I'm about to start my 5th playthrough, while still working on my 4th. My 4th being the hardcoe / Very Hard difficulty setting, wearing Benny's suit, and no followers, trying to make this game as difficult as possible, addicted to every drug under the sun for all the SPECIAL debuffs added to my character.

For my next character I'm going to play as a merchant/prospector, not really quest based, but discovering all locations, and looting the good stuff from areas. I plan on wearing the roving trader outfit and hat, and using only the caravan shotgun. My roleplaying character in a way. Selling only chems, ones I find and make.

Thinking this over, I was wondering what other people tend to scavenge. My first playthrough usually ends up picking up anything of value, weapons, ammo, etc, while my second playthrough I usually pick up weapons only to repair my own, a few to sell, and every carton of cigarettes, pre-war money, and pack of cigarettes I can get my hands on. Vodka (since it's the priciest of all the liqours), and whiskey (for my own personal consumption).

So what is it that you tend to scavenge?

Whatever I need or can sell based on its value to weight ratio.

I collected a lot more in FO3, but sense its all the same junk in this game I don’t bother with it too much.

I still need some beer though.

It depends, in the beginning of the game I pick up anything with more value than weight. After I amass about 1500 caps I dont even bother with the little stuff and just pick up Weapons and Ammo.

Yes, everything that can be carried. If I have to make a choice between items, it's by how many caps per pound can I get for the item. If it's lucrative enough, I try to stash items near the door and after I unload or sell, I go back for more.

Oh yeah, and I think you should expand you pole (thats what she said)

Everyone collects ammo and stuff, so include more junk like booze, cigarettes, teddy bears, etc.

Lets see if we got any hoarders out there.

I collect almost everything of some value, bring it back to my house in Novac, and leave it there for the rest of the game. I should probably go sell it.

I hoard rare things and sell things I don't want.

For me?

I scavenge anything useful, i.e used in crafting, selling, etc.

I scavenge cigarettes to sell, scrap metal, wrenches, scrap electronics, and wonderglue to use for crafting Weapon Repair Kits.

I scavenge ammo to use and sell. I also take any ammo parts.

I scavenge any worthwhile weapons that are valuable, usually in the 100+ caps value range.

Everything else gets left behind.

I take mighty offence to this poll. I don't scavage, I "prospect"

I picked ammo, since you didn't have a choice for "other"

Ammo, guns and repair kit parts.

I collect cigs and ammo almost religiously but only guns I want to repair. In terms of junk, I have an internal list of what I pick up and what I don't.
Stimpacks - always
food and beverages - never (still haven't played on hardcoe yet because I'm still having fun with the radiation mutated character that needs no food or drink but lives off of the deaths of others).
Light weapons - only if I have one I use often or need to repair currently.
Heavy weapons - only if I want to try it out and usually sell or drop it after I have tried it.
sunset bottles - only full bottles and I drink them immediately to see if I get any unique caps (5% chance an unopened bottle has one)
armor - only if I intend to use it or to repair current armor.
anything weightless - yes to sell it
anything with weight - only if it is valuable in the weight to value ratio.

I scavange something if its 1000x(weight / value) >= myfreecapacity

So, to pick up a carton of cigarettes, I'd have to have at least ((2/40) x 1000) = 50 weight of inventory free.

It's easier than it sounds to do this in your head :disguise:

Since I play on hardcoe, I take only ammo I use. Take cigs in the early game but by the time I ht freeside I stop. I take scrap metal, wrenches, wonder glue, and duct tape (for weapon kits obviously)

I take some weapons based on weight/value ratio. 10mm SMG, marksman carbine, etc are good. Service rifle, varmint rifle, etc nearly worthless unless I'm like right next to a merchant.

I take Pinyon nuts wherever I can find them for desert salad.

I am currently role playing a member of the gun runners. well not really a member, more of a paid contractor. if i see any weapons i am to pick it up and bring it to the gun runners wear they will compensate me for my work.

i use my companions as pack mules

Liquor, Smokes, and Pre-War money.

Namely ammo, any kinds of money, and smoke. These usually have the best weight/selling price ratio.

Mostly edible plants, I'm playing hardcoe mode with a character that lives off the land, he scavanges other items only when really needed, he prefers to reserve backpack space for a couple guns, armor, ammo, food and water.

My rule of thumb is to try to make room for something if its value is equal to or greater than fifty times its weight.

However I really hate looting so I try to tell myself to stop doing it. But then I keep doing it. Doesn't matter what character I'm trying to role-play. Every damn Metal Box that isn't [EMPTY] (and many that are) gets checked. I kinda wish there was an option to just remove all the garbage loot from the game so I could get back to playing.

Hmm .. there must be a mod out there ..

On a new play through I try to chose one random object to collect for that game, Camera, shot glass, mutilated skull etc. and pile it up in my house.

My second play through I decided to play hardcoe...
I have stolen every trace of food and water, and killed every creature that could have meat in New Vegas...
At the start I did it because I thought I would need it... however after finding out I still did not need to eat/drink all that much I did it for a much sinister reason.

Whats that NCR you have power, and numbers?
Whats that Ceasar you have a horde of loyal followers?
Whats that House you have super robots, and all the caps in the world?

Guess what?
I have... all the food!
muahAHAHAHAHA!