Starting Locations

This page is a composite of the beginning room "Underground Hospital" down to each starting area corresponding to each background.
== Creating New Character In Underground Hospital ==
The game start having you staring at the ceiling of a darkened room. Check the bodies of CONTRA members and Dead Scientist to initiate stat allocation and tag selection.
Tag skill can advance three times faster than non tag. It's advisable to pick one combat skill, Lockpick (so you can open lock earlier) and a skill that belong to your class. For example: Doctor/Medicine, Engineer/Repair etc... A recommended combo is Guns (most often met group of weapons), Lockpick, and Sneak.
Important note: A very hard locked gate, no key, barr the way toward the most important area ingame. Other than lockpick investment, the only other method to open it is a rank4 perk, belong to one class, to breach the door
You cant bring anything you get inside this room out, so might as well go out the door and pick one background, which determine your starting location.
After that, if in safe area or hidden state, you will be awarded 1700xp and level up.
== I dont remember who I am : Hopeville Marked Men Outpost ==
This background allow player to stay right there and keeping all the items you get in the hospital as well as DLC stashes. The weathered 10mm pistol should be our most superior weapon right now. Amnesiac can check the basement behind for whatever loot they have (M14 and bullets), which is very helpful at start of the game.
A Red Glare and Laser Detonator await Amnesiac at their usual place. With the latter we can detonate 5 warheads in Hopeville and open the way toward the High Path if Amnesiac feel like it. The way should be open upto the missile launch site of Ashton.
The Men and Women Barracks contain good loots and forcibly summon a team of Contra hitmen when we enter the back of the room. Other than the usual hit squad spawn indoor, that is. The Headquarter does contain the code to open Armory still. There we will find a locker with a full riot suit.
Without EDE, Amnesiac can only advance toward Ashton Missile Silo before return to Hopeville Missile Silo.
The Hopeville missile silo has toxic air, so we need a good breathing mask before we can get in. However, the latest version seem to eliminate this challenge. Go through the silo, we can see the bay with an EDE inside, but initiate just lead its disappearance (see the note in Primm). We can backtrack toward Canyon Wreckage in Mojave.
Note: a Lockpick of 50 would allow access to most of containers in Hopeville area.
Right outside Canyon Wreckage we would meet first a few bandits, then a group of Legion, and finally Estalishment troops. If we survive the initial encounter with bandits, we can sit tight and watch firefights break out among Legion and bandits, and further on, Establishment troops. This should prove to a cold bath on your hungry heart thinking you have Mojave as your playground.
Either you run on the far left, and dash onto the cliff above Primm, and methodically, and very patiently skirting Primm's border make your way toward north (Sloan or Goodsprings), passing battle zones that has Establishment troop. Or run for the far right, taking care with Legion packs and Establishment troop, and make your way toward south (Hell Motel and Nipton Road Rest Stop). Either way are big challenges.
Another way is infiltrate Primm, visit Mojave Express Building to get EDE operational. This is Mojave Ede with a few modifications, like daily MF/EC/Satchel charge, so you can not use it to unlock Commissary or initiate Ashton missile launch. 
== Renegade Scrounger in The Thorn ==
You start at the room that used to be Red Lucy's. Outside is the Sewer City, safe for a while. Probabbly easiest and safest background, a recommended option for new players.
Homemade shotgun + 20gauge x50
Merc cunt uniform; thug mask; 
Dog steak 5; jenken 4; vodka 3
Roadflare 5
The Sewer City has two ladders out. One onto the surface of Westside with Military men covering this entry. Dangerous, it is. The other entry open up to other sewer which can open up to 
- North Vegas Square (2: gate and inside). This area is lifeless, though you can loot The Gray for minor gains.
- Westside, open up to Miguel Pawnshop, which has quite an amount of free loot. Careful with the Mobius Militia in Westside though. Jason Vorhees is here inside a red cloud, probabbly wont chase you if not enter his range. Westside Coop, Casa Madrid and Bob Liquor are also opened to loot.
- Freeside's North gate, sorry Razor north gate. Careful with Military men and zombified in the area. Make your way slowly toward Freeside west gate. There is a bunch of Iron guards corpses waiting to be looted over there. On the way you will pass over the west gate of Crimson Caravan compound. Despite the guards outside the compound being hostile, once inside the gate, there are three buildings with friendly survivors.
-Crimson Caravan company's gate. This would make us right into hostiles' lap, so no.
- Three southern manhole/exit are leading into Central Sewer.
Generally, sewers are a safer way to navigate than the surface. You only has to worry enemy in limited range, unlike up there they can detect you a long sight away~ The worst would be Legions, which can be driven away with Flare, or runaway. Making full use of sewers exits to fight enemies around the ways out, and get in once the heat is too much, is safer.
Wins hideout between North Vegas Square and Westside north gate, is home to a good SMG inside its safe.
Junkie and Scrounger are two background/starting locations near enough that a trip toward Lake Mead can unlock Player House. However, that can be quite early enough that they dont have enough scrap metals to build it.
== Military Deserter on a combat site around Coyote Den ==
Military Deserter background award you some equipments and drop you on a ledge (back of a truck stuck high between boulders) beside two Military corpses. The cell is "cgmilitarysite" and around Coyote Den.
If you are undetected (hidden) you will have enough time to level up maybe one or two levels. But most of the time Deserter have to combat with guns or combat skill 20, against a horde of zombies and rotters. 
Zombies and Rotters fighting other military men back down on the ground and have no way to reach you. Deal with gun-wielding hostiles first for safety. When cannon fodders, aka Military men, died out, if you have explosives, it's time to expend them (far from your location), not just to kill but to maim their legs. In such state, should you decide to run away, it's easier. Or just stay and kill them all.
In the north there might be some Legion which need to be outrun. Skirt by Jackrabbit Springs and make your way toward Prospector Den. Cyber Acolyte and or Marauders might be alive outside of that cave. Inside there might be Marauders (up to Knight) and Cyber Acolytes. After finish them all off, this should serve as temporary rest location for a time.
From here, you might want to infiltrate Primm , where EDE wait in the Mojave Express Building. Try skirting by the battlezone south of the town. The bandits patrol the courtyard, but killing them is not too hard since they are way spread out. The small buildings plus VikkiVance casino dont have hostiles unoccupied. The Bison Steve Hotel has unrespawned hostile in 1st floor, though the priest is really troublesome. 2nd floor has respawning enemies so it's not safe. Potentially you can store loots in the hotel gift shop's safe where you pick up Lucky. That one is sure not to respawn content. 
IF from Coyote Den you want to move down south, there's big battle zone eastward of Nipton. Have a care with that.
One missable direction is, once in Primm, Deserter can sneak their way westward toward the Canyon Wreckage. The battlezone on the path leading to that place can be a big obstacle. But once past that, the Hopeville and High path await will plentiful of loots and minimum of hostility (contra prototypes here or there).
== Survivalist: Nipton Road Reststop ==
Survivalist will have enough time to level up in peace. Inside the store, other than the usual loots, there's a Pugilism skill book.
Outside the store is a three way fight of Cremation bots, radscorpions, and zombies. Use the door to get in and out to separate hostiles into small manageable group. A high sneak Survivalist can poke in and out, so draw attention of any who detect him/her, and leaving alone any who doesnt. If you dont want to play hide and seek like that, you can take the chance that bots get distracted by enough other targets they dont shoot missiles on your ass when you run away.
Northward toward Nevada highway patrol station is a possible temporary side trip, since there's an armory inside and the road's hostile are possible to break through. But not more northward than that because east of canyon wreckage, south of Primm is a big battle zone with factions are Establishment, Mobius militia, bandits from Primm, Legions. IF you meet a Marauder Knight, that's lucky because he usually wear a full metal suit, which is the park stroller suit you need to be able to run instead of crouch. You can try breaking eastward toward Prospector Den, then turn around to infiltrate Primm. 
One missable direction is, once getting nearby Survivalist can sneak their way westward toward the Canyon Wreckage. The battlezone on the path leading to that place can be a big obstacle. But once past that, the Hopeville and High path await will plentiful of loots and minimum of hostility (contra prototypes here or there). 
Another way is go westward a bit to get to Mesquite Mountain campsite (for the survival guide), then back, then on the mountain path toward Mojave Outpost which does contain some loots and minimum hostile presence.
== Psychopath in Jacobstown bungalow ==
Psychopath background is most suitable to melee-oriented build, due to its starting equipments
chainsaw gra; combat knife; fire axe; hatchet; knife
cylinder hat; mad scientist scrub; white glove society mask
human flesh 34; sewage water 12
bone saw misc item, ear 24, empty syringe, finger 443, forceps misc item, mutilated arm 3, mut leg 6, mut organ 3, mut skull 3, mut torso 2, scalpel misc item, scissors
Psychopath also start in relative safety with enough time to level up. Dont forget to loot all the bungalow, with its one skill book.
There might be legions lurking on the grand field before the resort. There is one friendly survivor spawned right outside of the wall gate you can hire if having perk and money. The resort building do have some helpful items, but only if you search it at daytime. At nighttime the Contra hitmen will appear inside.
The forest and mountains are full of military men fighting with zombieds (or not fight). You can do a side trip, by moving northward toward the cave on the mountainside, sweeping the hostiles on the way. Inside the Charleston cave there was a small room with some loots there, helpful at start of game.
From the cave, it's easy to wander on the mountain side on the north slope to get out. The southeastern slope is too close to the road and not easy to sneak by, but the north slope is barely possible.
The Silver Peak Mine Shack is a good stopping point despite having Legions and Military men outside. The east road from there leading to Ranger Station Foxtrot with military men wander around, and not much loot. But eastward can get you to west side of Vegas, beyond an area populated by pack Legions and some cazadors at Beer Bootlegger shack. From there, make way toward the Monte Carlo Suites as next stop in the course of investigating West Side.
The north road though, has military men on the asphalt. Patiently fight your way out of the mountains and you get to northwesternmost corner of the map. Make your way toward Brook Tumbleweed Ranch for a good stopping point and rest. And then, either southeastern toward West Side, or northward skipping through the farms and make your way to the Winns hideout. That make a good stopping point to start exploring the north of Vegas.
== Junkie in Atomic Wrangler Casino's restroom ==
Softly and quietly checking all the restroom for anything a Junkie can use, as there is one military hostile outside. There is one junkie in one of the stall with a pistol and some bullets. Try to deal with the military specialist quickly, because there might be one officer and soldier outside (this could get random). The looted weapon should be heavy pressurized flamer, otherwise an improved flamer. The latter is so so, but the former is a lucky draw since you could use it waaaaay long into future.
A tagged Sneak might be stealthy enough that the specialist wont go in to investigate. In which case, a sneak around the back, upstair, and jump drop onto the bar will get you near a Hard locked door, which a tagged Lockpick can open with a lockpick in the cashier container right there. Inside is both kitchen and armory with one guns locker. You should be armed enough to pacify the entire casino.
There is all kinds of locked containers and doors around here, with 3 Very Hard doors. 
Outside, on the other side of the streeth is Silver Rush, a treasure trove full of energy weapons with no guard at all. Take what you can.
Another building has a bunch of Golden Guards inside, armed with heavy blunderbus that can oneshot you, but otherwise slow reload. They are a good warning about Golden Guards ahead protecting the biggest flashiest gate you can find, beyond a street full of mines. NOt that you get the chance to disarm them, because the sharp eyed guards can detect you much farther than you thought possible and fire at will with their terrifying weaponry. This road is absolutely no go for much while (acquire Fatman with much nukes to bombard the area, or great armor).
Back track and take route out to the Freeside, sorry, the Razor Row area. Hoodlums wander the streets but they are weak enough you can attempt to kill and loot them. Mobius Militia guarding the entrance to Mormon Historic Site, so presumably inside can have more of them, which might be too much for Junkie currently.
A new building around here, Toasted baby baked goods, can gift you nearly one hundred toasted foods. Only useful if you install harder survival needs, and otherwise useless.
Outside of the North gate there's light Military presence. Wander toward the walled compound nearby, kill or avoid Miltary/zombiefied in the way, and get inside Crimson Caravan Company complex. The barracks can provide friendly survivors as hirelings if a Junkie has the Companionable perk, and 150+ polished cartridge. The other gate lead to Vegas Medical Clinic, but you can also go back the way you are in and wander toward the other Gate of Razor Row.
Outside of the West Gate has a bunch of Iron Guards fighting Tuphteel turrets. Leaving alone (and Junkie being undetected) they will be killed by the turrets and you can loot ten corpses. The key is being undetected thus un-distract the guards from their suicidal intention. A Vendortron outside of Tuphteel compound is useless to Junkie for now.
South of that compound and west of NCR Sharecropper farms, is an nondescript ranch house. used to house of Orion Moreno in another universe, this one now has a bunch of survivors here which Junkie can hire.
Junkie and Scrounger are two starting location near enough that a trip toward Lake Mead can unlock Player House. However, that can be quite early enough that they dont have enough scrap metals to build it.
== Swat Trooper in the highway 15 nevada patrol station ==
Swat Trooper has enough weaponry to deal with hostiles outside, as long as it's one on one. Dont be overconfident and take them full head on.
Weirdly enough, the toughest hostile would be the poisonous arachnid in the locked room beside. Guns cant target it in Vats, and its' quite fast in real time. So use the looted melee weapon (Stop Sign) and bat it out.
Outside of the station there can be a group of Marauders spreading out. IF you meet a Marauder Knight, that's lucky because he usually wear a full metal suit, which is the park stroller suit you need to be able to run instead of crouch. Northward there's a big battlefield you dont want to get near, since Establishment can detect and oneshot you from very far away. You can try eastward toward Prospector Den, then back onto Primm. Or you can try southward toward Nipton Road Reststop, then Mojave Outpost.
One missable direction is, once nearby SWAT trooper can sneak their way westward toward the Canyon Wreckage. The battlezone on the path leading to that place can be a big obstacle. But once past that, the Hopeville and High path await will plentiful of loots and minimum of hostility (contra prototypes here or there).