Ok can someone just break it down to me how this crafting stuff works, the wiki, game manual, and in-game tutorial do not help at all. Also whats with the repair skill? I repaired my varmint rifle to almost 100% condition and my repair skill is 40, does the repair skill not affect repairing anymore?

Crafting works by activating a Workbench, Ammo Press, or Campfire then selecting the recipe on the left. If you have the ingredients and skill (shown on the right) you can make the item you selected by pressing the A key on the PC version (dunno about consoles).

Repair skill is a bit trickier from what I've gathered. It seems to have changed a bit and I'm not 100% sure what the CND of the weapon means anymore. Some people are saying that 100% at a skill of 40 is not as good as 100% at a skill of 80 etc. etc. but not giving us any way of seeing what that difference is was a failing on the dev's part in my opinion. Maybe someone will mod it soon so that it makes sense again.

Anyone can repair an item up to 100% (so that Repair isn't a "absolutely must max on every character" skill.)

But higher Repair skill will:
1) get more CND out of each item you repair with, and
2) unlock more crafting recipes at the workbenches

On Condition..... see that little notch in the CND bar? (at around 75% on guns, and 50% on armor) If you're above that, your gun or armor works fine. Below that, it'll start breaking down. (I believe it mentions this in some of the tutorial / info screens that pop up when you're first in Goodsprings.)

Can you breakdown ammo A for components to make ammo B? Or can breakdown 9mm (for instance) only be used for 9mm? Because lead is in almost all ammo breakdown?

I just started the game, so sorry if this is a noob question, lol.

you have

Primer large pistol and small pistol.
Large/small rifle
Shot shell.

Then you have casing and shot shells.

Lead is used among all of them.


Some ammo can be broken down and made into other things, like 10MM can be broken down into its parts then (with high enough repair skill) you can make 10MM JHP (jacked hollow point).

With 100 repair you can make .50 match grade hand loaded, but only with 100 repair.

Each kind of ammo takes repair skill at level X.

Survival is needed for cooking and so on.