is that true?
|
| Not yet. The BoS quest-line is intriguing but is not finished yet. It dead-ends in a search for Ramirez and players eagerly await more development.
|
| Do opinions about hunting blueprints really vary this much?
|
| Yes.
|
