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Fallout 3

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KvP:
So I searched for a Fallout 3 thread, and there was a Fallout thread that talked a bit about the third entry in the series (if you'd call it that), but it hasn't been alive for 8 or 9 months and the board software advised me to start a new thread. And about 3 months ago Bethesda started releasing info about their game, so I believe it's appropriate to start fresh.

The official Fallout 3 website is online now. For those who don't know what Fallout is, most of you know what Oblivion is, and the people who made that game are making the next Fallout game their follow-up. It's to be released in the Fall of '08.

Some things about the game from some article:
- Game runs on an evolved version of the Oblivion engine. Third person view has been reworked since the verdict was that the Oblivion version sucked ass.
- Game starts with your birth and your mother's death in a vault hospital. This is essentially the character customization part of the game. Your father hands you up to have your DNA analyzed and you get to pick out all your character traits. Your dad takes off his mask to reveal similar traits to the ones you picked.
- You grow up in the vault and as you grow you get your first book titled "You're Special" which allows you to choose you baseline stats for each of your 7 primary aptitudes. You'll also get your first weapons and wrist computer (menu) as you get older you'll take tests to determine the initial layout of your skills and traits.
- Every aspect of character creation is based on S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system. Of your 14 skills you can tag 3 to grow at a faster rate than the rest as you level up.
- Battle system is called the Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). The article states. "While you'll certainly be able to tackle enemies in real time using first person shooting, V.A.T.S. lets players pause time and select a target at their leisure". Battle system still uses action points, but once you've used them up you'll still be able to fight targets in real time while they charge back up.
- Game is still violent and gory. One of the featured screens is of a guy's head exploding in super gory detail. Apparently all gory deaths in the game will be in slow motion.
- More than one way to play the game. Go balls out and kill people, or sneak past situations, or perhaps talk your way out of situations.
- Enemies can target you just like you can target them, so you can get injured in very specific points on you body. This is in addition to an all new health/radiation system. This new system has you measuring how radiated certain things (like water) are and how they affect you when you consume them.
- Karma system returns
- XP based system, most XP comes from quests
- Level cap is 20
- 9 - 12 possible endings based on your actions in the game
- No level scaling like oblivion, you walk into a high level area, you die horribly.
- There are NPC's you can hire, but this is not a party based game.
- It's to take place in and around the Washington DC area.
- To much derision, they've removed called shots to the eyes and groin. No more hip-kicking pig rats in the balls for us.
- Super Mutants will play a prominent role in the game.
- Liam Neeson will voice the player's father.
- Ability to kill children is still being decided.
- Player character can be a cannibal
- Player character will have to drink water, which is the primary source of radiation in F3.

Here's some press about the game thus far:
Bethesda Q&A 1 and 2
Comprehensive IGN coverage
Gamespot coverage
Joystiq article and bullet points
Eurogamer coverage
1up coverage

I'm an old-skool Fallout fan way back from '97, but I'm not really as, eh, conservative about it as the more vocal areas of the fanbase. I was dissatisfied with the writing and mechanics of Oblivion, but I'm tentatively awaiting this game. I'm hoping it's good.

Also, before I forget - The design documents of Black Isle's long-cancelled Fallout 3, codenamed Van Buren. At the bottom of that list is the working tech demo, buggy as hell, but good for a quick look and some heartache over what might have been.

*edit to add Van Buren stuff.

McTaggart:
:(

ackblom12:
I'm not exactly as puritanical as some members of the fanbase, but I'm fully expecting to be fucking disappointed in this game. It more sounds to me like it would be a great spin off Fallout title, but I have no hope for Bethesda's "ability" to make great NPC personalities and making enough good dialog for a core game. I'm also pretty certain the water drinking aspect will be about as shitty as every other eating/drinking resource management ever made in games.

I also hate them for removing called Groin shots.

Overall, I fully expect it to be an enjoyable game that will be brought down for me by having the Fallout name.

Storm Rider:
I think I'm better off for not having played either of the first two Fallouts because I can approach this game with a perspective not colored by previous experience. I think conceptually it sounds interesting, and Bethesda has proven that they can make great RPGs, so I'm somewhat excited for it. It's still far enough away at this point that it's not driving me crazy with anticipation, but I'm certainly interested in finding out more details about it. It was certainly well received at E3, if the Game Critics awards are any indication.

KvP:

--- Quote from: Storm Rider on 18 Aug 2007, 23:37 ---I think I'm better off for not having played either of the first two Fallouts because I can approach this game with a perspective not colored by previous experience.
--- End quote ---
You're not. What if you play the first two and you like the third less for it? Is that really such a loss? If I haven't played FFVII (and I haven't) should I hold off until I play FFXII for the same reasons? Granted, when you play something like, oh, say, Deus Ex: Invisible War after playing the original, you'll probably be let down considering the removal of RPG elements from the game. But you'd probably be just as nonplussed with the game if you never played the superior predecessor, because it wasn't that great and some of the design decisions in that game were pretty ludicrous (Universal ammo? What?)

Besides, considering Fallout's age, interface and gameplay mechanics, if you enjoyed Oblivion you might get bored with Fallout and enjoy Bethesda's effort even more. I'd say it's worth it just to gain some background on the setting. After all, F3 is going to be a sequel at heart.


--- Quote from: ackblom12 on 18 Aug 2007, 23:11 ---I have no hope for Bethesda's "ability" to make great NPC personalities and making enough good dialog for a core game.
--- End quote ---
To be fair to Bethesda, they have cut down on the number of NPCs from somewhere around 1,500 in Oblivion to around 500 in Fallout 3, and they've at least tried to assure us that they're working on making each one of those NPCs unique. I wasn't thrilled with the faux-Tolkien writing on display in Oblivion, but come on, it's high fantasy. They didn't even have the leeway of Bioware's Forgotten Realms games to write past standard fantasy tropes. I'll give them a shot, at least.


--- Quote from: ackblom12 on 18 Aug 2007, 23:11 ---I also hate them for removing called Groin shots.
--- End quote ---
It makes some semblance of sense. They're not working with flavor text anymore, which was just about all groin shots were good for. If you really want to see slow-motion groin destruction, you should play Stranglehold, which comes out this week. It's quite glorious.


--- Quote from: ackblom12 on 18 Aug 2007, 23:11 ---Overall, I fully expect it to be an enjoyable game that will be brought down for me by having the Fallout name.

--- End quote ---
Can't say I agree with this. The Godfather: Part Three wasn't a good movie diminished by comparisons to its predecessors, it was just a bad movie that aspired to be as good as its predecessors. As long as Fallout 3 doesn't try to outdo its pedigree I won't have any problems judging it on its own merits. It's difficult for me to ruin a game for myself like that anyway.

That having been said, having read the 750+ pages of Van Buren documentation and conferred with its authors, I would trade out Bethesda's effort for it in a heartbeat. There was  some amazing stuff in there. I'll admit that I did not like Oblivion. I don't like dungeon hacks in general. But most everything Bethesda made before Morrowind was better. Hopefully they can capture some of that again.

Ah, jeez, this is something like my 12th post and I'm already writing reams of text. I do this every time.

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