Mod:DUST Survival Simulator/Starting Locations

This article tries to provide for a lore free description with spoilers concentrating on technicalities of the starting locations, while The Beginning provides for a more lore-rich one, including spoilers to gameplay.

Fallout: DUST 2.0 provides a choice of nine starting locations with each of them putting the player into an initially safe interior location, differing in readily available loot and first and foremost threats encountered upon exiting said locations and entering the wasteland.

Choice of starting locations is provided after chosing SPECIAL stats, traits and the physical representation of the Survivor (all of which are final, no refinement is possible) by the player being able to enter gameplay through named doors.

As noted in the Fallout: DUST Tips and Tricks page, saving your game proir to finally chosing a starting location is advised. Starting location 7 seems to be particularly forgiving, closely followed by 8.

Starting locations are listed clockwise, with the player assumed to face the radio, starting on the right. The names given are those displayed in-game.

Location
The former Lucky Jim mine house. This starting location has a Workbench and usable beds.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * Varmint Rifle, Knife
 * 1 x 56mm Round, 3 x 5.56mm Round (Junk), 1 x 5.56mm, Armor Piercing
 * Lying, Congressional Style
 * Hammer, Wrench, Scrap Metal
 * Surgical Tubing
 * Turpentine

Immedieate Surroundings
Leaving the shack, the Survivor will quite possibly be put into caution immediately due to multiple packs of Tunnelers patrolling in close proximity.

Three dead bodies are located in and near a wooden cart directly to the right of the shacks exit, and may be looted for armor. Next to the dead Suvivor lying in front of it, a Silenced .22 Pistol can be found, albeit in bad condition and without ammunition. The Survivor carries lore.

A hollow rock, located at the rear left of the shack can provide for additional loot.

Location
The former Black Rock cave.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * Paladin Toaster
 * Armor
 * Hydra
 * Lore

Immedieate Surroundings
The immedieate surroundings of the caverns exit are safe to navigate. Leaving in a straight line towards HELIOS One, a hollow rock marked with a heart symbol can provide for additional loot.

Gibson's Shack can be reached without complications by careful navigation, and provide for further initial loot.

Location
The former, unmarked Great Khan armory at the south entrance of Red Rock Canyon. This starting location has a Workbench and a Reloading Bench.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * 12.7mm Submachine Gun
 * 7 x 12.7mm, Hollow Point
 * Makeshift Grenade Launcher
 * 1 x 40mm Grenade, Incendiary
 * Armor
 * Hydra
 * Dynamite
 * 2 x Molotov Cocktail (Sasparilla)
 * Machete
 * Wrench, Scrap Metal
 * Locked Cabinets and Ammunition Boxes, but no Bobby Pins
 * Chance of additional guns and ammo

Immediate Surroundings
No immediate threats will emerge, if the safety of the armory is left, but the area to the south is infested with Tunnelers, including Tunneler Queens. Leaving towards the northern direction, an Ammo Box can be found on a rusted motorcycle.

The inhabitants of the settlement in Red Rock Canyon will be hostile towards the Survivor.

Location
The former Followers safehouse. This starting location has a Workbench and usable beds.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * Pipe Rifle
 * 2 x 10mm Round,
 * Doctors Bag
 * Super Stimpak
 * Armor
 * Chance of additional loot from corpses inside the safehouse

Immediate Surroundings
Exiting the safehouse, the Survivor will not be threatened and in addition has the advantage of having high ground. Two graves behind the safehouse could provide for additional loot, but require a Shovel to open.

Location
The former Brotherhood of Steel safehouse.

Location
The former Caesar's Legion safehouse. This was the (single) starting location of Fallout: DUST prior to version 2.0. Note, that this location has two exits.

Location
Jean Sky Diving.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * Femur
 * Armor
 * Lore
 * Guns, ammo and clutter in locker and container
 * Weapon Repair Kit

Immediate Surroundings
This is a particularly resource rich starting location, since there is a good chance of finding well-equipped lootable corpses closeby as a result of faction hostilities. Hostiles, including Tunnelers, present in the area can usually be identified and avoided by careful observatioin. Some might even be neutralized with weaponry initially available, if need be.

Combined with loot available in what was formerly known as Goodsprings, this starting location, with any luck, is very likely to provide for excellent starting equipment and provisions.

Hint: The key to the locker in the Shack is still on the desk.

Location
Abandoned warehouse near Camp McCarran.

Notable Loot

 * Crafting Kit
 * Makeshift Sniper Rifle
 * 3 x 47-70 Gov't (JNK)
 * Nailboad
 * 11 x Wine, chance of additional liquor
 * Lootable Toolbox
 * Scrap Metal,
 * Armor
 * Chance of additional loot from corpses inside the warehouse

Immediate Surroundings
Exiting the warehouse through the single door present, the Suvivor is prone to be challenged into immedieatly providing breathing space for others, but will not be subject to hostile attacks, if distance is kept.

The Survivor is likely to be attacked immedieatly, if the roller shutter gates are used for exiting the warehouse.

Hostilities between factions present can be used to obtain equipment.

Location
Abandoned home west of the strip, with a rigged mailbox right outside the front door.

Playtesting (and checking with the G.E.C.K.) showed, that this starting location is bugged. You will allmost inevitably die right after stepping out of the front door for the second time, if you activated the proximity fuse of the rigged mailbox bomb trap leaving the house the first time. Its timer does not properly account for repeated approaches unless the game is restarted. In addition to this, after its initial detonation, the rigged mailbox is sometimes rearmed, despite the in-game model showing the destroyed mailbox. The rigged mailbox can be disarmed with an Explosives skill of 45, just as in vanilla.

Also, a Frag Mine is supposed to be right in front of the door.

Despite the odd behaviours, it is entirely possible to stay alive and begin exploring the world of DUST starting at this location.