I hate to say it Yapette, but I think  you're right.  However, elves, dragons, spells and potions aren't my thing.  So in a few months when I finish F3 I'll be looking for suggestions for RPG #2.  It's the reality, or potential reality, that I like about this game.  Real place.  Real humans.  Mutant species that might be if we don't get our act together.

Below is what I meant to post about an hour ago.  My internet connection was out, so here it is later.  Since then I've killed 4 or 5 ants in Grayditch but ran out of ammo and came back to Megaton to buy more.  I don't know how many ants there are, but I hope I kill them all before I run out of ammo and caps.  Phew!

Thought I'd go the Gnome route with decoratin' but it seems that Myra's themes are way beyond my means.  It's hand-me-downs for now.  Yapette is still Queen of the Gnomes!

I didn't know that was what those items were for, Pokey.  I though they might be (along with old tin cans and empty glass bottles) things that could be used as ammo later, or for trading.  I have the glove as well as a bat and ball, a bear, truck and lunchbox.   There is a second bear in the sheriff's house, but since his son lives there alone, I didn't have the heart to take that one.  I passed up another one somewhere last night.  Might have been at the Mart.  But I want some of those gnomes!  Haven't seen one yet, but now I know what to do with them.

Off to Greyditch again with a bigger gun.  Maybe this time I'll have a chance at living long enough to get to the diner, and hopefully finish this quest.  Then on to Arefu to deliver Lucy's letter and complete that quest - if I can avoid being drawn into to family problems.  In Arefu I also hope to scoop up another bobblehead and some other goodies.  Maybe Arefu has Ye Olde Gnome Shoppe!

I love you guys, I really do.  But now that Steerpike has given me the lowdown on dem ants, I think I need to have a drink and then go buy some more Stimpak and big ammo.  Grenades maybe.  But I'll start with the antennae.  [Image Can Not Be Found]

I think you should find another way into Arefu. I remember running into those tough creatures after I visited the town and tried to go around the lake. Have you done Moira's quests yet. I think they are easier than than some of the areas you visited.

Grenades were effective against ants in the tunnels.

Last week, a couple of days after starting F3, my son asked how it was going.  I told him I was nervous, but thought I’d like the game.  I told him he could have the game when I was done if he thought he’d like it too.  He said he would.  Last night he again wanted to know how it was going.  Told him, and also told him it would be at least a couple of months before I finished – if I did.  He said he didn’t mind waiting.

Then I thought:  why should I suffer alone (no, no, no -  make that) have so much fun alone?  I ordered the game for him last night, enclosing a note saying “Open BEFORE Christmas and use.”  He has much less time to play than I do, but with FPS and RPG experience he could catch up to me in a couple of days.  I’m hoping he has time to do so.

After failing to make Arefu on Thursday night I decided to try again last night.  It was after 11pm before I had a chance to play.  I was tired and thought that an hour would be all I could manage.  Finally shut my computer down at about 3:30am.

To avoid the Mirelurks I went the long way around hoping to come at Arefu from the west or north.  At least this time it was “daytime”, so I thought that would help.  Killed some raiders and creatures along the way but got to the general area and couldn’t find Arefu.  Found Seneca Metro Station with Ghouls who weren’t dangerous, and wanted to pay caps for some stuff I had and didn’t need.  Also found some good aids. 

Then found Hamilton’s Hideaway with some good tools and a radscorpion.  (I hope I’ll get the chance to trade away some of the large stockpile I have of mystery meats.  I need ammo, not meat.)  But where is Arefu?  Getting dark, so..

Went back to my house to offload some of my booty and take a long nap.  Went back to search for Arefu in the daylight.  My map told me I must be right on top of Arefu, but I couldn’t find it.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Turns out I was not on top of Arefu, but under it.  What a small, poor, sad little place.  Sad to not be able to complete this quest in the way I thought I would. 

I wish the Supply store had regular hours (!).  I couldn’t break into the store if I wanted to – my skills aren’t that high yet.  I’ve got a couple of decent guns, but am short of ammo.  Got some from a trader, and picked up a few rounds in my scrounging, but I need a ready source.  Got quite a few grenades now, and a couple of mines.  Those are best saved for almost-hopeless situations, or if tunnel clearing is needed.  Maybe with a few more grenades I can head back to Grayditch and use them on the fireants.

Now I need to work on upping my lockpicking and repair skills.  At the beginning of the game I though food was going to be a problem, but it’s not.  There’s plenty of that to be found, bought, or killed.  It’s the ammo, stupid!  I am really loving my lead pipe.  Environmentally friendly, deadly to many enemies.  [Image Can Not Be Found]

Fun!

P.S.  I sure wish this forum software included the strikeout function.

I love my son to bits, Steerpike, mostly because of my 2 he is so very much like me.  At 31 he's a full-fledged adult, and now understands that parents are real people too. 

But he's been surprised that there are so many older gamers, female gamers, and not just those that play Nancy Drew. [Image Can Not Be Found][Image Can Not Be Found][Image Can Not Be Found]  He thinks this is a very good thing.  But of course!  Heck, he and I played the first couple of Zelda games on the very first Nintendo, so he gets that even moms play games.

That said, I think I want to keep TR for me.  I occasionally make a snide (but always loving) comment about one of my kids, and they shouldn't have to see that.  But we'll see.  If he actually gets to playing I might offer to welcome him to the TR way.  He's crazy smart, irreverent, a cynical optimist, and funny, and hates fuddy-duddyness in people of any age, so he'd fit right in.

Oh, to get the chores and shopping done so I can play today!  Lots of today.

Thanks Steerpike. I'd been putting off crossing the Potomac thinking that a higher level with better skills, and more and better weapons, ammo and armor would be a necessity.  What the heck?  The worst that can happen is that I get very dead and have to load an earlier save.  Besides, this is the time of the year to venture far afield for one's shopping.

And yet, there is still so very much unexplored territory west of the river.  I haven't ventured into the SW quadrant of the Wasteland at all, and there is still so much of the other areas that I have yet to see.  So much to see and do.  So little time.

Can I go back into the Miresti Train Yard tunnels?  Would they trade with me now that they are done with me.  When I went to complete the Blood Ties Quest I bought some stuff from their trader.  Good stuff; fair prices, but I didn't need much, and didn't know what I'd need later, so I bought little.  I thought about going back to shop, but it was harder to get out of the tunnels after the quest than it was to get in.  I kept getting shot at.  Shopping shouldn't be that hard.

Kay and Steerpike:  I decided to take  your advice and head toward Rivet City.  I took the long way, S then E, to see what I could find of the things I need along the way.  I found the Nuka-Cola Plant, an Enclave camp that I promptly moved away from, some nasty Raiders shooting fire at me, The Citadel, and happily, got to Arlington Library.  Then time to quit for the night.  I will continue to head E, hoping I won't have to swim across the river.