Pip-Boy 2000

The RobCo PIP-Boy 2000 is one of the models of the Personal Information Processor electronic device series manufactured by RobCo Industries. It is a very special piece of pre-war equipment that was used primarily by travellers. The Pip-Boy holds a surprisingly large amount of information and can transfer data to and from holodisks and from data tubes. It displays information in bright green on its black 5" x 3" screen. It can record sound and video footage for later playback. If left alone in the main screen, a screen saver of falling atom bombs can be seen. On January 1st, the Pip-Boy 2000 will wish you a happy new year, and on November 28th, it will wish you a happy thanksgiving.

Its primary uses are monitoring the user's health and mapping the surrounding terrain via powerful satellite uplinks (where available) and sonar imaging (with the option to call up large map blocks of several hundred miles). Other features include a buddy chat program, timer and alarm function, cabling extensions to motion sensors as well as a personal log system, reading material storage and even simple games.

Input is slow, but a patient user can master hand-entering and editing text messages on their Pip-Boy 2000s. The original Pip-Boy 2000 was a hand-held device, though some very cumbersome models were made to be worn on the arm. These models were unofficially called Pip-Boy 2000 Plus, and one of them was owned by the Vault Dweller and later the Chosen One. Warrior in Fallout Tactics uses Pip-Boy 2000 with a "B.E." stamped onto it. This could mean Brotherhood Edition. The B.E. version contains many new and/or modified features of the original Pip-Boy.

The character shown in images that illustrate the characteristics of the SPECIAL character system (Perks, Traits, Stats etc.) is often incorrectly called Pipboy (even in Fallout Tactics). His real name is Vault Boy.

Buttons
The PIP-Boy 2000 includes four handy buttons, each with its own function, and one broken button (at least in the one which belonged to the Vault Dweller and later the Chosen One). The broken button was going to have a "clue" feature, and can be seen if you look closely at the decayed letters.

Status
The Status will display any quests the budding adventurer in you has been attempting to perform. Completed quests, if any, will be crossed out, but still visible, to provide that "good feeling" in you when checking back the Status. Replaced with "Briefings" in Fallout Tactics which contain an audio file of a briefing and the same file as text.

Automaps
Advances in terrain renderization allow the PIP-Boy 2000 to store automaps of any location you visit during your journeys. The Automaps button will display all of the automaps the PIP-Boy 2000 has in its memory. Replaced with "Maps" in Fallout Tactics that contains a full-color image of the area and information on the specific parts of the map.

Archives
Including a video recorder, the PIP-Boy 2000 saves filmic events that might occur. Here you can watch them all again, in full playback mode!

Movies include:
 * Overseer Briefing
 * Vault 13 Water

In Fallout Tactics the feature works exactly the same with some videos available. The include:
 * The tutorial videos
 * Boot Camp

Clues
In the Pip-Boy which belonged to Vault Dweller, this button is broken. Its name was visible only in the Fallout demo, and the demo's files revealed that it was intended to keep track of various clues the player receives, much like a journal.

Close
The Close button will power down your PIP-Boy 2000 and release you from its high-resolution monochromatic graphics.

Fallout 2 enhancements
In Fallout 2, there are enhancements that are designed only to work with PIP-Boy (which the Chosen One happens to have). The game contains two such enhancement modules, Linguistic and Medical. Both of these are obtained in New Reno, with the medical enhancement being one of the most obscure items in the game. Both of the enhancements are one of a kind.


 * Linguistic - Increases speech by 10% permanently.
 * Medical - Increases doctor by 10% permanently.

The "B.E." version
The Warrior in Fallout Tactics uses a toned down version of the original Pip-Boy, used by the Midwestern Brotherhood. It uses the same Green & Black configuration as the original, but with higher resolution. The B.E. version also contains support for full-color map files and high quality audio briefings. The B.E. version also contains a slot for the calendar-clock and an alarm, but the slots are empty. These could have been removed by the Brotherhood or it could have been a developer oversight. The B.E. probably stands for "Brotherhood Edition".

Pip Expansion Hardware
Tech Level: 8 All Pip Boy models can download and transfer data from holodisks. All models can also accept expansion hardware. Expansion hardware comes in the form of data tubes, which are highly advanced, jam-packed vacuum tubes. Data tubes cannot be written to with Pip Boys, but their data can be accessed while they are connected. Pip Boy 2000 models can take six tubes, 2000 Plus models can take four, and Lil' Pip 3000s can take six.
 * Battle Buddy increases the Melee and Unarmed skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * Diplomat Buddy increases the Investigate and Persuade skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * When the Motion Sensor module is installed, all objects on the map that are currently moving will show
 * When the Rad Counter is installed, the PC's pip boy will start to crackle as he or she approaches a radioactive area. The intensity and volume of the crackle will increase as the intensity of the radiation increases.
 * Reloader Buddy increases the Firearms and Science skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * Spy Buddy increases the Sneak and Deception skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * Survival Buddy increases the Medic and Outdoorsman skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * Thief Buddy increases the Security and Steal skill totals of the wearer by 1 while it is worn.
 * The Toxin Counter operates similarly to the Rad Counter, but for poisonous spills and creatures like radscorpions, thorn slingers, and giant two-headed snakes. Instead of crackling, the Toxin Counter beeps. The closer the toxin, the more frequent the beeps.
 * Workshop Buddy increases the Mechanics skill totals of the wearer by 2 while it is worn.

Gallery
Here is a commercial for the Pip Boy 2000, seen at the top right of the photo.

Appearances
The main characters in Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics are all equipped with Pip-Boy 2000s although the Warrior in Fallout Tactics uses a "B.E." version with different features.