The Fallout games were lauded for their open-endedness, and with good reason. This if far from a linear RPG, and you have much freedom in how you handle quests, or indeed if you handle them at all: you can play certain people against each other or ally yourself with one particular side in many situations; you can become a slaver, a trader, a mercenary, a porn star, or even get married and then pimp your wife out for cash; you can play the goody-two-shoes that helps out everyone in need, or a heartless and soulless ghost of the wastes; you can be a sniper, or a thief, or a diplomat, or a moronic, brutish thug with big guns and meaty punches. Fallout also uses a karma system, so people may react differently to you based on your past actions. Additionally, if a townsperson spots you doing something inhumane, you may be branded as a certain type of person, such as a child-killer or grave-robber. Indeed, some of these tags can work to your advantage when dealing with some of the more unsavory characters, but are generally regarded as a blemish on your good character. Conversely, there are many good tags that you may acquire through helping out people in need or solving quests amicably or through myriad other actions.​