Objectives & Experiments in Vault 88
- The player discovers that the vault was abandoned after the nuclear war, leaving behind ghouls (including the non‑wild supervisor Barstow).
- The main quest, “A Better Life Underground,” involves unlocking the workshop, clearing debris, and re‑activating the three sectors (North, East, North‑East) to gain full access to the workshop.
- Once the workshop is functional, the player can run experiments on the vault’s residents via a terminal, tweaking conditions (food, lighting, stress, etc.) to observe the effects.
- These experiments are darkly ironic, echoing Vault‑Tec’s original purpose: studying humans under pressure.
Limitations & Criticisms
- The narrative quest is short (about an hour) and lacks depth, with few memorable characters.
- The vault‑management aspect is limited: there are no resource‑tracking or advanced management systems.
- The real draw is the free‑build component: hundreds of new objects, rooms, corridors, doors, flooring, and a Vault‑Tec Super Reactor (500 energy units).
- The lack of a tutorial and frequent bugs (collision issues, path‑finding glitches) make building frustrating.
The Experiments
Each experiment in Vault 88 offers three options: neutral, human‑friendly, or dangerous. Below is the recommended choice based on the balance of efficiency, safety, and Barstow’s reaction, together with the bonuses, drawbacks, and the optimal option for each device.
The Cyclotron 1000, the Refractor, and the Slot Machine all grant a temporary attribute boost: +1 Endurance, +1 Perception, and +1 Luck respectively. These boosts apply only while the player is using the prototype or built object and remain active until another device provides a similar boost; the previous boost disappears as soon as a new one is received. Thus, the gains are not permanent and must be re‑activated each time the device is used.
1. Cyclotron 1000 (Endurance)
- Generic Prototype: +2 energy (day‑only) → neutral.
- Environmental Amplifier: +2 energy (day‑only), no risk.
- Electrical Stimulation: +4 energy → kills residents over time.
- Best Choice: Environmental Amplifier → maximum safety, stable bonus.
Barstow: Disapproves, but will tolerate it if another experiment pleases her.
2. Soda Dispenser (Happiness / Food)
- Generic Caffeination: +5 happiness.
- Mood Enhancement: +15 happiness, quirky “trip” dialogue (harmless).
- Appetite Suppressant: produces 1 food unit, but slowly kills residents.
- Best Choice: Mood Enhancement → best bonus.
Barstow: Approves this choice, helping convince her to stay.
3. Refractor (Perception)
- Generic Prototype: +5 happiness.
- Improved Eye Care: +10 happiness, safe.
- Subliminal Messages: +15 happiness → risk of blindness or death.
- Best Choice: Improved Eye Care → good happiness/safety trade‑off, no risk.
Barstow: Disapproves, but it doesn’t matter if another experiment satisfies her.
4. Slot Machine (Luck / Caps)
- Generic Prototype: +10 happiness.
- Revenue Loss: +15 happiness, costs 500 caps to activate.
- Customer Profiling: +5 happiness + 10 caps intermittently, no deaths.
- Enslavement: +29 caps/day → kills residents.
- Best Choice: Customer Profiling → money bonus without danger.
Barstow: Strongly approves, considered a total success.
Conclusion
- Peaceful Goal: Choose the “human‑friendly” options for a safe vault.
- Keep Barstow: Opt for Mood Enhancement (soda) or Customer Profiling (slot machine) so she stays.
- Best Overall Compromise:
- Cyclotron 1000: Environmental Amplifier.
- Soda Dispenser: Mood Enhancement.
- Refractor: Improved Eye Care.
- Slot Machine: Customer Profiling.
This combination maximizes bonuses, avoids deaths, and lets you persuade Barstow to remain through a dialogue test.
While the human‑experiment angle is original and faithful to Fallout lore, it’s brief and under‑developed. The DLC mainly appeals to players who enjoy free‑building—hundreds of new objects, rooms, and a Vault‑Tec Super Reactor—but not to those seeking a deep narrative adventure or comprehensive vault management.