Fallout is now cheap enough to throw in my backlog and play someday. Anyone recommend Fallout 3 over New Vegas?
I recommend getting both. It's hard to say which is better, it comes down to personal preference. On paper, I'd say New Vegas should be better. It has more content, better dialogue and characters, a story which can actually go in different directions based on your choices, etc. I think I prefer the Capitol Wasteland to the Mojave Desert when it comes to pure environment. The gameplay is identical. FO3 is a bit more accessible, as you can pretty much go anywhere from the get-go, as opposed to New Vegas where you'll get torn to shreds if you go to the wrong places before leveling up a few times. Really you can't go wrong with either.
THIS.
I also agree w/ Pasports: get both
FO3 + FO: NV; b/c both are great for different reasons.
And make sure you go for the Complete Editions for all of the DLC's - which would be Fallout 3 GOTY + FO: NV Ultimate. Most of the DLC's on these are actually good and meaty (i.e. the content DLC's are at least 3-6 hours a piece), so it's worth the few extra bucks - since content-wise, FO3 has 5 DLC's; and NV has 4 content DLC's + 2 item DLC's.
Also - if you want more difficulty for FO:NV than the game's own Hardcore Mod, you can go harder w/ mods.
To use the lead designer Josh E Sawyer's very own Hardcore Difficulty Mod - you must have FO NV Ultimate b/c his mod requires also all the content DLC's + even the 2 small item pack DLC's.
I don't know what's out there for mods - but, for any Bethesda-made game or any game using one of their engines (i.e. Fallout: New Vegas from Obsidian) - I'd go Complete on them, when the price is right + when a Complete Ed is out. Namely b/c those games usually have usually lots of mods and who knows what content modders right require - so, it's safest to just own everything, if you plan to even look at getting into mods.
For me - FO3's stand-out DLC's were Point Lookout + The Pitt; while NV had some good DLC's and especially Old World Blues. OWB is one of the best DLC's that I've ever played period.
Make sure you play FO3 first - b/c gameplay-wise, FO3 basically re-wrote the book on how to modernize a FO game in this modern era, showing actually how it could + should play. Plus, seeing the East Coast destroyed and actually exploring the open game-world - IMHO, nobody does open-world RPG's better than Bethesda.
FO: NV takes a lot that made FO3 great - and then just expands on it. I also think that NV also has a tendency to give more decisions to the player (than FO3 did) - which are even more so often based on your stats + skills + perks, as well (than FO3 did).
Also, FO:NV brings back a lot of the old-school FO1+2 humor that just seemed missing in FO3. NV does a much better job w/ story-telling, narrative, and character depth - as one would expect from Obsidian, since it's what they're good at; while FO3 seems to be a bit more personal, with you searching for Dad and all.