What I don't really get is why there are so many fanboys online defending the NCR, believing that they can do no wrong. I don't doubt that they're obviously less barbaric that the Legion, but in a game like New Vegas that explores the nuisances of each faction. It's difficult to really argue that any faction is much better than the other by a huge margin. I don't even see people shilling as hard for Yes Man as much as I see people defending the NCR. Sure the NCR defends caravans, but just barely.
My point exactly. NCR fans are in the minority. Maybe they'd have a large fanbase if, like the Republic from the Star Wars Prequel Era, there was something cool about them aside from simply standing for democracy. But aside from the NCR Rangers, who constitute a tiny minority of the NCR military, the entirety of the NCR is overflowing with incompetence and bumbling stupidity. The top general is a moron whose strategy is as basic as it is foolish. The president puts politics above necessity and promoted General Lee Oliver to his post despite there being better alternatives. The average soldiers are barely at the level of raider gangs and thugs. Their power-armor units don't even know how to use proper power armor, so their techs have to gut the power armor suits so that the heavy troopers can wear them. Their bureaucracy is hopelessly inefficient, while the Caravan Families engage in infighting, and the politicians listen more to the Brahmin barons and landowners as opposed to the common people.
And no, they don't protect their caravans, their caravans and traders have to protect themselves. Legion caravans are protected-bandits know not to attack Legion caravans because the Legion troops actually retaliate against those who do. Meanwhile, NCR caravans like Rose of Sharon Cassidy's caravan were massacred by agents working for other caravan families, and the NCR doesn't know about it one bit.
Every new playthrough I always dip into Lonesome Road to pick up the Roughin It sleeping bag which is pretty overpowered if you keep using it to heal your limbs and health every time you're out of combat. Also in the armory you can pick up Riot Gear or Advanced Riot gear in the crows nest really early, which I prefer over power armor because it's a bit lighter and can be jury rigged with NCR trooper armor since it's medium armor.
I mostly go to Lonesome Road to pick up the weapons there, as well as the Advanced Riot Gear and the Elite Riot Gear. The Elite Riot Gear basically becomes my character's uniform of choice, as it is almost as good as power armor, while not being as heavy. It also looks cool on a sniper armed with an anti-materiel rifle, which my Courier is, aside from the fact that she is also a melee specialist who uses the Armor of the 87th Tribe and the Blade of the West for melee engagements.
People crave the familiar, and the NCR are basically an attempt at re-creating pre-war society. It's not hard to understand why, the choice being with legions psychos, a tyrannical dictator backed by robots who will seemingly live forever or a flawed and corrupt democracy, people tend to gravitate to the latter.
I've had the opposite experience with most FNV fans I know. Many of them gravitate towards the Legion or House because they're bored and tired of a corrupt and dysfunctional democracy. They see enough of that in real life, so to see it emulated in a game makes them hate it more than support it. There's no shortage of FNV fans who despise modern-day democracy and all its weaknesses, and shill hard for the Legion or for House because they project an image of strength and efficiency. Either you have the efficient and militaristic Legion which a lot of military nuts love for its professionalism towards military pursuits, or you have House and his New Vegas loved by a lot of AnCap fans who think that an economist and a billionaire should be given the keys to the Mojave because they think he can run it best.
NCR fans are in the minority. Most FNV fans I know shill hard for either the Legion or House.
Ok, you're one of the few who managed to do it, and you did it by save scumming. That's still 1% of all players or less.
That's what a save system is for. If you fail, try again, and keep trying until you succeed. I sure as hell needed all that gold for my NCR playthrough.
