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About a week ago, this trader, Ringo, comes into town. Survivor of an attack, he says. Bad men after him, needs a place to hide.Trudy

Ghost Town Gunfight is a side quest in Goodsprings for Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Quest: Ghost Town Gunfight 
Enter the Prospector Saloon and witness Joe Cobb threatening Trudy
Learn about Ringo and his hiding place from conversations with Trudy and the other townsfolk. 
Visit Ringo at the gas station. 
Talk to Sunny Smiles about Joe Cobb. 
(Optional) Convince the townsfolk to give their support in the fight. 
Return to Ringo in the gas station to trigger the arrival of the Powder Gangers. 
Help Ringo fight the Powder Gangers. 
Reward: 250 caps (100 at Goodsprings, 150 at the Crimson Caravan Company), 150 XP, Goodsprings fame or Powder Gangers infamy 

Detailed walkthrough[]

  • This quest is first available after completing Back in the Saddle or By a Campfire on the Trail. Sunny Smiles will suggest that the Courier pay a visit to the saloon in Goodsprings, where they learn that the town is being threatened by a group of Powder Gangers because of their conflict with Ringo. Choosing to help the town will begin this quest. Choosing to help the convicts instead will begin the quest Run Goodsprings Run.
  • Enter the Prospector Saloon, where one will find Trudy arguing with Joe Cobb about the whereabouts of Ringo, a trader who is hiding out in the town. Once Cobb leaves, the Courier can question Trudy about the argument and get more information about the Powder Gangers. The Courier should now have access to the previously locked gas station on the edge of town where Ringo is waiting.
    • One can also start this quest by talking to Doc Mitchell, who will mention that there is trouble in town.
  • Head up to the gas station, to the right of Doc Mitchell's house. Ringo will challenge the player character when they enter, but talking to him will give the option to offer their help dealing with Joe Cobb. He will request that the player character attempt to enlist more help from the townsfolk. The Courier can do this by simply asking Sunny Smiles, who will instantly agree to join the fight. She provides the player character with optional objectives to rally more support.
  • Completing the optional objectives will require convincing the Goodsprings inhabitants in question through skill checks in dialogue. If the player character lacks the necessary skills to pass skill checks, there are many skill magazines that can help scattered around town.
    • Skill magazines can be found randomly in mailboxes around Goodsprings and elsewhere, such as nearby Primm. Many merchants sell them on a random basis as well.
  • Convincing Chet to help out requires passing a Barter check of 25, or paying 1000 caps. He will give the Courier a leather armor in ~50% condition, and promises to offer his stock to the town as well (equipping the generic Goodsprings settlers in sets of leather armor).
  • Convincing Easy Pete to help out requires passing an Explosives check of 25. The Courier will receive five dynamite from Sunny Smiles after reporting back to Ringo.
  • Convincing Trudy to join in requires passing either a Speech check of 25 or a Sneak check of 25. She will cause an additional Goodsprings settler or two to join the gunfight.
    • Both Chet and Trudy sell Meeting People, which boosts the Speech skill by 10 (or 20 with Comprehension).
    • North of town, behind the Goodsprings General Store, is a white trailer next to a house. There is a Meeting People on the floor under the shelf inside.
    • A Stealth Boy (+100 Sneak) can be used to pass the Sneak check with Trudy. One can usually be found in the Goodsprings schoolhouse inside the locked safe (Lockpick skill of 25 required).
    • Inside the saloon in the room with a computer there is a Meeting People magazine, along with a Salesman Weekly magazine on top of a Sunset Sarsaparilla crate.
    • ¡La Fantoma! magazines may randomly spawn in mailboxes around Goodsprings.
  • Doc Mitchell will give the Courier three stimpaks when asked for help. Passing a Medicine check of 30 nets two doctor's bags in addition.
    • A copy of Today's Physician, which boosts the Medicine skill by 10 (or 20 with Comprehension), can be found inside Mitchell's house, on a desk with a typewriter where the game begins.
    • Despite the 30 Medicine requirement, no XP is given for passing the check, unlike with each of the others involved.
  • The player character can also enlist Victor to join their side in the fight, but he fails to show up. Asking him about this later (before he leaves to Novac), they will find that he was shut down by an unknown person to keep him from fighting (Science check of 25 required).[1] Note: Sometimes when going to enlist Victor, the option to recruit him will be inexplicably missing. This can usually be worked around by talking to one of the other NPCs for the quest and then returning to Victor.
    • A Programmer's Digest, which boosts the Science skill by 10 (or 20 with Comprehension), can be located in Goodsprings schoolhouse near the computer terminal, and there is a second copy on the shelf beside the overturned desks.
  • Even if the Courier does not recruit Easy Pete or Trudy, they will still probably help out in the fight. As will Chet, even though the Courier does not have the option to recruit him. Make sure Sunny Smiles does not die during the fight, as it will make it impossible to carry on the quest - see the Bugs section below for more information.
  • Once the Courier has enlisted all the assistance they wish to, return to Ringo in the gas station and speak to him to start the fight. Sunny Smiles will show up once the Courier commits to being ready. Follow Sunny and Ringo to the scene of the gun fight. Joe Cobb and the other Powder Gangers will approach the Prospector Saloon from the main road. Once all the Powder Gangers are dead, the quest is complete. It is, however, possible for any (or all) of the Goodsprings residents to die in the fight.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
5 Offer to help Ringo deal with the Powder Gangers.
10 Talk to Sunny Smiles about fighting the Powder Gangers.
20 (Optional) Enlist the help of Trudy.
30 (Optional) Convince Chet to open his store's stock to the town.
40 (Optional) Acquire additional medical supplies from Doc Mitchell.
50 (Optional) Get some dynamite from Easy Pete.
60 Return to Ringo when you're ready for the gunfight with the Powder Gangers.
65 Join up with Sunny.
70Quest finishedDefeat the Powder Gangers.

Notes[]

  • The player character cannot start this quest if they have already started Run Goodsprings Run. Ringo will decline the player character's offer to help and claim he saw them being overly friendly to Cobb, after which the quest will be marked as failed. Even if the player character kills Joe Cobb, Ringo will still refuse their help.
  • Ringo will not accept the player character's offer to help him if they have earned a negative reputation in Goodsprings, saying that he needs someone who is liked in the town, thus rendering the quest impossible to complete.
  • When asking around for supplies and help from Trudy and the other residents, it is possible to recruit Victor to help battle the Powder Gangers. One can usually find him wandering around Goodsprings or outside his shack near the Goodsprings schoolhouse. He will not participate, however, and when asked later will apologize and state that he must have dozed off. A Science check of 25 reveals that Victor was deliberately shut down using "Override command 16-Delta". He claims he has never heard of this command before.
  • If the player character does not personally kill any Powder Gangers during the fight or performs only stealth kills, they will only earn a shunned reputation with the Powder Gangers, which is not low enough to cause any Powder Ganger locations to be hostile to the player character, should they choose to visit.
    • Alternatively, one could complete I Fought the Law first, then return to Goodsprings to complete this quest. However, leaving Goodsprings triggers the one-time menus for redoing the Courier's SPECIALS, Skills, etc. However, before telling Ringo the fight is on, a player character could leave and return to Goodsprings since a redo of specs should not affect the final gunfight.
    • Using a weapon that inflicts Fatigue damage to knock out Powder Gangers is a way to help Goodsprings win the fight without earning a Vilified reputation with the Powder Gangers.
  • If one steals the single shotgun from a house in Goodsprings before entering the gunfight, Trudy will not have a weapon in the fight.
  • One can kill Joe Cobb prior to the gunfight by shooting him in the saloon while he is talking to Trudy. The battle against the Powder Gangers will remain, but with only five left to kill even though Sunny Smiles still says there are "at least six."
  • When attacking Joe Cobb, he may run into Easy Pete's house to hide.
  • The roof of the Prospector Saloon can be reached using the wooden barrels and crates nearby and offers a good vantage point during the fight.
  • If the player character shoots any Goodsprings residents during the fight, everyone on their side will turn hostile after defeating the Powder Gangers unless the player's gun is holstered.
  • Both Ringo and Joe Cobb will talk about Ringo's relative safety hiding out, saying that Ringo could shoot Joe Cobb through the windows. However, the windows on the outside of the gas station are boarded up, and there are no windows in the interior of the gas station through which Ringo could shoot or see anyone coming.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sunny may die before the Courier talks to her, thus rendering the quest impossible to finish. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 When returning to the gas station after talking to the townspeople, the door may be locked, requiring a key to open. However, this key does not appear to be obtainable until the mission is over. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Upon entering the gas station to report to Ringo, the Courier may find the door unable to be interacted with thus trapping the player character in the gas station. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 It is possible that the quest may not show up as active in the Pip-Boy, and it will be impossible to progress in it (the non-player character dialogue will not show up). [verified]
  • PCPC After completing the quest, the inhabitants of the town who assist in the quest disappear. Using the player.moveto console command finds them in the Goodsprings home nearest the schoolhouse. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 When doing the optional quest to recruit the help of the Goodsprings Locals, Easy Pete may be at Black Mountain for no apparent reason. [verified]
  • PCPC If the Powder Gangers attack started, but the Courier kills all of them en route, or Joe Cobb is killed by an unrelated NPC or by a mine, being previously weakened by Courier attack - the quest does not complete, making the quest impossible to finish. This can be fixed by re-killing one of the Powder Gangers or respawning Joe and allowing him to walk into the gunfight range: [verified]
    • One can spawn a new Powder Ganger with the console command "player.placeleveledactoratme 00104c6a 1", which creates a new Powder Ganger at the Courier's location. However, this may cause savegame bloating.
    • One can also resurrect an already-killed Powder Ganger: Click the corpse of one of the Powder Gangers that showed up for the Ghost Town Gunfight. It is correctly selected if the top of the screen shows the target's name and refID. Use the console command "resurrect".
    • Kill the Powder Ganger again.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 When the Courier goes to tell Ringo that they are ready to fight, Sunny Smiles will come in and say something along the lines of "I'll be watching the Powder Gangers for when the time comes." Ringo will not go outside but stay in the gas station, and the only way to fix it is to restart. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Joe Cobb's corpse never disappears from the game. [verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 At random times after completing the quest one may be given it again, everyone will respawn and XP is granted after beating the quest again. [verified]
  • PCPC If the player character has completed I Fought the Law first (betray Eddie), then return to Goodsprings to take this quest, they will not be able to complete it. The quest will not appear in the Quests log, one will not be able to start the fight.[verified]

References[]

  1. The Courier: "Figures. Someone shut you down deliberately, but there's no record of who."
    Victor: "That's a puzzle, all right. I'm sure it's nothing. I truly am sorry I couldn't help you, pardner. Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"
    (Victor's dialogue)
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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