Aloha,
  
I reinvested in Fallout when the GTOY edition came out, after having a terrible experience origianlly on the PS3. (I couldn't get into the game and found it too buggy to enjoy)
 
I'm enjoying the game on 360 a lot more now, and I've just arrived at Rivet City, but I could do with some general advice on areas in the Wasteland I could visit to get some XP. Im currently just into level 5, but I'm finding myself overpowered by most of the Super Mutant encounters, and I barely made it to Rivet City alive (although this probably had something to do with me going over the land instead of using the subway, i wasnt aware there was a station that lead to it until I arrived!) 
 
Also, at this early stage is it worth me going into any of the DLC? I've read that It's recommended you dont go into some of them until you've levelled up but is this applicable for all of them?
 
Any help from the more experienced players would be appreciated.
 
Cheers

That's good advice. The way I play games like Fallout 3 is that I tend to complete as many of the quests in a given area as I can, sometimes picking up side quests and completing them along the way. I went through the entire game and never felt like I was way outgunned by any enemies I faced. The hardest part of the game for me was just after getting out of the Vault. Very little ammo and a baseball bat...that's not a good time.
 
I started out playing the 360 version, then a year later I bought the PC version and played it with a couple of cheats. I'd repair all of my own items with bottlecaps that I would give myself through the console, same with ammunition. That game was much more fun when ammunition was plentiful.

A great means of picking up early experience is to take on the Wasteland Survival Guide quest from Moira Brown in Megaton. Not only does it net you some early experience, but it'll also fill up your coffers with a healthy helping of caps, weapons and ammo, and get you better acquainted with the geography of the Capital Wasteland. As for the DLC question, I think it's best left until you're at a slightly higher level (I started my DLC exploits at level 15).

Thanks for the advice chaps, I'll get back to Megaton.

As previously mentioned pick up the Moria Survival Guide quest.  It will level you up a lot and give you loot.  As you go around completing it you'll be killing lots of raiders and ghouls (regulars) which give good XP at the lower levels.  You'll also be able to loot their weps/armor.  What you don't need you can sell.  Don't be afraid to repair stuff if you're getting weighed down.  Better quality stuff sells at higher prices at vendors so selling 2 crap rifles is roughly equal to selling one reparied rifle.  Also remember to save your stimpaks by sleeping instead.  If you kill all the baddies in an area you can sleep on any mattress/bed that you find.
 
Another really good quest is in the water processing plant near the entrance of Megaton.  Talk to the guy inside.  He'll ask you to fix 3 (?) leaks around Megaton.  Run around looking for spouts of water.  Fix them and talk to him again.  He'll then ask for scrap metal.  Pick these up whenever you  see them (they look like little piles of small metal parts - about the size of a helmet) and bring them back to this guy.  He'll pay you and give you XP.
 
My last hint is to use fast travel get around.  Once you've discovered an area, you can fast travel to there from the map screen (in the Pip Boy) anytime, as long as there are no baddies nearby.

Thanks chaps, good advice.
 
I went back to Megaton and carried on with Moira's quests. And I'm upto the part where you have to go under the Jefferson memorial to plant the device. Any advice on avoiding/fighting off those blighters? They seem pretty much bullet proof.

Seek out and search every container in existence. (You will never need to buy ammo) Talk to everyone you see and do all thier quests. Use VATS like a madman, and last but not least, save very often.

Cheers!

Sorry to keep on, but wherre doI find a stealth boy? Moira told me she'd give me one if I did this, but it's not much use to me afterwards!

" @desmond: Finding your own way through this game is the best part about it. I wouldn't worry about the specifics of everything until you've at least beaten it...when you feel you've had enough time to explore the game on your own, I'd recommend the Fallout 3 wiki as the go-to place for help with this game.   Here's the link:  http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3 "

" Thanks chaps, good advice.  I went back to Megaton and carried on with Moira's quests. And I'm upto the part where you have to go under the Jefferson memorial to plant the device. Any advice on avoiding/fighting off those blighters? They seem pretty much bullet proof. "

You might be able to buy a stealth boy in rivet city.  Go to the weapon shop in the market there.

 
Goto Big Town,theres a quest called ''Big Trouble In Big Town'' which is a pretty simple quest,and gets you caps,and XP.
 
And theres also a Infinite XP Glitch in Big Town.
 
Walkthrough (Infinite XP Big town) Basicly,the best XP Town. 

My advice: go hunting for Bobbleheads to get free boosts to all your stats and skills. Early in the game I like to grab the Small Guns Bobble at the National Guard Depot. I'd also recommend grabbing the Speech Bobble at Paradise Falls, as speech challenges can help you get free exp and avoid dangerous situation in many cases. 
 
Other easy ones to grab are the Strength, Perception, Intelligence, Agility, and Explosives ones. You can find a nice article on them here. After grabbing a few of these you'll definitely have gained a level or two, and will have a nice bump in a variety of skills... should make things easier on you. Good luck!

OK, made a lot of progress in the game this weekend. In the main quest I'm just upto the point where I've gotten my dad out of Tranquility Lane, butI left this point to go and complete some sidequests:
  
-Power of the Atom (diffused the bomb) 
-Wasteland Survival Guide
-Those!
-Blood Ties
-Operation Anchorage
 
Now up to level 13, and I've bagged some decent stuff from the armory after Anchorage, so I think I'll be fine with it now. Cheers for all the help folks.

I've made more progress over the last week or so, completed the Pitt last night (thought it was pretty terrible) and I've started Broken Steel.
 
Quick question: Can I level up beyond 20 (I've just reached it) before I've finished BS? Or do I need to complete this DLC for the level cap to raise?

You need only to start Broken Steel to get access to level 21+.  I started BS, then started Point Lookout so I could take advantage of the exp I would be earning in Lookout - I was level 20 before I beat the original game, so I wanted to get the most bang for my  buck.  
 
Sorry if this post is a bit whacked, I'm still a bit drunk.