"Wait a minute, this is a windows blue screen. And you're typing on it like you know what you're doing. You're not doing anything, you're just looking like you're busy. That's your whole job, isn't it? Looking busy. Look, you have to reboot it. Where's the reset button?"

To be fair, Sturges admits he's trying to hack the computer, which does actually unlock the door downstairs, it's just that he's rubbish. And hell, at least he can work out what I need to build the Plot Device later on, even if I'm still the one that actually does it.

>That said, the prototype for the "NPC sandboxing" thing he does,
>Serana from Dawnguard, is one of my favorite NPCs ever
>precisely because they implemented the sandboxing mechanic without,
>apparently, ever considering whether such activities are actually
>appropriate, or even make sense. You're talking about Dire Shit with
>various people, and she kills time while you're doing it by chopping
>wood or sharpening up an old sword or maybe cooking up some horker
>loaf. It's almost certainly a bug, or at least an unintended outcome,
>but I prefer to think that Serana is just that insouciant and weird.
>:)

There's some fun ones again in FO4, usually claiming a work bench or cooking station, talking to local NPCs, having a smoke, or checking nearby containers for supplies. My favourite has to be Dogmeat though. Finding a teddy bear and playing with it is rather adorable.

>(They also had incredible food preservation technology.
>210-year-old canned pork and beans shouldn't even be recognizable as a
>can, much less still edible pork and beans. :)

Radiation: The ultimate preservative!

>One presumes you can get the T-60 later on. I'm not sure that's a
>bait and switch, as such, given that earlier game trailers show the PC
>with weapons that are obviously not going to be available until well
>into the game and that doesn't seem to outrage anyone.

T-60s, X-01s, all the old favourites turn up somewhere. I'm currently seeking out a new helmet for my march into the Glowing Sea on my PC playthrough.

>>FO4 at least has one leg up on Skyrim, it keeps track of the places
>>you've cleared, so when you get a quest to clear it out for J. Random
>>NPC, you can go "Oh yeah, already took care of that" and instantly get
>>the XP and caps for a job you did ages ago.

Not always. There's a handful of side quests where the objectives don't spawn until you get the mission. I found this while passing Boston Prep and figuring I could rescue the traders, keep going to Bunker Hill and get on the local mayors good side. No joy.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter