well both... but if you insist only playing one of these game then I say play Fallout: New Vegas.Johnny Novgorod said:
WARNING: from my experience getting fallout 3 to not crash when attempting to start a new game and on a modern operating system(I have windows 7) is a pain in the ass. New Vegas allowed me to load a new game without any problems. After spent a while try get the Fallout 3 to work and eventually reaching the point were I basically thought "fuck this; I will just go play new Vegas instead". It was many months later when gained motivation to try to and make fallout 3 playable again and that time I eventually succeeded. The thing that made it work me had comments saying the solution did not work for them; so it's not a universal way to fix the problem.
Your results may vary depending on your computer. You might get lucky to fix it very quickly (I was not that lucky). At worst use can use steam refunds. From what I hear the fastest & easiest way get fallout 3 to working on a modern operating system would be to buy both games, then use Tale of Two Wastelands to have fallout 3 run on the game engine new vegas uses.
Yes the GOTY/Ultimate Edition is well worth getting no matter which game you play.
On top of being worth getting in it's own right, if you get into modding then having the dlc is useful since some mods require the use of asset used in the dlc's. I know of a good tutorial to help get into modding. I can recommend some good mods for new vegas; or some fallout 3 mods to a lesser extent of helpfulness.
fallout 3-
I only slightly cared about a single character during the whole time I played fallout 3. mostly everyone else was bland and uninteresting to me. On top that I did not find story interesting at all. I felt apathetic most of the time when playing this game while still feeling compelled to explore. Despite many problems I still think is a good game and I played for a little over 100 hours.
If you only care about having a big world well deigned for exploring with then play fallout 3(although fuck the metro tunnels). Bethesda in general are really good at world design when comes making a games want to explore. This one in particular pulls off bleak post apocalyptic feeling atmosphere well as long as you the civilized places exist.
New Vegas-
It a notable step up writing wise compared to fallout 3. I found the companions in fallout 3 to be quite boring while in new vegas they more personality and each one of them has there own personal quest. Something in the writing of at least 3 of the 4 dlc is worth while even for those who find the last one disappointing. I felt more invested in the main story of new vegas.
My main reason that keeps my interested in replaying new vegas once in while is mainly roleplaying. That was mainly due vegas having story freedom. Fallout 3 linear binary moral choice(mainly sane vs insane stupid evil choices) story was something I disliked entirely. If you want to play for a reasons that is not less about exploring then new vegas is better then fallout 3. The gameplay mechanic are an overall improvement on fallout 3's mechanics in just about every way. Although the world is less interesting to explore.
There is a bit less freedom to explore when you start since certain enemies are too powerful for you at the early levels and poorly equipped. I like it since a open world feels organic when there are part of the world that are too dangerous. some of these enemies are encourage the use of a particular path the main quest suggest using early in the game. If your being a bit creative and clever you can find a quicker path to your destination. There are people proffered being able to walk in any direction no matter what level they are at; like in fallout 3.
Some people dislike new vegas for not having a post apocalyptic and being all desolated like fallout 3. I like the more western feel of New Vegas better.
There even people who think fallout 3 has good story and writing, but I don't understand this perspective what so ever.
The design choices of new vegas overall fit my taste in games far better then the fallout 3's did. Personal taste in games is subjective so you may disagree dislike the stuff I liked.
I only slightly cared about a single character during the whole time I played fallout 3. mostly everyone else was bland and uninteresting to me. On top that I did not find story interesting at all. I felt apathetic most of the time when playing this game while still feeling compelled to explore. Despite many problems I still think is a good game and I played for a little over 100 hours.
If you only care about having a big world well deigned for exploring with then play fallout 3(although fuck the metro tunnels). Bethesda in general are really good at world design when comes making a games want to explore. This one in particular pulls off bleak post apocalyptic feeling atmosphere well as long as you the civilized places exist.
New Vegas-
It a notable step up writing wise compared to fallout 3. I found the companions in fallout 3 to be quite boring while in new vegas they more personality and each one of them has there own personal quest. Something in the writing of at least 3 of the 4 dlc is worth while even for those who find the last one disappointing. I felt more invested in the main story of new vegas.
My main reason that keeps my interested in replaying new vegas once in while is mainly roleplaying. That was mainly due vegas having story freedom. Fallout 3 linear binary moral choice(mainly sane vs insane stupid evil choices) story was something I disliked entirely. If you want to play for a reasons that is not less about exploring then new vegas is better then fallout 3. The gameplay mechanic are an overall improvement on fallout 3's mechanics in just about every way. Although the world is less interesting to explore.
There is a bit less freedom to explore when you start since certain enemies are too powerful for you at the early levels and poorly equipped. I like it since a open world feels organic when there are part of the world that are too dangerous. some of these enemies are encourage the use of a particular path the main quest suggest using early in the game. If your being a bit creative and clever you can find a quicker path to your destination. There are people proffered being able to walk in any direction no matter what level they are at; like in fallout 3.
Some people dislike new vegas for not having a post apocalyptic and being all desolated like fallout 3. I like the more western feel of New Vegas better.
There even people who think fallout 3 has good story and writing, but I don't understand this perspective what so ever.
The design choices of new vegas overall fit my taste in games far better then the fallout 3's did. Personal taste in games is subjective so you may disagree dislike the stuff I liked.
