Thanks Pokey.  I was on the right roof, but looking in the wrong opening.  The Merc jacket offers better protection than the Mail jacket I've been wearing.  I think I need to go get that.

Agroprom was a bloodbath, and much of the blood in the bath was mine.  I first had to eliminate all the bandits out the west gate of Serity's train barn.  My first attempt at Agroprom had me running in head first, and sure nuff, the mission failed and I didn't get Mole, plus I got good and dead.  The second time I took the advice of a few here and waited until the worst of it was over.  Took all the good ammo, then went to the courtyard area to get Mole.  The military killed me twice.  I took a break from the game to do other stuff and thought about my problem.  I figured out what might work, and it did.  Saved Mole.  Entered the tunnels.  Killed the bandits there.  It was getting late both in-game and in RL, so I headed back to Cordon to get rid of some loot.  By that time both of me were tired, and it was time to sleep.  So we did.  Tomorrow is another day.

Sure wish I had a map of those tunnels.

Kay, how are you coming along in-game?

Thanks Armand.  That is quite a site.  I did look at the tunnel map.  I usually like to be surprised, and enjoy the wonders of exploration, so I only go looking for a walkthrough or other aids if I am desperate.  But in this case, posts here have me afraid of these tunnels.  So the map is welcome.  I'll just have to use willpower to keep me from going back to that site.

Spike said:

Thanks Armand.  That is quite a site.  I did look at the tunnel map.  I usually like to be surprised, and enjoy the wonders of exploration, so I only go looking for a walkthrough or other aids if I am desperate.  But in this case, posts here have me afraid of these tunnels.  So the map is welcome.  I'll just have to use willpower to keep me from going back to that site.

When Mole told me that there was no map of the underground, I believed him.  But the mini-map in the upper left-hand corner makes "tunneling" quite easy.  I didn't need any other map.

kaythomas said:

Spike

A while back you asked how I was doing.   I have been having computer problems so haven't been doing mukuch with the game.   I am hoping I now have things fixed and can start again.   If not, I am going to have to get someone to come in and fix them or reinstall the operating system in which case I lose all data files.   We shall see.   Kay

I'm so sorry.  While computer problems are certainly not the worst things we can experience, they do tend to be annoying, and take some of the fun out of any day.

I hope you're up and running soon - with no loss of saved games!

Scout said:

Went in to x18 lab and have contracted a radiation sickness that nothing cures. I went back to the bar and used up all my vodka, all my anti-rads, dumped all my artifacts, even my armor and the yellow bar never stops creeping up until I finally die. I was using a SEVA suit when I went into the lab area. I noticed it started after I went back into the x18 lab area after restocking at the bar.

Damn, Scout, I hope that isn't a game ender for you.  We're gonna be falling like flies here soon if any more of us have to quit because we simple don't have the goods, whatever they may be, to continue.

I am almost out of ammo for my long guns, and I need to get more before heading back to Agroprom.  Problem is, although I've got lots of rubles, and lots to trade, it's not easy to get the ammo I need.  Even Sidorovich mostly sells low-level ammo, so I get most of mine from looting corpses.  Eesshh.

Today was another day of chores, in-game.   I needed to get my stashes out of Bes's camp and Serity's place.  I took a job for Sidorovich that had me find a "false" sales agent at Bes's camp.  After I found him, and shot him, the other Loners in the camp turned enemy on me, so I needed to get my stash out of there.  At Serity's I wanted to get my stuff because I am sick and tired of clearing the bandits out of there before I can get to my stuff.

Still short of ammo for my big guns, so did shopping and looting to replenish it.  Along the way I found quite a few artifacts, and other goodies.  Too bad there isn't more good ammo to be bought.  I've got gobs of cash and tons of stuff to trade, but without a trader selling it, I have to resort to other means of acquisition.   Namely...

...I decided that I'd take out the soldiers at the base on the road south of Cordon.  There were 6 or 7 of them, and with a few well-placed grenades and some shooting I was able to clear the place out.  Good stuff.  A gun I've not seen before, for one.  Plus, there are 4 kerosene barrels on the property (big red 55-gal. looking things).  Of course at 40 lbs. they are too heavy to carry unless you dump all your other goods first, but I picked them up one at a time and fast-traveled to Sidorovich.  I had to drop the barrel when I got there so I could get close enough to him to talk, then I picked up the barrel again and sold them to him one barrel/one trip at a time. 

Took on some other jobs for Sidorovich which I completed.  If I ever get to The Bar with the "thing" I need to take there, I will have lots of rubles with which to buy ammo.  And maybe some really good armor.

Someone please tell me about the blue anomalies in the tunnels.  Do they in fact produce artifacts?  I stepped into them twice in hope of artifacts, and all I got was bleeding.  [Image Can Not Be Found]

Controller, huh?  Maybe it was just my game, but he was no threat at all.  He could walk toward me, so he wasn't "caught in the scenery".  I guess I was just lucky, and might not be lucky again if I come upon another one.  And no Gregg, I wasn't playing Yakety Sax (Oh my, 1st heard it when it was a new release.  But I hate the sax.  Give me brass any day.)

I didn't know this when I was early in F3, but it seems that my policy is to never attack anything/anyone that isn't attacking me (Even the military that I've killed started shooting first.  Well ok, maybe they saw me as a threat). 

So the Great Lumpen One got to live another day.  Now if his kind ever do attack me...[Image Can Not Be Found][Image Can Not Be Found]

@Armand...was it just the frustration of the end-game or did the rest of the game leave you traumatized as well?  I'd guess that New Vegas is a proper sort of cure for trauma. 

@Scout...I'm glad you got your good game back.  Onward.

Thanks all.