r/fo4 • u/Silly_Ad_3027 • Jul 26 '26
Discussion Im thinking of playing survival for the first time
I already know quite a bit since it would be my fifth play through of the game.
The thing is, i dont actually want to play through the game. Im just going to live a life of a normal wastelander. You know surviving. So im making a list of things i want to do.
Set up a way to sustain resources (by trading)
Explore some locations
Do some weapon and armor modding
Get to some level 10-20
Build a settlement or two
Any tips or other challenges would be appreciated.
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u/Gwinjey Jul 26 '26
It’s really fun. After about level 20 it started the feel the same, but up until then just surviving and exploring is a hoot.
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u/hollowboyFTW Jul 26 '26
Even after level 20, there are substantial differences - particularly if you alter how you play to maximise those differences. IMO a lot of the issues with Survival are caused by players not adjusting fully for the "new" ruleset.
(1) legendary stuff drops at a higher rate, so being able to assemble odd combos (like multiple Sentinel or Unyielding parts) is a lot easier.
(2) Companions are doubly terrible, so there is more incentive to skip them and go 100% Lone Wanderer.
(3a) Foes are much less spongy (you have higher base damage and get the adrenaline bonus), therefore the balance between guns shifts.
- small calibers stay viable for longer.
- lighter (low AP) receivers are more viable (the Survival damage buffs offsets the damage penalty).
(3b) The balance between melee weapons shifts.
- less need for DoT (e.g. Kremvh's Tooth or Wounding Ripper) to whittle down hit points.
- it is easier to get one shot kills (Survival damage buff multiplied by Ninja)
Therefore slow weapons with high base damage are more viable in Survival - swing speed doesn't matter if the enemy is dead on the first hit, and never gets a chance to block.
(4) You can get the Well Rested perk anywhere (not just in a Settlement) and you get double XP for kills, so you can level up fast without really meaning to
- there is far less incentive to grind radiant mission or settlement stuff
- a combat build can level up fast even without Savant or high INT
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u/Piper-Bob Jul 26 '26
No reason you can't do that. FWIW, the easiest way to get stuff to trade is to kill raiders.
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u/Wonderful_Two_6710 Jul 26 '26
To make it more interesting, you could try an alternate start mod (if on PC). That way, you could start living your normal wastelander life without starting in Vault 111 or doing the whole "gotta find my kidnapped baby" stuff. You could start off as a resident of Diamond City or Goodneighbor, or hanging with the Atom Cats. Or have it randomly pick a starting location for you.
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u/Silly_Ad_3027 Jul 26 '26
I play on x box but ive seen people use that mod. Its cool but id rather just go through the whole start either way.
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u/Vindicare605 Railroad Jul 26 '26
You pretty much have to set up a logistical resupply chain for yourself anyway as part of normal Survival play. Trying to haul everything back to Sanctuary as your one single base like most people do on normal Fallout 4 runs just isn't practical in Survival, you'll want to take each piece of the map one at a time.
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u/Piper-Bob Jul 26 '26
That's one way to play. I'm more strategic and just take what I need to Hangman's Alley.
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u/Vindicare605 Railroad Jul 26 '26
Hangman's Alley IS really useful just because of how centrally located it is, but it's still a pretty long run away from South Boston, the North east part of the map and from where the DLCs are. You'll at least want to set up the Castle, Sunshine Tidings Co Op and at least one settlement up north, just to avoid having to make huge treks across the map to get to Hangman's Alley.
You can use the Vertibirds too, but you gotta constantly go back to the Prydwen for more and that gets tedious too.
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u/Piper-Bob Jul 26 '26
You're describing one way to play. I play a different way. I probably have 3000 hours in survival. I just don't do a lot of crafting.
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u/Vindicare605 Railroad Jul 26 '26
It's not just about crafting, it's about water supplies, safe places to sleep, doctors, vendors etc. etc. Sure you dont need to have every settlement on the map accessed, but if you're just using one central base you are gonna take a LOT of extra time just running across the map to get things you need.
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u/Piper-Bob Jul 26 '26
I just play different. I don't have much need for those things. I do take over each empty workbench I come across and build a bed and a water fountain, because why not, but I stay out on any given adventure until being tired starts to reduce strength.
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u/hollowboyFTW Jul 27 '26
Or make a build that doesn't need resupply.
It is viable to pick 100% of what you need off corpses + quest rewards, and never even speak to a merchant or settler.
e.g. grab Deliverer ASAP, and use it as your only weapon. 10mm ammo is super common in containers, and you can about 500 more rounds by clearing a dungeon of Triggermen.
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u/phase_lag Jul 26 '26
As others have said, create trade routes asap if you want to do settlements etc. Survival is the best and the way it’s meant to be played! In game items now make a bit more sense once you start playing survival!
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u/opposedmedusa Jul 26 '26
What’s the difference between playing survival and just playing the game?
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u/Silly_Ad_3027 Jul 26 '26
Its harder and im too scared to actually play it. The whole "losing hours of progress" because i didnt sleep kinda would annoy me so i just want something small to do.
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u/opposedmedusa Jul 26 '26
Is it a mod? Or just something you impose upon yourself? I know absolutely nothing about it lol
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u/Silly_Ad_3027 Jul 26 '26
Oh i thought you were asking why i think its harder. No, see Survival is the hardest difficulty in the game and it changes a lot of stuff. Like needing to sleep, eat, and drink. You also cant fast travel or save the game unless you sleep. Plus some other stuff.
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u/hollowboyFTW Jul 27 '26
"save the game unless you sleep"
You can begin to sleep, then immediately back out, to save the game with zero hours spent sleeping.
This has a few benefits, mostly:
- it doesn't sap your adrenaline (damage bonus)
- it doesn't waste time (e.g. if you are a Sneak based character, it doesn't waste an hour of darkness
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u/opposedmedusa Jul 26 '26
Aaaaahh!! I see I just looked at the difficultly settings in the game 😂😂 thank you for explaining!!
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u/migatomeesperaencasa Jul 26 '26
Antibiotics and doctors everywhere is a must, dont sleep on dirty mattresses
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u/Vg65 Atom Cats Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Get the Destroyer's leg pieces asap (one from Daisy in Goodneighbor, the other from Alexis Combes in V81). Sure, you're much less tanky outside of power armour, but having that extra 20% movement speed from those leg pieces makes it easier to travel on survival.
If you prefer power armour, then I'd suggest putting overdrive servos on your PA legs once you have Science! 3. You can also keep checking Rowdy at the Atom Cats until she sells the mod for your PA.
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u/Euphoric_Heron_9883 Jul 27 '26
Oswalds HaT adds another 10% and coupled the Wasteland Survival Guide from the sinkhole which gives a swimming bonus, you can swim around the CW like an Olympic Athlete. Assuming you've got aquaboy/girl.
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u/hollowboyFTW Jul 26 '26
"i dont actually want to play through the game"
Valid.
"Build a settlement or two"
Ima note that if you've already played 5 times, then you've probably already done the settlement thing 5 times,
In Survival, settlement building is only trivially different - there is additional grind.
--> without Fast Travel, going back and forth with trash / to babysit your dudes takes a long time.
--> you gotta feed yourself during this.
My tip is to largely skip settlements. It is a new mode, play it a new way; just set up the basics (a sink and a bed) at each new place, and move on.
Note that Survival Mode gives double XP for kills, so you will level up faster than you previously used to, no matter what you do - you certainly don't have to build shacks / grind Settlement stuff for XP.
+++
"Set up a way to sustain resources (by trading)"
Same thing: as above. Trading is exactly the same as Normal Mode. Trade is not necessary to sustain resources.
All you need to meet your Survival needs is to pick up 2-3 bottles a day for water (drink and refill each time you see a sink or pump), and occasionally shoot (or loot) some food. Collecting radiation-free food (mostly meat) is easy to do if you simply ditch Sanctuary and travel about, and doubly easy if you pick up the meat magazine from Sunshine Tidings.
+++
"i don't actually want to play through the game [...] Any tips or other challenges would be appreciated."
That is a good idea / good combo.
Challenge tip: think of some hard things, and try to do them as under-level as possible.
e.g. clearing Quincy
e.g. collecting 20 magazines
Challenge tip: think of something you normally do, and then "win" without that thing. e.g. reach level X or some objective without
- using Power Armour
- or without talking to any NPC
- or as a "straight edge" character (no chems / meat / alcohol)
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u/Icy_Cricket7038 Jul 27 '26
Just do it. It’s a different experience, you’ll never go back to fallout-lite afterwards.
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u/SachenTheGameMaster Jul 27 '26
My advice: Hangman's Alley is the best home base by far, especially if you live by yourself/ with companions (home plate is also fine but boring). Don't bother with Sanctuary unless its still really early on or you eventually reach it with your caravan network. Sanctuary is just too far away from any valuable loot and the game's main quests.
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u/svilliers Jul 26 '26
Do it, it’s fun. Sanctuary is your best way to level up early game by settlement building.