Bethesda Softwork's mobile strategy game Fallout Shelter logged over a billion play sessions during its first month on, and it only available on iOS back then. That figure is set to soar with since Fallout Shelter hit Google Play earlier this months, well, unless new Android overseers get disgusted by a bug more terrifying than radroaches.
Fallout Shelter is the summer's surprise hit, though it was only meant as a marketing tool to drive up hype for the next proper entry into the Fallout universe: Fallout 4.
It turns out, Fallout Shelter, for all of its faults, is a worthy time filler or killer. But new players, and those still feeling their way around their vaults, should take note of some of the mobile game's most helpful hints and watch out for a few game-grounding glitches.
Game Breaking Bug: The Rapture
When Fallout Shelter launched on Android, it became available to a mobile operating system that accounts for about 82 percent of the market. Apparently iOS users have been plagued by the game's save issue, but the bug has only made it out of the forums and into the mainstream when it launched on Google Play on Aug. 13.
When the save-file bug manifests, Fallout Shelter fails to load in full and stop just short the main menu. The issue is now being spotlighted on Reddit and Bethesda's forum, after users notices that sizes of their save game files had been wiped to zero along with all of their progress and purchases
game has been crashing on my up to date iPhone 6 since July," states a user on Bethesda's forums. "It doesn't get past the first load up screen. I had hoped the new update would fix it but it's no different."
While radroaches can be stumped out and vault dwellers patched with stimpacks and Radaway, there is little gamers can do to combat the save game bug.
The Solution: Backup your save game file. It's the best we can do until Bethesda patches up the game. You'll need to use a file explorer program to navigate to and copy the save game file : /storage/sdcard/android/data/com.bethsoft.falloutshelter/files/VaultX.sav
Tips: The State of the Union is Strong
One of the things that makes Fallout Shelter so frustrating to gamers, who expect a lot out of this marketing tool, is the depth of its gameplay.
Yes, there's no real end game. Yes, the scenery can get a little stale. But for the first 10 or 12 hours, Fallout Shelter sucks you into the role of a god-like overseer -- I still make time for my courageous vault dwellers, including their well-being into my multitasking. Here's some tips to help keep your vault from descending into hell:
Coupling - Making babies is as simple as sending a male and a female to the same living quarters. Yet, you'll have to make sure you have a strong enough economy to support a child -- if you're struggle to keep the lights on, it's not quite time to turn them off (wink, wink).
Also, note that children carry some of their parents' traits. So look at the special stats of a prospective pair before playing the Barry White -- you can also dress the couple in sleep wear to increase the chances of attraction.
Team Building - While waiting for those resources, take some time to optimize your teams. You've likely already placed them in areas that play to their strengths -- you should if you haven't -- but that above average worker in the kitchen could be a rockstar in the broadcasting booth.
Drag your dwellers around the different rooms of your vault to see what areas they improve, which is denoted by a plus sign. Holding that cook over the power plant may only show that he or she has a rating or "3" or "4" in strength. But holding that same cook may show that he or she would at "+3" or "+2" charisma by working at the other type of booth.
Experience - Excursions into the wasteland are a good way to level up noobs fast. But only after you've armed one of your dwellers should you send one out to explore the wasteland.
