Things That Go Boom

Things That Go Boom is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Synopsis
The New California Republic is acutely aware of the Boomers to the northwest and would like to contact them in hopes of forging an alliance for the upcoming Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Their howitzers could provide much-needed fire support during the battle.

Walkthrough

 * The quest is the first task given to the player by Ambassador Dennis Crocker at the Strip's NCR Embassy. The invitation to meet him is given after the first encounter with Mr House and coincides with a pardon that wipes the player's negative reputation.
 * The player is asked to forge an alliance with the Boomers. The first step is reaching Nellis Air Force Base alive through the artillery barrage. Sprinting through the fire, making a beeline for the fence is a good choice: The artillery will keep firing even if the player enters Sneak mode and uses a Stealth Boy. Upon being met at the perimeter by a Boomer, the player is referred to Raquel and then to Pearl.
 * Forging an alliance is a matter of gaining an Idolized reputation by completing various tasks around the base, such as listening to their history at the Nellis Boomer museum, aiding the Boomer medic at the Nellis medical station, aiding Jack, Loyal, Raquel, and so on and so forth.
 * When the player's reputation is high enough, they will be asked to complete Volare!, restoring the B-29 at the base by raising the crashed B-29 from Lake Mead. However, simply having the reputation will suffice, as it allows the player to ask Pearl for the Boomers' help. She will pledge the Boomers' support to the Courier, allowing the player to report back to Crocker.

Bugs

 * The game may not recognize that the player is already idolized in the Boomers: Mentioning this fact to Crocker and not stating that they have promised to help the Courier will cause Crocker to disappear. To prevent this, receiving the quest, going to Pearl, asking her about the support, then returning to Crocker to turn the quest in can help.
 * It's possible for an NCR MP to hassle the player, attacking them after declaring "This is what happens when [they] cross the NCR." The player can simply reload the autosave or just avoid hthe MP when getting out.