Fallout 76 may be a multiplayer survival shooter, and therefore a hell of a departure from how and what the series has been so far, but ultimately, it is still born from RPG roots. Which means that it has an interlocking mesh and interplay of mechanics and RPG systems that are far beyond than most sort-of RPGs on the system manage. There are actual differentiated stats, with perks unique to them, leading to different kinds of builds, there are multiple weapon types, each differentiated, leading to further divergence based on what you weird, and more.
This guide is meant to walk you through these RPG systems and mechanics for Fallout 76.
PERKS
Fallout 4 went perks only for its leveling system, and perks are more important than even there in Fallout 76. This is because since this is now a multiplayer shooter, perks are what you use to differentiate your character and gain possible advantages over other players.
There are 205 new perks in the game, spread across the S.P.E.C.I.A.L tree—that’s Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Each perk can be leveled up further, and upgrading it enhances and compounds its effect.
However, perks aren’t the same as they were in Fallout 4. In Fallout 4, you picked a perk for yourself (or upgraded an existing one) upon leveling up. In this game, you don’t get a perk unless you equip it in the form of a perk card (said card can then be upgraded, as stated previously).
As stated previously, there are 205 new perks, plus upgrades, in Fallout 76. The video below explains them all, in S.P.E.C.I.A.L order (meaning if you want to view a perk for, say, Intelligence, skip ahead a bit).
Of course, not all 205 perks are actually meaningful. Some are categorically really bad ones that you can and should ignore, instead of burdening yourselves with them, while some are the ones you should focus on at all costs. The video below also walks you through which ones to focus on, and which ones to avoid.
WEAPONS
There are multiple different weapons in Fallout 76, as was also the case in Fallout 4. Which makes sense—this is, after all, a loot shooter, so having loot is necessary. Fallout 76 actually includes multiple classes of weapons:
- Melee weapons
- Throwing weapons
- Pistols
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- Heavy weapons
- Laser rifles
Additionally, there are “unique” weapons like the alien gun, or the M2 Browning, that have unique properties. All together, there are a lot of weapons for you, as a player, to discover. Over 40 new ones await, and more are probably hidden away in the world somewhere. The video below will walk you through all the new ones you can find in the game, and which ones to focus on.