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| Recovered X-13 cardiac regulator sneaky suit!
| Search your feelings... for your heart<br>(Recovered the [[Stealth suit Mk II]])
 
 
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Revision as of 09:06, 28 July 2011

 
Gametitle-FNV OWB
Gametitle-FNV OWB
There is an expression in the Wasteland: "Old World Blues." It refers to those so obsessed with the past they can't see the present, much less the future, for what it is.— Doctor Mobius and Doctor Klein

Old World Blues is the third add-on for Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released simultaneously on all platforms on July 19th, 2011.[1]

In Old World Blues, the Courier discovers how some of the Mojave’s mutated monsters came into being whilst they unwittingly become a lab rat in a science experiment gone awry. The Courier must scour the pre-War research centers of the Big Empty in search of technology to turn the tables on his or her kidnappers, or join forces with them against an even greater threat.

Plot

"The residents of the Mojave have long assumed the trackless wastes of the ‘Big Empty’ are a no-mans'-land, a desolate stretch where no living thing can survive. In Old World Blues, you discover that it is anything but..."

After being transported to the Big MT research crater, you find you're the only hope of saving the "Think Tank" – a strange group of post-human researchers who inhabit the facility. They enlist your aid to save them from their own experiments - experiments that have gone horribly out of control. As you explore the huge stretch of the Big Empty crater and it's many underground labs, you’ll confront strange mutated animals, battle terrifying new atomic robots, and discover a new home base to call your own. Recover all the weapons, armor, and tech of the Pre-War era and use them to help save all of science!

Overview

  • Like all New Vegas add-ons, Old World Blues raises the level cap by 5.[2] Also, the add-on offers new traits (and gives you the opportunity to change your own traits if you've already chosen them) including one called Logan's Loophole that will allow you to cap your level at 30.
  • An auto-doc in The Sink allows the player to alter their looks, hairstyle, and, for one time only, their traits in addition to providing basic healing services.
  • Equipment will not be stripped from the player at the beginning of this add-on, and it features an open-world setting. Also there is no limit to the amount of equipment you can take in to the add-on.[3]
  • Like all New Vegas add-ons, companions cannot accompany the Courier to the new land.
  • In Old World Blues, some robotic appliances have personalities, all with different voices.
  • There is an upgradeable base (via completing quests), The Sink, in this add-on. [4]
  • There is a new radio added, to both the Big Empty and the Mojave. It plays 3 new jazz songs, along with 2 songs from Radio New Vegas.
  • The 'Big Empty' gained its name through the phonetic contracted name of the test site, 'Big MT' (MT meaning Mountain). The name can be seen across the many crates found in the add-on.
  • Once you complete the add-on, you may return to big empty via the Big Mountain Transportalponder!. Note you cannot use the item while in the interior of a building, cave, tunnels, etc.

Locations

Creatures

Robots

Characters

Items

Weapons

Armor and clothing

Aid

Other items

  • Snow globe - Big Mt. Research and Development Center
  • Blank book
  • Broken Detonator
  • Deactivated Bomb Collar
  • Gabe's Bowl
  • Dried Seeds

Schematics & Recipes

Quests

The XP that is rewarded for quests is variable based upon your level when the quest is completed. The total XP split between the main storyline quests is approximately 3000 XP at levels 1-4 and 22000 XP at levels 45-50, the secondary quest XP ranges from 75 XP per quest to 550 XP per quest.

Main Quests

Name Location(s) Given by Reward Quest ID
Midnight Science Fiction Feature! Mojave Drive-in Mysterious broadcast Variable XP xx002FCA
Welcome to the Big Empty The Sink xx002FCB
All My Friends Have Off Switches The Sink Various Sink services xx0112E3
Old World Blues Think Tank Doctor Klein

Side Quests

Name Location(s) Given by Reward Quest ID
A Brain's Best Friend Higgs Village
X-8 Research Center
Take Gabe's Bowl or Doctor Borous Variable XP xx014BF8
Coming Out of Her Shell Think Tank Doctor Dala Ammunition xx014C2C
Field Research The Sink The Sink Various Sink services xx0112D6
He Came... And Went Think Tank Doctor Dala Variable XP xx014C2D
Influencing People The Sink The Sink Various Sink services xx0112E5
On The Same Wavelength Think Tank 8 Variable XP xx014C63
Picking Your Brains Think Tank Various Doctors Variable XP xx0121E3
Project X-13 X-13 Stealth Testing Lab Test Terminal Stealth suit Mk II xx0121E3
Sonic Emitter Upgrade Think tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx0166E2
What's In A Name? Think tank 0 xx014CFB
When Visitors Attack! Think Tank Various Doctors Variable XP xx014CFE
X-2: Strange Transmissions! Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCD
X-8: High School Horror! Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCE
X-8 Data Retrieval Test X-8 research center X-8 research center Terminal Variable XP
X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator! Think Tank Doctor Klein Variable XP xx002FCF

Perks and Traits

Regular perks

Name Unlock conditions Ranks Benefit Code
Atomic! Level 20, Endurance 6 1 With the Atomic! Perk, you are 25% faster and stronger whenever you're basking in the warm glow of radiation. Outside of irradiated areas, your Action Points (AP) regenerate faster the higher your level of radiation sickness becomes. xx008011
Mile In Their Shoes Level 20, Survival 25 1 You have come to understand Nightstalkers. Consuming Nightstalker squeezin's now grants bonuses to Perception (+1 PER), Poison Resistance (+5), and Stealth (+5 Sneak) in addition to the normal benefits. xx009619
Them's Good Eatin Level 20, Survival 55 1 Any living creature you kill has a 50% chance to have the potent healing items Thin Red Paste or Blood Sausage when looted. xx0098C9
Implant GRX Level 30, Endurance 8 2 You gain a non-addictive subdermal Turbo (chem) injector. This perk may be taken twice, with the second rank increasing the effect from 2 to 3 seconds and the uses per day from 5 to 10 [Activated in the Pip-Boy Inventory]. xx009D48

Unlockable perks

Name Unlock conditions Ranks Benefit Code
Brainless Initial dialogue with Doctor Klein in the think tank 1 Head can no longer be crippled, +25% resistance to chem addiction, +5% DT if your DT >= 10 or +1 DT if your DT < 10 xx0098BE
Heartless Initial dialogue with Doctor Klein in the think tank 1 Cannot be poisoned, healing items are boosted +25%, robots have -50% crit chance xx0098C2
Spineless Initial dialogue with Doctor Klein in the think tank 1 Strength+1, DT+1, Torso can no longer be crippled xx0098BC
Big Brained Sink Auto-Doc after Old World Blues is finished. Replaces Brainless Perk. 1 Head cannot be crippled, +10% resistance to chem addiction, +10% DT if your DT >= 10 or +1 DT if your DT < 10 xx015BBA
Cardiac Arrest Sink Auto-Doc after Old World Blues is finished. Replaces Heartless perk. 1 50% poison resistance, Healing items boosted by 50%, Robots have -25% crit chance xx015BBB
Reinforced Spine Sink Auto-Doc after Old World Blues is finished. Replaces Spineless perk. 1 Strength+2, DT+2 xx015BBC
Implant C-13 Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 8,000 caps. 1 Plus 10% damage to cazadores xx009616
Implant M-5 Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 10,000 caps. 1 Your crouched movement speed is increased by 20% xx009614
Implant Y-3 Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 12,000 caps. 1 Removes any radiation taken from drinking an irradiated water source. xx009615
Implant Y-7 Surgery purchased through dialogue with the Sink Auto-Doc in The Sink for 20,000 caps. 1 You gain bonus health and action points through the consumption of food. xx00961A
DNAgent Completion of X-8 Data Retrieval Test 1 All damage done to nightstalkers is increased by 10% xx009617
DNAvenger Kill 2 Cazadores in Big Mt for rank 1, and another 3 Cazadores in Big Mt for rank 2, and another 5 for rank 3 of this perk. 3 All the damage done to cazadores is increased by 10% per rank of this perk. Works alongside Implant C-13 for additional damage bonuses. xx00DA28

Traits

Name Benefit Penalty Code
Claustrophobia + 1 buff to SPECIAL attributes while outdoors - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes while indoors xx0133AE
Early Bird + 2 buff to SPECIAL attributes from 6am to 12pm - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes from 6pm to 6am xx012767
Hoarder + 25 lbs to total carry weight - 1 debuff to SPECIAL attributes while current equipment weight is below 160 lbs xx01276D
Hot Blooded + 10% damage increase while below 50% health - 2 debuff to Perception and Agility while below 50% health xx01276B
Logan's Loophole Chems last twice as long and addiction rates are set to zero Locks the level cap at 30 xx01276E
Skilled Gain +5 points to every skill. You suffer -10% from experience gained. xx012B86

Achievements/Trophies

Name Requirement Achievement points Trophy type Image
Cardiac Arrest! Recovered X-13 cardiac regulator sneaky suit! 20 Bronze Cardiacarrest
Make up Your Mind Made up your Mind... about your brain. 20 Bronze Make up your mind
Making Friends Reactivated all of the Sink's robotic assistants 30 Silver Makingfriends
Outsmarted Complete Old World Blues 35 Gold Outsmarted
Spinal-Tapped Recovered X-8 vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer frequency 20 Bronze Spinaltapped

Bugs

  • Entering the Big Empty then saving your game, waiting, or entering doors may cause the game to freeze.
  • [Platforms needed] After initiating the Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Basic) after releasing the "Unusual Specimen", the door to the X-8 Institutional Test Facility disappears.
  • PCPCAfter initiating the "Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Basic)" from the X-8 Data Retrieval Test quest and choosing the "Unusual Specimen" option from Kennel Terminal, do not continue initiating "Release Cyberdogs". This will make "Unusual Specimen" from the list quest to be completed by turning the "Institutional Data Retrieval Test" & "Unusual Specimen" both uncompleted with the quest unfinished. The bug appears to come from the map-marker that it doesn't move from Kennel Terminal to the X-8 Test Terminal after "Unusual Specimen" is chosen confusing the player by the map-marker. Initiating only "Unusual Specimen" option, go to the X-8 Test Terminal to start the Basic Test and Advanced Test as well, then the quest will be finished. This bug does not make the quest fail, but it can go to an infinite loop of finished/unfinished quests from the quest list.
  • You may not be able to leave after completing the main quests.
  • After completing the quest, "Old World Blues", you are told to retrieve your brain. You may be glitched in the dialogue with your brain, repeating two lines over, and over again.
  • It is possible for the Sink Central Intelligence Unit to take some of your items from you. This bug occurs when the player sell things to it and, in return, you receive no money, but the items that you were selling are, in fact, now in the possession of the Sink Central Intelligence Unit. This is similar to the glitch with Quartermaster Bardon in Hoover Dam and other locations in the main game. It can be resolved by making smaller transactions (under 10,000 caps seems to work) at a time. Waiting until the stock of items recycles occasionally fixes this problem (confirmed on PC and PS3). (note: workaround tested on XBOX360 but did not work. No caps added to inventory no matter the amount. Restarting game, restarting system, uninstalling and reinstalling DLC still does not fix problem. Going back to an old save before terminal became bugged may be only option)i found a work round fix on Xbox the Central units cap data must be messed up if it says it has 65535 [maximum value of a short integer - 16 bits] it will not give you caps so treat this a zero caps the work round is simply sell something to it or repair items so its cap amount goes over the bugged number. Then it will give out caps for your transactions. It works for me but feel free to test yourselves.
  • Oftentimes, players can fall through the train tracks or pipes throughout the crater.
  • [Platforms needed]Opening a storage container, taking all of its contents, and leaving, the container may not say it is empty. [verification overdue]
  • When in the Sink, if an item is dropped it will disappear. However you can still pick it up. [verification needed]
  • [Platforms needed]Higgs Village fountain has a bug where you can swim up it, then float out 'swimming' around the houses until you touch ground or jump
  • If you have more than one humanoid follower in your party(See Veronica Santangelo or Fallout New Vegas companions section in order to learn how to have more than one follower) and you enter the Big Empty, up to 2,3, or 4 companions will come with you and will accompany you to the Big Empty but its completely random. Also note if go to the Big Empty Craig Boone can never go, Lily will rarely go if she does it limits the party to one or two people,ED-E will rarely as well, also of all followers Arcade Gannon will almost always accompany. But It is completely random who and how many will come with you so its recommended you save if you get the wrong group. Also sending followers out of your party before interacting with crashed satellite seems to affect who comes if any at all if you wanna make sure a follower accompanys then make sure you have all humanoid companions and either ED-E or Rex. (still being tested)
  • PCPCXbox 360Xbox 360 Similar to a bug in Honest Hearts, while playing through the main quest, the tick marks of undiscovered locations can disappear from the compass. It's still possible to discover them afterwards though.
  • Some armors may degrade very quickly while playing
  • PCPC,[Platforms needed] If you bought all three add-ons your max level still might be 40 but you can get rid of if you go on the Dashboard and reload the game.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 With this add on, the max level has been raised to level 50, the max level with all four add-ons. This has not yet been patched
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Various Casino playing cards successfully moved into a Sink storage locker disappear from both locker and pipboy when retrieval attempted.
  • PCPC When talking to your brain when it reflects on the sights you two have seen together, it may get suck in a loop talking about Jason Bright and his followers and Helios One coming back online, then just loop between the two lines of dialog indefinitely.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 When you return to the Mojave, you may find your ratings with factions have diminished (ex. NCR Idolized-To-just below Neutral) when you return. Brotherhood of steel went from Idolized to neutral as well.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 When loading an autosave with Hardcore Mode turned on, your starvation and thirst meters will jump up over 200, despite those levels being low when the autosave was created.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 After collecting the dried packages of seeds, it is possible that after leaving the Sink after the White Horsenettle has grown and returning, the two White Horsenettle plants will fall through the map and keep respawning and repeating.

Notes

  • In the ending of this add-on, it confirmed that "The lonesome road" add-on was going to be made with the phrase "Only the courier could go on his own lonesome road." the phrase was made by Blind Diode Jefferson
  • The kidnappers are apparently remnants of a group of pre-War scientists, whose brains have been preserved in mechanical "bodies" consisting of a nutrient jar and three monitors. Two of the monitors show human eyes, the other monitor shows a human mouth.
  • Some objects in the Sink have the ability to talk, including a light switch, a sink and a toaster.
  • In Old World Blues the player "gets a taste" of Ulysses by listening to holotapes left in the Big Empty.
  • Players are able to return to the Big Empty after completion of the add-on.
  • The Courier's brain, spine and heart are removed by the scientists and held as leverage.
  • The sound from the speakers in Dead Money can be heard at the end of the trailer.
  • As with the other DLCs, using the 'Companion Glitch' enables the player to bring their Non Active companion into Big Empty.
  • Energy Weapons, such as the Pulse gun and the Tesla-Beaton prototype, benefit from the automatic DT subtraction.
  • Two terminals state that the Sierra Madre was a testing ground for multiple things such as defense holograms, Saturnite alloys, vending machines, auto-docs and also state that the Cloud that poisons all around it was put there on purpose to test the hazmat suits which the ghost people were trapped in.
  • Old World Blues can be difficult for low level players. Before going in, the game advises that Old World Blues is intended for couriers of Level 15+. Some enemies in the Big Empty can offer a challenge even for a courier at level 30+.
  • Unlike previous add-ons, Old World Blues added new traits. The add-on also gives the ability to switch traits, if the Courier desires, but only once
  • There are no normal companions in the add-on. However, there is one temporary companion, a cyberdog named Roxie who has her own ending if you meet her.
  • In Ulysses' Point, patient log: Y-17.9 gives a statement referring to Lonesome Road.
  • Some areas contain hanging dolls on a string like in the X-13 research facility. These are the same as the swamp totems in the Fallout 3 add-on, Point Lookout.
  • Christine Royce and Father Elijah from Dead Money are also involved in Old World Blues, although they do not appear in the add-on. There are Holotapes of her speaking, along with her weapon and armor. Father Elijah's weapon can also be found, along with notes made by him while in the Big MT.

Behind the scenes

  • In Dead Money, Father Elijah describes the Big Empty as "a treasure box, a scientific graveyard of Old World misery". Additionally, mentions of the Big Empty act as a trigger for the Things to Come! challenge. *
  • The Big Empty was a location that was scrapped from Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3.
  • At some point, Chris Avellone set his location on his Twitter profile to Big MT, Mojave, placing the Big Empty as a location within the Mojave Wasteland and thus teasing its possible appearance in a future Fallout: New Vegas add-on. Since then, Avellone has also changed his Twitter avatar.
  • J.E. Sawyer has suggested that Old World Blues will be the most humorous of the New Vegas add-ons.[5]
  • "Mean Old World Blues" is the title of T-Bone Walker's 1945 remake of his 1942 opus, "Mean Old World".
  • Dr. Mobius is most likely a reference to the 1976 Doctor Who story "The Brain of Morbius", in which all that remains of the titular character is his brain, in a tank. This would tie in with the brain-removal/lobotomy aspect of "Old World Blues".

Videos

Gallery

References

Old World Blues