Fallout Shelter: Mistakes All Players Make That Ruin Their Experience

Fans of Bethesda fondly remember Falloutand its take on the post-apocalyptic genre. The Falloutuniverse plunged Earth into a devastated state after the Great War that turned nuclear. As a result, players begin as Dwellers of sophisticated Vaults that venture out into the world to find their destinies.

Franchise fans might wonder: while their characters save the world from imminent doom, what happens to the Vault they leave behind? In Fallout Shelter, players become Overseers of their own Vault and manage just that. And in classic Falloutfashion, the more stable a player's Vault becomes, the more crises the game throws at them. What should players avoid so their Vault endures all odds, from Raider attacks to Radscorpion invasions?

Updated on June 7, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam:With Amazon Prime’s Fallout series being freshly renewed for a second season, fans of the show might be eagerly awaiting the rest of Lucy MacLean’s journey as she explores a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in the year 2296. However, while Lucy begins her journey as in any other Fallout game, where they have to leave the safety of the Vault, fans might wonder what life was like in these supposedly indestructible last bastions of human civilization. This is where Fallout Shelter comes in, and fans might soon realize just how tricky it is dealing with the constant threat of Raiders and Deathclaws amid the struggle of maintaining all Dwellers alive. Some mistakes players shouldn’t do in this regard include placing rooms so close to the top, forgetting about the possibility of redirecting opponents, and even neglecting the potential of elevators as a defensive measure.

Dont Put Settlements Close To The Top

They Become More Accessible To Threats

Similar to other survival simulation games, Fallout Sheltergameplayhas Living Rooms that represent domestic areas in the busy underground societies of Vaults. Unlike other rooms, Living Rooms exist to provide sleeping quarters and recreational space for Dwellers and represent the growing population in Vaults. Players who want to be economical with their room placement may position a three-part Living Room beside other upgraded Rooms to maximize space in a single floor. However, upgraded Vaults might see dangers in haphazardly placing Living Rooms close to the surface.

At its core, Living Rooms provide no value to Vaults except for representing and upgrading the current population capacity. Given this lack of immediate use, its denizens are also likely more vulnerable compared to their working counterparts. In the face of danger, an unprotected Living Room becomes an inconvenience compared to other rooms where defenders can be situated.

Dont Forget About Redirecting Creatures, Enemies

Create A Path That Leads Creatures To Kill Zones

When Deathclaws and Raiders start to periodically attack the player’s FalloutVault, the situation can become very inconvenient when they’re left to face Dwellers without the right equipment. This can lead to swift deaths and unnecessary expenditure towards recovery. However, players can avoid this situation by being more methodical in the way they engage these threats. Instead of solely relying on Dwellers with powerful stats and gear, they can transform their Vault into a kill-house.

This setup involves understanding that the AI usually moves to the end of the floor and takes the Elevator there, or moves back until they find one they can use. Upon descent, they then go to the left-most part of the floor before proceeding to the right. In this regard, players can position an Elevator in the lower level in between two Power Rooms. This way, more aggressive Dwellers with high STR and END are located on either side, and enemies will be attacked by high-DPS units regardless of the direction they take.

Dont Skip Out On Elevators

Put Elevators At The Lowest Level To Avoid Mole Rats

Among threats players can encounter in theirFallout Sheltergameplay, Mole Rats can be annoying as they can spawn in any room that touches the ground. When left alone, they can stir quite a lot of trouble for players who don’t get to kill them quickly. Thankfully, this description for Mole Rat spawning patterns also includes its solution: build Elevators that touch the ground.

This tip essentially means for players to eventually invest in an endgame build that involves placing Elevators on all sides of their Vault, save for the first floor. Having Elevators at the very bottom of the Shelter means the Elevators are touching the ground, not the rooms above them. This practically disables the spawning of Mole Rats, removing one problem for players to deal with.

Dont Ignore Agility

Higher Agility Gives Better Fighting Power

As with the gameplay of other Fallouttitles, Fallout Sheltermechanics also rely on the SPECIAL System to keep track of a Dweller’s stats. However, the survival sim now relies on the SPECIAL System for Production Rooms to produce resources adequately, with the game offering special Training Rooms to boost SPECIAL stats of Dwellers positioned there. However, while it seems more practical to train specific SPECIAL stats tailored for specific production processes, players shouldn’t neglect the Agility of their Dwellers.

Similar to other Falloutgames, Agility is also an integral part of a Dweller’s combat performance in Fallout Shelter. In the sim, higher Agility allows a Dweller to perform better in Food Production areas, such as the Diner and the Garden. Increasing this can also improve their combat ability, as higher Agility allows Dwellers to fire weapons much faster than opponents. Theoretically, this ensures that Dwellers deal damage much faster than the enemy can fire back, decreasing their time to kill and boosting their overall survival rate.

Don't Ignore The Mysterious Stranger

He Gives Rewards When Clicked

Being a survival sim, Fallout Sheltercan get boring quickly when all players have to do is to collect Resources and ensure their Dwellers survive attacks. However, every now and then, the game does feature some nifty Easter Eggs from the main series such as the Mysterious Stranger. Having appeared since the first games, the Mysterious Stranger pops up in various parts of a playthrough and is most notable for his trench coat and hat.

In Fallout Sheltergameplay, players get a notification that the Mysterious Stranger is present in the game and should find him for a reward. This transforms Fallout Shelterinto a Where’s Waldo?minigame. Players shouldn’t skip the Mysterious Stranger’s appearance, as he can reward as low as 10 Caps and as high as thousands of caps.

Don't Get The Population Out Of Hand

More Than 60 Dwellers Invite Deathclaws

When players make significant progress in Fallout Shelter, the Falloutgame gives them access to more advanced gameplay options such as larger fused Rooms and even more opportunities to obtain Items and XP. This will also result in their Shelter and Dweller population's faster growth. However, as players may notice, staying longer in the game will likely boost the chances of bandit attacks and appearances of dangerous Deathclaws.

Thankfully, players do have an opportunity to prepare for Deathclaws: ensure their population doesn’t immediately reach 60. Deathclaws start spawning at Population 60, as though signifying that the player’s Fallout Shelterplaythrough has reached a progress milestone. In this regard, players seeing their population grow should start developing the gear of their Settlers to ensure their survival against tougher foes.

Don't Ignore Endurance

This dictates HP per Level Up

Just like in traditional Falloutgameplay, Fallout ShelterDwellers also follow the SPECIAL stat system in order to dictate their general competencies. Various Rooms and Gear in the game can also help improve a character’s SPECIAL stats, but perhaps Endurance is the most vital among these attributes.

While it’s true that other stats can boost a Dweller’s competency in handling Shelter maintenance, Endurance is vital in a Dweller’s survival. Essentially, every level up will give a Dweller 2.5 + (END * 0.5) in extra HP. An END 1 Dweller will get a maximum of 252 HP at Level 50 compared to an END 17 Dweller getting 644 HP at the same level.

Don't Ignore Outfit Boosts

They Boost Stats Past Maximum

Given how Dwellers in the Falloutseries follow the SPECIAL stat system, their Fallout Sheltervariants can also level up their stats whenever they level up. Unfortunately for players, Dwellers can only get up to 10 of each SPECIAL stat through natural bonuses. When left alone, Dwellers can underperform in the late game where there can be more frequent disasters and deadlier opponents both inside the Vault and in the Wilderness.

Thankfully, players can exceed this maximum should they start equipping better Gear. If possible, players should aim to acquire Gear designed to improve their Dweller’s best stats in order to raise their SPECIALs up to 17.

Don't Skip Legendary Dweller Quests

They Are Powerful Assets In A Vault

One of the best parts of Fallout Sheltergameplay is “collecting” Dwellers, especially when they come not just with different appearances and stats but also different Gear and outfits as well. They can give a breath of fresh air to a Shelter’s overall vibe as they provide new perspectives and personalities for players to enjoy. However, players should be on the lookout for upgraded Dwellers for their higher SPECIAL stats and even better outfit choices. They come in the form of Rare and Legendary Dwellers, of which most are named aftercharacters from Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and even Fallout 76.

Most of these higher-level Dwellers are acquired from Lunchboxes, making it a tricky endeavor for players to fully enjoy their Fallout Shelterexperience with these special characters. However, four Legendary Dwellers are actually obtainable through Quests: Ed the Ghoul (Searching in the Dark), Preston Garvey (A Settler Needs Your Help), Sarah Lyons (Climbing the Ranks), and Three Dog (Horseman of the Post Apocalypse Part 3).

Don't Put Empty Rooms Too Close Together

This Spreads Fires Faster

Fallout Shelterfollows themes of the Falloutfranchise. Survival doesn’t come easy to humanity’s remnants, since even the Vault encounters dangers the longer it stays active. Among these Disasters, Fire is perhaps the deadliest. Not only does it shut down an affected Room’s operations, but it also risks the health of Dwellers who try to stop its spread. While Fires are unavoidable throughout a playthrough, there are ways of containing the situation.

Players should avoid having empty Rooms next to each other, and place a necessary empty Room between occupied spaces. This way, Dwellers on either side can become first responders in the event of a Fire. Also, since Fire spreads between empty Rooms, having a “blocker” in place mitigates this risk.

Don't Hesitate To Get The Robot To Fight

Mister Handy Can Help Fend Off Enemies

If players are lucky, they may get at least one Mister Handy assigned to their Vault. Like Mister Handies in other Falloutgames, these robots act as assistants that can help manage the Vault’s activities without Dweller interference. This frees up Dwellers to do other tasks, such as develop romances. Unlike Dwellers with permadeath, a destroyed Mister Handy not only explodes in a nuke-like fashion, but can also be revived for 2,000 Caps.

This last part is crucial for Mister Handy’s practicality in a Vault, making them excellent defensive measures against Raiders. When Raiders invade a floor with a Mister Handy, they will wait in each Room until Mister Handy catches up with them and tries to fight them. This should give players enough time to assign other Dwellers to fight the Raiders without risking Rooms being looted.

Don't Forget Merging Rooms

Merged Rooms Give The Highest Value

In Fallout Shelter,each player’s Vault has Floors further divided into Rooms. Among these, Production Rooms are the most important for the Vault’s sustenance. Rooms can be merged into groups of two or three, and each grouping can be upgraded up to three levels.

While fully upgrading a merged three-Room set can be expensive, this yields the best result for players. Higher-Tier setups of merged Rooms can around double the Resource generated, ensuring the Vault has enough material to support its Dwellers without micromanagement. Such setups also incentivize maximizing the location and setup of Rooms. This helps avoid the confusion of multiple one-Room and two-Room setups for the same Resource.

Don't Ignore Extra Gear

Basic Gear Still Gives Bonuses

Fallout Shelterallows players to equip Dwellers with gear that changes their appearance, similar to armor and weapons in the mainline Falloutseries. Starting with the traditional Vault Suit, Dwellers can get Outfits that fit Fallout’s post-apocalyptic wasteland. The same goes for Weapons, which range from reliable baseball bats to powerful firearms. While players who get low-level gear may be tempted to throw these items away, they can be a saving grace in emergencies.

Even low-tier gear can provide some sort of buff to SPECIAL Skills and damage. This is significantly better than facing Raiders and other threats bare-handed. When it comes low-level items, players are better off giving them to a Dweller and replacing this equipment when they get better ones.

Don't Ignore The First Floor

The First Floor Can Delay Threats

No matter how much players upgrade their Vault Door, Falloutthreats such as Raiders, Deathclaws, and Feral Ghouls will always find a way to destroy it. This can send the Vault into panic as Dwellers rush to save what’s left of the Rooms ravaged by these hostile elements. However, players can avoid panicked Dwellers through proper positioning. After all, no one’s stopping Vault Overseers from situating their strongest Dwellers in the Room next to the Vault.

At first glance, this move seems to place Dwellers in unnecessary danger. Remember, though, that putting lower-risk Rooms near the Vault Door should keep Production Rooms and Storage Rooms away from extreme threats. With this in mind, having the best-equipped Dwellers stay as close to the Vault Door as possible should help the Vault deal with threats. This leaves only a few already-damaged hostiles as easy pickings for the rest of the Vault’s denizens.

Don't Get Another Column Of Elevators

Many Elevators Limit Production Value

Players might love the thrill of adding elevators to their dream Vault. However, players need to consider that, counting the original elevator column, they have space for only nine rooms on a single floor. Additionally, most single rooms in Fallout Sheltercan extend to fit three fully upgraded rooms, maximizing their production output. In turn, a floor can have three sets of fully upgraded rooms at the cost of those that floor's room spaces.

While it's perfectly fine to add a second elevator and work with eight room spaces, it potentially becomes counterintuitive in the long run. After all, this layout at the most can fit two three-set rooms and one two-set room.

Don't Put Rooms After The Vault Door

Functional Rooms After The Vault Door Are Always At Risk

In games like Fallout Shelterwhere invaders are a constant threat, maximizing floor area (at least, the first floor) may actually be counterintuitive. When Raiders from the remnants of the Great War attack Vaults, they attack all Rooms on a single floor before going down. To give Overseers time to prepare, it's best to leave the first floor unoccupied.

Doing this strategy avoids unnecessary resource depletion while Raiders attack the room. Additionally, this gives the Overseer some time to drag Dwellers to attack the Raiders. A good alternative is to equip Dwellers in the closest room to the entrance with the highest-damage weapons to maximize DPS for defense.

Don't Upgrade Rooms Too Quickly

This Encourages The Game To Up Difficulty

Overseers who see their CAPS number go up will be tempted to go on an upgrade bonanza to see their floors bloom. However, players who can afford to upgrade their rooms give the game a sign to up the ante in terms of threats and risks. This also explains why the game can throw "unbeatable" challenges to new players in the early game.

Instead, players should take the time to properly level up their Dwellers first before leveling up their respective rooms. Ideally, players should find a "groove" that allows them to acquire resources at a regular rate before upgrading or adding new rooms. This means not just getting enough resources, but also medication for quests, and money via quests.

Don't Send Dwellers Out Willy-Nilly

Powerful Dwellers Can Die, Leading To Wasted Collections.

Overseers can slowly acquire enough high-level Dwellers to send to the Wasteland to get supplies and CAPS. Unfortunately, staying too short in the Wasteland won't net any good loot. However, staying too long might kill the Dweller and force players to expend CAPs to revive them. Instead of sending all Dwellers to the Wasteland at once, try a "rotation" of two teams for their Dwellers.

First, they send out Team A to gather supplies and recall them as soon as they hit the 50% HP mark. While Team A is on the way home, send Team B to collect in their stead. This guarantees no unnecessary deaths and the continuous gathering of supplies. This also leaves room for players to focus on sending in their strongest Dwellers to tackle harder quests, especially in both dangerous and scary locations.

Don't Impulse Buy

Emergencies Happen Often

Another reason not to spend CAPS is emergency funding. In the real world, people often build an emergency fund to ensure they have "backup" savings if things ever go south. In Fallout Shelter, Overseers shouldn't feel too confident once they see an influx of CAPS coming their way. Instead of spending too much on upgrades, players need to consider other kinds of purchases.

For instance, reviving Dwellers in the Wasteland and even Mr. Handy costs a ton of CAPS. It's ideal to save at least 2,000 CAPS per Handy, and at least 1,000 CAPS for every Dweller sent in the Wasteland. Removing debris blocking the way also costs CAPS.

Don't Hesitate To Min-Max

The Best Is Better Than Average

Overseers will inevitably encounter Dwellers with a certain high-value SPECIAL stat. Thanks to experiences with RPGs, players will likely want to even out the odds by equipping them with gear that raises their other stats. However, mediocre SPECIAL stats won't maximize gains for rooms.

It's important to remember that Fallout Shelterpays more attention to overall management than just individual characters. In turn, rooms get higher resource output whenever they have Dwellers that excel in their required SPECIAL stats. As such, players may as well amplify a Dweller's powerhouse SPECIAL stat with gear or with training.