masterpug53 posted...
Not really. Even in a game that offers so many diverging options, I'm the kind of gamer that still typically enjoys following certain beats the same way each time, so I usually don't mind doing the 'recommended' path for the first act. The only thing that's ever truly bugged me about this is that Cass is clearly geared for being an early-game companion, but you can't actually recruit her until you've returned from Vegas; by then you've already organically met the two strongest companions in the game. So sometimes when I beeline to Vegas I'll hop over to the Crimson Caravan and get that sorted out before starting the game proper.
I think what my issue is is that I come up with a character who might be really zany, I'm excited to try it out. And then there just aren't a lot of ways to behave like the character in mind at a low level in the starting location.
You have to kind of walk this line between collecting EXP to build the character you want to play but also not exhausting too many of your options so there's still some stuff to do when your character's ready.
Sometimes I'll pick up Boone and ED-E, have them hoard exp for me and just pretend they're not there. Fast travel between Ivanpah Race Track, Scorpion Gulch and the place with the Fire Ants by Helios One. It works but it gets tiring on repeat playthroughs.
It's probably on me for trying to play as ridiculous things that don't mesh with the game's story.
masterpug53 posted...
Even still, the game's set up that even if you follow the suggested path for the first act of the game, you don't actually have to stop for any of the quest beats along the way; it's just a more roundabout way of making Vegas your first stop, and you can come back and do those quests later at your leisure. Or you can take your preferred beeline route to Vegas right from the start (I prefer the Black Mountain path), get a fast-travel location or two unlocked, then do side quests in any order you please. I like to do the Khans quests early to get chem recipes + a Vault Utility jumpsuit from Vault 3 without having to fight my way in; I also do the Boomers early because they've got a precious Repair skill book for getting Jury Rigging asap.
That became my route too, Black Mountain -> Camp McCarran -> Monorail to The Strip.
Even if they're not quests though, you still have some mandatory tasks to set your game up. Walk around and collect all your fast travel points, your shopping list of items you'll need.
Jacobstown is the same linear walk up to the top of the map and down the left path every time. Novac is in the middle of the map but it's still a right turn on the beeline to Vegas and the walk from Novac to Vegas has gotten way too repetitive for me.
I wouldn't have minded being able to start in different places.