A speedrun is a play-through, or recording thereof, of a computer- or video game performed with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, avoiding anything you don't have to do. The term is only used in the context of games that were not originally or primarily designed with fast completion in mind, such as the Fallout games. It's not recommended to try a speedrun the first time you play through a game, instead it's something fun to try once you have familiarized yourself with the mechanics of the game.
Fallout can be completed in less than 10 minutes, but expect to spend around half an hour playing through either Fallout 2 or Fallout 3.
Fallout[]
Start a new character with Perception 8, good Intelligence and Agility. Tag Unarmed, Lockpick and Speech. Run from the rats, leave the vault and travel west until you get to the Military Base (you may have to save a few times as you go).
Talk to the first guard you meet and go to see the Lieutenant. Refuse to tell him anything, and when he moves to hit you, run away. Go to the control room (save before going through the red forcefield). Stand behind the technician in the northeast corner and save. Use aimed blows to the head and try to knock him out; when you succeed, take his Robes and Security Card. If you set off the alarm, load. Wear the Robes. Use the card on the computer and trigger the 3-minute countdown. If done correctly the base should not be on alert, and you can just run all the way to the surface unmolested (but beware the red forcefields and chew a Stimpak or two). When you step on the exit grid you'll level up four times.
Travel south-southeast to the Cathedral and enter. Boost Lockpick to 100%, Science to 70% and Unarmed to 150%. Go to the top of the tower and take the Power Fist from the footlocker. Go down and enter the basement, open the secret door, bluff your way past the guards and go to level 3, then to level 4. Stand behind the mutant with the Gatling Laser and save. Equip the Power Fist, say you have permission from the Lieutenant to be armed and kill him with one or two aimed blows to the eyes. When the other one moves in, kill him too. Arm the bomb using Science. Return to the surface and step on the exit grid. The end!
By taking advantage of the ability to keep A pressed to prevent critters from acting you can do this even faster, as demonstrated by Devin Herron. Firstly you don't need Robes to leave the Military Base, making that part considerably easier (get them from the Followers instead). Secondly you don't have to worry about mutant patrols on the world map. Thirdly you don't have to visit the tower for the Power Fist, since you don't have to fight the mutants guarding the bomb (this is easier if you pick up the Key in the base right after evading the Lieutenant).
Fallout 2[]
First create a character with good Intelligence (though not 10), Agility and Perception (less random encounters). Not too low Strength and Charisma. Tag Speech, Steal and Barter. The rest aren't important.
Run through the Temple of Trials without killing anything. Talk Cameron out of fighting. Then leave Arroyo right away.
Travel to San Francisco and get the following items: about 15 Super Stimpaks, 2 Psychos and Power Armor (the armor sometimes spawns on traders in San Francisco, you need it in order to not get attacked at the Enclave Oil Rig). You need to steal from the punks on the tanker and shopkeepers for loot to barter with to get the things you need. If you can't find the Power Armor then you can always get it from Navarro, but then you'll end up spending more time.
Head to the Steel Palace and kill Ken Lee by 10 Super Stimpaks on him (it's also possible to plant plastic explosives on him to save time). Go to the Hubologists base and find AHS-9. Save the game, use the 2 Psychos to lower your Intelligence (reload if you get addicted), then talk to AHS-9. He will reward you with filling up the tanker and setting it up so it's ready to go, due to your low Intelligence. This bypasses the fuel, Navcom and Tanker FOB quests. Rest for six hours until your Intelligence returns to normal and put a few of your many skill points into Speech (you need this to convince the scientist and Sergeant Granite later). Go to the tanker and set off for the Oil Rig.
Take the stairs down to the detention area (the guards won't attack you if you're wearing your Power Armor), go down again. Get through the maze, going into the side rooms for the G.E.C.K., and two Super Stimpaks, then go down yet again. Find the President, kill him with 7 Super Stimpaks, then take his key.
Go to the stairs at the top of the map, go down, find the scientist at the bottom of this area, tell him to shut down the reactor. Go up and run to the newly opened emergency stairs, climb them, and leave the barracks to the west.
Talk to Sergeant Granite until he agrees to help taking out Horrigan. Go west and keep to the bottom of the room, use the computer and activate counter insurgency. Stand back and watch Horrigan get killed in a few turns by the turrets and soldiers. Open the door and escape. Finished!
Fallout 3[]
Press Esc to skip the opening movie. All menus in Fallout 3 can be navigated with either the keyboard or the mouse. The fastest way is a combination of keyboard and mouse that's different for each situation. The only stats useful in a speedrun are Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, and Luck so put all of those around 9.
At the birthday party back up to avoid Amata's conversation. Then jump over the table to start the cake cutting as quickly as possible. Talk to your Dad to prevent him from sitting down and push him to about 2 feet from the intercom. Talk to your dad as soon as Jonas is finished talking then exit the room. Keep to the left to avoid talking to Beatrice. Once you talk to Jonas go back and talk to your dad. You don't need to shoot the targets or kill the radroach that quickly just as long as you finish before Jonas gets far into the room.
You can skip taking the G.O.A.T. by telling Mr. Brotch you're sick. The only skills that are useful to you are: Speech (to get into Little Lamplight), Science (needs to be 50 at level 2), Explosives (only at the very end), and Medicine (only useful in Vault 87). For the escape grab the stimpaks from the first-aid kit by your desk. You can skip talking to Butch and the officer by punching the air as you pass them. Grab the note from the locker to access the computer and open the door.
Once out of the Vault your first stop is the BOS Citadel. Grab some grenades on the way. You will want at least 1 for the end of the game.
The quickest way to glitch into the Citadel is to fly over the front gate. You can do this by dropping a piece of armor (Vault 101 Jumpsuit). You need to press jump then grab rapidly, but press it too fast or slow and it won't work. It's easiest to make the buttons on your mouse jump and grab and get into rhythm. Once in the Citadel take the first door to the right. Use the archive terminal to update your quest about Vault 87. Then fast travel to Vault 101 and walk to Little Lamplight.
Use the speech check to get into Little Lamplight. Talk to Mayor MacCready about Vault 87. Find Joseph (if you are making good time then wait an hour by the vault door and he should appear). Hack the door and enter Vault 87.
Don't fight anything just run past using stimpaks when necessary. When at the G.E.C.K. room press the button to open the chamber then stand in the doorway where there is no radiation as it opens. Grab the G.E.C.K. and run past the mutants so you can be captured.
In Raven Rock grab your things from the locker as soon as you can. Exit to the right to avoid talking to the officer. Make your way to John Henry Eden, then to the exit. Once outside fast travel to the Citadel and then walk/swim to the Jefferson Memorial and fast travel to it when it gets put on your map.
Once in the purifier room you need to talk to Colonel Autumn to update your quest. The only problem is he is in the inner chamber where you can't talk to him. There is a clipping error in the window by where Autumn is standing just big enough for a grenade to fit through. Watch this video to see exactly where. Once you have aggroed him you need to trick his AI to thinking he can come out. The easiest way to do this is to exit at least two rooms distance and come back. But saving, loading a save where he has come out and then loading your first save works as well.
He will still be aggroed, but he is also a quest character right now so go ahead and knock him out. When he wakes up talk to him to update your quest. Then all you need to do is lock yourself in the chamber by standing by the doorway and pressing the button while backpedaling. That's it!
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Discussion[]
As Helpfull as this article would be. I can't help but ask why people would want to "speed run" ANY of these games. Exept mebby speedrunning the 1st part of Fallout to remove the timer. RPGs of any type are best taken at a leasurely pace regardless of how many times you have played.
Azzaman 03:07, March 26, 2010 (UTC)
Some people do it just for the fun, after finishing it perhaps. I think this would be best included in the walkthroughs for each game though. Cait "Join The RISEN Wikia" Sith 11:17, May 17, 2010 (UTC)
- I think when people completed the game several times and exploited everything in the game they come to such ideas. Although i find the "fly" trick and dropping grenades through a clipping error pretty lame. If i was that desperate I would use the console, i can't see how this is more challenging.
The fun and challenge in speed runs isn't in performing them its figuring them out. The very first person to figure all this out has to be given much credit, but anyone who performs it just by reading this is lame.
I dislike that the Fallout 3 one relies on glitches. I understand that doing things the normal way, via Tranquility Lane and all that, would take rather a long time. But just glitching through the game doesn't feel like an actual speed-run to me. FinalWish 01:18, 18 June 2012 (UTC)