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[EatChildren]

I want to get interested in this, but Fallout 3, while significantly improved over Oblivion, still devolved into a game I didn't really have any interest in playing 'seriously', and saw most of the game through friends coming over and playing on my system.

Obsidian behind the game gives me hope, but I thought VATS was pretty rubbish in Fallout 3, and as a whole the game was missing 'something' to really hook me.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

I wonder how many of those side-quests you can actually complete in a play through though. I mean, I have to guess that some of those are faction-specific.

 

[bunbun777]

Some strategy guide info bits, slight "numerical" spoilers.

Spoiler

73 sidequests

Spoiler

42 hollowed out rocks

Spoiler

51 Skill books (less skill books but they add +3 to skills or +4 with Comprehension perk)

Spoiler

213 Skill magazines (these will add +10 to skills but only last a small amount of time, can be longer with Retention perk and get +15 with Comprehension Perk)

Spoiler

42 different Unique Weapons (some only available WITH Wild Wasteland, others only available WITHOUT Wild Wasteland

Spoiler

8 deathclaw types Deathclaw Baby, Young Deathclaw, Blind Deathclaw, Deathclaw, Deathclaw Alpha, Deathclaw Alpha Male, Deathclaw Mother and Legendary Deathclaw.

Spoiler

All the books + Comprehension + 10 INT at 30 lvl grant you about 780 bonus skill points out of 1300

Having low int isn't as detrimental now as you get 10.5 skill points level with INT 1 and 15 with int 10

Thank you! This is just what I was wondering... sounds like specialization is going to actually mean something more this time-- Going to start out with 8 INT I guess...

Looks like it's already set up for at least 3 solid playthroughs, this is the big hype game for me of the year. hardcore mode day 1.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

i could piss myself with anticipation. seriously

 

[JudgeN]

Holy Fuck hardcore mode sounds amazing, is it available at the start?

Waiting for the GOTY version going to be a difficult wait, shit.

 

[Wallach]

Holy Fuck hardcore mode sounds amazing, is it available at the start?

Waiting for the GOTY version going to be a difficult wait, shit.

Hell yeah it is, but if you wuss out mid-playthrough and turn it off, you can't turn it back on unless you start over.

 

[Geoff9920]

I want to get interested in this, but Fallout 3, while significantly improved over Oblivion, still devolved into a game I didn't really have any interest in playing 'seriously', and saw most of the game through friends coming over and playing on my system.

Obsidian behind the game gives me hope, but I thought VATS was pretty rubbish in Fallout 3, and as a whole the game was missing 'something' to really hook me.

IMO the biggest issue with VATS in Fallout 3 is that there wasn't much stategy to it. Run up to a dude, aim for the head, and move on to the next. I saw a recent interview on xplay with the obisidian devs stating how they adjusted VATS so this wouldn't happen, but they weren't too specific as to how VATS changed.

 

[duckroll]

Oh yeah. In fact Fallout is downright dry compared to Fallout 2 in a lot of ways. Right out of the gate Fallout is like "I ARE SERIOUS CAT, THIS ARE SERIOUS RPG" and it doesn't get funny or interesting at all for a while.

Fallout 2 is much more open and thankfully much less stiff across the board. A little less consistent at times, but to me that was meaningless compared to all of the fun I was having.

Plus it had OMG BOZAR.

Fallout was definitely much more dry. Also, it wasn't until Fallout 2 that Black Isles really hit their stride in terms of making the dialogue and player choices be the game completely. There is of course a lot of choice and consequence in Fallout 1 as well, but it was still mostly centered around major events and major choices, influencing minor outcomes (an ending screen for example).

In Fallout 2 the freedom the player has in crafting his/her own scenario is there right from the start, beginning with character creation. The sort of character you make in Fallout 2 immediately determines what sort of options you have out of the gate at the start. There was just so many FUN things to do in Fallout 2 too, and to see how your choices in each region had consequences on the people and factions in it, even if they had nothing to do with the larger storyline. You weren't building towards a certain ending, but rather crafting the entire scenario itself bit by bit.

Really hoping that they can show off the same sort of narrative design in New Vegas.

 

[Dyno]

I enjoyed Fallout 3. It wasn't always perfect but it was just so big and open that it kept me coming back for hours. I like the way Obsidian's game tweaks and additions sound on paper but they have had a rough time of it this gen. Here's hoping for the best.

IMO the biggest issue with VATS in Fallout 3 is that there wasn't much stategy to it. Run up to a dude, aim for the head, and move on to the next. I saw a recent interview on xplay with the obisidian devs stating how they adjusted VATS so this wouldn't happen, but they weren't too specific as to how VATS changed.

Headshots could get you through a lot of encounters but those who used VATS creatively got through the toughest fights on the hardest difficulty unscathed.

Shooting out arms and weapons was necessary some times to stop a hail of bullets raining down on you. If you made the Dart Gun then leg shots ensured you could run circles around Deathclaws and Radscorpions. Even shooting enemies in their weak spots (after a grenades, for example) would call up their stun animation, giving you an edge in the fight.

 

[Wallach]

Fallout was definitely much more dry. Also, it wasn't until Fallout 2 that Black Isles really hit their stride in terms of making the dialogue and player choices be the game completely. There is of course a lot of choice and consequence in Fallout 1 as well, but it was still mostly centered around major events and major choices, influencing minor outcomes (an ending screen for example).

In Fallout 2 the freedom the player has in crafting his/her own scenario is there right from the start, beginning with character creation. The sort of character you make in Fallout 2 immediately determines what sort of options you have out of the gate at the start. There was just so many FUN things to do in Fallout 2 too, and to see how your choices in each region had consequences on the people and factions in it, even if they had nothing to do with the larger storyline. You weren't building towards a certain ending, but rather crafting the entire scenario itself bit by bit.

Really hoping that they can show off the same sort of narrative design in New Vegas.

Don't I know it, I abused that very freedom to make that speed run (though technically you can beat the original Fallout a bit faster abusing the combat bug). By that time though I'd already put a couple thousand hours into the game and was running out of things to do. :lol

I played a little bit of Fallout 2 the other day because I wanted to wander around New Reno again to get a good idea of what they might be doing thematically (or maybe just to set myself up for disappointment, who knows) and it still amazes me how much character they put into those... uh, characters. From the second you pull into New Reno (yeah that's right bitches, we had CARS in Fallout 2... or sometimes half a car) you run into memorable characters. Except fuck Jules, that guy is a wank even if he is memorable.

 

[Minsc]

Don't I know it, I abused that very freedom to make that speed run (though technically you can beat the original Fallout a bit faster abusing the combat bug). By that time though I'd already put a couple thousand hours into the game and was running out of things to do. :lol

I played a little bit of Fallout 2 the other day because I wanted to wander around New Reno again to get a good idea of what they might be doing thematically (or maybe just to set myself up for disappointment, who knows) and it still amazes me how much character they put into those... uh, characters. From the second you pull into New Reno (yeah that's right bitches, we had CARS in Fallout 2... or sometimes half a car) you run into memorable characters. Except fuck Jules, that guy is a wank even if he is memorable.

Was it Fallout 1 or 2 that had me running around for all these parts to restore a car? I just remember it being really difficult to find everything, can't even remember having the car fixed.

One of the great things I really like about fallout 1 was how your dialog choices would visibly change a NPCs attitude in the dialog screen, they'd look happier or angrier depending on what they thought of you, and treated you accordingly.

 

[duckroll]

Was it Fallout 1 or 2 that had me running around for all these parts to a car?

One of the great things I really like about fallout 1 was how your dialog choices would visibly change a NPCs attitude in the dialog screen, they'd look happier or angrier depending on what they thought of you, and treated you accordingly.

The car is Fallout 2. It was also a source of many of the bugs I mentioned before at launch. :lol

 

[Darklord]

I loved Fallout 3 but I'll be holding judgment of this until I see some reviews. If it's another jank-fest by Obsidian I think I'll leave it.

 

[Truant]

What's 'Wild Wasteland'?

 

[The Shadow]

Anyone know of any preorder deals for this game? If not, I'll likely order it via steam but wouldn't mind saving a little bit or getting a gamecard or whatever.

 

[Wiggum2007]

What's 'Wild Wasteland'?

It triggers more 'wacky' content and special encounters, like stuff you'd come across in Fallout 2 as opposed to 1 and 3.

edit: should just leave the question answering to Wallach :lol

 

[Wallach]

What's 'Wild Wasteland'?

Spoilered for the sensitive:

Spoiler

It's essentially a trait you can take that gives the game the same sort of flair as Fallout 2. You'll run into crazier things, especially in random encounters. For example, in Fallout 2 one of the random encounters is that a giant whale and flower pot that falls out of the sky (Hitchhiker's gag). Fallout 2 was full of jokes and culture gags like that, so they made that stuff a perk so that people could decide whether or not to include it as part of the experience. Note that some content is obviously exclusive to this trait being taken, but there's actually a bit of content that is exclusive to it being turned off.

 

[Minsc]

The car is Fallout 2. It was also a source of many of the bugs I mentioned before at launch. :lol

I never got around to playing it at launch, though I did play Fallout 1 a couple times including it's release. I remember there being a few bugs towards the end of the game in Fallout 1 with keycodes or lockpicking, thought it was neat how you could

Spoiler

talk your way past the final boss too

. The Brotherhood of Steel headquarters was pretty fun as well, nothing beat getting your own suit of Brotherhood armor, you felt invincible after that!

Except perhaps finding out for the first time you're inevitably going to die from the radscorpions that hit you at the beginning of the game 40 saves later, when you get your first geiger counter and it puts you at 1,000,000+ or whatever, though I remember it screwing me when I first went in to the hole, came out thinking I was fine, and eventually found out I had to do that area over :lol

 

[Truant]

Spoilered for the sensitive:

Spoiler

It's essentially a trait you can take that gives the game the same sort of flair as Fallout 2. You'll run into crazier things, especially in random encounters. For example, in Fallout 2 one of the random encounters is that a giant whale and flower pot that falls out of the sky (Hitchhiker's gag). Fallout 2 was full of jokes and culture gags like that, so they made that stuff a perk so that people could decide whether or not to include it as part of the experience. Note that some content is obviously exclusive to this trait being taken, but there's actually a bit of content that is exclusive to it being turned off.

Ok, so you you exclusive stuff with it on, and other exclusive stuff with it off?

 

[beelzebozo]

i don't know, i loved fallout 3, but i think i'll wait until they get the boxes inside the store and start to unpack them before i hound them to buy a copy. unless the reviews are really good, in which case i know where the u.p.s. driver depot is, and i can just mug and beat him to death to get one, and i'll send a copy to his family, as a consolatory gesture.

 

[Visualante]

The map seems to be as big as Fallout 3's. But I have a feeling there's so much more to do this time around.

It really didn't feel it in the pipboy. But now I go back and look at the Fallout 3 map- the strip itself looks larger than I thought it was, and the surrounding. Time will tell.

 

[BobsRevenge]

Am I the only one who isn't looking forward to this because I still have to beat Fallout 3 again with all the DLC?

That's, like, 40 hours of shit to do. I'm afraid New Vegas will wreck Fallout 3 and I might not feel like playing it anymore after it.

 

[gdt]

I loved loved loved Fallout 3, and I'll be getting this too. Not day one though, maybe a week or two after. Getting a PS3 this week, so that'll push Fallout and Vanquish back a week or two.

 

[BobsRevenge]

Fallout is a RPG series, not a FPS. I suggest you find another franchise to play if that is your main concern.

Ice cold, but so damn true.

 

[duckroll]

Ice cold, but so damn true.

I didn't really mean it that way. I'm just factually saying that if someone is concerned with the shooting mechanics and want it to control and play more like a regular FPS, this is clearly not the series for it, and Obsidian is clearly not the developer who will deliver that change.

 

[BlueTsunami]

IMO the biggest issue with VATS in Fallout 3 is that there wasn't much stategy to it. Run up to a dude, aim for the head, and move on to the next. I saw a recent interview on xplay with the obisidian devs stating how they adjusted VATS so this wouldn't happen, but they weren't too specific as to how VATS changed.

The Deathclaw was an enemy that made good use of VATS. It was too strong to simply take out with headshots and it was quick as hell. So crippling its feet first and then finishing it off as it was limping towards you was a good strategy. It'll be interesting to see if New Vegas employs some needed VATS strategies for common enemies in this game.

Also, I really like the FPS/VATS choice in FO3. It allowed me to quickly take out enemies in FPS and then switch over to slower paced VATS on the fly. I liked the way it felt. VATS + Combat Shotgun to the face at close range = Never gets old.

 

[BobsRevenge]

I didn't really mean it that way. I'm just factually saying that if someone is concerned with the shooting mechanics and want it to control and play more like a regular FPS, this is clearly not the series for it, and Obsidian is clearly not the developer who will deliver that change.

Yeah, if anything it sounds like Obsidian is trying to deliver the Fallout experience even more authentically than FO3 did. And I thought FO3 did a decent job considering it was Bethesda behind it and how much I hated Oblivion. It wasn't perfect, but they managed to capture certain elements well.

But New Vegas is really trying to deliver on Bethesda's wishes for FO3 by making the implementation of what they were trying to do less gimicky. Like, the way they showed off the megaton thing before release. Well, yeah, that's cool, but its so obviously deliberate and gimicky that it loses some impact.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

has anything been mentioned about radio/music in the game? FO3 music was great but there were too few songs imo

 

[Karud]

Buy it from axelmusic.com (€41), as they will ship it on the 18th/19th and you will have it about a week later. Seems like a nice compromise if a US version does not bother you.

I just gave axelmusic.com a shot. I hope I don't regret it and it's slower than zavvi (if that's even possible). It's about 45€ with shipping but they will hopefully dispatch it on the 18th, not 20th. Thanks for the hint!


And the map looks pretty cool, I will (!!) lose hours to this game.

 

[Kade]

So basically Wild Wasteland is like playing a Malkavian in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and then some?

 

[thorin]

VATS + Combat Shotgun to the face at close range = Never gets old.

Oddly enough, shotguns did much more damage outside of VATS. So much that you could one-shot a Behemoth, or anything else. I wonder if Obsidian changed that.

I also wonder if they fixed the wacky stealth system. In Fallout 3, as long as you're sneaking and well hidden, you can blow off some guy's head and the person standing right next him will go on like nothing happened. I can't remember if it worked the same in Fallout 1 or 2.

 

[Brinbe]

Ugh, this is the worst... when a highly anticipated release is so close, yet still a few days away. :lol

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Am I the only one who isn't looking forward to this because I still have to beat Fallout 3 again with all the DLC?

That's, like, 40 hours of shit to do. I'm afraid New Vegas will wreck Fallout 3 and I might not feel like playing it anymore after it.

Nope, read my post on the other page. God, if I wasn't so close to finishing Lords of Shadow I might restart a FO3 save.

 

[Lostconfused]

So basically Wild Wasteland is like playing a Malkavian in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and then some?

Probably more like Bloodlines in general if we go with a Bloodlines reference. Otherwise its going to be more like Fallout 2? As in more humorous, I don't think anyone knows exactly what this perk does though just yet.

 

[Effect]

I hope they didn't screw around with the VATS system to much. VATS is how I primarily played Fallout 3 due to not being that great of a FPS player with analog controls. Sure when it came to coming across the random creature in the wasteland I didn't use it but when in doors in some of the populated mutant areas it's all I used and was the best way for me to stay alive.

 

[D2M15]

Argh. I had talked myself out of getting this since I dislike F3 too intently, but did a Mike 3.0 run of Alpha Protocol in the weekend and I think I do need more Obsidian in my life.

I'm still wary of how far they're going to go with the tone: as much as I enjoyed F2 it was rampant with off-colour teenage humour, borderline misogyny and laboured in-jokes, and that sort of thing gets to me even more now I'm older and boringer (hello Bloodlines!) But Sawyer and co. admitted at the time it was an 'anything goes!' development, and I guess they're 12 years older now as well.

Also, Matthew Perry!

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

Probably more like Bloodlines in general if we go with a Bloodlines reference. Otherwise its going to be more like Fallout 2? As in more humorous, I don't think anyone knows exactly what this perk does though just yet.

i think it "turns on" more of the 4th wall breaking special encounters and nods to various pop culture, they did this because people complained about "immersion breaking" events in fallout 2, so now its literally like a yes i want them, no i dont switch you can flip.

 

[MrCompletely]

Any early reviews? Very interested, but standoffish due to Obsidian's recent track record.

Does the PC version have an achievement system?

 

[Wag]

Any early reviews? Very interested, but standoffish due to Obsidian's recent track record.

Does the PC version have an achievement system?

Yes. Steamworks Achievements.

 

[industrian]

I loved Fallout 3 but I'll be holding judgment of this until I see some reviews. If it's another jank-fest by Obsidian I think I'll leave it.

This.

 

[firehawk12]

Any early reviews? Very interested, but standoffish due to Obsidian's recent track record.

Does the PC version have an achievement system?

It's Steamworks, so, Steam achievements.

 

[Lothars]

Am I the only one who isn't looking forward to this because I still have to beat Fallout 3 again with all the DLC?

That's, like, 40 hours of shit to do. I'm afraid New Vegas will wreck Fallout 3 and I might not feel like playing it anymore after it.

Well I agree I have to replay Fallout 3 with all the DLC, I disagree abou New Vegas wrecking the ability of playing Fallout 3.

I am looking forward to New Vegas and have preordered my strategy guide and have to go and pay off my collectors edition.

I just think it will be the case of both games are different not one will be worst than the other.

 

[Sickboy007]

I think that there's a very high chance of ZeniMax aquiring Obsidian if this game does good enough.

 

[abundant]

Ok, so you you exclusive stuff with it on, and other exclusive stuff with it off?

Yes, there are some exclusive weapons only found when you have the Wild Wasteland trait, and some exclusive weapons only found when you don't have the trait.

 

[duckroll]

Yes, there are some exclusive weapons only found when you have the Wild Wasteland trait, and some exclusive weapons only found when you don't have the trait.

I assume those weapons are probably the result of random encounters and events/quests which would be only available with the trait or without? Instead of like, random drops.

 

[Lostconfused]

I assume those weapons are probably the result of random encounters and events/quests which would be only available with the trait or without? Instead of like, random drops.

Maybe the holy hand grenade will make a come back.

 

[D2M15]

I think that there's a very high chance of ZeniMax aquiring Obsidian if this game does good enough.

Pre-order canceled.

 

[dreamer3kx]

Everytime I see fallout I feel sorry for my brother who put 160 hrs into F3 then ran into one of those npc bugs somewhere and couldnt continue on with the game, ugh.

 

[duckroll]

I think that there's a very high chance of ZeniMax aquiring Obsidian if this game does good enough.

Shit. I think I'm not buying this after all.

 

[ChoklitReign]

The Deathclaw was an enemy that made good use of VATS. It was too strong to simply take out with headshots and it was quick as hell. So crippling its feet first and then finishing it off as it was limping towards you was a good strategy. It'll be interesting to see if New Vegas employs some needed VATS strategies for common enemies in this game.

Also, I really like the FPS/VATS choice in FO3. It allowed me to quickly take out enemies in FPS and then switch over to slower paced VATS on the fly. I liked the way it felt. VATS + Combat Shotgun to the face at close range = Never gets old.

If this game doesn't have some kind of dart gun, fighting them will sure be a lot scarier.