So, in my exploration:

1) Did not find Rockopolis
2) Inadvertently stumbled upon Little Lamplight
3) Found an area NNE of Little Lamplight with extreme radiation. With my rad resistance at 85% I was still getting up to 485 rads/sec. And those Super Mutants were just strolling around like it was nothing.

Mutants (including Ghouls) are healed by radiation. It says it in one of the little loading screen tips.


And (spoilers): That area is the point of little lamplight. You can't go straight in because its irradiated as hell, and little lamplight is the only way around.

yup my first playthrough, and I gotta say the contract killer perk is crap. I only got 15 caps for it. The crap I looted off the body is worth more then that. For a level 14 perk its pretty sad

edit: someone posted a map of the wasteland, I found a better sized version here

What does Mr. Pearlman say during the ending? If you're evil he's all "vice, corruption blah blah blah" and if you're good he's all "virtue, bravery, blah blah blah".

Looming at that map the Brotherhood Outcasts HQ is Fort Independance, which is SW of Megaton on the way to Tenpenny.

I was wrong, I was good, but I was close so I just killed the crackpot shop owner in megaton and was neutral, but it was an insanely thin line. I killed three more people getting out and got evil karma so I reloaded.

As for the neutral ending, this is what he says in its entirety

"the wasteland prooved a cruel and inhospitable place"

Then an unnaturally long silence. Thats it.... hey dont look at me I didn't write it

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_endings

Very useful site, btw.

oh and I found out something hilarious

Ok so I went into VATS and shot a missle, usual dramatic camera, it missed, and hit the edge of the floor. Nothing odd, then I got this alert "Mysterious Stranger has been knocked unconsious." Thats right, you can actually hit him by accident.

I also love Liberty Prime, best NPC ever.
"COMMUNISM... IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF FAILURE."

Yes, Liberty Prime is awesome incarnate. As soon as I realised they were going to launch him, I started to flip on Evangelion music, but then I flipped over to Libera Me From Hell, realising that was far more appropriate.

Liberty Prime was pretty damn cool.

"DEATH IS A PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUNISM!"