As some of you might know, I'm a big fan of the GamerScore system for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows, to the point that I often play "less-than-stellar" game just to get those delicious achievements. While that often makes me the target of some (hopefully) good-natured ribbing around the office, it's also given me an innate sense of how to best maximize your ROGT (Return on Gaming Time, for the uninitiated) when it comes to earning achievements. In fact, one of my crowning achievements (get it?) was getting the maximum 1250 GamerScore on Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, a feat which took me somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 sleep-deprived hours.
Naturally, my obsessive-compulsive personality and I were excited to get cracking on the developer's post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 3, which hit stores earlier this week. Although I still have yet to hit the 1000-point mark (I'm closing in on 900 right now), I've found a number of tricks that should help you on your way to GamerScore glory. Please note that there won't be any story spoilers in this article, although I will be disclosing the locations and characters involved in some of the side quests, as well as giving some tips toward finding them. As always, please leave a comment or write to us if you've got a better way to get some of these, as we'll be updating this article for the rest of the week!
Now, without further ado, here is GameSpy's Fallout 3 Achievement Guide!
Vault 101 Citizenship Award: Got the Pip-Boy 3000. - 10G
The G.O.A.T. Whisperer: Took the G.O.A.T. - 10G
Escape!: Completed "Escape!." - 20G
Following in His Footsteps: Completed "Following in His Footsteps." - 20G
Galaxy News Radio: Completed "Galaxy News Radio." - 20G
Scientific Pursuits: Completed "Scientific Pursuits." - 20G
Tranquility Lane: Completed "Tranquility Lane." - 20G
The Waters of Life: Completed "The Waters of Life." - 20G
Picking up the Trail: Completed "Picking up the Trail." - 20G
Rescue from Paradise: Completed "Rescue from Paradise." - 20G
Finding the Garden of Eden: Completed "Finding the Garden of Eden." - 20G
The American Dream: Completed "The American Dream." - 20G
Take it Back!: Completed "Take it Back!." - 40G
You'll be able to obtain all of these achievements by simply playing through the single-player campaign, although it should be noted that there is at least one you can talk your way out of if your Speech skill is high enough. If you do this, you won't get the achievement unless you reload your game and complete the quest.
Big Trouble in Big Town: Completed "Big Trouble in Big Town." - 20G
In order to find this side quest, you'll either need to track down Sticky (who's kicking it around Main Quest location Little Lamplight) or wander into Big Town itself, which is right along the Potomac near the middle of the map.
The Superhuman Gambit: Completed "The Superhuman Gambit." - 20G
This highly amusing side quest can be found in a sleepy little trading town called Canterbury Commons, which is located right along the eastern side of the map. A character named Ernest "Uncle" Roe will approach you, thrusting you into the middle of a war between two slightly insane super-people.
