With the new update in Fallout 76, players can now open their own shops. This is a feature that the community seems to really enjoy, but for more reasons than just the obvious.
What do players do when they are not shopping? The player shops introduced with Patch 9 for Fallout 76 now act as a kind of hub for characters of all levels and as a sort of meeting point.
If a player opens a shop in their C.A.M.P., this shop also functions as a fast travel point on the map. This allows players to go directly to the corresponding locations. Many also use it to simply see the great C.A.M.P.s that the community has created.
To attract buyers or visitors, some players even actively promote their shops. One particularly dedicated player has even created a real ad clip in the style of American retail.
This is how it affects the game: Many players report that they frequently meet other players in the player shops with whom they can interact or who can assist them. In some player shops, there are always several players who are browsing the store or the C.A.M.P.
Reddit user EnigmaT1m writes in a post that running such a shop has even become a kind of “full-time job” for him. When customers are present, he advises them and chats with them. If no one is there, he waits on the porch, listens to music, or reads books.
Players are increasingly saying that especially these shops serve as a kind of “social hub” that brings the community closer together. No wonder then, that some ambitious fans opened shops even before the feature was released.
Players become missing NPCs
As Kotaku writes, players are becoming the new NPCs in Fallout 76. The lack of human NPCs was long a reason for criticism of the game because players simply lacked interactions with other beings.
The fact that players have already dressed up as NPCs from older Fallout installments to embody them did little to help. However, the player shops and the interaction between players apparently provide a remedy.
Kotaku author Lauren Morton writes about her experience after meeting two high-level fellow players in a shop who helped her:
They were the quirky element of surprise that Fallout 76 was missing: two talkative residents in a remote rest stop. They were my NPCs, and I was theirs.
In this way, the shop owners themselves are NPCs who are there for players to interact with.
If you prefer to shop with NPCs, you can now also visit the legendary merchant:
