Goodsprings

Goodsprings is a town in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

This is the location where the Courier recovers after being shot in the head and robbed of the platinum chip by Benny, subsequently being rescued by Victor. The Courier survives the gunshot after being "patched up" in Doc Mitchell's house.

Background
Named after Joseph Good, a rancher whose cattle used the spring at the southeastern foothills of Spring Mountains, Goodsprings history is tied closely to the freshwater spring the town takes its name from and the rich deposits of lead, silver, copper, zinc and gold that were exploited for decades. The small mining settlement was largely tent cabins centered around a mill and a post office before the town was officially established in the early 1900s, during the mining boom across Nevada. Platted by mining companies from Salt Lake City, Goodsprings boomed, aided by the construction of a railroad between 1910 and 1911. More infrastructure followed, including the Goodsprings schoolhouse and Prospector Saloon in 1913. The boom wound down after World War I and the economic crisis that followed, briefly picking up after World War II.

After the Great War, Goodsprings was abandoned. It was settled shortly before 2281, under a New California Republic grant in order to develop a low-risk mining environment near a reliable source of potable water, the Goodsprings source. Beyond supplying water to miners, trappers, and farmers, it was a quiet, small town that saw little activity. In recent times, a series of setbacks shut down the Long 15, causing the town's population to drop. Other events depressing the population include the prison break at the NCR Correctional Facility and a deathclaw infestation at the Quarry Junction all but blocked off the Long 15 north. As a result, the town's primary products, namely water, bighorner meat, and skins, have a hard time reaching traders. Signs at the highway, pointing travelers towards Goodsprings, are simply of no use if there's no one to read them. To make matters worse, most traders simply pushed through toward either Primm or New Vegas, unless they're in dire need of supplies.

While Goodsprings survived the recent upheavals and the settlers continue to scratch out an existence among the ruined ranch houses, trouble is keen on finding a way into the town. While the deathclaws have not caused any direct damage to the town, the Powder Gangers led by Joe Cobb do and have been trying to find a Crimson Caravan trader named Ringo, who sought shelter in Goodsprings after his caravan was attacked on the highway. Geckos and other wildlife are also a constant nuisance, finding their way into town, dipping from its water supply and occasionally attacking residents and bighorners.

Layout
Doc Mitchell's house is located in the western portion of town. This is where the player character begins their journey, after being in Doc Mitchell's care for several days. The Prospector Saloon and Goodsprings General Store, with a Mojave Express dropbox located outside, are situated at the northeast end of town. Several settlers live in the town's houses and farm bighorners.

There are several locations in Goodsprings that can be used for safe storage. Everything except the beds in Doc Mitchell's house are considered unowned. Victor's shack is also considered unowned, but has few storage containers. The house due south of the saloon is quite convenient as it is close to the fast travel point. It has open beds and safe containers. Easy Pete sleeps there nightly. Finally, the crates between the saloon and general store are unowned and situated conveniently close to the workbench.

Goodsprings contains an abandoned schoolhouse with some low-level loot and a Stealth Boy. An abandoned gas station north of Doc Mitchell's home contains some minor loot and can be used as a safehouse if needed, as it contains a bed and some safe storage. The gas station is locked until the Courier is sent there to meet with Ringo.

An invisible border encircles Goodsprings, the cemetery, and Goodsprings Source. Crossing the border for the first time triggers menus which allow for confirmation of the Courier's looks, SPECIAL statistics, traits, and skills.

Notable loot

 * Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual - The house where Trudy and Sunny Smiles sleep (the white, L-shaped house, directly east of the Goodsprings schoolhouse) contains a copy of the skill book on a small bookshelf opposite the front entrance. Must be stolen unless the quest Run Goodsprings Run has been completed.
 * 2 Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps - One can be found in the above-mentioned house on the kitchen counter, next to a few Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles. The other is in a white house west of the general store with a vegetable garden outside, on the table in the bedroom.
 * A Stealth Boy - In the Goodsprings schoolhouse inside a locked safe. The safe can be opened with a Lockpick skill of 25, or by hacking the nearby terminal (Science 25).
 * Goodsprings schoolhouse safe - Given by Sunny Smiles after asking for work.
 * Busted Radio - A paper note, given by Trudy after agreeing to fix her radio.
 * Suave gambler hat - On the skeletal remains in the fridge if you take the road past the saloon to leave.

Appearances
Goodsprings appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Goodsprings is based on the real-life town of Goodsprings, Nevada, located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada. Several landmarks are present in the real world location, such as the saloon, store, schoolhouse, cemetery, windmill, and elevated water tank. The town's layout in terms of roads, geographical location, and topography are also similar.
 * It is entirely possible that Goodsprings may have been called "Noso" during development phases, which may have been short for "No Soliciting," like Novac is short for "No Vacancy." This is namely due to the file naming structure of the buildings used in Goodsprings.
 * Goodsprings was designed by Eric Fenstermaker and Travis Stout.
 * Megan Parks was responsible for layout, prop placement, decoration, terrain shaping, and vistas in this location.

Bugs

 * Sometimes if you fast travel from Goodsprings to the Goodsprings source, the game will crash. (This bug only seems to start happening after you complete Ghost Town Gunfight and always happens the next time you try to do so after doing said mission.)
 * In Goodsprings, entering buildings or saving after returning from the NCRCF causes the game to crash.