So, after deciding which of the 15 Fallout 4 threads to continue posting in, here is Today's Joeboy's Pros & Cons:
Pro - Enemies & Difficulty
This sound similar to other Fallout 3 veterans' thought processes when playing?
"Oh look. Some ghouls. Well, I'll give them a fighting chance to get closer while I chose which weapon to wield for annih-OHGODFUCKGETITOFF!!!!111!"
Previously in Fallout, and Bethesda games in general, enemies are pretty cumbersome, lackluster, and generally boring. True to the term of bullet sponges, rarely did they require strategy, cunning, or even guise of caution. Now? Oh ho, now, its another ballgame. I decided to try on Normal to start with and I am REALLY glad I did as the new normal in Fallout is a lot more difficult than Fallout 3. What makes it great too is not that the enemies are super tough now, but more than anything, they are fast.
From ghouls to mongrels to those fucking soft shell Mirelurks (aim UNDER the shell, locational damage is in the game), enemies' speed has improved to the point that you have to decide, and quickly, the actions you are going to take. This has been coupled with making them quieter and the music not immediately move into combat mode. This gives them a couple of second jump unless you are being real observant.
Its very strange because, where Fallout 3 felt like enemies were sprinkled everywhere, they seem more sparse in 4, but are far deadlier. This is all REAL good news though as it makes combat more challenging, more exciting, and more rewarding without going cheap with just require more direct hits on them (See: Dragon Age 2 for a prime example).
Con - Dialogue
I gave it time, was open-minded, but that dialogue system is not working. And I don't think its the wheel's fault. To keep the Bioware comparison going, they achieve strong results with the wheel. Problem with Bethesda's go at it is the options fail to even sporadically convey the results. Rarely did I run into instances in Mass Effect where my chosen line did not match up with tone, but has happened a few times with me so far in FO4. Too often, they just go with a one word option, or even just Yes, No, Maybe that just cheapens it in general.
Let's be honest: Bethesda has never been good with dialogue. I'm all for them trying new things to IMPROVE their systems, dialogue included. But this doesn't improve the system and, frankly, doesn't streamline it either. Instead you sit there wondering about what your options will entail, befuddled.
Overall - Still loving it, the atmosphere, the base building, the exploration, and the combat so far. GOTY? Probably not, but I'm not even in the realm of regretting my purchase.