World Map

The world map is the way of navigating the game world in the Fallout series.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
In Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, the world map is a top-down view of the landscape, divided into a matrix of square-shaped, equally sized sectors. The world map's primary function is to enable navigation for the player character's travels. When they leave a location with intent to travel to another one, they are presented with the world map.

When stationary, the player character's location is marked by an icon in an inverse pyramid, clicking on which takes them to the location they are currently at, which does not have to be a specially designated location - the player character can make stops anywhere on the map to perform actions such as exchanging or selling equipment, changing or reloading weapons, or administering drugs to themself or one of their companions.

To move the player character across the map, they have to click at any area they not currently at. In Fallout and Fallout 2, the player character's location is marked by a red cross icon, and the path is traced by line strokes. The length of these lines indicate the player character's speed - the longer they are, the more time it takes them to travel through that particular sector. In Fallout Tactics, the player character's location is marked by radiation trefoil, and no tracing is available.

When stepping on the exit grid in any map, one will enter the world map. If one wants to get anywhere at all, fast traveling is required. Moving across the vast desert takes a varied amount of time based on the terrain; mountains cause slower travel, while deserts are easier to get through. Driving in a vehicle, such as a Chryslus Motors Highwayman in Fallout 2 or a Brotherhood Hummer in Fallout Tactics, will increase one's fast travel speed, but only as long as there is gas in the tank.

Other features
About every 24 hours of travel, the game "rolls" a check for random encounters. If the roll is successful, the player character gets forced to leave the world map screen to face the situation. In Fallout 2, the player character may be given a description of the encounter and the opportunity to avoid it, the probability of which is determined by their Outdoorsman skill. A common feature on the world map screen are the indicators for current time, date, and year, as well as a list of special locations already visited, clicking on which automatically changes the player character's course to that location.

In the beginning of each game, the world map starts completely black except for the starting sector. As the player character travels, the sectors visited appear bright, while the sectors in the immediate vicinity of the ones visited appear dark. Traveling across a "beach" sector reveals all "ocean" sectors to the left of it. There is no special prize or bonus for exploring all sectors.

Special locations, such as towns, are marked by green circles of various size. In Fallout 2, special encounters are also marked with lightning bolts. If the Highwayman runs out of fuel, it will have to be abandoned, and the car's location will be marked with a small green circle.

Fallout 3
In Fallout 3 the world map is first accessible when receiving the Pip-Boy 3000 on the Lone Wanderer's 10th birthday. The world map shows the locations of the Capital Wasteland, Adams Air Force Base, Point Lookout, Anchorage and The Pitt. Not all locations must be visited in person to be shown on the map, as they can be mentioned by non-player characters, however, even though the location is marked on the map, it cannot be fast traveled to. With the Explorer perk (available at level 20), all locations on the map are revealed, but cannot be fast-traveled to beforehand.

One cannot fast travel to locations that have not been formally discovered, and cannot fast travel while inside a location, while in the air (such as in the middle of a fall), while overencumbered or while in the vicinity of or fighting enemies.

Fallout: New Vegas
The Fallout: New Vegas world map is a top-down view of the landscape surrounding New Vegas. It is accessible through the Pip-Boy 3000 "Data" tab. Locations are shown on this map and fast travel is used to travel to any location the player has already discovered. The map can also show areas in the Sierra Madre, Zion Canyon, Big MT and the Divide.

When a quest is selected to become the active quest in the Pip-Boy "Quests" tab, relevant places and people are marked on the world map with solid tabs, and a dotted line linking the Courier's current location to that marker.

The player character can set a manual marker themselves anywhere on the map using the X button; this marker appears as an unfilled tab, also linked to their location by a dotted line. If the player character has previously marked a location they will be prompted to either leave the old marker, replace it with the new location or remove the marker entirely. The player can only set one manual marker at any one time. These markers appear on the HUD compass, for the purposes of navigation.

If one travels to a close destination, time passes in increments of 10 minutes, while farther destinations result in increments of hours. Holding a two handed weapon does not affect the time it takes to travel, but sneaking while fast traveling will increase the time it takes. One can only fast travel to locations already discovered and visited prior.

Uncovering the map
In Fallout: New Vegas, the Courier begins their quest in the town of Goodsprings, which will appear on the map as the only location at the beginning of the game. As they travel and find new locations, they will appear on the map as filled squares, which can be fast-traveled to. When characters mention locations in conversation these locations appear on the map, though when they have not been visited by the player character they are represented by unfilled squares, which cannot be fast-traveled to.

Original pre-War roads and railways are all marked on the map from the beginning, and major geographical features such as mountains are also shown. The Explorer perk (available at level 20) will reveal all marked locations on the map, but cannot be fast-traveled to beforehand.

Fallout 4
The Fallout 4 world map is a top-down view map of the Commonwealth. Similar to previous games, it also shows the quest targets, where the player character has to visit in order to advance through the quest. However, this time the markers are made differently, to show which quest can be advanced.

The Sole Survivor can mitigate the traveling time by using the Institute as a jumping platform as it only takes one in-game minute to teleport to and from it. Fast travel (including via the Institute) is impossible while the player is overencumbered (and does not have the fourth rank of the Strong Back perk) unless using a Vertibird.

There are five locations which allow fast travel to and from an interior location: the Railroad HQ, Home Plate, the Institute, the Mechanist's lair and Vault 88.

In Survival mode, fast travel is only possible via Vertibird or the Institute. Additionally, while the player can still travel to the Institute from anywhere, the only location to which the player can travel from the Institute is the C.I.T. ruins.

Fallout 76
In certain other parts of the game, an alternate topological map of Appalachia is used instead, such as while selecting the target location of a nuclear missile, using a map purchased from the U-Mine-It! vending machine, or viewing locations on the wall maps in train stations.

The player character can fast travel for free to Vault 76, their C.A.M.P, a party member, the C.A.M.P. of a party member, a friend, Foundation, the Crater, or Fort Atlas. The player character can also fast travel—at the cost of a small sum of bottle caps—to other discovered locations, or any camp that has active vending machines. This cost is lowered for player characters under level 25. or by equipping the Travel Agent perk. Fast travel can be initiated from both indoor and outdoor locations, unless there are enemies nearby in which case a 15 second timer is initiated and will automatically fast travel after that time, provided the player character doesn't get damaged. The timer is only triggered by proximity to hostiles, the player's combat status ([DANGER] or [CAUTION]) does not inhibit them from fast traveling instantly.

External

 * fo76map.com